Hope Lutheran caps remodel with new pipe organ

[KB7DQH]

http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2012/feb/06/hope-lutheran-caps-remodel-new-organ-installation/

The transformation taking place in the balcony of Hope Lutheran Church in Shawnee is slow and methodical.

But when installation of the 25-foot-tall pipe organ is complete, the Rev. Tom Harries says the sound heard throughout the church will be "of the purest tone and highest quality."

"It will lead us in our worship life, support congregational singing, as well as accompanying choirs," Harries said.

The installation marks the finishing touch of extensive remodeling the church underwent last summer that included new carpet and pew cushions in the sanctuary, as well as a new lighting system. Additionally, a complete makeover was done to the balcony, Harries said, with the intention of creating space for the pipe organ that, when complete, will feature more than 1,500 pipes.

The new organ replaces one dating back to the 1920s that Harries said was brought in from another Lutheran church when Hope Lutheran was built more than 30 years ago.

"It was deteriorating, it was dying ... to restore it was going to be quite expensive," Harries said. "So we decided that we would go with a new one that was better suited for (the church); was designed and built for this space, for this sanctuary."

It's taken some time, though, to get to the installation phase. Harries said the church made the decision to replace the organ five years ago and began fundraising four years ago. The organ costs more than $500,000, he said, all of which was raised through church member contributions.

A crucial component of the process was finding someone to build and install the pipe organ. And for that, the church turned to Martin Pasi, owner of Pasi Organ Builders Inc. in Roy, Wash. The native of Austria developed his passion for the pipes as a youth.

"I grew up in a musical family; had to play, or wanted to play, an instrument, but not organ at first," Pasi said. "But I was a choirboy in a church that was very active in that place, and was exposed to a really nice organ over in Austria where I grew up. And that's how I developed my interest in the organ."

Pasi parlayed that early interest into an organ building apprenticeship in Germany. He opened his own business more than 20 years ago in Roy. His custom-made pipe organs can now be found in churches across the country. The Hope Lutheran organ will be the first of his creations to be featured in a Kansas church.

Pasi and his small team of employees designed and built the organ, which features intricate Kansas-themed hand carvings created by Pasi's wife and daughter, at their home base. They delivered it to Shawnee and began installing it themselves last month. But fitting the organ into its proper place is only the beginning of the installation process, Pasi said. The tuning of the pipes, what Pasi calls "voicing," will constitute the most extensive and involved part of the installation. Each pipe must be cut, and then often cut again, until it produces the right sound.

"Each single pipe needs to be touched many, many times," he said.

Pasi began voicing the pipes last week, and with 1,508 pipes to work with, he said it would be another six to seven weeks before he is done. The end result of sound, Pasi said, is always determined through a combination of his own ear, the space and acoustics of the church, and the organ itself.

"Once you give it sort of the basic voice, it really wants to do whatever" it wants to do, Pasi said of the organ. "All you do is enable it to be what it's going to become."

Though it will be several weeks before Pasi's work is complete, Harries said excitement is steadily building over the new addition that will be used during worship services, as well as community events organized by the church.

"The organ community, you know, is very excited because of the significance of this particular builder and the reputation of this builder," Harries said. "But we believe that the community will be very delighted with what it adds to the music culture; the culture of sacred music and church music."

Pipe organ dedication

Dedication of the pipe organ will take place March 25 during worship services at Hope Lutheran, 6308 Quivira Road. Other events include a dedicatory recital April 15 and a concert of organ concerti with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra in September. Find more information online at hopelutheran.org.

Eric
KB7DQH