By GREG BENNETT
gregbennett@mstar2.net
The 170th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints signified the long-awaited opening of the Church's new 21,000-seat Conference Center.
But the familiar music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as others, at the conference was without one of its most famous past participants -- the Tabernacle organ.
The Tabernacle organ will stay in its current location and will continue to be used for recitals and performances, including the weekly Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast.
The Conference Center will be equipped with a new 7,667-pipe organ currently being constructed by Schoenstein & Co. of San Francisco.
The organ was not installed in time for last weekend's conference, but it will be ready for the October conference six months from now.
'The organ is right on schedule,' said John Longhurst, a senior Tabernacle organist. 'They can't install the new organ until the Conference Center is finished and clean. After this conference, the organ will begin to be put in place and should be ready for October's conference.'
After the October conference, finishing touches will be put on the instrument with completion scheduled for April 2001.
Longhurst said that the Conference Center organ will not attempt to replace the Tabernacle organ, but will serve a different function altogether.
'President (Gordon B.) Hinckley's desire is not to eclipse the Tabernacle organ in any way,' Longhurst said. 'The Conference Center organ will be used for church meetings. We won't use it for recitals or other concerts. It has been designed to play beautiful music at church meetings held in the Conference Center.'
The new organ will have one-third less pipes than the Tabernacle organ, but will be required to fill a space that seats 21,000 people. Longhurst said the organ's ability to fill the vast space of the Conference Center with fewer pipes is made possible by three things.
First, the pipes that were eliminated in the design of the new organ made the softest sounds, so they would not be audible in the Conference Center.
Secondly, many of the specialized sounds present in the Tabernacle organ and used in recitals and concerts were eliminated because they were not needed.
Lastly, Longhurst said the new organ will be regulated with a more 'full-throated' sound, enabling the sound to carry.
'The pipes that have been eliminated are the pipes that wouldn't be used in the Conference Center,' he said. 'The Tabernacle organ will be the one we use for recitals.'
In the meantime, the Conference Center has been equipped with an electric organ, which was used during last weekend's conference. However, traces of the new organ were apparent at the April conference.
'The fa?ade is in place and looks beautiful,' Longhurst said. 'It is impressive to see.'
Longhurst and the other musicians involved with the new instrument are anxious for the organ to be completed.
'We're very, very excited,' Longhurst said. 'We are looking forward with great anticipation to the completion of that instrument. We are even more excited now we've had a rehearsal in the new Conference Center. That organ is going to sound like a million dollars.'