The Hilgreen-Lane Organ: Chapter Two
In 1966, Rev. Roy Redman, the then director of music at the
First Methodist Church of Waxahachie, Texas, through a trade
publication,
discovered the organ listed "for sale." After contacting the elderly
church member and making inquiries about the organ, he bought
it, really sight unseen, retrieved the organ piece by piece from the
church member's garage, brought it home, and assembled it in a vacant
store building in Waxahachie, Texas.
It worked!!! After innumerable
hours of restoring the organ, Mr. Redman then
listed a "for sale" ad in the Texas Methodist Reporter.
The First Methodist Church of Canton responded, and purchased the
55-year-old instrument. The purchase contract had a special agreement.
The buyers would
have to rebuild, restore, and re-assemble the instrument themselves --
under the direction of Mr. Redman. It was agreed. The project became
the focal point of the whole church.
One member supplied a moving van to pick it up in Waxahachie.
With the help of nearly a dozen members the "new" organ was placed in the
sanctuary of its new church home. Now the hard work began.
Many nights it was after 1 a.m. before the workmen turned off the lights
in Canton's First Methodist church. (It should be noted that the facade
pipes had to be shifted to the side of the manuals, due to the height
of the FMC ceiling, which can be compared with pictures in Chapter
One)
Finally, at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday Morning, September 3, 1967, the
job was completed. The first hymn was played on the revoiced classic
style harmonic pipe organ by Mr. Redman at this time. The job was
a tremendous success. The organ began it's service that same Sunday
morning during the 11 a.m. Worship Service.
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On October 19, 1967, a Service of Dedication and Recital celebrating the
installation of a pipe organ was presented at First Methodist Church of Canton,
Texas. The recitalist was David W. McCormick, S.M.D., A.A.G.O. |
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On January 12, 1972, a recital of serious and sacred organ music commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the building of the Hillgreen-Lane organ was presented by James Cook. Mr. Cook was organist, Choirmaster, and teacher of Organ, and was a candidate for the doctoral degree in Music at the University of Texas. Anniversary Organ Recital
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