1902 Lyon and Healy Organ - Basilica of Our Lady of the Sorrows - Chicago, Illinois

Brent Johnson talks with Organist Corrado Cavalli and Organbuilder David Rhodes about the 57 rank 1902 Lyon and Healy Organ in the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.
OHS entry for organ: pipeorgandatabase.org/instrum...
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish: ols-chicago.com/
City Organ Works: / cityorganworks
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[@stepheneggert9474]

Bradford organ company. Specialists in repairs to Skinner organs RIP Walter Bradford, John Peters. 2 great Chicago area organ repair guys back in the day...great video and to city organ works ,David ..as well.

[@danielmkubacki]

Wow that organ is so cool!

[@sgiovangelo47]

The Basilica was my mother's family's parish. My grandmother was married there in the early 20th century. I remember hearing that organ at family weddings and at funerals; beautiful and marvelous acoustics. Before and during World War II, Mom told me there were several thousand parishioners.

[@729MendicantTide]

Neat to see Chicago once again on this channel. I've been intending to check this instrument out for a long time, but never got to arranging it (same with the Saint John Cantius organ). This instrument actually also has a little-big brother in town as well - Lyon and Healy Opus 80 still sings at Saint Vincent's Church (located next to the campus of DePaul University in Lincoln Park - who also own the former Lyon and Healy office buildings in the loop for use as part of their downtown campus).

[@Rl469]

I love hearing other keys than C major!

[@sovereign254]

Built in the heyday of symphonic/orchestral organbuilding it still retains its silvery/woollen tone, and yet there is power behind that fundamental-heavy tone. It's a shame that organbuilding like this went out of style in the organ reformation times and never really recovered. Hopefully the basilica continues to cherish and maintain this piece of musical history long into the future.

[@mic1240]

This church is massive, behind the area where entrance to organ loft is also a chapel. There are very few members of the parish, but as one of Chicago’s three basilicas, it (thankfully) isn’t under control or part of mergers and closings by local Cardinal. It is in a rough area of city, but worth a visit if in Chicago. Typically it is one of the many buildings open each fall for Open House Chicago and occasionally organ recitals too. If it looks familiar to movie buffs, it is where scenes with Sean Connery filmed for Untouchables.

[@markbeggs2256]

it never ceases to amaze me at the quality of these videos. thank you for sharing!

[@TruckguyTruckguy]

Now that is a classic 1902 sound

[@davef.2329]

Nice presentation of a beautiful organ and venue. Thanks, Corrado and Brent.

[@davef.2329]

And David!! Sorry about that, lol.

[@Tracygriffith-dz2ys]

Than u fr showing the organ and playing it I enjoy when you go into chamber and showing

[@Velostigmat]

I believe early Hook & Hastings electropneumatic action magnets had a similar plunger design. I'm really glad this grand dame is playing and playing so well.

[@johnwidmann1674]

....ok...I looked up further information. The Chambersburg Lyon and Healy organ was originally at St. Paul's K Street in Washington DC, and was installed by Irv Lawless of Lawless and Associates.

[@louisglen1653]

Another great video! Nice organ!

[@johnwidmann1674]

The organ database does not list it, but there is a Lyon and Healy organ in St. Paul's United Methodist in Chambersburg, PA. This organ was bought from somewhere else, and brought there, by who, I am not sure. The original St. Paul's in downtown Chambersburg burned down, with a Moller inside. The church is on the outskirts of town, on a different property from the original property, and was built new awhile back, 20-30 years ago, maybe?

[@user-qt5cm1qf3m]

The basilica resemblance with Saint Peter in Rome.

[@dragonpullman23]

Interesting that they decided to have the console positioned on one side of the altar while the pipes or on the other side. Why was it put there instead of the rear balcony?

[@richardharrold9736]

Pipe chambers split both sides of the sanctuary. Great, Pedal, Solo one side, Swell and Choir on the other.

[@DanielGauger]

Back in the Latin rite days, the choir used to sit up where the console was located (there’s actually a video of a 1940 Latin mass with full choir to prove it). The back loft isn’t really that big and it’s better for the choir to be closer to the organ in general. So it would be easier with the choir and organist in that location.

[@christiantedesco1477]

Despite their name being on the instrument, it’s probable they did not actually built it. I have seen Lyon and Healy fairground organs wich are actually rebranded instruments from the North Tonowanda barrel organ company (later absorbed into Wurlitzer). That being said, almost everything was probably sub-contracted out to other organ builders and sold under the Lyon and Healy name with them taking a cut of the money. Not to dissimilar to modern “builders” who simply order everything from OSI or a similar supply factory, come to think of it.

[@DVR85]

Lyon & Healy built their own instruments in their Chicago Factory from 1895-1906, verified by newspaper articles of the time. Robert J Bennett was in charge of the Pipe Organ division, and Jerome B Meyer was the Pipe Shop Foreman. In 1906 they purchased the Compensating Pipe Organ Co in Battle Creek MI and moved organ production there from 1906-08. After 1908, all instruments sold under the name Lyon & Healy were purchased from other manufacturers as you suggest. I wish I’d have pointed it out during the tour, but some pipes in the Solo have “Cast by Lyon & Healy” stamped into the pipes.

[@christiantedesco1477]

@@DVR85 thank you, this is interesting information. I would have otherwise assumed it was a rebranded hook organ sold under the L&H name. The Viol d'Amour and double swell shades are something they did often. Do you know who built the organs they resold post-1908?

[@bertspeggly4428]

Would have been nice to see the older consoles. Austin consoles are ugly IMHO.

[@richardharrold9736]

Yes, hopefully one day they will replace that with a handsome English style drawstop console to suit it.

[@richardharrold9736]

Needs those pathetic little sprung regulators ripped out and replaced with the correct original size reservoirs. Why America ever abandoned the good old weighted double-rise reservoir, this Brit cannot understand.

[@buttersrow426]

They are absolutely unnecessary in most current instruments. A smaller reservoir can do more than you think, plus they take up much less space.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@buttersrow426 they're not unnecessary at all. These little regulators are never adequate, and what wind they do give is flat and lifeless right until they sag. The double-rise reservoir is still the default choice in organ-building for a good reason. It remains, as it always has been, far and away the best means of winding an organ.