Our Organ's History
The organ at Trinity was installed in 1960 by Casavant Frères and is one of the finer organs in the Southern Tier. It is a three-manual instrument with 38 ranks of pipes, as well as three recently added electronic ranks (16', 32', 32') in the pedal division. A versatile instrument, it adds greatly to the worship experience of the parish.
Our organ's specifications are available below.
The organ was a gift of generous parish supporters, Conrad and Virginia Klee.
The dedicatory recital was performed on September 26, 1960 by internationally acclaimed organist (and former parish son) M. Searle Wright.
In 2010 the organ was mechanically updated with solid state controls and extensive re-leathering.
Wilbur Dodge and John Gulick participated in this project as on-site technicians.
In 2018 the chancel was revised to make the originally fixed chancel pews removable; new chancel steps improved musical performance opportunities in the Nave, and the organ received significant attention. Under the direction of Timothy E. Smith, fifteen stops were moved or added, including a seven-stop Nave division to bolster congregational singing. A new three-manual console sits a top a rolled platform, allowing the organist to be seen during performance.
Conrad and Virginia Klee, with organist Flora Staps at right, in 1960 newspaper clipping photo.
Music
Great music has been a staple of our parish life for generations. It enriches our worship services, and we offer Evensong and CandleChant services throughout the year for a more contemplative service.
Our organ plays an important part in all of those.