Search
-
September 23, 2021When Father Peter Jandaczek, pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Duncan, received word of an antique pipe organ for sale, he said he couldn’t pass it up.
“When we got the opportunity, it was an incredible deal, in comparison to other prices of instruments today,” Father Jandaczek said.
The pipe organ, which was shipped to the Duncan church from Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Annville, Penn., has a unique history. The 1902 model organ was in Massachusetts awaiting destruction when the Pennsylvania parish bought it, according to an archived newspaper article.
The organ was built by Emory W. Lane, Waltham, Mass., for the United Congregational Church of Lawrence, Mass. It was built with two manuals and 14 ranks of pipes. Lane had trained with the famous organ building firms of Hook & Hastings and Geo. S. Hutchings before starting his own business in 1890. Except for a brief merger with the Hutchings Organ Co., the company remained in operation until 1919, producing about 125 organs.
The organ was enlarged in 1921 by A.B. Whiten, three ranks of pipes were added to the Swell division and a large diapason of wood was added to the pedal. The case also was enlarged to accommodate the extra stops. A few years ago, a fire in the church destroyed the organ blower and it was no longer used. By that time, the church had become the Spanish Evangelical Church. Having no desire to keep the organ, they offered it for sale through the Organ Clearing House and it was purchased by Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.
“The organ is an example of the work done by a craftsman in the old trade, in doing everything by hand and being very careful with the pieces. An instrument like this did not come off an assembly line,” said Father
Thomas Smith of Saint Paul the Apostle, in a newspaper article.
The organ has found its home in Duncan and, even though it is more than 100 years old, it plays just as boldly and beautifully as it did in 1909, Father Jandaczek said.
Father Jandaczek said shipping the organ and assembling the antique was a worthy task.
“We had to pay for the transportation. They had to bring two huge trucks that had to unload everything to our school across the street. Then, the School of Music at the University of Oklahoma came and were literally working on it piece by piece. We had to check to make sure the floor has enough strength. The sound is just incredible. I asked people for donations, and they responded wonderfully. They were very excited because I think we are only the third church in Duncan that has an organ.”
The organ was assembled in the second-floor loft.
Being from Europe, Father Jandaczek said he is used to nice old organs.
“There is an organ not too far from the city where I was born that is the second largest organ in Poland, and it might be the fifth in the world.”
In addition to the powerful sound of the pipe organ, parishioners add bells. The result is a harmonic array of musical numbers.
“The church organizes concerts from time-to-time, and it is open to everybody. We try to do them on Tuesday nights or Thursday nights or sometimes during high celebrations because the music is incredible,” Father Jandaczek said.
Father Jandaczek invited parishioners to visit Duncan to hear the pipe organ in its fullness.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: Father Peter Jandaczek demonstrates the various keys, pedals and sounds the antique organ plays. He said the church is blessed to have such a wonderful musical instrument. Photo Jolene Schonchin/Sooner Catholic.
