over more than 20 years, between Father Basil, OSB and Stuart Kolbinson
February 27, 1973
Dear Father Basil:
I have brought back from Victoria some tapes, pictures and photostats of the original documents from Casavant Freres so that we have something to talk about next week-end! If that is suitable to you, of course.
After you phoned on Friday last, I tried to get in touch with Rory, as I knew he sometimes went out there. Since being associated with Rory, I have been very interested in modern Art & Artists; and after seeing the gallery show I wanted very much to meet Father Dunstan as well.
For various reasons I wish it were possible to come to your Abbey with Rory - not that I am frightened of monks - but it is nicer to go with someone who is familiar there. Especially if he has a car; mine is on the Island, they could not spare it this week. In fact I never get a chance to bring it over here!
So we shall see how things turn out - perhaps we may have the opportunity to meet very soon; I am looking forward to it. I am not sure what order you belong to, Father - my favorite order is the Benedictines. And my favorite Saints are Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
I told Mr. Izzard, the Cathedral bell ringer, of your Abbey’s interest in the organ, and he said you had some fine bells. I love bells and own twelve of them, collected in various places. The largest is a Tenor C 4’ which weighs a ton. We got it up on a tower on the farm but that was some job (one winch, 4 men, 1 bottle Scotch).
As you can see from the above, I am a weirdo so you can expect anything!
All joking aside, I would very much like to meet you and Father Dunstan, and perhaps I may be fortunate enough to be able to contribute something to your work.
Yours sincerely,
Stuart Kolbinson
* * *
Westminster Abbey
Mission, BC
March 4, 1973
Dear Stuart:
Further to our fruitful discussions last weekend, I’m returning under separate cover your materials on Kindersley (having copied both the 4-manual and 2-manual specifications).
Enclosed, some ideas on the proposed rebuild for you to mull over; and two other notions occur to me: (1) the Solo division of your house organ, which you say isn’t operating, has, presumably, a 7-note-oops-7-rank chest - just about what our pedal department would need, assuming that the Prince Rupert organ might supply an 8-rank for our new Great; any possibility? (2) I broach this with much uneasiness, but you’d want me to be frank…we desperately want that Fagotto 16, don’t we…and they’re pretty hard to come by aren’t they……….but we know where there is one, don’t we……….and it doesn’t appear that it’s going to be used for the present, or perhaps for some time, does it……….Over to you!
Finally, two interesting specifications - and you may keep these invaluable documents, as I have copies.
All for the moment. Keep thinking, scheming, planning, desiring; I’ll do the same, with some praying thrown in - though come to think of it, you can do that as well as I, really!
Blessings,
Fr. Basil
* * *
Vancouver BC
March 6, 1973
Dear Father Basil:
I want first of all to thank you for your hospitality to me during my stay at the Monastery last week-end. Although I had never had the opportunity to visit a religious house as an overnight guest before, I can say that I felt quite at home, especially when there is an organ enthusiast to rap with!
It always amazes me, how there seems to be a design in life, and how our lives somehow seemed to be patterned by it. My meeting with Rory, for instance, has had many repercussions on both our lives, and on the lives of others. Through him, we have met…so what is next? I can hear a Diapason chorus in your chapel now - it is strictly up to us to make that dream a reality. Take courage, gird up thy loins! I have found, that we seek out what we require, and the means will be provided to get it, provided we have the faith and the desire.
So what have we got? Well, we have the know-how, we probably have the pipes, we need a chest and a bellows, and time. Bellows and Regulator are easy, they could be made, under direction, right in your shops. Somewhere there is a chest, just right for us, somewhere else is a person who will provide the necessary cash to get the chest! Our little job is to get the two together. What we have to do, then, is to start sending out feelers, to sniff out some church that has an organ, and does not appreciate it, or, as happened once to me, Casavant Freres had a whole division which was the salvage from a church which caught on fire, and I could have bought it for a song. But it so happened that I didn’t need it then. But there will be other opportunities, you can be sure.
