A Late Update: The Importance of Tuning and Maintenance

Hey Everyone! I've been really busy with my classes in the Information Systems program at BYU, so I haven't been able to post since I started school. I've attended a couple of different church music workshops, and had the chance to play for my Stake Conference a couple of weeks ago, which was exciting and successful!

This post will be about a couple of organs I played several months ago. The first one is in an LDS chapel in Salt Lake City. I was at this chapel for a mission reunion. I only got to play this instrument for a few minutes after the reunion was over. I was one of the last people to leave. It was a typical small Wicks, with a decent Trompette and a nice Erzahler, sadly without a corresponding celeste.

Here's a photo of that instrument:

It looks quite a bit larger than it actually is. The wings on the two sides contain no pipes, but rather the pipework is all contained within the visible facade and the swell box just behind the center portion of the instrument. 

I enjoyed playing this organ, but it wasn't much to write home about. I'm including it here to document it, and to make a point later in the post.

On to the next organ, at the Provo 5th and 8th Wards Chapel. I have friends who attend church in this building, and they alerted me to the presence of this instrument. Unfortunately, at the time I visited, the phone I was using to take the pictures did not respond at all well to the lighting in the building, and the contents of the photos are barely visible. Here's a link to some good photos of the building and chapel taken by another blogger.

What I can tell you is that no pipework is visible. Not everything is enclosed, but it is behind a screen at the front of the room. You can see this in the photos on the other blog.

This instrument had no maker's mark or opus number anywhere on the console, but several characteristics lead me to believe it is a Reuter organ. These are: 1) The design of the console and 2) the specification of the instrument. The Springville 1st and 3rd Wards building has a Reuter that has a console with the same carvings as this one, and the stoplist is very similar (though the facade is much more impressive on the Springville instrument).

The unfortunate thing about both the Salt Lake City organ and the Provo 5th and 8th Wards Organ is that when I went to play them, I wasn't able to get an accurate impression of either instrument because both were severely out of tune at the time I visited. On the Salt Lake instrument, the principal rank is unified, and if you play higher than the C above middle C or attempt to use the 2' principal, it sounded like a giant calliope, except not musical at all. On the Provo instrument, most of the individual stops sounded fine, but they were out of tune in relation to each other, causing a celeste-like sound, except in an exaggerated and unpleasant manner, and with nearly every stop. 

The point is, if you or your congregation has or decides to obtain a pipe organ, PLEASE take good care of it! I know that maintenance is expensive, but it is worth the trouble! A well-maintained pipe organ can bless the lives of people for generations, but if you let it dwindle into disrepair, it will become a nuisance, and in many cases, you will lose a treasure of an instrument.

Neither of these organs had anything broken on them, but an organ being out of tune significantly limits its usability. Here are some tips on keeping your organ in tune:

• ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS leave the swell box(es) open when you shut the organ off!!! This causes the organ to maintain constant tuning between divisions that are enclosed(such as the Swell) and divisions that are unenclosed (such as the Great), and allows them to be used together, even if the organ as a whole is no longer tuned to A-440. This is so easy, yet so many people forget it! Many modern organs default to opening the swell shades automatically upon turning off the instrument, but you should open the shades just to be safe.
• Try to maintain a consistent temperature in the room year-round. This is easy in a home, but can be more difficult in a church building. Many LDS buildings have thermostats that shut off automatically after three hours. Since this will not maintain a constant temperature in the building always, try and make sure that the room is the same temperature (or close to it) when the organ will be played. Come in 30-60 minutes early to start the thermostat before the meetings start. You can even use this time to practice! That way as the pipework detunes, it will be tuned back to its proper pitch when at the correct temperature, at least for the duration of the meeting.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and that you keep enjoying all the Bach, Franck and Widor you can! 

Here are your organ details:

LDS Wards:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1965

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 7

Location: 3051 S 2900 E Salt Lake City, UT

LDS Provo 5th and 8th  Wards:

Built By: Reuter Organ Company?

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: Unknown

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 6-7 (approx.)

Location: 502 E 200 N Provo, UT

Provo 5th and 8th Wards Stoplist

Tabernacle Day Trip

Hey everyone!

This week I had the chance to take a day trip to Ogden and Logan to play the organs in the LDS tabernacles in those cities. Bear with me, this post is going to be long!

I also tried to play the organs at Utah State University's Kent Concert Hall, and at the University of Utah's Libby Gardner Concert Hall, but was unable to do so. USU's concert hall is under renovation, and most of the organ has been removed to prevent damage, even though the organ was just restored in 2012! The University of Utah's concert hall was not under renovation, it was just locked.

