The Builders

During this journey, there have been several happy coincidences of finding in our local community the exact skill set we required. Ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find! One such fortune was finding builders for Orgelkids USA nearby in Eugene, Oregon. Nor were they mere hobbyist woodworkers but skilled craftsmen that hailed from the workshop of John Brombaugh. Mr. Brombaugh relocated his workshop to Eugene in 1977. Upon Mr. Brombaugh’s retirement in 2005, Terry Lambert’s and Christo Fralick’s careers took them in different directions, but they have teamed up again to build the Orgelkids USA organs.

Terry & Christo bring their history, skills and craftsmanship to bear for the Orgelkids USA kits. Ebony tusk accents and matching accidentals add to the artistry and impart a dignity befitting the King of Instruments. Flexible trackers provide a more silent action.

The Organ
  • 2 ranks
  • 2 octaves
    • C3, D3-C5 (24 notes)
  • Hand pumped
    • Feeder bellows not pictured
    • Calcant not included
  • 133 pieces
  • Build time:
    • Ranges from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, context dependent
    • World record: 17 minutes
  • 800mm tall
  • Extra Features (not pictured)
    • One additional (49th) pipe: Gedackt C3 with adjustable (sliding) stopper
    • Window into the reservoir bellows reveals the mechanism for releasing excess pressure
Ranks
Gedackt 4′ and Flute 2′.

The Orgelkids USA kits are tuned A440, Equal Temperament, which opens the way for many interactions, taking the educational moment and allowing for us to directly tie into the music and musicality of the pipe organ, collaborating with ensembles and either dueling or dueting with full size organs.

The kit includes an extra Gedackt C3 pipe with adjustable, sliding stopper for children to experience first hand the effect of changing the length on pitch

Frame: Tusk Tenon Joints
The frame of the USA kit employs tusk tenon joints, ancient engineering that dates back 7,000 years, an excellent point of engagement for people who might otherwise avoid an instrument. The joint allows for a quick segue into archaeology and engineering, highlighting the truly interdisciplinary nature of music and music making.
Case

 

  •  A 2-case solution
    • Utilizes Pelican’s Air 1615
    • Bespoke interior ensuring every piece is kept secure and whole
    • Dimenions of each case: ~30″Lx16″Wx10″D
    • Each case weighs ~45lbs 
    • Each case has multiple handles including an extendable handle and wheels much like carry-on suitcases, making the kit very manageable for individuals
    • 2-case solution will fit in any vehicle 
    • $1,500
Costs
  • Paid to the Builders:
    • Organ kit: ~$7,500 – please contact us for the most up-to-date pricing & build time
    • Case: $1,500 2-case Pelican solution
    • Insured shipping (TBD) ~ budget $400-800
    • Payments made in 3 installments
  • To Orgelkids USA:
    • Program Fee: $150
First steps...
If your organization is interested in pursuing a kit (Congratulations!), contact us and we’ll send you a sample Purchase Agreement and answer any questions you have. Then we’ll get a complete contract in your hands to sign.
Joining an International Community

Commissioning an Orgelkids kit is not a one-way transfer but is more a joining of an international, collaborative community with a shared goal.  As a loose network of organ kits distributed across the States, working in conjunction with the international network, we share efforts in growing the materials and curriculum around Orgelkids. By pooling our collective skill sets and contributing when inspiration strikes, the entire network of instruments both in America and in Europe benefit from the collective energy and enthusiasm generated around these engaging kits. Join us!

The original Orgelkids model can be purchased from builders in the Netherlands. Wim Janssen, the designer, turned over his design to his former firm, Verschueren Orgelbouw, which, in turn, uses building the kit as training for their apprentices. How to obtain the original Netherlands kit can be found here.

Chapters of the American Guild of Organists
that have added Orgelkids USA to their repertoire

Hawaii AGO

Los Angeles AGO & Long Beach AGO
(jointly curate a kit, CA)

Greater Hartford (CT) AGO

Colorado Springs (CO) AGO

Southwest Florida AGO

Greater Bridgeport (CT) AGO

Charlotte (NC) AGO

Central Iowa AGO

Northern New Jersey AGO

Atlanta (GA) AGO

Nashville (TN) AGO

Arrowhead (MN) AGO

Central Arizona AGO

 

Non-AGO Commissions

Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ
Portland, Maine

Friends of the Erben Organ
New York, New York

Susan K. Chen Memorial Foundation for Musical Education
Pingtung, Taiwan

Department of Performing Arts, Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

First Congregational Church of Hudson
Hudson, Ohio

Advent Lutheran
Harleysville, Pennsylvania

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School
Des Peres, Missouri

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Houston, Texas

Bryn Mawr Presbyterian
Pennsylvania

First United Methodist Church of Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado

University of North Carolina School of Arts
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Groton School
Groton, Massachusetts

Dr. Damin Spritzer
Norman, Oklahoma

Zion Lutheran Church
Wausau, Wisconsin

Saint Thomas Church
Manhattan, New York