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New Organs

April 6, 2005
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A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, Lithonia, Georgia

Chester Presbyterian Church, Chester, Virginia

The new pipe organ for Chester Presbyterian Church is a custom-built
instrument comprising 31 ranks of pipes playable on two manuals and pedal. The
organ replaces the 10-rank Möller pipe organ that was built in 1975. Good
and viable work often is the result of the synergy of a team. In this respect
our firm was ably assisted by Mr. Ron Davis who acted as organ consultant and
Mr. Aubrey Lindsay, organist/choirmaster for Chester Presbyterian Church.
Additionally, our firm is very grateful to the members of the organ committee
who readily gave of their time and talents and who provided much assistance
with this project from its inception to its final installation. Without these
individuals the organ could not be as it presently stands.

The organ specification is designed as an eclectic body that pays homage to
American Classicism. Of utmost concern was proper support of the choir and
congregation. While not a driving concern, the church wished to incorporate
some of the resources from the Möller if it were possible. After study of
the organ, it was determined that with rescaling, repitching, and revoicing,
some of the flue resources from the Möller instrument could be retained
for use in the new instrument's Swell division. The pipework was of
quality, had a great deal of voicing latitude, and would not compromise the
final instrument.

The visual design of the organ aimed to provide a center focal point for the
cross and window and a reflective case surface for the choir. A key element of
the organ case and façade design is the 8' Hooded Trumpet that is
bracketed by the 16' Principal towers and rises from and over the Great
principal chorus. This stop is actually one of two hooded reeds that differ in
weight and color for use as ensemble and solo voices.

To provide the greatest control over its resources, the organ contains two
expressive swell boxes for dynamic control of the Swell and enclosed Great. The
partially enclosed Great solved the quandary of wanting the principal chorus in
an optimal speaking location with the speech unfettered by an expression box
while still having dynamic control of the Great flutes, strings, mutation,
percussion, and high pressure reed. The expressive boxes are built with
extra-thick shades that overlap and interlock; they are capable of wide dynamic
control.

A two-manual drawknob console controls the organ resources. The console
exterior is built of white oak with an interior of mahogany and ebony. It
features modern conveniences for the organist such as multiple memory levels,
programmable crescendo and sforzando, transposer, the ability to play back and
record organ performance, and MIDI.

The organ was tonally finished under the direction of Arthur Schlueter III
and Daniel Angerstein with the assistance of Marc Conley, Lee Hendricks, Ed
Mickey, and John Tanner. Our firm believes that voicing and tonal finishing is
an evolutionary process. Of course quality organ building begins with scale
sheets, sample pipes, and experience with the room. In this respect we were
aided by the presence of a playing instrument that we readily used as a voicing
machine for cutting up sample pipes in the church. We also availed ourselves of
the opportunity to worship with the congregation. Truly this was of much help
in designing and scaling the organ. This is but part of the process. We are of
a resolute mind that the closeness and emotion of an organ building process for
the organ committee, organ consultant, and the organ builder makes it much too
easy to overlook flaws that may present themselves all too well in future
months and years. To avoid this danger we undertook to initially voice the
organ in the room and then back away and allow the instrument to be used. With
the experience of its use in worship we were better able to gauge changes.
Tonal finishing was accomplished with several planned trips back to the church
for voicing. Each time we were able to make minor changes that were small as
individual changes but when taken as a collective whole were very large indeed.
This methodology was very important to the final speech, color, and balance we
wanted for this instrument. It allowed us to create an instrument that matched
the expectations of the church and builder and to better evaluate our work. The
final result was in keeping with a core concept of our tonal ideal "to
design instruments that have warmth not at the expense of clarity and clarity
not at the expense of warmth."

