Organ Project

The Reuter Organ Company has provided study specifications that range from quite small to quite large. The smallest specification repairs the console and adds modern switching to make more versatile use of existing stops, as well as the minimal addition of tonal resources. The largest specification expands the organ to three manuals, placing the Great division on the front wall and turning the existing Great chamber into a large Choir division.

In the middle, lies a specification to expand the existing organ to a larger two-manual organ, supported by a new movable console. This specification calls for significant additions and replacement of pipes, to increase the scale of the foundations of the organ, add brilliance and versatility to the Swell organ, add reeds to the Swell and Great, add a 16′Principal to the Pedal and a 16′flute to the manuals, and increase the versatility of the whole organ through judicious borrowing of stops.

To reach the goals of improving the fundamental tones and adding a 16′ Principal, some pipes will need to be placed outside the organ chambers. Reuter has provided conceptual designs for our consideration. These designs place the largest 12 pipes on the front wall, flanking the canopy that frames the central cross. Other pipes are placed in front of the tone openings of the chambers, framed by architectural elements of our sanctuary and nested within decorative grille work laid on sound-translucent grille cloth.

If you’ll look closely at the following pictures, you’ll see subtle differences, particularly in the profile of the pipes in the nave tone openings, and in the shape/layout of grille work. It should also be noted that, although all of these pictures have pipes in both the nave and chancel tone openings, it is also possible to place pipes only in the chancel openings.

The photos below are organized first by pipe layout, with two grille styles to consider. Click on each photo to get a larger view of it.

Front View, Pipes in Inverted V (^)