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The location for our Opus 37 wasn’t the only new feature being recognized during the dedication ceremony at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Berlin, NH this May.

The organ’s four facade doors, originally designed to protect pipes, now showcase paintings by Berlin artist Andre Belanger.  Andre describes the project,

“The images on these doors of the Bedient Organ Opus 37 are inspired by a concept that was stated at the time of the commission for the work:  angels playing instruments and making music.  There are artsy elements involved: color, rhythm, balance, harmony, movement, texture, dynamics, all words that one would expect in a music/painting composition.  But, math, geometry, fractal geometry, sacred geometry are actively at work here, as well.  The placement of angels, halos, instruments, hands, animals in the landscape, are positioned at key intersections of lines in the composition according to a concept often referred to as the The Golden Section, or The Golden Rectangle, or The Golden Mean, a constant proportion of square to rectangle that exists in nature virtually everywhere.  Like calculating the circumference of a circle using pi, this proportional measurement uses phi in its calculation.  It is often referred to as The Divine Measurement.

Note that there are halos around each angel, and halos around both a book and a scroll.  There are different colors bordering different groups of halos.  Hands gesture and are placed in mathematically chosen positions.  Eyes are symbolically opened or closed.  There are two angels, one with a hand held organ, one with a viola da gamba.  There is a metamorphosis from birds to angels.  Some angels are singing, some are not.  Wing gesture and color is significant.  Subtle skin tones play a part.  clothing is also important.  The instruments are inspired by Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque instruments.  The work is adorned with 23k gold leaf and pure silver leaf. The number of silver sections is  symbolic.  Suspended in the paint in two of the panels is a ground shell from the Sea of Galilee, some olive wood particles from Jerusalem and some earth from Berlin, NH.  If one examines this piece closely, many conscious decisions will surface.  The greatest part of the painting is that, if the viewer chooses to look deeply enough, one will perceive ‘the artist in all of us’.”

The dedication concludes an unsually mobile two years for the organ, which we first installed in Kingston, OK in 1993.  In 2008 we relocated the organ to Berlin, NH, after its owners, Dr. Susan Ferre’ and her husband moved to the neighboring town of Gorham, NH.  Ferre had loaned the organ and other vintage instruments to Chapel Arts, a private performance space and art gallery.  We then moved the 10 stop tracker organ to St. Barnabas in 2009 where Susan serves as organist.

Susan said, “since 1993 when the organ was made we had looked for the right artist to paint something celestial (perhaps angels holding instruments), or something pointing to history, but had not found the right person until we saw the work of Ander Belanger.  It happens by accident that his shop is located very near the church where the organ is now located…”

See more photos of the event here.

Bedient crew members Chad Johnson and Fred Zander installed two new sets of pipes–Great Trompete 8 and Swell Clarion 4.  Much of the building process for those pipes, made by our craftsmen, Duane Grosse and Eric Smith, can be seen on the Bedient Pipe Organ Facebook album: “Pipemaking”.

Chad and Fred also moved an existing Great Trompette to Swell, upgraded the organ’s memory system, regulated flue and reed pipes and tuned the organ.

Fred is seen here working on the Schlicker console.

Maybe it’s because our promotions tend to focus on our latest installations and renovations–which are naturally our most photogenic products. 

But, truthfully, pipe organ repair is not only one of our specialties, it is critical to our company’s existence.  Repairs are all we do between our new construction and renovation responsibilities.  We count on you to let us know when your organ suffers from dead or unwanted notes, air leaks, sticky or sluggish keys and any other malfunction.  Additionally, we are experts in pipe organ relocation, storage and protection during sanctuary painting and other renovation. 

Outdated combination action?  We can outfit your console with the latest Peterson Duo-Set combination action with programmable memory.  Not sure what is wrong with your pipe organ?  We’ll diagnose the problem–regardless of your instrument’s brand, size or age.

When it comes to pipe organ service–there are no unsolvable problems.  Call us toll free:  800-382-4225

Originally built for Ferre’s Oklahoma residence in 1993, the organ now features new case decoration by Andre Belanger called “rosemaling”. This Norwegian style of floral design now adorns the protective doors that close across the front of the organ facade pipes.  Bishop Gene Robinson will preside over the dedication.

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Our Facebook page features a wealth of great photos and videos of the pipe organ building process.  Updates automatically are sent to your page’s news feed.  There’s also a Facebook link button on the bottom right side of our homepage.

The Bedient crew returned to Iowa City this winter to reassemble a historically curious tracker organ at Trinity Episcopal Church.

The organ was removed as part of a major renovation project at Trinity that includes raising the sanctuary building to replace the 138-year-old foundation and revising the organ chamber. While most of the organ was stored in Iowa City, the remainder was brought to our Nebraska shop where Bedient craftspeople made numerous repairs including:

• Recover key tops with bone
• Repair casework, console and bench
• Repair and repaint facade pipes
• Repair trackers
• Modify swell box
• Refit/releather pipe stoppers and tuning sleeves
• Refurbish windchests

Our repairs are the latest in a long history of organ maintenance, renovation and replacement at Trinity. According to Organist Andrew Hicks’ essay chronicling the instruments at Trinity, the congregation has enjoyed organ music since 1862 when it purchased an Estey pump organ. Trinity may have been the site of Iowa’s first pipe organ, Hicks said, when a William A. Johnson’s Opus 201 was installed in 1866. That instrument was replaced in 1894 by another tracker, A. B. Felgemaker’s Opus 591.

An electropneumatic Kilgan replaced the Felgemaker in 1954, although pipes from the old tracker were retained. Finally, Hicks said, in 1983 Trinity replaced the Kilgan with the current instrument, a 1912 Pilcher (installed by George Bozeman), which had been displaced by the closing of a Methodist church in Ohio.

Looking at the organ today, one can clearly see the patchwork the organ has endured: Bozeman pipes within the cherry wood Felgemaker case that surrounds the quartered oak Pilcher console with gold painted Pilcher façade pipes topping it all. Yet, according to Hicks, “In its ninety-sixth year, and twenty-fifth year at Trinity, the Pilcher continues to provide a reliable foundation for the parish’s music and liturgy. With reasonable care, the instrument should last for generations to come.” Bedient Pipe Organ Company is proud to contribute to the survival of this historically significant instrument.