On Monday evening, 25 February 2008, concert organis Cj Sambach, well known for his innovative pipe organ INformances, will play the first recital on our first hybrid (pipe/digital) organ.
Sunday 19 August 2007 marked the first use of the digital portion of the organ, and the pipes were playing again for Christmas.
The organ was originally built by Wicks in 1952, and was completely rebuilt in 1980 by Ontko & Young of Charleston, SC. It was our first organ installation in South Carolina. By 2006, the original 1952 console was showing signs of advanced age, and a new console was contracted to be built.
In
the winter of 2006, that contract was amended to provide for a new Johannus
Sweelinck 37 console, with a Johannus Pipe Control System. The Johannus arrived
on 14 August, and was in place and ready to play within two days. Organist Jim
Moore and Director of Music Deborah Stiles are very pleased with the new sounds, the
expanded range of tone colors, and especially the large number of accompanimental
voices.
The
speakers are placed atop the pipe casework at both sides of the choir area,
allowing good tonal spread throughout the building. A set of Antiphonal speakers helps sound
dispersion into the acoustically isolated former Sunday School area at the rear of the sanctuary.
Sunday 16 September marked a return to a more normal way of worship for the congregation of Ascension Lutheran Church in Savannah. For the past few months and more, they had been meeting downstairs in Crumley Hall, and singing to the accompaniment of a piano. Or they had been in the Sanctuary while it was partially filed with scaffolding, using a piano or the 3-stop Portatif loaned to them by Ontko Pipe Organs of Charleston.
What started out as a seemingly easy painting of the church interior escalated into dealing with major water leaks in the roof, where else but over parts of the organ.
Nevertheless, under the able supervision of Building Committee Chair Joe Tillman, the skill of the roofers, and the application of lots of caulk, the leaks were finally sealed and subjected to the acid test: yet another torrential downpour! It pasased that crucial milestone, so on Tuesday 11 September, bright and early (well...at least early...) the old Casavant console was slowly winched down from the gallery and the Johannus console rose to its new home.
The project began as a rebuilding of the 1985 Casavant Freres organ, with a
few digital pedal stops to be added. The pipe facade was to be transformed from a
typical "flower box" design into a more formal design which would better
suit the building's traditional architecture.
As the work progressed, it was proposed that the project be altered to that of a full-blown hybrid instrument, using Johannus technology. The order was placed for a new custom Rembrandt 397 console, with an integral pipe control system to operate the 50+ ranks of pipes.
The organ is disposed with the expressive Swell to the left and the expressive
Choir to the right of the central gallery seating area, each fronted by the
speaking facade pipes of the 16' Diapason. The Great and most of the Pedal are
in two matching cases high on the back wall of the gallery, which also house
the speakers for the Johannus High-Power 8.1 Audio system. In order to balance
the foundation sound, the 8' Montre has two ranks of pipes for each note in
the treble one of which is placed in each case.
The console
is a special design, executed in rich walnut hardwoods and veneers, with a contrasting natural
red oak interior. The manual key naturals are plated with thick ebony, giving a luxurious feel.
The organ was voiced on-site by Allan J. Ontko of Charleston SC, in his distinctive American Eclectic style. It will serve as a stand-alone digital instrument, under the talented hands and feet of Organist and Associate in Ministry Edie Hockspeier, until the pipes are reinstalled later this year.
A Hymn Festival by noted Lutheran organist David Cherwien was given using the still-unfinished organ in late January 2008, and Dutch organist Arjen Leistra will present a recital at 3:00 PM on Sunday 17 February 2008.