HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-12-20, Page 21Church organ has rich, but ch
BIG CONGREGATION HEAR NEW ORGAN AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Large congregations were present at
First Presbyterian Church Sunday, mark-
" the re -opening of the church following
the installation of a new organ. On Monday
evening, the large church was filled to
capacity when an organ rec'tel was
presented b3 Guisseppe Mor.,.nett. of
Toronto, assisted by David Hughes,
vocalist, of Toronto. Tilt -' ital was an ar-
tistic treat, which revealec Mr. Moschetti
aS an nr'Rnier of rri,,hnntinn
The new organ, the creation of Casavant
Freres, replaces the former instrument
which served the congregation for 40
years. It contains more that 1200 pipes,
together with the chimes, and the action
throughout is electrical. The organ is of
the most modern construction and action,
containing 22 speaking stops and chimes.
Roth the swell and the great organ are
under expression, giving the effect and ex-
pression of a three manual organ.
(Huron Expositor, June 27, 1947).
SEASONAL SPLENDOUR - The organ in the First Presbyterian Church takes on
an added majesty at this time of year, Elliott photo.
THE HEART OF IT ALL - Where few men have tread...these are but a few of the
1600 pipes that are nestled behind the frontpiece of the First Presbyterian Church.
They range in size from a few inches high and about half an inch wide, to 10
feet in height. Many of the older lead and wood pipes are believed to be from
Scotland, and over 100 years old. Elliott photo.
Wed., Dec. 20
12 - 1:30 p.m. — Parents and Tots Skating
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. — Public School Skating
1:30 - 4:00 p.m. — Senior Shuffleboard
2:30 - 4:00 p.m. — St. Marys vs SDHS
(Hockey)
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Juniors and Belies Ringette
5:30 - 8:30 p.m. — Pee Wee "CC" hockey
practice
6:30 - 8:00 p.m. — Minor Broomball
8:00 - 10:30 p.m. — Ladies' Broomball
8:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Competitive Curling
Thurs., Dec. 21
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. — Figure Skating
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. — Christmas flims at Library
Christmas Messenger, Mickey's Christmas
Carol, Great Toy Robbery — FREE at Seaforth
Library. A11 preschoolers must be accom-
panied by an adult for both Magic Show &
films. Please note — NO STORY HOUR DEC.
16, 23 or 30.
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. — Atom hockey practice
6:30 - 8:00 p.m. — Minor Broomball
8:00 - 11:30 p.m.—..Men'siBroomball
7:00 - 11:00 p,m. — Mixed Curling
Fri. Dec. 22
4:30 •6:15 p:m. —,Petite & Tween:flingette
6:15 - 6:18 p.m. — Junior .Mouse league
hockey practice
6:00-.8:00,p.m. — Junior Curling
6:15 - 7:15 p.m. — Senior Houseleague
hockey practice
7:15 - 8:15 p.m. — Junior Ringette vs. Exeter
8:00 - 10:00 p.m. — Mixed Curling
8:15 p.m. — Arthur vs. Seahawks
Sat., Dec. 23
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. — North Stars vs. Oilers
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. — Canadians vs. Kings
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. — Penguins vs. Whalers
11:30 - 12:30 p.m. — Leafs vs. Flames
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. — Mites
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. — Goderich vs. Novice
Ringette
2:30 - 4:00 p.m. — Public Skating
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. — Elmo Logan vs. Novice
Hockey
5:00 - 6:15 p.m. — Mitchell vs. Atoms
6:15 - 0:00 p.m. — Hansell vs. Pee Wee "DD"
8:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Mitchell vs. Centenalres
Mon., Dec. 25
Merry Christmas
Tues., Dec. 26
Boxing Day
Wed., Dec. 27 •
1:00 - 0:00 .-'Moms & Tots
4:00 6:1f0;p.m. — Jr.,&iaelles,Ringette
5:30-;6:3b,p.m.—zP.eetlllee'I:practice
6:30 - 0;00,p,m. - 4Mlnortdroombae
0:00-10:32Fp.m.—;bbndles',Broomball
You can hear the chimes twice a day,
just arc! J mealtimes. The sound of the
Carillon wells from the First Presbyterian
Church on Goderich Street ring out over
the town. Taped, of course. Carol Carter,
who has bee!. the organist at the church
for years, laughs as she points this out.
