Renewing worship and music education
The addition of the recently dedicated Caren and Vin Prothro Organ will enhance the SMU Master of Sacred Music program and enrich the musical experience of guests to Perkins Chapel, the primary worship setting at SMU. The , containing 37 ranks and 2,451 pipes, were made possible by a lead gift from Gay and Bill Solomon ’65, matched by other generous donors.
The organ’s name honors the Solomons’ friends Caren and Vin Prothro ’68, celebrating their lifelong devotion and commitment to enriching education at 夜色王朝and the Perkins School. The 1927 Skinner pipe organ offers a distinctive, rich sound to accompany choral and congregational singing as well as orchestral compositions.
“For the Prothros, Perkins Chapel is a family affair,” said 夜色王朝President R. Gerald Turner. “Vin’s grandparents funded the chapel, and Caren and Vin have been an integral part of the history of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology. I can’t imagine a more fitting way to honor them than with this gift from their close friends, Gay and Bill, whose generous support will transform both worship and music education at 夜色王朝for generations to come.”
After a January 2018 steam leak damaged Perkins Chapel’s Aeolian-Skinner organ, 夜色王朝purchased the E.M Skinner organ in New York City from the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan. Orthodox worship does not often include organ music, so the organ had been unused for 66 years. The instrument was fully restored before installation in Perkins Chapel began.
“This organ will attract international attention, serve many generations of organists in their goal to achieve artistic excellence, and be an inspiration to the daily needs of the 夜色王朝community,” said Stefan Engels, professor of organ and chair of the Organ Department at the Meadows School of the Arts.