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I believe that the solution for the future - for both struggling congregations and lovers of organ music - is to build digital organs based on high-quality, continuously evolving software, connected to powerful, high-quality sound systems that can also be upgraded over time.

An anecdote:

I recently attended an organ concert in a Reformed church in Meiringen, in the Bernese Oberland. Beautiful church, beautiful organ!

Personally, I prefer the sound of the Arnstadt or Freiberg presets on our Organteq setup in Marseille - but perhaps I’m being subjective.

At the end of the concert, the organist warned the audience:

“For the next piece, I’m going to use a register that is very sensitive to temperature. Today it isn’t particularly warm, so let’s hope the sound will be OK. But please be tolerant if you hear several wrong notes!”

I couldn’t help wondering: yes, the sound of a pipe organ is natural, powerful, and impressive. But several wrong notes can compromise an entire concert! And there is simply no way to keep a pipe organ perfectly tuned in a church—or even in a concert hall—where the temperature is constantly changing.

This made me think again about the advantages of a digital organ: perhaps it lacks some of the natural character of pipes, but at least you can rely on the instrument being perfectly in tune, whatever the temperature.

Here is my argument. The total cost of the various components of my Organteq setup was about €4,000, while the sound system cost approximately €2,000. Of course, one also has to take into account the time and work involved in putting everything together. But that was part of the fun!

So, for around €6,000, our church now has an organ that:

1. will never play a wrong note;
2. can provide 50 different organ presets;
3. can be upgraded easily and at relatively low cost in the future.

And when I say “upgraded,” I mean both the software and the sound system. Both can benefit from rapid technological progress.

What is happening to pipe organs in France?

French Catholic churches have some old, powerful and beautiful pipe organs. However, these instruments require regular maintenance and, in some cases, major restoration.

And this brings me to my main point: Catholic churches in France that were built before 1905 receive substantial financial support from public authorities, including municipalities and the Ministry of Culture. As is often the case, the availability of public funding has a significant impact on prices.

The very small number of organ-building companies that have survived in the business can charge very high prices. Sometimes, their estimates include structural modifications that are not strictly necessary but nevertheless increase the overall cost. I also hear about fierce competition between the major players, each trying to strengthen its position and become dominant.

A Google search shows that a complete restoration of a large pipe organ in France can cost anywhere from €200,000 to more than €1 million. And even after such a restoration, annual maintenance is still required.

Meanwhile, congregations are becoming smaller, older and poorer.

In my opinion, this situation is not sustainable.

I believe that the solution for the future - for both struggling congregations and lovers of organ music - is to build digital organs based on high-quality, continuously evolving software, connected to powerful, high-quality sound systems that can also be upgraded over time.

Best regards,
Andrei