Pipe Organ Dedication Concert In Mullica

MULLICA TOWNSHIP — The pews were full Sunday afternoon at the historic Batsto-Pleasant Mills United Methodist Church as about 130 people listened to a dedication concert featuring a pipe organ built in Italy using antique methods.

“This is the smallest pipe organ I have ever dedicated in my life,” organist Steven Ball said of the 177-pipe organ that fit snugly into a corner, but put out a powerful sound. Ball and trumpet and piano player Jim Commander played mainly hymns and other pieces from 17th and 18th century composers such as Henry Purcell and George Friderich Handel.

“Some may know me from my work with the largest pipe organ in the world, in Atlantic City,” Ball said of the organ in Boardwalk Hall, which has more than 33,000 pipes.

Evelyn Schoenstein, of Egg Harbor City, said she attended to hear the music and revisit the church she has known her whole life. Her parents are buried in the cemetery there.

Organ builder Daniel Taccini, 51, of Rome, restores pipe organs for a living and has built just five of the instruments.

“This is my business card,” said Taccini, who said he has a passion for building them and spent about $20,000 building this one and shipping it to the United States. He will return to Rome on Tuesday, but is hoping to find more work in the U.S., saying there isn’t much work in Italy anymore.

Taccini has restored many organs from the 18th century and even earlier, so he was familiar with the building methods for creating sound without electricity.

“This is my kid,” he said. “My bambino.”

The church dates back almost to the 18th century, having been built in 1808, so the two are a perfect match, Ball said.

Ball lives in the historic Elijah Clark house within walking distance of the church. He is a friend of Taccini, and helped arrange for Taccini to lend the instrument to the church.

“Ever since the land was given by Elijah Clark (for the church), there has been a relationship between the stewards of the house and the church,” Ball said. He is continuing that tradition, he said.

Daniel Walters, of Margate, grew up in the Nesco section of the township and also has family buried there, he said. He knows Ball from his volunteer activities helping get the Boardwalk Hall organ restored.

“I have many fond memories here,” said Walters, who was there with wife Maria. “It’s always good to come back to the country. There’s a lot of history out there in that cemetery.”

The Rev. Dave Carber said services are at 9 a.m. Sundays, and the church plans to have more organ concerts in future.

“The church is not just a museum piece,” Carber said. He said it is involved in toy drives and a food pantry to help needy families in the township.

“We do all we can to help our community,” Carber said.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/tiny-church-big-crowd-for-pipe-organ-dedication/article_21c6ab1f-2ee0-5146-8ed6-c3b0f1c468e8.html

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