St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Markham, Ontario, Canada In September 2009, the pastor and various committees at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Markham, Ontario decided that the organ used in celebrating God's presence was not adequate in its limited capabilities and sporadic service. They decided upon an Allen organ and in April 2010, a beautiful Heritage™ Edition H-II45D was installed. It is a 45 stop, two-manual digital performance instrument with 20 audio channels. None of the 10 main organ speakers are visible, nor are the remaining 10 antiphonal and reflection speakers. All of the main organ speakers speak from a specially designed chamber behind the altar wall and speak out from the sides of that wall. The swell antiphonal speakers are inset into the wall up beside the clerestory windows. These along with two reflection speakers blend with the wall using fabric speaker covers that match the interior paint color. The console is moveable on a platform and has the capability of plugging into one of two areas in the sanctuary. The quality of construction and of sound redefines the state-of-the-art in organ building. This Allen organ satisfies the congregation and… with moving mechanical drawknobs, this instrument is also designed with the organist in mind. The inaugural concert will be performed on September 18, 2010 with performances from the two resident organists: Christopher Ku and Kevin Ku. The Allen Organ dealer, Gordon Mansell will also perform at this concert.

Click here for the Organ of the Week entry on this installation