Published: August 24, 2008 12:00 am            

OU organ institute to show off students' summer work

Students have dissected an organ this summer, restoring and replacing elements that don't work anymore so that it will be as good as new. When it's complete, this organ won't pump blood or digest food, it will play music.

The University of Oklahoma is restoring the M.P. Moller organ, built in 1931. When completed, it will play varieties of music -- theatrical, orchestral, choral and silent movie accompaniment.

The public can view the progress of the organ's restoration at the American Organ Institute's open house 6-8 p.m. Sept. 1 at the pipe organ shop, 2101 W. Tecumseh Road, Suite C.

About six or eight OU students worked on the instrument this summer, said John Riester, shop manager at the American Organ Institute, OU's organ program.

"So we're going to be showcasing their work at this event," he said.

The open house is free and open to the public. Visitors will be able to see the progress that has been made on the organ and talk to the workers personally.

The students and organ shop workers created a smaller working version of the Moller organ. This "mini-Moller" will be installed in Sharp Concert Hall in Catlett Music Center at OU so it can be used while funding is raised to restore the entire organ and install it in Sharp.

"This will kind of wet people's whistle and build interest for the program while the rest of the instrument is being restored," Riester said.

The full instrument has 86 ranks, or sets of pipes. The miniature version has 14, but it's enough to use the organ for a variety of events, Riester said, including flutes, trumpets, percussion, chimes, bells and whistles.

The mini-Moller will be installed in Sharp Hall starting mid-November, he said.

Dan Sliger, instrumental music education senior, has worked on the organ all summer. He was interested in taking organ lessons, but was invited to help restore the organ because of his woodworking experience.

He has spent his time in the organ shop repairing cracks in the wood and rebuilding pieces that have deteriorated.

"We have built the support structures for basically anything that has to go in the organ," Sliger said.

He spent Monday morning rebuilding a wooden cube that was needed for the bass drum sound the organ makes.

"It was cracked and there was a hole that didn't need to be there," Sliger said. There is actually a bass drum in the organ, and when the organ player pushes a key, a mechanical device causes air to rush into the box, expanding the leather around it, causing the hammer to hit the drum.

Sliger said the most challenging aspect of his craft is trying to make his work blend into the old craftsmanship. But he said he loves it.

"A lot of this is challenging mentally because we're basically trying to recreate what was done in the 1930s."

For more information about the open house, call 325-7829.

Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com

        

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