Members of the Organ Committee, Building Committee, Vestry, and Parish attended the Open House for St. Peter's new organ, Opus 136.
A group of hardy travelers followed the remnants of Hurricane Ida up the East Coast for a whirlwind trip to the workshops at C. B. Fisk in Gloucester, Mass. This past weekend was Fisk’s Open House, an event held in honor of each instrument they build and the clients who commissioned it. So, Opus 136 makes its debut, mostly completed, in the “Erecting Room” at the Fisk workshops. Also in attendance were hundreds of organ enthusiasts, family members, and future customers–all eager to see Opus 136 for the first time.
For the St. Peter’s group, the journey started at Charlotte Douglas Airport for a 1:30 p.m. Friday meeting time. Organized by Junior Warden Sam Gardner, dubbed for the trip “Our Organic Leader” (he had the name badge to prove it), the travelers enjoyed a whirlwind trip. Minutes after arriving in Gloucester, employees from the Fisk Company ferried the group to the Gloucester House for a traditional New England Lobster bake. More than just lobster and talk of organs were on the menu though–the restaurant owner treated the group to a short of history of the area.
Not until ten o’clock the next morning could the group see the organ for the first time. After so many years of planning, fund raising, and building it was hard to imagine the thrill the group experienced. “Better than I could ever have imagined,” said Ben Outen, Organist and Choirmaster. He was literally speechless on seeing the organ for the first time. Organ Committee members Julie Clarkson, Alicia Shumate, and Nancy Jordan all had a chance to play Opus 136 for the first time, along with Ben, of course. While a number of the group had a tour of the Fisk workshops, a film crew interviewed Julie Clarkson and video taped Ben playing the new organ. (The film is being produced as part of Fisk’s planned fiftieth anniversary celebration in 2011.)
Opus 136, mostly assembled in the "Erecting Room."
After a lunch among the St. Peter’s group and Fisk employees, the doors opened to visitors. Hundreds of onlookers braved heavy rains for their chance to see Opus 136 (a few even had their chance to play). And before the travelers knew it, it was time to return to Charlotte.
The organ is nearly complete at this point. From the photograph at right and in the accompanying slideshow, you’ll notice that not all of the pipes are installed. In addition, the “battleship gray” coloring on the pipes is a protective coating for pre-installation and shipment. The coating will be removed after transport. For the next several weeks, the craftsmen at the C. B. Fisk Company will continue pre-installation in the erecting room, fine-tuning aspects of the instrument before it’s disassembled and shipped to Charlotte in early 2010. But what a sneak preview!
View more pictures in a slideshow of Opus 136.
