An Episcopal Church
in the Diocese of Southwest Florida

home

 
 
 
   
 

 

 


the organ

Organ

2010 Renovation Notes
Mr. Simon Morley, Organist

Casavant Freres built an organ for St John's Church in 1971. Of excellent quality but modest size, the instrument was very much a product of the organ building style of the time, and the growing music program soon required an organ that was capable not only of performing in an accompanimental role, but also of supportingthe singing of a large congregation as well as an ability to play organ literature spanning many centuries.

The organ was therefore considerably enlarged in 1984, and areas of the specification that were lacking
tonally were addressed, not least by the expansion of the Great, Swell and Pedal divisions.

Whilst the organ served well tonally in its required roles for some years, the console fairly quickly became
troublesome. Not helped by a lightening strike, the piston capture system that enables the organist to set combinations of stops developed a mind of its own, and the many miles of wiring and relays that connect the console to the pipes began to fail, resulting in 'dead' notes, cyphers and, perhaps most disconcertingly, notes playing by themselves with no one at the console! Much of this increasingly occurring during services led to
the realization that action must be taken, and soon, in order to keep the organ running at all.

After serious consideration, the decision was made to replace the console, relays and combination action, and to address issues of speech and regulation of some of the pipework. Of the big questions that we faced, one of the most crucial was "to whom should we entrust this important work?" We received visits and quotations from several organ building firms, all of whom had their own ideas about what should be done with the organ. Of those companies, one stood head and shoulders above the others. I had been strongly advised to consider R.A. Colby Inc. of Johnson City, Tennessee. Having been to play one of their instruments locally, I was impressed, and a visit to St John's from Roger Colby quickly confirmed in my own mind that here was a company committed to the specific needs of our music program, as well as taking a huge pride in every aspect of their work. Roger and his team have been a joy to have among us, and have bent over backwards to make sure that everything is just so, and according to our needs.

A glance at the specification will reveal some additional stops not present before restoration. I had long felt that the organ was bass light, and that the Pedal division didn't underpin the instrument as it should.
Equally, some soft orchestral colour was desirable for accompaniments and solo repertoire of the Romantic
period. The opportunity arose to incorporate some carefully chosen digital additions to the specification,
and these were installed and voiced by the Walker Technical Company of PA, working in close liason with
R.A. Colby.

The financial realities of such a project were daunting for our parish, and that we were able to raise the necessary funds in the current economic climate is nothing short of miraculous. We give thanks for the many parishioners and friends, whose names you find listed on this program, that have given so generously and enabled this project to come to life. We are most grateful to them all.

 

In 1971, Casavant Freres of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, built an organ of two manuals and twenty-five stops for St. John's Church. Although of excellent quality, this small instrument was soon inadequate for the tonal demands made upon it by the repertory of a rapidly expanding music program. In 1984, as part of the parish's Diamond Jubilee observance, twenty-six new ranks of pipes and a new solid-state console were added to the organ. The classical voices of the Casavant organ form the backbone for the expanded instrument which now includes tonal resources for music of all styles.

Tonal Director for the expansion project was Charles Mosley of Houston, Installation by Donald Borden of Apollo Beach. Principal Consultant was Dr. Max B. Miller, Professor of Music, Chairman of the Organ Department, and University Organist-Choirmaster at Boston University. All new components were constructed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. Additions range from 32' Contre Bombarde and 16' Principal and Posaune stops in the Pedal organ, to a relocated Positiv Organ (the former Casavant swell division), new upper-work in the Great Organ, and a new Swell Organ in the style of the late G. Donald Harrison's Aeolian-Skinner instruments which speak so nobly in many of America's great churches and cathedrals.

A gift of Mrs. Betty Pearson, in memory of her husband Lester, the 8' Imperial Trumpet stop is a set of 61 hooded copper pipes located behind the Positiv Organ, to the left of the High Altar. This stop provides a special festive voice for Feast Day music and Bridal Processions, and to assist the congregation in singing hymns.

December 1994 saw the completion of the organ in St. John's with the installation of the Processional Organ located on the west wall of the Nave. This was made possible through the generosity of Clyde and Josephine Perry. This division is mounted symmetrically on either side of the Transfiguration Window, and provides support for congregational singing and choir processions and makes possible the performance of antiphonal choral and organ repertory. The Tonal Director for this division was again Charles Mosley. Installation was done by Thomas Drake of Winter Haven, Florida.

Click here for complete specifications