When the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) meets, the first question members usually ask when meeting another organist is "where do you play?" With pride I tell people that I play at First Pres Pauls Valley. After they gasp and comment on the long drive, they ask the second question. . . "What kind of organ do you have?" Organists like to impress each other with the "brand name" (Austin, Moeller, Schantz, etc.). So, when someone asks our brand, I explain that we have no idea. Our console does not have the standard plaque which gives the name of the company that installed the instrument and the date. Our local organ service people speculate that our instrument was "pieced together" with a console from a builder along with pipe work from another organ or from companies that build pipes. If you know additional facts about our instrument, please tell me.
The organ repairs for this fiscal year are nearly complete. At the end of this phase, the pedal pipes will have a better sound without the hissing of leaking air. The tremulant will work. The combination action on the console will function. Hopefully all the pedal pipes will now speak. There will be a new music rack and light enabling me to see the music and have a little better view of the choir.
Even though we do not know the organ builder, we have an organ!! Thank you, Session for this step forward.
--Jack
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