organ task force
| Organ Task Force - Chairperson: Ann Takata | ||
|
|
|
Some of you may have heard, over the last few years, that our organ is beginning to develop some problems. A pipe organ is an instrument that can be played for hundreds of years—there are many organs in Europe that are several centuries old. The basic mechanism of the pipe organ is still the same today as it has been for the last hundred years or more, and most organs can be played for a hundred years or more with proper maintenance. But there are parts that wear out over time with prolonged use. Over the years, exposed pipes accumulate dust and grime, or become out of shape with the temperature changes between the summer and winter. Leather is an important material used to control the flow of air to the pipes, and this is one material that needs to be replaced when it is worn out. Despite all the new developments in plastics and chemistry in the last fifty years, synthetic materials still do not perform as well as the real thing, so real leather is still the material of choice in organ building. The average life of organ leather is about fifty years.
Our organ was originally purchased in 1957 and completed in 1958, so our organ will be fifty years old next year. It was built by M. P. Moeller, Inc. of Hagerstown, Maryland. It has gone through a major expansion in 1969 and significant repairs in 1994. Muller Pipe Organ Company, which performs periodic maintenance on our organ, has been telling us over the last few years that our organ is beginning to show its age. Some leathers have failed already, and pipes controlled by these leathers no longer play when the key is pressed on the console. The remaining leather is very fragile. Over the next few years, more leathers will fail, and as more leathers fail, the organ will lose more notes. If we don’t do anything, eventually so many notes will have dropped out that the organ will be unplayable.
All pipe organs need to be re-leathered about every fifty years, and it is time for our organ to have this done. This means that an organ-builder will take the organ completely apart, clean and refurbish the pipes, make any necessary repairs, replace all the leather, and rebuild the organ. Once this is done, the organ should be as good as new, and virtually free of major problems for another fifty years.
Re-leathering an organ is a major undertaking, and will require a significant financial commitment by the church. It is also a good opportunity to consider what else might be done at the same time. The Church Council has appointed an Organ Task Force to explore the various options available for repair, renovation, expansion, and/or replacement, and to report back to the Council. The Task Force reports will be posted on the Committee Highlights bulletin board, the ChurchPost email groups, and the website. Future issues of The Spirit will also include articles discussing the various issues in more detail. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a task force member.