Dear Partner in Crime:

Rec'd your most welcome letter this morning - observe - I've turned over a new leaf and am answering my personal mail without delay! Bills, I don't give such quick attention.

The ordeal is at last - I hope - over; went in on the 27th and got out Jan 10th. I am afraid it was not a very pleasant Xmas or New Year's for me. My Xmas toast was that no one be ill next year and that we'd all be still home. Last Xmas Morna was sick with appendicitis and operation Dec 27th, the year before, Mary went into hospital on the 27th for a gall bladder operation. Let's hope 3 strikes are the limit!

I came thru the operation quite well and the prognosis is good, I am told. Thank you for remembering me; I am very grateful for it.

Mary came home last Friday saying that she had heard thru the grapevine that a certain Benedictine Father was slated to give an organ recital in Victoria and I immediately sent my thoughts to Mission. Lo and behold, you
wrote next day, but never mentioned the recital. Is the rumor true? I hope so. And if it is, do you want a chauffeur while in our fair city; and we have also a spare room filled with organ books! Please let me know when you are coming.

I am afraid I don't understand what you mean when you say that Aeolian-Skinner fellow could do the job for $2000; I am afraid one can't get much for that amount these days.

While in hospital I looked at their magazines all of about 1962 vintage, except a Popular Science mag, Jan 1976. I am afraid I stole this, not wishing to have the hospital break with its tradition of ancient magazines. The reason... there was an advt. re a do-it-yourself kit for a 1 man., 1 stop (St. Diapason 8') positive organ kit. Only $975 plus freight. I sent a dollar for the information - it is foot blown. Kind of cute. Then I got the brilliant idea of building my own little positive for the living room. I came up with:

1. St. Diapason 8 ft
2. Principal  4 ft
3. Twelfth on Nazard 2-2/3 ft, or Larigot 1-1/2
4. Fifteenth  2 ft

We tried this on Mr. Smalley's organ (the 4 man. here) and it makes quite an "organic" sound. I thought it would be fun and have already started getting materials, plans, etc. I feel much happier when making something. Got my tools set up in the basement before I went to hospital.

As far as the specs. - I read today in one of my journals that Gottfried Silbermann, the great builder of Bach's time, built Haus-orgels of identical specifications. In these same journals there are several articles on the great organs of the (Benedictine, mostly) Monasteries of Europe. The organ builder would move right in with his helpers. The monks would have to provide wood for his cook, vegetables and meat, plus so many barrels of wine. To lubricate things, I suppose.

What wonderful instruments those old-timers built! The instrument at Weingarten is fantastic, sections of the organ all over the place, over 5000 pipes, and tracker action. And the console is quite modern-looking, not half so clumsy as the English, Dutch and German (north) ones.

I was back on the farm; I was going to buy a truck and bring some material back but I now know the cancer was affecting me to the extent that I was losing energy, until around Christmas time I didn't like to go downtown, even. Thank goodness for modern skill and science; I have more energy now although still sore - they really carved me up.

Tomorrow I am going to do some phoning to see if the rumor re your recital is correct - maybe you haven't heard about it yet, since you never mentioned it. And if you don't allow some time for a chinwag about our favorite subject, I'll start excommunication proceedings. I sure hope it is true; also that it is yourself and not someone else who is coming.

Re the big church - I don't like all that glass, it will cost a fortune to heat it these days. Glass is a poor insulator although it should be good for reverberation.

Thanks again for your cheery letter, please write again, soon,

Love,
Stuart

ps I think I have 2 Bourdons but they are large Scale from big Pedal organs; not suitable for a manual stop. The Diapasons I'd have to check, to see if they've suffered any damage. Maybe we should be looking around BC for what we want, shipping is so *@!!* expensive these days. Keep your eyes and ears open - we didn't do so badly with that old Casavant, did we? You'd be a millionaire if you'd gone into business!

I was just thinking, I could make three two-manual healthy organs out of my Casavant. Just need 3 consoles, 2 more blowers, a reservoir or 2, some more pedal pipes and presto! Should be easier than getting rid of the
monster.

Stuart