The Organ Restoration Committee began its work in the late 1990’s with the research of available options. The members explored possibilities ranging from simple repairs, to restoration, to complete replacement. Replacement options that were investigated included electronic, digital and new pipe organs, and combinations thereof. The committee visited many new and restored organs for inspection and audition in various churches around New England. They concluded that the best option is to save the current organ by making necessary repairs and expanding the capabilities by adding the originally-intended third division of pipes.

The committee brought this recommendation to the congregation at the annual meeting in 2004, and it passed unanimously. The winning bid for the work was Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc. of Northampton, Massachusetts.

The next large task of the Organ Restoration Committee is to raise the funds needed to complete this work in a timely fashion. The work should take about two years to complete, and our hope is that the organ will be usable for worship during the majority of that time, including Christmas and Easter services.

A Brief History of our Organ

What needs to be done?

Who’s going to do the work?

The Costs

A Brief History of our Organ

In 1923, a new Austin Organ was purchased by the First Congregational Church, and installed in the Temple Street church building. In 1968, just after the congregation moved to the current location, a new Berkshire organ was installed in the new building. However, the old Austin console was moved from Temple Street and “married” to the new Berkshire organ to save money. In the Spring of 1984, the Austin console was retired and a new Berkshire console was installed under the direction of Mr. David Cogswell, President and Artistic Director of The Berkshire Organ Company.

The Berkshire console

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What needs to be done?

Rev. David describes our organ as “manic depressive.” Its sound is either too much or too little. It either overpowers the choir and soloists, or does not give enough support to those voices. Also, the sound, designed to mimic that of 17th century German Baroque organs, is rather harsh and unpleasant.

We have a three-manual console, but only two manuals’ worth of pipes. When using the third manual, the organ “borrows” from the other two divisions of pipes, limiting the range of the instrument.

In 1998, organ builder David E. Wallace of Gorham, Maine stated, ‘’The voicing and regulation of the ranks of pipes is inconsistent within each rank and generally each rank is not terribly compatible with others in the division. It is as though each rank of pipes is an individual choice and not designed to be played in ensemble.’’ In reference to the attempt to recreate a Baroque sound, Mr. Wallace states that it was ‘’not terribly successful.’’

As the new pipes that we have purchased are added, the existing pipes will be revoiced to blend all into one unified whole, softening the tone of the old pipes and matching the new pipes’ sound to the revoiced old pipes. Part of the installation will include removal of some of the grill-work and fabric above the choir loft and above the console (see photo at right) to allow the pipes to be exposed to view.

As for the console itself, the mechanical switches fail regularly, and need to be replaced by modern, electronic switches. The wiring is substandard and no longer meets code. This work must be done to ensure the overall safety of the building. During the rewiring, a new, longer cable will be installed so that the console can be moved out to the middle of the chancel, if desired, for a concert or recital.

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Who’s going to do the work?

After reviewing many proposals, meeting with several organ builders, and visiting and hearing organs that were built or restored by these candidates, the organ committee selected, and subsequently contracted with Bill Czelusniak of the firm Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc. of Northampton, Massachusetts.

This firm was established in 1971 as a partnership to provide organ tuning and maintenance services. By 1976, the partners were serving Smith College, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, in addition to numerous churches. The firm was incorporated in 1978, and since 1987 has served Dartmouth College and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in their summer home at Tanglewood. Over the years, regular tuning and maintenance evolved into larger repair and restoration projects, including many large and important historic organs. For more in-depth company background, please ask a member of the Organ Restoration Committee.

Grill-work will be removed to expose new pipes.

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The Costs

The total cost for the proposed work, including the organ restoration, new division of pipes, revoicing of existing pipes, etc. is $165,000. Also, in January 2004, the congregation voted at the annual meeting to raise an additional $10,000 to add to the organ maintenance fund, bringing our total goal to $175,000. To date, $90,000 has been donated or pledged to the fund, making it possible to secure the necessary new pipes for the project. The balance of $85,000 remains to be raised, ideally by the time the work is completed.

Pledges can be spread over a two- to three-year period if desired.

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