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Do you have a question about the new organ? Submit it to jfuhrman@sjcpenfield.com.
- When will the new organ be ready?
We plan to use it for the first time this coming Easter.
- Will the organ be very loud?
Organs, like most instruments, have wide ranges of volumes. Ours will be able to make some loud sounds (as can our current organ), but these will be used judiciously. Part of what makes an organ so exciting is the ability to combine or contrast a variety of softer, individually colorful sounds. There will not be a sudden increase in volume when the new organ arrives.
- How many pipes will the new organ have?
It will have about 1350 pipes altogether, although only about 46 of the biggest ones will be visible from the church. The great majority of the pipes will be housed in cases behind the front pipes.
- Who is building the new organ?
Jonathan Ortloff and his team of organbuilders are building the organ in their shop near Boston. Jonathan is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (organ performance) and the University of Rochester (engineering), and in addition to his work as an organbuilder, he performs on both church organs and theater organs. Last year, he played a concert at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Rochester on the large Wurlitzer organ. For more information about the Ortloff Organ Company, please check out their website.