St. Luke s Episcopal Church 850 Wolcott Avenue Beacon, NY 12508

Transcription

1 St. Luke s Episcopal Church 850 Wolcott Avenue Beacon, NY Organ specifications prepared by Joseph Bertolozzi, 2013 J.H. and C. S. Odell & Co., 1960, Op. 621 Two manuals of 61 keys and pedalboard of 32 pedals. 16 ranks, 19 speaking stops Electric key action, electric combination action. Tilting stop tongues above upper manual. AGO Standard (concave, radiating) pedalboard. GREAT Open Diapason 8' Viol D Gamba 8 Melodia 8 Principal 4' Waldflute 4 Twelfth 2 2/3 Fifteenth 2 Cathedral Chimes Great Unison (Off) Great to Great 16 Great to Great 4 Swell to Great 16 Swell to Great 8 Swell to Great 4 SWELL (enclosed) Viol D Orch. 8 Voix Celeste 8 Gedeckt 8 Dulciana 8' Rohr Flote 4 Piccolo 2 Oboe 8' Tremulant Swell Unison (Off) Swell to Swell 16 Swell to Swell 4 [prepared for in console] [49 pipes] PEDAL Bourdon 16' [32 pipes] Lieblich Gedeckt 16' [32 pipes] Open Diapason 8' (Gt.) [32 notes] Still Gedeckt (unit with Bourdon 16 ) [12 pipes] Super Octave 4' (Gt.) [32 notes] 2 s Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal The apse façade, showing the console. EXPRESSION: Balanced Swell Pedal Crescendo Pedal with 4 indicator lights PISTONS (electric tripper type system) 4 General Pistons and 4 Toe Studs 4 Great & Pedal Pistons + Gt. to Ped. (reversible) 4 Swell & Pedal Pistons + Sw. to Ped. (reversible) Gt. To Pedal Toe Stud Sforz. Toe Stud with indicator light Sforzando toggle switch on the right side of the console for Sforz. On-Off Current indicator light G.C. (General Cancel) Piston 8 Great Pistons 6 Pedal Toe Studs Gt/Ped Reversible Piston AND Toe Stud General Cancel Piston Divisional Cancel Bars over the Division Tabs Blower: Spencer Orgoblo, Cat. No. 7508, 1 HP, 1150RPM Tuned to A-440

2 Correspondence with Edward Odell states that this organ contains some of the original pipes from the previous instrument (based on the non-odell pipework from an unknown builder, maybe Estey,) with suitable extensions to fill out the stop list, along with one or two new ranks on restored Odell pitman electro-pneumatic windchests, a new console and a new winding system. The 1960 organ cost $11,880.00, taking into account being part new and part rebuilt. In 1970 the church inquired about a brand new organ of the same disposition and was quoted $30,000. In 2012 the cost would be in the vicinity of $400,000. Stop tongues are arranged in Odell style #8, running across the top of the console, below the music rack. The contract stipulated a fluorescent music rack light, a relatively new accessory in A small light below the nameplate on the left side of the console reads Choir but there is no third manual or Choir division. This is a signal light to the organist that the choir is ready to begin their entrance procession.

3 The pedalboard with the General toe studs on the left, the Great to Pedal coupler and Sforzando toe studs on the right. The Swell expression pedal and Crescendo Pedal are in the center. The mosaic design on the floor is visible beneath the pedals. Great Open Diapason Swell Oboe Swell Viol D Orch. & Dulciana Detail of mitered pipes, built on purpose to fit the height limit. In another accommodation to tight spaces, the center, Dulciana bass pipes to the left are haskelled. They have another length of pipe hanging down inside the main one, making the effective pipe-length that much longer, therefore deeper in pitch. Notice the protrusion at the tops with the thin handles soldered on. That protrusion is the end of the pipe-within-a-pipe. The whole piece, including the diagonally-cut caps to which it is attached, entirely close off the main pipe. As soon as pipe length for the lowest notes became an issue, the pipes were haskelled. The diagonal of the outer sleeve is so the sleeve and Haskell tube can be moved together for tuning. To their left are their open-pipe Dulciana brethren and visible on the right are the voicing scrolls & flaps on the Swell Oboe pipes.

4 On the left we see pipework of the Pedal Bourdon 16. The center photo shows the back of the Swell Box, upper left, the metal pipes of the Great Open Diap, center and on the right the Pedal Bourdon again. The photo on the right shows the stoppers of the Pedal Bourdon with three styles of handles: squared tops, a hexagonal cut and turned oak handles. The transept façade Above left are the V springs on top of the main bellows that pumps air into the organ and the linkage from the reservoir to the curtain valve (with the chain). On the left we see the bellows to the pneumatic Swell box engine. It takes its wind supply from a pipe chest and is mechanically connected to the Swell shades to help open & close them. Above is the junction board of the electric action connecting the keys to the pipes. Turn this book sideways, look closely and you ll see the names of the stops. If this were a larger organ, the blank spaces would be taken up with the names of more stops. The north transept façade

5 Early Church History of St. Luke s Church 1832 Hannah Teller meets in the upstairs room of the Madame Brett house teaching Christian faith to 16 children. From this spiritual seed a congregation grows St. Anna s Church is formally incorporated in Beacon 1868 The name of the church is changed to St. Luke s and moves from 483 Main Street (currently the Tabernacle of Christ Church) to the current location on Wolcott Avenue The present building is erected, designed by Frederick Clarke Withers, who also designed the Reformed Church of Beacon The Rectory is built. Organists at St. Luke s have included Prof. Gordon Williams ( ); Ruth Mayen ( 's); Douglas Rothery (c. 1960's); Eric Bergman; Donald Williams; Lois Hanak ( ); Patty Wirsch ( ); Janet Nelson Nickerson ( ); Adam Yaun (2007-current). This is the organ at General Joseph Howland s estate Tioranda, now known as Craig House. He was a benefactor of St. Luke s Church for many years.