St. Michael’s Choir School, Toronto, Ontario selected the Gold Standard of Organ Building when they chose an Allen Elite™ organ to accompany their world renowned choirs during their annual Christmas concert at Massey Hall this past December 12 and 13th. The organ arrived by truck from the Allen plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania on December 11 and was set-up and voiced for the unique acoustics of Massey Hall by Aram Basmadjian of the Allen Organ Company. The sound of the organ filled the hall with the brilliance and clarity normally associated with the finest of pipe-organs. Organist, William O’Meara responded enthusiastically to this instrument stating: "It was a satisfying experience to hear and play this instrument. In playing it, I found it reacted just like a north German tracker organ I am used to."

Gordon Mansell, the president and artistic director of Glionna Mansell Corporation, Allen’s Ontario dealer, explains that: "... the Allen Elite instruments utilize a no-compromises approach to organ building." Allen tonal director, Randy Miller, has designed the Elite IV after a north German Arp Schnitger concept, and each note and each stop can be voiced. Given the vast resources available through Elite™ Organs, this instrument was crafted with a degree of control that few pipe or digital organ builders can provide.

Elite’s audio system optimizes the characteristics of specific voices with specialized speakers. In addition, critical voices are interleaved into four different audio channels, creating a sonic result that is clear and spacious. For Opus IV, a total of 20 audio channels assured the Choir School effortless sound that would blend with the choir with superior clarity and presence. With 22 speakers spread across the choir loft above the stage, Elite’s advanced audio technology and the Herald™ series speakers faithfully recreates the peaks accurately and at the intensity needed for the true "feel" and majesty of the pipe organ.