I am writing some of my orgelfreunde, um unsere Laden zu suchen. Keep an eye on the advertisements in the organ mags., write them if you see something interesting. If it is what we want, we will be able to put a deposit on it in order to hold it until our benefactor comes to our aid. If, on the other hand, things go for me as I hope, then our worries are out the window. You’ll get what you want.
What I am trying to do, to give a service which research has shown is badly needed by the great Banks, which is much better than anything they now have; which would result in substantial savings for their operation; yet has the disadvantage that it is a new concept as far as training people is concerned. And anything new is not easy to introduce, above all to such conservative institutions as our Canadian banks. It is something like ringing a great bell - you really have to work to get it swinging, before the first sound is heard. After that, it is easy, in fact it is hard to stop it. That is the way it will be with me and our projects. If I could once get to see the man who has the vision, and also the power to carry it out, then we are on our way. But it is beginning to look as if I might have to go to Toronto, where most of the decisions are made, as far as BC is concerned, anyway.
Last night I visited a friend, who has a steam engine, and also a pipe organ and an excellent hi-fi system. Mirabile Dictu! My old tapes worked, and we were able to hear the organ under immensely better conditions than just replaying it on a little old tape machine. It sure made a difference, I can assure you. One could feel the solidity and breadth of the old Casavant. During the playing of the Boellman war-horse, one could clearly hear the entry of the mixtures and reeds. And the pedals really come through, not just a boom boom.
Do you have Allison’s name and address? I really should drop her a thank you note for her kindness in driving me to the bus station. We had coffee together while we were waiting for the bus, and then when it did come I just had time to thank her and run. She is a very nice person.
I certainly would like to help you and the Abbey all I can, whatever talent I have, and resources I can muster, I will try to give, because I can think of no more worthy place, or people. Then, too, one should not be thinking of oneself, and one’s problems all the time. I can remember, also, how enthused I used to be when I was in search for my own ideal instrument, and how I was helped by many kind people, many of whom are no longer in this world.
I can hear, now, the great Bach piece you will be playing when we open the organ.
Your friend,
Stuart
* * *
Vancouver, BC
March 9, 1973
Dear Father:
Thanks for the letter, and your copies of the orgel-spoofs, they are really good for a laugh. I often think a lot of these organ guys take themselves pretty seriously, and they need to be checked up once in a while. Not that they likely could see the joke, they are of that type, I am afraid. But the rest of us can stand some humor.
Now for a look at your proposed scheme #1 - I shall call it that, and I hope you are keeping copies of your proposals and specs, as I do, so that we both can refer back as we no doubt often will have to do. Planning is half the fun. Now for the specs - you have a question mark at the Swell 4’ Flute, and with good reason, as in an organ of that size I think 2 four-foot flutes are not all that useful, if something else more necessary could be used. One is enough. Then, you have two Dulcianas; I found the Great Gemshorn it to be an excellent accomp. Rank as well as having chorus possibilities of its own. If the Flute 8’ on the Great is an open one, mild and bright, combined with the Gemshorn it might - I can’t be sure of this, of course - make a synthetic Diapason of another character than the more virile Principal on the same manual. Of course, we would have to scare up another rank of pipes, a Gemshorn shouldn’t be all that difficult, however……not after all the other goodies we will have. Sure hope that Prince Rupert comes through, it would be nice to have some pipes for trading after we have used the ranks we want.
I see that it is lunch time, that must be why I am making all the errors and omissions. Then I will have to rush to catch the 2 o’clock bus for the Island, while over there I shall look around.
Extra 2 note chests can easily be built for the pedals, nothing to it. Also, I think you could get another stop tablet for pipes, by using the Tremulant one, and for a few dollars, get a reversible toe stud for the Tremulant stop control, like they used to have on the old Karn-Warren two manual reed organs. The tremulant is so seldom used, I should imagine, in the chapel with male organists, that the stop tab is not all that necessary. Now, if it was a convent, we could wire it on permanently for the good sisters, as they seem to have a perverse love for the things, it is the first stop they draw and the last one they shut in. After that came the Swell to Great coupler.
