Northlake Lutheran Church Organ Completed
08/17/19
On July 22, 2019, the final work was completed on the organ for
Northlake Lutheran Church in Kenmore, and it was declared done.
This is a brief report on this
organ, and the work done on it with photographs to provide additional
information.
Work with this church dated back to February of 2013 when the first
visit to the church occurred.
The interest of Northlake Lutheran in a pipe organ was discussed
and it was discovered that the church was being offered the pipe organ
in Crown Hill Lutheran Church in Seattle which was closing.
In May 2013, as much as was useful was removed from that 9 rank
Balcom and Vaughn (1958) organ and it was put into storage. A series of
discussions then ensued about an optimal size and placement of the
organ, alterations to the building, and affordability.
Ultimately, a plan was agreed upon by which no significant
alterations in the building were made and the organ was to be placed in
the no longer used choir loft.
A Letter of Agreement dated November 28, 2017 was signed by both
the church and the Foundation.
Work began on the instrument at the Pipe Organ Foundation early in 2018,
but this was work on a limited scale as the Foundation was heavily at
work on another project.
The Foundation was able to turn its attention fully to this instrument
in early 2019 and it was completed and installed in July 2019.
When completed, the organ consisted of 8 ranks of pipes and two
percussions. The Great
division consisted of four ranks:
1) 8’ Open Diapason (61 pipes, Stinkens, 1978); 2) 8’ Melodia (73
pipes, Estey, plays at 8’ and 4’) 3) 4’ Octave (73 pipes, Moller, plays
at 4’ and 2’); and 4) 8’ Oboehorn (73 pipes, plays at 8’ and 4’).
The Swell division consisted of three ranks placed in an
enclosed cabinet: 1) 8’
Stopped Diapason (85 pipes, Wicks, 1937, plays at 8’, 4’, and 2’); 2) 8’
Salicional (73 pipes, Aeolian, 1922, plays at 8’ and 4’); and, 3) 8’
Voix Celeste (49 pipes, Aeolian, 1922).
The Pedal division had an independent 16’ Bourdon rank (56
pipes, plays at 16’, 8’, and 4’).
The percussions included a set of Chimes (Maas, 21 note) and a Deagan
Harp-Celeste (No. 1637, 37 notes) which was rebuilt by Russell Evans in
memory of long term church members Roland and Florence Lindstrom and
Philip and Nancy Carothers.
In rebuilding and adapting the instrument to its current location, parts
were used from the Crown Hill organ wherever possible.
As was evident, that organ had pipes in it from various builders,
but it did have in it the Harp which was rebuilt and placed in the
present instrument.
However, for various reasons, the console used in the final installation
was Wicks (1937). The
Meidinger blower used had previously served the Keystone Congregational
Church in Seattle.
An Artisan electronic driving system for the organ was used, with a
significant number of parts contributed to the Foundation by Thomas
Blackwell and the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Gratitude is expressed to Mark Andersen and Red Carlson of
Artisan for their assistance in the completion of this project.
Except for the final tonal finishing which was done by Marceau Pipe
Organs of Seattle, all the work on the instrument was done by closely
guided volunteers. A total
of 18 volunteers from the Foundation contributed approximately 2,600
hours of time to make this organ a reality.
The attached pictures show many of the volunteers at work as the
project progressed. The
pictures also show the final product.