Heritage gem needs overhaul
Stephanie Burr
Staff writer
February 18, 2008
Oliver Robinow
Robert Holliston practices on St. Paul’s heritage pipe organ in preparation for the Feb. 29 fundraising concert.
It’s doubtful many people know about the heritage gem inside St. Paul’s Church located on the corner of Esquimalt Rd. and Grafton St.
Beside the pulpit is a 115-year-old pipe organ that delivers a swell of sacred and secular music during Sunday service and special occassions.
But time has taken its toll on the prized musical instrument, so the Friends of St. Paul’s Historic Naval and Garrison Church are fundraising in order to refurbish it.
A recital and reception is planned for Feb 29. Tickets are $50 for adults, with a $25 tax receipt, $10 for students, and will be available at the door.
“We hope everyone comes out to hear what Canadian history sounds like when played in a historic naval church. The concert promises to be truly breathtaking,” says Ruth D’Hollander, chair of Friend of St. Paul’s Esquimalt group.
Robert Holliston, Head of Collaborative Piano Studies at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, will play the organ, and Gwen Thompson Robinow, member of the Order of Canada, will accompany him on the violin.
“We’re thrilled to be part of such a noble cause,” says Robinow. “The organ is a masterpiece and a truly historic instrument that should be saved so future generations can enjoy it as we have.”
The heritage organ was hand built in 1891 by P. Conacher & Co. Ltd, a company still in existence in England. It’s made from pitch pine wood with draw-stop knobs made out of rosewood and hand-carved ivory.
“The sounds that come from the organ are absolutely majestic,” says D’Hollander. “When it’s played, the whole church is filled with its rich, fluid music.”
The organ was originally built for St. John’s Church in Victoria but was bought by St. Paul’s in 1912 when the church moved from Signal Hill to its current location.
The only major change made to the organ has been the wind used to power the organ it has moved from hand-pumped to an electric motor.
“It’s still able to be powered by the hand pump,” says D’Hollander. “In 2003, Esquimalt had a power outage during service so we used the hand pump and carried on.”
Each section of the organ needs to be dismantled and rebuilt because the glue used to build it is disintegrating. There are four main divisions in the organ each with its own wind chest: great organ, swell organ, choir organ and pedal organ. The great organ has 560 holes that have deteriorated, which allows wind leakage leading to a loss of power and unwelcome noises.
“We’ve done our very best to keep it in its original state during the years we’ve cared for it, but after so long it’s inevitable that things have begun to deteriorate,” she says.
For more information call 383-2156.
