To bolster the sounds of praise and thanksgiving that come from congregations in the Randolph Church, a pipe organ sings in the back of the hall.
The church has not long been without the song of a keyboard instrument, as shortly after the dedication of the church in 1884, a small parlor harmonium was purchased and installed at the front of the hall. In 1921, this instrument was replaced by a larger one built by the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, Vermont, and gifted to the church as a memorial for Irving Roscoe Leighton (1867-1910). This second harmonium was a typical reed organ; the bellows of which were activated by two pedals pumped by the organist. The instrument was electrified in 1962, much to the relief of the organists who played it. About the only thing that ever went wrong was the occasional dead mouse under those pedals. The harmonium served the church well for the next seventy-five years and now resides at the Rising cottage, “Diccalo,” on Randolph Hill Road.
Soon after the memorial service for Daphne Johnson Cross on August 6, 1995, Hershner Cross approached the church with the thought of installing a new organ. It was his donation that translated thought into reality, and the plaque that is installed on our new instrument reads as follows:
This instrument is dedicated to the respectful worship of almighty God who makes all things possible.To the loving memory of Daphne Cross who adored the role of music in that worship. To the long line of faithful Randolph organists who have given us that music.
The installation of the new organ was a real community affair, under the leadership of the organ committee — Mark Kelley, George (Jim) Baldwin, Marie Beringer, and Heywood Alexander. Jeff Tirey served as structural engineer. He found that additional foundation support was needed to carry the weight of the new instrument. It was discovered that, oddly enough, one rear corner of the church building had been floating, unsupported, for years! Larry Martin and Larry Martin II handled foundation carpentry and finishing construction was accomplished by Larry Jenkins. Rick Ruppel constructed new hymn boards.
The organ is a beautifully constructed, fine sounding small mechanical action organ. It is quite an impressive instrument for such a remote, small church in the woods. It is maintained by David E. Wallace & Co. of Gorham, Maine.
Statement by the organ builder, Charles M. Ruggles:
Once in a great while an opportunity comes along to build an instrument for a room which is friendly to pipe organ sound. The Randolph Church has provided such a setting in which to voice the organ with a rich, warm singing sound, without needing to be forced or aggressive. With the help of Heywood Alexander, I developed a stop list which I thought would provide a sound basis for congregational singing and liturgy, and allow satisfying performances of a significant portion of the organ literature appropriate for this setting. The tonal design and voicing were highly influenced by the great tradition of organ building gin New England during the last 200 years. The plain meeting house style of the Randolph Church guilded me to create a visual design reminiscent of the Shaker style of cabinetmaking, using simple lines and multiple woods in the design….