This project is a tribute to our beautiful home state. It was originally an attempt to visit all 169 towns in Connecticut in one year. It didn't take us long to realize that we could not accomplish that! However long it takes doesn't matter. We're having a great time and learning a lot about our little state.
Insight into how we began and our ground rules are in the first few posts (Note, Prologue, Postscript to Prologue, and Format).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Town #42 Winsted (visit #2)
Saturday, July 25, 2009 Organ Crawl at Church of Christ
This second visit to the Organ Centennial Celebration at the Church of Christ, Baptist-Congrega-tional, consisted of an informative lecture and tour of the George Sherburne Hutchings pipe organ. We had heard about the tour at the March concert but it was announced for church members only. We mentioned we were disappointed that we, as non-members, couldn't enjoy the tour, so Martha Rein, chariman of the music committee, asked for our names. On Juy 12, we got an email "written invitation" to the event.
We were greeted in the church parking lot by Chris King, the organist, who said, before we could say a word, "You must be the Bittners." There were nine of us for the tour, which started in the choir loft with an excellent, basic talk about organs and the pipes that make them work, given by Choir Director Willard Minton. He provided a handout and showed us actual pipes so we could see and hear the open flue pipe and the reed pipe. We learned that it takes about four inches of pressure for their organ pipes to speak, but Mr. Minton said there are some pipes that take over 100 inches of pressure in other organs. Those 64-foot pipes are rare, with about two organs in the world having them, ine in Sydney, Australia. Imagine the deep rumble of a 64-foot organ pipe!
We were shown the organ and console and had an opportunity to get partially inside. The view was limited but interesting. We had seen much more of Mike Foley's Mighty Wurlitzer.
Chris King finished the event with an informal selection of music emphasizing different divisions and ranks of pipes. Refreshments followed. We love all the stained glass windows, especially the Tiffany one. It doesn't have a religious theme but is a lovely garden scene with a waterfall. (Bob)
Bob and I were born in CT and have lived here all our lives except for the one year we lived in NC. He is a retired public school teacher. I am a retired administrator of a religious non-profit, but have had a variety of careers (elementary school teacher, office services business owner, and business school and community college instructor).
We have two grown, married sons and three grandchildren. I am a passionate knitter and have made all our bread since 1972. Bob is a craftsman in wood. He has made much of our furniture, and he built our entire home.
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