Aldergrove Organ Project

More pictures

2012-01-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures which show some of the inner workings of the organ. Progress is being made and the organ builders (Northern Organs) will be returning at the end of February to continue (or perhaps finish) their work on the organ.

hjl

Organ update - a first sound!

2012-01-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

High time for another update. Things have not stood still even though I haven't posted for a long time. Work has been going on behind the scenes. Earlier this week, the first sound from the organ was produced which was a major achievement. This means that the wind was finally connected. At the moment a number of leaks are being fixed and the electrical continues to be checked as well.
Hopefully this link works so you can see and hear for yourself: Organ sound

Watch for more pictures soon which show you the works in progress. Thanks to the volunteers who've made this happen.
hjl

Organ Project update - 2011

2011-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been so long since I last posted here. A lot has happened in the meantime of course. The church building was finished, we had our official opening, we've been worshipping in the building for months now and using first my old organ and the a better borrowed one for the time being. Meanwhile, work has been progressing behind the scenes (literally) on the pipe organ. A number of volunteers have been busy installing the wind supply as well as untangling and connecting the myriad of electrical wires needed to get power and wind to the organ eventually. Thanks guys for your faithful labours - unseen be many but appreciated by some for now and by many more in the future once we get this organ operational.
Also, there are a number of cantilevered wooden pipes which are in the process of being straightened out before the installation of the pipes begins. Soon we hope to be at a stage of testing whether the electrical parts are working as well as the wind supply and then begins the installation of the actual pipes on the chests. I can sense the momentum building and hope and pray that we may soon start benefitting from the fruits of all the labours behind the scenes.
I'm trying to post a picture which shows the inside of the church completed as well as the facade of the organ. Hope it succeeds. Til next time.
hjl

IMG_8917.jpg

Progress report

2010-08-07T16:55:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted. Turns out that summer time is not the greatest for volunteers. That doesn't mean everything has stood still however. Work has progressed on the facade (see picture) and the pipes have been repainted and are ready to be hung up again. The platform that the organ console is to sit on has been built as well. The wind part of the project will be done the week of August 15th, after which the electricians can start connecting all the many wires, etc. Slowly but surely the project is coming together and we look forward to its completion. If you want to volunteer your help, please let me know.

Front view of the organ facade - pipes to be added as yet.

Weeks 4-6 - Project update

2010-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Time for a brief update on this project. Things have not been moving too fast on this lately - the emphasis has been on getting the rest of the building and outside ready as much as possible, so that's understandable.

Some things have been done though - speaker cloth has been ordered for the areas between the woodwork and behind the facade pipe; wood and stain have been picked for the facade and actually the wood has already been stained too. The mechanical pieces needed to hold the facade pipes in place have been manufactured (thanks Dan Flokstra) and put in place. Some other pieces have been made as well. On Thursday, Aubrey and a helper will work on putting more of this together. Lighting has also been discussed to see what needs to go where.

Pieces have been cut for another wind channel to be put up - all preparatory work to enable Mindert and company to work on the wind part of the project.

Every piece is important as the puzzle is put together to make a pleasing whole eventually. Can't wait to experience the first sounds coming out of the organ!

hjl

Organ project update - Week 3 of installation

2010-06-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update - the leather on the bellows has now been replaced with new material by Henry Vandelden. A big thank you to him for getting that done, so other work can continue. The bellows have been brought back to the church and put up on the organ loft. Now the work on the connecting of the chests to the bellows and the wind source can proceed apace. After that, the electrical work will go into full gear.

In the meantime, decisions have been made on the color of the pipes, the woodwork around the pipes and some of the other things needed to hold the whole thing together in the back. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes that all contributes to the whole and final product. We'll keep updating here as things progress.

Want to help out with anything, drop me a line or leave a comment here!

Thanks.

hjl

Work on the facade

2010-06-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the facade pipes hung up so we can get a better idea of what it would look like. The idea is to fill in the spaces with woodwork trim and speaker cloth behind (see image of design posted previously). We've decided to keep the color of the pipes similar to what they were when we received them. Probably we'll paint the curved part a gold color to contrast with the rest of the pipe.

Update on Week 1 & 2

2010-05-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Things got so busy with the organ project during week 1 that I didn't even find time to update the blog. I can report that a lot of progress was made during the week of the 17th and the organ builders were quite pleased with the progress made and the volunteers who showed up to help.

