Peace Organ Upgrade Project
As has been announced Peace will be undergoing an upgrade of our organ. The committee is excited to share more details about this project in the coming weeks.
Organ Need: The console needs updating.
- The console (the place where the organist sits and plays the keys and pedals of the organ) has been estimated to be built in the 1920s and parts are worn out or broken.
- The electrical control system of the organ and console were updated in 2002 but still lacks some of the conveniences organists today find very useful when playing a service.
Organ Proposal:
- A brand new custom low-profile console will be built.
- Updated electronics and display unit located for line-of-sight viewing.
- Improved, built-in lighting and indicators.
Why is this a good solution?
- A new console will allow our organists to see better (i.e. line-of-sight, better indicators of what the current settings are) and will allow our organist to adjust settings easier.
- The new console will be able to be positioned differently, if needed without much effort.
What Can We Do?
- Our committee would like to encourage you to consider giving a gift to help cover the cost of these organ upgrades.
- Our goal is to raise as much of the cost of $516,000 for the organ upgrades as we can.
- A significant milestone in our fundraising effort will be the half-way point. At which time the actual work for the new organ can begin.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project electronically. To donate electronically please visit peacehartford.org and select the Offering menu item on the top right part of the page. Once on the “Donation” page please follow the instructions found on the page and place the donation amount in the box next to the label “Organ Upgrade Fund”.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project physically. To donate physically please use the green bordered envelopes labeled “Designated Offering”, found at the back of your offering envelope box, and write in the space under the “Designated Offering” label: “Organ Upgrade Project”. If you don’t have offering envelopes and still wish to donate physically please drop off your donation at the Church Office in a plain envelope labeled “Organ Upgrade Project Donation” and include your contact information so you can be credited with the donation for tax purposes.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7
Looking for past updates and information?
Update - July 27, 2021
As has been announced Peace will be undergoing an upgrade of our organ. The committee is excited to share more details about this project in the coming weeks.
Organ Need: The console needs updating.
- The console (the place where the organist sits and plays the keys and pedals of the organ) has been estimated to be built in the 1920s and parts are worn out or broken.
- The electrical control system of the organ and console were updated in 2002 but still lacks some of the conveniences organists today find very useful when playing a service.
Organ Proposal:
- A brand new custom low-profile console will be built.
- Updated electronics and display unit located for line-of-sight viewing.
- Improved, built-in lighting and indicators.
Why is this a good solution?
- A new console will allow our organists to see better (i.e. line-of-sight, better indicators of what the current settings are) and will allow our organist to adjust settings easier.
- The new console will be able to be positioned differently, if needed without much effort.
What can we do?
- Our committee would like to encourage you to consider giving a gift to help cover the cost of these organ upgrades.
- Our goal is to raise as much of the cost of $516,000 for the organ upgrades as we can.
- A significant milestone in our fundraising effort will be the half-way point. At which time the actual work for the new organ can begin.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project electronically. To donate electronically please visit peacehartford.org and select the Offering menu item on the top right part of the page. Once on the “Donation” page please follow the instructions found on the page and place the donation amount in the box next to the label “Organ Upgrade Fund”.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project physically. To donate physically please use the green bordered envelopes labeled “Designated Offering”, found at the back of your offering envelope box, and write in the space under the “Designated Offering” label: “Organ Upgrade Project”. If you don’t have offering envelopes and still wish to donate physically please drop off your donation at the Church Office in a plain envelope labeled “Organ Upgrade Project Donation” and include your contact information so you can be credited with the donation for tax purposes.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Update - May 31, 2021
As has been announced Peace will be undergoing an upgrade of our organ. The committee is excited to share more details about this project in the coming weeks.
Organ Need: The physical arrangement and other items in the pipe chamber are problematic.
- The pipe chambers are extremely cramped, which makes tuning and servicing the organ difficult.
