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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