By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Three area organs have been or are undergoing a major upgrade this year, deepening the community's pool of traditional music resources.
Trinity Lutheran Church and the Interlochen Arts Academy both completed their projects this spring while the First Congregational Church will have its organ back in action by early fall.
From the major money invested by the organizations in their respective organs, the classic instrument and its music continues to flourish in the 21st Century.
"You read a lot about how the organ is dying, the pipe organ is dying, and churches are pulling out their organs in favor of contemporary jazz type worship," said Bruce Ahlich, director of music at Trinity Lutheran Church and dean of local chapter of the American Guild of Organists. "We just thought it was interesting that we have three major renovations going on here."
The Trinity Lutheran upgrade includes putting in a second console in the church's balcony, which can be played together or separately from the main-floor console. The project also adds 17 ranks of pipes, bringing the total in the sanctuary to nearly 4,000. These pipes range in size from the size of a postage stamp to 18-feet tall and provide the full range of sounds available to an organ.
The 1,600-member congregation will benefit for years from the $128,000 renovation, completed by the G.M. Buck Pipe Organs, Inc., in Grand Rapids. Components of this upgrade have been recycled from other instruments and integrated with the original 1949 installation and a 1989 renovation. Some of the pipes the church will be using are 103 years old.
"The whole point of this was to make an investment in the music program here and beautify the worship," said Rev. Robert Zagore, senior pastor at the church. "It will help kids find and grow in the richness of their heritage."
The First Congregational Church's organ will also have a second console after the upgrade comes online by September. They are also using the services of G.M. Buck Pipe Organs for the project.
They purchased a used organ downstate for the second instrument, making the set up Antiphonal, meaning the sounds can play against one another. As with Trinity Lutheran, the large, traditional sanctuary is suited to this arrangement and lends itself to traditional liturgical music.
Organist Sally Lewis will be able to play either instrument from either console, allowing her to sit downstairs and play the upstairs organ and vice versa.
"It means that we'll have surround sound and it gives you a lot more flexibility," said Lewis, noting that the church will have a combined 88 ranks and over 5,000 pipes at the project's completion. "For instance we have such a time lag now, it's very difficult for me to play in the front and have the choir sing in the balcony."
The Dendrinos Chapel reverberated Sunday afternoon with the sound of Interlochen Arts Academy's new organ during a concert by alumni organist Charles Miller, who will assume a position at the National City Christian Church in Washington D.C., this fall.
The 60-year-old instrument had a $450,000 upgrade this year, with final tuning just completed after the academic year ended. The organ anchors the only high school organ program in existence and organ instructor Thomas Bara is thrilled at the upgrade, something that has been needed for years. He tapped the Reuter Organ Company in Lawrence, Kan., to do the work.
"It has some of the best parts of the old organ in it but completely new engineering, a new console and a new façade," he said. "It has some distinctive features from the old organ incorporated into the new organ."
"Since I've been here, there's been some major issues mechanically," Bara added. "When something doesn't play when you tell it to, it's kind of hard to teach and perform."