Organ Project Updates
Pipework September 2011
Over the summer much progress has been made on the new organ. The remaining pipe chests for Great and Pedal organs have been installed and several ranks of pipes installed in those divisions. Extensive wiring to make these chests playable is now also nearly complete. On this day of writing, the first ranks of the Great division and the higher notes of the Pedal organ are being reracked and regulated. The trumpet pipes for the Great division may also be installed by opening Sunday, September 11.
The exterior shape of the organ is now evident as the larger one-hundred year-old pedal ranks of pipes from the old organ flank and form the exterior of the new instrument. These pipes were first restored with dowels and inserts replacing and cracks, languids checked and then, completely cosmetically stripped of old stains and shellac and three new coats of shellac applied during the summer. So the inside and outside of the instrument is now equally pristine and ready for the next century. It’s worth a look up close if you care to venture up the balcony stairs.
Creation of new and remanufactured pipes continues at a steady pace at the Russell shop in Vermont.
Pipework June 2011
We have gained several exciting new additions to the organ. The mutations (color ranks which sound at intervals above the note played) have been installed in the organ’s Choir division on the right side facing. The Nazard is a completely new rank, made from scratch by Russell & Co., while the Tierce is revoiced from the old organ. This past week, the organ’s new Oboe was installed and it added a much needed new dimension to both the Swell and Pedal organs.
The first complete pedal rank of pipes, comprised of some of the large pipes from thle old organ are almost ready for installation, as well as the Swell Mixture pipes. This mixture is again made new from scratch and comprised of some 297 pipes to nicely crown the top of the Swell division for clarity and sparkle in Baroque music, as well as hymn playing.
Once the remaining pipe chests are completed, the builder will then turn themselves totally to the making and remanufacture of the remainder of the organ pipes. Hopefully, most of the pipework should be in by early fall.
Pipework May 2011
Since the last organ column update, we have gained several new additions to the organ. The strings in the organ’s Swell division on the left side when facing the organ have been installed and give us a new dimension of color that is very helpful in both service playing, as well as for the organ literature. The small new 2’ high-pitched flute in the organ’s Choir division on the right side also completes a chorus of flutes in that section of the organ.
Now that the Easter tuning season is over, Russell & Co. organ builders in Vermont has begun construction on the additional wind chests for the remaining sections of the organ in their shop up north. Another half-dozen ranks of pipes are in production and have a goal of being installed by music Sunday later this month. Stay tuned.
Pipework March 2011
Steve Russell, our organ builder, is continuing with the construction and installation of the winding system for the Great organ main chest right behind the façade. The step-up blower and wind system for the new high pressure solo Tuba stop, which we have to look forward to, is now installed and has been tested. Work on new pipe fabrication continues at a steady pace in the Russell shop in Vermont. More ranks have been completed and are awaiting general voicing before they can be brought to Concord and installed. We are expecting to see some additional ranks of pipes installed during the month of March.
Though work on the organ continues steadily, we know it will not be complete this spring. However, for Music Sunday on May 22nd, we are planning the Haydn Missa Brevis Sancti Johannes de Deo for choir, orchestra and solo organ as well as other works that will highlight the qualities of the organ as it has been installed by then and celebrate the progress we have made on this major project.
Pipework January-February 2011
As of this writing towards the end of January, the 
Russell Company is working hard on building the Strings for the organ’s Swell division. These take time to get right and will be a key color we do not have yet in the new organ. In addition, there are four other ranks of pipes in production for this same part of the organ.
Some of you may have noticed a cipher from a pipe which occurred during the first service a few weeks ago. The pipe continued to sound as long as the organ was getting wind, even when all stops were turned off. We were able to pull the pipe between services and leave it for the builder’s so they will know just where the problem is occurring when they are next working at the church. This was probably due either to some dirt that got into a pipe or more likely from a needed fine adjustment of the valve or screw which needs to be tightened in the chest below the pipe. This is not particularly unusual as there are many adjustments to made on the mechanical components of such a complex thing as a real pipe organ as it is being built. Some of these things will be working their way out as the organ continues to be played more and more. So, we appreciate your patience with these little glitches from time-to-time and always hope that they happen during practice times rather than during a service.
