Thank-you Donna Elkin

Joyce Hershberger recognizing Donna Elkin

For most of 2017, Donna Elkin served as St. Mark's interim music Director. She was recognized for her work on Sunday, September 3, 2017. Long-time choir member and former Council President Joyce Hershberger expressed the views of the congregation with the following comments:

St. Mark's has such a long history of wonderful organists. I am old enough to remember Fred Snell and Dick Lakey. l said goodbye to both of those folks and it has fallen to me to say goodbye to our most recent wonderful organist in Donna Elkin. What can I tell you about Donna. She is so much more than an organist. She is an outstanding vocal and instrumental performer, a talented choir director who is able to get wonderful results from even a small number of singers, a creative planner of church music and so much more. Donna stepped into the void created by the resignation of Junghwa Kim and without missing a beat carried on the work in a way that was better than what it had been.

I searched for words to describe the organist's role and found some in the words of Martin Luther. "Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitation of the soul - it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us and again next to the word of God the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world."

Donna is over in her corner by the organ and may be invisible to us but the inspiring music that she creates for us indeed lifts our soul. Johann Bach said, "I only play the notes as they are written but it is God who makes the music." What a tribute and how appropriate.

We are sad to see her go but are so grateful to have had her with us for this time. The words from second Kings reinforce that - "And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him." I know that is Donna's mission to this church.

When she had been in this position some time ago and left we presented her with a cake that spoke to her love of poodles - it said you did a dog-gone good job and she certainly did.

Donna at the organ