--Arthur Schlueter III

Vice-President

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company

P.O. Box 838

Lithonia, GA 30058

770/482-4845

<www.pipe-organ.com&gt;

GREAT

16'            Sub
Principal          (Ped)

8'               Principal style='mso-tab-count:1'>                  61
pipes

8'               Geigen
Principal   29 pipes (Ped ext)

4'               Octave style='mso-tab-count:1'>    61 pipes

2'               Super
Octave          61
pipes

IV             Fourniture
11/3'   244 pipes

8'               Hooded
Trumpet   61 pipes

                   Great
to Great 4'

GREAT (enclosed)

8'               Bourdon style='mso-tab-count:1'> 61 pipes (metal)

8'               Harmonic
Flute      44
pipes (Bourdon bass)

8'               Erzahler style='mso-tab-count:1'> 49 pipes (common bass)

8'               Erzahler
Celeste    49 pipes

4'               Koppel
Flute           61
pipes

2'               Flach
Flute               61
pipes

II               Cornet
TC 22/3'    98 pipes

8'               Tromba
Heroique 61 pipes (hooded)

                   Tremulant
(enclosed stops only)

                   Chimes style='mso-tab-count:1'>   21 tubes

                   Zimbelstern style='mso-tab-count:1'>            9
bells (in rafters)

SWELL (enclosed)

16'            Lieblich
Gedeckt   12 pipes

8'               Principal style='mso-tab-count:1'>                  61
pipes

8'               Gemshorn style='mso-tab-count:1'>                61
pipes

8'               Gems.
Celeste TC 49 pipes

8'               Holzgedeckt style='mso-tab-count:1'>            61
pipes

8'               Spitz
Flute                61
notes (Gemshorn bass)

4'               Principal style='mso-tab-count:1'>                  12
pipes

4'               Spitz
Flute                61
pipes

2'               Flageolet style='mso-tab-count:1'>                  24
pipes

11/3'        Larigot style='mso-tab-count:1'>   49 pipes

III             Mixture
2'                183
pipes

16'            Basson style='mso-tab-count:1'>    12 pipes

8'               Tromba
Heroique (Gt) (affected 16' & 4')

8'               Trompette style='mso-tab-count:1'>                61
pipes

8'               Hautbois style='mso-tab-count:1'> 61 pipes

4'               Clairon style='mso-tab-count:1'>   12 pipes

                   Tremulant

                   Swell
to Swell 16'

                   Swell
Unison Off

                   Swell
to Swell 4'

PEDAL

32'            Resultant

16'            Sub
Principal          32
pipes

16'            Bourdon style='mso-tab-count:1'> 32 pipes

16'            Lieblich
Gedeckt   (Sw)

8'               Octave style='mso-tab-count:1'>    12 pipes

8'               Gemshorn style='mso-tab-count:1'>                (Sw)

8'               Bourdon style='mso-tab-count:1'> 12 pipes

8'               Gedeckt style='mso-tab-count:1'>  (Sw)

4'               Choral
Bass             32
pipes

4'               Harmonic
Flute      (Gt)

32'            Harmonics
              32
notes

16'            Trombone style='mso-tab-count:1'>                12
pipes (Tromba ext)

16'            Basson style='mso-tab-count:1'>    (Sw)

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

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

8'               Hautbois style='mso-tab-count:1'> (Sw)

4'               Hautbois style='mso-tab-count:1'> (Sw)

Couplers

                   Great
to Pedal 8'  

                   Great
to Pedal 4'

                   Swell
to Pedal 8'

                   Swell
to Pedal 4'

                   Swell
to Great 16'

                   Swell
to Great 8'

                   Swell
to Great 4'

 

                                     MIDI
on Pedal

                                     MIDI
on Great

                                     MIDI
on Swell

Combination System

128 Memory Levels

1,2,3,4,5 Pedal Divisional Toe Pistons

1,2,3,4,5 Great Divisional Pistons

1,2,3,4,5 Swell Divisional Pistons

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 General Pistons

6,7,8,9,10 General Toe Pistons

Great to Pedal--Thumb and Toe Pistons

Swell to Pedal--Thumb and Toe Pistons

Sforzando--Thumb and Toe Pistons

Crescendo Pedal

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