From the Music Director

It is with great joy that we at Hope Lutheran Church dedicate this new organ. Already we have been able to enjoy its magnificent sound in our worship. I thank God that the congregation of Hope Lutheran Church took it upon themselves to offer this magnificent organ to lead our church in the praises of our Savior. This gift will be enjoyed not only by the current congregation but by many congregations after we are gone. Through foresight and sacrifice you have considered others greater than yourselves. How easy it would have been to have spent less money and obtained a cheaper instrument. But rather you chose to have an instrument of great beauty both visually and aurally to be built in our church. You can be assured that generations after us will be grateful for the decision made by this congregation.

So often the church, as it should, guards truth and practices righteousness, but it is rare in this cultural climate to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness a practice which truly pleases Him (cf. Psalm 29:2 and Psalm 96:6-9). Our new organ gives us such an opportunity to give our most beautiful worship to Him. The design of the instrument is primarily one which aids the congregation in singing his praises, and Martin Pasi has built us an organ that does this wondrously and ever more gloriously.

The number of man-hours spent on this project is incalculable. We are indebted to all who have helped in this project and provided generously of their time, talents, and monetary gifts. Many of these are listed in the acknowledgments at the end of this booklet. I would especially like to express my deepest gratitude to our organ consultant, Michael Bauer, without whom we would not have completed this task with such astounding results. He has given of himself for this project far more than is known by most people. But best of all, he brought his expertise and wisdom in guiding us to the choices that we made. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Pastor Harries, who guided us as advisor throughout the whole process. As spiritual leader of the congregation, he led us through the difficult times as well as all the glorious times. I would also like to thank Martin Pasi and his shop for the patience and generosity that they have shown to us in building the organ. The integrity that they bring to organ building is astounding. We could not have made a better choice. It has been a true joy to work with Martin and his team.

O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2 and 96:6

Dr. Louis Schuler
Music Director, Hope Lutheran Church

From the Organ Builder

From the Organ Builder

I would like to offer a sincere thank you to the people at Hope Lutheran Church for giving me this great opportunity. Building the new organ for Hope Lutheran Church would not have happened without tremendous efforts by everyone involved. Now that the time has come to turn this instrument over to you, it is my hope that it will bring musical joy to the people who worship here as well as to the people of Shawnee and beyond.

The instrument is placed in the rear gallery on the central axis of the room. During the organ’s design, construction, and voicing, this instrument developed a unique character of its own—thanks in large part to the building’s successful renovation.

The visual design of the instrument features elements from historic European organs. The organ is entirely encased in white oak woodwork with decorative carvings above the façade pipes. The wooden case serves a vital tonal function by blending and focusing the sound of the 1,508 organ pipes, while also protecting them from dust.

The console’s two manual keyboards are covered with cow bone and ebony, and the pedal keyboard is made of maple and rosewood. The 28 stop knobs, controlling the organ’s three divisions of pipes, are on either side of the keyboards. The stop knobs and toe pistons are made of Pau Ferro. Other species of wood found in the organ include tulip poplar, butter nut, redwood, sugar pine, basswood, walnut, hornbeam, and Douglas fir.

The organ is laid out vertically in order to take advantage of the given space. The pipes of the Great division are placed on wind chests above the impost. The Swell division is placed above the Great, hidden behind the façade pipes. The Pedal division is mostly located behind the Great on separate chests where the largest pipes of the organ stand.

One electric blower supplies wind to the organ via a bellows measuring approximately 3 feet by 6 feet. The bellows is located inside the organ case under the Pedal division while the blower sits in a separate room next to the organ. This wind system imparts a gentle flexibility to the organ’s sound, allowing the pipes to sound more like a choir of human voices rather than an inexpressive machine.

The organ’s tonal scheme draws most of its inspiration from the great North German and Dutch organs of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its resources are further leavened with some stops inspired by 19th and 20th century models. This enhances its flexibility in playing choral accompaniments and interpreting much of the solo organ literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The organ is tuned in an unequal temperament that favors the keys nearest to C major while still remaining harmonious in the most distant keys.

All of the metal pipes were made in the Pasi shop—from the casting and rolling of the metal through to the completed pipes. They are made of various alloys of tin and lead, with trace impurities of copper, bismuth, and antimony to help stiffen the metal. To enhance the intensity of the lead pipes’ sound, the metal is hammered following casting in order to tighten its molecular structure. The 16’ Posaune, as well as the Subbass stop, are made of tulip poplar wood.

The three divisions are placed above the console and have normal suspended mechanical key action and mechanical couplers.

The stop action is electric, and the solid-state combination action allows up to 20 organists to each have 83 levels of memory, providing for the storage and recall of thousands of stop combinations. This state-of-the-art computer-based technology gives organists maximum flexibility in controlling the instrument’s many tonal colors.

