Photo 1. Covenant Presbyterian Church, Issaquah, Washington. The Swell organ chamber is right behind the cross.
Photo 2. Andy and Jim stand in front of one of the flower boxes which they have just installed.
Photo 3. New console for Covenant Presbyterian. The top manual controls the pipes in the Swell chamber, the middle manual controls the pipes in the Great division including all in the "flower boxes," and the bottom manual controls the Antiphonal division at the back of the church.
Photo 4. Console is lowered by chain hoist from the assembly room of the Foundation on Mercer Island into an open trailer to be taken to the church.
Photo 5. Console is moved into place in the church.
Photo 6. View of the front of the sanctuary showing the pipes and flower boxes to either side. (Photo by Andy Ruotsala)
Covenant Presbyterian Organ Installation
Carl Dodrill 01/29/11
Throughout 2010, the Pipe Organ Foundation worked on the expansion and installation of the pipe organ at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Issaquah, Washington, USA. Detailed history of the work of the Foundation for the church has been given under Projects [reference Current Project in the Projects section]. It is noted that the new sanctuary of the church had in it only the small pipe organ moved over from the little building it previously occupied. That organ had two keyboards and eight groups of pipes, and a significantly larger instrument was needed for the new building. Plans were drawn up for a three manual 20 rank organ that is becoming a reality at Covenant Presbyterian.
From January through the end of October, 2010, the Foundation worked on organ components for the enlarged organ. A three manual Reisner console was acquired and it was completely gone through, rewired, the stop rail revised, and all other components refurbished and fitted with a Syndyne electronic driver system. Windchests that would complement those at the church had to be rebuilt and fitted with pipes for the Great, Swell, and Pedal divisions of the organ. The work was done almost entirely on volunteer basis. The preliminary tonal finishing was done by Rene Marceau, pipe organ builder in Seattle. See pictures of all the work that was done in Projects and Volunteers sections of the website.
Before the organ could be moved into the church, the "flower boxes" had to be completed and installed. These boxes hold the pipes in the Great division of the organ, and the boxes were made by Andy Ruotsala and installed by Andy and by Jim Roecker from the church with the assistance of others..
Finally, all was ready, and on November 8, 2010, major portions of the organ were moved to Covenant Presbyterian. The old console and switchstack were removed, and the new console and Syndyne switching system were installed. Windchests were installed throughout the organ. A new blower with a larger capacity was installed and the old one removed.
As a result of all of the above, the organ was played for the first time on Thanksgiving Evening, 2010. Refinements then took place during the subsequent weeks and problems were solved. By Christmas, all 16 ranks of pipes at the front in the Great, Swell, and Pedal divisions were playing, and the sanctuary looked very handsome indeed.
In the first few months of 2011, the Foundation will focus on rebuilding and installing the Antiphonal organ which will go at the back on a ledge prepared for it. That organ will consist of four ranks of pipes and it will provide a "surround sound" effect which will bathe the congregation in sound.
See the photos in the left sidebar and click on the small images to enlarge.