NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — Organist Kevin Kwan gets by on a digital organ inside Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk.
He knows it’s only temporary.
“People are not only going to hear the sound difference but feel the difference,” said Kwan.
The church is in the middle of a significant renovation that includes an overhaul of its pipe organ. By February, the chambers above the sanctuary will be filled with thousands of pipes, ranging from 32 feet long to the size of a pencil.
The work is not a lost art, but it’s not something that’s offered anywhere in Hampton Roads. That’s why the congregation brought in Phil Carpenter with Foley-Baker Inc., a Connecticut-based company that specializes in organ rebuilds.
“I’ve been doing this for 35 years,” said Carpenter. “And there isn’t a day that goes by that there isn’t a surprise and you’ve learned something new.”
The craft involves woodworking, electronics and metal work all in one.
“That all comes together to feel the sound you hear,” said Kwan.
It’s a sound Kwan is eager to create.
But for now, his digital organ will have to make do.
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