David Tannenberg was born March 21, 1728, in Upper Lusatia, a former region of eastern Germany. At the age of 21 he came to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he became an apprentice to Johann Klemm, a famous organ builder. After Klemm's death in 1762 Tannenberg moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania, where he built organs for mor than forty years.
Tannenberg constructed thirty-four organs for churches as far afield as Albany, New York, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His thirty-fifth church organ - built for Christ Lutheran Church in York - was his last, and the famed Pennsylvania organ maker did not live to see it completed.
While tuning the York Tannenberg, David Tannenberg suffered a stoke, fell from the scaffolding in Christ Church, and died three days later on May 19. 1804. The York organ was first played formally at his funeral service, and Tannenberg was buried in York.
The organ is now in the York Historical Society in York, Pennsylvania where as a teenager I had the honor of playing it every Saturday morning. We gave tours of Colonial York and that was our last stop, the York Historical Society.
The organ was only allowed to be played ten minutes a week as to preserve it. What a honor for me to have had the opportunity to play the last organ David Tannenberg ever built. My music would bellow all over the city on Saturday mornings.
It's hard for me to explain how I felt sitting on that organ bench and playing his organ that he never got to play!
I was also born on his birthday, March 21st. Maybe he and Bach both send me melodies!
Miss G Little House of Music
Tannenberg constructed thirty-four organs for churches as far afield as Albany, New York, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His thirty-fifth church organ - built for Christ Lutheran Church in York - was his last, and the famed Pennsylvania organ maker did not live to see it completed.
While tuning the York Tannenberg, David Tannenberg suffered a stoke, fell from the scaffolding in Christ Church, and died three days later on May 19. 1804. The York organ was first played formally at his funeral service, and Tannenberg was buried in York.
The organ is now in the York Historical Society in York, Pennsylvania where as a teenager I had the honor of playing it every Saturday morning. We gave tours of Colonial York and that was our last stop, the York Historical Society.
The organ was only allowed to be played ten minutes a week as to preserve it. What a honor for me to have had the opportunity to play the last organ David Tannenberg ever built. My music would bellow all over the city on Saturday mornings.
It's hard for me to explain how I felt sitting on that organ bench and playing his organ that he never got to play!
I was also born on his birthday, March 21st. Maybe he and Bach both send me melodies!
Miss G Little House of Music
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