Patrick Murphy with organist Michael Stairs at the rededication after our restoration of the Aeolian organ at Beaumont.
Installation
We recommend that any on-site facility maintenance, addition, or change be completed before we begin installation or reinstallation—all chamber painting, plastering, lighting, and electrical upgrades should be complete. Your electrician should be brought into the project early on, but during this step, the electrician will be most actively involved.
Installation/reinstallation will follow a step-by-step process similar to this:
- Complete chamber prep work
- Unload and stage the instrument
- Install the sub assembly
- Set wind chests, winding, console, and casework
- Install large and small pipe work
- Adjust winding and mechanical actions
- Perform rough tuning
- Perform voicing
- Perform fine tuning
Our craftsman will perform all steps up to the last one: fine tuning and tonal finishing. At this point, Patrick and an assistant will check and adjust all mechanical details, and then tune and tonally regulate (finishing) the organ and place his signature of approval on he final product.
Dedication
For clients who want to hold a dedication service, we recommend that they wait at least 90 days after completion of installation. This time gives the organ’s mechanical and physical components time to settle in and acclimate to the room, temperature and any other physical changes that were made. This will also give the organist time to become acquainted with the new instrument. During this time, we are available to make necessary mechanical and vocal adjustments.
In our experience the dedication is an important event. It not only allows the congregation to be officially reintroduced to the new or restored organ, but more importantly, it marks the formal completion of an effort as major as this.