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Hi Everyone,
Last week I was able to get a pipe organ from our 3rd balcony organ loft working and started again. There is a history as to why it hasn't been used in the last 15 years but that's for a later date of discussion.
I will get more pics of it next week with close details of the instrument. The organ plaque on the console says it was done by Arthur Morressette. Very little is known about Morressette (possibly worked for Skinner organ company in the 1920's at the Westfield, MA organ plant). But.... after finding the parish history book from 1970 (the 100th anniversary of the church building), the organ goes back further then the 1930's!
Here is what I know about the history Sacred Heart organ as of right now:
The French came to this area because of the Slater Textile Mills. St. Louis was the first Catholic Church in Webster, dedicated in 1853. By 1869, there were 300 French families in Webster totaling 1700 souls. This is when the meeting was held to form a new Parish. In January 1870, Rev. Jules Cosson became the founding Pastor of the new Parish (S.H.). In 1867, a new (necessarily larger) Methodist Church was built in downtown Webster. In 1870, the French purchased (from Mr. Slater!) the former Methodist Church, which they doubled in size and refurbished. That building served S.H. until 1896 – when they dedicated the present building, on Labor Day, September 7, 1896.
A basic description of the organ is included: “A new organ has been placed in position at a cost of about $2,500. It has proven to be a splendid instrument under skillful fingering of Prof. Boulay, organist and director. It was built by E. B. Brodeur, of St. Hyacinthe, Canada. Prof. Boulay furnished valuable assistance in its design, upon which patents have been applied for.”
Later in the same book, there is an additional description of what (supposedly) happened in 1930, with the organ. It reads as follows:
“In 1929, Msgr. Desrochers purchased the present organ from a company in Canada. A Mr. Arthur Morrissette came to Webster to assemble and install it at a cost of over $10,000.00. It was to be played for the Ordination, in June 1930, of two Parishioners, Father Oliva Gevry and Father Edward Authier.” The case and façade were made for this place, match each other, and are old. Sure, Morressette put a new blower on it in 1930 – too bad we don’t know what the reservoir was, before the ca. 1980 rebuild!
We now know that this Church holds some precious remnants of rare, Canadian organbuilding! What a find!!
Here is a list of the current stop list on the instrument:
http://www.mathieupipeorgans.net/pro...-heart-webster
Here are two videos from YouTube of me playing the instrument before any tuning has been done and the first person to play this instrument in fifteen years:
http://youtu.be/cMYJDD7G33g Here is O Come All Ye Faithful with full organ.
http://youtu.be/jPoiAXmreLk Here is the summons featuring the strings and beautiful Clarinet solo stop on the choir.
Kevin (friend my age, organ tuner and builder) has offered to tune this instrument for the parish for free in hopes of getting this instrument in decent playable condition for holy days, feast, christmas, easter and funeral masses. I was talking to the pastor and I said to him "How great would it be to start using this instrument for funerals; Could you imagine the people who will be attending the church and getting to hear this historical instrument!"
I will be sure to play a piece and upload it to YouTube when the instrument has been fully tuned. There are some issues with certain stops not playing on a couple of the manuals due to dead notes (which is a financial issue to be taken care of right now!) Kevin and I are basically making the best out of what we can with no financial charges to the church (minus a hundred dollars here and there occasionally that the pastor will slip us to do with it what we can!)
Let me know what you think!!
Last week I was able to get a pipe organ from our 3rd balcony organ loft working and started again. There is a history as to why it hasn't been used in the last 15 years but that's for a later date of discussion.
I will get more pics of it next week with close details of the instrument. The organ plaque on the console says it was done by Arthur Morressette. Very little is known about Morressette (possibly worked for Skinner organ company in the 1920's at the Westfield, MA organ plant). But.... after finding the parish history book from 1970 (the 100th anniversary of the church building), the organ goes back further then the 1930's!
Here is what I know about the history Sacred Heart organ as of right now:
The French came to this area because of the Slater Textile Mills. St. Louis was the first Catholic Church in Webster, dedicated in 1853. By 1869, there were 300 French families in Webster totaling 1700 souls. This is when the meeting was held to form a new Parish. In January 1870, Rev. Jules Cosson became the founding Pastor of the new Parish (S.H.). In 1867, a new (necessarily larger) Methodist Church was built in downtown Webster. In 1870, the French purchased (from Mr. Slater!) the former Methodist Church, which they doubled in size and refurbished. That building served S.H. until 1896 – when they dedicated the present building, on Labor Day, September 7, 1896.
A basic description of the organ is included: “A new organ has been placed in position at a cost of about $2,500. It has proven to be a splendid instrument under skillful fingering of Prof. Boulay, organist and director. It was built by E. B. Brodeur, of St. Hyacinthe, Canada. Prof. Boulay furnished valuable assistance in its design, upon which patents have been applied for.”
Later in the same book, there is an additional description of what (supposedly) happened in 1930, with the organ. It reads as follows:
“In 1929, Msgr. Desrochers purchased the present organ from a company in Canada. A Mr. Arthur Morrissette came to Webster to assemble and install it at a cost of over $10,000.00. It was to be played for the Ordination, in June 1930, of two Parishioners, Father Oliva Gevry and Father Edward Authier.” The case and façade were made for this place, match each other, and are old. Sure, Morressette put a new blower on it in 1930 – too bad we don’t know what the reservoir was, before the ca. 1980 rebuild!
We now know that this Church holds some precious remnants of rare, Canadian organbuilding! What a find!!
Here is a list of the current stop list on the instrument:
http://www.mathieupipeorgans.net/pro...-heart-webster
Here are two videos from YouTube of me playing the instrument before any tuning has been done and the first person to play this instrument in fifteen years:
http://youtu.be/cMYJDD7G33g Here is O Come All Ye Faithful with full organ.
http://youtu.be/jPoiAXmreLk Here is the summons featuring the strings and beautiful Clarinet solo stop on the choir.
Kevin (friend my age, organ tuner and builder) has offered to tune this instrument for the parish for free in hopes of getting this instrument in decent playable condition for holy days, feast, christmas, easter and funeral masses. I was talking to the pastor and I said to him "How great would it be to start using this instrument for funerals; Could you imagine the people who will be attending the church and getting to hear this historical instrument!"
I will be sure to play a piece and upload it to YouTube when the instrument has been fully tuned. There are some issues with certain stops not playing on a couple of the manuals due to dead notes (which is a financial issue to be taken care of right now!) Kevin and I are basically making the best out of what we can with no financial charges to the church (minus a hundred dollars here and there occasionally that the pastor will slip us to do with it what we can!)
Let me know what you think!!
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