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Indiana Organists United present a series of recitals for the Lenten Season Wednesday, March 28, noon, First United Methodist Church, Dr. David Lamb, Organist .

Chancel Choir    Under the direction of Dr. David K. Lamb, the Chancel Choir is open to all adult and high school age singers. The choir sings every Sunday at the 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service and at special programs from September through June. Rehearsals for the Chancel Choir are held on Thursday evenings 7:00 p.m. The repertoire includes a wide variety of styles and composers, including Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Rutter, and Britten. Also, the choir has sung anthems by Duke Ellington, spiritual arrangements, and folk tunes. The choir has performed with The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and The Columbus Symphony. Recent presentations of major choral music masterworks have included Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, Faure's Requiem, Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio, Rutter's Requiem and Gloria, Vivaldi's Gloria, Stainer's The Crucifixion, Cherubini's Requiem, and Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ. Chancel Ringers Bell Choir    Under the direction of Kevin Butler, the ensemble is open to adults who have the desire to rehearse weekly. The Chancel Ringers participates in the 9:00 Traditional Service primarily on the fourth Sunday of each month, September through May. They also perform at various community events throughout the year and occasionally join other bell choirs at local and state bell festivals. Rehearsals,Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Children's Choir information on Children's Page

Celebration Praise Team    The Celebration Praise Team is a volunteer group that leads worship music at the 11:00 A.M. service on Sunday mornings. The music includes a wide variety of styles ranging from quartets by the Gaither Band to Pop Rock by Third Day; ballads by Nicole Nordman to bluesy numbers written by Todd Agnew. Drums, guitars, keyboards and even a mandolin create the background for the vocals. The music matches the mood and meaning of the message. Rehearsals, Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.   Moller Opus 8406 Pipe Organ    First United Methodist Church of Columbus was thrilled to celebrate the 50th birthday of Moller Opus 8406 Pipe Organ in 2002. This beautiful work of craftsmanship has become known as the "Golden Memorial" Pipe Organ. Although the Moller company is no longer in business, they hold the distinction of building more pipe organs for churches and concert halls than any other organ company in the United States. The organ was a gift to the church from the Walter Golden family in 1952. This beautiful three-manual pipe organ consists of four divisions: the Swell, Great, Choir, and Antiphonal. The special inclusion of the Antiphonal organ permits music to come from the rear of the balcony when especially soft music is desired.

David Kevin Lamb, Organist, is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied the organ with Oswald Ragatz, Marilyn Keiser, Larry Smith, and Robert Rayfield. While on the IU campus, he was an associate instructor in Choral Conducting where, for two years, he was the Assistant Conductor of the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers, under the direction of Professor Robert E. Stoll, and also the Associate Conductor of the IU All-Campus Choruses, under the direction of Dr. Michael V.W. Gordon.    Dr. Lamb is happy to count over twenty years experience as a school music administrator and choral director. Beginning his career as the Choral Director at Charlestown High School and Charlestown Middle School in Charlestown, IN, he then continued in public education as the Director of Choral Music for the Seymour Community Schools, in Seymour, Indiana. Currently, Dr. Lamb is an adjunct instructor of Voice at Franklin College in Franklin, IN and an adjunct instructor of music at Indiana University/Purdue University in Columbus.

   A former member of the Louisville Bach Society Chorus and the Kentucky Opera Chorus, Dr. Lamb has produced and directed over 50 full-length Musical theatre Productions at the High School Level. Under Lamb’s direction, the Seymour High School Madrigal Singers completed performance tours to Kentucky, Ohio, New York, West Virginia and in Indiana. During the summers of 1999 & 2000 he was a Master Teacher of Voice at the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts held at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

   In the area of church music leadership, former positions include churches in Bloomington, Columbus, Jeffersonville, New Albany, and Seymour in Indiana, and in Louisville, KY. Currently the Director of Music and Organist for the First United Methodist Church in Columbus, Indiana, he was honored to be selected to perform as the Conference Organist in 2003 (and again in 2004) for the South Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and he has presented guest organ recitals in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Concert engagements in Europe have included presentations in Germany, Austria, and, most recently, two recitals in France at the historic churches of St. Augustin and La Trinite in Paris.

   As a Choral Conductor, David has served as a guest conductor for Mass Choir Festivals, sponsored by both the Indiana Music Educators’ Association and American Guild of Organist Chapter Events.

   Professional memberships include the American Choral Directors’ Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Organ Historical Society, the Association of Disciple Musicians, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music & Worship Arts, and the Louisville and Southern Indiana Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, where he holds the Service Playing Certificate and the Colleague Certification.

   A current member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana University School of Music Alumni Association, David Lamb is the founder and Immediate Past President of the newly formed “Indiana Organists United” Alumni Affiliate of the Indiana University Alumni Association. He is currently serving the American Guild of Organists in the office of District Convener for the State of Indiana.

The Opus 8406 was dedicated to the service of our Lord in a ceremony held on April 26, 1953, and has served this church nobly since. Robert Stofer of Cleveland, Ohio, was guest organist for this very special event. In August of 2002, as a result of a special bequest to the church by Lorene Golden Essex, a rejuvenation project was begun to help the organ serve the congregation effectively into the new century. This project included the addition of four new digitally generated electronic voices in the pedal division to provide the deep rumbling tone that fills out the full-organ sound, a new flute voice for the Antiphonal organ, and an "Imperial Tuba" to furnish the crowning glory for the organ's majestic harmonious sound. The new Millennial Bells, commonly referred to as a Zimbelstern (bell star), are especially joyful and are a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Charles R. Lamb.

     It is interesting to note that the original purchase price of the "Golden" organ was $36,719.28, with a current replacement cost in the event of a disaster - a half million dollars, making it the single most valuable piece of equipment in the building. This was quite a deal in 1952, considering each of the 2000 pipes is hand made and the hundreds of moving parts and controls were individually installed and adjusted. Join us on Sunday for the 9:00 a.m. Traditional Service at First United Methodist Church to experience for yourself the joyful music that the Moller Opus 8406 "Golden Memorial" Pipe Organ brings to our worship service!