Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
3055 Bloor Street West
Toronto,
ON
M8X 1C6 CA
Organ ID: 1606
Updated through online information from Shawn Scanlan. -- Our magnificent pipe organ comprises 25 stops and 35 ranks over the Hauptwerk (Great), Positiv and Pedal and features a detached drawknob console with compass 56/32 mechanical key and stop action. Each division is separately encased, with low pressure, un-nicked, open toe, polished tin pipes.
Opus 2805 was built under the tonal direction of famed organ designer/builder-and late husband of world-renowned organist Dame Gillian Weir-Lawrence Phelps (1923-1999) and was the fourteenth mechanical action instrument from the second generation of Casavant tracker organs. It was the first built with a rückpositiv, defined as a small organ at the organist-s back, to the front of the gallery, providing colouristic and contrasting functions.
The solid mahogany case was designed by Hellmuth Wolff who supervised the workshop construction of the instrument. Expert guidance was provided by Victor Togni and Karl Wilhelm.
In addition to serving the parish the organ continues to be much used in recordings, including pre-nineteenth century music by Peter Hurford for the Argo and Decca labels.
Status Note: There 1997
Earliest Baroque voice organ in city.
Nave, Balcony, and Organ Cases: Photograph by Sam Santos; image courtesy of Shawn Scanlan. Taken on 2009-07-02
Organ Case and Console: Photograph by Sam Santos; image courtesy of Shawn Scanlan. Taken on 2009-07-02