Holiday Greetings - And More Organ Visits!

I say Holiday because I refer to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year! I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I would like to thank all of you who are reading my writing and looking at my photos. I have received many nice messages through the contact form, and I assure you, I do read all of them, but it sometimes takes me a little while to respond. I assure you, I will be responding to your messages soon. Thank you for your kind words, input, and support!

I recently had the opportunity to visit a couple of wonderful little organs. One in American Fork, UT (thanks to my good friend Bryce for getting me in!) and another in Kaysville, UT, where a friend of mine was speaking for his missionary farewell. (For those not familiar with this term, young single LDS adults often serve a mission for 18 months or two years. It is tradition that before leaving to his or her assigned area, the missionary will deliver a speech in the main church meeting the Sunday before. This is the "missionary farewell.")

Let's start with the organ in American Fork. This organ was built by the Schantz Organ Company in 1993. This organ is a slightly modified version of the same model of organ that is installed in the Oak Hills Stake Center and the Grove Creek Stake Center, respectively, but with a different facade design, and in an older building. Here's a photo of the facade:

In playing and listening, Bryce and I determined that most of the facade belongs to the bottom octave of the 8' Principal, but we didn't take the time to figure out to which stop the remaining pipes belong, if any. This is probably my favorite design of the three Schantz organs I've seen and played. It's just so majestic, as you can see in the wider view in this selfie:

The thing that makes this organ different from the other two is that this one has a stop that is prepared for. The stop is not actually installed, but the stop tab, wiring, and possibly the wind chest are in place to enable easy installation of the stop, in this case, a 16' Contre Trompette. Knowing how much I love Schantz organs and especially their consoles (see the two posts linked above if you want me to wax lyrical about it), and I was thrilled to find that we have another beautiful instrument of this type in Utah Valley. This one is also unique because it's in an older building. The LDS Church uses standardized floor plans for its buildings, and these plans have changed over time. This particular plan was used in the 1960s-1970s, and I have had great luck finding beautiful organs in buildings of this plan, including the Cascade 1st and 2nd Wards, the Provo Stake, and even the famed Provo Central Stake.

I'll finish with a photo of this nice carving of an oak leaf on the side of the console:

The organ is very well-voiced and well cared-for, it is clear the stake loves it. As far as I understand, Dr. Parley Belnap, one of the more prolific organists in the LDS church and a former BYU organ professor, was very involved in the installation of this organ. I imagine he was quite satisfied with it. It is a pleasure to play, and fills the room very well. 

Next is the organ of the Kaysville Utah East Stake. It's not marked with a builder, but I can tell by the design of the pedals (and through the Organ Historical Society's database) that is was made by the Reuter company. I only got to play it for a few minutes after the sacrament meeting, but I quite like the facade on it:

The building is of a very unique design, and confusing if you've never been there before. The back of the chapel has a solid wall, rather than the more common curtain in LDS chapels, even though the gymnasium is adjacent to the chapel. The facade is also interesting because the 4' Koppel Flute is included in the facade on the right side. 

The interesting thing is that my friend who I went to visit plays a little, and has been up inside this organ many times. He even said he tunes some of the pipes upon occasion, when the organ needs it. The trompette, apparently, goes out of tune quite often, which does not surprise me in the least. The organ chamber is accessed through a door visible near the right of the photo. The tuner must climb beneath the rostrum, after which he will find himself inside the steeple of the building, which has a ladder inside it leading up to the chamber. I imagine it is a bit of a hassle to tune, and that's probably part of why this building plan doesn't exist anywhere else (at least to my knowledge).

Well, that's it for now. I start classes again at BYU on Monday, so I imagine I probably won't be posting too much for a while. I had the chance a couple of months ago to play for a stake conference and a special fireside with Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder L. Whitney Clayton as speakers, and these were both played in large public spaces in Provo, where conferences are often held. I plan on posting some tips to play effectively in these locations, though both utilize digital organs.

Happy New Year, and have a wonderful day!

LDS American Fork East Stake:

Built By: Schantz Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1993

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 9

Location: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, UT

Stoplist - American Fork East Stake

LDS Kaysville Utah East Stake:*

Built By: Reuter Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 950

Year: 1951

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 15

Location: 201 South 600 East Kaysville, UT

*OHS lists two organs in Kaysville. Both are Reuter organs, and both are in LDS chapels. I have looked at the names of the LDS wards for the building that specifies them, and that building appears to be newer (1970s) which coincides with one of the OHS entries. The building I visited felt older, and the other OHS organ was built in the 1950s, which is before LDS church floor plans were widely standardized, so that leads me to believe that this is the 15-rank organ, not the 11-rank instrument. It makes sense with the instrument specification. (Contact me if interested) I did not have the chance to check if ranks were unified, I simply played the instrument and enjoyed it.