Knox Presbyterian Church, St. Thomas -- Warren/Karn/Casavant
North Street United Church, Goderich -- Karn -- install solid state coupling and capture system (2005)
Trinity United Church, Kitchener -- Woodstock Organ with Casavant Opus 1048 -- solid state and Walker electronic voices (2005)
Aylmer Baptist Church -- add parts from Casavant Opus 2087 to existing organ (2004)
New St. James' Presbyterian Church, London -- Casavant Opus 1168 -- install solid state capture system (2001)
St. James' Anglican Church, Stratford -- 1938 Woodstock added to existing Casavant
Knox Presbyterian Church, Goderich -- Casavant Opus 2128 -- solid state capture system (2000)
Trinity Lutheran Church, London -- Casavant Opus 2056
Lundy's Lane United Church, Niagara Falls -- Casavant Opus 2522/2027/1809
First Baptist Church, London -- Casavant Opus 882
Exeter United Church -- Holmes Pipe Organ -- solid state Multisystem installed (1998)
Elora United Church -- 1934 Casavant, Opus 1498 and 1928 Woodstock Pipe Organ
St. John's United Church, Stratford -- 1955 Casavant, Opus 2301-A
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Elora -- Casavant, Opus 1546
Knox Presbyterian Church, Stratford -- 1915 Karn-Morris Pipe Organ
Central United Church, Sarnia-- 1898 Casavant, Opus 92
Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church, Niagara Falls -- 1910 Matthews Pipe Organ
St. Andrew's United Church, Chatham -- 1923 Casavant, Opus 1010
Central United Church, Welland -- Eaton Pipe Organ
St. James' Anglican Church, Ingersoll -- 1920's Hill, Green and Lane Theatre Organ
Knox Presbyterian Church, Listowel -- 1888 Vogt Pipe Organ
St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Kitchener -- 1968 Hallman Pipe Organ
St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, London -- 1926 Casavant, Opus 1135
Metropolitan United Church, London -- 1897 Casavant, Opus 97
Central United Church, Woodstock -- 1967 Principal Pipe Organ

Knox Presbyterian Church, St. Thomas

The first pipe organ in Knox Presbyterian Church in St. Thomas, Ontario was built by S.R. Warren & Son of Toronto in 1882 when the church was new. Samuel Russell Warren's son, Charles Summer Warren, succeeded his father in 1882 as head of the firm following his father's sudden passing at the age of 73 in late July of that year. This was likely the last organ designed by the father and completed by the son alone. The Warren firm of about 30 employees had moved to Wellesley Street in Toronto in 1878 from Montreal. Charles Warren sold the business to D.W. Karn of Woodstock, Ontario, in 1896 and it was the new firm of Karn-Morris which enlarged and rebuilt the organ at Knox in 1910.

Dennis W. Karn was an amateur musician and voice teacher in the Woodstock area. He formed the D.W. Karn Company in 1870 on Dundas Street in Woodstock. It was expanded several times and rebuilt after three fires. Karn had branch offices in London, England and Hamburg, Germany with the production factory in Woodstock, Canada. Dennis Karn was active in municipal affairs. He was elected Mayor of Woodstock in 1889. He retired in 1909 at which time the company amalgamated with the Morris piano makers of Listowel. The new firm, Karn-Morris Piano & Organ Company, maintained its' head office in Woodstock. The pipe organ division was supervised by Charles Warren. The Karn-Morris partnership dissolved in 1920. The pipe organs made between 1909 and 1920 were known as Karn-Morris.

The new stops added to the organ at Knox in 1910 are signed and dated by William Potter, voicer for the Karn-Morris Company. The Warren pipes transferred to the new organ were rescaled down a semitone with new pipes for the bottom C's to conform with the newly developing global standard pitch for instrument makers of A 440 VPS. The mechanical action was changed to electro-pneumatic pitman design in 1910. The new façade featured the bass pipes of the Double Open Diapason 16'. These were incorporated with the Warren façade which featured the bass pipes of the Open Diapason 8' of the Great division. The pitman manual pipe valves were replaced with electric unit action lever magnets in 1968 by Guy Dubé to solve repeated cypher problems. The Antiphonal gallery division was installed in 1981 by Leonard Jeffs. This division is composed of components from a 4-manual 1923 Casavant organ purchased from St. Andrew's United Church on Bloor Street in Toronto when it was torn down. The Antiphonal façade pipes come from a 1917 Casavant in Christ Church Deer Park in Toronto.

In 2005 Dodington & Dodington refurbished and installed a 1974 4-manual Casavant console purchased from Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Clearwater, Florida, with new solid state control systems custom manufactured by Artisan Classic Organ of of Markham, Ontario. The system offers 254 levels of preset combination memory, transposer, registration sequencer, programmable crescendo, record and playback, and MIDI readiness. The console cabinet is mahogany matching the existing wood panelling of the Karn façade. The manual natural key covering is ivory and the console is movable for improved venue flexibility.

