Weekly Article

We’ve all heard of bats in the belfry, but have you ever heard of squirrels in the organ? In November and December last year, we discovered that a couple of adolescent squirrels had made their way into our building and found plenty of places to hide their winter acorn stores among the 2,795 pipes of our Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. With the help of Shawn Bentley, the squirrels have now been rehomed and returned to the trees to roam freely.

These fluffy-tailed creatures are known for hiding acorns in organ pipes, chewing on metal pipework like a tin can, severing wiring, and enjoying the Italian leather that seals the corners of the bellows. As you can imagine, I was concerned about the potential damage that might have occurred during their stay. In conjunction with the infestation, I noticed that the organ was losing air, especially when it was played with all the stops engaged. This indicated that there were significant leaks within the instrument. There were numerous possibilities for these leaks, including the wind lines, wind chests (where the pipes sit), bellows, or even the blower itself.

Nicholas Thompson-Allen and his team arrived in Derry last Monday to assess the damage to the instrument. Fortunately, our worst fears—that squirrels had caused extensive damage—were unrealized. The bellows, pipes, wind lines, and wind chests showed no signs of gnawing. However, we were still left wondering about the source of a massive air leak.

After hours of searching the organ chambers, Nick eventually identified the leak beneath the floorboards of the chamber. On Tuesday morning, the team cut into the floor and discovered a displaced large rubber gasket on the main wind line. This gasket had been dislodged for many years and worsened recently due to deterioration. This deterioration likely dates back to when the Reuter organ was still in use here at Derry. After installing a new gasket and ensuring everything was in proper working order, our majestic instrument is now functioning beautifully, playing better than it ever has during its time here at Derry. My deepest gratitude goes to Shawn Bentley, Nicholas Thompson-Allen, and the entire team. Our magnificent instrument now sings with all its might and grandeur.