I'll start where I started my day: at the Ogden Tabernacle. This is my new favorite organ, at least my favorite that I have had significant time with. I was let in by the Facilities Maintenance and Security team when I turned the knob on their office door at the rear of the tabernacle. Nobody was scheduled to practice on the day I was there, so I was given plenty of time alone in the tabernacle. It is a beautiful building, and it's very unique. It was just renovated this past year along with the Ogden Temple, and that includes the organ.

The organ was originally installed in the tabernacle by Balcom & Vaughan Organ Builders in 1956, shortly after the Tabernacle was completed. Recently, it was renovated and added to by H. Ronald Poll & Associates Organ Builders of Salt Lake City, UT. Michael Poll, President of Poll & Associates, confirmed in April 2015 that tonal work was still being finished on the organ, and a dedication concert was planned featuring Rulon Christiansen, an Ogden area organist. When I arrived, the memory unit was set to the organist "Rulon C," so I take it that the dedication concert had already taken place. (Note: I later found out the organ was finished, but the concert was scheduled for Sept. 20, 2015. I attended, and it was wonderful). The man who let me in told me that Clay Christiansen, one of the Temple Square Organists, had been there the day before to play the instrument. And from what I could tell, everything was finished and sounded wonderful. (Clay also performed at the dedication, along with other musicians from the local interfaith council.)

Here are some pictures of the facade. This is one of my favorites, if not my favorite organ facade. I think it looks fantastic! It's elegant and interesting without being too flashy or distracting from the worship that takes place in the building. The casework near the top of the facade and just below the tubas mimics patterns found in the stone on the outside of the building, which resemble Mayan writing. Very cool!

The console is very large and has many stops. There is no rolltop on it, and it's hard to see anything over the top of it. The accidentals (black notes) on the keyboards are made of wood. The organ feels very well put together and is a pleasure to play. The chamber in which most of the pipes sit is directly behind the facade, and is very open into the room. This provides some nice effects with the quieter stops, as some really sound distant, with the sound floating out from behind the facade, whereas others are closer and speak more directly into the space. It allows for great contrast of sound for doing call-and-response type pieces, both on the soft and the louder stops. My favorite soft stops are the Dulciana with Celeste in the Choir division. They're just stringy enough, and very warm, and they make a great soft prelude registration. I'd probably add a flute with them, or use them as an accompaniment for the Harmonic Flute on the Great.

Surprisingly, this organ has a Zimbelstern, operated via a drawknob in the Great division. It also has real chimes (not digital ones, as far as I know) and an 8' Harp and 4' Celesta which sound acoustic as well. This is a very fun organ to play. (note: all percussion stops are digital except the chimes).

Here's my selfie, taken near the console:

Notice what's above my head: The horizontal trumpets! These are not a traditional Trompette en Chamade, but rather a Tuba en Chamade, which gives a fuller, warmer trumpet sound, rather than the harsh, piercing tone of a French Trompette. It is a beautiful solo voice, available on Great, Choir, and Pedal at the 8' and 4' pitches. It can be soloed out over a full principal chorus with mixture, even if I have the Swell principal chorus coupled in with the Great and a trumpet in the pedal, and it sounds great on its own as well, with a decent reverberation time in the room as well. I used the Horizontal Tuba to play the fanfare from Wagner's Also Sprach Zarathustra (also known as the theme music to 2001: A Space Odyssey) and it sounded absolutely AMAZING. 

Here are a couple more unique things: The Vox Humana on the Swell doesn't have its own tremulant, so you can hear what the Vox Humana actually sounds like without the "rwah-rwah-rwah" that usually comes with it. To use it with a tremulant, you must draw the Swell Tremulant, at which point it sounds like a regular Vox Humana. Click here for my favorite joke about the Vox Humana.

As you can see below, this organ has the elusive and myserious Pedal on Great Coupler. I tried it, and it does indeed play the pedal ranks on the Great, though they end at the G above middle C. I guess it's an alternative version of a bass coupler? (note: also used for playing duets, when one organist is already using the pedals)

There is so much to love about this organ. It's in perfect condition, it has a wide variety of tone colors, and everything I put my hands on felt very well-built and solid. I can't see someone ever needing more organ than this to play a piece, unless it's written for more than 3 manuals or you need an Antiphonal division. I am grateful to have the chance to get to know this instrument, it is quite a beauty, and I hope I get the chance to play it again!

Now on to the last organ I played: The Logan Tabernacle. The church authorities in charge of this building have a strict policy that nobody plays the organ unless they're practicing for or playing in a conference or concert. Fortunately for me, the man in charge of the organ itself was there, and since he saw that I have my own organ shoes and am clearly a serious organist--not some kid who just wants to derp around and bang on the keys to make noise--he allowed me to play for five minutes or so. I didn't get really good pictures since I wasn't alone, but I did get to hear the organ for quite a while, since I came during someone's scheduled practice time. The sister who was practicing asked my advice about stops that had been set, and requested some tips to improve her playing. I gladly obliged, since service is why I play the organ. I then talked to the members in charge of tours about the history of the tabernacle for a good while, while listening to this fine sister play.

