Team Herald
MARGAO: One of the musical instruments from the late medieval era called pipe organ at Rachol Seminary, which has breathed a new life, was blessed and inaugurated by Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filip Neri Ferrao on Wednesday.
A short but special function to bless the restored pipe organ was held at the Rachol Seminary in the presence of Dr Aleixo Menezes, Rector at Rachol Seminary, besides others on Wednesday morning. Soon, a pipe organ was played at a Eucharistic celebration.
The said pipe organ has been restored with the help of Fernando Fernandes, his daughter Fara and carpenter Damiao D’sa.
This musical instrument will be played at the every Sunday mass in Rachol Seminary.
It is pertinent to note that in Goa there are seven pipe organs from the late medieval era, and this pipe organ at Rachol Seminary is one of those still in working condition.
The pipe organ in Rachol took almost two years and four months to repair. Fernando Fernandes had to strip down the entire organ and create parts that were spoiled. He had to even make complicated valves, pipes with holes, and bring back to life dead pipes, which was very complicated.
The Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol pays attention to the musical formation of its seminarians.
This pipe organ is made in Germany and the manufacturer is Gebrüder Link. The installation of this pipe organ must have been in between the years 1888 to 1904. It was designed around a tonal basis of 8 feet open diapason, 8 feet dulciana and 4 feet flute. It has mechanical stops and key action. Each stop has a set of 56 pipes. The console is placed at the side of the case. Originally, it had a foot-lever for blowing the air, which in 2011 was replaced with an electrical blower.
