St. Dunstan’s Campaign to Build a
Tracker Action Pipe Organ
Why a Tracker Organ?
“Much inspiration and
healing can come by our
creating the most beautiful
music possible, and to that
very end, we envision a
beautiful organ suited to our
space.” —Dr. Steve Denmark
A Tracker Action Organ
is an organ that allows for
maximum expressiveness in
playing by minimizing
electrical components.
Tracker organs in Europe
and the United States stand
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as works of art, and last for
hundreds of years.
Our goal is to work with
the renowned artists at
Dobson Pipe Organ
Builders of Lake City, Iowa,
who have built organs for
spaces as small as private
homes, and as large as the
new Roman Catholic
Cathedral in Los Angeles.
We aim to grace the
Monterey Peninsula with an
artistic treasure, and a lasting
legacy for future generations
to enjoy.
“The primary focus of
our design work for this
project is the support and
encouragement of song, and
secondarily, the performance
of related solo literature in
the context of worship. . . .
The support of worship is
the organ’s sacred task, and
nothing is more important to
us in the design and
construction of an organ for
St. Dunstan's. Our hope is
that the organ will further
serve as a model of artistic
excellence not only for your
church but the greater
Episcopal community and
the region.”
—Dobson Pipe Organ
Builders, Ltd.
“Music touches the heart
in ways that words alone
can’t touch. Music is both
spiritual and physical. It
surrounds us in the air,
inviting us to add our own
voices to it, in addition to
our prayers.
“A pipe organ has the
special advantage of
physicality. Unlike with an
electric organ that only
samples and plays back pipe
organ sounds, the actual
wood, air, leather and metal
of a true pipe
organ create
movements in the
air that evoke an
exciting response,
and that can even
cause your
clothing to vibrate!
“I am
impressed by the
way that the organ
builders at Dobson
take care to tune
their instruments
to their unique
spaces—both
sonically and visually. They
are artists. They pour their
hearts into every instrument
they create. A Dobson organ
on the Monterey Peninsula
would be something to really
celebrate.”
—The Rev. Rob Fisher,
Rector of St. Dunstan’s
—A Statement from Dobson
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Our organ will have pipes as small as
a straw and as large as small tree. It
will be a treasure for our entire musicand arts-oriented community.
Bach himself was a tester
of pipe organs, and he called
the organ the “king of
instruments.” Pipe organs
have been used since Old
Testament times, and as they
blend voicing across various
kinds of pipes, there is
nothing better suited for
leading a congregation in
singing.
While the Monterey
Peninsula is a place where
the arts are enthusiastically
embraced, there is a shortage
of fine pipe organs that are
perfectly suited to their
performance spaces. There is
only one tracker organ
currently, and that was
designed for a different
space than the room where it
is now played.
We see a great
opportunity for making St.
Dunstan’s Church in sunny
and accessible Carmel Valley
a new and cherished venue
for community musical
gatherings, for education,
and for for spiritual uplift.
What makes a tracker action
organ special?
Many modern pipe
organs have electronic
components that send
signals from the keyboard to
the pipes. With a tracker
organ, the keyboard is
physically connected to the
mechanism that releases air
into the pipes. This is the
ancient way of building
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organs. It allows for greater
expression, and it also
performs better over time.
