Project Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting | Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation
Services to Organbuilders Transportation | Parts and Pieces | Lectures and Recitals | In the Wind
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The
Organ Clearing House is first and foremost committed to the advocacy
of the pipe organ. Our various activities and services are intended
to make the pipe organ accessible to everyone. Of course, our provision
of used pipe organs has allowed many churches and school to own instruments
when sufficient funds were not available for a new organ. But our wider
services have been developed in the interest of making it easier to
own and care for an organ, and to help insure that the organbuilding
industry stays in the public consciousness as part of our artistic and
cultural heritage. Our vast experience dismantling pipe organs allows us to offer comprehensive services for the institution purchasing a new instrument. Our crew includes skilled carpenters well-versed in the specialized work required by many church buildings. We have cleaned and preserved historic carved organ cases and Rood Screens. We have constructed new organ chambers with specially designed sound-reflecting walls and ceilings, supplied scaffolding and rigging equipment, coordinated the schedules of electricians, lighting specialists, sound technicians, and other specialized contractors. Because we are familiar with the language of the pipe organ, the workings of the church, and accustomed to forming relationships with other contractors, we are ideally suited to serve as principal contractors and project managers, helping you sell and remove your old instrument, supplying storage space when required, and preparing your building for the delivery of the new instrument. > Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation Originally conducted under the auspices of the Organ Historical Society, the Organ Clearing House became an independent company in 1961. Since that time, we have been involved in the relocation of more than 2000 pipe organs throughout the United States and in 9 foreign countries. We maintain an extensive list of pipe organs for sale by gathering information as we travel, advertising in various media, and by keeping in touch with organbuilders, organists, and organ enthusiasts across the country. We are active participants in workshops and conventions that relate to organ building and playing. When we are informed of an organ that is for sale we catalogue its description, and evaluate its condition, ease of revision, and potential strengths. When an institution or individual is in touch with us looking for an organ, we gather details about their situation and suggest instruments that would likely be appropriate. Most often, we are acting as brokers between the organ's owner and the party interested in purchasing it. In those cases, we assist the parties in the negotiation of price, schedule, and conditions, and receive a Finder's Fee which is generally paid by the purchaser. We also own an inventory of instruments that we can sell directly. The Organ Clearing House Finder's Fee is $1200 or 5% of the purchase price of the organ, whichever is greater. (If the purchase price is greater than $24,000, the 5% figure kicks in.) These fees are intended to offset our expenses incurred in the maintenance of the list of available instruments. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation We are available as consultants, offering advice and council to institutions that are reassessing their music programs. We can discuss pipe organ purchase, renovation, and placement, placement of choirs and clergy for the effective presentation of liturgy. We are happy to discuss acoustics, and how to plan building renovation projects with sensitivity to the needs of the pipe organ. If you are planning new construction, we can work with your architect to ensure that appropriate space, position, and conditions are prepared for a pipe organ. We have an unusual depth of experience with instruments and buildings of all sizes and descriptions on which to base assessments of existing organs or to advise toward the purchase of a new or used instrument. Our consultation services can involve a single visit, written reports, or continuing relationships to oversee the completion of a project. We also offer full educational programs designed to provide a committee with a strong foundation of experience in knowledge on which to base a wise decision. Consultation fees are based on $275 per hour plus expenses. Special arrangements would be made to compensate us for time spent traveling. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation
Perhaps the single most important part of a comprehensive maintenance plan for a pipe organ is insurance coverage. With inadequate coverage, it is possible for the owner of an organ to suffer huge loss caused by roof leaks, fire, vandalism, vermin, etc. Many insurance companies require a written professional assessment of the value of an organ; through our experience with a wide variety of instruments and situations, we are uniquely equipped to prepare such reports. In many cases, these reports can be prepared without the need for a visit to the site. We are often asked to provide such written assessments in cases when an individual plans to donate an existing organ to a non-profit institution and professional evaluation is necessary for the substantiation of tax deductions. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation Our experienced and energetic crews are available for the packing, disassembly, and transportation of the organ you purchase. We have handled tiny and precious antique instruments, 200 rank behemoths from convention and concert halls, and anything in between. We have moved instruments in station wagons and in fleets of semi-trailers. We provide crates, materials, trucks, and any necessary rigging equipment. We can deliver an instrument to an organbuilder for renovation, to a storage facility, or directly to your building. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation Services offered to organbuilders Do you ever wish you had a few extra experienced hands at a busy moment? Do you need help getting one project out the door so you can start the next one on time? The Organ Clearing House is ready to help. Our crew has much experience in organbuilders’ workshops. We are also available to assist you as you install new or rebuilt instruments. Perhaps you need to keep your experienced workers in the shop working on the next instrument. Or perhaps you are bidding on a project that you know will stretch your resources. Involve us in your planning - we can dismantle a completed organ in your workshop, pack it professionally, and transport it to the job site. As our crew includes experienced organbuilders, we can erect an organ, construct and install windlines, wire windchests and consoles. Consider us as an extension of your workforce. Our deep experience in this specialized type of material handling is unequaled. We are happy to provide free quotations for these services. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation
Our trucks are continually traveling the nation's highways, and we are happy to add your load to a scheduled run. When you purchase a console, ranks of pipes, or a blower from a colleague (or from us), check with us to see if we have a truck heading your way. We are often able to pro-rate the cost of shipment of such materials. Remember, no one likes driving home in an empty truck! Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation The Organ Clearing House does offer organ parts for sale. We can often provide high quality surplus and used components suitable for reconditioning. We can also act as brokers if you have material in storage that you would like to sell. Be in touch with us to discuss terms. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation Organ Clearing House executive director John Bishop is available for the presentation of slide lectures discussing the history and culture of the pipe organ. Mr. Bishop's joint career as organist and organbuilder is the source for anecdotes to liven up the discussion. These can be combined with the performance of organ music to form an entertaining and informative evening. A current specialty is the history of the Boston organbuilding firm E. & G.G. Hook, later Hook & Hastings. Be in touch with us for information about subjects and fees if you are planning a banquet, concert series, or festival. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation John Bishop is the author of In the wind, a monthly column in THE DIAPASON. The column includes news items about organ projects, commentary on experiences during frequent travel, visits to organbuilding workshops, and occasional book reviews. The theme is a commentary on the American organbuilding industry. Many people in this age of high technology assume that organbuilding is a dead or dying art. In fact, American organbuilding is experiencing an age of innovation, development, reverence for the past and anticipation of the future. Artists and craftspeople are producing some of the best organs in the world, and we are all the beneficiaries. Human culture is at its best when supporting or involved in high artistic endeavors. This column puts the pipe organ into a wider perspective as a part of popular culture, expanding its reputation as a relic of an earlier age or a fixture in a horror movie. Project
Management | Sale of Used Organs | Consulting
| Assessments | Pipe Organ Relocation |
