There must have been many temptations to cut costs during the planning and design process, especially when the bids came in far above budget. The instrument itself, a delight to both eye and ear, is the focal point of the room. Since KU organ was never intended to be a historical copy, the organbuilder was not restricted visually or tonally to prototypes, but used them as starting points. According to James Louder, the firm's vice president, there are several technical aspects of the instrument that do not conform to French models, either Classic or Romantic. At the same time, it is clear that the organ's major inclination is to play French music and to play it in a deeply satisfying manner.
Words are always inadequate to convey the essence of beauty.
For me, the first encounter with the instrument felt like a religious experience. It transported me back to my student days in Paris when the wonders of the French organ world and the mysticism implicit in the magnificent structures housing these organs were first revealed to me. That sense of awe came back in Kansas, that feeling of being swept up in a sea of rich, thrilling sound. Such an important installation and such an unusual recital hall deserve a major celebration. Indeed, that's what they received.