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Organ restoration projects making the news

Started by KB7DQH, January 13, 2011, 08:37:19 PM

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KB7DQH

http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/piping-a-new-sound-at-st-lukes-church/

Quote
Piping a new sound at St Luke's Church

    Local News

8 Sep 12 @ 01:06am by Natasha Chadwick
Rev Bruce McAteer with the newly refurbished organ pipes and crane inside St Luke's Church.


NEARLY 55 years ago traffic on Ourimbah Rd came to a standstill as a crane lifted the tower of St Luke's Church into place.

This week a crane was inside the church for the installation of a pipe organ.

"The 1905 Fincham organ was purchased by the parish from St Philips Presbyterian Church in Newcastle, in 2006," Reverend Bruce McAteer said.

"It was full of soot because the church was near the old railways where they used to bring the coal in, so it needed to be restored."

The six-year restoration project has involved 10 people, consumed thousands of man hours and cost $260,000 - it has been funded by bequests and donations.

"The organ has over two thousand pipes. Everything has had to be meticulously restored, many parts replaced and because a pipe organ is custom built it had to be fabricated by hand," organ builder, John Parker said.

The organ will be constructed in the church loft, hence the small crane.

Once built, it could take a further three months to wind up, cable and finely tune to get it sounding the best it possibly can within the church.

"There is a very competent organist, Peter Ellis, who I know is champing at the bit to play it because he's been forced to play an electronic organ for the last three or four years," Mr Parker said.

According to Reverend McAteer the refurbished pipe organ is probably the largest on the north shore.

"It will enhance our weekly worship and aid our mission to provide a forum for music in the community," he said.
The objective is to reach human immortality—that is, to create things which are necessary to mankind, necessary to the purpose of the existence of mankind, and which have become the fruit that drives the creation of a higher state of mankind than ever existed before."

Bobbell9

At one Parish Church where I played, the organ was in a bad way - Tuning and wood pipes splitting due to a hot air heating system above the organ. I mentioned that it should be overhauled. One choir member was aghast saying the organ had only just been overhauled. When pressed she said it was ONLY 25 years ago!