St John Lutheran Church ELCA

4842 Nicollet Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN


Builder: Hendrickson Organ Co, Opus 63, 1983
Grandall And Engen, Opus 130, 2024
Manuals: 3
Ranks: 48
Action: Electromechanical (direct electric)

Notes on 2024 work: The original ICMI relay system had been failing in hot weather for years and a lightning strike to the church finished it off. A new Syndyne system was installed by Grandall & Engen in 2024. The console was refinished to better match the color of the pews. New keyboards and pistons. The original Austin electric stop action was replaced with Syndyne stop action magnets so the multi-level memory would work. Some stop names were modified for consistency. Previous 32' Resultant with 3-stage toggle is now two stops: 32' Principal resultant and 32' Flute resultant. Top two pictures were taken following renovation, by Peder Flaten.

GREAT ORGAN
16' Pommer (wood, mostly old)
8' Principal (old and new)
8' Bourdon (old, rescaled)
8' Flauto Dolce (old)
8' Flute Celeste tc (old)
4' Octave (old and new)
4' Spitzflöte (new)
2.2/3' Twelfth (old)
2' Fifteenth (new)
1.3/5' Seventeenth bg (old)
1.1/3' Mixture IV-V (new)
8' Trumpet (new)
    Chimes (digital)
    Auto Melody
    Auto Pedal

SWELL ORGAN
16' Salicional (old)
8' Gedeckt (old, wood)
8' Salicional (old)
8' Schwebung bf (old)
4' Principal (old)
4' Spillflöte (new)
2.2/3' Nasard (old)
2' Nachthorn (old)
1.3/5' Tierce (old)
1' Mixture III-IV (old)
16' Basson (1-12 new)
8' Trompette (old pipes, new shallots)
8' Oboe (ext, old)
4' Clairon (ext, old)
    Tremulant

POSITIV ORGAN
8' Principal tc (old)
8' Gedeckt (old, rescaled)
4' Octave (new)
4' Spitzgedeckt (new)
2' Blockflöte (new)
1.1/3' Quintflöte (new)
2/3' Scharf IV (new)
8' Krummhorn (new)
8' Grand Trumpet (old and new)
    Tremulant
    Zimbelstern

PEDAL ORGAN
32' Principal Resultant
32' Flute Resultant
16' Principal (old)
16' Bourdon (old)
16' Salicional (Sw)
16' Gt Pommer (Gt)
8' Octave (old, ext)
8' Bourdon  (old, ext)
4' Octave (old, ext)
4' Bourdon  (old, ext)
2.2/3' Mixture IV (old)
16' Posaune (old)
16' Basson (Sw)
8' Trumpet (Pos)
4' Clarion (Pos)
4' Schalmey (Sw)

Notes from David Engen, voicer

Original organ was rebuilt by Hillgreen-Lane in the 1950's, using many of the original pipes. The Hendrickson rebuild also retained many of the old pipes. Here are some examples:

Great 8' Bourdon was converted from an 8' Open Diapason originally installed at First Lutheran, St. James. It has chimneys in the French manner from middle C up. Caps made by Rob Hoppe.

Great Flauto Dolce and Celeste were in the Choir division in the Hillgreen-Lane. Pipes are tapered lead.

Swell Salicional, 16' octave, consists of two old pipes soldered end-to-end, presumably by Hillgreen-Lane, standing outside the swell box.

Swell reeds (trompette and oboe) were both in the Hillgreen-Lane and were almost identical. In the rebuild the Trompette received new shallots. The Oboe received a 16' octave Fagott (in the Hillgreen-Lane, the 16' Salicional was wired in to fill this function.)

Positiv Gedackt was a string in its first life and was converted to a "Gelind Gedackt" by Hillgreen-Lane. It was re-scaled larger in the Hendrickson rebuild and caps were made tight to seal.

Positiv 8' Principal was the 4' Gemshorn in the Hillgreen-Lane Positiv.

Both 8' Gedackt and Principal share mahogany stopped pipes for their bottom octave, taken from the Hillgreen-Lane Great harmonic melodia.

Positiv Major Trumpet was a tuba in the Hillgreen-Lane. It was given new boots, shallots and tongues.

Pedal Resultant is wired with 3 volume levels of Cornet, selectable by the organist. There are actual 32' pipes for AAAA/AAAA#/BBBB.

Pedal Mixture was made by assembling the Hillgreen-Lane Great 2.2/3' + Mixture.


January 27, 2019
September 4, 2018

December 25, 2015, Peder Flaten
February 7, 2015

There are "hidden" sub and super couplers, available in levels II and III of the Sforzando.

16' Pommer was a manual Lieblich Gedackt in the original organ, split and used in several stops by Hillgreen-Lane, and re-united in the Hendrickson rebuild. The top end pipes are from Laukhuff.

Swell Tierce pipes were the metal trebles of the Hillgreen-Lane unit manual bourdon and have very narrow mouths on tapered pipes.

Positiv 4' Spitzgedackt was originally destined for an unbuilt practice organ as an 8' flute.

Hillgreen-Lane manual diapason was used in the pedal unit principal from 8' up.

Swell mixture was recycled from the Hillgreen-Lane. Positiv and Great mixtures are new.

Because of acoustic tile on the walls, the organ is loud in the chancel in an attempt to get it to project into the nave.