Most of the chests were put up on the loft after stands were made to raise them off the floor and make them more accessible to work at and service in the future. It turned out there was some damage to the bellows (rodents had gotten at some of the leather) so we decided they needed to be redone. Henry Vandelden was kind enough to offer to do that job and they were removed to his shop. By next week they should be ready to put back up on the loft and start connecting the various pieces of pipes to supply the wind to the instrument.

At first it was thought we might not have enough wiring to reach all the way to the console but that turned out not to be the case. They were able to untangle all of the wires and feed them through the floor and conduit to the organ console. The plan is to build a bit of a platform that the organ can sit on and the wiring will then be out of the way underneath that.

The swell box was also built last week and is almost complete. I painted the outside of it black this week so that won't hold anything up.

Work was also begun on the facade and just this afternoon the show pipes were hung temporarily so we can check out to see what they look like and make some decisions about what color to paint them and what trim to use around them to make for a pleasing whole. All in all, some good progress was made in the past two weeks. We thank Mike and John (the organ builders) for coming out and getting us started on this first phase of the project. Now it's up to volunteers to continue the work that needs doing (mostly wind supply and electrical) before they return for their next (and maybe last) visit.

I'll add some pictures shortly to show some of the work in progress.

hjl

Day 1 of Installation Week (1)

2010-05-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'm using the blog to keep track of the progress on the organ installation. John & Mike arrived from Hamilton this afternoon and got right to work at the church checking out the pieces we had put in place on Saturday. At 7:3o pm we had a meeting with a group of volunteers to introduce them to the project and what needs to be done and the order in which it's going to be done. I was very pleased with the turnout and we'll keep you posted as to when your services are needed.

Tomorrow we will help place most of the chests on the organ loft for placement (we'll use the scissor lift for that purpose). I'll try to get some pictures taken of the various stages as well. I know that some people have been taking pictures and I'd appreciate it if they'd send me some copies to post here.

Arrangements were made with electricians, carpenters, leather workers, etc. for various projects that will need to be tackled this week and in the weeks to come (once the organ builders leave).

If you think you may be able to help out in some way, please give me a call.

Thanks.

hjl

Stage 1 complete (almost) !

2010-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a number of volunteers assembled to pick up all of the organ parts, load them on the truck or into other vehicles, bring them over to the new building and put them in the auditorium.

It took us most of the morning, but everything went according to plan. There's just a pick up load of pipes to get yet and then the storage facility will be empty. Everything is now ready to have the organ builders inspect it and tell us where it all has to be placed on the organ loft and behind the pulpit.

Stairs were built yesterday to get us onto the loft - another important step.

We have a meeting scheduled for Monday evening at 7:30 pm at the new church building to introduce the organ builders, have them meet volunteers and outline what jobs there are to do as well as what each person can do to help out. Please show up if you want to learn more - we can use whatever help is available.

Thanks to the volunteers who helped out with the move yesterday - we really appreciate it.

It's showtime!

2010-05-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Arrangements are being made for Northern Organs' principals, John Kotlan and Michael Sergi, to arrive in Aldergrove on May 17th. They plan to put in 60 hours of work during the week that they're here. Here's what needs to happen next:

1. Get the organ parts out of storage and bring them to the new church building next Friday or Saturday (or both). We're looking for some trucks and strong hands and backs to help move the equipment into the auditorium.

2. Work together to lift equipment onto the platform and into place according to the plan provided by the organ builders.

3. Work with organ builders to start connecting pieces of the organ - we're particularly needing some people who are able to connect wiring. This would save a lot of time and work for the organ builders and mostly routine. Who will step up to help with this?

4. At the end of the week, the volunteers will be left with a series of instructions on things to do before they organ builders return for another week.

Please let me know if you're willing and able to help.

Thanks.

hjl

Cell: 778-808-1121

It's Official -Project to start on May 17th

2010-04-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

After further discussions with the builder at the church this morning, we agreed that the builders would be able to come on the 17th of May. That means preparations have to be made to get all of the pieces of the organ out of storage and into the auditorium, ready for assembly.

We'll be looking for some help to get that process underway - truck(s), movers, etc. Please let me know if you're willing and able to volunteer.

In the meantime, Ed Onderwater has spray painted one of the facade pipes to see what it would look like and the verdict is very positive. We hope to have a whole bunch of spiffy looking pipes ready for installation as part of the facade in due time. A thank you now already for all the help with this project. May things continue to go well.

