Yesterday I was pleased to read this announcement on Facebook:

ICYMI: We had some good news hiding in this month’s issue of the Chimes – Joey Fala has been named our new Director of Music Ministry! While Joey has been with us since last summer, we are thrilled that he is now a permanent part of our staff. We’re thankful for you, Joey!

The lucky congregation is University Presbyterian Church of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, website https://upcch.org/. The church is across the street from Chapel of the Cross, where Joey was the Organ Scholar and Associate Organist. Joey has officially been named the Director of Music and Organist of University Presbyterian and has actually served as interim since June 2020. He continues as Chapel Carillonneur of Duke University.

Joey said, “I started mid pandemic…it’s been hard to meet people, but doing my best through driveway visits, zoom and now outdoor choir rehearsals.”

The organ is a three manual Robert L. Sipe tracker organ, 51 ranks. 2,620 pipes. 4 divisions. 3 manuals. 37 stops. 39 registers. The organ is the result of the collaboration between American organbuilder Robert L. Sipe and Aug. Laukhuff & Company of Weikersheim, Germany, one of Europe’s oldest organbuilders. Mr. Sipe created the specification, scaling and layout of the instrument which was then built in Germany by the Laukhuff Company. Following four months of installation and voicing by Mr. Sipe, the organ was first used in worship on Sunday, November 13, 1983, and formally dedicated on Sunday, January 15, 1984. You can find a complete history of the organ here, including a stop list.

I found this short video of Joey demonstrating the instrument, which you can see has a detached console.

You have no idea how proud it makes me to see Joey as an organ teacher (!) —and doing some of the same demonstrations as he was shown as a child in how a tracker organ operates.

In October 2020, Joey gave a virtual organ recital on this organ. The program included Langlais, Calvin Hampton, Jehan Alain, Howells and J. S. Bach. You may view the recital by clicking here.

Here are some of the comments from Facebook: Fabulous! Exceptionally well performed and produced. Very enjoyable! … Bravo, Joey! Thank you! … We enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing your talents so beautifully … This was great! Thank you so much for sharing your incredible talent with us! … Excellent playing. Exceptional program notes. Greatly enjoyed the instrumentalists and vocalist… Bravo! Very well done. An inspiration to get back to work… Beautiful concert! You are magnificent… Wonderful! I enjoyed this very much… Mahalo nui loa, Joey! It was a top drawer performance.

Congratulations, Joey!