In recent years we’ve all heard about ongoing “supply chain” issues in various industries; unfortunately, the pipe organ building/servicing world and its associated suppliers have not been exempt from such issues. This has now, unfortunately, impacted the comprehensive console updating and enhancement for our wonderful Casavant organ. Scheduled to begin at the end of this month, the start of this work has recently been delayed for a month, since major items such as new keyboards and new stop knobs will not arrive until then.
Although the work could commence after Labor Day, such a start date would make the organ unavailable through at least the end of October, and possibly into early November. This would impact multiple church events during this period, including weddings, a concert featuring multiple choirs performing the Faure Requiem, and important Sundays such as All Saints (November 3). Given this reality, the Music Ministry—in consultation with Pastor Carol, and with the agreement of the company doing the work—has decided to postpone the start of the organ work until early January. Doing so will provide a workable two-month timeframe for the instrument to be offline (January and February), as well as a “buffer” of a month-plus (March and early April, i.e. the season of Lent up to Palm Sunday and Easter, which are April 13 and 20 this year) in case additional time is needed for the work.
Let me take this opportunity to echo Vivian Hamilton’s expression of appreciation, found in The Branch, for the magnificent generosity of the donors who are making this work possible. The changes to the console that will take place will make multiple aspects of playing the Casavant significantly easier and less time-consuming and will give this organist (and future FBG organists) greatly enhanced control and flexibility of the organ’s tonal resources. I am enormously grateful to these donors, as well as to Vivian, Baxter Wynn, Fred DeFoor, Pastor Carol, and all who have supported and worked with me to bring this work to fruition. I’ll write again in this space when the work begins in January, with updates as it proceeds. Many thanks to all!
—Charles Tompkins, Organist