Volunteers Blessed Seelos Project
This project was entirely completed with volunteer labor, with no paid employees, and with almost no outsourcing of labor at any point. More than 4,000 hours of volunteer time have been contributed by 37 volunteers towards the rebuilding of the organ for Blessed Seelos Catholic Church in New Orleans (see Projects Section for links to the church's history and a technical description of the organ). Many of these volunteers came from the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church and the remainder from the Pipe Organ Foundation. Under the direction of the Pipe Organ Foundation (especially Carl Dodrill and James Stettner) the volunteers have done the multitude of tasks required to rebuild a pipe organ including but not limited to the following:
1. Moving the organs given to the Foundation which went into the present instrument.
2. Assisting in the drawing and layout of the organ within the space provided.
3. Windchest work including releathering, installing magnets, rackboarding, and the actual building from scratch of an occasional windchest.
4. A great deal of wiring including wiring of windchests, Syndyne TM driver boards, and electronic component boards in the console.
5. Building structural supports for the windchests, walkboards, and other components of the organ.
6. Wood finishing work including restoring the console to "like new" condition.
7. Winding including working with the Spencer blower, regulator rebuilding, and laying in place all windlines.
8. Pipework including cleaning and repairing of pipes.
9. Transporting of the organ to New Orleans.
10. Installing the organ in New Orleans (13 volunteers involved by going to New Orleans and doing the work).
We are most proud of our volunteers and their labor over the 17 months that this project has taken for completion. The volunteers have been supported by hundreds upon hundreds of meals provided by the Foundation and prepared by Halie Dodrill. The social support and sharing around the lunch and dinner tables have been pivotal for completion of the entire project and Halie's warmth and hospitality has been key to the entire effort.
You can see photos of the project volunteers in action in the left sidebar. Click on the photos to see larger images.