summary of work done since Nov 2020 – 1876 Henry Erben Organ Waterbury CT

…to complete the restoration of the 1876 Erben organ at St. Patrick’s Waterbury: the 3rd largest surviving organ built by Henry Erben (1800-1884) and, at the time of its construction, the 2nd largest church organ in New England. Originally built for St. Patrick Church in Hartford; following its September 21, 1876 inauguration, the Hartford Daily Courant hailed it as “an instrument of magnificent volume and of perfect tone…a very superior instrument in all respects”.

We are seeking donors…

…who wish to sponsor and/or memorialize one of several components of our magnificent organ’s restoration. This will be acknowledged in a beautiful commemorative plaque in the rear of the church. Although approximately $300,000 worth of restoration work on your organ already has been done–at almost NO cost to St. Patrick parish–donors are needed to continue the restoration.

Components Still Needed:

$15,000 for New Control System inside Console.

The Control System is the ‘brains’ of the organ, which allows the console’s 3 manual keyboards and pedal keyboard to play the pipes, and allows the organist to turn various sets (“ranks”) of pipes on or off to create innumerable variations of organ tone. Although this phase of the organ restoration will allow 1/3rd of the organ to be used, the new Control System component inside the console is designed to control the entire organ when the remaining 2/3rds is restored. So this particular component is a one-time expenditure.

pictured below: sample of organ control system components

pictured below: our organ console originally played a pipe organ in Boston. It currently is controlling electronic sounds coming from speakers. However, it soon will be connected to our restored pipe organ via the new control system.

$15,000 for digital switches (“relays”) under pipes

This is the component directly under the pipes and will allow the pipes to sound for the first time in many decades.

pictured below: a typical arrangement of electronic relay switches (aka chamber drivers) for a large pipe organ. This typically is mounted in the organ’s maintenance area, under or behind the organ.

$4,000 for 9 Slider Solenoids.

9 have been installed!

These are 10-inch-long electromagnetic solenoids which turn the various sets (“ranks”) of pipes on or off, by pulling or pushing a 9-foot long mahogany “slider”. This opens or closes the 58 holes at the bottom of a rank of pipes. 9 solenoids will allow 1/3rd of the organ to be heard for the first time in many years. $12,000 will pay for 29 additional slider solenoids: enough for the entire organ to be heard for the first time in decades.

photo below: a typical organ slider pull-push solenoid

$3,000 for one Swell Shade Motor

TWO have been Installed!

Two sections of the organ are enclosed in large wooden rooms (“chambers”). The fronts of these rooms have shutters (“shades”) which the organist can open and close with a foot pedal to control the volume. The existing shade motors no longer work.

$45,000 to Repair, regulate–and finally tune!–the pipes

photo below: an organ tuner/technician tuning a large organ, which requires climbing inside the organ via several ladders and narrow walkways.

Photo below: some of the more heavily damaged pipes inside St. Patrick’s organ. Although your parishioner Chris Schaefer (while working as president of Valley Organ Restoration Co LLC) already has repaired numerous pipes, some more heavily damaged pipes like those pictured below need to be taken to an organ builder’s specialized shop for repair.

Private Tour!

To view inside the organ, see the work that already has been done over the past four years, get a detailed demonstration of the needed components listed above, and an explanation of how you can help, call parishioner Chris Schaefer at 203-668-6348 or email him at SchaeferChristopher@Yahoo.com

> A NEW pipe organ the size of yours would cost over $1,000,000!
> Total cost for all of the above: c. $85,000.
> To sponsor a component, contact our pastor Canon Matthew Weaver 203-756-8837 or email him: stpatrick@icksp.org or contact Chris Schaefer via phone number/email address above.
> Over the past four years approximately $300,000 worth of restoration work on your organ already has been done–at minimal cost to your parish–by Valley Organ Restoration Co LLC (Christopher Schaefer, Principal & company founder): Summary of Work Done since Nov 2020 summary of work done since Nov 2020 – 1876 Henry Erben Organ Waterbury CT

> History of your parish organ: About the Waterbury Erben organ – 1876 Henry Erben Organ Waterbury CT