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New Organs

March 3, 2003
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Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd., Lake City, Iowa

United Lutheran Church,

Red Wing, Minnesota

Located on the Mississippi River, Red Wing, Minnesota, is
best known for work boots and pottery. Norwegian  immigrants, many employed in these industries, founded two
Lutheran churches, which merged several decades ago to form United Lutheran
Church, today a vibrant congregation of the ELCA.

Although an organ committee had been formed in 1987 to
consider the replacement of the church's aging eight- rank Möller, for
various reasons its work did not come to fruition. In the current effort, the
leadership of Pastors Randall Johnson and Andrew Smith, and Director of Music
Paul Christenson (himself an ordained minister) were crucial to the success of
the project. Because of the delay in a building construction project for
another client, we were able to fit the United Lutheran organ into a window in
our schedule that allowed installation of the organ only one year after the
signing of the contract, surely a first for us.

Because of the accelerated schedule, fundraising and
revisions to the worship space were carried out in short order. Many square
feet of acoustic tile were removed from the ceiling, and the chancel wall was
replastered and painted. All was completed in time for the organ to be
installed in February 2001. The new instrument was celebrated in three
dedication worship services in the morning and an afternoon dedication concert
on Sunday, May 20, 2001. In the spirit of Psalm 150, representatives of every class of instrument joined the organ in festive music: voices, brass, piano, violin, handbells, percussion, flute, even sitar and bagpipes.

The organ is located in the place formerly occupied by the
altar, which was moved from the liturgical east end to a position on the north
side several years before the organ's arrival. The Great and Swell divisions
are in a free-standing case of white oak, with a detached, mechanical action
console placed in front. The Pedal division has electric action and is located
in the old organ chamber directly behind the screen. Though modest in
resources, the organ strives to provide the greatest possible variety as well
as a sense of grandeur not normally found in instruments of this size. For
reasons of economy, several sets of pipes were retained from the previous
instrument and revoiced for their new situation. Wind pressures of 82 and 100
millimeters were employed for the manuals and pedal, respectively. The organ is
tuned in equal temperament. Manual/pedal compass is 58/32.

--John A. Panning

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Lake City, Iowa

 

United Lutheran Church

Red Wing, Minnesota

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Op. 77, 2001

GREAT

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bourdon
(1-24 old)                                                             8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Prestant
(in façade)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harmonic
Flute

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Fifteenth

                  IV style='mso-tab-count:1'>            Mixture
11/3'

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trumpet

                                    Swell
to Great

SWELL (expressive)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Chimney
Flute

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Salicional
(old)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Celeste style="mso-spacerun: yes">  AA      
(old)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Spire
Flute

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Piccolo

                  II style='mso-tab-count:1'>              Cornet

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Oboe

                                    Tremulant

PEDAL

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Open
Bass (1-18 old)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bourdon
(Gt)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Principal
(ext)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Gedackt
(Gt)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Choralbass
(ext)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Trombone
(full length)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trumpet
(ext)

                                    Great
to Pedal

                                    Swell
to Pedal

                                    Zimbelstern

 

Visser & Associates, Tomball, Texas, has built a new organ for St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Alexandria, Virginia. The instrument was finished in December 2001 and used for Christmas services. The acoustics of the church have an even response of about three seconds of reverberation. The organ features broad scaling, with wind pressures at 85 mm in the manuals and 95 mm in the Pedal. The Great division is situated on top, with the Swell in a lower case closer to the choir. The Pedal is split left and right beside the Swell. Windchests are laid out in Visser's standard major tierce format and supplied by a wind system that consists of parallel bellows for each division with wooden wind trunks throughout. Key action is mechanical, with electric stop action. A remote console about six feet from the main organ case allows the organist to play and direct the choir; the key action is light and responsive. The case is of solid American cherry. Voicing was by Pascal Boissonnet; tonal finishing was done by Pieter Visser and Pascal Boissonnet. Pieter and Michael Visser did the engineering; the windchests were built by Eric Walden and Thomas Cashen; the action was built by Michael Visser, James Alsobrook, and Gabriel Gutierrez; casework was built by Ron Williams; and the pipework was made by René Bedford, John Tharp, Pascal Boissonnet, James Alsobrook, and Michael Visser, under Mr. Boissonnet's supervision. Rhonda Visser is the business manager. The stoplist was drawn up by Pieter Visser working with consultant for the project Geoffrey Simon and organist/director of music ministries Jane Bourdow. Manual/pedal compass is 61/32; equal temperament A440.