“I was very pleased to
learn that St. Dunstan’s
Church plans to install a
first-rate tracker action organ
in its Carmel Valley
sanctuary. New venues for
the performance of fine
music enhance the cultural
scene in Monterey County,
and make beautiful music
available for more people. I
encourage community
support for the organ project
at St. Dunstan’s”
—Betsey Pearson, President
The Carmel Bach Festival
The Proposed Instrument
16 Registers • 17 Stops • 16 Ranks • 909 Pipes
Details of Construction:
• Attached console with two
manuals
• Keyboard compass of 58
notes
• Pedal compass of 32 notes
• Manual keyboards have bone
naturals and ebony sharps
• Pedalboard has hard maple
naturals and teak sharps
• Drawknobs placed in vertical
jambs
• Music rack and pedalboard
lights
• Bench with height adjustment
blocks
• Console mirrors (removable)
• Mechanical key action for the
manuals; electric key action
for the Pedal
• Electric stop action with 10
level solid-state combination
action
• Bone-colored thumb pistons
with black engraving
• Toe pistons of polished brass
with inset black rubber
surfaces
• Freestanding case made of
white oak
• Double-thickness swell box
with tightly fitted shades
• Balanced rosewood Swell
shoe with brass toe plate
(mechanical action)
• Walkboards, ladders and
case lights provided for ease
of tuning and maintenance
• Quiet-running blower in
silencing enclosure
Please note that this is not a finalized list and is subject to change. If sufficient funds are available, there
is a hope of enhancing this instrument further.
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How this dream will become a reality
Early donations ranging from $300 to $70,000 have already come in, giving us a
total of just under $140,000 toward the campaign already.
We must raise $750,000 to build this organ. There are a number of identified
giving levels which will be gratefully acknowledged:
$500,000
Visionary Level—with naming rights
$100,000
Jennifer Denmark Memorial Level
$50,000
Patron Saint Level
$10,000
Archangel Level
Up to $9,999 Angel Level
All who contribute in any way will be invited to a special concert and
celebration when the finished instrument is debuted.
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There are many advantageous ways to give.
If you would like to see this project become a reality, here are ways you might be
able to leverage your support. We have experts that can guide you in setting up
any of the following:
u A pledge of installments over time.
u A “Life Income” gift, such as a pooled income fund, charitable gift
annuity or charitable remainder trust.
u A Living Trust gift of a pledged asset (such as a home) that can be used
to secure major funding for the Organ yet will allow the donor to
maintain their residence until it is no longer needed. In the event that we
receive such a gift, we have secured financing arrangements from
Thrivent Financial for this project. This would be especially apt for
reaching the Visionary Level with accompanying naming rights.
Please contact The Rev. Rob Fisher (831-402-9000, [email protected]) or
Dr. Michael Hendrickson, chair of the Organ Campaign (831-624-6646,
[email protected]) for further information.
We thank you for your interest and your support!
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The Organ Project Q&A
How soon will the organ be
built?
Currently, Dobson’s schedule could complete the organ within 2 years.
How much will the project
cost?
We need to raise $750,000. *We will not begin this project until all the
money has been raised.
By when do we have to raise
the funds?
We have until September 2014 to raise the funds. At that time, the price
may increase as materials on the world market will rise in value.
Have we secured a place in
Dobson’s building schedule?
Yes! We have submitted a design and schedule retainer, with 10% of the
cost, following the wishes of the earliest two donors, which has secured
our place in Dobson’s build schedule. (Right behind us will be a project
for St. Thomas Fifth Avenue in New York which has engaged Dobson to
replace their famous organ.)
How will this new organ
compare to the other organs
on the Peninsula?
It will be one of only two tracker-action pipe organs on the peninsula,
and will be the only one designed for the space in which it is installed.
This organ will mesh a sensitive and subtle tactile connection at the
keyboard to an extremely warm and rich sound. It will serve the needs
of church worship, weddings, memorials, and other community
concerts such as those for the Bach Festival.
What will be the uniqueness
of musical sounds made by
this organ?
This organ will be designed so that its stops or tones will blend with one
another. No single stop will stand out against the rest, and the stops,
while individually beautiful, will best fulfill their roles when used in
community with one another. Each stop will have its own particular
quality of tone to add to the mix.
What are the maintenance
costs of such a pipe organ?
This organ would be expected to require tuning once or twice per year
and cost as little as $300 to $600 per year. Currently our electronic
organ maintenance is $1000 to $2000 per annum.
Physical Address: 28003 Robinson Canyon Road in Carmel Valley
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 101, Carmel Valley, CA 939243
offi[email protected] • 831.624.6646