Group of musicians exposes Missouri organs' hidden history

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A group of Missouri organ musicians and enthusiasts are traveling the area to revive the history and sound of the instrument.

Members of the Joplin Area Organist's Association organize "organ crawls" to visit some of the state's best instruments, the Joplin Globe reported.

Founding association member Gary Jordan said the group started in 2006 with hopes to expose the organ pipe's history in the area.

"When you sit down at an organ, it's what it sounded like all those years ago," Jordan said. "These are like time capsules when they are properly maintained."

The group holds an annual concert, organ crawls and meetings to network and exchange music.

Close to home, members can play and learn about the 1929 Hinners pipe organ at the Byers Avenue United Methodist Church in Joplin. Jordan said it is the second-oldest organ in Jasper County. The oldest is an instrument made by the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Co. for the Scottish Rite Cathedral, also in Joplin.

An organ in Galena, Kansas, was made before the Civil War and shipped to the region via the Mississippi River. Jordan said a New York church was looking for a larger instrument when it gave the organ in the 1890s to St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Kansas.

The church shipped the organ, made by Jardine and Sons, from New York to New Orleans, then up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. From there, the organ moved by train to Kansas City and then by buckboard to Galena.

Jordan said the organ's history in Missouri and nearby states is fading because organs are expensive to maintain and difficult to play.

The Mighty Wurlitzer show organ at the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, previously had three companion organs in Joplin during the silent movie era. But now churches sometimes opt for a synthesizer or stick with other traditional instruments, such as the piano.

Jordan said there are no more organ manufacturers, so each instrument is made from scratch. A new organ can cost about $250,000.

Plus, skilled organists can sometimes be hard to find. Jordan the sound varies with pipes and contract, which makes playing one "almost like being an entire orchestra."

That means organists are deeply cherished by some churches.

Martin Williams, a founding member of the group, started playing at Park Plaza Christian Church 12 years ago after the previous organist died. Williams stepped in a year later, which he said meant "they could have a traditional service" again.

"They said that it was one of the best things to happen to the church," Williams said.