St. James' Anglican Church Kingston
St. James Pipe Organ
The St James organ was first built and installed by the Casavant Frères company in 1918 (Op.729), with pipe voicing done by Claver Casavant himself. In 1960 a major renovation was completed by Casavant (Op.2565), which included some new pipes, the removal of others, a new detached console, and a complete re-voicing of the instrument by renowned tonal director Lawrence Phelps. The current instrument has 18 stops, around 1000 pipes, and a two-octave set of chimes.
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In recent years, some maintenance work has been done on the organ, including re- surfacing the pedals, replacing the distributors, and installing a new blower. The interior workings of the instrument depend largely on leather, which provides an airtight seal while maintaining suppleness for moving parts. The lifespan of the installed leather is considered to be approximately 60 years, so it is now due to be replaced.
Likewise, the interior mechanisms of the console include a now antiquated system of pneumatic valves, that also depend on leather seals and a dependable wind supply. The leather inside the console is mostly destroyed, having been invaded by rats and mice. Rather than repair the old pneumatic system, it is recommended by organ technicians that the interior mechanisms be replaced with a modern electric, solid-state system that will not only be more dependable, but also expand the functionality of the console. The existing console and keyboards can be retained.
The estimate for this work is approximately $100,000.
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Should additional funds become available, a new Trumpet stop would be on the wish list, which would expand the registration options for fiery choruses and prominent solos. This is of course not an essential addition but would be nice to have!