Many tonal improvements have been made to the organ at Knox to further develop the resources of the instrument as described in the Specification that follows. Most of the ranks on the Knox organ have been revised, rescaled, and revoiced by Ross Dodington. The Principal chorus pipes of the Great have been scaled larger for a warmer tone as have the Swell strings. The Karn reeds have been restored by Casavant with new tongues under the supervision of Jacquelin Rochette, Tonal Director. The reed shallots of the Great Trumpet were changed to a French style for a more robust tone. Languid nicking has been reduced on flutes and prinicipals to brighten the tone and improve articulation.

100 drawstops, 82 stops, 57 ranks, 3,203 pipes

W = Warren 1882
CVT=Casavant 1897, Opus 97
K-M=Karn-Morris 1910
C=Casavant 1923
V=Verschueren 1961
CAS=Casavant 1981
D & D=Dodington & Dodington

Ken Cowan played the dedicatory recital October 28, 2005

Wayne Carroll, Director of Music at Knox, Ken Cowen, and Ross Dodington

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St. James' Anglican Church, Stratford

A 7-stop 2-manual 1938 Woodstock pipe organ was added to the existing 3-manual Casavant pipe organ by Dodington & Dodington in 2000. The Woodstock organ was installed in the gallery as an Antiphonal division and is controlled by the console in the chancel. The Woodstock bellows was releathered and the facade pipes repainted.

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Trinity Lutheran Church

In 2000 Trinity Lutheran Church purchased a 3-manual console, Casavant Opus 2398 which has been added to their existing 28 stop Casavant pipe organ, Opus 2056. The new console was placed in the chancel and their existing console was relocated to the gallery. The manual and pedal keyboards were refurbished and the combination and switching was converted to solid state with 100 levels of memory.

The stops in italics are pipe stops. The others are all Walker digital stops.

Thomas Murray from Yale University played a wonderful dedicatory recital on January 28, 2001. The organ was very well received by all.

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Lundy's Lane United Church

In 2003 Lundy's Lane United Church has purchased Casavant organs, Opus 2522 (1959) from St. Olaf Roman Catholic Church and Opus 2027 (1950) from Temple Baptist Church, both from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Opus 1809 (1946) from St. Francis Roman Catholic Church in Quebec City. These instruments along with some additional new pipework from Casavant and a few 1961 Verschueren ranks from their existing organ will be used to build a new instrument. A 1961 Casavant console from Casavant Opus 2664 was installed by Dodington & Dodington in 1993. Dodington & Dodington are also manufacturing a new expressive Swell box. When it is completed in 2003, this pipe organ will be one of the largest in southern Ontario.

V = Verschueren
new = Casavant

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First Baptist Church

During the summer of 1998 Dodington & Dodington installed the 1966 3 manual Casavant console from Opus 2901 originally located at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina in First Baptist Church in London. The console was outfitted with a Solid State Logic MultiSystem with 25 levels of memory. The console exterior was refinished at our shop to match the surrounding woodwork in the sanctuary.

Some tonal changes were also made at First Baptist. The Choir Gemshorn 4 was exchanged with the Swell Nazard 2 2/3 and an 8' bottom octave was added to the Gemshorn. Dodington & Dodington provided a used Cornopean 8 in exchange for the Schalmei 4. We also provided a Flautino 2 in exchange for the Choir Super Octave 2. The Flautino 2 was installed on the ventil windchest, beside the Clarinet and the Tierce 1 1/3 was moved to the upper unit action chest, beside the Nazard 2 2/3.

Dodington & Dodington also be installed a used Casavant tremulant for the Choir division of the organ.

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Elora United Church

In 1997 Elora United Church purchased Casavant Opus 1498, a 2 manual, 6 rank unit organ, originally in a residence in New York, from Dodington & Dodington. We combined this instrument with their existing 1928 4 rank Woodstock organ. Both instruments were installed behind their existing facade. The existing facade pipes were repainted at the Dodington & Dodington paint shop with metalic gold.

The Casavant console has been outfitted with solid state computers for combinations and switching with midi compatibility and recorder interface capability. Their MultiSystem has 25 levels of memory with Tutti reversible and 4 programmable Crescendos. A new rocker tablet assembly with solenoid drivers has been installed to match their new stoplist. The exterior of the console has been refinished to match the surrounding woodwork in the sanctuary.

Dodington & Dodington also provided a used Mixture IV (244 pipes) with a new toeboard which was installed on their existing Woodstock Gamba chest. We also installed a used Nazard 2 2/3 and a Tierce 1 3/5, bringing the total ranks to 13.

