Information from the Organ Builder

ORGUES LÉTOURNEAU LIMITÉE

          Established in 1979, this sole proprietorship is owned by the company's President and Artistic Director, Fernand Létourneau.  Fernand's previous experience before starting his own company includes working as a voicer for fourteen years (head voicer for the last four) for the Canadian firm of Casavant FrËres Ltée.  Upon his departure from Casavant, Fernand received a grant from the Canadian Council of the Arts to study organ building in Europe where he studied the voicing techniques of the builders Schnitger, Silbermann, and Clicquot.  It was on his return to Saint-Hyacinthe that he founded Orgues Létourneau Limitée.

         Since then, Fernand has become internationally known for his abilities in every aspect of pipe organ design, constructed and tonal finishing.  He has also devoted himself to training a skilled team of workers and is, as such, responsible for educating a new generation of younger organbuilders in Québec.  In the past twenty-four years, the company has grown to 50 full-time employees.  In subsequent study leaves, Fernand has taken an interest in the voicing techniques from the romantic period of organ building, with a special emphasis on the work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and William Hill.  An active member of both the International Society of Organbuilders and the American Institute of Organbuilders, Fernand is to be credited with the firm's current tonal direction, which has been described as "eclectic with a French accent".  www.letournauorgans.com

Letter from the Organ Builder

          The opportunity to create a large new pipe organ to become a part of a stunning new 1,600-seat sanctuary is the kind of organ builders dream about.  Here in Plano, a dream has been realized:  From the initial discussions to the tuning of the last pipe, this project has been a cause for great excitement and exuberance for my team and me.

          St. Andrew United Methodist Church's new pipe organ has been designated our Opus 87, meaning it is the 87th new instrument our company has built.  To speak of the 4,300 pipes.  The instrument enjoys the benefit of being located at the front of the sanctuary and speaks directly into the church without obstruction.  The organ case made from solid red oak and displaying polished pipes made from 70% tin alloy, compliments the church's architecture and draws attention to the spectacular rose window at the front of the sanctuary.

          Opus 87 has a very complete specification and will permit the performance of an overwhelming majority of the pipe organ's vast repertoire without concessions.  The details about every one of the organ's pipes, including the choice of pipe metal and the relative diameter and shape of each pipe, were considered carefully to ensure that the instrument would fulfill its role and would possess the desired sonority.  Once the pipes were built to these exacting specifications, our team of voicers then spent over two months working both in our workshops an in the church to give each pipe its own voice.  A time-consuming process of listening to each and every pipe separately and in varying combinations, the voicing of the instrument is perhaps the most demanding of all the artistic talents that went into the building of this massive instrument.  A constant in all of these processes was our desire for a rich, full sound, for we knew the organ would be used to support congregational singing as well as accompany St. Andrew's fine choirs and instrumental ensembles.

          One of the most positive aspects of this project has been the close collaboration with the many professional and volunteer staff at the church.  In particular, we would like to thank Amy Fuller, John Hamilton, Steven Wooddell, Terry Metzger, Christopher Crook, and Bradley Reznicek, who patiently worked with us on this project from its inception to completion.  Finally, I would also like to thank the congregation of St. Andrew United Methodist Church for placing their trust in our company.

Soli deo Gloria!

Fernand Létourneau

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