Our town: MidtownInner workings of pipe organ revealed

Information: 404-892-8461; www.firstpresatl.org

Every Sunday, the historic sanctuary of Midtown’s First Presbyterian Church reverberates with the resounding chords of a 6,000-plus pipe organ. The instrument that leads the services has been in place since 1969 and incorporates a dramatic rise of pipes above the choir stalls, more above the rear gallery and two more sections in the middle of the sanctuary.

Despite being surrounded by the organ’s massive presence and its rich, lyrical tones, few people understand what it takes to coax sound out of its complex keyboard and pipe system. Organist Jens Korndoerfer decided it was time to change that.

The German-born and classically-trained musician will give visitors and members a glimpse at the inside workings of the instrument Sunday through behind-the-scenes photographs and musical selections.

“Every Sunday, the people who come to the church only see a few pipes; they don’t even see the organist,” said Korndoerfer with a laugh. “I’m very tall, so when I play, you can just see my head, but you don’t see anything I do.”

He said the congregation probably doesn’t don’t even realize that I play with my feet or that there’s a lot going on to play multiple parts from one spot.

“They don’t see … how I can push one button and change everything,” he said.

During his hour-long presentation, Korndoerfer will demonstrate some of the vast array of sounds the organ can produce and explain the mechanics that control the intricate system.

“We’ll talk about what is the organ, how it works, where it comes from and why we have all these pipes,” said Korndoerfer. “Sometimes people say, ‘Wouldn’t 100 pipes be enough?’ But with the organ, you need them all to create the sound. Some are louder than others. In the rear gallery, we have pipes that stick out of the organ case that are trumpets, the loudest ones that are used for processionals. So I want to show what we have and explain the reason we have them.”

Korndoerfer will walk the audience through the history of organs as well, tracing their importance for the last 1,000 years. Included in the program will be recordings Korndoerfer has made from concerts he’s given in Europe. Among the selections are works performed on a classic organ in Bordeaux and on the majestic organ at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Korndoerfer will also highlight the church’s unusual but rarely heard chapel organ.

“The chapel organ was modeled after a Renaissance organ in Holland,” he explained. “Ours was built in 2005, and even organists in Atlanta don’t know we have it. It sounds as if you are really in Europe in the 1600s, which is rare to have in America. But it’s a great sound for a small space like the chapel that can only fit 80 people.”

After his talk, the audience will be invited into the choir area to see the organ and pipes up close.

“I think it will be very interesting for people to know what’s behind the facade,” he said. “The most important thing I want to talk about is the sound; I want everybody to realize the difference in the sound and the music.”