BALLANTYNE | cover story
action with a digital screen on the left, under the music rack, where the organist can preset 24 memories for each piston. Fanning out beneath the
organist's feet is a pedalboard of keys built of maple and walnut, along with four "shoes" resembling gas pedals — three "expression" and one "crescendo." In addition, the organist can choose from 53 brass toe stubs and eight brass pedal movements. This intricate array of foot controls means that
any music that can be played by hand can be played with the feet as well, freeing the organist to play a melody by foot and separate accompaniment by hand — a talent only highly trained organists possess. At Calvary Church, that talent is
Elizabeth Hildebrand, who earned her master's of music in organ performance from the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Ironically, the petite Hildebrand, daughter of a pastor in Michigan, says she minored
Above: Worship Pastor Tim Hathaway discusses an upcoming program with organist Elizabeth Hildebrand. Left: Master organ technician David Nelms tunes the organ once a week. Here, he is surrounded by thousands of pipes in a room behind the sanctuary.
64 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE
WINTER 2011-2012