The Kay Africa Memorial Organ at Finney Chapel in Oberlin, Ohio, built by
C.B. Fisk, Inc.
(Opus 116), is the instrument played during the Friday Night Organ Pump.More information about this organ
What's an Organ Pump?
We're glad you asked. Here is a definition from the official Dictionary of Local Oberlin Usage:
organ pump / (n.) a concert given from time to time on a Friday evening by members of the Conservatory organ studio in Finney Chapel
Well, that's a start, but the Organ Pump is much more than just an organ concert. The Organ Pump is a fun-filled musical spectacle! In addition to organ music of the highest quality, Organ Pump audiences also enjoy the organ department's unique sense of humor. Organists entertain audiences with song and dance, skits, and their charming personalities. The Organ Pump also features great dramatic and non-organ related musical entertainment. Past Pumps have included the stylin' sounds of the Oberlin College Marching Band, pyrotechnics from student magician Gared Crawford, and the unbelievable coordination of the Oberlin student percussion group Click.
The audience listens to the organ from the stage during the last piece of the 2001 Halloween Organ Pump
Pump audiences are also treated to unique musical events that are rare even in the music world: for example, at the Halloween Organ Pump, The opening piece, Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565, is played by the entire organ departmant, each person playing several measures.
Audience participation is greatly encouraged at the Organ Pump. To that end there have been sing alongs (the annual singing of pumpkin carols at the Halloween Organ Pump is always highly anticipated) and other entertaining segments involving the audience. Additionally, before the final piece of every Pump, the audience is invited up to the stage. There they lie, huddled against the king of instruments, where they can feel its deep vibrations. This is possibly the Organ Pump's most hallowed tradition.
It's hard to describe exactly what an Organ Pump is, but you know you want to go to one. Here's how to experience one for yourself.
What is OPCO?
OPCO is the acronym for the Organ Pump Committee of Oberlin, the official name for the group of hooligans that perform on the Organ Pumps. In addition to performing, the Committee is responsible for the planning, production and publicity of each Organ Pump. The mission of OPCO is to uniquely blend great organ music, entertainment, education, and humor in order to provide the best Organ Pump experience possible.
The OPCO officers for the 2009–2010 Organ Pump season are:
- Chairwoman: Heather Kirkconnell
- Secretary: Alexander Whitaker
- Treasurer: Christopher Howerter
The faculty advisor for the Organ Pump is Jack Mitchener.
Organ Pump in the News
Things That Go Pump in the Night by Zachary Lewis in the Oberlin Alumni magazine
Best Cheap Concerts in Cleveland Scene's Best of Cleveland 2002
Late Night Organ Tradition Lives On by Douglass Dowty in The Oberlin Review