As regards my venture, there is a rift in the clouds this week. Now, you can realize a new venture, especially dealing with such conservative organizations as the Canadian banks, is not easy to get rolling. If it had been, someone else would have started it long ago. So lets keep hoping that I will not have to sell the organ to the Anglicans in Regina, they have made an offer on it this week. I told them not to be in such a hurry, as I had not yet decided to sell.
I think it would be a waste to use the 61 note Solo chest as a 32 note pedal chest, unless one had chests to burn, which is not the case. Also to use only 32 pipes of the Fagotto and throw away the rest would be a similar waste, unless we had some other use for them. (Knowing you, I suppose that would not take you long to figure out!)
Do you still get the Diapason? If you do, answer any likely looking ads regarding chests and pipes, you never know. That is what I used to do, even if I didn’t have any money just then. Because it sometimes happened that by the time I got an answer, the money was available for purchase. Or what say if we put an advt. In like:
Wanted Electro-pneumatic chest, 7 or more ranks preferred.
Thanks for your offer to pray for me: I need it!
I will have a chat with my friend in Victoria who has some pipes left over from his own job. They are a lot closer than Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
All the best,
Stuart
* * *
Westminster Abbey
March 15, 1973
Dear Stuart:
There are other things I should be getting to this morning, but your recent letter is on my mind, plus a few other things, so here goes with comments on its contents:
Scheme #1 Herewith, Scheme #2
Great: Swell:
OPEN DIAPASON 8 STOPPED DIAPASON 8
MELODIA 8 DULCIANA 8
SALICIONAL 8 PRINCIPAL 4
OCTAVE 4 FLUTE (?) 4
HARMONIC FLUTE 4 NASARD 2 2/3
FIFTEENTH 2 SPITZ PRINCIPAL 2
TWENTY-SECOND 1 PLEIN JEU III (2)
TRUMPET 8 GROSS OBOE 8
Swell to Great Tremulant (toe stud reversible)
Pedal:
BOURDON 16
GEMSHORN 16
GEIGEN PRINCIPAL 8
VIOLA 8
PRINCIPAL 4
FLUTE 4
FAGOTTO 16
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
The question mark after Swell Flute meant, not whether or not I wanted one, but what kind; I’d have to differ with you, in that I feel the 4’ flute is indeed useful for various choruses on the Swell, and the one on the Great similarly - I’d be inclined to say you’re right in the case of, say, a 2’ flute on the Great. Two Dulcianas - yes, I did put down two of them on Scheme #1, for this reason, that in most cases the earlier type of Dulciana tended to be of a slightly heavier, more Diapason-like quality than our silvery-soft specimen here; I’d put your Kindersley rank on the Great for this reason, to perform the Gemshorn function you refer to - and for variety I’ve changed the name to Salicional, since the best types of the latter have that fine English mini-Principal quality, very close to the heavy Dulciana.
Solo chest. The reason I suggested using yours is precisely that we haven’t got chests to burn, and are looking for anything we can get, even if it means blocking out half the notes for our use at present; they can always be uncovered in future and put back into 61-note use if necessary elsewhere.
Fagotto 16. Sure, use only 32 pipes of your rank, but who said anything about throwing away the rest ???
Just keep’em in storage until such time as you’d want to use the complete 61-note set again, as with the Solo chest !
Tremulant from a toe stud reversible. The reason I included one is that, once in a while, it can give a bnice warmth to a solo reed or a flute combination when playing the repertoire. I had in mind to sacrifice it for another stop - which I did in projecting Scheme #2, giving space for a useful 4’ Pedal flute - but your idea, Watson, is brilliant - by all means ! while I think of it, note also on this scheme that I’ve changed the Mixture IV for a simple 1’ Super Octave - solves a lot of chest problems while giving a light, pure brilliance that I’m particularly fond of.
That about covers your letter; now for some other items.