Sadly, because I didn't have a lot of time to experience this organ on my own, I don't have a very comprehensive impression of the instrument. I do know that it is a hybrid organ, and I got a good feel for the power it has, since I registered my own piece. What I did notice is that the instrument is extremely well-maintained, extremely loved, and extremely beautiful. I would love to have the chance to return some day and give a concert.

A few notes: most of the facade pipes are fake. Only a few on the left side are speaking pipes. The console is also wonderful to play at since the top is so low. You can see the choir director perfectly and without intrusion. This would be a wonderful place to accompany a choir. The instrument also has a beautiful Dulciana with Celeste, similar to that on the Ogden Tabernacle's organ. The two are quite similar in their tonal design.

I don't have a lot of information about this organ, but what I have is below. More is available through the Organ Historical Society's database and through other websites.

Here's the obligatory selfie:

Here are your organ specifications. Since these are outside Utah Valley, I am not providing stoplists. These (as well as more photos) can be found in the Organ Historical Society's Database.

LDS Ogden Tabernacle:

Built By: Balcom & Vaughan, H. Ronald Poll & Associates

Opus Number (if indicated): 34 (Poll)

Year: 1956 (B&V), 2015 (Poll)

Manuals: 3

Ranks: 51 + Digital (32' extensions and percussion stops)

Location: 350 South 22nd St. Ogden, UT

LDS Logan Tabernacle:

Built By: Henry Pilcher's Sons, LDS Church Organ Maintenance Department, H. Ronald Poll & Associates

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1908 (Pilcher), 1953 (LDS Church), 1987 and 2009 (Poll)

Manuals: 3

Ranks: 66 (44 Pipe, 22 Digital)

Location: 50 North Main St. Logan, UT

Springville - A Second Trip

About a month ago, I was in Springville again to see a friend, but this time I came more prepared. I had more information about some of the organs in Springville, and this one was just a few blocks from my friend's home. I had been waiting for a while to get into this particular chapel, and I finally made it that evening.

It was funny, as I was playing, one of the bishops who uses the building came in and, optimistically hoping I was from the other ward that uses the building, inviting me to play for their sacrament meetings. I told him I would love to, but that it was too far away for me to travel every Sunday and that I had commitments in my own ward, but otherwise I would love to!

The organ in this building is a small but nice 1949 Reuter.

Here's a photo of the main facade:

I really like the visual design of this organ. I like the different colors of the wooden pipes and the principals in the center are rather striking. The larger wooden pipes on either side are actually stuck to the wall, either with glue or screws of some sort. I thought that was interesting. 

The console of this organ is also very nice. It has a neat little design on the sides and the rear:

The pedalboard is also a little different. It still feels close to if not exactly like AGO standard and is still concave & radiating, but it looks different in that the natural keys have a cutout near the console end of them. I wish I had taken a picture, but I didn't think to. Silly me!

Speaking of the keys, I love the touch on this organ! You barely have to depress the key at all and you get sound out of the pipes. This makes it much easier to play faster passages on this instrument. The toccata from Bach's BWV 565 was very enjoyable here, though not very loud. This organ is pretty small, and there are no reeds or mixtures. But what there is is in tune and a pleasure to play. This organ would be more suited to hymn playing or to some baroque and earlier pieces, rather than French romantic or most modern classical music. 

One of my favorite stops on this organ is the Dulciana. It's a smaller, lighter Principal that almost resembles a string stop, and it's absolutely beautiful. You don't see them so often on these organs, yet they are so useful, especially with how the organ is used in LDS services, as we do a lot of quiet preludes before and after our meetings, sometimes incorporating a short interlude near the middle of the meeting, just before the administration of the Sacrament.

Personally, I love a good reed chorus, some trumpets, and a nice 16' Posaune in the pedal, they demonstrate the majesty of the organ and are a lot of fun to play. But organs such as this one and the one at the Utah State Hospital, organs that focus on the beautiful soft tone colors, are a nice break. They are beautiful, and allow for a nice, relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of life. I'll take a good Dulciana or an Erzähler any day of the week, it's a nice escape for me, since a lot of the time I play the organ to unwind and de-stress from the many activities I enjoy so much.

Anyway, Here's a wider-angle shot of the pipe facade. Once again, I really like the way those different colors of wood contrast with each other, and with the paneling on the wall (and yes, I know the smaller ones on the top are painted, and so are the swell shades.). 

...And the obligatory selfie:

Have a great day everyone, more to come soon!

And here are your organ details:

LDS Springville 1st & 3rd Ward Building

Built By: Reuter Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 854

Year: 1949

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 5 (Originally, probably added to later)

Location: 55 North Main St. Springville, UT

Springville 1st & 3rd Wards - Stoplist