There are a number of companies out there for anybody looking for a modern fine-quality organ, but there’s only one that can claim the title of oldest organ builder in North America. That would be Casavant Frères (Casavant Brothers) of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which was founded in 1879. The “brothers” were Joseph-Claver and Samuel-Marie, who worked in their father’s shop before Claver went to France to apprentice with John Abbey. The two brothers toured Europe together, taking in the best of what those shops had to offer, before finally building their factory on the site of their father’s old workshop.
The Casavants built their first organ in the following year, a two-manual, 13-stop production which was installed in the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in Montreal. This piece was renowned for its professional painting and casework. Tubular action was added in 1909, and 1959 modifications made the piece completely electric. Read the rest of this entry »