What about the possibility of shipping your entire 1907 baby out here and us storing it safely, against the day of the future church or some other eventuality? In this way it would be completely safe from vandalism, deterioration, etc. On the other hand, I think we must be completely objective: While I’m attracted to the idea that this king of sound could be just what we want in the future church, it might be unwise to commit myself, in theory, that we are definitely going to want it; I think you understand this - it’s a very interesting possibility, but simply to be left open for the present.
A bolt from the blue. Would you at any time be interested in going into the organ business, connected with Casavant: John Darbyshire was out on Sunday, and after telling him of your keen enthusiasm and knowledgeability, and familiarity with Casavant, he seemed to warm to the idea, which I threw out, that you might possibly “cotton to” forming a little Casavant team of co-workers that John would like to form in this area. We left it at that, and he understands that you may not want to follow it up at all; no sweat.
You’ll be surprised that I put this last, but it was deliberate. I got a “green light” letter from the pastor at Prince Rupert - we can have the organ for the cost of shipping. But cool it, man. This thing is going to trigger some far-reaching and ramification-filled discussion by the Abbot and his council. The questions of renovating and expanding our present organ entails that of whether the side spaces in the gallery can be released for this purpose (they are used for accommodating overflow congregations, and we're getting this situation increasingly), then how long it will be before we promote the building of the church in a definite way; whether the community as a whole want the church at this time; and so on. So hang loose for the present. Meantime I’m quite sure we’ll be able to go ahead with getting the Prince Rupert here, as soon as Father Cardo sends me data on the number and size of the crates, and I get shipping estimates and Plans. I’ll keep you posted.
All for the moment. I get the A.G.O. magazine, but there wasn’t anything worthwhile-looking in the classified section of the current issue, except for one outfit offering a free catalogue of “clearance sale items” - and I asked them to send both you and me a copy. While I think of it, here’s the address of the chap back east who was handling used Casavant stuff a few years ago:
Lucien Caron
6927 St. Denis “Used Casavant organs,
Montreal, PQ 10-80 stops” (!)
AGO Magazine, May 1970
-do what you want about this.
Blessings,
Fr Basil
* * *
Vancouver
April 13, 1973
Dear Father Basil:
I had thought you might be in the city this week, so have delayed answering your cards until now. I was hoping I might have the opportunity of hearing you play on an organ with some choruses suitable for the classics, someday that will happen, I am sure.
The Tellers catalog arrived all right, but there is nothing in the way of suitable chests for our use. They have a great number of ranks of used pipes which are quite reasonable, including a 61-note Fagotto for $200; a new set of the same costs $500.
There are renters now living in the farm home, so the worry of vandalism, so prevalent nowadays, has lessened a great deal. Just imagine what a group of teenagers could do if they climbed into one of my pipe chambers! One time, some kids raided our old schoolhouse in the country, which had been closed, and theyt totally wrecked the piano. Tore the strings out, smashed the woodwork and all sorts of devilry.
Congratulations on getting the Prince Rupert! Keep your eyes open, there may be others lurking in basements somewhere. We can use anything we can get - for trading purposes if for nothing else.
Christ Church has written, they want the organ all right and claim they have the room in the West Gallery for it.
I am not so sure, but I suppose they have made proper measurements, since I loaned them the original plans.
Things are looking up a bit for us, in fact, the gloomy outlook I had when I was with you has changed to one much more bright, although there is much yet to be done. All I can say is, we are working at it in the belief that when one door closes, another is opened. One thing is certain, and that is, there is nothing I would like better, than to have the chance to do something for you, and if we keep in mind what we want, I am sure that IT WILL COME TO PASS! The power of positive thinking, again. A thought is a living thing, I believe, and I see the pipes in your spare room, and hear you play them for me.
I tried to phone Derbyshire, but without result. I would like to meet the man sometime, and who know, he might have something useful we could use.
Ich have Laukhuffs Price List erhalten, und mein Gott! Alles ist noch so teur, es billiger wird, in Kanada zu kaufen!
