A Few Notes on the State of Our Organ

Photo of organist, Kyle Ballantine-Pollock, seated at the keyboard of Pilgrim's organ.

Pilgrim's pipe organ – The Boone-Harrell Memorial Organ, built by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company – has been the heartbeat of Pilgrim's worship since its dedication in 1967.

But after years of faithful service, it is showing its age. Stuck notes, unresponsive keys, worn leather components, and deteriorating wind regulators and reeds are affecting the instrument's reliability and tone, and the problems will only deepen if left unaddressed. In short, things are a little flat right now.

The church Council has established an Organ Evaluation Committee, comprised of Ami Nagle, Lee Sorensen, and Kim Wheaton, to secure an outside consultant to help Pilgrim determine the scope of need, receive bids from organ repair companies for any work that might need to be done, engage Pilgrims in learning about the organ and its current state and needs, and provide a report to Council with any recommendations on next steps — including potential funding required to get our organ back in full voice.

The work with the outside consultant is just getting underway. This summer, we will set aside time to share the history and operation of the organ — did you know there is a secret organ room upstairs in the choir loft? We'll keep you abreast as we learn more about what our amazing organ needs, and the decisions ahead for Pilgrim.

Stay tuned — this is a story with many more notes to come.

The organ has not missed a Sunday in 57 years. We’ve got work to do to make sure it doesn't have to start now. For more information, please contact the church office.