Join us on Sunday, December 5 at 1:30pm in person or over Zoom for a recital celebrating the 50th anniversary of the installation of University Lutheran Church’s Noack organ. The recital will feature Imogene Stulken (UniLu Music Director – Organ), Chris Porter (UniLu member), and special guest, Kevin Neel (Director of Music, All Saint’s Episcopal, Worcester, Massachusetts).
UniLu’s organ was completed in 1971 by the Noack Organ Company of Georgetown, Massachusetts (Opus 58). This two-manual, 11-stop, 15-rank organ is entirely mechanical action and is tuned at A440 in the Velotti temperament. It was given a major overhaul in 2014 including cleaning years of accumulated dust and dirt, adjusting shims to minimize air leakage, and revoicing pipes. See our Music page for a stop list.
Zoom Information
50th Anniversary Recital for the UniLu Organ
Dec 5, 2021 01:30 PM Eastern Time
(US and Canada)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83359166140?pwd=TWV0MHNJd3VGR1M5M1JzOXI0TWJJdz09
About the Organists
Kevin Neel enjoys a versatile career as organist, collaborative pianist, conductor, and singer. He was named in the Diapason Magazine‘s 2019 Class of “20 under 30” which recognizes young talents in the fields of organ and harpsichord performance, organ and harpsichord building, carillon, and church music. He has been heard at the organ in numerous venues including Symphony Hall (Boston), Old South Church, Emmanuel Church, Old West Church, Methuen Memorial Music Hall, as well as numerous venues in the southeast. He also has appeared as organ and piano accompanist for multiple choral ensembles in the New England area. In December 2016 he co-founded “et al.,” a choral ensemble (for which he serves as co-artistic director, baritone, and primary accompanist) whose mission is to tell stories through diverse, thoughtful programming performed at the highest level. As a singer, he has sung with the Marsh Chapel Choir, Emmanuel Music, Cantata Singers, and VOICES 21C. He is Director of Music and Organist at All Saints Episcopal Church in Worcester, and previously served as Organist and Chapel Choir Director at Emmanuel Church in Boston. He holds degrees from Boston University in Choral Conducting and Indiana University in Organ Performance and is originally from the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
Imogene Stulken started studying piano with her sister Marilyn at age six and organ at age 14. As a high school junior, Imogene began organ study with Delbert D. Disselhorst at Hastings (NE) College. It was he who suggested at a student AGO (American Guild of Organists) meeting that she become an organ-church music major. Other instructors included Jerald Hamilton (University of Illinois) and John Ferris (Memorial Church, Harvard). While teaching public school music in Cambridge, she served as a substitute organist in the Greater Boston area for four years before becoming organist-choir director at Christ Lutheran Church, Belmont. Since 2008, she has served UniLu as organist (and occasional supply preacher).
Chris Porter first played the organ at the age of one, when he crawled on a live pedal board in the middle of the pastor’s sermon. He studied piano for twelve years starting at age six, but it was not until decades later that he decided to take another crack at the organ. Since 2017, he has been studying with Christian Lane as part of the Boston Organ Studio. He substitutes at University Lutheran, his home church, as well as at other Lutheran churches in the greater Boston area. His mother, Emily Maxson Porter, is a retired Lutheran church organist and composer.
See and share the concert poster (PDF)!