Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach to celebrate restored organ with a concert

Kristina Webb
·4 min read

The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea will welcome a world-class organist to its historic sanctuary for the first concert on its recently restored organ.

Richard Elliott, principal organist to The Tabernacle Choir in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah, is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, an event that marks the end of nearly three years of work on the church’s Austin organ.

“This is very exciting,” said Bethesda-by-the-Sea Associate for Music and Liturgy, organist and choirmaster Stuart Forster. “It’s taken a lot of work to get the project done, and it’s very meaningful that we have one of the best performers in the country, and one of my favorite performers, here first.”

Why was the organ refurbished?

When Forster joined Bethesda-by-the-Sea’s staff in 2020, the organ’s electronic system was failing after suffering three lightning strikes over two years, Forster said. While an electrical system update was essential for the continued life of the organ, Forster also identified other areas for improvement, including adding several new sounds and more pipes to the instrument.

Read more: Bethesda-by-the-Sea hopes to stave off repeated lightning strikes with new device

“Some of the moving parts had worn out after decades of hard work,” he said.

Even before the update, the organ at Bethesda had more than 6,000 pipes.
Even before the update, the organ at Bethesda had more than 6,000 pipes.

The work was performed thanks to a grant from the Wyncote Foundation, Forster noted.

The console was sent away for updating. While the carved wood shell — which matches the choir stalls — remained the same, the inner electrical workings were completely refurbished. “That was the biggest part of the project,” Forster said.

The church has a backup console that was used while the other was being redone. To move the console from the back of the church to the front, a crew used a crane to lift it above the rows and pews and into place.

The Austin Organ Co. organ was built in 1999 and already had 6,000 pipes, Forster said. The work added new sounds to the instrument’s repertoire, including timpani, cymbal crash and harps.

Who is Richard Elliott?

Elliott is the principal organist for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has been a staple of the choir’s weekly performances for the past three decades, and has become known for his rousing performances during the choir’s trademark Christmas concerts.

Richard Elliott, the principal organist for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, will perform Feb. 24 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach.
Richard Elliott, the principal organist for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, will perform Feb. 24 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach.

Through both his solo work and his performances with the Tabernacle Choir, Elliott has become regarded as one of the most talented organists in the world. He has performed on dozens of CDs and DVDs with the choir and has seven CDs as a soloist. Elliott has collaborated with performers including Andrea Bocelli, Kristin Chenowith, the King’s Singers, Brian Stokes Mitchell, the Sesame Street Muppets and James Taylor. He has performed in some of the most prestigious venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Royal Albert Hall in London.

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Those who attend the concert “can expect a brilliant musician who will bring out all the best sounds of the instrument,” Forster said.

Elliott is especially skilled at weaving together “different symphonic colors and textures,” said Forster. “He truly understands the music and the instrument, and he will bring out the best in both.”

Which songs will Elliott perform?

Elliott’s performance will include:

“Mr. Theo Saunders, His Trumpet Tune” by Antony Baldwin

When Stuart Forster, associate for music and liturgy, organist and choirmaster, joined Bethesda's staff in 2020 he realized the organ’s electronic system was failing after suffering three lightning strikes over two years.
When Stuart Forster, associate for music and liturgy, organist and choirmaster, joined Bethesda's staff in 2020 he realized the organ’s electronic system was failing after suffering three lightning strikes over two years.

“Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 550” by Johann Sebastian Bach

“Toccata” by Leo Sowerby

“Even Song” by John La Montaine

“St. Francis Suite” by Richard Purvis

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” by S. Andrew Lloyd

“Irish Tune from County Derry” by Percy Grainger

“Poco adagio from Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78” by Camille Saint-Saëns, arr. V. Fox

“The Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner, arr. E. H. Lemare

When is the concert?

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday. There will be a Champagne reception at 6:30 p.m.

How much are tickets?

General admission tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased online at www.bbts.org or at the door. Tickets for preferred seating and admission to the Champagne reception are $200 per person.

More information

For more information, call 561-655-4554 or go to www.bbts.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach church celebrates first concert on restored organ