Making an Impression With Felix Hell and a Remarkable Installation
Faith Lutheran Church in Akron, OH was packed with parishioners and visitors on Sunday, November 9 for the dedication recital of the church’s Infinity 484 hybrid installation. The recital was performed by Felix Hell, who showcased the installation’s impressive flexibility with extraordinary skill and virtuosity.
The Infinity 484 Platinum Edition console was interfaced with the church’s original Schantz organ (dating from the 1960s). The church’s Director of Music is Bob Mollard, President of Mollard Batons, who provided the custom batons for those attending the 2014 North American Dealer Meeting in May.
The installation is a prime example of the attention to detail that T. S. Good Church Organs, our dealer in Cleveland, OH, has become famous for. Indeed, John Green, who participated in the pipe and digital voicing of this instrument, said that he had never seen a neater installation. (See the picture of the interface board below.)
John was joined by Gerry Oehring, our dealer in Lincoln, NE, and both worked feverishly in the final week leading up to the concert to insure that the organ sounded as perfect as possible.
The installation includes two new antiphonal enclosures, complete with facade pipes, mounted high on the back wall. These were constructed by T. S. Good’s wonderfully talented woodworker, Jeff Hoile, and are an extremely impressive addition to the architecture of the church.
The concert consisted entirely of traditional organ literature, including two Preludes and Fugues by Bach, a Mendelssohn Sonata, and Liszt’s Fantasia on Ad Nos. The playing was so impressive, and so exciting, that in spite of the fact that no compromises were made in terms of literature, it was universally acclaimed as an incredibly successful and inspirational event, both by organ aficionados and those who would not consider themselves such.
There is no doubt that Felix Hell is an incredible talent. For the right installation, a concert by Felix is one of the most exciting things any audience could experience. Felix is, without a doubt, one of the very best advocates for the Rodgers organ.
Neil Weston
Regional Business Development Manager
Central Region
