OUR ORGANIST

Our Organist, Ralph E. Jacobus, came to us in October of 2004, as he continues a long career in organ and church music. He most recently came to us from Colesville United Methodist Church, in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, where he was the organist, the music coordinator, and director of the Men's Chorus.

Ralph is a second generation organist, as his Father, Edwin Jacobus, was also an organist, and was his first organ teacher. He was playing the organ by the time he was in the seventh grade in school. He received his professional musical training at Glassboro State College, Glassboro, New Jersey, where he earned both a Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education, with a major in Organ.

Ralph's career contains a varied list of musical activities. He taught in the public schools, as an instrumental music teacher in Williamstown, NJ, and in Maryland in the Prince Georges County Public Schools. His years in the Navy, he was a Navy Musician, serving his entire time at the United States Naval Academy, where he was a tuba player in the "United States Naval Academy Band", and was also the piano accompanist of the Naval Academy Glee Club. On Sunday mornings, he played the organ for the 9:00 Protestant Communion service at the Saint Andrews Chapel, which is located on the lower level of the Naval Academy Chapel.

After returning to civilian life, he serviced as the organist at Calvary United Methodist Church, Annapolis, MD for a total of 17 years.

Ralph's non-musical activities included working for Continental Airlines at BWI airport, as a customer service agent, and working mostly in the field of Flight Operations. He retired from Continental Airlines in February of 2000, to allow more time for his organist duties.

Ralph is married to the Rev. Linda A. Jacobus, who is retired from the ministry in the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.  She has now joined Ralph as a full time resident in Ocean Pines, and attends Community Church.


ABOUT THE ORGAN

The organ of the Community Church at Ocean Pines was donated in full by Paul Hexter in 1994 and dedicated in loving memory of his late wife Sandra Hexter. The organ is a Rodgers model 805b. This is a digital organ which produces sounds digitally recorded from actual pipe organ ranks. The organ is actually a computer that processes sound so that the product sounds the way a pipe organ would. These sound are tracked so they can be separated into ranks and divisions. This gives the overall effect of standing in front of a pipe organ that covers the front wall. To the layman's ears, it sounds like a pipe organ with invisible pipes.

The organ had a major upgrade in June of 2006.  The upgrade consisted of a set of 2 FL-3 full range antiphonal  speakers on the rear wall of the Sanctuary.  Also upgraded was the MIDI system, which now has a MX200 Sound Module, teamed with a MR200 MIDI Sequencer.  The MX200 Sound Module contains over a thousand additional organ and orchestral sounds which can be accessed from the organ.

 Some features of the organ are:

• Orchestral Sounds enabling a compliment of orchestra instruments to be played on the keyboards in conjunction with the regular organ stops.  (MX200 Sound Module)
  
   
• MR200 MIDI Sequencer.  Enables the organist to pre-record organ selections on the internal hard drive of the Sequencer to be available to play at the push of a button.  This feature is also of use during organ practice sessions, allowing the organist to play a selection, then play it back while listening out in the Sanctuary as the congregation would hear it.
  
   
• Ability to read General MIDI files. Any PC operator with Windows 95 or above can used the standard MIDI files from the PC and play them through the sequencer. This means that home composers can compose their music on their home computer, save it and load it into the organ. The sequencer will play it.
   

 
 Specifications of the Rodgers 805B Organ

GREAT ORGAN	PEDAL ORGAN
Flauto Basso 16'	Contre Bourdon 32'
Principal 8'	Principal 16'
Spitzflote 8'	Subbass 16'
Erzahler Celeste II 8'	Bourdon Doux 16'*
Octave 4'	Octave 8'
Koppleflote 4'	Gedackt 8'
Super Octave 2'	Choralbass 4'
Quintflote 1-1/3'	Mixture IV
Mixture IV	Posaune
Cromorne 8'	Trompete 8'
Tremulant	Rohrschalmei 4'
Chimes	Great to Pedal 8'
Swell to Great 8'	Swell to Pedal 8'
MIDI on Great A	MIDI on Pedal
MIDI on Great B
SWELL ORGAN	COMBINATION PISTONS
Geigen Principal 8'	Memory Banks 1, 2, 3, 4
Bourdon 8'	Each Memory Bank Controls
Viole Celeste II 8'	General Pistons 1 thru 10
Principal 4'	Great Pistons 1 thru 5
Flute Harmonique 4'	Swell Pistons 1 thru 5
Nazard 2-2/3'	Pedal Pistons 1 thru 4
Flute a Bec 2'	General Cancel
Tierce 1-3/5'	Set
Plein Jeu IV
Cymbale III
Contre Basson 16'
Trompette 8'	* Expresses with Swell
Hautbois 8'
Clarion 4'
Tremulant
MIDI on Swell

HISTORY OF ORGANISTS

Kay Wheelahan was the first organist for CCOP and oversaw the installation of the new organ in 1994. Kay retired as organist in 1997 and substitutes from time to time.

Edward A Gillenardo succeeded Kay Wheelahan and left on Sabbatical in November 2000.

Joel E. Gorgodian filled the position from Nov. 2000 to July 2001 during Edward's sabbatical.
Edward A Gillenardo returned to the position in July 2001 and susequently has left for a higher level position in Florida in 2004.

Ralph E. Jacobus joined us as organist in October 2004 and is currently filling that position.

ORGANIST RELATED HOT LINKS
Salisbury Chapter, American Guild of Organists: www.agohq.org/chapters/Salisbury
American Guild of Organists: www.agohq.org
Rodgers Organs: www.rodgersinstruments.com
Salisbury University: www.salisbury.edu