Pipe Organ
Built with German pipes in 1929 by Chandos Dix, the original organ was a gift from Mabel Lonsdale, sister of CW Lonsdale and music teacher at the School. The organ loft was above the choir stalls on the west (left) side, with a few pipes showcased above the choir stalls. This original organ consisted of 10 ranks, or about 640 pipes. The instrument was played from a console located in a small room at the side of the Chapel, and the wind pressure was supplied from bellows pumped by two boys!
By 1963 the organ was in need of repair, and Ian Galliford, organist and choir director at the School from 1948-1967, raised money to enlist the help of Hugo Spilker, a Victoria organ maker, to restore the mechanism and replace some of the pipework. The pneumatic mechanism connecting the console to the pipes with a more responsive electrical system. The console was also moved to a more convenient spot near the choir and an electric blower was added.
Graham Anderson, who had been a student at the School from 1940 to 1942, returned in 1957 as a member of staff. He took an interest in the organ and set about learning as much as he could. What started as a hobby turned into a pet project and then a serious effort to improve the instrument. Graham concluded that the organ must be moved to a better location. At the back of the Chapel a platform was built above the entrance to provide a larger and more stable support. After the last service before Christmas in 1965, the console was disconnected and a number of students helped Graham remove all the pipes and manoeuvre the two main wind chests, each weighing at least 500 pounds, out of the loft, down the aisle and up to the platform. Graham spent the Christmas break reassembling the organ and adding a new trumpet stop ordered from the Netherlands. Another 44 pipes from St. Mary's Kerrisdale were also acquired. The total number of pipes was now about 750.
In 1992, the Chapel was expanded, including the present rear gallery for the organ and choir. With the help of Victoria organ builder Grant Smalley, new ranks of pipes were added, and others were revoiced. When finished, the organ had grown to 23 ranks (1252 pipes). Graham continued to modify the configuration and added another two ranks of pipes over the following years. The Shawnigan Chapel organ is presently the largest pipe organ on Vancouver Island north of Victoria. It was Graham Anderson's decades-long labour of love, a legacy for which we are deeply grateful.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
Graham Anderson, who had been a student at the School from 1940 to 1942, returned in 1957 as a member of staff. He took an interest in the organ and set about learning as much as he could. What started as a hobby turned into a pet project and then a serious effort to improve the instrument. Graham concluded that the organ must be moved to a better location. At the back of the Chapel a platform was built above the entrance to provide a larger and more stable support. After the last service before Christmas in 1965, the console was disconnected and a number of students helped Graham remove all the pipes and manoeuvre the two main wind chests, each weighing at least 500 pounds, out of the loft, down the aisle and up to the platform. Graham spent the Christmas break reassembling the organ and adding a new trumpet stop ordered from the Netherlands. Another 44 pipes from St. Mary's Kerrisdale were also acquired. The total number of pipes was now about 750.
In 1992, the Chapel was expanded, including the present rear gallery for the organ and choir. With the help of Victoria organ builder Grant Smalley, new ranks of pipes were added, and others were revoiced. When finished, the organ had grown to 23 ranks (1252 pipes). Graham continued to modify the configuration and added another two ranks of pipes over the following years. The Shawnigan Chapel organ is presently the largest pipe organ on Vancouver Island north of Victoria. It was Graham Anderson's decades-long labour of love, a legacy for which we are deeply grateful.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