"People thought I was running up here
every night to play them."
With Christmas almost upon us, people
are paying more attention to the chimes,
and their association with the holiday
season. And Christmas seems to be the
time of year when the sound of a church
organ is especially fitting, and moving.
The organ at the First Presbyterian
Church is not only rich in sound, but in
history as well. Everyone seems to know
a little bit of the story behlnd the beautiful
instrument, but not quite the whole tale.
The little bit of mystery makes it all the
more interesting.
The actual console that is presently in
the church was installed in 1947, as the ar-
ticle from the 1947 Expositor reports. It
was shipped from the company of Casa-
vant Freres in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec,
makers of pipe organs for 110 years. The
company produces less than 25 handcrafted
pipe organs a year for churches all over
the world, and the tonal quality of the in-
struments is unrivalled. .
Dave Stewart, who was on the purchas-
ing committee in 1947 when the new organ
body was commissioned from Casavant
Freres, recalls the night that Toronto
organist Guisseppe Moschetti played the
new organ at a special ceremony. Mr.
Moschetti, upon seeing the unassuming in-
strument, was no
overly impressed. As
soon as he touch the keys, however, he
was enchanted. a sound, he claimed,
was one of the most beautiful that he had
ever heard.
Of the pipes on the organ, 600 are the
original from the organ installed in the
church in 1905. A letter sent from the
Presbyterian Church secretary J.G. Mullen
on January 25, 1945 to Casavant Freres in
Quebec states: "Our present organ, built
by Breckels and Mathews, Toronto, and in-
stalled some forty years ago under the
direction of the late Dr. Vogt, has two
manuals and some sixteen stops. It has
given excellent satisfaction until the last
few years when valves and tubing have
been giving way and proper repairs
impossible.
"Kindly let us hear from you as to
range, capacity and prices, to include
chime bells."
There was a blizzard of correspondence
to follow between the First Presbyterian
Church and Casavant Freres over the next
couple of years. Ross Dodington, of
Dodington and Dodington, the company in
Elmira who has been looking after the
maintenance of the organ since its installa-
tion in 1947, discovered that the Church
originally wanted.an entirely new organ to
be installed. however, he reports, "...due
to war shortages the metal . was not
available for tthhliss use, so the contract had
.to .bg„ravised .to promide instrument us-
ing much of the 61d; : 'i'"ork from the
—originarBeetkels.8ti(d1 s organ built-
in Toronto in about 1905."
Subsequently; when the dust finally settl-
ed and the Casavant console installed in
1947, 1000 new pipes were added to the
choir of 600 original pipes. These pipes,
30% of which are wood while the rest are
metal, range in size from a few inches
high and half an inch wide to over 10 feet
in height. The flute pipes are believed to
be well over 100 years old, and the origin
of the original pipework is still a mystery.
Dodington and Dodington believe that they
may hail from as far away as Scotland,
from the Hill organ company.
Carol Carter reports that, at the time of
its installation, the Casavant organ and
pipes were worth approximately $40,000.
Now, much of the instrument is probably
priceless. The console can be worked on,
but the vast majority of the pipes would be
irrebuttable.
But a dollar value simply cannot be
place on the sound of the organ playing
during a service. It is a sound that has
moved man for more than 2000 years - the
first North American church to receive an
organ, in Philadelphia, first heard the
chimes in 1694 - and will continue to do so THING OF BEAUTY The frontpiece of the organ at First Presbyterian Church.
for generations to come. The acoustic cloth and oak cross, installed by Gordon Wright in 1947 when the
"It's in immaculate shape," Mrs. Carter new organ was brought in, cover the pipes for the organ. The ornamental pipes
says simply, running a loving hand over on either side of the facade are non-functional, Elliott photo.
the console in the church. "It's wonderful."
HE HURON EXPOSITOR, DECEMBER 20 1989 3A
eckered history
A LITTLE NIGHT MAGIC - First Presbyterian Church on a serene, snowy evening.
From the tower are heard.the gentle chimes, ringing out across town. Elliott photo.
READY FOR CHRISTMAS-'parol'Carter, organist, at the first .ehuioh'8 Organ a 4d -year-old Casavant Freres Elliott photo.
,Presbyterlan Church in Seaforth, ;practises QaroI. [music An 'the