The Organ Might "Look" Done...

Wednesday, October 12, 3:12 PM

 When you come to church this weekend, you may notice that the organ looks completely finished. Don't be fooled. There is are a few pipes still to arrive and a lot of tuning work to be completed in the next few weeks. But, gosh, doesn't it look awesome?

After the workers from Holtkamp delivered the second 18-wheeler full of organ parts, the crew of six has been working at full throttle to get the majority of pipes and the console in place and functional.

Yesterday we said goodbye to four members of Holtkamp, who have finished their work and will return to their families in Ohio. Three of them had been with us for a whole month!

We are thankful for their hard work, skill and dedication to our organ. Here are a few pictures from over the past week illustrating just how fast they've worked.

Wednesday, October 5, 1:15 PM

Friday, October 7, 11:04 AM

Tuesday, October 11, 9:34 AM

Tuesday, October 11, 5:12 PM

Video: Watch Holtkamp Install a Pipe

The pipe organ is starting to look like a pipe organ! With pipes! Below is a video of the Holtkamp team installing one of the large outside pipes on Thursday, October 6. (Please note: There is no audio, and the video is not great quality, but you should be able to get the idea!)

Come to worship this weekend to see how much progress they've made!

The Pipes Are Here!

A Rare Look Inside the Organ

This coming Monday, October 3, (update 10/03/11: The pipes have been delayed until Wednesday) the second truckload of parts to our pipe organ will arrive, this time containing the metal pipes! As the members of Holtkamp Organ Company continue to work over the next couple weeks, the organ will begin to look more like...an actual pipe organ...with pipes!

Sensing a rare opportunity, I asked Terry O'Connor, who is leading the installation, for a tour inside the organ. Here is the first of several short videos from this tour. We are inside the choir area which will soon be filled with pipes. Enjoy!

Week Two of Organ Installation

If you haven't been inside the sanctuary since September 11, you've missed seeing all the work that has been done so far on the organ installation!

Below are some photos from various points over the last ten days. We've also recently announced some exciting events coinciding with the pipe organ's dedication in November.

• Oktoberfest Worship and Dinner, October 1 at 5:00 PM  Click here to learn more and register.
• Pizza and Pipes Halloween Party, October 29 at 6:00 PM (wear your costume!) Click here to learn more.
• Organ Dedication at Worship, Weekend of November 12-13, all worship services
• Organ Recital and Dinner, October 18 at 6:30 PM

Now on with the photos!

Some of the many plans and blueprints for the organ. It is quite complex!

September 14, 2011

September 15, 2011

September 16, 2011

September 21, 2011

Pastor Chris Smith demonstrates a possible use for an organ piece.

Wooden pipes

The Heart of the Beast! Or Blower, if you prefer.

Original pipes from the Macalester organ needed to be altered so that they would fit within the space in our sanctuary. These pipes were originally all straight, like the bottom-most one. The top three needed to be "bent" to fit the space. This bending does not alter the sound.

Here you can see an original Macalester pipe (top) next to one newly constructed by Holtkamp (bottom)

The Organ Arrives!

Early on Monday morning, pieces of the new pipe organ--a full truckload,
in fact--began arriving at Shepherd of the Valley.

Many of the pieces in this first shipment consist of the wood casework
and wooden pipes. Metal pipes will arrive later.

The staff of the Holtkamp Organ Company also arrived Monday. They will be with us for many weeks, installing, constructing, tuning and voicing the organ, working 10 hour days, 7 days a week.

 

(From left) Jennifer Maxwell, Interim Director of Operations,
Mark Ertl, Director of Music and Worship, and
Kristen Holien, Administrative Assistant, were among the staff,
members, andvolunteers present in the early morning of September 12
when the first parts of the newsanctuary pipe organ arrived from
Holtkamp Organ Company in Ohio.

The two wooden pipes pictured were the first to be unloaded.

Don't worry--the sanctuary will be cleaned up by Saturday for worship!

July Letter from Holtkamp Organ Co.

Dear Pastor Smith,

Our progress on the organ continues to be very good. On the mechanical end of things, all frame is complete. All chests are complete. The wiring is 85% complete. We have a bit of assembly remaining in the organ, mostly connecting wind trunks to chests. This assembly will take two weeks. We are 50% complete with the pipe racking. The electrical system for the organ has arrived. The casework needs about two weeks until it is complete.

We are currently working on the remainder of the facade pipes, specifically the 16' Diapason. When they are complete we will finish up the treble ends of the new stops in the great organ. When they are done, in roughly 5 weeks, the pipe making will be complete.

All voicing is complete with the exception of the pipes that are yet to be made in our pipe shop.

The swell and choir shades have been finished. The wood facade pipes will be finished by the end of the week.

The console continues to move along. The shell is roughly 50% complete. When the casework is complete we will move two men over to the console to move it along more quickly.

Very truly yours,

F. Christian Holtkamp

President

The Holtkamp Organ Company

Design work completed!

