It’s more than just your average organ. When it was installed 10 years ago, about 90 people from 11 different states came to experience the event. Articles were published about the installment in two national magazines, and four renowned organists came to Ames to perform on the new instrument.

Ten years later, the music department is planning a celebration of organ music that originally started when Iowa State’s Brombaugh organ first premiered.

To celebrate the Brombaugh organ’s 10th anniversary, the music department will be presenting a three-day festival including concerts and seminars that feature both the organ and the carillon.

“We have had organ festivals before, but this will be the first joint venture with carillon and organ,” said Lynn Zeigler, Iowa State organ professor.

Since there are about only 20 of its kind in the United States, the Brombaugh organ is considered a unique organ. The instrument itself is special because of its mechanical key action that allows the player to directly control how the pipes speak.

Its wooden case helps the instrument to project and blend the sound it produces. Tuned by way of “kelner temperament,” also called “unequal temperament,” it is the same method used by many early composers.

Two guest artists at the festival, organist David Daul from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. and carillonneur Brian Swager from Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Fla., will perform and conduct workshops and seminars throughout the weekend.

Daul played the organ at its premier 10 years ago. This weekend’s performance will be his third time back at Iowa State.

An active performer for over 30 years, Daul has made many recordings with PLU Records and Tapes. But Daul said retirement will be spent composing. “I want to have time to compose more organ pieces, maybe for instruments,” he said.

Swager served as assistant professor of music and university carillonneur for nine years at Indiana University before he became the carillon scholar-in-residence at Bok Tower Gardens. He will present a carillon recital as well as a seminar about carillon music at the festival.

The carillon concert will be held Friday at 5 p.m. outside the Stanton Memorial Campanile. The organ concert will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and is $6 at the door.

The organ workshop is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday and will cost $10. The carillon workshop is free and will be in Room 130 of Music Hall at 2 p.m. Saturday.