Return Of The Hazel Wright Pipe Organ At Christ Cathedral
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- A moment I’ve been waiting for for a VERY LONG TIME!!! The return of Christ Cathedral’s beloved pipe organ Hazel Wright.
After years of neglect and being run into the ground, this poor organ had fallen into a sad state of disrepair during its final years under Chrystal Cathedral’s ownership.
But all of that changed in 2013 when the Catholic Church’s Diocese Of Orange County, bought Christ Cathedral, and set to work on restoring both the Cathedral, and the beloved pipe organs inside.
In late 2013-early 2014, Hazel was torn out, disassembled, and shipped off to Italy for a full restoration. She returned in 2016, and remained in storage while the Cathedral was undergoing a full restoration and transformation into a Catholic Church.
The organ was then reinstalled at the end of 2019, and tuning began in early 2020.
Sadly the revoicing came to grinding halt when the pandemic struck, and an international travel ban was put in place. The Ruffatti team had to stop work on the organ, and she sat collecting dust for 2 years.
A Walker Digital Organ was rented and filled in while Hazel waited for her restoration to be completed.
In the end of 2021 work resumed, but there were set backs when a nasty flood in the basement damaged the blower motors, and when the console was deactivated, one of the computers blew up. Was this organ ever gonna sing again?
Fortunately Team Ruffatti fixed the problems, replaced the damaged blowers, replaced the blown computers, and resumed the final stages of revoicing.
Then on Monday February 7, 2022 at 4:30 pm, the restoration of the Mighty Hazel Wright Pipe Organ had finally been completed.
And here today on February 12, 2022, we finally get to hear her sing for Christ Cathedral’s Saturday 4:30 Mass!!!
After overcoming so much agony, frustration, and providing tender loving care, the Magnificent Hazel Wright Organ is back, is singing once again, and will be for years to come.
During the whole mass, I was in tears for words could not describe how amazing it was to hear this magnificent instrument sing.
What’s so special about Christ Cathedral’s Pipe Organ Hazel you ask?
Well, she was named after someone really special that had something to do with the organ, but I unfortunately do not know the whole story. However I do know that she was dedicated to music.
The big reason is though, Hazel Wright is the 5th largest working pipe organ in the world and is now both the largest Catholic Church Organ and Largest Cathedral Organ on the entire North American Continent boasting at 5 manuals (keyboards), 293 ranks, and 17,106 working pipes.
A big congratulations goes out to Bishop Kevìn Van, Father Christopher Smith, Team Ruffatti, Organist David L. Ball, The Hazel Wright Organ Society, and everyone else involved with bringing this magnificent instrument back to life!
This video does not do this pipe organ justice.
And I made sure I had David Ball’s permission to post this video before posting it. ;)
Wonderful 😍
As I understand it Hazel Wright was a faithful watcher of the Hour of Power TV program of Robert Schuller's & when an appeal went out for funds to build a great organ for the Crystal Cathedral she responded with major funding to start building the new organ. A major part of the organ is an Aoelian Skinner instrument that was previously installed in Avery Fisher Concert Hall in NYC. The rest is Ruffatti . I am not sure who built the main console, but I believe M.P. Moller built the second console in the balcony.
Yes, MP Moller did build the new console in the balcony in 1990 to replace the original five manual Rufatti from the Arboretum sanctuary.
The older chancel Rufatti console from the 1980's was left in place...albeit looking slightly faded from years in the sunlight. It originally had dark natural keys and lighter colored sharps. Both consoles look to have been totally refurbished, with an ebony & ivory aesthetic on both.
Some interesting history on the Moller: That console, along with the subsequent contract for twin five manual consoles over at FCCLA were among the last major console projects to ever come out of the Hagerstown, MD factory.
Story I heard from several organists was M.P. Moller was seeking any opportunity to show off their new image. And as such, shortsightedly underbid both projects to win the contracts. These in turn were major causes of their financial collapse in 1992.
And in the case of the FCCLA consoles, MP Moller built and delivered one of the two, then went bankrupt. The second FCCLA console was finished by the Hagerstown Organ Company.
Hazel Wright gave one million dollars toward the building of the new organ in Crystal Cathedral. This was back in the 80's I believe where 1M could buy you alot of organ.
Thank you for that correction, KSL
I’m happy for the restoration, but the music in the video certainly doesn’t do the instrument justice as a demonstration of it’s capabilities. Hopefully you will post more videos in the future.
Does the Cathedral plan to offer organ concerts?
Right you are. This video doesn’t do this magnificent instrument justice at all, not even close. This was also shot from my old dying IPhone 7 before I upgraded to the new 13 a couple weeks later.
As for organ concerts, yes!!! The Cathedral has LOTS in store for Hazel, and a rededication organ concert is in the works.
It says "return of the Hazel Wright pipe organ." Where did it go? What happened to it?
It’s a long story that’s in the description. :)