Builder: Reuter Organ Co., Op. 1109, 1954.
Additions in 1964
per below. Manuals: 2 Ranks: 17 Swell & Choir chests: 73-note Compass: 61/32 Action: Electro-pneumatic Notes: First Presbyterian Church’s original organ was built by Charles Tapp from 1911-1913. A major renovation and rebuild was done (1953 to 1955) by the Reuter Organ Co. (John and Robert Beestrum installers). This work included a new console and the addition of the Choir division to expand the organ from two manuals to three. Reuter did further work in 1964 which included a small expansion and the relocation of pipes so that they would speak more clearly into the sanctuary. After 1964, necessary routine maintenance was carried out to the organ, but any instrument can be expected to suffer the effects of passing time, and by 2006 the console was showing the inevitable deterioration from age. Internal wiring was becoming brittle, parts were wearing out, and replacement parts became impossible to find as newer technologies replaced old. This congregation invested in its musical future by raising the funds to replace the console. That work was done in the early part of 2007 by Eldon Pretz, who has maintained the organ since 1994. The new console includes state-of-the-art electrical components which promise to last many years. The old, sluggish mechanical combination action is replaced by speedy and reliable electromagnets, and the number of possible preset combinations affecting the entire organ is expanded from a mere five to 990. The new console’s computerization allows many features which were not possible when the previous console was new in 1955. Among these are MIDI jacks which allow the organ to communicate with external computers or with other MIDI-equipped instruments such as the Yamaha Clavinova which stands in the choir area, and the ability to record a piece and have the organ play it again at a later time. Chris Leaver (Reuter) and Organ Historical Society as of 2005. GREAT ORGAN 8’ Open Diapason 8’ Melodia 4’ Octave 4’ Flute D’Amour 2’ Fifteenth Fourniture Mixture III Chimes Gt/Gt (Unison Off, 16’, 4’) Sw/Gt (16’, 8’, 4’) Ch/Gt (16’, 8’, 4’) SWELL ORGAN 8’ Stopped Diapason 8’ Salicional 8’ Vox Celeste 8’ Aeoline 4’ Principal 4’ Flute Harmonic 8’ Oboe Tremolo Sw/Sw (Unison Off, 16’, 4’) CHOIR ORGAN 8’ Concert Flute 8’ Dulciana 8’ Unda Maris 4’ Fugara 8’ Clarinet Tremolo Ch/Ch (Unison Off, 16’, 4’) Sw/Ch (16’, 8’, 4’) PEDAL (32 notes) 16’ Bourdon 16’ Lieblich Gedeckt 8’ Octave 8’ Flute Dolce (extension) 4’ Super Octave (extension) Gt/Ped 8’ Sw/Ped 8’ Ch/Ped 8’ COMBINATION ACTION (99 Levels of memory) Great thumb pistons 1–6 Swell thumb pistons 1–6 Choir thumb pistons 1–6 Pedal toe studs 1–6 General thumb pistons 1–10, duplicated by toe studs General Cancel thumb piston REVERSIBLES Gt/Ped (thumb piston and toe stud) Sw/Ped (thumb piston and toe stud) Ch/Ped (thumb piston and toe stud) Sforzando (thumb piston and toe stud) ACCESSORIES General Crescendo Pedal (16 stages/programmable) Swell Expression Pedal Choir Expression Pedal MIDI In and Out Jacks |
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