Pipe Organ

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC AND LITURGY

About 15 years ago, a study of our pipe organ was undertaken by Jay Rader and several prominent organists in the DC area. They found that our organ, which was built in 1975 had been built using substan-dard materials that have not stood the test of time. The action of the organ is failing, leather components have crumbled and maintaining good tuning of the organ is nearly impossible. There are many dead notes on the organ because many pipes have been pulled out of their holes due to failing valves. The consensus at that time was that the organ had about 5 years more of life. We have been fortunate that we have been able to keep the organ running for 10 years beyond that. However, we are averaging $5000.00 dollars a year just for maintenance. That is, to try patching and applying band aids to the failing components. The clearest evidence of this is the occasional “cypher, or notes playing by themselves. One only has to look at the organ loft to see the pipes that are collapsing under their own weight. It was the group’s hope that Blessed Sacrament would one day have a wonderful instrument, built by a first-class builder that is not only architecturally beautiful but also better suited tonally to the room.

The time has come to begin looking for a replacement. I want to be clear that a new organ would occupy only the space that this organ currently occupies and that no change to the structure or furnishings would be made to any of the architectural and artistic beauty of our church, especially the high altar and beautiful reredos behind it.   As a stop-gap measure, we have acquired a small used digital organ to be used in the Sanctuary. This has the advantage of bringing the organist and the choir together making communication between the two more possible than the current situation. This organ would be moved to the Chapel when a new organ is built, enabling small weddings and funerals to take place there. Using this digital organ in the sanctuary is therefore temporary. While an improvement on the old pipe organ, it is not a good permanent solution.   A church as important as the Shrine should have a wonderful pipe organ that would serve the parish in all of it’s liturgies but would also be a drawing card for visitors from all over the world who will want to come to hear and play it.  It is my wish that we consider our responsibility to future generations to ensure that great music will carry on here for the next century and beyond!

-Jeffrey Porter