Pipework December 2010
During November significant work was accomplished on the new First Parish organ. A wood flute from the old organ was restored with all stoppers in the top completely repacked. This caused this rank of pipes to come alive in a way not heard in decades. It is now a useful color with definition and warmth which we used for the continuo part of the Telemann motet on Thanksgiving Sunday. In addition, three more ranks of pipes were added to the organ’s Swell division (contained in the left hand expression box when facing the façade). This now gives us one complete diapason chorus for hymn leading and another lovely flute made from scratch by Russell & Company. We continue to be impressed with the builder’s ability to rebuild vintage pipework in a way that is appropriate to our room’s acoustic. Their manufacturing and tonal skill is evident in how impossible it is to tell any difference between their completely new ranks and remanufactured pipe ranks they use within the instrument. Remanufactured pipes are quite labor intensive, but save significant money on materials by using pipe stock from the builder and from our old instrument. We now have 10 ranks of pipes installed. BUT, remember there are a total of 45-46 ranks which make up the new instrument, so there is a LOT more to come. Several of those ranks are already in process with installation expected after the first of the year.
The expression louvers which are so helpful in controlling tone volume
have now been completed and are functioning beautifully. These flank the entire fronts of the both boxes that make up the back half of the organ. Many of the fluorescent light fixtures which we saved from the old organ have also now been installed in the new instrument to make servicing and continued installation much more efficient.
So, listen carefully to the tonal blend and lovely sounds coming from the rear gallery during this holiday season. We’ve heard many positive comments about what we’re hearing so far and trust that this organ will only continue to blossom in the New Year.
Pipework October 2010
During September work has continued on the construction of the organ chambers in the balcony. As of this writing at the end of September, we now have five ranks of pipes installed and are able to lead some hymns and play a few organ pieces here and there during the services. During October work will continue in the Russell shop in Vermont on fabricating the expression louvers which will cover the entire two stories of chambers that form the back half of the instrument. Some of these are projected to be installed by the end of the month. We also hope to welcome the arrival of another two to maybe four ranks of pipes during October.
Pipework September 2010
This summer has seen much progress on the organ installation. The main structure of the new organ has been built and erected in the rear balcony. This started in the basement above the main organ blower with a large static wind reservoir/bellows, which effectively baffles and silences any blower wind noise to the sanctuary when the organ motor is on. The winding system, consisting of a myriad of trunks and branches going to all the different bellows that have been gradually constructed in Vermont, were installed on the loft floor. Next the main structure that holds the pipe chests were erected along the back wall. We now have our first 3-4 ranks of pipes (out of some 45 or so) installed so we can hear a few organ pieces or simple organ accompaniments emanating from the balcony. This will be a gradual process throughout the church year, with new sounds appearing every few weeks or so.
Pipework June 2010
The organ console wiring has been completed and tested and we should see the newly updated and rebuilt console back in the balcony very soon. The leathering of all the various wind reservoirs for the new instrument are being completed in the Russell shop and the builders will soon be turning themselves to the task of constructing the organ from the bottom up. This work will start in the basement of the church with a new static wind reservoir being built above the blower motor. This will create a buffering to the wind rush up the main trunk and ensure a near silent operation of the winding system in the church. After that they will begin constructing and assembling the wind system in the organ loft with all its trunks, which will go to each area and division of the instrument. The wind reservoirs/bellows, most of which are coming along nicely now, will go above the wind lines which will run along the loft floor, and sit just below those pipe chests still waiting patiently on their sides in the loft.
Significant progress is expected during the summer months with expectation of being able to play some organ music for opening Sunday in September.
Pipework May 2010
Eric was able to visit the Russell shop in Vermont and see first hand the progress 
on the rebuilt, refinished and enhanced organ console on Patriot’s Day. The pedal board looks beautiful with the new maple key tops and all the toe studs, woodwork and chrome trim polished out by hand. Wiring the console, which will take approximately 150 hours to complete is now beginning and they plan to have the finished console back at the church sometime in the next month or so. They keep getting little surprise challenges with this console rebuilding (as with any restoration vs. building completely new), which has contributed to some of the delay in being able to move ahead as fast as we’d hoped. But the quality of the work should make the wait well worth it!
