St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Toronto, OntarioA second project of ours to combine an interior renovation with an organ refurbishment, our work at St. Mary’s began in May of 2015 and concluded in May of 2016. The Canadian Organ Company organ of 1911 had sat silent in the balcony for over two decades. The pneumatic tubing to the console had been cut in order to move it, and two electronic organs had provided accompaniment to worship before our work began.The pipework and console were removed to our shop for cleaning and refurbishment. The console shell and insert remains original; only its interior was modified to accept the new Classic Organ Works controls. The chamber was cleaned, two reservoirs were releathered (one had its top missing!?—see the photo for the reconstruction), primary actions and swell mechanisms were electrified, and the blower was replaced.This two-manual organ of 22 stops represents the high orchestral style of the day, with a preponderance of 8-foot tone, and both Great and Swell under separate expression. One stop, the Labial Trumpet of the Great, had been removed some time ago, and a mixture now stands in its place. Otherwise the organ is tonally unaltered, and speaks beautifully into the gallery of this acoustically and visually stunning building.

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