Below is the June letter from the Holtkamp Organ Company, detailing their progress. One of the coolest things we learned recently is that the organ's original blower which was very noisy--about 90 db--was able to be refurbished so successfully, that it now runs at a quiet 20 db. Thanks to Holtkamp's work a 60 year old motor will run smoothly for another 100 years!

Dear Pastor Smith:


Our work progress at this point includes the following: all design work for the organ has been completed. Final drawings are now being printed for the purpose of supporting the installation of your pipe organ at your church. The construction of the extensive network of windlines is nearly complete. The larger wood pipes are being modified so that they will fit in the organ chamber. Large case frame components are being constructed and set up in our shop.


All electro-pneumatic chest components have been either refurbished or constructed. Wiring for windchests has been started. Wiring plugs have been attached to cables. Several hundred feet of wire will be used to connect the console to the windchests and to other supporting components.


The blower has been refurbished and installed in our erecting room. The operation of the blower is substantially better now - the blower operates quietly and efficiently. Voicing of pipes continues to progress - the large 16' Trombone pipes are now voiced to produce its desired sound. Voicing is complete on the Choir 1 3/5' Tierce, the Great 16' Violone, and the Swell 8' Hautbois.


The pipe additions for the Great Mixture ranks and the Swell Plein Jeu ranks have been constructed (144 pipes in all). Pipes that have been chosen to be re-used for your organ have been repaired as required. The large exposed pipes are now being constructed. These pipes will be displayed in the front area of the organ.


Pipe racking has progressed rapidly; racking of both the Swell and Choir divisions is now 50% complete. Racking for the Great 8' Tuba Harmonique has been started. The organ console work is in its final stages of construction. At this time the console base is being worked on. The remaining console electrical components have been ordered, namely the console lights, the toe pistons, and the drawknobs. These components are machined to exacting specifications for use in your organ console.


Sincerely,
F. Christian Holtkamp, President

Dinner & Auction Total Raised

Our "Get ORGAN-ized" Dinner and Auction fundraiser, held on May 14, was a huge success. The total amount raised was $17,485.15! A huge thank you to everyone who had a part in making the evening possible:

• The volunteer event committee for working many hours planning, soliciting items for the auctions, setting up, "working" the event, and helping to clean-up and prepare the church for Sunday services. 
• The SOTV staff who helped with administrative support and registration
• Kurt Hyster for his help with the audio/visual needs
• The facilities folks who were responsible for all the logistics
• Pastors Chris Smith and Randy who proved to be our very humorous auctioneers
• Leiton Larson and his crew who created and served the amazing meal
• Paula Lammers and her Jazz Quartet for providing professional dinner entertainment
• Additional SOTV musicians under Mark Ertl's leadership who played during the Silent Auction
• EVERYONE who donated items for the auctions and those who bid on those items. 

Finally, thank you to Beth Karlson and her finance staff for their hard work in processing all the payments.

Thank you again to everyone for their support of this event and our Pipe Organ project!

Update from Holtkamp and auction recap

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated to, bid and volunteered at our dinner and auction fundraiser! The food by Chef Leiton & company was fantastic, Paula Lammers and the other musicians performed beautifully, and Pastors Chris Smith and Randy Brandt were hilarious and effective auctioneers.

A more complete recap as well as pictures will be posted soon. In the meantime, here is the latest  update on our organ from Holtkamp Organ Company:

May 13, 2011


Dear Pastor Smith:


Our work progress at this point includes the following: the lumber and plywood for the organ case has been purchased and received. The casework has begun production. Twenty-five gallons of lacquer have been ordered and received - all of it will be used to seal wood components for your organ.


The new slider windchests are nearing completion. The off-set windchest work for the Swell, Choir, Pedal divisions is in production. Additionally, the organ blower is now being refurbished. The winding system components continue to be constructed - your pipe organ requires an extensive system of windlines that must be built and fit to exacting specifications.


The pipe racking for your organ continues to progress. The largest pipes of the 16' Bourdon rank have been racked on their newly-completed windchests. Racking of pipework in the Swell and Choir division continues to move along.


The organ console construction continues to progress. The keyboard wiring is nearing completion. The thumb pistons on the console are being installed. The pedalboard construction has been completed.


The pipe voicing work has been completed for the 16' Cromome, the 16' Bassoon, the 8' Trompette, the 8' Trumpet, the 8' English Horn, the 8' Tuba Harmonique, the 8' Rohrbourdon, the 8' Flauto Dolce, and the 2' Fifteenth. Pipe construction continues on the 8' Geigen Diapason, the 8' Viol Celeste, and the 8' Spitz Viol. Extensive rescaling work also continues to progress.


Sincerely,
F. Christian Holtkamp, President

Organ Dinner & Auction registration deadline is today

We're super excited for our Dinner & Auction fundraiser THIS Saturday, May 14, and we hope you are too! The deadline to register is today, Monday, May 9.

