In this post, I want to give you some updates to the latest happenings in Honolulu in the organ world. It was way back in 2015 (Six years ago!) that I wrote posts called “A pipe organ in peril” and “A friend in need,” about the Aeolian-Skinner organ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu. At that time, organist-director John Renke asked me to be a part of the campaign to raise funds for the project and to design promotional materials.

Here’s a description of the organ’s problems from the earlier post:

The organ in question is the 1961 Æolian-Skinner organ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Honolulu, which after “the stress of six decades of heavy, continuous use and various assaults ranging from a leaking roof to termites, the organ is in serious disrepair.  Due to roof leaks in 2006, 549 pipes are unplayable.  The entire Positiv division, due to severe water damage to the windchest, is completely unplayable and the chest is so badly damaged that it is not practical to rebuild it.  A recent inspection found an additional 166 silent notes in other parts of the organ. This number increases weekly and is kept somewhat under control by constant repair of the most critical notes one-by-one.

I happened to play the Aeolian-Skinner organ yesterday and the most remarkable thing happened: When I pressed the General Cancel, the console took on a life of its own, with lights flashing on and off, and stops moving in and out continuously, all on their own, like some great monster had seized control of it, and was pushing pistons continuously for several minutes while I watched helplessly at the spectacle of it all!

I don’t know how else to describe such a phenomenon, the likes of which I have never seen before!

But there is help on the horizon, as I received this letter dated November 22, 2021 from The Rev. Canon Heather Patton-Graham and Nicholas Keone Lee, Director of Music:

We write to you with very grateful hearts and joyous news: the gift which you made to the Cathedral’s Organ Restoration Fund has borne fruit! After much research, many consultations and times of transition and change, we are moving forward with the deep repair of the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ—”The Great Organ,” as it has been called. As you may remember, the Cathedral’s four-manual Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ is a historic instrument, the first four-manual pipe organ in the state of Hawai’i, the Cathedral’s organ is (when fully functional) the largest pipe organ in the state and among the 50 largest Aeolian-Skinner organs in the world. However, an accumulation of years of unaddressed issues—including aging materials and failing electrical, magnetic, and motorized components in need of replacement—have reduced the organ to about half of its full functionality.

With the support of your generous gift, the Cathedral has moved forward with beginning the long process of the restoration work: re-leathering of the bellows will occur in the first half of 2022. We have also purchased a bridge instrument: a three-manual Rodgers digital organ, possessed of a wide range of soundscapes, including possible further expansion with digital organ software. This fine digital instrument, purchased from Pacific Organ Co., will enable us to continue the Cathedral’s long tradition of excellence in Anglican organ and choral music as we begin this multi-year restoration of our main, beloved, and powerful Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ.

While exciting, the Cathedral’s new digital organ is not a replacement for our main Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ! Rather, this digital organ will provide much-needed options for musical flexibility by serving as a bridge instrument in periods during which our pipe organ will need to be taken offline. The Cathedral’s acquisition of this digital organ is thus a flexible investment in its growing music ministry that will pay dividends—with our deep thanks to you for making this all possible.

Couple that news with the email I received this morning from the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, titled “Godspeed and Farewell, Mark Wong”:

It is with great sorrow that the congregational Council recently received and accepted the resignation of our beloved organist Mr. Mark Wong effective January 6, 2022. Mr. Wong has served at LCH for nine years sharing his considerable musical and leadership talent in a variety of ways. He has been a valuable leader in this ministry, and has helped the music program grow and mature during his tenure. His commitment to congregational and choral singing is reflected in his sensitive style of playing, and his creativity and prowess on the keyboard are unmatched. We thank him for sharing himself with us these many years, and pray for him as he embarks on his next musical adventure. 

Scott Fikse, Pastor Jeff, and Pastor Bree offer our personal thanks for Mark’s incredible collegiality and the valuable contributions he made to our music ministry, and to helping us establish and organize much of our digital worship planning and publishing. But most all, we thank him for his friendship and simply being a fine person. 

Although Mark will continue to serve through this year, we invite you to share in a Godspeed and Farewell for Mark Wong on Sunday December 19 during the 10:00 AM worship. You are encouraged to bring lei and cards of gratitude for the event. We regret we will not be able to send Mark off with a full on banquet celebration, but we can send him off with our love.