Photo 1. Bob, Carl P. and Bart tear out the old air driven mechanisms in the console in preparation for a Syndyne electronic system.
Photo 2. The console is now ready to be taken to Charlie of the St. Luke Church who will refinish it.
Photo 3. Chuck and Bart grab time whenever they can to consult on how the electronics in the console will be laid out.
Photo 4. Bart begins to layout the console electronics while Ransom watchers.
Photo 5. Barbara begins to wire one of the keyboards while Bart wires the pedalboard. Halie, in the background,tests the Covenant Presbyterian Antiphonal organ.
Photo 6. Carl P. and Barbara wire the main chest for the St. Luke organ.
Photo 7. Fred begins the initial work on a separate windchest which will accommodate one of the two ranks to be added to the original four ranks in the organ.
Photo 8. Meanwhile, Myrtle works away on a wiring harness which will be connected to one of the electronic driver boards which will operate one of the ranks of pipes.
Photo 9. With all this work going on, it is time for lunch! Lunch by Halie is not only enjoyed by all, but it gives everyone a break and it provides a great time to connect with others with similar interests.
Photo 10. All pipes must be washed and cleaned. Carl P. and Jim J. are washing two of the big pipes from the string rank in especially made tubs that are 10 feet long.
Photo 11. Shorter pipes get washed in the kitchen by Halie and Barbara. Would you let your kitchen be taken over by organ pipes? Halie, an angel of the Pipe Organ Foundation.
Photo 12. After a couple of days to allow the pipes to dry, Halie gets down to the business of putting the tuning slides on the pipes.
Photo 13. Meanwhile, Art performs the tricky task of putting the reeds back in the Trompette.
Photo 14. Once the reeds are back in place, it is now up to Bob and Ransom to put the Trompettes into their proper holes on the rackboard and to tie them into place.
Photo 15. Carl P. performs some adjustments on the smaller Trompettes before putting them in place.
Photo 16. Finally, it is time to tune the pipes. Bob holds the keys down while Ransom does the tuning.
St. Luke Organ Moves Ahead
Carl Dodrill 07/12/11
As the organ at Covenant Presbyterian has neared completion, Foundation volunteers have turned their attention to the St. Luke organ. As the article under Projects indicates, this is to be a two manual six rank instrument for the new building which the St. Luke church is currently constructing. One of the church members is currently refinishing the console so that it will match the pews that are to be placed in the new building. In the Foundation shop, however, work on the instrument has progressed greatly in the last several months and to the point that the first pipes of the instrument became playable from a keyboard on June 28, 2011.
A great deal of planning has gone into the instrument for St. Luke in order to obtain the maximum benefit from the six voices which are available. From the original 1953 Moller Artiste comes extended ranks of each of the four types of pipes in pipe organs: 1) flute; 2) diapason; 3) string; and, 4) reed (Trompette). To these we are adding a 4' Harmonic Flute and a 4' Viola Celeste. These ranks will give a richness in sound as well as a further development of tonal color. Combined with the ability to play the ranks at more than one pitch, the result is expected to be a truly satisfying one. A set of Deagan Class A Chimes will top off the tonal palate.
See the photos in the left sidebar and click on the small images to enlarge.