Music

Music at St. Mark's takes many forms over the course of the year, including a traditional choir singing sacred choral music, a larger Festive Easter and Festive Christmas Choir, a contemporary Christian instrumental/vocal group called Reflections, small vocal ensembles and soloists from our parish, and guest soloists.

Over the last few years we have been blessed to be joined by instrumentalists from Leominster High School as well as vocalists from both Leominster High School and Lunenburg High School.

Some of the musical offerings can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/SaintMarksMusic .

1868 E. & G.G. Hook Organ at St. Mark's

The Organ: The organ at St. Mark's was built in 1868 by E. & G.G. Hook, Boston as the organ for Christ Church in Fitchburg, MA. It was purchased for St. Mark's in 1899. The organ has a black walnut case and has tracker action. This means that when a key is pressed, the valve for a corresponding pipe is opened mechanically. The only electrical part of the organ is the motor on the blower that provides wind for the pipes.

The organ features two manuals (keyboards), a pedal board, and 972 speaking pipes, including the visible gilded pipes, which are made out of metal and wood. The pipes range from the size of a pencil to about eight feet long. Some of the pipes are round in shape while others are rectangular. The organ has 27 stops. Each stop is a set of pipes that produce one tonal character, such as "trumpet" or "flute." In August, 1992 all of the pipes were taken out of the organ chamber and repair work was done on the pipes and the cabinet by Watersmith Pipe Organs of Enfield, NH. The organ is currently cared for by Mr. Stefan Maeir of Orange, MA.