Pictures of the Organ Loft during construction

2010-04-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures to show what the organ loft looks like before anything is put in there. It still needs some work before it's ready to lift the various parts of the organ in place.

P.S. According to the contractor, we'll now have to wait until the third week of May before we can begin.

hjl

When will the installation process begin?

2010-04-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

I took a tour of the building today and discussed the progress being made with the builder. I even had a trip up on the lift truck to take some pictures of the organ loft for the organ builder. If everything goes according to plan, we should be able to start the work of installation during the first week of May, DV. We'll start coordinating plans with the organ builders and volunteers to see how best to manage all of the many tasks involved. Exciting and challenging times ahead as we try to complete this project - something most of us have never done before.

Anyone feeling like helping out (no expertise required), please contact me or any member of the organ committee. You can also just post a comment here.

Thanks.

hjl

The pipes are here - for the facade that is!

2010-04-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

The pipes to be used in our facade have arrived at our church building and are sitting there waiting to be used and installed into the facade once we're ready for that. Thanks to the Marissens' for picking them up from Edmonton and thanks to the Providence CanRC for letting us have them at such an unbeatable price! We promise to put them to good use. We'll be looking for some help to get them spiffed up and ready to install in due time.

Here are a few excerpts from Jack's email describing the 'adventure' they had in picking them up, etc.

"Well, the pipes were off-loaded last evening. Aubrey & I used the fork lift and some muscle power to get them into the multi-purpose room of the church. The off-loading went well with no difficulties.

Loading up on Monday evening was quite an experience. All the pipes, except for the 4 biggest ones, were all still mounted in the front of the church. However at 7:00 PM, the appointed time, about 10 volunteers showed up and the dismantling began. It quickly became evident that I was over prepared in all the materials I needed to pack the pipes. The Styrofoam was useless as it added too much thickness to the packing. Cutting slots for the pipes in the Styrofoam proved unmanageable and unnecessary. The pipes were very light and simply wrapping them in bubble wrap proved to be sufficient for packing. The upper pipes in each shipping carton would not be too heavy as to cause problems with the lower pipes. (Of course I haven’t opened the boxes here in Aldergrove to see if my theory proved right)

The 10 volunteers proved to be very efficient at dismantling and inundating Wilma & I with pipes. The loading process, with the buttoning up the shipping crates and tying down the crates, proved to take about an hour. Boy, did Wilma & I work to keep up with the volunteers.

Several of the pipes proved to be longer than the shipping crates so some modifications of the crate had to be done as well … we simply removed an end of the crate and the pipes stuck out for the trip back. Rest assured they were wrapped well with bubble wrap.

The trip there and back was uneventful. The truck was a pleasure to drive and proved to be not too costly on fuel."

We may have some pictures up soon to show you part of the dismantling process at least. Stay tuned.

More pipes are coming!

2010-03-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. We've been able to secure pipes to put into our facade from the Providence church in Edmonton. Since they're replacing their organ and will no longer need them, they've let us have them. We thank them for their generosity. We have someone willing to go there in a couple of weeks to pick them up and bring them back here in a crate (to be built yet). It will truly be a pan-Canadian organ. Originally built in Ontario and transported here, assembled (soon) in BC with a facade mostly from Alberta.

We're eagerly awaiting the start of the assembly process (somewhat delayed due to the building not being quite ready for it).

hjl

Facade for new organ

2010-02-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the proposed facade for the new organ in our church. Have a look at it and see what you think. Comments are always welcome.

hjl

2010 - Year of the Organ Building

2010-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

2010 is the year we're supposed to complete the building of the church and the Organ Project can actually get underway as well. This should be an exciting and busy time approaching. Soon I'll be able to post a sketch of the proposed facade.

I've had discussions with the organ builder and they'll be able to get started right after Easter which means early April. In the meantime, we need to get the work crew organized and do some orientation in terms of what is involved in a pipe organ. We're also pursuing getting some pipes to use for the facade. We don't have any suitable pipes in the organ that would lend themselves to being part of the facade and still be functional as well.

If you're reading this and are a member of our congregation (or even if you're not) and you'd like to help with this project, please let me know.

hjl

Organ project update - October

2009-10-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Time for another update to the blog. It's 2009 and the building of our new church is proceeding well (check out our church's website for pictures). This means that the time for thinking and planning more seriously for the installation of the organ is here. We'll soon have a meeting with the architect to discuss some ideas for the facade. We've also been talking to various people locally to see if they'd be willing to help with the eventual installation. A work crew needs to be assembled and organized for the time we're ready to move the pieces out of storage and getting them ready for installation.

