The Selection of Church Organs in the 21st Century
By Chris Riley
New technologies are coming into fruition in the 21st century at a pace that far exceeds that of the 20th century. To date, we have seen the advent of high-speed Internet, voice-over-IP communications, digital video phones, and hybrid automobiles. The current pattern of growth renders many emerging technologies obsolete within 12 to 24 months.
The pace of technology change also impacts the discussion of organs and other keyboard instruments for those charged with their stewardship in the 21st century church. Many seminaries and music conservatories have neglected the study of microprocessors, digital sampling, and advanced manufacturing techniques in their curricula. To fully understand the breadth of instruments that are available for selection today, one must have a basic understanding of these and other current features and practices.
The purpose of this article is to present a fresh look at the process of selecting an instrument in the 21st century and to discuss considerations of people charged with this great responsibility. After all, aside from the building itself, an organ can be the most expensive purchase that a church can make. A quality instrument may also outlive many of the church members.
There are many reasons why a church may be challenged to select a new organ. Church representatives can easily get locked into only few options regarding the selection of a new instrument because of lack of adequate information on the part of people involved in the process.
A typical scenario may follow this sequence. The current organ may have frequent reliability issues, which indicate to the organist that action must be taken. The musician then informs the director/minister of music, who relays the news to the pastor. With a multitude of other financial concerns, the pastor and/or trustees may add this concern to the list of other needs until the organ is potentially rendered unplayable. At this point, the music director or organist may contact the company that installed the current instrument (if it is still in business) or may look through the Yellow Pages (or the Internet) in search of other local organ company representatives. From this point on, the church may consider several companies before making a decision regarding the purchase of their next instrument.
A variation on the theme is that the church hires an organ consultant, who again leads the church in a consideration of several companies. Another variation is that the church is constructing a new edifice and must consider whether to move the existing instrument or consider the purchase of a new one.
Considering the importance of the decision to be made both from stewardship and long-term perspectives, additional effort should be made to make a decision about a new organ that is the product of a rigorous process.
Form a Committee
A church has much work to do prior to contacting representatives from any organ or keyboard company. First, they must decide who is going to participate in the decision-making process. Some type of committee should be formed to make the decision. At a minimum, the committee would be comprised of the pastor, music director, organist or keyboardist, and trustee. The committee could be augmented with others, some of whom may or may not have a background in music. For complex projects involving pipe organs, the services of a knowledgeable organ consultant may be secured. Once the committee is formed, the members should work to establish a baseline level of knowledge about the organ and other modern keyboard instruments.
Define the Vision of the Ministry
The next step in the process is also entirely internal. The church must have a frank discussion about the vision of the music ministry and the qualifications of the organist or keyboardist. This is a vital step that brings clarity to the types of instruments and companies that should be considered. This step also ensures that the church musician has the proper background to use all of the resources of instruments being considered. An organist that plays by ear will not use all of the resources of a custom pipe organ. Likewise, an organist with a degree in organ performance would be limited by a MIDI keyboard or tone-wheel organ.
Hopefully, the music ministry has already considered their vision and has a good handle on their ministry focus. Perhaps the ministry specializes in traditional anthems and hymns, and the organist plays a selection of traditional organ literature. Another church’s ministry may focus on contemporary praise and worship. Many churches today feature multiple worship formats that embrace in one setting the traditional worship service and, in another, a more contemporary experience. Other churches have a fairly eclectic worship format that may feature praise and worship, anthems, and hymns in the same service. Whatever the case, it is incumbent upon the instrument selection committee to clearly define the vision of the music ministry of their church.
Consider the Types of Available Instruments
Once the instrument selection committee has been formed, the vision of the music ministry has been clearly articulated, and the skill level of musicians is clear, the committee is ready to consider particular instruments and the companies that manufacture them. If funds were not an obstacle, many churches across the country would purchase a fine custom pipe organ. In most cases, various electronic instruments become desirable, including modern digital organs, tone-wheel organs, or older analog organs.
The instrument selection committee must now consider the realities of investment and return. A quality pipe organ and certain pianos can be expected to appreciate over time. Most electronic instruments will depreciate over time, as the technology that is used to develop them eventually becomes obsolete. A compromise is represented by “combination” organs, which are comprised partly of pipe voices and digitally sampled voices.
The committee must be honest about the expected budget for the instrument, with these considerations in mind. A church on a very tight budget and a short-term schedule may need to purchase a new or used electronic instrument. Conversely, a church that has adequate financial backing and that is not pressed for time may decide to have a custom pipe organ designed and built for their unique situation.
