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New Organs

October 2, 2009
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Fabry, Inc., Antioch, Illinois
First Presbyterian Church,
Racine, Wisconsin

Located in one of southeast Wisconsin’s oldest settlements, First Presbyterian Church’s history closely follows that of Racine. While Racine was incorporated as a village in 1841, the group of men (and women) that made up the roots of the first Presbyterian church gathered in 1839. The current sanctuary was built in 1851, and the church recently celebrated its 150th anniversary.
There have been a few organs that have graced the church. The first organ, located in the balcony, a Johnson organ of two manuals and 10–20 ranks with an attached console, was installed around the late 1880s. Some of the current organ’s pipes are from the original installation. From then on, history is sketchy, but the organ was rebuilt and then relocated to the front of the sanctuary in 1935 by the Besch Co., a small Milwaukee organ company, and a detached console was built. In 1988, R. A. Colby of Johnson City, Tennessee, built a new console and updated only the console combination action to a single-memory system. When Fabry, Inc. arrived to assume the maintenance of the instrument, in addition to addressing some easily noticeable concerns, the issue of multiple memories was brought up.
The church decided to proceed with an original plan to work our way from division to division releathering the primary pneumatics. After finishing the Swell pneumatics, primary and secondary double-box primaries, the church announced their plans to renovate the front of the sanctuary to make the pulpit more accessible, allow more room for ensembles, and improve the acoustic of the room by eliminating the carpet in the front third of the room and replacing it with hardwood floor.
It was at this time that it became clear the console would need new cables, and the church elected to have Fabry, Inc. install a new Peterson ICS-4000 system as well. The console was gutted with only the shell and keyboards kept. Completely new drawknob banks were constructed to incorporate the new drawknobs with those that were retained. A new coupler bracket was built into the nameboard as well. During the course of the job, we also replaced all of the cloth-covered wire, improved chamber lighting, installed new expression motors, and finished the primary releathering. The organist’s previously purchased Ahlborn-Galanti Romantic MIDI Module was seamlessly integrated with the Peterson system. The organist now has 100 memories to play with.
While there are many people involved with a job that encompasses many aspects and facets that require constant attention, Fabry, Inc. had the pleasure to work with Jerry Buck, organist at First Presbyterian Church. He kept us up to date with scheduling conflicts and questions from the church members and committees. His attention to our details helped make this one job we won’t soon forget.
—Phil Spressart

GREAT
8′ Principal
8′ Double Flute
8′ Viola d’Gamba
8′ Dulciana
4′ Octave
4′ Flute Traverso
4′ Violin
2′ Super Octave
Fourniture IV
8′ Tuba
Tremolo
Chimes
Zimbelstern
Great to Great 4
Great Unison Off
Great to Great 16

SWELL
16′ Bourdon
8′ Stopped Diapason
8′ Salicional
8′ Vox Celeste
4′ Principal
4′ Flauto
4′ Fugara
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Flautino
Scharff III
8′ Trumpet
4′ Klarion
Harp
Tremolo
Swell to Swell 16
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4

CHOIR
8′ Violin Diapason
8′ Concert Flute
8′ Keraulophone
8′ Unda Maris
4′ Flute
22⁄3′ Twelfth
8′ French Horn
8′ Krummhorn
Tremolo
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4

PEDAL
32′ Acoustic
32′ Resultant
16′ Double Open Diapason
16′ Subbass
16′ Gedeckt
8′ Octave
8′ Bass Flute
32′ Contra Fagotto
16′ Fagotto

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Choir to Great 16, 8, 4
Pedal to Great 8
MIDI to Great
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
Choir to Pedal 8, 4
MIDI to Pedal
Swell to Choir 8, 4
MIDI to Choir
Choir to Swell 8
MIDI to Swell

Gt/Ch Manual Transfer

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