NATCHITOCHES, La. — Specialists from the Reuter Organ Co. have completed the reinstallation and digital enhancement of Northwestern State University’s pipe organ in Magale Recital Hall.
Restoration Details
The instrument was disassembled in May and shipped to Reuter’s headquarters in Lawrence, Kansas, for console cleaning, pipe repair, and digital upgrades. Reinstallation began July 27 under the direction of Reuter President Albert ‘JR’ Neutel Jr.
Workers cleared debris from the upper chamber housing the organ’s 2,400 pipes, installed updated wiring, and manually placed zinc pipes weighing up to 300 pounds. Voicing and digital tuning were conducted by regional specialists, including Carolyn Sargent of Red River Pipe Organ and Jeremy Rush of Walker Technical Co., expanding the console’s memory capacity to over 29,000 variations.
‘Organs are a product of their age,’ said Bart Ghent, a project advisor and retired music director. ‘One of the goals here was to have an instrument that would function well with band, orchestra, choir and other ensembles.’ First installed in 1983 for $300,000, the organ currently carries a replacement value of $1.5 million.
A $286,000 capital campaign led by former faculty and campus leadership is underway to cover the repair costs. A inaugural showcase concert is scheduled for January.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
