Let Music Sound! Organ event on June 25 kicks off Thacher Hall campaign

Dr. Mark Lawlor, nationally known organist and choir director at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Barnstable, will play and demonstrate Thacher Hall’s 1870s “tracker” pipe organ, which will be undergoing restoration this year.

The historic organ is the heart of the American Gothic church building, now Thacher Hall, on the Yarmouth Port Common. The organ was built in 1875 by William Horatio Clarke and has not been refurbished since 1960. To restore its original, gorgeous sound the Yarmouth New  Church Preservation Foundation is raising $225,000 for restoration work. The organ is scheduled to be removed by the Andover Organ Co. later this year and then returned to Thacher Hall in about six months.”Tracker” refers to the wooden strips used to link the keys and pedals with the pipes and control the airflow. Tracker action gives the organist control over the exact moment air enters the pipe, affecting how notes sound.

Thacher Hall is a community venue hosting concerts, films, open mics, lectures and celebrations such as weddings.

The musical event Let Music Sound on Sunday, June 25 at 4 p.m. is free and open to the public. Dr. Lawlor’s presentation is engaging and fascinating, even for organ novices. This is a great opportunity to see the Thacher Hall’s paint design and stained glass and to hear the organ.

Donations to the organ fund may be made online at www.thacherhall.org.