Sounds of world's grand pipe organs to be heard at Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

With age, the big pipe organ at downtown Jacksonville's Basilica of the Immaculate Conception has become more than a little persnickety.

So if an organist unaccustomed to this instrument should play it, unaware of its problem spots, then watch out, says Blair Gaynes, pastor at the historic church.

He chuckles. "If we have a substitute organist who doesn't quite know the finickiness of the machine and its age, you get — it's like it farts. That sound. That's kind of what it sounds like, this weird sound that doesn't go with anything. And sometimes it doesn't stop, you know?"

Clearly it's time for a change.

The old pipe organ, a grand, intricate instrument, is undergoing about $200,000 in renovations, as well as digital technology that will allow it to sound much like the grandest pipe organs in the world. All that is designed to keep it playable and beautiful for the next generations of worshippers.

Holy Rosary Catholic Church: Old church in Springfield is being restored in time for its 100th birthday

Meet Ted Pappas: Jacksonville architect was behind some of the city's iconic buildings

Immaculate Conception was established in Jacksonville in 1854. Its first building was burned in the Civil War, the second in the Great Fire of 1901. The current building on East Duval Street was built 112 years ago, and it's an ornate structure with vaulted ceilings and copious stained glass. The organ, which was built for the new parish, underwent its first refurbishment in 1945.

Gaynes said that when he stands at the altar at Mass, he looks up at the ceiling, sees the sun shining through the colorful windows and thinks of the craftsmanship that went into the structure and the generations of people who cared enough to make that happen.

"The church itself demands an extraordinary celebration. It demands more of you as a priest celebrating, it really does. You want to live up to it," he said. "You see the work of the people, the faith of the people through the generations, You stand in this huge tradition, going all the way back."

Melding the old and the new

The pipe organ, up in the choir loft, has been integral to the life of Immaculate Conception.

"It is the only official instrument recognized by the Church for the celebration of Mass, and the pipe organ is the pinnacle of that expression," Gaynes said. "And people love it."

It's been renovated several times before, and now another round of work is needed. Some of the organ's 1,500 pipes, which go up in size to 32 feet, no longer function as they should, and some of the stops on the console — the keyboards where the organist sits  — are faulty. Some of the wiring is damaged.

"And the bellows, the lungs of the organ, have holes, are duct-taped together," Gaynes said, laughing. "Duct tape is an amazing gift to the world."

William H. Longmore & Associates of Lakeland is refurbishing and revoicing the pipes, while Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, Pa., is building the new console, the keyboards where the organist sits.

William H. Longmore & Associates of Lakeland is refurbishing and revoicing the pipes, while Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, Pa., is building the new console, the keyboards where the organist sits.

One morning last week, representatives of each of those companies were in the choir loft, where pipes were being removed for repair. And after Mass, the new console was hoisted from the floor into the choir loft to be installed.

Erik Pohlmeier: Pope names replacement for retiring Bishop Estevez to lead Diocese of St. Augustine

It will be a hybrid system, with traditional wind-blown pipework sound along with modern digital technology that allows for more possibilities: Flick a switch, and the instrument can take on the sound of any number of great pipe organs.

In the ancient and specialized world of pipe organs, digital augmentation has come into wide use. In fact, a similar system is already in place at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Augustine.

"To me it's the best of both worlds," said Zack Emerson of Longmore & Associates. He and his brother Nick now run the company, which was founded by their grandfather in the 1980s.

"We've still got the historic pipework; we'll be able to present it as a nice facade," he said. "And then we've got all the functionality and quality of sound that comes with new digital voices."

John C. Leone Reef: Statue of Jesus on ocean floor provides comfort for parents who lost son

Very few purely traditional mechanical pipe organs are in regular use, Emerson said.

"In terms of an instrument that's going to be used weekly, that's meant to support the liturgy, you need something that is reliable," he said. "It's not just, 'Here's a piece you keep in a museum.' The vast majority of builders marry solid-state electronics with a handful of traditional methods. And that's exactly what we're going to do here."

He acknowledged that adding digital technology didn't sit well with some purists, at least at first.

"Some people are very particular about stuff like that, but if your organ doesn't work, it doesn't matter how pretty it is, or how historical it is," Emerson said.

'Pipes of Praise' benefit

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception has a fundraising effort underway, part of its Bold Faith, Bold City campaign, to raise $500,000 for a variety of projects, including the organ restoration.

A Christmas concert, "Pipes of Praise," featuring tenor Emmet Cahill of Celtic Thunder, will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at Florida Theatre. Tickets are $33, $43 and $53. Pianist Seamus Brett will accompany Cahill. The Bishop Kenny Chorus will also be featured.

A pre-concert reception will be at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel. This event’s ticket is $250 and will include an opportunity to meet Emmet Cahill, premium theater seating, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a view of the Jacksonville Light Boat Parade

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Catholic church in Jacksonville modernizes historic pipe organ