The technicians know the Tabernacle organ inside and out. As Brother Poll moves through the belly of the organ, he points out pipes and tells when they were added. Except for the visible pipes and casework, the present organ was basically new in 1948, but among its 11,623 pipes are 122 from the original organ and 95 others from pre-1948 rebuilds.
The pipes come in an astounding array of sizes and shapes, from tiny pipes the width and length of a drinking straw to fat pipes over 30 feet (9 meters) tall. Finished wood, zinc, and a combination of lead and tin are a few of the materials used to make the pipes. Only the largest 10 of the visible gold pipes are "speaking" pipes, while the remaining 41 are simply dummies that mask the body of the organ.
Brother Poll knows the organ as though it were an old friend. He shakes his head with exasperated affection at the instrument's quirks, such as the way some pipes will never tune properly if tuned together.
He knows, perhaps better than anyone, what a magnificent instrument the Tabernacle organ is—and what it takes to keep it that way. Because of Robert Poll and Lamont Anderson's care, each of the instruments around Temple Square is an exceptional instrument.
Find this story and its accompanying video and a photo gallery at news.lds.org/organtechs.