- The recent changes to the sprinkling system added pipes and sprinklers that were not necessary and could even be harmful to the organ.
- One opening, for sound, is quite small, which restricts the sound more than is desirable.
Organ Proposal:
- Expand the pipe chambers into the music closets on either side of the current pipe chamber.
- Redesign the layout and openings for the organ pipes.
- Remove the sprinklers and corresponding pipes that are not needed.
Why is this a good solution?
- By expanding the pipe chambers it allows us to be able to service and tune the organ without the current level of difficulty.
- By removing the sprinklers it makes it easier to get from one chamber to the other and reduces the potential damage a leak could do to the organ and the electronics housed in the pipe chambers.
- By redesigning the layout of the pipes it will allow the servicing and tuning to be done in a safer and quicker manner.
What can we do?
- Our committee would like to encourage you to consider giving a gift to help cover the cost of these organ upgrades.
- Our goal is to raise as much of the cost of $516,000 for the organ upgrades as we can.
- A significant milestone in our fundraising effort will be the half-way point. At which time the actual work for the new organ can begin.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project electronically. To donate electronically please visit peacehartford.org and select the Offering menu item on the top right part of the page. Once on the “Donation” page please follow the instructions found on the page and place the donation amount in the box next to the label “Organ Upgrade Fund”.
- You can donate to the Organ Upgrade Project physically. To donate physically please use the green bordered envelopes labeled “Designated Offering”, found at the back of your offering envelope box, and write in the space under the “Designated Offering” label: “Organ Upgrade Project”. If you don’t have offering envelopes and still wish to donate physically please drop off your donation at the Church Office in a plain envelope labeled “Organ Upgrade Project Donation” and include your contact information so you can be credited with the donation for tax purposes.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Update - May 4, 2021
As has been announced Peace will be undergoing an upgrade of our organ. The committee is excited to share more details about this project in the coming weeks.
Organ Need: Physical components of our organ are worn out or need updating.
- Our organ was crafted and built for the previous (and smaller) sanctuary.
- Some of the original parts are failing, don’t work, are worn out from use, or just need updating.
Organ Proposal:
- Replace the blower (the mechanical part that supplies air to the pipes).
- Build a new console (the part where the organist sits and plays the keys and the pedals; the console communicates with the rest of the organ to ensure air gets to the correct pipe(s)).
- Replace 95% of the leather in the organ. Organ leather has a shelf life of 50 years. Our organ’s leather was last replaced in 1970 which makes our current leather 51 years old.
Why is this a good solution?
- This plan removes all but 5% of the leather which much remain but only on one device.
- Removing the leather moves us from a 50 year shelf life to 100 years or greater. This enhances the legacy of our organ for generations to come.
- This plan reduces the number of moving parts within the organ from 1,000’s to 100’s which helps the reliability and dependability of our organ.
This plan simplifies the overall system which will help keep our organ in good working order and help with tuning for years to come.
Why Do We Need an Organ?
Our organ was originally built in 1920 and we still have some of those original parts in use. As the original design was for a smaller church about 60% of our current pipes were built for that smaller space. The addition of pipes to the organ in 1960 were an attempt to compensate for the inadequacies of the old organ for the new church and for the needs in Lutheran worship. However, they did not fully address those inadequacies, and the quality of some of that pipework is questionable. Our organists are limited by the current list of sounds from the organ, especially for purposes of leading congregational singing, highlighting the melody of hymns, music during the gathering of the offering, and the postlude. Other knowledgeable guest organists have indicated the same inadequacies when they have commented that the organ does not function well for music in Lutheran services.
What is being proposed to remedy these two items (60% of the pipes in our organ were designed for a smaller space and the organ lacking tonal resources for music in a Lutheran service)? We will be adding additional pipes that will allow our organists and guest organists to better lead our congregation in singing and highlighting the melody of hymns. Those additional pipes will also be correctly sized and the number of pipes will be proportionate for our sanctuary space.
