Installation of our new organ has progressed rapidly in this last week, with lots of help from our parishioners. This week’s work included:
- Completed stripping the old wiring and de-soldering electrical connections from the Shoenstein organ.
- Removed the toe, foot, and rack boards from the wind chests and stored them temporarily in the church pews.
- Completed new wiring on the new swell wind chests.
- Re-installed the toe boards on the swell wind chests in the organ chamber.
- Completed new wiring on 4 of the 9 new great wind chests.
On Friday, our Music Director, Murray Walker, returned from his holiday in Vancouver, so he got his introduction to the project on Saturday. Welcome back Murray!
Our primary focus this week has been on the wiring of the new wind chests. This process involves measuring out the cable, untwisting the wires in the cable, and routing each one to their correct pin, according to a chart provided by our organ builder, Bill Visscher. Each pin is numbered, and Bill’s chart tells us which color wire goes to which numbered pin. Then the wire is secured, stripped, and soldered to the pins – some 1500 of them!
By the end of the day on Saturday, we had completed all the wiring on the swell wind chests, and had also prepared the great wind chests to receive their new wiring.
Since Monday was Labor Day, we also had a work day then, and had a fantastic turnout. The vestry room was busy all day with the wiring tasks, and we had up to a dozen people helping out! A special thanks goes out to the Edwards and Cavalieri children who even got in on the fun! By the end of the day Monday, we had completed wiring an additional 4 tanks for the great organ wind chest.
Thanks to all parish volunteers from this week – we certainly have has a great turnout!
- Murray & Carol Walker
- Allison Gong
- David Folsom-Jones
- John & Liz Wesolowski
- Mike, Corvin, and Emma Edwards
- Ian Smith
- Michael and Carol Freeman
- Madeline, Oliver, and Alice Cavalieri
We now have 12 of the 17 ranks wired for the large wind chests, and should finish those by the end of the current week. After that we have various miscellaneous wind chests to wire up, but none as extensive as the main great and swell chests.
Allison strips wire. 
Murray wiring up a rank with David. 
Allison and Alex de-solder the last of the wire from the great wind chests. 
The crew working on two ranks at a time. 