Pasi Continuo/Portative Organ

Martin Pasi of Pasi Organ Builders in Roy, Washington has designed and built a one manual continuo/portative organ of three stops for use throughout the main nave and two chapels of St. Mark’s Cathedral. A simple movable platform permits placement for a wide variety of performance needs. Small metal levers located on the upper right hand of the case top allow direct engagement or cancellation of the slider stop mechanism. A small, self contained blower located in a detachable wooden case provides a low pressure wind supply. In addition, all pipes are securely mounted for tuning stability and the instrument is transposable to three different pitches, A=415, 440 and/or 465 hertz. Both the case and wooden pipes are hand crafted from Black Walnut and the keys are fabricated from Boxwood with Ebony combs. Located on the opposite side of the keydesk are two bi-folding case doors that open and close offering an array of graduated tonal volume levels.

The Pasi organ is a gift from Marion McCaw Garrison and was originally acquired to fulfill ensemble continuo and/or accompaniment needs. During the nearly two year interval prior to installation of the Marion Camp Oliver organ in Thomsen Chapel the portative was utilized as the primary service instrument there. Since its arrival it has been remarkably effective in multiple musical roles and joins the famous four manual D.A. Flentrop nave organ and superb two manual Fritts chapel organ in creating a trio of remarkable pipe organs that serve the rich liturgical and arts outreach life of St. Mark’s Cathedral.