Let's write about organ music in Maine! A dedication blog

Father Thomas M. Murphy (b. June 5, 1953 – d. September 20, 2021):

On Eagle's Wings!* (Recorded LIVE as a prelude to the Papal Mass with Pope Francis, held at Madison Square Garden on September 25, 2015. Mass had over 20,000 in attendance! Vocalist: D'Train Williams Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Words & Music by Fr. Michael Joncas. (c) 1979, Oregon Catholic Press. www.ocp.org

BRUNSWICK. Maine – Father Thomas M. Murphy, pastor of All Saints Parish in Brunswick, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 at the age of 68. The son of Louis and Phyllis Murphy, Father Murphy was born in Houlton, Maine, but grew up on Portland’s Munjoy Hill. He attended Cathedral School and then Cheverus High School, before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern Maine. He then received a master’s degree in sacred theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Father Tom Murphy Rest in Peace

A feature story reported in the Diocese of Portland Maine's September/October 2021, Harvest Magazine, described the restoration of a "Down East treasure".  In my opinion, Father Tom would have appreciated this church organ history and the article.

 An 87 year old organ in a Machias, Maine Roman Catholic church, has been restored to its original luster.

This particular echo report is dedicated to the life of Father Tom Murphy, the pastor of All Saints Parish, in Maine's Mid Coast, including six churches. Sadly, Father Tom died unexpectedly on Monday, September 20, 2021, although he had been reported by the parish to have received hospital emergency care on the Friday before his death. In fact, Father Tom had a robust singing voice. In his obituary, he was described as having a great appreciation for church music, opera and the theater.

This echo history about the organ restoration at the Holy Name of Jesus Church in Machias, ME, is dedicated to his love of music and to honor Father Tom's dedication to helping others.

"Aeolian-Skinner made some of the finest organs in the country, says Greg Notes, an organist. ,“It was the Cadillac of organ building.”

“It is a magnificent instrument,” says Father Philip Clement, administrator of the parish. “We owe a great deal of debt to the Sullivan family.”

"They specified that it should be a very fine instrument, and that is what they got,” says Timothy Smith, of the Smith & Gilbert Organ Company. 

The appreciation the church community had for its new organ was such that in November 1934, the pastor extended an invitation to Bishop Joseph McCarthy, the sixth bishop of Portland, to travel Down East, to dedicate it, an invitation he accepted.

Regrettably, with passing years and generations, many parishioners no longer realized the quality of the gift in their midst. That is, until last winter, 2020, when Noyes asked Father Clement if he could practice on the organ because pandemic restrictions had kept him from traveling to Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, where he is the organist at All Saints Anglican Church. 

Noyes has a connection to St. Peter the Fisherman Parish, because he also plays at Sacred Heart Church in Lubec.

Noyes says the quality of the organ at Holy Name of Jesus Church shone through even though it was evident that it was in dire need of cleaning and tuning.

“I went right up to [Father Clement] afterwards and I said, ‘Do you have any idea how good this organ is'?’ Noyes recalls. “It’s a prize, and the people didn’t realize it.”

After consulting with Father Clement, Noyes reached out to Smith, an old friend who has an organ company in upstate New York. Smith, who used to own a home in Eastport, made the trip to evaluate the organ and came to the same conclusions as Noyes.

“I knew that the organ deserved to have its pipes cleaned, so that’s what we did, but it’s amazing how intact the organ is mechanically,” he says. “It’s a remarkable slice of history from 1934, because the organ is completely original. The attention to detail in the construction and the use of materials is all uncompromised.”

Smith says it is clear the small pipe organ was specially built for Holy Name of Jesus Church. “There is a rose window, a larger circular window in the gallery wall, and this organ was configured mechanically to go around the window. That took a fair amount of engineering to alter the shape of the pipes and the structure of the organ so that the organ acts as a frame around the stained-glass window,” he says.

Smith says the interior of the organ was not just dusty but dirty, possibly the result of soot from a small fire in the adjoining rectory or a furnace incident decades ago. Over a three-day period in July, with the help of parishioners, the organ’s nearly 600 pipes were removed and carried down a narrow staircase to the parish hall for cleaning.

“He and his mother worked for three days, taking these pipes down, cleaning them, bringing them back up and tuning the organ afterwards. He had some assistance from parishioners, who thoroughly enjoyed that as well. They learned about the inner workings of our organ by watching him take it apart and put it back together again,” says Father Clement.

“Tim (the master organ fixer-upper guy) made working on the organ a lot of fun, and it was a pleasure to help him,” says Gabriel, a teenager who volunteered.

“I wasn’t expecting the organ to be opened up like that, and I really liked helping to tear it apart,” says Christian, his younger brother.

The metal pipes were cleaned by swishing them in a tank of hot water to loosen the dirt, while the wooden pipes had the dirt blown out or them. Moreover, the metal pipes were then buffed with soft cloths, while the wooden pipes were wiped down and lightly oiled to remove the dryness of the wood.

“It’s a remarkable slice of history from 1934 because the organ is completely original.” - Timothy Smith.

After the organ was tuned, Smith, who is an accomplished musician, performed a recital for the parishioners to help them appreciate what makes pipe organs so special.

"A small organ is like having a chamber orchestra and a larger organ is like having a symphony orchestra," he says.  Wind is blowing through the pipes and resonating in a space and creating that magical sound that can't happen through speakers."

"It adds to the character of our parish," says Father Clement.  "It's part of our history.  It's an original and very simply put, it helps us to do what we do.  The organ helps us in our worship of God, in the Mass."

The enhanced cleaning cost was $3,000, money that was rased through an organ fund and fundraising including a $1,000 gift from a parishioner. 

Now that it has been thoroughly cleaned, Smith says, there is no reason why the organ, with regular minor maintenance, can't continue to serve the parish for decades to come.

It's an organ that is just a beautiful blossom of tone, if you will, in that lovely church," he says.

I'm delighted that the parishioners are now aware of this treasured gift, " adds Father Clement.

*You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord

Who abide in His shadow for life,

Say to the Lord, 

"My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

 And He will raise you up on eagles' wings..."