Preservation in Action: Restoration of the Trinity Cathedral Organ

[Article as published on: http://www.trinitymiami.org ]

The organ at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Miami, FL) was installed at the time of the church’s construction in the mid-1920s. It was built by Ernest M. Skinner and Company, who had developed a national reputation for building large organs for some of the most prestigious churches, concert halls, colleges, and auditoriums in the country. These include The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (op. 150, 1906); Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh (op. 180, 1910) and St Thomas Episcopal Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City (op. 205, 1913). You can view the original specification of Trinity’s organ (op. 471) on the Skinner website here. The organ’s initial specification was four manuals, forty-three stops, thirty-six ranks and 2,497 pipes, including an Echo chamber in the rear gallery containing four ranks of pipes (removed in 2001 to undergo repairs).

The current specification of the organ can be found here. In addition to over one thousand pipes that have been added to the organ since the 1920s, the most recent additions to the instrument included many digital stops, enhancing both the organ’s power and versatility. This latest project, completed in 2002, was Phase One of a two part phase to overhaul the organ. The second phase of the renovations involves the upkeep of the pipework already in existence, since much of the leatherwork needs replacing, in order to ensure the organ's ability to function reliably for decades to come.

In February 2011 the organ was featured on the nationally syndicated radio show PipeDreams (click here to listen - Trinity's organ is featured in the second hour)

Update September 2011: As part of Trinity's re-certification project, the organ's pipes, windchests and mechanical components are at the factory of R.A.Colby in Johnson City, Tennessee. The organ has been removed both to protect the instrument while construction takes place in the sanctuary and chancel areas, and also for the second phase of the renovations to take place. During the renovation the organ console will remain in place with the complete specification playable as a digital instrument. When the instrument is reinstalled the final part of the project will be the replacement of the manual keyboards and pedalboard.

For just $20 a month for ten months you can help restore the historic organ and save a piece of history - click here for details, and here to make an online donation.

More information about the beautiful and historic Trinity Cathedral can be found at: http://www.trinitymiami.org/index.php