Organ Finds a Second Life at Reading Church

The organ at Church of the Good Shepherd in Reading may be over 65 years old, but it has come out of retirement to serenade churchgoers once again.

After several years of being unplayable due to leaking reservoirs in the organ’s winding system, the instrument has finally been restored thanks to contributions from the church community.

It was a costly and time-consuming process, said Peter Gorman, Twitter Administrator for Church of the Good Shepherd. The project took nearly a year and the total cost was over $100,0000, Gorman said.

Along with music from the church choir and Music Minister Carol Abel, the newly restored organ will make Sunday service all the more enjoyable, Reverend Mary Wagner said. “I am incredibly grateful to everyone in our congregation for all the time, planning and financial support that went into restoring the church organ,” she said.

A ceremony dedicated to the restored organ will take place at the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Sept. 14.

“We invite families in the area to join us in our services and to enjoy the beauty of this historic organ as we celebrate all that God gives us,” Wagner said.

The organ’s old console was replaced with a newly restored vintage console, and all of the wood surfaces, made of 20th century oak and mahogany, were refinished and shined. The winding system of the organ, which controls the instrument’s wind pressures, as well as all of the leather, felt, rubber, and cloth, were replaced.

Photo: Reverend Mary “Scottie” Wagner and Music Minister Carol Abel sit at the newly restored church organ.