(Click on Images to Enlarge)

Photo 1. A variety of organ parts were removed from one of the storage areas.  They were sorted out and selected parts were packed for the Philippines.

Photo 2. The parts were taken to the Foundation shop and stored there until the container arrived.

Photo 3. The packing of pipes was done by groups of people on many days in the summer of 2022.

Photo 4. A team effort was frequently used in the packing of pipes.

 
Photo 5. While the volunteers enjoyed the packing, sometimes they were happy to take a break from the work and to enjoy each other’s company.

Photo 6. Packing compactly and yet securely often had to be figured out to prevent damage during the ocean-going journey.

Photo 7. Even the smallest pipes had to be sorted out very carefully.
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Photo 8. Once packed, many boxes of pipes were stacked in the Foundation organ assembly room awaiting the coming of the container.

Photo 9. Three consoles and a large windchest are shown packed and ready for transport.

Photo 10. The container has arrived and is being backed down the driveway to the Pipe Organ Foundation shop.

Photo 11. The container is ready to be loaded with the dock being up against it on which the forklift will place the loads of organ parts.  The loads are on dollies which are then rolled into the container.

Photo 12.Pipe trays as shown here are hand loaded onto dollies which are then taken to the container by the forklift.

Photo 13. At the front of the container, 10-foot-long pipe trays are stacked with extra pipes on top.  Second and third stacks are then put in and the remaining space is filled.  The entire process is repeated two more times with more than half the container finally filled with pipes.

Photo 14. It is time for lunch and a break.

Photo 15. People enjoy visiting as they share food.

Photo 16. Most of the container is now loaded including the consoles and other items.

Photo 17. Halie and her husband Carl are out early the next morning in order to put the final items in.


Photo 18. Now the container is fully loaded, and Carl Dodrill, President of the Pipe Organ Foundation, is ready to close it up.

Photo 19. Fully loaded, the container is on its way to the Philippines.

 
Photo 20. In the Philippines, the unloading begins.

 

Photo 21. The full staff helps with the unloading, and the staff is happy to do so.

Photo 22. The items are carried into the Diego Cera shop through a main door.
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Photo 23. The container is now about half empty.  This was a big job as there were 7 ½ tons of organ components in the container.

 

Photo 24. Lots of progress being made, but there is still more to unload.

 

Photo 25. In the shop, you can see stacks of pipe trays and boxes.

Photo 26. One of the big rooms starts to fill with pipe boxes.

Photo 27.Now the room is full. Some of the chimes are being examined.

Photo 28. Two of the unloaded consoles are pictured here.

Photo 29. A variety of other organ components are shown here.

Photo 30. The container is now empty and is on its way to the next job.

 

Pipe Organ Foundation Sends Many Organ Parts to the Philippines

4/13/23

Since the Pipe Organ Foundation began in November of 2000, it has acquired part or all of more than 25 pipe organs.  A wide variety of parts from those organs has permitted the Foundation to send four complete organs abroad and to custom rebuild and place 11 pipe organs with each organ being tailor-made for a particular setting.  However, many organ components have remained, and it has been the desire of the Foundation to have them placed where they can be used.

Given the above, the Foundation has for the last year worked with Cealwyn Tagle of Diego Cera Organbuilders in the Philippines to see if that firm could use the excess inventory.  Diego Cera is a company well known to the Foundation since in the last 10 years it has received three pipe organs from the Foundation, it has assembled each one of them, and it has gotten them playing very well in church-related settings.  The Board of Directors of the Pipe Organ Foundation therefore agreed to send to Diego Cera as many useful pipe organ components as possible in a high cube 40-foot container.  This was intended as a gift to Diego Cera with the intention that all associated costs would be covered.

In the summer of 2022, a series of work parties were organized by the Foundation, and they brought to the Foundation workshop the full inventory of organ parts from storage areas.  Organ pipes were especially needed in the Philippines and a total of 70 complete ranks of organ pipes were found, brought to the shop, counted, and carefully boxed.  There were also 14 partial ranks and together with many spare treble pipes, a total of about 5,000 pipes were packed.  More than 100 wood pipe trays and boxes were required to accommodate these pipes, and they ultimately filled up more than half the container.    

Beyond the pipes, a variety of other organ parts were packed.  They included windchests upon which the pipes sit in an organ, blowers, regulators, tremulants, electrical cables, sets of chimes, and sets of swell shades.  There were also three consoles, each of which was packed carefully and each of which was sent to the Philippines on its own dolly. 

A total of 21 people contributed 500 hours of volunteer time to the packing effort.  The first nine photographs focus on this pivotal activity. (Note that each photograph can be enlarged by clicking on it)

The container arrived at the Foundation shop on January 23, 2023, and it was backed into the 100-foot-long driveway.  The day before, a rented forklift had been delivered.  A portable dock had also been prepared in advance, and this dock was put in place.  It permitted the forklift to deliver the multitude of items to the container, all of which were on moving dollies.  Once on the dock, those dollies could be rolled into the container and unloaded wherever needed.

On the morning of January 24, the loading of the container began, and nearly all of it was accomplished on that day (see photos 10-19).  Foundation Vice President Carl Presley was responsible for the packing in the container, and he directed a crew which all day did exactly that.  Load after load was brought on the forklift and the container was nearly loaded by nightfall with a total of 15,000 pounds.  Some additional items were added the next morning, and then the container was on its way to the Philippines where it was received on about March 29.

On March 31, an email was received from Cealwyn Tagle, the head of the Diego Cera organ building firm.  In part, it said as follows:

The unloading of the organ went well two nights ago.  Thank you very much.  The whole staff of the company helped with the unloading and had a great time.  We got excited seeing all the pipes and parts.  The two rooms we had prepared were actually not enough.  But we are expanding our shop and especially the pipe making area with a large storage area for the pipes.  We will definitely have good projects with all these pipes and parts that you have sent.  A few stops are already planned for the two upcoming projects that we have.   

The last 11 photos were taken at the Diego Cera organ shop.  It is clear that the staff had a “great time” unloading all that had been sent to them, and it is also clear that they will make good use of what was sent.  The Pipe Organ Foundation is delighted to have gifted all these organ components to the people at Diego Cera, and the Foundation is especially gratified to know that what has been given will be well used for many years to come.