On May 9, a memorable Mother's Day, TPPC inaugurated a new sound system in the sanctuary. Reviews so far have ranged from ecstasy to skepticism. Some of the most effusive praise came from choir members, who have always had to strain mightily to hear from their perch in the choir loft. The sound now "bounces" back into the choir loft and sermons can be heard easily. One hearing-impaired person raved that the sound in the pews was crystal clear, even without a battery-operated listening device. (He also commented that he tried using one of the devices and it work fine.) Other listeners were not so sure. One parishioner suggested that volume should be turned up. Another said she noticed no difference whatsoever. One sports fan commented that while he enjoyed the sermon, he missed the regular sports broadcast that used to come over the sound system during worship because, "after all, it's baseball season."
Several people noticed a slight echo in speaking voices. Michelle Knox, the sound engineer who designed the system, says that is a feature of our building -- the sound bounces off all the wood and plaster. It is possible to "deaden" the room with cloth-covered panels and decrease the echo phenomenon, but that would also deaden the room for music. She thinks we have about the best balance we can get for speaking and music. She also suggests living with the new system for a while, and then deciding whether any modifications to the room are needed. In the meantime, please let us know how you think the system is working.
Now that the new system is installed, the next step will be to pipe sound into other rooms -- the nursery? the baby changing room? The Assembly Room? Parents of young children, let us know what would be best for you.
The installation of the new sound system marks the completion of the Vision 2000 project, which was born in an adult Sunday School class ten years ago. At times it seemed like a very long decade. But it suddenly seems shorter, now that we have a 5-stop elevator, functioning windows on the first level of the sanctuary, new carpet in the back of the sanctuary, and a sound system that seems to work. Congratulations TPPC!
Webmaster : Brian C. Monsell