Clean pipes – beautiful sound! – Organ cleaning

Our organ in the parish church of St. Laurentius was put into service more than 30 years ago. The two-manual instrument with 27 stops, made by Jehmlich, has since been a reliable companion to the local congregation at services, vespers, concerts, baptisms, weddings, and funerals, through good times and bad. As a local church musician, I and many other volunteers enjoy playing it. To ensure that this precious instrument is preserved for many generations to come, it requires regular maintenance. Every 20–30 years, a thorough cleaning of the entire pipework and the organ case is necessary. Dust and dirt, for example from candle soot, which builds up on the pipes and wooden body over the years, impair the sound and functionality of the many moving parts.
Due to the planned renovations in the parish center, the project has been postponed somewhat. The church council and parish council finally decided last year to conduct the thorough cleaning this year. The Voigt Organ Building Company from Bad Liebenwerda will begin work in May and, if all goes well, will complete it by the parish festival on September 21. Unfortunately, we will have to do without the organ during this time, as over 1,500 pipes need to be removed, disassembled, and cleaned. This will take place over several periods.
The cost of the thorough cleaning of the organ amounts to €24,062.28. The diocese is subsidizing the project with €2,406.23 (10% of the total).

We ask you today: Please support us with your donation to preserve this valuable instrument.
Anyone who would like to learn more about the project and experience the organ again in its uncleaned state is cordially invited to a special organ demonstration on S
aturday, May 3, 2025, at 4 p.m. in the Parish Church of St. Laurentius.

The organ has 27 registers. Distributed across the two manuals and the pedal, they produce a wide variety of tones, allowing for a wide variety of combinations. From loud to soft, high to low, from light fluting to delicate bowing to the blare of trumpets, each register has its own character. The cleaning effort depends on the size of the manuals, which have at least 56 pipes per register (some registers have multiple pipes sounding simultaneously) and at least 30 pipes per pedal register.