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St. John's United Church, Stratford

Opus 2301-A was originally manufactured in 1955 for Central Methodist Church in Lansing, Michigan and relocated to St. John's by Dodington & Dodington in 1991/92. There are 3 manuals, 45 stops, 47 ranks, 2,809 pipes and 25 tubular chimes. Four Pedal stops are extended one octave and two Swell stops are duplexed to the Pedal. In 1955 Casavant Frères incorporated 11 stops from the previous Möller organ into the new instrument. The Great Trumpet is from the original Woodstock organ in St. John's United Church. A new Casavant AGO pedalboard was installed in 1992. The combination action in the console was converted to solid state in 2001. The organ at St. John's is the largest pipe organ in Stratford.

During the summer of 1997 Dodington & Dodington installed a decorative facade to be laid out as shown using pipework from Opus 752, originally installed in Knox Church in Cambridge (Galt). In the mid 1980's most of the pipe organ at Knox was destroyed by fire. Dodington & Dodington salvaged the parts not destroyed in the fire. Decorative woodwork was manufactured out of oak and finished to match the surroundings in St. John's sanctuary. The pipes are painted gold.

Stoplist

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St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Elora

Casavant Opus 1546 was installed in St. John's in 1967 by Ross Dodington. At that time the Dodingtons were working for The Alan T. Jackson Co., Casavant representative for the Toronto area. The organ was originally built by D.W. Karn of Woodstock in 1899 for St. Jude's Church in Oakville with mechanical action. It was rebuilt in 1937 with electropneumatic action. It has 2 manuals and 18 stops. While doing the transplant The Dodingtons liked Elora so much they decided to move there and they stayed for 8 years. Dodington & Dodington Pipe Organ Services Inc., was formed while the Dodingtons lived in Elora.

During the summer of 1997 Dodington & Dodington added two electronic 32' stops to the Pedal; a Contra Fagotto and a Contra Bourdon. The existing console has also been renovated including the addition of a solid state computer, 4 stopknobs, a Cancel, a new start/stop switch for the blower and the replacement of several worn ivories on the Great keyboard.

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Knox Presbyterian Church, Stratford

The pipe organs at Knox have a most interesting history! In 1898 a 3 manual DW Karn organ from Woodstock was inaugurated on Christmas Day. The re-opening of the newly enlarged sanctuary was also celebrated on that day. By 1912 the condition of this instrument had deteriorated seriously and Casavant Frères were contracted to rebuild the organ. The materials for this rebuild, 38 stop Opus 515; the new console, the new pipes, etc., were all in the building the night that fire destroyed the Church sanctuary, May 13, 1913. Everything from this organ was lost. The Karn-Morris Company was awarded the contract to replace the pipe organ. In 1915 Healey Willan played the dedicatory recital on the new 3 manual organ. By the 1950's this instrument became in need of repair. Several new stops and two new consoles were added by the Werner Knoch Co., of London, the second console being necessary since a side chapel had been added to the east transept in 1958. Werner Knoch was the North American representative for Walcker Organs of Germany. In 1986 Dodington & Dodington installed a Casavant Trompette en Chamade and also installed a 1975 Casavant console (Opus 3260) relocated from Christ United Methodist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Walcker console was outfitted with solid state and installed in Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church in Niagara Falls. Today the organ at Knox has 41 stops, 46 ranks and a set of chimes added by the choir in 1934.

During the summer of 1997 Dodington & Dodington installed four Walker digital stops; a Violone 16', a Contra Violone 32', a Contra Bourdon 32' and a Contra Trombone 32'.

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Central United Church, Sarnia

During the summer of 1997 Dodington & Dodington installed a new Classic midi compatible solid state integrated switching and combination preset system in the original 1898 Casavant Opus 92 & 1390 three manual console (40 stop organ, rebuilt by Casavant in 1930).

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Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church, Niagara Falls

Dodington & Dodington replaced the original 1910 Matthews 2 manual console with a 1961 Walcker 3 manual console which was outfitted with a midi compatible integrated solid state switching and combination system with fifty memory levels. Switched lights were also installed for the music rack and pedal keyboard. A used Casavant tremulant was also installed.

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St. Andrew's United Church, Chatham

The 3 manual (37 stop) Casavant console of Opus 1010 (1923) was outfitted with a new Classic solid state midi compatible solid state switching and combination preset system. The location of the Pedal and Choir divisions on the jambs was exchanged to conform with current AGO guidelines. This project was completed in the summer of 1997.

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Central United Church, Welland

In this major rebuilding project in 1997, Dodington & Dodington installed a used 3 manual 1927 Casavant console, Opus 1221 (originally installed in St. John's Episcopal Church, Huntington, Long Island, New York) to the existing Eaton organ. The console was outfitted with a midi compatible Classic solid state integrated switching and 50 memory preset combination system. New up/down pistons were also installed for the transposer, memory levels, etc. All new drawstops and coupler solenoids were custom manufactured to match the new console to the existing Eaton organ. Finally, the console was outfitted with a new illuminating music rack shelf with glass back.

