Renovation to Restore Organ to Original Splendor
(This article originally appeared in the November 2003 issue of The Angelus.)
Our Cathedral is known for many things. From the classic architecture to the elaborate stained glass windows, GHTC is a centerpiece of downtown Kansas City. During this fall, one of our most distinctive features will get even better as our pipe organ undergoes a much-needed renovation.
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| Mr. John L. Schaefer, Canon Musician; and Mrs. Jieun Kim Newland, then-Curdy Organ Scholar at the Cathedral’s Organ. |
Canon Musician John Schaefer, the Cathedral’s music director, says we should notice quite a difference after the work is completed. The addition of new pipes to several ranks and the cleaning and tuning of existing pipes will give the organ a fuller, warmer sound.
“I believe it will have a more singing quality than it does now. I’m not sure I can describe what a singing quality is, but I think it will have it,” Canon Schaefer said.
The organ has been a key element in our worship since its installation in 1981. The Gabriel Kney instrument replaced an Austin organ that was in the chancel. The pipes were in the current chapel and the choir stalls were also in the chancel area.
That was problematic in many ways. The organ itself was old and needed major repairs. The sound from the pipes was trapped in a small space and did not project well into the nave.
For the new organ, it was decided to build a balcony in the back of the nave for the organ and choir. This would get the sound out of its enclosed area, allowing the music to “speak in the room where it is to be heard,” said Schaefer. The original plan was to build the new organ on the nave floor until it was realized it would take up an enormous amount of space. After the organ was finished, Schaefer said, “people could not think of the space as never having a balcony.”
Time has taken its toll on the instrument. The Cathedral renovation in 1986-1987 was especially hard on the organ. Construction caused the balcony to shift slightly, which misaligned several pipes and other components. Dirt and dust have built up, and more than twenty years of nearly constant playing by many organists have also had an effect.
After the renovation, these problems will be fixed, restoring the organ to its original splendor. The renovation is not all about regular maintenance, however. In addition to the new stops, the wood keys will be recovered with bone to make them more durable. Other enhancements will add flutes, oboes and even Spanish trumpets and will give organists the option of an electronic assist to make the keyboard action smoother when playing several divisions at once.
The congregation will notice several differences in the Cathedral’s music while the work is being completed. Other instruments will accompany the choir, including the small organ, piano and harpsichord. Choir members will sit among the congregation, which will help them lead the congregation more directly. Other instrumentalists will also be featured, which will make the Sunday music experience different nearly every week.
Funding for the organ renovation will come from the Faeth Endowment, bequeathed by Charlotte Faeth to fund music projects at the Cathedral. Up to $225,000 has been approved to complete the work, but the final total may actually end up less than that because the experts who will be doing the work will search for ways to economize without cutting corners.
Canon Schaefer says the expense will be worth it. “There are days when I sit and I’m playing it, I think this is just the most wonderful thing in the world, which it nearly is. But then I think to myself how much more beautiful and fuller it will sound when we get the pipe additions to the principal chorus. It will just be an ever more satisfying instrument.”
- Story and photo by Chris Morrison