October Organ Crawling

Autumn is my favorite season on Nantucket with crisp days and a slower pace than the bustling months of summer. As in most of New England, tradition is an important part of life here and brings with it some activities that are new and different for me as a new year-round resident. The annual organ crawl is one such activity. It has been held each Columbus Day weekend since it got its start in 1993 by beloved Nantucket organist Susan Jarrell and it's thrived ever since. Basically it's a procession of residents and island visitors (some who come to Nantucket every year just for this event) from church to church (historic Methodist, Congregational, Catholic, Unitarian and Episcopal facilities) where the resident church organist plays a brief program to showcase each particular instrument.

This was my first organ crawl and I participated as a volunteer to accept donations at the Unitarian Church. At the conclusion of the organ performance there by long-time organist Marcia Hempel (who succeeded Susan Jarrell in the role), I joined the procession to the concluding concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church just around the corner on Fair Street.

St. Paul's is one of the most beautiful churches on the island and is a must-see for those who love Tiffany windows. According to the Nantucket Historical Association, the church was commissioned by Miss Caroline L.W. French of Boston in memory of her father. The cornerstone was laid on September 5, 1901 and the church was consecrated on June 11, 1902. (The inscription "Jonathan French, born October 1, 1803" and "Died in Boston, May 12, 1901" can be found at the base of the main window pictured above.)

According to St. Paul's website, the Great West window of St. Paul’s Church, circa 1904, measures 10 feet wide by 13 feet high and was made by Tiffany Studios of New York. "The West Window is fabricated from a rich and varied palette of opalescent drapery, and mottled and flashed antique glass held in a lead came/copper-foil matrix.There are seven layers of glass in the window. The window has been completely restored. This process included: complete dismantling; cleaning; edge-gluing; partial re-leading; adding a series of structural fins and design of new protective glazing system."

The organ crawl provided me a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with one of my favorites among Nantucket's many outstanding works of art. And the organ recital was exceptional as well!