Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,
Lake City, Iowa
The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd,
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa, has completed its Op. 83 for the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The church building, dedicated in 1973, required updating of its HVAC systems as well as minor changes to the gallery to accommodate the organ. The project then expanded to include new lighting and sound systems, an elevator to the choir room and gallery, and other architectural changes to improve liturgical functions and make the nave completely handicapped accessible. The design team included Donald Main of M&M Architects, acoustician Scott Riedel, the Rev. Marilyn Witte, cantor, and the Rev. Mark Russell, senior pastor.
The organ’s freestanding case is made of hard maple with a natural finish, and features a multi-dimensional façade designed to give interest to what would otherwise be a disproportionately wide layout. In stepped groups of three and five, the pipes of the Great and Pedal 8' Prestant stops are punctuated by burgundy painted wood pipes of the 16' Bourdon. Horizontal maple boards backed with China blue grille cloth form the toeboards at the lowest levels, then recede to become a screen behind the façade pipes. The case wings support the remainder of the 16' Bourdon, the entire 16' Subbass, and the interior treble pipes of the Pedal Prestant. The manual divisions are located at impost level behind the façade; the Great is on the right side, the Swell on the left. The full-length Pedal 16' Trombone stands on the lower case floor and rises between the manual divisions. The organ employs mechanical key action for the manuals, electric action for the Pedal, electric stop action and an eight-level combination action. The organ is voiced on a wind pressure of 76 millimeters, which is supplied by a large, weighted single-rise bellows. Principal and string pipes are 75% tin, while flutes are either 30% tin or wood.
A festival Eucharist of rededication and dedication of the organ took place on September 17, 2006 with the Rev. Marilyn Witte, cantor, at the organ. Martin Jean, of Yale Institute of Sacred Music, played the dedicatory recital in the afternoon. Additional programs included recitals by Mark Mummert, Paul Jacobs and Gerre Hancock.
—John A. Panning
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders
GREAT (I)
16' Bourdon 58 pipes
8' Prestant (partly in façade) 58 pipes
8' Chimney Flute 58 pipes
4' Octave 58 pipes
4' Spire Flute 58 pipes
2' Fifteenth 58 pipes
22'3' Cornet III (mounted, g20–d51) 96 pipes
11'3' Mixture IV 232 pipes
8' Trumpet 58 pipes
Swell to Great
SWELL (II, enclosed)
8' Lieblich Gedackt 58 pipes
8' Viola 58 pipes
8' Viola Celeste (FF) 53 pipes
4' Principal 58 pipes
4' Harmonic Flute 58 pipes
2' Piccolo 58 pipes
1' Mixture III 174 pipes
8' Oboe 58 pipes
Tremulant
PEDAL
16' Subbass 32 pipes
16' Bourdon (Gt)
8' Principal (partly in façade) 32 pipes
8' Gedackt (ext) 12 pipes
4' Choralbass (ext) 12 pipes
16' Trombone 32 pipes
8' Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Zimbelstern
