East Liberty Presbyterian Church: The Cathedral of Hope

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Pipes Of Glory

  
  116 S. Highland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412/441-3800
 
Organ Restoration Photo Gallery
 

Brandon is staying busy in the voicing room with one of the treble pipes from the Swell 8' Vox humana.
Brandon is staying busy in the voicing room with one of the treble pipes from the Swell 8' Vox humana. Despite the name (human voice), the stop doesn't sound much like a singer. The German Baroque composer Heinrich Schutz wrote of the Vox Humana that it sounded more like an emphysemic choir boy. Regardless of that glowing praise, the stop has been a staple in organs for centuries. This Skinner example is a particularly lovely one. The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ is being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.

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The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.
The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.
The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.
The ELPC Aeolian-Skinner Organ being restored at the Goulding and Wood Organ Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Brandon from Goulding and Wood Organ Company voicing a pipe.

Bob from Goulding and Wood Organ Company working on the jamb moldings.

Bob from Goulding and Wood Organ Company working on the jamb moldings.
The new organ console with the jambs in place. The new organ console with the jambs in place.
Working on the racking of the Swell 16' Bourdon. Working on the console - shaping one of the risers for the toe studs.
Rob placing wooden wind trunks into the organ. Bob now has the toe stud rail mounted in the console.
Working on the Pedal 4' Cantus Flute. Phil continues with the racking duties. Here is a Pedal wood flute underway.
Brandon working on the Choir Mixture. Here is a shot of Andrew hooking up the wiring inside the organ. All those multi-colored wires!
A general overview of how things are looking as of 2007-01-26 in the erecting room. As we are putting more of the organ together in the back room, we are preparing to install pipework on the chests. The first to go in are the bass ends. Here is Phil installing the wooden bottom octave of the Great 8' Bourdon with its stationary racks.
Bob has started on the bench for the console. Here he is working on the gracefully curved Queen Anne legs. Andrew has completed wiring of the main "brains" of the Great and Swell. Here is the plane with all of the solid state components.
A special pic-o-the-day today: Brandon is channeling the winning spirit to empower the Choir Nazard voicing. The ever-photophobic Mike has been working on Schwimmer boxes. These components are part of the wind regulation to make sure that the organ doesn't hiccup during play.
Phil is now wiring bottom boards under the watchful tutelage of Andrew. There are loads of bottom boards in the organ, and Andrew is enjoying the extra help. The crew has the expression box constructed for the Great reeds and Harmonics mixture. It is at the top of the organ, in the top-left corner of the photo.
hil working on a rack board for the Choir division. Andrew has begun work on the console, starting with the jambs.
Mike is back in his corner of the shop with all of his reservoirs in progress. The console casework is now stained and finished.
The console casework is now stained and finished. Brandon is finishing up the revoicing of Rank III of the V Rank Solo Cornet.
Brandon working on the 8' Flauto Mirabilis. Rob working on the reed racking for the 8' French Trumpet.
Tim refurbishing the chest for the 32-16' Bassoon in the Choir division. Brandon finishing up the Swell Oboe in the voicing room.
Mike working on the Choir expression box with whoever he can find to help him. Work continues on the Choir/Solo chamber. Mike and Bob are busy hanging shades in the choir box.
Rob is doing his best to keep up with Mike and Bob in the creation of the choir shades. Installing the 16' Contra Tromba.
Rob has been racking the State Trumpet. Here he is showing enthusiasm for the work. We now have wind on the Swell/Great/Pedal side of the organ. While not quite as big as the blower in the East Liberty basement, this blower will wind half of the organ for our needs in the shop.
Brandon is staying busy in the voicing room with one of the treble pipes from the Swell 8' Vox humana. Tim making up replacement pouches for the 32' Bassoon.
Andrew working on the keyboards. Andrew working on the keyboards.
Andrew working on the keyboards. Phil putting in pipes on the Great, Pedal, and Swell chests.
Bob and Mike are setting up the structure for the "other" chamber -- the Choir, Solo, and String. Phil, in the swell box, installing the mixture pipes that Tyler is passing up to him.
Another Swell chest with all of its pipes on board. Brandon completing the work on the Choir 4' Clarion.
Andrew making great strides on the console. The Choir/Solo/String is quickly taking shape.
Here is an action shot of Bob and Rob placing an off-note chest in the Solo, working up above the Choir level. Mike is building tuning benches. These straddle the pipes for us to crouch on while working on the pipes.
Phil and Tim hammering out the primaries. Chris racking the top end of the new Pedal Subbass (Bourdon).
Tim retrofitting a new pouch rail to the old Cornet chest for the Solo division. Brandon revoicing the English Horn.
Rob racking the Tuba Minor. Here are Mike, Bob, and Chris disassembling the expression box for the Great trombas.
Brandon working through the six-rank String Organ. Here is a view of the back of the Choir box with the 32' Bassoon against the wall, 16' Viole d'orchestre pipes, 16' Quintaton pipes, and a few 8' Diapason pipes thrown in for good measure.
Phil helping Andrew wire primary boards. Chris working on muffler boards that cover the primaries to suppress their clicking noise.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. The newly restored ELPC organ being installed.
The newly restored ELPC organ being installed. Chris attacking the blower box to get wind on the organ.

 

Pipes of Glory ELPC Organ Restoration Project

Monitor the Progress

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About the Organ

For more information about the Pipes of Glory project, contact:

The Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany
Director of Worship, Music & The Arts
email: jrichard
(please add the extension "@coh.net" to the email address)
412/441-3800 x24

Norma Meyer
Administrative Assistant for Worship, Music & The Arts
email: normam
(please add the extension "@coh.net" to the email address)
412/441-3800 x11

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updated 2007-12-10