To register online click here.
All the details are in this previous post: http://sotvorgan.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-to-get-organ-ized.html

A sample of items for upcoming auction

Here are a few of the items you can bid on at the live and silent auctions on Saturday, May 14 from 6:00 - 9:00 PM:

• Piaggio motor scooter

•  a one-week stay at a private townhouse in Rancho Mirage

• a night at the St. Paul Hotel

• an afternoon of sailing on Lake Pepin

• 3 hours of a live harp performance for a private event

• Fitness Club memberships

• gourmet food and wine baskets

• artwork, books & CD's
  
• much, much more!

Download and share our PDF flyer for our May 14 Dinner and Auction. Click here to register for what promises to be an amazing evening!

For more details about our fundraiser, click here.

Tour of Holtkamp Organ Company

Cindy Winslow and her husband, members at Shepherd of the Valley, were traveling recently near the facility of the Holtkamp Organ Company in Ohio where our pipe organ is currently being renovated and refurbished. On a whim, they called to see if they could see the organ work in progress and take photos. Holtkamp welcomed them with open arms, and so the Winslows--and us--get a rare treat of seeing some behind the scenes work at an organ builder. Below are some of the photos from their visit as well as some Cindy's impressions. Enjoy!

Everyone at The Holtkamp Organ Company was very welcoming and accommodating. The owner, Chris Holtkamp, gave us a long and detailed tour around the entire factory for about an hour. Although the building seemed old, and it was not a fancy facility, they had all up-to-date tools and the latest technology and equipment; whatever they need to do the work that they do. Holtkamp does not get a whole lot of visitors, but they took our visit in stride.

You can tell how much pride Chris has for his company and his workers are like one big family. We met all the workers that were there that day—12 craftsmen, metal workers and voicers. Everyone was very nice and answered all our questions. We were really impressed with their craftsmanship. They are very good at what they do and it is amazing how they keep track of all the wood and metal and different parts of the organ. At the time of our visit, they were only working on Shepherd of the Valley’s organ. This really gives you a scope for the magnitude of the project, as there were parts of our organ all across the facility. Simultaneously, they were constructing the wind chest and the blower, refurbishing existing pipes, building new pipes by hand, and doing the voicing [making sure the pipes will acoustically sound right for our sanctuary]one pipe at a time.

That’s Danny in the plaid shirt working on our console.

The stacks of wood that look like bookshelfs are parts of the wind chest, made of poplar wood.

These are shiny, brand new pipes. The pointy parts on top are all hand soldering.

More pipes for our organ. Everywhere you look there’s pipes- they’re all labeled- some 3,000 pipes. It's amazing that they keep track of them all!

Chris, the owner, in front of crucible- working with molten zinc, tin and lead to make the metal sheets.

The tin that’s rolled and stacked are brand new metal sheets of tin made in the crucible shown in the other picture. After they’re made, they let them sit and age so they’re easier to work with.

 

Super tall pipes- the largest pipes from the Macalester organ- are waiting to be cut down to fit for our organ.

Joe is working on the blower that creates the wind for the organ.

Sean, one of the voicers, working on a wooden pipe to make sure it fits- and tuning it so it sounds the way it is supposed to.

George is one of the voicers. He started out as a high school music teacher, but decided working with pipe organs is what he really wanted to do. In the photo some pipes are ours, but most are Holtkamp’s factory voicing system. George is testing the sound of each of our pipes against the others. That’s not our console or keyboard either, just what George uses for the voicework.

Michael is the designer- he visited SOTV last week to work with the contractors doing construction in the Sacristy area.

April Update from Our Organ Builder

April 11, 2011

Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
Attn: Christopher Smith
12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road
Apple Valley, MN 55124

Dear Pastor Smith:

Our work progress at this point includes the following: our design engineer continues to communicate with the architects to resolve several issues that have come up related to the pipe organ installation. Drawings continue to be produced for the construction and assembly of your pipe organ. The swell box enclosure has been set up in our erecting room. The wind system has progressed rapidly—several windlines have been constructed and fit to specifications. Concussion bellow assemblies have been constructed—fourteen in all. Fan enclosure boxes have also been constructed. The unit windchest components have been constructed and fit together—including the large pedestal unit windchest components.

The new console for your organ has progressed well, most notably the keyboards are now being worked on. Each of the 183 keys mechanisms require special attention. The larger wood pipes are being fitted for use in your pipe organ. Pipe surfaces requiring refinishing have been stripped of their old finish.

Currently, two sets of organ pipes are being worked on—the 8’ Flauto Dolce and the 8’ Spitzviol. Both sets require modifications so that these pipes may fit in the organ chamber. Additionally, the voicing of organ pipes continues—our voicer has been working on several sets of pipes—namely the 8’ Crummhorn, the 16’ Subbass, and the 8’ Tuba. All of the reed pipe sets for your pipe organ are now on our site. Lastly, the releathering of all your existing windchests has been complete.

Sincerely,

F. Christian Holtkamp, President