The Organ Project at Grace

In October of 2021, the Vestry of Grace Church authorized the public launch of The Organ Project at Grace. The project is intended to restore, renovate, and expand our existing pipe organ which has been in a perilous state of complete disrepair. The 6,000+ individual pipes – dating from 1886, 1932 and 1959 – need extensive work to make them sing again. The 1959 wind-chests need re-leathering after working hard for over 60 years, and an increasing number of pipes continued to go silent or “cipher” (sound continuously) to the point where all pipework had to be disconnected.

Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, the Vestry approved starting the project in earnest as we continue to raise funds for the balance of the needed amount. The contract was signed with Casavant Frères of Saint-Hyacinth, Quebec in summer 2024 and the pipes and components were removed from the church later that same year.

Click here to download a brochure detailing this exciting project, with the proposed stop-list for the restored, renovated, and expanded organ. When complete, Grace Church’s instrument will be the largest pipe organ in the state of Rhode Island, with 6,366 pipes.

While we are able to start the project thanks to our generous donor, we need your help to bring the organ home to Grace!

Please call the Parish Office, or email Organist & Director of Music, Vince Edwards (vedwards@gracepvd.org) or our Rector, The Rev. Jonathan Huyck (jhuyck@gracepvd.org) if you are interested in helping with this landmark musical project, or if you simply want more information. Videos of the original state of the instrument are available for viewing at www.gracechurchprovidence.org/organproject  Thank You!

Below is a brief history of the organs of Grace Church. To watch a behind-the-scenes tour of the Gallery and Chancel Organs, or a demonstration of the instruments, please click on the videos to the right!

History of Organs at Grace Church

The Gallery Organ at Grace Church was installed in 1886 by the Hutchings Company of Boston. The black walnut case and stenciled façade pipes have become an iconic symbol of Grace Church. In 1902, the Choir was moved from the Gallery to the small Chancel downstairs in the front of the church, and in 1904 the console was moved down to the Chancel as well. When a new Chancel was designed and built by the famous Gothic-Revival architect Ralph Adams Cram in 1912, the Hutchings Co. supplied a small Chancel Organ to supplement the Gallery Organ and to better accompany the Choir from its new location. The present twin Chancel Organ cases (also designed by Cram) were installed at that time. In 1923, Casavant Frères of St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada built a larger, new Chancel Organ of over 1,800 pipes and supplied a new console to control both organs.

In 1959, the Vestry authorized a complete overhaul and expansion of both organs. Edward B. Gammons, a member of the National Joint Commission on Church Music served as consultant, along with the then-organist of Grace Church, Fred Cronhimer, and Lawrence Phelps of Casavant. Much of the Hutchings pipework from 1886 was included in the project, including the 32’ Soubasse. The Chancel Organ was enlarged to 3 manuals and pedal, and a new console was provided to control the entire organ. This project culminated in 103 ranks of pipes (68 in the Gallery and 35 in the Chancel) with a total of 6,124 pipes.

In 2010, a 4-manual console was designed and built by the firm of R.A. Colby in Tennessee, with the Walker Technical Company supplying over 100 digital ranks of pipes. This project, spearheaded by then-Director of Music Mark Johnson, was intended to compensate for the ever-increasing of number of “dead notes” in the organ, and the dire need to re-leather the entire instrument. In 2023, after 13 years of use, this console and the digital stops installed with it was removed and replaced with a Hauptwerk Virtual Organ. This was done as a second interim step to better support our choral and congregational singing as we continue to seek funds to restore, rebuild, and expand the Chancel Organ. 

For some time, the organ has been in a critical state. With the launch of this project – and with the generosity of donors like you! – our goal is for Grace Church’s instrument to be, once again, a touchstone for music at Grace and in the wider musical community in Providence and the State of Rhode Island. If you would like to make a donation in support of Music at Grace, or for the restoration of the organ, please find donation envelopes in the rear of the church, or contact Director of Music Vince Edwards at vedwards@gracepvd.org or call 401-331-3225, ext 4.