DESCRIPTION:
The Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church organ is one of the largest pipe organs in the Augusta, Georgia area. It's 3,517 pipes enable a highly skilled organist to create a spectacular symphony of sound.

Each pipe is an individual windblown instrument designed, crafted and voiced especially for the church sanctuary by the Schantz Organ Company located in Ohio.

This incredible wind-blown instrument is organized into 60 sets of pipes and includes five digital stops. The ranks of pipes are made from an assortment of materials including zinc, lead, tin and wood.

The four divisions of the instrument contain representative sounds from the four families of organ sounds - principal, flute, string and reed. There are seven ranks of strings including organ stops deliberately out of tune. They are designed to voice an undulating sound. The organ also features a Festival Trumpet and a rare high-pressure French Horn stop.

The Reid Memorial Schantz pipe organ was made possible by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Goodwin and family.

Reid's organist is Brad Cunningham, an Augusta native. He studied organ with former Reid organist, Dr. John Schaeffer. Brad graduated from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia with a bachelor's degree in organ performance under Dr. Peter B. DeWitt. Mr. Cunningham also earned a Master of Divinity degree while attending the Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

He has held leadership positions in the Atlanta chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Also, he has co-chaired a week-long Pipe Organ Encounter for young people in Atlanta and worked with WABE Public Broadcasting celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1998. He brought Public Radio's Michael Barone to Atlanta to record for the nationally syndicated radio broadcast, PipeDreams.

Brad has worked for Calgary International Organ Competition and Festival in Atlanta and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is currently active in the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is a member of Presbyterian Association of Musicians. In addition to his Reid Memorial organist responsibilities, Mr. Cunningham is often found performing in concerts around Augusta including the annual Westobou Festival. This year's festival is schedule for October 1-5, 2014 in Augusta.

The Reid Church organ is the centerpiece of the Schaeffer Organ Concert Program. This year's program includes features Concert Organist-Composer Carol Williams on Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m. A pre-concert presentation by Mr. Brad Cunningham begins 7:15 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Dr. John Gerhardt Schaeffer, former Reid organist and Georgia Regents University music professor, was a friend to the Augusta music and arts community. His contributions spanned almost 30 years and his influence continues.