The Goršič organ (Op. 54, 1890) in St. Michael’s Church in Mengeš has been left with its imprint for many decades. Let’s take a look at the most acute wear and damage.
Due to the heating of the church by blowing heated air into the nave, and from there directly onto the choir, the wooden parts of the organ have dried out over the years. The windchests (the wooden channels that bring air or breath to the pipes) have cracked so that when the keys are pressed, the adjacent pipes also sound.
Photo: Uroš Urbanija
Major problems were encountered when changes in temperature and humidity caused the wooden parts of the mechanics and windchests to shrink. The organ would then ‘creak’, ‘whistle’, individual keys would jam, individual valves would not close, and unintended tones would be produced. Some register valves did not seal effectively, causing individual registers to sound when not activated. The cones that opened the air inlet to the pipes were unevenly adjusted, causing the pipes to sound off. The leather on the bellows was in poor condition and had been cracked several times, so it leaked a lot of air. During full organ play, the sound was unstable because of a lack of breath. The mechanical trackers (the connections between the keys and the pipe valves) had been damaged and repaired several times. The wooden pipes were infested by wood pests and had poor voicing, unstable tone and even non-functioning pipes.
All of these and other deficiencies proved that the organ could no longer be mechanically adjusted properly, nor could it be tuned well. The major problems were solved by a technician, who was able to fix the most troublesome faults (e.g. the whistling of individual pipes, the jamming of keys and stops) only temporarily.
The decision on the organ restoration
The decision to undertake a general restoration of the organ was made. In 2021, parish priest Marko Košir appointed an organ restoration committee, which examined several comparable organs and consulted with organ experts. The parish organ restoration committee engaged the Organistica experts to participate in a project to study the organ heritage of master Franc Goršič.
The Mengeš organ is an important cultural, technical and historical monument that should be preserved in its original state for future generations. Especially since there are not many original Goršič instruments left. Modifications and upgrades of such an instrument would mean the death of a cultural heritage treasure.
It was decided to restore the organ to its original condition with the Močnik Organ Workshop from Cerklje na Gorenjskem entrusted with the restoration project.
Photo: Uroš Urbanija
Preparations for renovation
In order to present the cultural and historical significance of the Goršič organ in Mengeš to the public, the parish organ restoration committee organised several events for the general public in April 2023, namely:
- A presentation of the organ builder Franc Goršič and his organ in Mengeš by Luka Posavec and Aleš Razpotnik. They revealed the historical background of the organ, and the current state of the instrument and explained the aspects of the restoration from the point of view of preserving Slovenian cultural heritage.
- An open day at the Mengeš church choir, where the participants were able to observe the organ in action in an open organ case and see for themselves the faults and problems.
- A workshop for children, who assembled miniature working organs from wooden parts to learn how the instrument works (in cooperation with Orlekids Slovenija).
Lecture on the Goršič Organ in Mengeš
Photo: Uroš Urbanija
The parish bid farewell to the old organ on the Whit Monday, May 29, 2023. Subsequently, the Močnik Organ Workshop dismantled the organ and transported it to its workshop in Cerklje na Gorenjskem. A year of organ silence followed in Mengeš, providing time to prepare for the return of the organ in its renewed splendor.
Taken from the text by Uroš Urbanija
