St. John’s Episcopal Church has an 1893 Farrand & Votey pipe organ rebuilt by Jim Hammann of New Orleans. It has 7 ranks of pipes. One rank is from a Katrina-damaged Unitarian church in New Orleans. It was being installed when Katrina hit but was not damaged. Installation was completed in 2006. Dr. Carol Britt discovered this organ when she was looking for an organ to install in her house. She saw it in Jim Hammann’s shop and thought it would be perfect for St. John’s. Jim acquired this organ from an Episcopal mission church in North Carolina because he had written his doctoral dissertation on the Farrand & Votey organ company and he specializes in saving and rebuilding and maintaining historic organs. St. John’s originally had an electronic Allen organ but was in the beginning stages of renovating and restoring the church when we decided to purchase this organ. The 1893 pipe organ was installed in the choir loft and a separate two-manual console from the 1920s was purchased and installed down front.
Thanks to LaDonna Alexander, our gifted church organist, pianist, and choir director, for the information on the organ and console. What a blessing LaDonna is to our church community at St. John's.
I say that your church is prettier than ours.
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, thank you. The church is unadorned neo-classical style. The interior is close to perfectly proportioned. The exterior would be more perfectly proportioned had the columned gallery remained unenclosed, but the narthex, formed from the enclosed gallery, is quite convenient, and I would not quarrel with the decision. The church is not, after all, a museum.
ReplyDeleteYour story reminds me of the organ and organist we had at St. John's when I was growing up in the 1940s. I don't know much about the organ, except that it sat up front on the left, but the organist was a little old lady of the congregation who played very slowly, usually a note or two behind the congregation. Maybe Donna knows who that was.
ReplyDeleteOops, I meant to say LaDonna.
ReplyDeleteOrmonde, I know the name of the organist, because I've heard it mentioned many times, but it escapes me at the moment. I'm sure LaDonna knows.
ReplyDeleteAt one time, there was a reed organ in St. John's. Perhaps it was there when you were growing up. As far as we know, there has never been a pipe organ before now.
Thanks for sharing this, Mimi. Now, you can post some video of the organ and organist in action.
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas Eve, I was asked to take some photos at St. Mark's in Seattle. Prior to the beginning of the service we have about 45 minutes of carol singing, choir anthems and various instrumental performances. For part of that time, I got to be up in the "Gallery" where the organ and choir are, enjoying a very thin veil between heaven and earth. It was my Christmas present!
Word verification: "sings!"
Video, KJ? I don't think we have a video. I'd have to ask LaDonna's permission and get someone else to do the video. LaDonna was a gifted pianist, but she did not know how to play the organ when she took charge of music at St. John's a few years ago. She took lessons from Dr. Britt, mentioned in her account, and learned quickly to master the new instrument.
ReplyDeleteI got to be up in the "Gallery" where the organ and choir are, enjoying a very thin veil between heaven and earth. It was my Christmas present!
Ah, experiencing the thin veil in that setting sounds lovely. The Christmas Eve service was one of my best Christmas presents, too, KJ.
Good decision.
ReplyDeleteThose Allens are DREADFUL.
Ellie, Allens are dreadful. Ours was old and sometimes didn't start or missed notes. Our organist never was sure if sound would come out when she pressed a key. However, I believe that LaDonna still uses the old Allen for practice in her home.
ReplyDelete