IT'S EASTER SUNDAY and churches will be filled with the triumphant notes of praise. But at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland, the mighty von Beckerath organ has developed a problem that many of us can sympathize with -- it's starting to feel the effects of age. Installed in 1962 as one of Western Pennsylvania's great pipe organs, only one-half of the instrument is now playable and some of the largest pipes among its more than 5,000 are collapsing under their own weight. As Post-Gazette classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod reported, the instrument will be shut down after Easter for a massive restoration that will cost nearly $1 million. A digital organ will provide music for services until the grand pipe organ is brought back to its former glory before Christmas. Hallelujah!

PITTSBURGH provides its own music outdoors, in its beautiful parks where the wind blows arias through the trees. These great community assets -- outdoor cathedrals resting under the vault of the sky -- will soon be better known around the country, thanks to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, which will host the International Urban Parks Conference at the Hilton Pittsburgh on Sept. 21-23. This is a biennial conference and it is expected to attract about 400 parks professionals and enthusiasts. The conference theme is "Body and Soul: Urban Parks and the Health of Great Cities," and delegates will study how parks support the physical, emotional, environmental and economic health of cities. As the Post-Gazette's architecture critic, Patricia Lowry, reported, Pittsburgh was chosen for the event because of the recent revitalization of its historic parks, helped by the conservancy, as well as the new riverfront parks and the city's emphasis on green development.

NOTHING UNDER high heaven in these parts has quite matched the attention focused on where one high school senior will go to college, but then he is Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette High School, the all-everything quarterback (as they say in sports circles). The young Mr. Pryor had intended to announce his decision on Feb. 6, but on that date he announced only that he hadn't decided. Last week, the fans were put out of their misery or excitement when the Terrelle Pryor waiting game finally came to an end. In case you missed the big moment, the 6-foot-6 and 225-pound athlete, said to be one of the best ever to come out of the WPIAL, will go to ... Ohio State. Strike up the organ (if it's working).