THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994 TAG: 9406150147
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JUDY PARKER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940617 LENGTH: Medium
At least that's the analogy expressed by Trinity's choirmaster and organist James E. Derr.
{REST} ``Placement is like a matter of taste,'' Derr said, referring to the site installation for the approximately 1,279 new pipes installed for the church organ, some of which date back nearly a century.
``Add just the right pinch of cinnamon to a favorite recipe and you have a meal to be savored. Put pipe organs in just the right spot and you'll have a sound that will envelop you.''
Enhancing the tonal quality and increasing the variety of sound produced by the organ's pipes is the result of Trinity's four-year-old capital fund drive ``Within the Wall.''
The entire project, however, dates back to 1962. As part of the church's bicentennial celebration, a new Austin Organ was installed to replace its 1899 Hook and Hastings model. That organ, with an original purchase price of $2,500, was powered by a water motor that was subject to freezing.
By the late 1950s, a replacement was needed, not only because of recurring mechanical problems, but there also was a desire for an instrument that would produce a different tonal concept, Derr said.
The Hook and Hastings was donated to St. Christopher's Episcopal Mission in Churchland, where it was played until 1988. When the Churchland congregation purchased a new organ, a group of volunteers from Trinity dismantled the old organ, salvaged its original 1899 pipes, and re-installed them to accompany their new Austin console.
The 1994 organ now has 42 ranks or stops. Those are the white plastic tabs that, when flicked downward, create special musical sounds such as chimes, bells, french horns, or violas. A total of 2,558 pipes, ranging in size from a No.2 pencil to 16 feet in length, are constructed of both metal and wood.
``The addition of the wooden pipes allows a more mellow sound to be produced,'' Derr said, ``and the placement of pipes in the tower grill creates a sound that virtually surrounds the congregation.''
Construction of the newly outfitted organ took 2 1/2 years and cost $36,000 in parts, upgrading the value of the instrument to slightly more than $400,000.
``We still need about $7,500 to complete the project,'' Derr said, ``Some of the new features on the organ are on loan and will have to be returned if the fund drive falls short of its goal.''
by CNB