Evaluate Providers
At this point, the instrument selection committee should be able to develop a list of five to 10 companies that may be able to meet their musical needs. Preliminary information concerning these companies can be obtained from a variety of resources. Based on the information presented about each of the companies, the committee may be able to prioritize the instruments crafted by each of the companies based on their ability to meet desired criteria. The committee may have decided to hire an organ consultant at this point, who may be helpful in contacting certain companies and in providing expert advice concerning a variety of instruments. The members of the committee could then contact representatives of companies to be considered.
Once the initial contact is made, the company representative will be helped tremendously if the committee has already gained clarity in defining their musical needs, budget, and schedule for an instrument. By using a more formal “Request for Proposal” (RFP), a church may solicit proposals from numerous organ companies based on a description of the desired instrument criteria identified by the organ committee. General criteria to be included in the RFP includes: denominational background of the church, description of music ministry, skill level of musicians, and description of the sanctuary/worship center. More details concerning the desired instrument could include tonal qualities of the instrument, number of manuals, number of stops, means of pipe actuation (mechanical or electro-pneumatic), and sound source (pipes, digitally sampled voices or combination).
Now, the fun really starts. Once a representative of a given instrument company has a good idea what type of instrument might be most suitable for the given church, they may schedule opportunities to hear and play a variety of instruments built by the firm. At least in the case of pipe organs, no two organs sound exactly alike and no two buildings have the same acoustical properties. However, having a chance to hear different instruments played can help committee members make an aural distinction between instruments.
It should be noted that this stage of the instrument selection process should take place one to five years prior to the actual need for the instrument. The committee may take several months to schedule opportunities to listen to and play different instruments. Several additional months would be required for deliberation. A fairly standard digital instrument could be available within several months, to include installation and voicing. The longer timeline includes the process of selecting a custom pipe organ. Some companies have a waiting list of several years for starting new organ projects. This process would include designing the specifications for the instrument, designing the organ case with the architecture of the building in mind, selecting organ console specifics, and the process of fabricating thousands of pipes that will comprise the instrument. At least a year is required for the fabrication of the organ components, followed by several months to ship the instrument to its final destination, as well as complete installation and voicing.
Compare & Contrast
At this point, the instrument selection committee has amassed a great deal of information. A careful tracking system could be used to compare and contrast the major characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the instruments being selected and the companies that make them.
To state the thesis again, technological changes of the 21st century have made many options available that once were not possible for average churches. Committees should be encouraged to “think out of the box” related to instruments being considered. If the committee is in favor of a pipe organ for traditional reasons, they should consider a very capable digital instrument for comparison purposes Likewise, if the committee is considering a digital instrument for financial considerations, they should also consider a pipe organ, which could prove more affordable (especially in the long run) than the digital instrument they are considering. In any case, the committee should consider the flexibility of combination pipe/digital instruments. Even some of the most traditional pipe organ companies endorse the incorporation of 32-foot pedal stops in some cases.
In any case, the members of the committee are encouraged to pray throughout the process of selecting an instrument. Again, the importance of this process and its result cannot be underscored too forcefully. The end result of this committee’s efforts may result in an instrument that may be in service to almighty God for 100 years or more!
Due to the rapid pace of technology changes in the 21st century, churches have many more options regarding organs than in times past. Rather than being intimidated by technology, church representatives should be encouraged to at least consider the many options that are available to them when selecting an organ. By becoming informed of the various technological advancements that impact pipe, digital, and tone-wheel organs, committee members will be armed with valuable information. In doing so, they will have a chance to make the best decision possible and select an instrument that will majestically lead worship for years and generations to come.
Chris Riley is the founder and lead consultant of Modern Organ Consulting, www.modernorgan.com. He is also the author of The Modern Organ Guide.
Product Roundup
Victorian Grand Piano from QRS
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Bedient
Bedient Pipe Organ Company has been handcrafting musical works of art for 38 years. The sole purpose of their work is to make the worship experience unforgettable. Bedient organs make a worship service:
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Those contacting the company will receive a free brochure and calendar.
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Reuter Organ Company
The Reuter Organ Company, founded in 1917, designs and builds pipe organs and pipe/digital combination organs for churches, with installations in:
* Worship centers
* Chapels
* Sanctuaries
* Cathedrals
* Synagogues
Reuter has the experience and flexibility to provide solutions for your music ministry. The company also builds architectural millwork, specializing in custom liturgical projects.
www.reuterorgan.com |
