Frequently Asked Questions

1. How did the pipe organ project come into being? Why are we doing this?

This project was conceived in the summer of 2007 by the Saint Mary 150^th Anniversary Committee as a way to provide something worthy and permanent that we could pass on to future generations of Saint Mary members. A real pipe organ is the best way to accompany and support congregational singing, an important part of our worship.

2. Is money from the weekly collection being used for the new pipe organ?

No. Only money donated expressly for the organ is being used to pay for the organ.

3. What is the difference between a pipe organ and an electronic organ?

A pipe organ makes its sounds by blowing air through hand made metal or wooden pipes. Each pipe plays a single note. The air filling the entire body of each pipe resonates with the sound of each note. The size and shape of a pipe affects it tone color (timbre) and pitch (high or low).

The sound of an electronic organ is made by a loudspeaker system playing the pre-recorded and digitized sound of organ pipes.  Imagine the stage of a concert hall with a symphony orchestra playing. Then imagine the same concert hall stage with a CD player, two large amplifiers and 10-20 large loudspeakers.  

4. Will the new organ be much louder than the current electronic organ?

No. Actually, our new pipe organ is designed to have many more quiet and warm sounds than our electronic organ. The 3200 pipes of the new organ represent a wide variety of sounds. They are not intended to, and cannot be, played all at once.

5. How long will our pipe organ last?

With maintenance and tunings (less than $3000 a year), the organ will last indefinitely. Organ pipes and wind chests can last for hundreds of years. Our organ will not need to be “re-leathered” every 70 years as some designs require. The digital circuitry that controls the organ is simpler than a PC and can be easily replaced if for example it is damaged in a lightening strike. At least a dozen organs built between 1390 and 1575 are still playing, and functioning organs from the early 1700’s are fairly common throughout Europe.

6. Where is the organ going to be located?

The organ itself, meaning the pipes, the pipe action and the wind supply, will be installed in the room behind the wall of the sanctuary (behind the altar). The console (where the player sits) will be placed in front of the choir platform.

7. Do pipe organs come in different styles?

Yes. Because each pipe organ is designed from the ground up for each individual installation, a great deal of flexibility and variation is possible in the overall “tonal design” of the instrument as well as the fine tuning of each individual pipe. The style of our new organ is known as “romantic/orchestral” which means that it will have many different tone colors and will focus on warmer and more comfortable, even lush, sounds and avoid anything that could be considered shrill.

8. Does the organ represent a movement toward more “traditional” music?

The main purpose of the organ is to accompany the congregation’s singing more effectively, whatever the style of music. In addition, the new organ will allow for a broader range of music, both old and new, to be sung by our choirs, as many pieces are written to be accompanied by a pipe organ.  Also, the new organ will also allow for much more pleasant and enjoyable organ preludes and postludes. Our fine piano will also continue to be used just as in the past.

9. If our old electronic organ was not working properly, why couldn’t it be fixed for less money than purchasing a new one?

We have carefully considered this possibility and determined that it is not cost effective to maintain the current organ.  A factor in that decision is that while the basic sound the current organ makes cannot be improved, the new organ will offer a dramatic improvement in sound quality and versatility.

10. Will someone actually be able to play the new organ?

Anyone who can play our former electronic organ will be able to play the new one. The real question is about attracting and retaining professionally trained and enthusiastic music ministers. A task is made easier when a parish has an excellent organ. Beyond the musical capabilities of the instrument, it says to a potential applicant, “this parish is serious about its worship and its music.”  Further, we as a Church have a responsibility to train the next generation of leaders – musicians included. Young people will be more attracted to learning to play the organ and to excellent church music if parishes have real pipe organs.