It's Not Rocket Surgery!

On Monday, May 16, 2011, the Potomac Chapter of the AGO met at Christ Congregational Church of Silver Spring, Maryland, for a program entitled "It's Not Rocket Surgery; everything you wanted to know about the pipe organ but were afraid to ask", presented by Gerald Piercey, President of Lewis & Hitchcock Pipe Organ Builders. The program format was:
Organ 101, the history of the instrument and how it evolved
Emergency organ repair, what to do on Sunday morning
Registration
Programming


Here Mr. Piercey is demonstrating the parts of an electro-magnet, which receives current from the console and eventually operates the pipes of the Positiv division behind him.

Here Mr. Piercey is demonstrating the reed tongue, wedge and shallot of an Oboe pipe found on the block inside the boot of the pipe. Finding and pulling a cipher, as well as tuning of pipes was demonstrated using the pipes of the Positiv division.

A feature of the program was the reading of the 29th Chapter of Acts, from the Prairie Home Companion Version by Garrison Keillor.

Following the program there was reception.