Pipe organ tour coming to Bartlett church with works by Bach, Elgar

The next stop on the 2025-26 Great Elgin Pipe Organ Tour will be this Sunday, May 17, at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Bartlett. The instrument featured is the church’s historic 1920 George Kilgen & Son pipe organ.

The concert will be performed by Jeff Neufeld, music director at First Congregational Church of Elgin and the organizer of the tour. The performance will feature works by Buxtehude, Couperin, Bach, Elgar, and Nevin.

It will be held at an earlier time, at 2 p.m., at the church, 415 W. North Ave. Admission is free, and a free-will offering will be taken to support the church’s music ministries and future organ maintenance projects.

The Great Elgin Pipe Organ Tour is a series of free concerts, begun in 2024, showcasing the many unique pipe organs in Elgin and the surrounding areas.

The concerts feature local organists and the host church’s own musicians, and program content varies from formal organ repertoire to chamber ensembles, choir anthems, and hymn-sings.

The mission of the series is to revive interest in the pipe organ, open up new performance venues, and provide an affordable concert experience to the community.

Free-will offerings are taken at each concert to benefit the host church’s programs and ministries, but additional, general donations to support the Organ Tour or sponsor guest instrumentalists can be made to First Congregational Church. Visit fcc-elgin.org/organ-tour or contact Jeff Neufeld through the church office for more information.