Pipe Organ Database

a project of the organ historical society

Casavant Frères Ltd. (Opus 2805, 1965)

Location:

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
3055 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M8X 1C6 CA
Organ ID: 1606

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Status and Condition:

  • This instrument's location type is: Roman Catholic Churches
  • The organ is unaltered from its original state.
  • The organ's condition is good, in regular use.
We received the most recent update for this instrument's status from Jeff Scofield on January 25, 2021.

Technical Details:

  • Chests: Ventil
  • 35 ranks. 3 divisions. 2 manuals. 25 stops. 25 registers.
Great, Positiv, Pedal:
  • Chest Type(s): Ventil chests
  • Position: In a gallery-level case at the rear of the room.
We received the most recent update for this division from Jeff Scofield on January 25, 2021.
Main:
  • Manuals: 2
  • Divisions: 3
  • Stops: 25
  • Registers: 25
  • Position: Detached keydesk (mechanical action).
  • Manual Compass: 56
  • Pedal Compass: 32
  • Key Action: Mechanical connection from key to chest (tracker, sticker or mix).
  • Stop Action: Mechanical connection between stop control and chest.
  • Console Style: Traditional style without cover.
  • Stop Controls: Drawknobs in horizontal rows on terraced/stepped jambs.
  • Combination Action: No combination action.
  • Swell Control Type: No enclosed divisions.
  • Pedalboard Type: Concave radiating pedalboard.
We received the most recent update for this console from Jeff Scofield on January 25, 2021.
Database Manager on December 21, 2013:

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.

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on February 11, 2019.
Database Manager on October 30, 2004:

Status Note: There 1997

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.
Database Manager on October 30, 2004:

Earliest Baroque voice organ in city.

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.
Source not recorded: Open In New Tab Stoplist taken from the console December 20, 2013
We received the most recent update for this stoplist from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.

Instrument Images:

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

Console: Photograph by Sam Santos; image courtesy of Shawn Scanlan. Taken on 2009-07-02

Church Interior and Altar: Photograph by Sam Santos; image courtesy of Shawn Scanlan. Taken on 2009-07-02

Church Exterior: Photograph by Sam Santos; image courtesy of Shawn Scanlan. Taken on 2009-07-02

Nave, Balcony, and Organ Cases: Sketch by J. C. Gauthier; image courtesy of the Casavant Frères Archives.

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