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2013
16 September 2013
We are saddened by the death of former Dobson craftsman Bill Picht, who passed away in Carroll, Iowa, on 16 September 2013. He was 87. During his years with us, from 1980 to his retirement in 1989, he was involved in the construction of almost thirty organs. Although primarily a cabinetmaker, he was a talented metalworker and mechanic. We send our sincerest condolences to his family.
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16 September 2013
Ten years after he played the inaugural program, David Higgs returned on Sunday 15 September 2013 to St. John United Methodist Church in Augusta, Georgia, to present a concert celebrating the tenth birthday of our Op. 78. Established with the arrival of the new organ, St. John’s Concerts with a Cause recital series has hosted some of the greatest lights in the organ world as well as other notable musical talent. Jamie Council Garvey is the Director of Music.
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Spring 2013
We were engaged by Dr. Arthur Halbardier to refurbish a three-stop Flentrop organ that he donated to The Baroque Room, a performance space located in the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown Saint Paul. Among other tasks, our work involved repair of the pipework, repitching of the instrument to A-415 (tuned to Valotti), and the construction of a movable platform.
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23 March 2013
The installation of our new console for the Hook-Hastings organ at Saint Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Beverly, Massachusetts, was completed on 23 March 2013 and first used for Palm Sunday Mass. Built in 1908 as Op. 2180, the parish’s instrument was mechanically and tonally restored by the Spencer Organ Co. in 2007, with the exception of the 1950s replacement console by W.W. Laws, which was retained. Our new console is patterned after existing Hook-Hastings consoles of the period, chiefly that of Op. 2082, originally built for the W. Duncan McKim residence in Washington, D.C. in 1905 and now owned by Baltimore organ builder David Storey. Diane Meredith Belcher is Director of Music and Organist at Saint Mary Star of the Sea.
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15 March 2013
Christopher Stroh, Principal Organist of the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, and Kim Kasling, Basilica Organist Laureate, performed on Johnson & Son Op. 499 in the incomparable acoustic of Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel, Mankato, Minnesota. Joined by special guests the St. John’s/St. Benedict’s Chamber Choir and Men’s Chorus under the direction of Axel Theimer, the program included works by Bruckner, Britten, Finzi, Dupré, Hammerschmidt, Pierné and Vierne. In 1995, Dobson carried our restorative repairs to this landmark of 19th century American organ building.
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Need a smile? Check out a few videos of the street organ we restored for Orange City, Iowa’s Tulip Festival, which was played in our City Square on a beautiful spring evening before being returned to Orange City. Originally built by Charles Marenghi & Cie. of Paris, the instrument was rebuilt by Jacques Minning of Rotterdam in the 1950s. Our work consisted of restorative repairs. Dick Lokemoen and Linda McDonald have served as advisors to this project.
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