Press Releases

Lee Dettra Concert to Showcase Vintage Organ, Piano

CHESHIRE, Connecticut (January 20, 2010): Elim Park is proud to welcome acclaimed concert organist and pianist, Lee Dettra, to perform in Nelson Hall on Sunday, January 31, for a 3:00pm concert sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. William P. Meyerjack of Cheshire. The public is welcome for a general admission fee of five dollars.

The January 31 event marks the first dual performance by one artist on two of Elim Park’s most prized instruments, the restored 1929 Moller Pipe Organ and the 1936 Steinway “B” Grand Piano. Lauded for his musical prowess and virtuosity, Lee Dettra will surely add an element of exhilaration to Elim Park’s Nelson Hall, manipulating the two timeless instruments to exude their majesty through selections of Bach, Handel and maybe even a little ragtime.

Lee Dettra has maintained a career as organist, pianist, and choral instructor. A 1963 graduate of Westminster Choir College, he also earned the Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He holds the Fellowship and Choirmaster diplomas of the American Guild of Organists. From 1985 to 2000, Dettra served as organist and choirmaster of the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY.

Elim Park is the third owner of the stately Steinway, restored by AcoustiCraft to its original 1936 elegance. The Moller Opus 5618, originally a single rank, was a donation from one of Elim Park’s affiliate churches, Wellspring in Kensington. The organ underwent several enlargements from its original state. By the time it was disassembled and transported to storage at Elim Park, it had ten ranks and was undergoing a console transformation by Allen Hill of Pipe Organ Consulting in South Glastonbury. Newly installed in Nelson Hall, the organ now has 19 ranks (Elim Park added nine) and a refinished oak draw-knob console.

For ticket information, call 203-699-5495. Elim Park Place is located at 150 Cook Hill Road, Cheshire, Connecticut.