By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
St. Benedict Cathedral will hold a dedication concert for their new pipe organ in early February.
St. Benedict Cathedral and Parsons Pipe Organ Builders will present the Pipe Organ Dedication Concert at 7:30 p.m. CST Feb. 8. The concert will be held inside St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. The concert will feature Nathan Laube, a concert organist and associate professor of organ at the Eastman School of Music.
“We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed organist, Nathan Laube to St. Benedict Cathedral,” Diocese of Evansville Director of Music and St. Benedict Cathedral Director of Liturgical Music Jeremy Korba said. “He’s one of the nation’s top organists and we’re thrilled that he will be our very first concert performer on the Opus 52 pipe organ in the Cathedral.”
Korba said Laube will present “a varied mix of music” and will offer something for everyone in attendance. Laube will truly show the depth of sounds available on the new pipe organ at St. Benedict Cathedral, Korba stated.
Father Alex Zenthoefer, Diocesan Vicar General and rector of St. Benedict Cathedral, said the concert is a big moment for the Cathedral. He said it is an opportunity to show the beauty that results when people are willing to give of themselves.
“The Cathedral is not just a place of worship. It’s also a place of culture,” Father Zenthoefer said .”It’s a place where Catholic culture in all of its richness can be experienced in a concrete way. The concert is just one example of what that looks like.”
The organ represents for Parsons Pipe Builders and for St. Benedict Cathedral how an instrument can serve in its primary service accompaniment role and also as a solo instrument capable of rendering a large portion of the available organ literature, Parsons Pipe Organ Builders President Richard Parsons said.
“This project was several years in the planning and making, including the many church preparations and remodeling, which contributes so much to the success of this project,” Parsons said. “We are very grateful that the good folks at St. Benedict entrusted us with this important project and we look forward to it serving the members of St. Benedict for generations.”
Korba said the concert will represent a true kick-off for their Sacred Music Series at St. Benedict Cathedral. The spring will feature a performance by the University of Evansville and Community Ensembles April 8, featuring Duruflé Requiem. The Evansville Philharmonic Chorus will present a concert April 27, and they are working on more concerts for the rest of 2025. There will be more details soon, Korba said.
Installation of the organ was completed earlier this year by Parsons Pipe Builders. The organ was a gift from Virginia and the late Dave Cook.
The organ features both a Nave and Gallery division. The Gallery division is the main organ and sits in the choir loft in the back of the cathedral. The Gallery organ features over 3,700 pipes. The secondary organ is the Nave division, which sits in the front of the cathedral near the statue of the Blessed Mother and the cantor stand. The Nave organ contains eight sets of pipes for a total of 560 pipes.
Doors will open for the Feb. 8 dedication concert at 6 p.m. There will be a reception following the concert in the Cathedral School. Donations will be accepted at the door. The concert will be held at St. Benedict Cathedral, 1328 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, IN 47714.