History lesson: The Tabernacle Organ
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| Millions of Latter-day Saints around the world sing from a hymnal with what may be one of the most iconic images of our faith, the Tabernacle Organ pipes. But what is the story behind the organ and how did it come to be? It's a blessing to sing in front of them every Sunday, so this week, as we welcome the American Guild of Organists to Salt Lake, I learned more about this amazing instrument. |
As my time in the choir continues I am constantly reminded of how much I am part of a history much larger and grander than my own. I began this blog largely to document my life in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for my daughter and my future posterity, but I would be remiss if I did not include some of the histories of the choir before I joined. In this instance, the magnificent organ. I sit at its feet every week and we make music together but what is the story behind it?
I found out that its history is both interesting and miraculous and coincidentally, this week we are welcoming the American Guild of Organists to Salt Lake. If you want to hear the organ in all of it's glory under the hand of master musicians, Tuesday is the night to do it. It will be amazing.
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| Joseph Ridges said, “I am very proud of that organ, as proud as the proudest father could be of a distinguished son, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that when I am laid away to rest that that organ will continue to stand as a memorial of the trials and difficulties that were overcome by the pioneers, breathing out strains of sweet music to delight future generations.” |
The story of the Tabernacle organ begins with a boy
The story of the Tabernacle organ begins with a boy in England. He was prepared, by what I consider, providence. Prepared at a young age to build the Tabernacle organ in Salt Lake City.
Joseph Ridges was born on April 27, 1827, in a little suburban town on the outskirts of Southhampton, England. Across the street from his home was an organ factory. As a very young boy, Joseph became an avid student of organ construction. Through one of the workmen who took interest in him, he learned the business of organ building. Joseph loved organs and reported later in his life that he would manage to have himself locked in the church chapel so he could study the organ.
At the age of 23, Joseph was enticed by a group of young men to seek gold in Sydney, Australia. Shortly after arriving in Australia he met the missionary of the church. He was converted.
He continued prospecting but he also worked at night on a project that would make him world famous - that of building an organ. It was the first organ to be built in Australia. It garnered a lot of attention. Among those who came to see it was Elder Farnham, the Presiding Elder of the Church in Australia. He boldly asked Brother Ridges to give the organ to the church and Brother Ridges agreed. In 1855 the organ was boxed up and with donations from the members in Australia, it was shipped across the Pacific Ocean to California. Brother Ridges took charge of shipping the organ. From California, the organ was hauled by wagon to Salt Lake.
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| The Old Tabernacle and Bowery, 1950. |
Upon reaching Salt Lake the organ was “set up” in the rear of the “Old Tabernacle,” an adobe building which stood near the site of the present Tabernacle. When it was being set up someone asked President Brigham Young who would play it. Brigham Young said, “The Lord will provide men to do all things that are necessary.” Joseph J. Daynes, a young convert from England and a highly musical lad, was the answer.
Earlier, Brigham Young met saints arriving from England and he heard an 11-year-old Joseph J. Daynes playing a melodeon and he said, "There is our organist for the great Tabernacle organ."
It was on October 11, 1857, that this talented young man began a thirty-three-year career as the chief organist of the community. He became the Tabernacle organist at age sixteen.
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| Joseph Daynes, first organist of the Tabernacle organ |
Eventually the “Old Tabernacle” was torn down and no one knows what happened to that original organ. The Journal History of the Church states simply that it was moved “south.”
When the Tabernacle was nearing completion, a committee urged President Brigham Young to build an organ in the new structure. President Young was pleased with the idea and sought the advice of Joseph, Ridges, the one and only organ builder immediately available. Brother Ridges through the project feasible and prepared a sketch of an organ which he was quite sure could be built in the Tabernacle. On seeing the sketch President Young said, “Joseph if you will make that organ, there is nothing you want which you cannot have.”
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| Building of the Tabernacle. |
The story of the actual building of the organ is best told by Brother Ridges in his own words.
“We had no material except wood in that early day in Utah, so I went to Boston and New York an purchased what material we had to have, expending about $900.00 --- all that could be spared from the Church funds.That was the start of it. I returned to Salt Lake over the old stage line with the material and erected a shop right inside the Tabernacle walls. President Young asked me how much the organ would weigh. I told him between eighty and ninety tons, so he had a platform built capable of supporting that weight. In the ship, I put up a small model of the organ, and every pipe that went into the instrument was tested and voiced and tuned from this little instrument.For a while, we were in doubt as to whether the wood in the canyons in Utah would be suitable for the work. I went out in the territory north and south with a teamster, and together we selected and hauled much of the wood that was put into the organ. It was nearly all yellow pine. Over in Grass Creek, I remember, my teamster and I had a narrow escape from the Indians who at that time were very hostile in parts of the state.But finally, we had enough timber inside the walls of the Tabernacle and the year following, while they were putting on the roof, the first piece of wood in the frame of the organ was put into place.Now there was not a man in Utah who knew the first thing about an organ. I had to take each one of the ten assistants they gave me and instruct him in every move. The trees had been sawed at President Young’s mill in the canyon and from large timbers about the size of half logs we had to saw out by hand every piece and place them one at a time.No wonder it took years of toil. We were twelve years building the organ. It had 2,000 pipes when I got through with it, and these pipes were nearly all of wood, ranging in size from two feet to thirty-two feet in length. The biggest, the thirty-two-foot pipe, is the one that shakes the seats in the building to this day. It was the most difficult to tune and voice. It took almost a month to get it perfect.“(At one time) I had a visit from fifteen members of Henry Ward Beecher’s congregation, and they said they had recently purchased a new organ supposed to be the greatest in the land, but that they had to admit that the Tabernacle organ was its superior. I often received encouragement of this kind or I never should have accomplished the twelve years’ task.”
