Article
Resonating Faith: The Létourneau Organ at 20
by Steven Newberry
Twenty years ago, the birth of the grand Létourneau organ at St. John the Divine was part of an overall renovation of the worship space, which included acoustical improvements to enhance clarity and foster a sense of community in the spoken word, promote robust hymn singing, and support our choir program. Today, St. John the Divine is regarded as one of the finest acoustic spaces in the city.
As an organ is built into the structure of a building, the room itself is considered the most important stop on the organ. Whereas our church previously experienced a significant drop in sound energy from the front to the back, there is now very little loss, allowing for an immersive worship experience wherever one sits in the room.
St. John the Divine’s original organ and its chambers (the rooms which housed the pipes) suffered significant water damage over the years to the point that it made more sense to consider a new instrument instead of renovating the old ones, especially in conjunction with the renovation of the worship space, the significantly improved acoustics, and the burgeoning music program. In its design, we primarily needed a liturgical instrument that could faithfully accompany the traditional Anglican liturgy, the bedrock of our Anglican/Episcopal tradition. The organ needed to accompany congregations both large and small and to be able to have a range of stops and colors soft enough to accompany a single child’s voice up to that of a full orchestra or whole congregation on Easter with brass. Additionally, it needed to be able to faithfully play the breadth of the organ literature.
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the grand Létourneau organ this September, we look back in appreciation to those who stepped out in faith, seeing the future of music and worship at St. John the Divine. The instrument is well-used and is a blessed treasure to St. John the Divine and to the greater Houston community.
After traveling around the country to visit other organs, the organ committee selected the Létourneau company, a Canadian firm based outside of Montreal, to build our remarkable instrument, which features nearly 8,400 pipes. In August 2005, scores of volunteers, aided by scouts from Troup 55, formed an assembly line to help unload all the pipework and related equipment from the semi-trucks. We called the event “pass-a-pipe,” and pipework was subsequently spread throughout the nave and on top of all the pews.
After several months of installation and weeks of voicing, Peter Conte, the organist of the famed Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia, played the inaugural recital in 2006. Later that fall, the University of Houston Symphony Orchestra joined with organists John Gearhart and Steve Newberry to present two concerts of music for organ and orchestra, including Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony. Many other artists have performed here throughout the years, including Paul Jacobs, who appeared twice with ROCO. St. John the Divine also hosted the opening Eucharist in 2008 for the annual conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians. The organ was also a featured instrument for the 2016 biannual conference of the American Guild of Organists. Interestingly, when the Lutherans held their annual conference in Houston some years ago, they hosted their hymn festival at St. John Divine, featuring organist David Cherwien, due to our exceptional acoustics and organ.
The renovation of the space helped inspire the birth of ROCO and made it possible to offer choral and orchestra programs, such as the Christmas on the Boulevard concerts. Over the years, the organ has inspired us in many ways: weekly worship, the great festivals of Christmas and Easter, countless weddings and funerals, concerts, and recordings by outside groups – not to mention playing for weekly St. John’s School chapels.
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the grand Létourneau organ this September, we look back in appreciation to those who stepped out in faith, seeing the future of music and worship at St. John the Divine. The instrument is well-used and is a blessed treasure to St. John the Divine and the greater Houston community.
As part of our 20th anniversary celebration of the grand Létourneau organ, we welcome virtuoso organist Ken Cowen, who will offer a free concert on Saturday, September 20, at 5:00 pm. Ken is an associate professor of music at Rice University and one of North America’s finest concert organists. Praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique, and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, he maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues and churches in America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Admission is free, and we kindly request that you reserve your tickets in advance.