You may be married to the idea of a digital instrument, but do consider a pipe organ, maybe from the Organ Clearing house or a nearby builder. Lots of instruments are out there besides new ones.

Keep your eyes open for churches in your area that are closing. Some of them don't even know to list that an organ is available.

I'll second KevininKentucky and MatthewJ's comment. Try to find a decent pipe organ coming out of the clearing house or church closing. Allen and Rodgers both have their good and bad qualities. I think it really boils down to the dealership you have in your area, and how proactive they are in making sure their instruments sound good. Usually the company dominating the certain area, tries it's best to continue that domination by making sure good instruments are installed. It doesn't always happen, as their are plenty of factors that are involved, mainly coming from how much a church will spend, i.e. speakers, amplification, etc....

We are currently looking at pipe organs. We have an Allen that is ok, but nothing can compare to the real deal.

The Ahlborn-Galanti we have is not very great.

Organs, both digital and pipe, can succeed or fail depending on the acoustics of the building. Any instrument in a bad building, will not live up to its potential.

If I were to offer an opinion on brands, I would have to say the Allen is very well built, durable, and the service is generally good. I am not sure they are always the best sounding instruments.

I'm quite happy with my 7-year old Allen. Pipe was not even an option. There are many more Rodgers installations in this area and many organists have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Allen. I suppose when it comes to technology newer is generally better so a new installation from any digital organ company will generally outdo a 20 year old anything.

If a real organ is possible in the distant future, perhaps a good strategy would be to get a newer digital that can serve as a temporary fix and then serve as a practice instrument later on. That can always backfire if the people are content with inferior instrument, but it might be possible to sell it as a temporary installation that needs to be replaced in a certain amount of time.

I have found that the quality of the installation is the biggest factor in the success of any digital organ. I have

I have had an Allen organ (two-manual plus full pedalboard) here at home, for practice, since approximately 2009. It has served me admirably, and I would happily recommend Allen instruments to anyone. Before owing the Allen I used to own a Johannus, which I found less satisfactory.

"Any instrument in a bad building, will not live up to its potential."

I used to think this is true, but I recently played a Walker (as in British pipe organ) in a dead room, and it was... beautiful. It just fit. Yes, I wanted some more reverb to cover up MY mistakes, but the sound of the organ was just glorious, even if it ended as soon as you released the keys.

I recall now that I know some Aeolian-Skinner organs that sound AMAZING in dead rooms.

So organs CAN be built to sound good in dead rooms, but this is usually not the case. It seems that usually the builder wants the room to make up for inferior voicing.

To relate this to the post at hand, I would suggest one look at the work of the local representative even more than at his company's products.

I second the Walker recommendation. I played one of their fully digital organs once, and it was astonishing. And that was about 10 years ago - the other companies STILL haven't caught up!

I'm still not sure about funds available for the purchase of an organ. I know the church HAS funds for a very good one, but how much of their reserve the pastor wants to spend is unknown. He's just been in the background letting me search out options for now.

I know for a fact that the president of the council is going to fight tooth and nail to keep from spending more than a couple of thousand dollars. Now, I know he doesn't have any deciding power and I also know the pastor isn't one to let councils decide things for him, but it does give an idea of the mindset of some people. Yes, that council member would rather have a cheap keyboard than a bottom-dollar digital, let alone a good one. This same council member also gave me his permission (haha!) to look for an organ after the old one died. If he knew you couldn't get one for pocket change, he'd probably never have said so. Of course, I tend to ignore him because I only take orders from the pastor.

I suppose I shouldn't mention De musica sacra et sacra liturgia (Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy), Sacred Congregation for Rites - September 3, 1958, which says:


Chapter III-4. Musical instruments and bells.