The staff of Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., constructed, installed, and voiced the organ over a period of one year. The Pasi staff and other artisans who contributed to this project are as follows:

Markus Morscher: design, casework, wind chests, wood pipes, bellows, pipe racking, and installation

Maurine Pasi: pipe shade carving

Douglas Brewer: installation

Paul MacDonald: metal work (key-action)

Steven Jett: metal flue pipes (including fabrication of the façade pipes), installation, and voicing

Jennifer Von Holstein: carving design and administration

Sean Haley: electric combination action wiring

Maximilian Toll: key action

Martin Pasi: design, key action, flue and reed pipes, installation, voicing, and administration

Many thanks also to: Pastor Thomas Harries, Kim and Louis Schuler (Musicians), members of the organ committee, and many other Hope Lutheran staff and parishioners who have offered their generous support and hospitality, including everyone who assisted with the unloading of the organ parts in January.

Thank you Dr. Michael Bauer, Consultant for guiding us through this project.

Sincerely,
Martin Pasi

From the Organ Consultant

From the Organ Consultant

It has been an extraordinary privilege to work side-by-side with members of this congregation and with Martin Pasi and his shop on this exciting project. The steady, humble, and faithful qualities exhibited by so many people at Hope have been a true inspiration throughout this process. Likewise, the wisdom, and the deeply intuitive quality of Martin Pasi’s artistry have had an impact on everyone with whom he has come in contact.

Years ago, when we first began talking about a new organ for Hope Lutheran Church, we spoke about four principles that would guide our efforts. We wanted our conversation to be biblical, respectful, prayerful, and thoughtful. It is not a small thing to suggest that these goals were largely reached.

In Philippians 4:8, Paul writes, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

There are so few occasions in modern life when people and institutions stay the course, when values like beauty, graciousness, and excellence are held up as the standard. In a throw away culture that worships instant gratification, there are so few times when we stand up and say to the world that we are willing to sacrifice our time, our talent, and our treasure to build something that will last, to build something of quality, to not be satisfied with the lowest common denominator, but to strive for that which is uncommon and rare. In so doing, this congregation and this builder have expressed what I believe are deeply biblical values. They have, in the words of Paul, thought about these things. Let us not take this for granted. It does not happen very often. Let us celebrate it as we listen now and into the future to the gorgeous sounds of this new pipe organ.

I am reminded of Luther’s famous statement regarding music. He said: “I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God. The riches of music are so excellent and so precious that words fail me whenever I attempt to discuss and describe them.”

In the end, words fail all of us. Let the sounds speak for themselves.

Michael Bauer
Organ Consultant

From the Pastor

The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.

Johann Sebastian Bach

For nearly a thousand years, the pipe organ has been a significant instrument in producing music to the glory of God and for the refreshment of the soul. The Martin Pasi Opus 21 Organ of Hope Lutheran Church will serve that dual purpose. The primary role of our new pipe organ will be to serve in worship by leading God’s people in song. It will also provide refreshing music for souls both within the church and the community.

Music is a significant component of our Lutheran heritage. Martin Luther said, “Next after theology, I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor.” While musical styles have changed down through the years and will continue to do so into the future, the organ has proved to be a musical instrument for the ages. It has served as the primary instrument in Lutheran worship for nearly 500 years. Whether the baroque styles of the great Lutheran composer and organist, J. S. Bach, or the styles of present day Lutheran composers and organists, the organ is capable of playing a wide variety of music from every era. The organ also has the capability of expressing both the transcendence and immanence of God like no other single instrument.

The installation and dedication of the Pasi organ at Hope Lutheran Church is a momentous occasion. It is the fulfillment of many years of planning, preparation, and financial support by the members of this congregation. The process of obtaining a new organ led the congregation to Martin Pasi, one of the finest organ builders of our day. What has resulted is a musical instrument of great workmanship and quality. Our Pasi organ is a thing of beauty, certainly to the ear, but also to the eye. The new pipe organ at Hope Lutheran Church is a testament to the congregation’s rich worship heritage. It is also an investment for future generations who will join us in praising our great and gracious God in Christ Jesus.

The words Bach penned at the conclusion of every one of his musical works are appropriate for us as we celebrate this musical achievement:

Soli Deo Gloria—to God alone be the glory!

Rev. Thomas H. Harries
Senior Pastor, Hope Lutheran Church

From the Organ Committee Chairs

A History of the Organ

Hope Lutheran Church’s previous pipe organ was purchased from Immanuel Lutheran Church in Westport and was installed in Hope’s newly-built sanctuary in 1980. It was a 1924 Kilgen organ, which received some modification and additions in its time at Hope. Over the years, the organ began to deteriorate, and it became evident that it would either require costly renovation or replacement.

An organ committee was formed early in 2005. By fall of that year, the committee determined that it would be best to replace the aging and failing organ. Members of the organ committee then visited a number of churches in the Kansas City area to experience a variety of pipe organs of various builders.