Mit Herz. Grussen,
Stuart
* * *
Vancouver, BC
Nov. 1st 1973
Dear Father Basil
Thank you for your card, received today - I have been thinking of you!
Fortunately, my lack of communication is not due to my health, which is excellent except for a cold, which settled on me after I had lain awake all night, thinking and scheming ways and means. Like I used to do with the organ.
There is an old saying, that a farmer on the prairies lives poor and dies rich. What has happened, is that land prices have risen dramatically due to present high prices for farm products, making me fairly well-off…..on paper. Meanwhile, the opportunity came up for me to buy control of the Tropicana Motor Hotel, 1361 Robsonstrasse, a very fine 14-story modern building with a seemingly good cash flow. As you can imagine, to do so has required a lot of effort to raise the necessary on my part, plus trips to Kindersley to see the bankers, lawyers and accountants etc. etc. Unless some last minute hitch appears, I will be taking over the business on 21st of this month. So that is what I have been up to! I feel somewhat like I did when I bought the Casavant, and was faced with moving the great monster with no place to install it, or money either. But I wasn’t scared for long - too busy, and I imagine this will also be the case with this venture if it goes thru.
It has not been necessary so far, for me to have to sell my organ and parts, I took an inventory and was amazed at how much I had on hand; only requiring time and labor to put together one fair-sized three manual, and at least two large two manuals!
I realize that I have not been much help to you so far, but things seem to be working out for the better at last, and there should be better days ahead for us all. Did you get the material for recovering the valves? Maybe I could slip out there for a “rest” and get started on the windchests and a wind control valve for the blower so we can get the breath of life into the long dead old girl which will be a small miracle in itself. I am sure some of the Brethren have their doubts, but we’ll show ‘em!
It would be nice to be able to set up a training school for organists there; certainly there is a need especially in the accompaniment of plainchant; I hear some horrible examples. Some of the worst perpetrators are religious, especially nuns. Turn on the tremulant and a big flute and bourdon seems to be their motto, open the shutters wide, then pump them is their motto as well. Lord help us all!
Again, many thanks for your blessings, I am sure everything will work out for the best, if we have faith they will do so.
Hoping to see you soon,
Stuart
* * *
Westminster Abbey
Mission, BC January 25, 1994
Dear Stuart: Just a few lines into the new year, to wish you all the best; I trust this finds you well and flourishing. I asked Father Abbot at the beginning of this month about putting the organ project on his agenda for 1994; he said simply, “No.” What then - two years ? Five years ? “I don’t know,” was the reply. So unless someone appears from nowhere with half a million and a burning desire to provide the abbey church with a fine organ, or the present instrument takes a dramatically deteriorating turn forcing something to be done, we are back to square one, on hold, bleak, without prospect. I guess that’s the way the good Lord wants it: utter hopelessness and therefore dependence on Providence. I am quite calm; the big thing is just to keep busy and untroubled. All for now - just thought I’d share the above with an old Orgelfreund -
Blessings,
Fr. Basil
* * *
Westminster Abbey
Mission BC
July 17, 1998
Stuart-
Greetings, and I thought you might find the enclosed of interest …
Here No. 397 progresses slowly and carefully. Chamber, blower, chests and windlines complete; Solid state system now in process of hooking up; console down at shop, awaiting rebuild -
Coming over sometime this summer?
Blessings,
Fr. B
Note: This is Casavant Opus # 397
* * *
Mission, BC
December 14, 1998
Stuart -
Many thanks for yours of the 7th.
Yeah - I know all about the unhappy events at First United, Victoria; not for me to comment, except we got the Chimney Flute 4’ pipes from the Choir!
You may tell Stuart Kennedy that the “man from Calgary” is Tom Jamin, now Br. Peter, orgelbauer extraordinaire; big family; his parents still come from Calgary to visit a few times a year.
Will keep you posted on #397; may be up and running by Easter, but no predictions…
A blessed Christmastide
Fr. B
* * *