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| Original pipes from the Tabernacle Choir organ |
Timber from Pine Valley in southern Utah to Salt Lake City was used in building the organ. Hauling it a distance of three hundred miles was a tremendous task. A story is told by Robert Gardner who ran the sawmill in Pine Valley where the timber was sawed into the proper lengths for transporting.
Brother Gardner’s daughter, Sarah, and William Meeks, a workman at the mill, decided to marry. They planned to go to Salt Lake City to have the ceremony performed in the Endowment House. Someone convinced them to take a load of organ timber to Salt Lake with them. The logs were loaded on the running gear of the wagon, and the wagon box was placed on top of the logs. Two yokes of oxen were hitched to the wagon, the wedding party mounted the wagon box, and the long journey was begun. It took three weeks to negotiate the three hundred miles to Salt Lake City --- camping out every night.
On October 6, 1867, the date of the first General Conference held in the new Tabernacle, the organ was used to accompany the choir. It was far from completed but was playable. President Young thought it proper to say something of the unfinished condition of the organ.
“Not over one-third of the pipes are up, and until the casing is built we have thrown a loose garment around it. It is now only about fifteen feet high, but when completed it will be forty feet high. Brother Ridges and those who have labored with him, have done the best they could, but notwithstanding their diligence by early day, noon, and night, they have been unable to have the organ completed. It is however, in a condition to accompany the choir, and I am pleased with it.”
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| This postcard shows the installation of the organ, sans pipes, during construction on Temple Square. Photo credit: Brent Ashworth |
1969 - Two years later, George Careless became the conductor of the choir. He arranged a concert. It was to include the choir, organ, and orchestra. AT the first rehearsal it was discovered that the pitch of the organ was so low that the clarinets could not be tuned to it. It took Henry Giles, assistant organist, and Shure Olsen, a help, ten days to saw off the pipes and make other adjustments to raise the pitch of the organ so that it could be used with the orchestra.
1875 - The Tabernacle organ was dedicated by John Taylor.
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| Garlands drape in the Tabernacle after the death of Brigham Young |
1877 - Brigham Young passes away.
In 1885 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Niels Johnson who had been an assistant to Brother Ridges.
In 1895 a hydraulic system was installed to pump the organ. A part of City Creek was diverted into the Tabernacle, over a water wheel, and then allowed to run out the west side of the Tabernacle grounds. The power from this pumped the organ. The daily organ recitals were inaugurated by Professor Joseph J. Daynes.
1901 - The organ was rebuilt by the Kimball Organ Company of Chicago. On the evening of January 1, 1901, just before reconstruction, a testimonial was given to Joseph Ridges. A tremendous crowd gathered to pay tribute to him. When he was introduced as the original builder of the organ, the choir and congregation arose and gave vent to a great burst of applause. Brother Ridges stood and bowed, but it was plain to see he was much affected by the demonstration. The organ is enlarged by the Kimball Company, and a complete pneumatic action was installed. The console was detached from the organ and moved down front. Electric blowers were also installed. Most of the pipes built by Elder Ridges were retained.
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| 1905 interior of the Tabernacle for the celebration of the birth of Joseph Smith |
1908 - Daily organ recitals begin.
1910 - Columbia Phonographic Company created the first recording of the choir and organ.
1915 the pneumatic action in the console as built by the Kimball Company failed to fulfill expectations of its durability. The Austin Company of Hartford, Connecticut, was engaged to install a new console and to electrify the old pneumatic action and install new chests. Two fifteen-foot wings were also added to the organ, making the frontage sixty-one feet in width. This work was completed by April 7, 1916, at which time a grand concert was given commemorating the event.
1926 - twenty-two sets of pipes were added to the organ.
1940 - Six more ranks were installed, making at that time a grand total of one hundred ranks with 6,978 pipes.
1948 - Donald Harrison, eminent English organ builder and president of the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, was engaged in rebuilding the organ completely. Mr. Harrison announced this would be a “swan” song in organ building. The gigantic task was completed January 19, 1949.
1985 - Organ console is shipped to San Francisco for renovation and the organ received a new keyboard.
1994 - The Organ Historical Society recognized the Tabernacle organ for its historical significance.
2005 - The Tabernacle undergoes seismic renovation and so does the organ. Rocky Mountain Organ is charged with working with the organ.
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| Reinstallation of pipes during renovation of the Tabernacle |
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| Cleaned pipes behind the facade after the renovation of the Tabernacle |
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| The Tabernacle Choir and organ |
The current organ is largely the work of G. Donald Harrison of the former Aeolian-Skinner organ firm. It was completed in 1948 and contains 11,623 pipes, 147 voices (tone colors) and 206 ranks (rows of pipes). Schoenstein & Co. President and tonal director Jack Bethards describes it as an "American classic organ" and "probably one of the most perfect organs ever built."
Vestiges of the past (new and old)
There are (as of this moment) four stops that are part of the original organ Joseph Ridges built over 150 years ago. The ten large visible wooden pipes in the front are originals from Joseph Ridges. Other pipes added by subsequent builders which are of desirable quality have also been kept and are a part of the present instrument.
I am new to the choir but these pipes have existed long before me and will be here long after I am gone. It's a blessing now to intertwine my own history with this history and join my voice in making music that will outlast my own life. Just like Joseph Ridges said,
"...I have the satisfaction of knowing that when I am laid away to rest that that organ will continue to stand as a memorial of the trials and difficulties that were overcome by the pioneers, breathing out strains of sweet music to delight future generations.”
