SIERRA VISTA — Ed Raymond is carefully arranging long wooden vertical shutters in neat rows across a sidewalk, getting them ready to paint.
When they're finished, the shutters, which look much like vertical Venetian blinds, will be mounted behind a screened area in the sanctuary of St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church.
"They're going to control the volume of music from our new pipe organ," Raymond said while opening a can of white paint.
As one of the church's parishioners, Raymond has been helping with the installation of a 1949 Moller organ, a project organ builder Michael O'Sullivan has been working on since August 2007.
Once installed, the three-manual organ, with its 1,750 pipes, will be the largest pipe organ in southeastern Arizona. St. Andrew Church purchased the organ when O'Sullivan learned about a Baptist church in Racine, Wis., that wanted to sell the majestic instrument. O'Sullivan traveled to the church, played the organ and listened to its sound. Satisfied with what he heard, he took it apart and arranged to have it shipped to Sierra Vista, where it would be the newest addition to St. Andrew Church's music program.
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"It's a nice organ," O'Sullivan said. "I've taken care of other Moller organs of this vintage, so I have something to compare it to. And I was happy with how this one sounds."
The installation project has taken on a heightened pitch in recent weeks.
O'Sullivan has been working on the organ nearly every day since its arrival but is now scrambling to get it installed in time for a three-day Organ Recital and Festival, which begins Friday at St. Andrew the Apostle.
"My goal is to have everything ready before the festival," he said, while sorting through a maze of wiring. "That way, anything that needs adjusting can be fixed ahead of time."
The console, which is where the organist sits and controls the keyboards, pedals and stops, is currently in a shop in Marana.
"Right now the console is getting wired and will be ready in a few days," O'Sullivan said.
The organ's pipes will be housed in two closed-in chambers and will not be visible in the church sanctuary. The console, however, will be located in the church choir area in full view.
"This whole room will be completely filled with pipes," said Raymond, as he peered into one of the 10-by-17-foot chambers where O'Sullivan was lying flat on his back on the floor, still sorting through the wiring. "Once it's fully installed, this room will be completely filled with pipes. Some people think the console is the organ, but the console is only part of it, the keyboard. All of these parts in this room actually make up the organ."
O'Sullivan expected to have the large pipes installed more than a week ago, and the smaller pipes installed last week.
He plans to attend the organ festival and recital all three days the different events are under way.
"This organ has been through such a trauma, I just want to be around to make sure all goes well," he said. "It's always hard on an organ when you take it apart and ship it somewhere. I didn't work on this (organ) for this long to abandon it at the end."
The 60-year-old organ has a lot of good years left in it, O'Sullivan added. "There are pipe organs still in use in churches in Europe that are 400 to 500 years old," he said.
Rebecca Williams, who is the church's director of music, believes the organ will be a "wonderful addition" to the community.
"Even though there have been many obstacles we've had to overcome, I always knew this was going to happen," she said. "It's the beginning of an expression of joy for our community."
Karen Stahl, who chairs the festival committee, shares Williams' enthusiasm.
"The installation of this fine organ is an exciting undertaking for the St. Andrew's church community. The beautiful new church is a fitting home for this lovely instrument."
