From left Michelle Tambascio, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation program associate, Ron McEntire, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church minister of music, and the Rev. Luke Fodor in front of the organ that will be restored at the church. Anyone interested in donating toward the restoration can contact the church office at 483-6405. Submitted photo

Every Sunday St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s 1957 Aeolian-Skinner organ brings an orchestra of sound into the church — leading voices to sing and hearts to soar.

And yet, after 63 years of faithful service, certain essential elements are failing. After nearly a quarter century of use without significant repair, the organ console is suffering from several mechanical failures as the keys are worn, and the pedals and several pistons intermittently “act up.” Additionally, the computer software installed in 1996 used to control all the switching required for more than 2,000 pipes instead of miles of cable, has become intermittently undependable.

To adequately address both the mechanical and software failures, Heritage Pipe Organ of Buffalo has proposed creating a brand-new console that would have better working parts and house enhanced digital software. The new console would match the original construction of the building in appearance and it would greatly improve the sound of the instrument. Under the leadership of minister of music, Ron McEntire, St. Luke’s has begun the process of replacing the outdated console, which still uses floppy disks, while adding new digital stops to enrich and fill out the “orchestra.”

According to McEntire, “This is one of the sweetest sounding organs in Jamestown, but the current console makes it difficult to play.”

Despite the limitations of the console, the 1957 Aeolian-Skinner organ has long a played pivotal role in training up future organists — like the newly appointed organist at Chautauqua Institution, Josh Stafford, who grew up playing at St. Luke’s. McEntire is currently teaching two area teenagers in the art of organ performance.

To ensure the future of both the instrument and the development organists, the playfully entitled organ restoration fund “Will You Be an Organ Donor?” has set a target goal of $250,000. With the many pledges of parishioners and the generous support of Karl Peterson Fund at the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation, the campaign recently crossed the $200,000 threshold of support.

“We are so grateful for the support of the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation and we hope to begin construction on the new console in the first quarter of 2021 and then the installation in summer 2021, but the COVID pandemic makes all timetables tenuous,” said the Rev. Luke Fodor.

Those interested in learning more about the campaign are encouraged to watch an information video on YouTube at www.bit.ly/StLukesOrgan while those who would like to make a pledge can do so at www.bit.ly/StLukesOrganDonor or by mailing a check made out to “St. Luke’s” with organ in the memo line.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is located at 410 N. Main St., on the corner of Fourth and Main streets in Jamestown. For more information about the organ campaign or any of St. Luke’s other offerings, call the church office at 483-6405.