Members of the Organists of Keweenaw, Michigan, continue their dedication to keeping their 14 historic organs in the public eye (see The Diapason, February 2007).
On August 27, they commemorated the 500th year of the Reformation with a hymn festival featuring the 1899 Barckhoff organ at the Keweenaw Heritage Center in Calumet, Michigan. Organists playing included Kathleen Alatalo-Arten, Janet Dalquist, Jan List, Tom Kraska (summer resident), and Carol Waisanen. The program, “The Hymns of Martin Luther,” included organ arrangements of hymns, singing of hymns by the audience led by a volunteer choir, and comments about Luther and each hymn by local Pastor Aaron Gehrke.
About 100 people attended, and, although some of the hymns were unfamiliar, the singing was firmly in the Lutheran tradition. Donations were designated for both the organ and building maintenance.
Also this summer, the organists played weekly recitals on the Barckhoff organ. Furthermore, series of biweekly recitals were performed on the 1873 Garrett House organ in Lake Linden, Michigan. The House organ is found in the historic Victorian Stick-style former Congregational Church built in 1887, part of the Houghton County Historical Society complex. For iinformation: http://www.pasty.com/cam/2009/KeweenawOrgans.pdf.
