St. Paul Catholic Student Center hosted an organ concert that demonstrated the richness and beauty of the pipe organ located in its chapel on the UW-Madison campus on February 4.
Bruce Bengtson, a world-renowned local organist who has been featured in concerts across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Europe, played for 200 guests and students during the organ concert.
“The organ playing was exceptional, as usual. The hymn sing gave me goosebumps as it was so fantastic to hear the wonderful singing!” said one guest.
A highlight for many people who attended the concert was the hymn singing. At this part of the concert, guests could request songs, Bengtson would spontaneously play the requests, and the people in the audience would sing along. The community coming together to sing with the organ emphasizes how the pipe organ helps people lift their hearts to God.
Matthew Olson, the current pastoral intern at St. Paul, likes to point out that the pipe organ is the chief liturgical instrument, after the human voice.
The beauty of the sounds that mix together and descend from the Church beckon man’s heart up to God.
The organ at St. Paul has more than 2,500 pipes and 41 different stops (voices, so to speak). It is meant to serve a number of functions.
First, it is meant to be a liturgical instrument. Second, it is a resource for organists at UW-Madison — for those seeking to learn and for those already well-versed.
Additionally, it is a beautiful instrument that fills the back of the church.
St. Paul is thankful for the opportunity it has been given to have this magnificent instrument placed in the Catholic student center located in the heart of the UW-Madison campus.
When the Catholic student center was first being built, St. Paul was hesitant to put a pipe organ in the design due to the expense of the instrument.
The very day the decision of the design of the chapel was being discussed, a generous donor called and said she would donate a substantial amount to have a pipe organ in the student center.
St. Paul took this as a providential sign from God that He wanted this pipe organ in the chapel.
In honor of her generosity, the St. Paul’s organ is named “Margo”.
To this day, the organ accompanies singing student voices every Sunday and helps young Catholics encounter the beauty of God and enter into the celebration of the Mass.
For more information about St. Paul’s or the organ, visit uwcatholic.org/alumni-donors/saint-pauls-organ-events/