For Immediate Release
December 23, 2022
Free Organ Dedication Recital and Reception – Friday, January 6th, 7 PM
Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church, 2400 NW 85th Street, Seattle, WA 98117
Seattle, WA — December 23, 2022
Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Ballard celebrates the renovation of our Opus 42 church organ at with a dedication recital and reception at 7:00 pm, January 6th. Two distinguished guest organists, Dr. William F. Bryant and Ms. Susanna Valleau, will demonstrate the capabilities of the organ, rebuilt by Marceau Pipe Organs.
Dr. William F. Bryant received a doctoral degree in Organ Performance from the University of Washington and is the Director of Music at Faith Lutheran Church in Redmond, Washington. Susanna Valleau is a celebrated organist, pianist, and music teacher, and serves as music director of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline, Washington.
Also performing will be baritone Eric Johnson who will sing from Handel’s Messiah accompanied by Our Redeemer’s Traditional Worship Music Director, Karen Lee.
This concert is a no cost public offering for the greater community as well Our Redeemer’s congregation. A champagne and dessert reception follows the concert.
The organ rebuild was funded as part of Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church’s building renovation completed in September 2021.
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Additional Information Follows:
- Guest Organist Biographies
- Guest Organist Photos
- Organ Rebuild Project Description – Marceau Pipe Organs
- Recital Event Poster
GUEST ORGANIST BIOGRAPHIES
Dr. William F. Bryant received a doctoral degree in Organ Performance from the University of Washington and is the Director of Music at Faith Lutheran Church in Redmond, Washington. Dr. Bryant has a passion for sacred music in the American tradition and his dissertation specialized in American organ building, American hymnody and gospel music. He also holds degrees in composition and oboe performance from the Jacob’s School of Music at Indiana University. Dr. Bryant has appeared as a guest soloist on the organ with numerous symphony orchestras in Seattle and currently holds the Second Clarinet seat with the Seattle Festival Orchestra. He has also performed with many theatres in the Seattle area as a reed player doubling on all the woodwind instruments and has performed internationally throughout Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, England and China.
Susanna Valleau is a Seattle-based organist, pianist, and music teacher, living her dream of building a career entirely through music. She serves as music director of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline, Washington, where she proudly plays the newly installed Ortloff organ. As a solo performer on the organ, she has appeared at regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, as well as in concerts throughout the United States. Susanna is on faculty with the Seattle Girls’ Choir, maintains an active piano and organ studio, and collaborates regularly as an accompanist and in chamber music settings on piano, harpsichord, and organ.
ORGAN REBUILD DESCRIPTION
Marceau Pipe Organs recently completed the rebuilding of an Opus 42, located at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in north Ballard in Seattle. The organ was retained in its original location with the console relocated to the main floor along with the choir. The instrument utilizes pipework and windchest components from the previous organ as well as pipes and organ components from the Marceau inventory. The Great windchest and console were originally built by Balcom & Vaughan organ builders in Seattle for First United Methodist Church in Edmonds, Washington. The organ was removed and placed in storage for upcoming projects. These two components were reunited with this project. The windchest was completely rebuilt and modified to contain four independent stops. The console was also completely rebuilt, a new finish applied to the exterior and a new electrical system provided by the Syndyne Corporation of Vancouver, Washington. The casework and façade design is a takeoff from previous projects incorporating the low octave of the 8′ Principal and low 9 pipes of the 8′ Rohrflute.
