Saint Philip’s organ gets new lease on life
The 1986 Holtkamp pipe organ at Saint Philip’s in the Hills has long been a visual and aural highlight of our worship life together, and a symbol to the community at large of our wonderful music and its outreach beyond our walls.
The organ is capable of great nuance and expression and has shown itself capable of interpreting the great repertoire of organ music from Bach to Howells, and just about everything in between. It also has masterfully proven itself to be a wonderful accompaniment vehicle for hymns, service music and the core anthem repertoire sung by the choirs week in and week out over the years, particularly after some judicious tonal modifications and additions were made in 2007.
We now await delivery of a new organ console, the “control center” if you will, of the instrument, where the player chooses the stops, or colors (ranks of pipes) to combine to most faithfully render the music being played.
Our new console, manufactured by the well-known firm of Quimby Pipe Organs (Warrensburg, MO), will feature the latest solid-state control system to give the organist the ultimate flexibility in choosing registrations.
The 1986 wiring(not up to present-day code!) that links the console to the organ chamber will be replaced with a single cable which transmits the player’s “signals” depressing a key or pressing a stop.
The console exterior will be of beautiful African Mahogany to match the casework, and will be more easily moveable for various performing situations, as the casters are built into the base of the console. This also reduces the overall height, allowing better sightlines between organist and conductor.
We hope that the installation will take place in time for First Advent, Sunday, November 29, and that our organ thereafter be poised to lead worship and sing forth God’s praises for generations to come.
Many thanks to those who have supported this project in thought, word, and deed! The Rector, and Wardens, Vestry; Preservation and Endowment; Ministry Endowment Funds Trustees, on behalf of the Vinny & Ann Buonomano Trust; Friends of Music; and Bob Couch, for their unwavering support and encouragement; and those individuals who have contributed to the support and upkeep of the organ over the years, George Choban, who assisted in the upkeep and restoration of the previous console; Bill Donges, who has disassembled the old console, and retained the wonderful oak of the shell for various projects; and particularly Karl Yordy.
As I enter my 20th season as Saint Philip’s Associate Music Director and Organist, I am also grateful for the support and collegiality shown by all my colleagues over the years in the Music Department: Bill Roberts, Garmon Ashby, Woosug Kang, and, of course, our current Director of Music, Dr. Justin Appel.
Dr. Jeffrey Campbell, Organist & Associate Director of Music
