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New Organs

August 3, 2003
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Greg Harrold, Los Angeles, California, has built a new 24-stop organ for the Kay/MacBird residence in Brentwood, California. This organ, the builder's Opus 14, features mechanical key and stop action. The 56-note manuals have bone naturals and ebony sharps. There are two interchangable 30-note pedalboards, one flat/parallel and one concave/ radiating. Wind pressure is 65mm from a single-fold wedge bellows and the organ is tuned in Kellner temperament. The case is of waxed spruce. The pipe shades were designed and carved by Dennis Rowland. The hall was built specially to house the organ, a piano and a harpsichord, as well as to provide a recital space for chamber music.

GREAT

                        8'                  Principal

                        8'                  Rohrflute

                        4'                  Octave

                        4'                  Spitzflute

                        22/3'        Nasard

                        2'                  Octave

                        13/5'        Tierce

                        III                 Mixture

                        8'                  Trumpet

                        8'                  Vox Humana

BRUST

                        8'                  Gedackt

                        4'                  Rohrflute

                        2'                  Waldflute

                        11/3'        Quint

                        II                   Sesquialtera

                        8'                  Dulcian

PEDAL

                        16'              Subbass

                        8'                  Principal

                        8'                  Violon

                        4'                  Octave

                        II                   Mixture

                        16'              Posaune

                        8'                  Trumpet

                        8'                  Bassoon

                                                II/I

                                                I/P

                                                II/P

                                                Tremulant

Gerhard Hradetzky, Oberbergen, Austria, has built a new organ for St. Christopher's by-the-River, Gates Mills, Ohio. The organ comprises 15 stops, 18 ranks over two manuals and pedal; mechanical key and stop action; slider chest in classic style with leather-hinged pallets; one feeder bellows plus reservoir. Tuning is in unequal temperament. The installation is that of a "parapet organ," with the entire instrument built into the balcony railing. Alpine spruce is used for the case, the bellows and the 16' Subbass. Only wooden pegs are used in the construction. The organ rests on a solid steel frame that is connected to a support system extending to the basement of the church. The console is made of oak, with the outer surface not cut but planed by hand. Compass is 56/30. In addition to Gerhard Hradetzky, the workers included: Michael Prodinger, case design, carvings, technical structure; Franz Pazderka, case, windchest; Peter Winkler, console, key and stop action; Stefan Hradetzky, pipework, pre-voicing; Karl Unterweger, bellows, wind system, pipework, shop installation; Hans Waldbauer, gilding; Anja Liske, assistant, tonal finishing; and Günther Scholler & Ferdinand Collon, apprentices.

GREAT

                        8'                  Principal

                        8'                  Viola

                        4'                  Octav

                        4'                  Flauto dolce (Pos)

                        2'                  Super Octav

                        11/3'        Quint

                        1'                  Mixtur III-IV

                        22/3'        Duodec (from c)

                        13/5'        Cornet (from c)

                                                Pos/Gt

POSITIVE

                        8'                  Copl/Flauto

                        4'                  Flauto dolce (alternating w/Gt)

                        2'                  Flageolet

                        11/3'        Flautino

                        8'                  Fagotto

PEDAL

                        16'              Sub-bass

                        8'                  Octav-bass

                        8'                  Fagotto (alternating w/Pos)

                                                Gt/Ped

                                                Pos/Ped

                                                Tremolo

                                                Eight-bell Cymbal

In 1996, the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, contacted the Andover Organ Company to build a small organ to supplement its three-manual, 26-stop Andover opus 84, built in 1980. The seminary needed a portable organ for continuo and accompaniment. Jay Harold Zollner, organ designer for Andover, designed and built the portable organ. In the interests of cost effectiveness, he built two identical small organs. The twins are four-stop positiv organs, with a 54-note compass. The keyboard shifts one note for early music at A-415. The style is colonial Georgian, white with mahogany trim, to match the decor of the Church of the Abiding Presence at the seminary. The organs are equipped with casters and folding doors for moving, and measure 57 inches wide, 33 inches deep, and 50 inches high, with a blower built into the case.

The Gettysburg organ was installed in 1998 in a rückpostiv position near the larger opus 84 organ. The two organs are connected by an "Orgamat" system from Laukhuff, allowing the organist to play the small organ from the main console if desired. The orgamat, designed for tuning, sits on the keyboard of the small organ, and is activated by opto-electronic contacts on the chamade keyboard. In addition, the bottom 20 notes of the existing 16' Bourdon of the Pedal were relocated to new electric chests and extended to 32' pitch by adding 12 electronic notes to the bass.

Meanwhile, the second twin remained in the Andover shop, waiting for a home, traveling occasionally to nearby churches for special occasions. In the summer of 1998 the organ was purchased by Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading, Pennsylvania for its downstairs chapel, replacing a three-rank Wicks from the 1960s. The organ is also used as a continuo organ in the main sanctuary.

Andover Opus 110 and 110A

MANUAL

                        8'                  Gedeckt

                        4'                  Chimney Flute

                        2'                  Principal

                        11/3'        Quinte

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