It was exciting to witness some of the pipe fabrication in a new rank of flute pipes for the organ. The pipes are made in several stages: pattern cut out of the metal and formed around the molds (both bodies and feet), then mouths and tongues made and all the pieces soldered together to form a perfect pipe to a very specific scale to fit the desired tone for the room and the overall instrument. Painstaking and exacting work beyond most of our imaginations, until witnessing it in person. This all takes a lot of time with so many areas (woodworking, pipe making, electrical wiring, etc.) and only four people total working on this project at the organ shop.
Pipework April 2010
The refurbished and enhanced organ console is coming along nicely at the Russell shop in Vermont. It now closely resembles the new console which we will eventually have downstairs and up front. Some parts of the console turned out to be so worn that Russell rebuilt them completely from scratch out of solid walnut, as well as new pedal caps of solid maple (they were too worn down to properly adjust at the right angles). AND during a multi-day Vermont power outage, they also decided that the old shell of the console really deserved a complete stripping and refinishing (having taken abuse for 70 something years) and hand scraped all the old finish off down to bare wood …. So it will be a bit longer before we have her back in the balcony!
Pipework March 2010
Final designs for retrofitting the balcony organ console have been completed in the Russell shop in Vermont and the remaining parts ordered. The refurbished and enhanced console should now closely resemble the new console which will be installed in the front of the Sanctuary. The rebuilding and retrofitting should be completed by the end of March and the balcony console on its way back to First Parish.
About two ranks of pipes (Diapasons which form the core warm sounds of the main organ) have now been rebuilt. This is meticulous work. For some ranks of pipes, the organ builder has to create and install new metal languids inside the mouth of each flue pipe. A languid is like a tongue in relation to pipe speech and is formed by a piece of metal soldered inside the mouth of each pipe. The condition and angle of the languid is very important in tonal voicing of each flue pipe to create a pleasing and natural tone. The old languids in many of our pipes suffered from lead fatigue and would no longer permit the kind of tonal adjustments necessary for a beautiful sound.
This painstaking work on the original organ pipes that will be included in the new installation will continue for many months. Once this restoration work is complete, each pipe will be put on a special voicing machine that allows its tone and speech to be adjusted in relation to the pipe before it. When the pipes are on their wind chest within the organ, final refinements and voicing will be repeated within our sanctuary space.
Having overseen the restoration of three antique houses, I could identify with Steve Russell when he described how much he enjoyed restoring good quality old pipework: The results are rewarding and, with the fluctuating cost of alloys, the cost savings are notable. The work is labor intensive and usually takes longer than manufacturing brand new pipes. But it will be worth the wait. - Eric
Pipework February 2010
In January, the balcony organ console was taken to the Russell & Co. shop in Vermont so that work could continue on rebuilding and retrofitting it to play the new instrument. Russell & Co. has received the custom computer “brains” from Classic Organ Works in Canada for the organ consoles. There is a lot of wiring, along with rebuilding and rebushing the pedal board which needs to be done. All this will culminate in an upgraded balcony console that will return ready to play various sections of the organ as they are ready for fine tonal finishing in the room. The goal of the builders at this time is to have about one-quarter of the organ (part of one division, on one manual) playable by Easter week.
During the Christmas season, we learned how much we would appreciate the new configuration of the balcony space. Our choir fit nicely into the center of the balcony on Christmas Eve. And there was even room for a harpist for A Ceremony of Carols! This improved space is one more way that the new organ installation will support the music ministry at First Parish.
Pipework December 2009
Progress continues on the First Parish organ project at the Russell & Company shop in Vermont. Work has begun on rebuilding and retrofitting the existing organ console to serve as a secondary console in the balcony. Once this work is done, the console will be prepared to play the different sections of the new instrument as it gradually takes shape. This will be especially helpful since it will take months for the new console to be built. Parts of the existing console that can be removed will be taken to the organ builder’s shop for this rebuilding and retrofitting process in order to save travel and production time.
Work continues at the Russell shop on rank-by-rank pipe evaluations, and designs for the new pipe work. November and December are busy months for organ builders as much of their time is spent on maintenance and tuning for their regular clients during the late autumn through Christmas. Russell & Company is also in the final stage of completing the organ project in line before First Parish. They expect this project to be finished by Christmas.
