#SongsOfComfort Finale from Sonata 6 in D minor, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn - 1868 Erben Organ

Finale from Sonata 6 in D minor, Opus 65 (1845) Felix Mendelssohn #SongsOfComfort This piece is the melodic and peaceful Finale from Mendelssohn&Sonata 6 written in 1845, played on the historic 1868 Henry Erben organ located in the Basilica of St. Patrick&Old Cathedral, in Little Italy, New York City. Sonata No. 6 was played at the inauguration of the 1852 Henry Erben organ, which burnt in a tragic fire with much of the then Cathedral in 1866. In 1866, New York was still recovering from the Civil War and in the midst of another cholera epidemic. Yet, the immigrant church ordered a new organ from Henry Erben, the pre-eminent 19th-century organ builder, whose factory was located nearby in the famous Five Points area. No stranger to hardship, Erben&factory burned six times in his career; Erben&sons fought in the Civil War; four of his six children predeceased him; and his beloved wife died of cholera. There is solace in the sound of this instrument, built with the determination and resilience of New Yorkers, heard by so many in the past 152 years, in times of sorrow and great joy. Friends of the Erben Organ ("FREO") is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to restoration, preservation and appreciation of the 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ. For more information, please visit us at: @erbenorgan on Facebook and Instagram Jared Lamenzo, Organist