Richard Elliott's Organ Concert

Tonight we celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Jerusalem Center's fine organ.  Mike Ohman, our current center organist and music director, came here 25 years ago to help with the installation of the instrument.  Richard Elliott, principal organist of the Tabernacle on Temple Square and senior accompanist of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, came to Jerusalem to play a special concert in celebration.

Installed in 1987, the center's organ was built by the Marcussen Company of Denmark.

I have known Rick for 8 years through our association in the Choir, and I am grateful to count him as a friend.  It has been great to spend time with him while he has been here, but listening to him "do his thing" tonight reminded me of all the times I have heard him play in the Tabernacle, in the Conference Center, and on various tours.  He is a wonderful and gifted musician to be sure, but he is also a wonderful human being.

We had a pretty full house tonight, and Rick played a varied and interesting program.  The organ is in the back of the Auditorium, as it is in many old churches and cathedrals, but the design of the Auditorium allowed us to see the organ and even Rick as he played nonetheless.  That is because the way the lighting worked, we were able to see a reflection of the instrument in the front wall of windows.

Both the organ and Rick were reflected in the front windows of the Auditorium

Organ and the Jerusalem nightscape juxtaposed

Jerusalem through the windows of the Auditorium