Contributed by Marian Fuchs
One afternoon in the second half of October, the Collington Chapel was extended to include the Game Room, and all the chairs were arranged to focus on the small David Moore organ that had been donated to our community at about the time that the chapel was being completed. Every chair was filled by residents eager to learn more about the instrument from our resident organist (as well as pianist and choir master, and leader of all things musical), Marilyn Haskel.
Marilyn told us about the organ’s history, workings and capacity. And she demonstrated its versatility by playing pieces from every century since Handel – giving us marches, voluntaries, jazz, chorale music and hymns, in which the audience joined. In one piece, a chorale prelude, Marilyn was joined by one of our artists in residence, Melissa Morales, playing clarinet.
It was a spellbinding hour of education and enjoyment, prompting one resident to term it the ‘best concert in his two years of residency’!
The pictures below show Marilyn at the organ and the organ itself with the doors open to show its workings.
