Wild Air

Posts tagged ‘rebuilding pipe organ. old organ pipes’

  The organ’s console isn’t the organ, as I have pointed out before. But it’s certainly a major part of the organ. This week, after six months of careful renovation at our shop and at the shop of one of our specialty suppliers, the organ console for the St. Joseph organ returned to its place […]

Together, new pipes and old will form a new chorus of sounds for St. Joseph’s Church.

Note: There comes a time in almost every organ project when the customer is wondering when they will see their organ again. Rebuilding an organ such as St. Joseph’s 1912 M.P. Moller organ is labor intensive and time-consuming. Besides all the big construction, each individual pipe from the old organ has to be assessed, cleaned, […]

When we last checked in on the pipe craftsmen in the Czech Republic, they had poured sheets of hot liquid metal onto a long table to cast the material for the new organ pipes for the Shelbyville organ. Then, we had to wait. Even in our busy, hi-tech world, some things take patience. If we […]

The first order of business was to launch an educational effort in the renewing of worship.

Voicing a pipe organ is the process by which each pipe is taught to sing together as a stop, each stop is taught to sing together as a division, and each division taught to sing as an organ. The Rube-Goldberg mechanics of an organ are interesting and impressive, but the “black magic” happens in the […]

We have just posted a new YouTube video that shows the rebuilding process for a standard M.P. Moller pitman windchest.   Many people have no idea what is involved in building or renovating a pipe organ, and this video is intended to help.   Plus, the soundtrack is Les Torreadors from Carmen, as played by […]

On Adaptive Reuse

May 6th, 2012

In the world of architectural preservation, they call it “adaptive reuse.”   Simply stated, the concept is that of preserving and restoring a built structure, but adapting it to a modern purpose.   For example, an old power station in London was structurally restored and converted into the Tate Gallery.   In the organ world, […]

Albert Schweitzer

April 24th, 2012

Most of us know of Dr. Albert Schweitzer as the great and selfless doctor who left his home to establish a hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon. But Schweitzer was also a theologian, philosopher, organist, and organ builder.   In 1956, an academy-award winning documentary about his life was produced.   I watched it this evening, and […]

I Want a Principal Within

April 9th, 2012

I once was talking with an organbuilder about an instrument I had recently played that had been built by a the ___ Organ Company.   As I recall, I said something to the effect that I really liked the flutes and strings on this organ, but wasn’t wild about the principals.   His reply to […]

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