In the meantime, we're still looking for donations to help pay for the organ purchase as well as possibly for the installation (although an amount has been set aside for that on the budget). If you'd like to help support this project, please check out the details of the Adopt a Pipe fundraiser on this page.

At this time I'd also like to congratulate the American Reformed Church in Lynden, WA which recently acquired a restored pipe organ in their church when they did their recent renovations. I hope to hear it and perhaps play on it one of these days.

Time for an Update

2008-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been this long since the last posting. Not a lot has happened since then, but I thought it would be good to update the blog, even if just for recording purposes. The major thing that has occurred during the past year is an "organ transplant". This refers to the fact that we needed to move all of the organ components from its initial facility to a new one due to the owners needing the space. This has occurred on July 12th and all the pieces are now securely stored in one area, waiting for the final transfer to the new church building once we reach that stage (in 2009).

In the meantime, I've also had one meeting with Northern Organs in Ontario when I was there on personal business in June of this year. We reviewed the questions asked by the architect of the church building and discussed timing of the installation and facade requirements as well.

A meeting of the committee is scheduled next week and we hope to get some more concrete plans in place on the installation and some fundraising ideas as well.

If you're visiting this blog and reading this message, please consider a donation to this project before the end of the year so you can benefit from a tax receipt.

Let us know if you have any questions or wish to volunteer to help out with the installation project when the time comes.

We also want to congratulate the Langley Canadian Reformed Church on the completion of the installation of their new organ this year. A wonderful addition to the rank of church organs in the Fraser Valley. May it serve to promote the love of music and the worship of the Lord for many generations to come.

Christmas Praise Evening

2007-12-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Aldergrove Church is having its Christmas Praise Evening this Sunday, December 9, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the United Church facility where we currently meet in Aldergrove. We invite you to join us for praise and fellowship. There will be another opportunity to help to build up our Organ Fund and/or Music Fund (towards the purchase of a piano for the new church). If you are in the area, please consider joining us.

Update

2007-12-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Who built the organ?

The organ we acquired was built by the late Mr. Hugo Pilon (he passed away about a year ago on Novermber 30th) of Toronto. He was a long-time organist in the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church and took a leading role over the years in installing and maintaining the pipe organ in that church. At the same time, as a hobby project purely for his own enjoyment and use, he built the organ in his home during the 70's and 80's. Over time, it grew into a "large two manual instrument of some 34 ranks and over 2000 pipes, divided over Great, Swell and Pedal." (quoting from a report on the organ). Because the instrument is going to be installed in a church, some modifications and adjustments will have to be made to suit the new environment. We're going to try to maintain the integrity of the tonal design of the organ as much as possible though.

Northern Organs - we have been using the services of Northern Organs based in Hamilton, ON to consult with us on the removal of the organ as well as consultations on the re-installation in the new church building. This company is the same one that was involved with the installation of the organ in the new Bethel Church in Toronto and they also knew this organ as well as the builder; hence our desire to work with them on a consulting basis.

If you have more questions or comments, please don't hesitate to write or call.

Church News

2007-11-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

A note about this project was published in the Church News in the Fraser Valley, BC this past Sunday to publicize and solicit financial support for it. Some comments have been received and answers to some of your questions will be posted later in the week. I don't have time to respond to each single comment. I welcome further questions and comments though and hope that you'll feel inspired to pass on this address to others to check out.

Organ concert

2007-11-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

If you're interested in hearing good music and you live in the Vancouver area, there's an excellent opportunity to do so this Friday.
There will be a concert for saxophone and organ (second half of the concert) at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2007 featuring Denis Bedard (organist at HRC) and Julia Nolan (saxophonist). Tickets are $20.00/Students and Seniors $12). Check out further details at hrc.rcav.org.

Acoustically Speaking

2007-10-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of conversations yesterday with our organ builder advisers and one of the architects for the new church building. The CDC (Church Development Committee) is using the services of a sound engineer to help them come up with the best possible acoustics for the new building. I think this is an excellent move since acoustics is so key in a church building both from the perspective of speakers and musicians as well as the listening congregation. One of the things the sound engineer is looking at, using a sophisticated computer modelling program, is the optimum placement for the pipe organ. Is it the back or the front, for example. The sound engineer was looking for the acoustical output of the organ, for example, to factor in. While some of us may have our preferences (and biases) towards placement, we'll have to await the results of the study and then as committee we'll consult with both engineer and architect on a final decision. Should prove to be an interesting exercise. If anyone has particular thoughts or insights on this issue, would like to hear it.

