‘Complex and fascinating instrument’: Inside the organ with touring musician Gail Archer
By Rachel Hergett | Nov 17, 2016
Holy Rosary in Bozeman commissioned a new organ with the church renovation four years ago, making it a baby in organ terms. In comparison, the “great organ” at Notre Dame in Paris, though oft restored and reconstructed in parts, dates to 1401.
Holy Rosary’s organ features 1,474 zinc and tin pipes, some as long as 16 feet and others smaller than a pencil, housed in red oak. What really makes the organ, according to Bell, is the acoustics of the church, its slate floors adding to the resonance of the space. The American-built organ was designed for the room.
“The organ is really the building it’s in,” he said.
Though Bell has not yet met Archer, the touring musician reached out to inquire about playing in Holy Rosary. The community of organists is small, Bell explained.
“She had heard of this organ,” he said. “We all know when a new organ is built.”
However, there is a challenge that comes with playing a new instrument of this type. Each is unique.
“Organs are like people,” Bell said. “They all have characters.”
The number of pipes and keyboards range. There are different registrations, or ranks of pipes, stops to create different sounds, mimicking flutes, trumpets or reed instruments, and overtones to top it all off. Modern organs are electronic, with built-in memory banks so each organist can set the particular tone for the pieces they play. When Archer arrives in Bozeman on Friday, she will spend three hours in the afternoon getting to know the organ. Older instruments require more time, as the organist must practice making all adjustments manually.
From the Montana Standard