A. Some General principles.

60. The following principles for the use of musical instruments in the sacred liturgy are to be recalled:

a) Because of the nature, sanctity, and dignity of the sacred liturgy, the playing of any musical instrument should be as perfect as possible. It would be preferable to omit the use of instruments entirely (whether it be the organ only, or any other instrument), than to play them in a manner unbecoming their purpose. As a general rule it is better to do something well, however modest, than to attempt something more elaborate without the proper means.

b) The difference between sacred, and secular music must be taken into consideration. Some musical instruments, such as the classic organ, are naturally appropriate for sacred music; others, such as string instruments which are played with a bow, are easily adapted to liturgical use. But there are some instruments which, by common estimation, are so associated with secular music that they are not at all adaptable for sacred use.

c) Finally, only instruments which are personally played by a performer are to be used in the sacred liturgy, not those which are played mechanically or automatically.

B. The classic organ and similar instruments.

61. The principal musical instrument for solemn liturgical ceremonies of the Latin Church has been and remains the classic pipe organ.

62. An organ destined for liturgical use, even if small, should be designed according to the norms of organ building, and be equipped with the type of pipes suitable for sacred use. Before it is to be used it should be properly blessed, and as a sacred object, receive proper care.

63. Besides the classic organ, the harmonium or reed organ may also be used provided that its tonal quality, and volume are suitable for sacred use.

64. As a substitute, the electronic organ may be tolerated temporarily for liturgical functions, if the means for obtaining even a small pipe organ are not available. In each case, however, the explicit permission of the local Ordinary is required. He, on his part, should consult the diocesan commission on sacred music, and others trained in this field, who can make suggestions for rendering such an instrument more suitable for sacred use.

65. The musicians who play the instruments mentioned in paragraphs 61-64 should be sufficiently skilled in their art so that they can accompany the sacred chant or any other music, and can also play alone with appropriate skill. Indeed, since it is also often necessary to be able to improvise music suited to the various phases of the liturgical action, they should possess sufficient knowledge of, and capability in the techniques of organ playing , and of sacred music.

Organists should religiously care for the instruments entrusted to them. Whenever they are seated at the organ during sacred functions, organists should be conscious of the active part they are taking in glorifying God, and edifying the faithful.

66. The organ playing, whether during liturgical functions or private devotions, should be carefully adapted to the liturgical season and feast day, to the nature of the rites and exercises themselves, and to their various parts.

67. The organ should be located in a suitable place near the main altar, unless ancient custom or a special reason approved by the local Ordinary demand otherwise; but the location should be such that the singers or musicians occupying a raised platform are not conspicuous to the congregation in the main body of the church.

Proposition 1: Accordions may be used in liturgy because they are, essentially, reed organs.

Proposition 2: Reed organs may not be used in liturgy because they are too much like accordions.

We are planning on getting a Rodgers Infinity 484 coupled with a 42-rank '82 Wicks from a church that decided to go all P&W.
Local Rodgers rep is a long-time personal friend, former organ teacher, and mentor of mine who will personally oversee the voicing.

@jpal Congrats on that 484!!! Very nice looking and especially with the 42 ranks, even better :)

They had to sound better than a Hammond.

So does my homemade kazoo.

If you have heard a harmonium in some of the churches of Paris, they sound remarkably good. Do not judge what you have not experienced. The harmonium was seen as a capable accompaniment instrument. In central Ky it was used as the acc. for choirs in some of the small churches until they afford a pipe organ.

The French harmoniums were fairly respectable instruments. Not so, for some made in this country, although some brands were good. I heard a restored Mason & Hamlin that sounded pretty good.

I had an educational experience playing a Cavaille-Coll choir organ in Paris. From the console, the reeds sounded just like a harmonium, squawky and discordant. Then I went into the church.... it's not the same as the reeds on the Grand Orgue, but... VERY nice!!

I'd take a 3-manual M&H concert reed organ with a 32-ft in the pedal over the 1958 Schantz POS I'm dealing with right now, any day.

Gavin,

I walked into St. Sulpice one Sunday after one of the early Masses, having arrived very early to walk around and pray before the principal Mass. The organist (one of the assistants) was playing the Durufle Soisson Fugue from the orgue de choeur. I was amazed at all the sound that came from that little instrument. It was quite impressive.

We used to call them impacted moellers in college

TCJ... lol

flipping lids is more fun, although it can be trying at times.

CharlesW ... they might mistake smoke rising form the console as incense.