Pipe Organ Vandalized

So yesterday morning I got to church early for choir practice, and we got started late because the organist ran late, and there were only two of us (Scott the Ineffable Bass and myself) so we bagged on performing an unfamiliar “party piece.” Then we noticed something odd about the metal organ pipes visible in the chest to the right of the organ console.

Someone had broken off some of the smallest ones in the front rank with a flat stick. Stewart noticed a bit of tissue paper that shouldn’t have been in there, then he said “what are those little bits of metal?”

That’s when we realized they were tiny pieces of tin that had been broken off and crushed. It was a horrifying discovery to make just half an hour before services were to begin, but fortunately the entire rank is one that isn’t connected to the keyboard anymore (Stewart played every stop he had and never found one that was missing notes).

It was an “off” Sunday anyway because Fr. Ted was on vacation and so no Eucharist, and not many people showed up. It was just… not a good feeling at all to speculate on the kind of mentality that leads to the vandalism of a house of worship.

Add to that our money woes and the impending discussions on what to do with either or both of our properties… well, not a good Sunday at all.

Originally uploaded by GinnyRED57.