The Choir division of the organ was expressively enclosed and the Swell enclosure was modified to include the bottom octave of a 16' reed. Two new electric louvre drivers were installed for the Swell and Choir expression. A used Casavant Clarinet 8' was installed on the Choir division.

Finally, the organ was thoroughly cleaned, regulated and fine tuned throughout.

Stoplist

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St. James' Anglican Church, Ingersoll

The old electro-mechanical switching was updated with a Classic midi compatible integrated solid state coupling and combination system in this 2 manual Hill, Green and Lane Theatre Organ (circa late 1920's) in the fall of 1996.

The Great/Pedal and Swell bellows were refabricated with rubbercloth.

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Knox Presbyterian Church, Listowel

The organ at Knox was originally built by Vogt of Elmira, Ontario in 1888. It is a 2 manual with pedal. It was rebuilt by Franklin Legge in 1937 and then again by Dodington & Dodington in 1995. A Casavant console, Opus 2005, was outfitted with solid state coupling and capture, custom manufactured by Solid State Logic Inc., and installed. Our work description also included:

• complete cleaning of all pipe organ components
• releathering of all primary, manual and pedal pipe valves
• releathering of all bellows ribs and gussets
• releathering of the tremulant
• convert 209 pitman pocket valves to unit action
• the facade pipes were repainted
• a new Posaune 16' was installed, manufactured by Casavant Frères

Stoplist

Console
Casavant Frères Limitée Opus 2005

2 manual with 61 manual keys and 32 pedal keys
oak cabinet with locking rolltop
rocker tablet stop keys
Solid State Logic switching and combinations

Combinations
Swell - 4 - thumb
Great - 4 - thumb
General - 4 - thumb & toe
Cancel - thumb

Reversibles
Swell/Great - thumb
Great/Pedal - thumb
Full Organ - thumb

Balanced Shoe Pedals
Swell louvres control - mechanical
General Crescendo

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St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Kitchener

In 1995 Dodington & Dodington installed a 3 manual, 52 stop console from the 1953 Casavant Opus 2195, to replace the 1968 Hallman console. The exterior cabinet was refinished to match the surrounding woodwork in the church. The console was outfitted with solid state MultiSystem for coupling and pipe control custom manufactured by Solid State Logic Inc. A 'Format A' Capture system was installed as well as a multi-system relay. New drawstop solenoids and engraved faces were also installed. Two new louvre drivers were added.

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St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, London

In 2005 the solid state capture system was replaced in the gallery console of Casavant Opus 1135, a 53 stop, 3 manual organ manufactured in 1926.

The Swell, Great and Pedal divisions are also playable from a Walcker console installed in the chancel in the late 1950's by Werner Knoch who was tenor soloist at the Cathedral at that time as well as the North American representative of the Walcker Organ Company of Germany.

The 2 manual Walcker chapel organ was installed in 1958 and was also completely reconditioned in 1995 including the repair of all silent notes, elimination of air leaks and blower noise, the pedal and manual keyboards were refelted as necessary to reduce key action noise, the pipe valves were regulated for quieter operation, the contacts on the coupler switches were cleaned, the Swell expression was adjusted for less noisy operation, a new pedal light was installed, and finally the organ was regulated and full tuned.

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Metropolitan United Church, London

A new solid state capture system with 64 channel memory and programmable crescendo was installed on Casavant Opus 2083, originally built in 1896. The console was completely reconditioned including the installation of new rosewood drawstops and couplers, and the exterior cabinet was refinished. New rosewood and ebony manual keyboards were manufactured by Casavant. The pedalboard was also refurbished with new rosewood sharps and the natural keys were recapped. New rosewood thumb pistons and indentification labels were installed. A Full Organ thumb piston was added. The exterior of the console was refinished including the bench and pedalboard. A new digital clock was also installed in the clock. A replacement console was supplied while the Metropolitan console was in our shop being upgraded. This is the console that is now installed at Central United Church in Woodstock.

In addition to the installation of the console Dodington & Dodington releathered three expression motors and three tremulants.

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Central United Church, Woodstock

In 1994 Dodington & Dodington installed 4 new pitman windchests, 3 schwimmer pressure regulators, 2 tremulants and 2 new expression motors all manufactured by Casavant Frères in the 1969 Woodstock pipe organ at Central. The organ was also completely cleaned at that time.

In 1995 the 4 manual, 66 stop Casavant console, Opus 2579 was installed. The final addition to Central's organ was a custom made music rack with lighted music shelf.

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Revised January 24, 2006