By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
On Feb. 14, Mary Palsgrove McMullen will celebrate 50 years of being the organist at Groveport Zion Lutheran Church.
McMullen, pictured here playing the chimes in 1966 at Groveport Madison High School, has always been musically inclined. She also served as one of two piano accompanists for the high school choir in student days.
Organist Mary Palsgrove McMullen has been filling the sanctuary of Groveport Zion Lutheran Church with beautiful music for 50 years.
“Every Sunday before I play I say a prayer to play music that glorifies God,” said McMullen. “I want to be in the corner of the church unrecognized and have my playing enhance the service for the congregation. My father (Maurice Palsgrove) told me once, when I was young and playing the piano in the old farmhouse on Shannon Road, that I should play with expression and don’t stop. This is what I do.”
McMullen, 67, began her career as the church organist in January 1965 when her predecessor and piano teacher Jeanette Mengering moved away.
“She was my teacher and told me, ‘You can do this,’” said McMullen. “I was terrified the first Sunday service that I played. I came from playing piano where you concentrate on the keyboard and with an organ you had to learn how to use all the pedals and stops. Even after all these years I still get butterflies before I play. Pastor (Matthew) Cox says that’s God’s way of telling you you’re doing what you want to do and if you lose that feeling it’s time to quit.”
She said the organ is a complex instrument to play.
“With a piano you can just walk up and start playing,” said McMullen. “But with an organ you have choices to produce the kind of sound you want. The church organ I play has a lot of nice features that, along with the keyboard, includes drums, reeds, trumpets and more. It’s like having an orchestra at your fingertips.”
McMullen has played organ at both the original Lutheran church at Main and Center streets in Groveport and the current church at 6014 Groveport Road. The sanctuary of the old church, built in 1918, is bowl-like and features an acoustical design for the days before microphones were common. The current church, built in 1968, has high ceilings. She said the two churches have different sounds.
“At the old church the sound from the organ when I started went through an external speaker, so the closer you were to the speaker, the better you heard the organ,” said McMullen. “In the current church the padded pews tend to absorb the sound, but the sound is fuller here than at the old church.”
When asked what her favorite hymn to play is, McMullen cited the Lutheran standard, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
“But there are dozens of hymns I enjoy playing,” said McMullen.
She said some of her favorite moments playing organ at the church are during the Christmas and Easter seasons.
“I love the candlelight services at Christmas. Every year there’s a Christmas cantata, which is a wonderful challenge because you must coordinate the music, rhythms and choral parts,” she said.
Church members plan to honor McMullen’s 50 years as organist with a celebration immediately following the 11 a.m. worship service on Feb. 14 at Groveport Zion Lutheran Church, 6014 Groveport Road.
After 50 years, McMullen plans to keep on playing the organ at church.
“I have no plans to stop,” she said. “God will let me know when it’s time.”
(Editor’s personal note to the readers: Mary Palsgrove McMullen is my cousin.)
