Much as I loved my little “box organ” from the workshop of Klaus Grüble which I purchased three years ago for my condo, I found it nigh impossible to play a significant part of the organ literature: music for three distinct voices or trios—music which necessitates two manuals and pedal. My baby organ has only a single manual and pedalboard.

So here are some pictures of my former organ in its new home.

So as of yesterday, there is a new organ in my condo, also from the workshop of Klaus Grüble of Kerpen, Germany—his fourth instrument in Hawaii. It was shipped on January 13th with a targeted delivery of January 24th. Organbuilder Hans-Ulrich Erbslöh and Bernd Becker arrived on January 15 in Hawaii not only to tune the Beckerath organs for our Dueling Bach concert, but also to install a new instrument in my condo, as well as work on several other organs in Honolulu, Kailua and Kula, Maui.

As of January 24th, I had heard nothing about the shipment and was starting to get worried since Hans and Bernd were scheduled to leave Hawaii on January 28, and there was no way the organ could be assembled without them!

“It’s being held up in customs,” was the explanation I got from the freight forwarder. After a rash of phone calls, I signed and emailed a power of attorney with a customs broker, but then was given the news that the organ could not be delivered until Tuesday, which was going to be too late because Hans and Bernd had an early morning flight.

Out of desperation we asked if it would be possible to pick up the shipment ourselves. I borrowed a pickup truck from my neighbor and stopped at City Mill first to buy a furniture dolly and some heavy-duty straps. Then away we went!

And here it is, in its new home! In case you’re wondering, the casework is made of birch, the façade pipes are cherry, and the keyboard naturals are made of German plum wood.

Each manual has a different 8′ flute tone color: one is a gedacht and the other is a rohrflöte, enabling the organist to indeed play trios. There is also a 4′ pedal coupler for those pieces which call for a pedal solo. The overall sound is lovely and sweet, just perfect for a condo — although we have such thick concrete walls that my neighbors say they never hear the organ when it’s being played.

The general manager of my condo asked how much the organ weighed, as he assisted Hans and Bernd in getting it off the truck. I was a little afraid to tell him at the time (for fear that he would refrain from helping!) and after we got the organ into the condo, I used a kilo conversion app to find out that it weighs 440 lbs! Yikes!

Now I need to start practicing!