MANUAL I (coupler)

MANUAL II (Great)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bourdon
(wood)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Principal
(75% tin, enfacade)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Chimneyflute
(20% tin, 1-12 wood)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave
(20%)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Nachthorn
(20%)

                  22/3' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Twelfth (20%)

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave
(20%)

                  13/5' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Seventeenth (20%)

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Mixture
V (70%)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trumpet
(70%)

MANUAL III (Swell)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Gedeckt
(20%, 1-12 wood)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Salicional
(20%)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Celeste
(TG, 20%)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Principal
(20%)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harmonic
Flute (20%)

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Recorder
(20%)

                  11/3' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Small Mixture IV
(70%)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Dulzian
(50%)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Chalumeau
(50%)

                                    Tremulant

PEDAL

                  32' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bourdon
(electronic)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bourdon
(wood)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Diapason
(70%, enfacade)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Stopped
Flute (ext)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Choralbass
(20%)

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bombarde
(wood)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trumpet
(50%)

 

J.F. Nordlie Company,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has built a new organ for St. Barnabas Lutheran
Church, Plymouth, Minnesota. The firm's Opus XXXIV contains 1026 pipes in 19
ranks, highlighting the the cross over the altar with a façade of
polished aluminum pipes. The exterior cabinetry of the console, the swell box,
and the 16' Subbass pipes are constructed of rift-sawn red oak to match
woodwork in the sanctuary. The interior keydesk surround of the console is made
from oiled black walnut. Pau ferro sharps and drawknobs complete the design of
the console.

The two manuals and pedal use 42 stops, allowing flexibility
to lead congregational singing, accompany vocal and instrumental musicians, and
perform organ literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The design
employs careful use of unification and borrowing between divisions in order to
maximize this flexibility. The organ has an independent Principal chorus on the
Great, with an independent 8' Principal in the Pedal division. Two ranks of
reeds are shared between the divisions. The Trompete includes a full-length 16'
octave in the Great and Pedal divisions, and is extended up to support a
full-compass 4' Clarion stop in the Great and Swell.

Several preparations have been provided. Space is present on
the Great chest for the addition of three ranks. An 8' Spitzflute will replace
one of the borrows from the Swell. An independent 22/3' Principal will
also be added, and the 8' Trompete will be moved from the Swell chest to the
Great. A French Trompette will be added inside the Swell box. In addition,
space is present in the Swell to extend the Oboe down an octave so that a
full-compass 16' Fagott will exist on the Swell and Pedal divisions.

The instrument was assembled in the Nordlie shop under the
leadership of Paul Nordlie. Marty Larsen, Hank Hight, Larry Niebuhr, and John
Nordlie installed the organ in the church. Eric Grane voiced the instrument in
the sanctuary with the assistance of Darrel Peterson. Beth MacDonald provided
office support throughout the project.

GREAT

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Violone

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Prestant

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Gedackt

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Viola

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Rohrflöte

                  22/3' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Twelfth

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Fifteenth

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Mixture
IV-V

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Cornet
V

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Trompete

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trompete

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Clarion

                                    Gt/Gt
4

                                    Sw/Gt
16-8-4

SWELL

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Gedackt

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Gedackt

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Viola

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Viola
Celeste (tc)

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Principal

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harmonic
Flute

                  22/3' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Nasat

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Piccolo

                  13/5' style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Terz

                  1' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Scharf
II-III

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Fagott
(tc)

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trompete

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Oboe

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Clarion

                                    Tremulant

                                    Sw/Sw
16-UO-4

                                    Zimbelstern
(6 bells)

PEDAL

                  32' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Resultant

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Subbass

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Gedackt

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Principal

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flute

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Gedackt

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Choralbass

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flute

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave

                  2' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Mixture
III

                  16' style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Posaune

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trompete

                  8' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Oboe

                  4' style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Oboe

                                    Gt/Ped
8

                                    Sw/Ped
8, 4

 

Eight MIDI stops

Combination action--9 levels

Transposer

Player mechanism

16-stop piston sequencer

32-stage programmable Crescendo                        pedal

16-stage Swell engine

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