Tuning the Organ

Pipe organs don't like to be disturbed. Renovations are particularly troubling.

Holy Family's pipe organ has been making music since Palm Sunday, 1984. The Cathedral organists, E. Farrell Dixon and Ernest Neal, have over 3000 pipes at their disposal - each of which are quite sensitive to temperature, humidity, and dust.

The installation of the fire suppression system involved cutting holes in the vaults high over the pipes. Little flecks of plaster fell into the upright organ pipes causing annoying ciphers. Ernest Neal stretched plastic over the pipes to protect them while the vaults over the organ were painted.

The dust, the plastic, the scaffolding, and the commotion have left us with a detuned organ. Organ tuners from Broken Arrow are in the church this week carefully tuning each pipe. We can expect glorious music from our pipe organ this weekend.