In April of 2006, Dr. Michael Bauer, Professor of Organ and Church Music at The University of Kansas, was engaged to serve as an organ consultant for Hope. The organ committee began meeting regularly in the fall of 2006. With Dr. Bauer’s guidance, specific objectives and goals were established regarding the selection of a new organ. The proposed timeline for the organ project, including education, research, and implementation, would be approximately five years. A series of educational presentations for the congregation began in January of 2007 and continued into the summer. At a congregational meeting in August of 2007, Hope Lutheran Church adopted a resolution to replace the present organ with a new pipe organ. The research phase to determine the organ builder and the specific organ could now begin.

In the first half of 2008, organ committee members visited several organs of various builders in Omaha, Chicago, and northern Indiana. The members assessed their findings and identified specific builders, who were invited to submit proposals. This led to an interview process with selected builders. The organ committee recommended Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., of Roy, Washington, to build a new mechanical action pipe organ to be installed in Hope’s sanctuary. Several congregational meetings were held with the organ committee informing the congregation of their findings and final recommendation. At a congregational meeting on November 10, 2008, Hope Lutheran Church adopted the proposal for a new pipe organ to be built by Martin Pasi. The contract was signed in early 2009.
In order to implement the decision, the organ committee established three subcommittees with specific areas of focus: 1) marketing and fundraising, 2) balcony and sanctuary preparation, and 3) installation and dedication. The physical changes required in the balcony along with acoustical considerations for the sanctuary led to plans for a more complete renovation of the sanctuary in conjunction with the organ project. Hollis & Miller Architects, the original architects and engineers for the building of the sanctuary, were engaged for the renovation project. An acoustical engineer was also brought in to evaluate the acoustics and to offer recommendations, especially as they related to the new organ.

Funding for the organ project came from several sources. These sources included an existing organ fund, a portion of the proceeds from a three-year capital campaign of the congregation, and contributions made directly toward the organ project. In January of 2011, an organ event entitled, “With Great Anticipation,” was held for the purpose of updating the congregation on the organ project and to encourage their support. In time, the balances of funds needed for the sanctuary renovation and the purchase of the organ were combined into a single Sanctuary Improvement Fund. At the time of this printing, the congregation is very close to eliminating the outstanding balance.

In May of 2011, the sanctuary renovation project began which included extensive changes to the balcony to accommodate the new organ. Roger Koopman, who served Hope as guest trumpeter while attending officers’ school at Fort Leavenworth, offered to remove the existing organ and store it for future personal use. Roger and his crew removed the old organ from the balcony in the short time span of one week. The congregation returned to a beautifully renovated sanctuary the middle of September. Worship was led by piano and instruments until the new organ arrived in early 2012.

While our sanctuary was undergoing the physical changes of renovation, Martin Pasi and workers were busy in his organ shop in Washington State, building his Opus 21 organ for its home in Kansas. On January 9, 2012, Hope’s new pipe organ arrived by moving van with countless pipes, parts, and pieces. Martin Pasi and his crew spent the next two months assembling, voicing, and tuning our new pipe organ. Their efforts have resulted in a fine musical instrument, which will serve Hope and the community for generations to come.

After more than seven years since the project’s inception, we celebrate the fulfillment of much study, planning, and efforts with the dedication and dedicatory events of our new Martin Pasi Opus 21 Organ. Through the faith and prayers of God’s people at Hope, His guiding hand has been ever evident in this project. We are thankful you have chosen to join us in this celebration.

Steve Meinzen, Organ Committee Chairperson, 2005-2009
Linda Wallace, Organ Committee Chairperson, 2009-2012

Organ Committee Members: Linnea Affield, DeeAnn Fugett, Mark Harries, Paul Harris, Mark Kreis, Herb Peter, Jochem Rueter, Louis Schuler, Kim Schuler, Faith Scofield, Dr. Michael Bauer–consultant, Pastor Tom Harries–advisory.

Many additional members of the congregation served on subcommittees, volunteered their physical help, and used their skills to assist in this project. Special recognition goes to Dale Woltman, sanctuary renovation supervisor; Jerry Williams, facility manager; John Wendorff, congregation chairman; and the Board of Trustees of Hope congregation.

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:1, 6

Organ Specifications

Great	Swell	Pedal
16′ Bourdon	8′ Gedackt	16′ Subbass
8′ Praestant	8′ Viola	8′ Principal*
8′ Rohrflote	4′ Principal	8′ Bourdon
4′ Octave	4′ Rohrflote	16′ Posaune
4′ Spitzflote	2 2/3′ Nasard	8′ Trumpet*
2 2/3′ Quinte	2′ Gemshorn
2′ Superoctave	1 3/5′ Tierce
1 1/3′ Mixture IV	1′ Scharf
8′ Trumpet	16′ Dulcian
8′ Oboe

(*) borrows from Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Tremulant
Zimbelstern

built by
Pasi Organ Builders
32215 8th Avenue South
Roy, Washington 98580
www.pasiorgans.com