Sounds like a good move Lars.
It is, Mike. A total breath of fresh air and ZERO church politics unlike the last parish I served. I am treated with far greater respect and people constantly complement me on my playing skills ... especially the new pastor that we will vote on this weekend.
The only reason I waited so long to move is that this new position did not com about until July of this year, and then only because the organist wanted to retire while she was at the top of her game. I had been watching this parish for an opening for about 3 years ... finally it surfaced ... applied (one of 4 applicants, the other three were music major doctoral students at the local university).
Not a pipe organ though, although for what it is (AOB - Associated Organ Builders, Auburn, WA) there are some stops that even defy myself to tell the difference between the actual wind blown pipe and the sound emitting from speakers. There is one speaker for every 6 notes of each stop ... so there are close to 100 speakers for this installation. The low end is quite powerful as well ... the bigger 16's and and the 32 pedal stops shake the floor.
Couple that with almost 2 seconds of natural reverb makes for an ideal setting. With the exception of the choir area the rest of the church has no carpet whatsoever.
I am quite elated for this new position - It's everything I've ever wanted for a church position, and more ... I am able to play the pieces I couldn't do before because of no piston/combination action in the former church. Now I have 30 generals and 18 divisionals per manual and pedal spread across 3 memory banks, which still leaves another three memory banks for visiting organists.