BOUNTIFUL—It’s been over 130 years since a pipe organ, built by The Farrand & Votey Organ Company of Detroit, Michigan, was installed in the First United Methodist Church in Ogden in 1891. In 1993, it was renovated and enlarged by Mervin G. Brown from two manuals (keyboards) and 17 ranks (sets of pipes). 

Nine of those original 1890 ranks were retained and now sit in the organ loft at the Bountiful Community Church. They fell silent in the late 1990s and have been unused since then. However, music will soon fill the loft once again with the church’s acquisition of the entire renovated organ. Upon its installation, it will serve as a central element in Sunday worship services.

Currently, it’s in pieces in a storage room at the church and installation will cost more than $200,000 so church organist Jared Gardiner and former Tabernacle Choir Organist Dr. Clay Christiansen are leading the charge to raise the money.

“It will be the largest organ in Davis County when it’s all said and done,” said Gardiner. “My goal is to have monthly recitals here during the summer. That will give more exposure to the community. There’s community choirs that come in here during Christmas and Easter and this will enhance their music too.”

The church is very open, he said. “So it (organ) will fit up here (in the loft) and just take over that whole space. I’m going to try to incorporate the old front pipes that are here. All of the pipes are playable but all of the chests need to be rebuilt.”

The organ pipe sits on top of a chest of air, said Gardiner. “When you play a note a valve opens and it lets the air through that pipe. So each pipe is one note.”

It’s going to be a pretty massive instrument, he said. “We’ll have to redo some structure so it can hold it. It’ll be an amazing sound.”

To put it into perspective, there’s about 586 pipes up there now, said Gardiner. “The new organ will have at least 2,069. That’s what it is right now but if I add the ranks here it’ll put it up to like 2,200. Adding the organ pipes from this organ into the new ones is wishful thinking on my part. But it’s also to appreciate what we have and to put it into something new.” 

Before the church got the organ it was sitting in a storage unit in the Masonic Temple, he said. “So I got it out of the storage unit because it wasn't climate controlled or anything. I asked the church council if I could put it here.” 

Organist Jared Gardiner stands next to the crates containing the old organ. Photo by Becky Ginos

 Now the organ sits in crates in a storage room at the church. “The crates are all full of pipes, and shutters that vary in length from about three quarters of an inch up to 19 feet.” Gardiner said. “Some are wooden pipes but most of the pipes are made of metal.”

There’s two chests sitting on top of each other, he said. “These are the oldest chunks in the organ. I don’t know what kind of condition they’re in. Those control the oldest pipes in the organ from 1890.”

There are bellows and reservoirs that the wind goes into for most of the parts, which expand and contract to regulate the wind and keep it steady, said Gardiner. “The console is in my garage. The console is what you play from.”

Christiansen played for the Tabernacle Choir from 1982 to 2018. “After I retired after 36 years I began to teach again,” he said. “Jared came to me for coaching and instruction and so we’ve been working together. He’s kept me informed about this project and I’ve been eager to do everything I could to help see it happen.”

It’ll take organ playing and the encouragement of the younger generation, regardless of the denomination, in this area up a notch, said Christiansen. “I know there are a number of young people here that play the organ in their wards but they need something better and more inspiring.”

In a situation like this with a beautiful sanctuary that’s available, it’ll be the perfect place to have this, which will really be something unique to Davis County, he said.

To raise funds for the organ’s installation, Christiansen will take the bench at a recital May 8, at 7 p.m. at the Bountiful Community Church. The church is located at 150 N. 400 East, (across from the Bountiful Food Pantry), 801-295-9439. Admission is open, donations are voluntary.