After the first of the year, periodic work will be done on site at First Parish and we expect after a few months we should be ready to hear one of the organ divisions as it comes to life for hymn playing and less complex organ music.
Pipework – November 2009
During October, final plans for the new organ console were refined and finalized. After many hours of careful analysis, negotiations and discussions with Russell & Company Organ Builders, we now have agreements in place to retrofit the existing organ console in the balcony with a new control system matching the one in the new console (they must be able to talk to each other) and rebuild the most critical and deficient parts of the old console. This will allow installation of the new console downstairs near the pulpit and fulfill our longtime vision of enabling the organist to actually hear the organ “in and as part of the acoustic space in the sanctuary.” Keeping the old console in the balcony as a secondary source enables the organ to be played upstairs for choral accompaniment and ensemble music when needed. This configuration will support the flexibility that our diverse music program increasingly demands. The new console will also be upgraded to walnut hardwood and veneers, rather than a painted shell as was originally specified in the contract.
We are grateful that with a few judicious trade-offs in pipe sourcing these important items on our “wish list” were able to be completely financed with the remainder of the organ budget contingency fund combined with a small allocation from the organ reserve fund and annual instrument maintenance budget. We now look forward to the fruition of these plans and hope to hear the first parts of the new organ in the early months of 2010.
We would also like to mention that through the impassioned efforts of Jonathan Ambrosino, noted organ curator and consultant, and Jonathan Ortloff of Russell & Co. the central control unit from the original 1902 Austin organ, long dormant within the large old wind chest, was donated and accepted by the Austin Organ Company as a small piece of their history.
Pipework – October 2009
We are pleased to report that the organ project continues to move along smoothly and on schedule. During the last four months the organ area in the balcony has been fully rehabbed and prepared for the new instrument. To cap things off, the walls and ceiling of the organ chamber have received a fresh coat of paint, quite possibly for the first time in 107 years! They now match the rest of the sanctuary.
On September
8, the first new pipe chests arrived from the sub-contractor in Erie, Pennsylvania and were skillfully maneuvered up to the balcony by the organ builders and volunteers from the congregation. The two largest chests weighed 800-900 pounds crated!
Work is continuing at the Russell shop in Vermont on bellows and pipe enclosures for the various divisions of the instrument. These components will arrive and be installed as we move through the autumn months.
Stay tuned!
Pipework - September 2009
Much has been accomplished over the summer in preparation for our new organ installation this year!
In June the old organ was dismantled and removed. Most of the pipes were transported to Steve Russell’s shop in Vermont for cleaning, restoration, rebuilding and revoicing as appropriate for inclusion in the new instrument. Some of the largest pipes have been stored in the balcony pending re-installation.
Work in July and August was devoted to the organ chamber and surrounding balcony area. The console was moved to its new location at the side of the balcony and parts of the balcony floor were rebuilt and painted. The walls and ceiling of the organ chamber were altered as necessary and re-painted for the first time in over 100 year! The rope for our tower bell was re-routed and the façade was relocated. The balcony will be open for worship on Sundays, but we appreciate your care around the organ area and your patience as you see the new organ take shape.
Our organist, Eric Huenneke, was on site for much of the summer supervising, coordinating and consulting with contractors, cleaning and painting! His “hands on” work on this project has helped keep us on time and within budget. Barry Copp has provided valuable assistance with carpentry and puzzle solving!
Pipework - Summer 2009
Our organ renovation has begun!! This winter and spring Steve Russell, our organ builder had been working on the design and doing prep work in his shop in Vermont. During the month of May, pipes were removed from the Swell division (right side) of the organ. This was the first work on site here at First Parish. The pipes were lifted out individually, laid on trays and placed in the “pipemobile,” Steve’s van, to be taken to Vermont.
About a third of the organ’s pipes have now been removed. The rest will be taken to Vermont over the next few weeks. Once the pipes are removed, the rest of the organ will be dismantled and the organ chamber will be refinished. By late summer, installation of the rebuilt and reconfigured organ will have started with pipes being added back in throughout the fall.