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.

Pleasant Grove - A Nice Little Schantz

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while again. I'm now done with school for the summer (except for one class) so I'm out and about looking for organs again! It's a wonderful feeling!
I've only been out once or twice so far, but I have some photos from last year that I still need to post.

The organ in question is the 9-rank Schantz in the LDS Grove Creek Stake Center in Pleasant Grove, UT. It's the same model as the Schantz in the Oak Hills Stake Center in Provo, which I played even longer ago. The Pleasant Grove organ is two years newer, and playing it gave me a different perspective on the instrument, for a couple of reasons: 1. The PG organ is in better condition than the Provo one, and 2. I had several months more experience by the time I played the second one, so I was able to notice more details that I hadn't before.

The facade is a little different from the Oak Hills organ. The PG organ looks like this:

It's a little more unique than the Provo organ, though the Provo organ is more striking to my eye. I do, however, love the wood in this building, and on the organ. It's lovely to see dark, rich wood like this, and I think it should be used more often.

Here's a wider shot, where you can better see the wood paneling in the room and the organ facade:

And here's the console:

I think every organ should be this comfortable to play. The backrest on the bench is a common Schantz feature, and it's great, especially for long meetings when you have to sit on the bench for an hour or more. Schantz also has a way of making their instruments to comfortable to play. The keys always feel very solid and precise, and at just the right height, and nothing ever seems too far away. On smaller organs like this, they use the large rocker tabs you can see, which are extremely easy to change without removing your entire hand from the keyboard. If I were to make my dream organ, the console would probably be a Schantz.

In addition to being a pleasure to play, this organ is also a pleasure to listen to. It has some great and useful sounds, and is versatile for such a small organ. My personal favorite is the replacement of the 2' principal in the Great principal chorus with a 2' Gemshorn. It adds just the right touch of softness and stringiness to the chorus and is absolutely beautiful. The swell gemshorn celeste is also nice, as is the mixture. Everything on this organ seems to be manufactured to a very high standard of quality, and all the stops produce a sweet, beautiful tone.

Overall, I would be extremely pleased to play this instrument, be it for a recital, for church, or just for fun. I have been told that even though the sound is not overwhelming in the chapel, it is robust enough to support congregational singing, even when all the overflows are opened.

And I can't forget the selfie!

I hope you enjoyed reading about this organ as much as I enjoyed playing it. I have some newer photos that will be posted soon, but these ones have been itching to get onto the blog for months now. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

LDS Grove Creek Stake Center:

Built By: Schantz Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1994

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 9

Location: 1176 N 730 E Pleasant Grove, UT

Grove Creek Stake - Stoplist

Oak Hills Stake Center - A Happy Day!

Sorry guys, I've been a bit busy, and haven't been able to post much this week. School just started, and that always makes for a fun time!

This is a great organ. I really, really enjoyed this day. This is the 9-Rank Schantz organ in the LDS Oak Hills Stake Center. It's just across the street from the Provo temple, and the building has a small bell tower attached to it, so it's unmistakable. I had visited this chapel once previously, a few years ago, for a friend's missionary farewell meeting. Then, I found out that the local AGO (American Guild of Organists) chapter has an event scheduled here, so I figured I should probably go check out the organ. 

Here's a shot of the console. This was the first Schantz I ever played, and I have played only one other since, but I absolutely love their consoles! They are very ergonomic, and it's always easy to reach everything and to get the bench right where you want it. Schantz organs are extremely comfortable to play. The keys also have wooden cores, giving them some heft and body. It makes the organ feel a lot better made, and more substantial. I wish more care was taken with consoles in general, because such a small thing can make a big difference.

You couldn't really see it there, but some of the pedals have had the finish worn off of them by frequently being played in street shoes. Please don't do this. It may be comfortable for you, but it makes it harder for every organist after you for years to come. And getting the Church Facilities Maintenance team to get the organ pedals refinished is pretty low on the priority list.

Here you can see the organ in the room a little better. I love that there's a window right above the organ! It's so cool! You really don't see that very often. I've only played one other organ that has a window among the pipes like this (pictures coming soon!).

All of the pipes are voiced beautifully. The tone colors are outstanding, and everything is very well put together. I am very impressed with Schantz' build quality. If I were petitioning for an organ in my local chapel, I would probably petition for a Schantz, because they are so nice. 

Another interesting thing about these is the action. I'm not exactly sure what kind of action they use (I know it's not a tracker action) but for a certain period after you power the organ off, you can continue to play the pipes on any stops you have engaged for a few seconds before a valve closes and prohibits further playing. That's strange for an organ that isn't a tracker, and it's pretty cool.

This photo was taken standing at the back of the console.

The entire organ fits in the same horizontal footprint. The swell box is just behind the facade, and I believe the blowers are just below these. It's a small organ, but has some beautiful stops. Unfortunately, one of the notes in the pedal was out when I played this on June 11th, but I'm sure they've taken care of it by now.

Above and below you get a view of the window at nighttime.

And I can't forget the selfie!

This is one of the organs I most want to revisit, since it was so much fun to play! Of course, this was an excellent day for me as an organist, as I got to put my organ shoe back on my right foot for the first time in two weeks, and it was a wonderful thing! It's like a soccer player recovering from an ankle injury, or a runner getting back on his feet after his broken leg healed. I really couldn't play the organ fully without the full use of both my feet, but I recovered, and learned some great spiritual lessons in the process. I am grateful for the experiences, and that I am now back to 100%.

Thanks guys, more to come soon!

Organ Specifications:
Built By: Schantz Organ Company
Opus Number (if indicated):
Year: 1992
Manuals: 2
Ranks: 9
Location: 925 North Temple Drive Provo, UT

Oak Hills Stake - Stoplist