Adopt-a-Pipe - please!

2007-10-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

Would you like to help us realize our goal of having our own organ installed in our new church building?
Here's your opportunity! For as little as $25.00, you can 'adopt' a pipe and help build our organ. Our organ has about 2,000 pipes in all, from very small to very large. Our fundraising goal is $50, 000. If you, or anyone you know, would like to become a part of this project, please consider making an 'adoption'. Your contribution will be acknowledged with a tax receipt (if you live in Canada) and an invitation to come and listen to your pipe(s) or rank(s) in due time when the organ is installed.
Please mark 'Organ Project' on your cheque. Make out the cheque in the name of 'Canadian Reformed Church of Aldergrove' and send it to PO Box 809, Aldergrove, BC V4W 2V1 and put Organ Project on the outside of the envelope.
We'll keep you posted from time to time and let you know how many 'adoptions' we receive!

Console

2007-10-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the console as it was situated in its original place in Toronto.

Organ specifications

2007-10-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

For those who have an interest in this kind of thing, the following are some detailed specifications for the organ which we have acquired for our new church. Some of these may change once we install the organ, depending on the space limitations and other considerations.

Aldergrove Canadian Reformed Church

34 RANK PIPE ORGAN

REISNER/SHAW SOLID STATE

COMBINATION CAPTURE ACTION

MEMORY A & B

2 x 9 GENERALS

MANUAL PRESETS 2 x 3 SW – PED

MANUAL PRESETS 2 x 3 GR – PED

GREAT – STRAIGHT ORGAN

SWELL – STRAIGHT ORGAN

GREAT

Principal 8’
Stopped Diapason 8’
Dulciana 8’
Gemshorn 4’
Octave 4’
Nachthorn 4’
Open Flute 4’
Metal Flute 4’
Quint 2 2/3’
Fifteenth 2’
Block Flute 2’
Mixture III
Fagot 8’
Tremelo
GR to GR 4’

SWELL

Geigen Principal 8’
Rohrflute 8’
Gamba 8’
Celeste 8’
Prestant 4’
Fugara 4’
Quintadeen 4’
Twelfth 2 2/3’
Piccolo 2’
Tierce 1 3/5’
Nazard 1 1/3’
Sifflote 1’
Scharff III
Trumpet 8’
Oboe 8’
Vox Humana 8’
Clarinet 8’
Tremelo
SW to SW 4’

PEDAL
Bourdon 16’
Gedeckt 16’
Octave 8’
Holzbourdon 8’
Choral Bass 4’
Fagot 16’
Fagot 8’
Trumpet 8’
Trumpet 4’

COUPLERS
Swell to Great 16’
Swell to Great 8’
Swell to Great 4’
Swell to Pedal 8’
Swell to Pedal 4’
Great to Pedal 8’
Great to Pedal 4’

Project Update - Organ has arrived!

2007-10-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

The organ was dismantled at the end of August and then trucked to BC. It is currently in storage until such time as we can start assembling it once more in our new church building. We don't have a projected start date for that just yet. In the meantime, we're making plans for the location and installation of the instrument and fundraising to cover the costs of the project.
Check back here for more information on how you can become a part of this project as well.

Pipework

2007-06-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of some of the pipework of the organ in its current location in a private home in Toronto. The organ needs to be dismantled and shipped to BC - a project we're currently working on.

Aldergrove Organ Project

2007-06-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

This blog has been started to serve as a place where interested parties can go to find out what's happening with the project, to look at pictures, updates and articles of interest related to organs, organ playing and the use of organs in the worship services.
We hope you find it of interest. We may also use this as a means of soliciting funds for the purchase and installation of the instrument in our new church eventually. Questions and comments are welcome.
An organ committee has been established as part of the Music Committee of the Aldergrove Canadian Reformed Church.
The members of this committee (in alphabetical order) are:
Emily deBoer, Harold Ludwig, Scott Vander Molen, Steve Vander Molen

Please contact Harold Ludwig with any questions or comments:
Telephone: 604-852-5812 or email: hjludwig@shaw.ca