Saint Ambrose Parish gains 'a new voice'

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester blesses the Roper Memorial Pipe Organ at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. See more photos on facebook. IC photo/Marie Mischel

SALT LAKE CITY — "Our church has lungs," said Father Andrzej Skrzypiec, pastor of Saint Ambrose Parish, with a wide smile at the end of the inaugural recital of the Roper Memorial Pipe Organ on Jan. 25.

Hundreds of people attended the recital, which was preceded by Vespers and the blessing of the organ by the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City.

During his comments, Bishop Wester in particular thanked the donors who contributed specifically to obtain the organ for the parish, "to give glory and praise to God through the beauty of music," he said.

An organ "is capable of echoing and expressing all the experiences of the human life," Fr. Skrzypiec said during his comments. "The manifold possibilities of the organ in some way remind us of the immensity and the magnificence of God.... May all those who enter this church be enriched by the solemn and beautiful music of this new organ and be brought to the joy of faith."

The Roper Memorial Pipe Organ was created by merging the Holtkamp organ that previously had been at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of Saint Mark in Salt Lake City and St. Ambrose’s Wicks organ. The resulting instrument "has a wonderful clarity and a wonderful brilliance, which it brought from St. Mark’s" as well as "a breadth and warmth that it’s never had before," said Dr. Clay Christiansen, who performed the inaugural recital. "There are not a lot of instruments that have depth and breadth and warmth, and also have clarity. That’s one of the wonderful hallmarks of this great instrument, which not only has the power and the soft sounds but also has many charming sounds of all different varieties, and lots of color."

Christiansen, a Mormon Tabernacle organist, spent 10 years as the organist and choir master at St. Mark’s, where he grew to love the Holtkamp. "This instrument finding a home was very close and near and dear to my heart because a decade of my life is tied up with it," he said.

Each piece he played at the recital was selected to show off a different aspect of the new organ, he said. Just before the finale, from Sonata on Psalm 94 by Julius Reubke, Christiansen complimented Christopher Huntzinger, St. Ambrose’s music director, and said, "What a dream come true to see this wonderful organ here in a church with such a wonderful music program."

The new organ is amazing, said Huntzinger, who was the organist for the Vespers service. "It’s like a small orchestra. It’s going to be very amazing for liturgies and for concerts. We have tons of different choices, ways to present the music. A hymn can be an event, not just a thing you do."

In addition to being used during the liturgy and for concerts, the Roper Memorial organ will be a teaching instrument for students at J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School.

"There are already some kids who have expressed an interest in becoming organists," Fr. Skrzypiec said.

Two concerts have been planned for spring: April 28 with the choirs of St. Ambrose Parish and the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark; and June 7, with David Chamberlin, vice president/tonal director of M.L. Bigelow & Co., which built the Roper Memorial organ. Both concerts are scheduled for 7 p.m.