In the 1980s, Barclay Wood, The Minister of Music and the Arts at the First Baptist Church of Worcester, partnered with the Walker Organ Company of Britain to create a singular baroque-style pipe organ. They spared no expense in creating an instrument with stunning visual appeal and a forward-thinking musical tone. The concept for the organ was so ambitious that concessions had to be made to adapt it to the Davis Chapel. Because of the low ceilings, the tallest pipes had to be put under a grate in the floor, and tuning became a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Decades standing between heaters and outside windows has taken its toll on the organ, and it needs attention, but instead of merely repairing it, we have the opportunity to reimagine it in a new space where it it can find its voice for the first time. We are moving the organ to the rear balcony of the sanctuary where it can take the form it was always meant to have. The second phase begins with the organ’s rededication as the Barclay Wood Organ with a monumental gala concert on both instruments by acclaimed Minister of Music and the Arts Emeritus, William Ness. This concert will be the first in a new series to honor William’s musical legacy.   

The William Ness Concert Series will have a unique identity a community-building platform for local music schools, churches, and aspiring young artists, but it will also serve to connect Worcester to the world with an annual gala concert featuring the world’s greatest musicians on both the front and rear organs and our Steinway grand piano. Not only are we stewarding our instruments, and developing our goals, but we will also become home to the 1840 Whitney organ, a charming instrument built in Massachusetts. Restored by Stefan Meier, it has been without a home for many years, and will be gifted to us as part of the Organ Project.

The William Ness Concert Series will be a dynamic community bridge-builder and a platform for impeccable music from near and far, but it doesn’t stop there. The series will serve as a fundraising anchor to invite our friends and partners from the greater community to contribute to piecemeal releathering and desperately needed repairs for the great organ from 2021 to 2035. These “rolling” repairs will allow the great organ to undergird another lifetime of music and worship in our church