Organ Christmas Tree Ornament

Ever since I started studying the organ, I'd been noticing a distinct lack of Christmas tree ornaments in the shape of organs. Tiny trumpets, tiny violins, tiny posthorns, and even tiny pianos had become quite common, but I can't remember seeing a single credible-looking organ. Worse, the very few tiny models of organs I had seen for sale as dollhouse minatures were so absurd-looking that anybody who actually played would fall over laughing at the sight of them. In short, the situation was no better than one I'd heard of, in which a stained-glass window was commissioned to salute church musicians, and in the finished window, the organist was shown playing the sort of half-pedalboard spinet-model toy that one might find in the living room of someone totally devoid of taste. This in spite of the fact that the artist could have inspected the church's own organ at any time.

For over a year, I'd had the idea of designing and building a Christmas tree ornament, built in the shape of a large chamber organ (or a small church organ). The plan was to construct one for my own tree, and several more as gifts for my organ teacher, and for a number of friends who played. For quite some time, I mentally noted down the general lines of every organ I ever saw that was of approximately the right size; the result was a severely simplified synthesis of everything I'd seen.

Wanting to make everything as realistic as practical, I picked the brains of several PIPORG-L subscribers for a few technical details, downloaded the official AGO console specifications, and carefully designed the thing, and built a prototype. Knowing that I was probably not alone in noticing the conspicuous absence of organ Christmas tree ornaments, I decided to make the plans and instructions available to all, without charge for non-commercial use. Incidentally, it took me over two weeks to do the initial design work and shopping, and at least another three to build it, once I started cutting wood. Subsequent ornaments have gone faster, mainly because I was constantly having to revise and modify the plans as I was building the first one.

But the story doesn't end there. It seems that one friend, on seeing the prototype, begged me to start making them for sale, so he could buy one. He didn't mind that they would be rather expensive; neither did he mind that I would not be able to find time for any more ornaments until the beginning of the year, and so he managed to break me down. Thus, if you want one of these ornaments, and you're unwilling or unable to build your own, you can order one from me, using the order form I have provided. The price is $75.00, for the basic ornament, with minimal customizations.

Customizations, you ask? Within reason. You want to delete the eye-screw and hanging ribbon? No problem. Ballast it as a paperweight? No problem. Change the casework color? No problem. Change the pedalboard colors? No problem. Arrange the stops differently? No problem. Arrange the pipes in some order other than "Peaked Major Thirds"? No problem. Lights for the music desk and pedalboard? It'll cost extra, but still no problem. Hollow out a space for an electronic music box? Don't ask me to provide the music box, but if you give me the dimensions, I may be able to provide a space, for an extra charge.

On the other hand, if you want it bigger or smaller than 3/8"-to-the-foot (1:32) scale, build your own. If you want tabs instead of drawstops, build your own. Stops on the key-cheeks? Build your own. Theatrical horseshoe console? Build your own. Wooden facade (like the All Saints' Flentrop)? Build your own. Bigger instrument? Build your own. You want one or more swell pedals (as if something this small NEEDS a swellbox, let alone more than one)? Build your own. Something that looks like a Hammond B3, or a "Teeny Genie"? BUILD YOUR OWN!!

In fact, as long as you're capable of doing so, you're better off building your own anyway: The plans are free, and the limited edition originals are $75.