Quimby Pipe Organs preserve timeless tradition in sound.

Those who have attended a church service, wedding, or funeral are likely familiar with the sonorous strains of organ music that often accompany such events. Yet, few stop to consider the instrument responsible for those melodious sounds — an instrument that, in many cases, was crafted by Quimby Pipe Organs.

Quimby Pipe Organs, located in Warrensburg, Missouri, has been building, restoring, and tuning organs for clients throughout the United States for the past 55 years. Quimby primarily builds and services organs for religious purposes, though the company has also worked on organs for private residences and colleges. While the Quimby name is known nationwide, some of Quimby’s favorite projects can be found right here in Jefferson City.

In the mid-1970s, Michael Quimby, the company’s owner and tonal director, began tuning organs for the late Carl Burkel, who was the music director at Jefferson City’s Central Church at the time. That work soon landed him other jobs throughout the Capital City — including the first new organ Michael ever built, which was for the First Christian Church. He recalls that the late Sam Cook, longtime head of Central Bancompany, was responsible for donating the organ to the church.

“I’m very proud of that job,” Michael says, noting

that the church to this day continues to off er an annual concert series where the organ plays center stage.

Michael’s other work in the Capital City includes projects for the First Presbyterian Church, the First United Methodist Church, Central Church, and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.

Michael discovered the pipe organ as a fourth-grader in Stillwater, Oklahoma, when his music minister took his class on a guided tour of the Methodist Church. That experience inspired a lifelong passion for the music maker. From there, Michael studied under a number of mentors to hone his craft — ultimately starting the business that has been serving the pipe organ industry for more than 50 years.

The first project he tackled under his own name came in 1970 and involved a rebuild of a historic mechanical action pipe organ at Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Missouri. The organ was virtually out of commission, but Michael was able to bring the organ back to life, and it is still working today.

Another project that stands out to Michael for its size and significance was the rebuilding of the organ at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. The massive undertaking required five tractor-trailers to transport all the parts back to Warrensburg and then involved an extended stay in Manhattan, New York, where Michael and his staff oversaw the installation of the refurbished instrument.

Building and restoring pipe organs is a time-consuming and highly specialized process. The Quimby team of 10 begins a project by consulting with the customer on what the instrument will look like. Then, they go to work crafting the instrument’s interior and exterior components, with all of the pieces ultimately coming together to produce a functioning pipe organ. Finally, the finished product is delivered via trucks, with Quimby and staff on site to supervise installation, which can take anywhere from two weeks to six months.

“Organ makers are known in the industry by the sounds their organs make,” Michael says.

Each maker’s work has its own unique sound, and quality pieces can play a majority of organ literature.

“We strive to make organs that come to church with majesty and dignity, able to accompany choirs, soloists, and instrumental ensembles,” Michael says. “It is my hope that the organs we build express the glory of the Christian faith and provide emotional support for the events where they are played.”

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More information on Quimby Pipe Organs can be found at quimbypipeorgans.com.