What: The University of North Texas College of Music is hosting an inauguration of the Raisin Organ, the oldest playable organ in Texas.
When: 3:30 p.m. (inauguration) and 4 p.m. (free concert) Nov. 12 (Saturday).
Where: Organ Recital Hall in the Music Building, 415 S. Ave. C in Denton.
Cost: Free.
Parking: Free parking will be available in lots 4 and 26 with overflow parking available in the lot next to the MPAC. View the UNT parking map here.
More information: For a complete list of UNT College of Music events, including faculty and student recitals, visit the College of Music online calendar at http://music.unt.edu/calendar and connect with the College of Music on Facebook at Facebook.com/UNTCollegeofMusic and on Twitter at @UNTCoM.
DENTON (UNT), Texas - More than 150 years ago, a Lutheran pastor hauled an organ from Switzerland to Texas by sea, and, for years, early German pioneers of Texas played the instrument.
Last November, the Raisin Organ, as it is called, found a home at the University of North Texas College of Music, and at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, the university will host an inauguration for the historic instrument. A free concert will follow at 4 p.m.
“The Raisin organ is a clear voice from the past,” said Jesse Eschbach, professor of organ and coordinator of UNT’s Organ Program. “To have an instrument of this caliber and workmanship that is still speaking so strongly is an honor. It is like a time machine.”
The Raisin Organ, named for the small Texas town where it was discovered, is believed to have been built around 1780. It served as the first instrument in the Trinity Lutheran Church in Victoria, Texas, until it was placed in storage and forgotten.
For almost 75 years, the organ rotted and was ravaged by pests. Victoria businessman Rubin Frels discovered the instrument in a former stagecoach inn and commissioned organ expert Susan Tattershall in 1980 to restore the organ to working condition.
UNT alumna Susan Ferré purchased the Raisin Organ in 1991 and loaned it to the Mesquite Arts Center for public display. In November 2015, Ferré donated the instrument to UNT’s College of Music in Denton.
Thanks to Ferré’s donation, UNT students now have the opportunity to practice on the oldest playable organ in Texas.
The inauguration will feature Ferré, who will perform a solo then be accompanied by a chamber group and organist Hentus Van Rooyen. She also will discuss the complex history of the organ. The concert also will include instrumentalists and singers of the UNT Early Music Program, directed by Paul Leenhouts, performing 18th century Swiss repertoire.
For more information, visit the event page or call 940-565-2791.