Saturday, November 6, 2010

Trinity UMC, Spartanburg South Carolina

Trinity United Methodist Church - Spartanburg, South Carolina

Beginning in 2008, we were asked by Organist/Choirmaster Justin Addington to care for the 1988 Moller pipe organ installed at Trinity United Methodist Church. Upon our first inspections of the instrument, we found it to be in good mechanical condition, but with rough, and uneven voicing.

With input from Mr. Addington, we devised a plan to remedy the voicing of the existing instrument, while also making a few tonal revisions and the addition of a hooded, 8' Festival Trumpet. In our work, we will relocate a few stops, while adjusting the balance within the Mixtures and voicing the Great Principal chorus in the rich, graceful manner our organs are becoming known for.

The new 8' Turner Trumpet will serve as the Solo voice for this instrument. These pipes are built to our exacting specification, and feature hooded resonators to properly project the tone into the church. They also feature our custom shallot schedule to allow for the maximum rich, fundamental tone, while still retaining power sufficient to serve as a solo voice against the full Great Principal chorus. In our instruments, we do not feel the solo reed should obliterate the full organ ensemble, but rather serve as a solo against the Great chorus, but also serve as the last ensemble voice when added to full organ. In this way, these voices are never too loud, nor too brash, but rather enhance many musical situations.

Trinity United Methodist Church
M.P. Moller Opus 10759
Robert I. Coulter - Organbuilders
Opus 7
III - 26

Great Organ
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell, added)
8' Open Diapason (revoiced)
8' Bourdon (revoiced)
4' Octave (revoiced)
2' Super Octave (from Positiv, revoiced)
IV - Mixture (revoiced)
8' Turner Trumpet (hooded, NEW)
8' Minor Trumpet (Swell)
Chimes

Pedal Organ
32' Resultant (New)
16' Diapason
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)
8' Octave (extension)
8' Chimney Flute (Swell)
4' Choral Bass (extension)
4' Chimney Flute (Swell)
16' Double Trumpet (Swell, extension)
8' Turner Trumpet (Great)
8' Minor Trumpet (Swell)
4' Clarion (Swell)

Swell Organ
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Gemshorn (revoiced)
8' Gemshorn Celeste (tenor C)
8' Chimney Flute
4' Principal
4' Flute (new extension 8')
2' Flautino
III - Fourniture (revoiced)
8' Minor Trumpet (revoiced)
Tremulant

Positiv Organ
8' Wood Gedeckt (revoiced)
4' Koppel Flute
2' Block Flute (from Great, revoiced)
1 1/3' Larigot III - Sharp Mixture (revoiced)
8' Krummhorn
8' Turner Trumpet (Great)
Tremulant






C13 - C61 of the 8' Turner Trumpet on our voicing machine. The bottom octave was on the offset and outside the line of focus. What a sound these pipes make! Built to a scale of Cavaille'-Coll, and voiced from scratch in our Atlanta, Georgia shop.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Saint Andrews Roman Catholic Church - Montgomery, Alabama

We were honored to have been contacted in early 2010 to inspect the historic Moller organ at Saint Andrew's Catholic Church in Montgomery, Alabama. This instrument is of mechanical action, and was built when the church was constructed in 1907. As these instruments were often built for 'remote' locales, they were of robust construction. This instrument is mostly in its original form, with the addition of a 2' Super Octave on an electric chest as the only tonal change.

Upon our inspection, we found the organ in largely good condition. There are, however, numerous problems in the key and coupler actions that have proven troublesome for sometime apparently. Also, there are signs of attempts at voicing/regulation to the Great 8' Dulciana, with the result of many pipes not speaking at all. Pipe voicing is a delicate art, and shouldn't be delved into lightly.

In this minor restoration, we will correct problems with the actions, regulate voicing as needed, and check all the wood pipes for proper packing/speech. We will also revoice the added 2' Super Octave. These pipes add a brillance to the organ, but in a manner that does not blend with the other 103 year old pipes. We believe additions to existing organs should be done in a tonal sympathetic manner, and should reflect the existing style of the instrument.

We are honored to care for this historic pipe organ, and look forward to ensuring another 100 years of reliable service to the congretation of Saint Andrew's.

Saint Andrew's Catholic Church
M.P. Moller pipe organ
1907

II - 9

Great Organ
8' Open Diapason
8' Melodia
8' Dulciana
4' Octave
2' Super Octave (not original, revoiced)

Pedal Organ
16' Bourdon

Swell Organ
8' Violin Diapason
8' Salicional
8' Gedeckt
4' Flute
Tremulant


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Saint Mark United Methodist Church - Atlanta, Georgia

We have completed the retoration and installation of a vintage 8' Clarinet to the organ at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta. During this work, the IV Scharff of the Positiv organ was professionaly stored and the 8' Krummhorn located in its place. The organ now has the luxury of an additional solo stop that speaks with a richness enough to warm the coldest of January hearts.

New Positiv Organ specification:
8' Gedeckt
8' Erzahler (Swell)
8' Erzahler Celeste (Swell)
4' Nachthorn
4' Erzahler Celeste II (Swell)
2' Principal
1 1/3' Quint
II Sesquialtera
8' Krummhorn (Aeolian-Skinner original)
8' Clarinet (in Swell)

In continues to be a pleasure to work with organist John Richardson and the entire Saint Mark staff.