Organ to be thrown out; needs good home!
  • frater
    Posts: 16
    I'm forwarding this as a public service.

    Would you please post this e-mail chain below right away to Pip-OrgL? I
    don't belong to it, and we have a time-crisis organ situation on our
    hands. I had no idea that this church had closed. Alexander Mills
    trained with Henry Erben and his organs are wonderful -- they are just
    as good in quality as Erben. I have personally seen this organ and can
    attest to its quality. It would be a tragedy for this to go to the
    dump. We need to get the word out ASAP to see if someone can please
    rescue it (all of it -- not just pipework). If you can think of anyone
    else to notify, let me know.

    Thanks,
    Mike Friesen



    Carverton United Methodist Church

    Church Road

    Carverton, Pennsylvania (near Wilkes-Barre)



    Alexander Mills

    New York City, New York

    c.1873

    Here is the stoplist:
    2 manuals
    11 stops with two bass/treble divisions, yielding 13 speaking stops
    11 ranks
    Great (58 notes)

    [8'] Gr. Open Diapason

    [8'] Gr. Stop. Diap. Bass

    [8'] Gr. Melodia TC

    [8'] Gr. Gamba TC

    [4'] Gr. Principal

    [4'] Gr. Flute*

    [2'] Gr. Fifteenth



    Swell (58 notes, enclosed)



    [8'] Sw. Stop. Diap. Bass

    [8'] Sw. Stop. Diap. Treble TC

    [8'] Sw. Dulciana TC

    [4'] Flute

    [8'] Sw. Oboe TC

    Tremolo
    Pedal (27 notes)

    [16'] Ped. Bourdon
    Couplers and Mechanicals
    Great & Swell (by pushbuttons)
    Pedal & Great
    Pedal & Swell

    Bellows Signal [label missing]

    *replacement label; as the pipework is marked “Har Fl”, the stop name

    was likely Flute Harmonic.



    Source: personal inspection by Michael Friesen

    Mike,

    I just got off the phone with a piano/organ technician in Wilkes
    Barre. He called to inform me that the Carverton Methodist church is
    closed and the Alexander Mills organ will be thrown out if not removed
    in the next week or so. He just found out about it himself and is
    calling around to see if anyone can save it. OCH was not interested.
    His name is Earl Orcutt, phone 570-510-1817. Apparently the sale of
    the building is imminent and the new owners don't want the organ. I
    hope someone can save this organ. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • musicmom
    Posts: 10
    I just talked to Earl Orcutt (as our parish is in the early stages of considering a pipe organ anyway). They did find a church to take it, so all is well! He said he had got lots of calls about it, and I told him I'd post this info so people know it is taken.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    The Organ Clearing House is a good source for redundant instruments. John Bishop and I are aquaintances, he having followed me at a large Presbyterian church where we both had great success with the choir, the 4 manual Austin Organ, donated in memory of his wife by Severance....the same one who gave Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Orchestra. John tells me that we both had great success, dated and married soprano soloists from the choir...and neither of use are still married to the sopranos....

    But, the reason that I am posting: Some organ builders will not encourage you to contact OCH because the OCH charges an affordable and just fee for their work. They also know the instruments well, as some of them they removed and put into storage. So they also may offer to install them for you.

    So, if your organ builder is less than enthusiastic, this may be why. But also be aware that organ builders and repair people often know about organs that are available that no one knows anything about....so check around.
  • JamJam
    Posts: 636
    I think that this kimekime person is a spambot.

    Who has the power to deny membership?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    I think you are right, Jam. This post is showing up everywhere. Call in the inquisition. ;-)
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,206
    "Bernardo Gui . . . of the Holy Inquisition."

    Don't know why that name popped into mind, other than I'm just now re-reading "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco, and that line was in the movie version. Gui was played by Fr. Murray Abraham, and brilliantly, I might add.

    Have a nice day all.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    sorry, on it now
  • June Ely
    Posts: 46
    Thank you for the info, Frogman - my pastor was just mentioning how it would be great to have a pipe organ in the church...here is the link:

    http://www.organclearinghouse.com/
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