We are many things at Saint Peter Lutheran Church; first and foremost we are Christian. We are also Lutheran, faithful in giving, witnessing, and serving our community. Another term that could define us is “musical.” Not just for our sung liturgy, but also for our extensive music program and one outstanding feature of our church sanctuary: our Wicks pipe organ.
The organ came to us as part of the planning for our new church sanctuary in 2000/2001. It was a hectic year of reviewing and revising plans for the building; which ultimately led to a complete change of architects. Amidst all the activity, noted microbiologist Dr. Quentin Myrvik and his wife Mary Lou, who some may remember as the owners of Myrvik’s lighting store, decided they would like to make a legacy donation by contributing a Wicks pipe organ. The church council graciously accepted and ultimately decided to design the church around the organ. The new architect had quite a job to do, and he certainly fulfilled every expectation!
Wicks organs are customized for each location, so just as the church was designed for the organ, the organ was designed for the church. The Myrviks first purchased the ranks of pipes at the front of the church, then the next year added those above the back.
An organ rank is a set of pipes and is a customized construction placement in the sanctuary, part of the building. The church has ten ranks, five of which are boxed behind the altar and five ranks boxed at the back above the exits. All together, there are more than 100 pipes!
In 2023, the Memorial Committee donated funds to add a MIDI unit. This innovation enables the organist to blend pipe organ stops not found on the Wicks stop list.
