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Entertainment
Jun 18, 2026
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Solar-Powered Quest to Capture Newfoundland’s Vanishing Church Organs

AI Summary
Composer Michael Cloud Duguay and his collaborators tour Newfoundland with a solar‑powered mobile studio, recording the province’s dwindling church organs for a new album. The project blends field recordings, community interviews, and future MIDI releases to preserve a fading acoustic heritage.

Lead: Solar‑Powered Mobile Studio Records Newfoundland’s Hidden Organs

Michael Cloud Duguay and his team spent July 2024 traveling to remote Newfoundland churches, setting up a solar‑charged recording rig to capture the complex sounds of pipe and electronic organs before they disappear.

Finding and Recording Forgotten Instruments in Remote Communities

The crew arrived in the tiny town of Aguathuna expecting a traditional pipe organ at Our Lady of Mercy, only to discover a long‑unused electronic organ hidden in the balcony. After dusting off vintage Leslie speakers and powering the instrument, they recorded the first track, “Pond 1,” for the upcoming album Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go. Similar sleuthing—searching Facebook photos, cold‑emailing locals, and navigating crumbling church interiors—yielded dozens of recordings across the island.

Preserving Acoustic Heritage Through Digital MIDI Instruments

Beyond the album, Duguay plans to release the captured organ tones as MIDI instruments later this summer, giving musicians worldwide access to sounds that may never be heard live again. The project also archives oral histories from congregants, weaving community narratives into the sonic collage.

Future of the “Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go” Project and Organ Preservation

The album will serve as both a listening experience and an audio documentary, raising awareness of the fragile state of rural church organs. By showcasing these instruments in a modern, solar‑powered context, Duguay hopes to inspire preservation efforts and perhaps spark renewed interest in maintaining these historic instruments for future generations.