Our 1956 Estey Pipe Organ Console had served us well but was in serious disrepair. Although the pipes were still in good working order, hundreds of electrical contacts within the organ console had deteriorated creating a safety hazard and causing inconsistent playing of keys. After a full evaluation by an organ repair specialist, we were advised to replace the organ console.
Following considerable research and evaluating multiple options, a lightly used 2010 hybrid Rodgers Organ Console was located. The hybrid capability of this console allows it to integrate with our existing Estey pipe organ as well as play independently through electronic speakers. It also offers additional organ voices for expanded and richer sounds.
The cost to replace the Estey Organ Console with the Rodgers Organ Console was estimated to be $50,000. The church was very fortunate to already have $20,000 in organ designated funds available from two memorials, the Natalie Smith Fund and the Rosenberger funds. On May 31, 2020, the full church voted to approve the organ revitalization effort to utilize the memorial funds and to initiate a 6-month $30,000 fundraising effort to reach the $50,000 goal.
During June 2020, we developed a fundraising plan and launched this effort in July. Thanks to the generosity of congregation members and friends of the church, we were able to raise the needed $30,000 in only 4 months reaching our goal by the end of September 2020. The new organ console was installed in the fall of 2020 and the full integration of the new console with the existing pipe organ was completed during the summer of 2021.
A photo of the 2010 Rodgers Masterpiece T838 Organ Console appears below:
Following considerable research and evaluating multiple options, a lightly used 2010 hybrid Rodgers Organ Console was located. The hybrid capability of this console allows it to integrate with our existing Estey pipe organ as well as play independently through electronic speakers. It also offers additional organ voices for expanded and richer sounds.
The cost to replace the Estey Organ Console with the Rodgers Organ Console was estimated to be $50,000. The church was very fortunate to already have $20,000 in organ designated funds available from two memorials, the Natalie Smith Fund and the Rosenberger funds. On May 31, 2020, the full church voted to approve the organ revitalization effort to utilize the memorial funds and to initiate a 6-month $30,000 fundraising effort to reach the $50,000 goal.
During June 2020, we developed a fundraising plan and launched this effort in July. Thanks to the generosity of congregation members and friends of the church, we were able to raise the needed $30,000 in only 4 months reaching our goal by the end of September 2020. The new organ console was installed in the fall of 2020 and the full integration of the new console with the existing pipe organ was completed during the summer of 2021.
A photo of the 2010 Rodgers Masterpiece T838 Organ Console appears below:
