HERE’S WHAT OUR CUSTOMER HAVE TO SAY!
Jim Seidel, Council President | St. Philip Lutheran, Myrtle Beach SC
Allen Custom Two Manual APEX Organ
During the summer of 2024,I contacted the Allen Organ Company about the possibility of purchasing a new organ for St. Philip Lutheran Church of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to coincide with our sanctuary renovation project. The office of Allen Company put me in touch with Fox Music of Charleston, SC. It was there I met the Allen rep Mr. George Hiatt, that this story begins.
As a professional musician playing trumpet, I had some knowledge of Allen Organ as I was on a previous committee who purchased one. Well I must say George made this whole process not only informative, smooth, but highly enjoyable. We toured Charleston looking at Allen installations from the console to the speaker cabinets and all the workings of each organ. He even invited me to bring my horn and I got to play with him on each organ in a few of the historic church’s of Charleston. What a fantastic way to seek what we wanted and really needed for our space.
From that day we hired our new Minister of Music, John Sparkman. John and George got together, collaborated on the specifics of our order and the building process began. After some construction delays in our sanctuary renovation project, Fox Music graciously stored our completed Allen Organ until the installation which occurred the first week of December 2025. I am so impressed with the attention to details Georg Hiatt put into the details of the installation. He met with the construction supervisor on the building of the speaker cabinets, where the conduit for wiring would go as well as the cabinet of components will be placed. Nothing was left to chance.
As we have passed the Christmas season with the superior new organ, you will find a smiling and joyous congregation for the gift of music our new beautiful Allen Organ brings to us. George has returned several times since the installation to do some additional voicing to add to the amazing sound of this instrument. I wish to thank my friends at Allen Organ for their advice and support, Fox Music for their patience to help us during the renovation, and Mr. George Hiatt for his unwavering dedication to this project.
Sincerely,
Jim Seidel Council President /
Congregation of St. Philip Lutheran, Myrtle Beach, SC
BJ Lawrence, Music Director First Christian Church, Farmville, NC
“I must admit that I was more interested in speaking with your leading competitor, as I was more familiar with their current offerings. After attending two demonstrations from both companies, I am not sorry to say that my entire attitude was changed. There is just a difference between the color and clarity of the Rodgers Organ over what we heard from your competitor. We know that we have made the right choice and would be thrilled to highly recommend you and your company to any congregation!”
Linda Custer, Organist Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Poolesville, MD
“I have to tell you I am in love with the new organ. Thank you for all you’ve done to get the organ configured and installed and for the best Christmas present I’ve ever received!”
Mike Bareham, Director of Music Ministry, Immaculate Conception Parish, Elkton, MD
“I am writing to say what a pleasure it is to have the two brand new organs installed at both of our churches here at Immaculate Conception Parish. With your willingness to help us meet our needs as a salesperson, as well as the very capable work done by your installers, both projects could not have been more successful! I am proud to wholeheartedly recommend this new technology to any religious community seeking a new organ for their worship space.”
Jeff Bunn, Director of Music Ministry, Saint Michael’s Lutheran Church, Perry Hall, MD
“The completed Wicks/Rodgers organ has surpassed all of our expectations. There is no piece of organ literature that cannot be played on this instrument. The digital stops complement the existing pipework, making the end result a truly magnificent sound.”
Shirley Keiter, Organist, Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, Ambler, PA
“I wanted to extend my thanks to you and the Daffer family for the wonderful installation of our new Rodgers Masterpiece with pipe interface. Our congregation and worship leadership have been excited to hear the new sounds surrounding them in worship. They’ve always been a singing congregation, but now they’re singing with gusto!
I continue to enjoy discovering the capabilities of the instrument, including the antiphonal organ, the voice palette, and record/playback. The console is comfortable, and the tracker-touch and PerformanceTouch keyboards are easy to play. Now I have to try out the MX-200! We’re also exploring ways to use the organ as a part of the praise band at the non-traditional services.
We set out to install an organ that would support and lead congregational song, accompany the choir, handle the literature written for it, and provide a useful way to enhance the praise band. Opus 2362 does all that splendidly!
Again, many thanks to the Daffer family for their professionalism and skill in the journey that culminated in the premier of the instrument in worship for the first Sunday in the fall season of 2010.”
John Eriksson, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, MD
“Per your request, please find the photo of you, Pr. Michael, and Steven Seigart taken at the Organ Inauguration Concert at Saint Stephen Lutheran Church in Silver Spring last evening. I also included two other photos, one of Steven performing and the other a partial view of the audience as Steven was explaining a number he was about to play. We are all thrilled with the organ. Thank you for the indispensable role you played in the process!”
Thomas Stehle, Pastoral Associate for Liturgy, Director of Music Ministries Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, Washington, DC
“I was very pleased with the organ (For the Papal Mass in Washington, DC). We were delighted with your team and found the organ to be exactly what we were hoping for to provide an essential musical element to the celebration. I hope to work with you again sometime soon. I will certainly recommend your team when the need arises.”
