Pride

[vaneramos]

Yesterday afternoon internationally-renowned organist David Palmer gave an inaugural recital on the new instrument at St. James Anglican Church in Dundas. Dad and Danny attended with me. The large church sanctuary was filled to overflowing, with several hundred people. During the program David acknowledged the workmanship of Les, who rose to considerable ovation. But at the end the church rector, Jim Sandilands, asked Les to stand again along with his work crew, including me and Henk (John, who has been undergoing chemo, could not attend). The applause went on for some moments, and I was closer to tears than I have been in months. I am truly my mother's son, crying when I'm happy rather than sad.

Accolades also went to St. James and the elderly donor for bringing such a gift to the musical community. It is a respectable instrument: three manuals, 31 stops, and 2,297 pipes. Les and I have been working on it full-time since Easter 2007. Contributing to this construction is one of the biggest tangible accomplishments of my life.

A greatly enjoyable aspect of this job has been the people we worked with: Jim, church organist Douglas Brownlee, minister-at-large David Linn who assisted with construction, and many people from the church who volunteered time and muscle cheerfully. They were fun to spend time with, and I will miss them. However the work isn't done (one stop is yet to be installed), and it seems an organ is never really complete, so our relationship with St. James doesn't end.