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Nichols & Simpson, Inc., Organbuilders, Little Rock, Arkansas
First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Michigan
4 manuals, 50 stops, 64 ranks
The Nichols & Simpson organ for First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Michigan replaces a Casavant organ that was built in 1953. The three-manual Casavant was installed in one chamber on the side of the chancel. The Nichols & Simpson organ has 50 stops and 64 ranks of pipes, of which 12 stops or portions thereof from the Casavant are incorporated into the new organ. The pipes of the main divisions of the organ are on pallet-and-slider windchests. Larger pedal pipes and duplexed stops are on individual valve windchests.
The church interior was completely redesigned architecturally by Constantine George Pappas Architects of Troy, Michigan, and acoustically by Scott R. Riedel & Associates of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The chancel width was opened up, and most of the organ is across the front of the chancel, fronted by new casework designed by Frank Friemel. The Swell division together with some Pedal basses are located in the original organ chamber, which was made shallower.
The new four-manual console is constructed of American cherry and features manual keys with coverings of bone and rosewood. The drawknobs are of rosewood with bone faces inset for engraving. The tilting tablets are of bone. The five expression shoes are solid rosewood. The wind pressures for the organ range from 4 inches for the Great division to 6 inches for the Solo division, with the separately enclosed Tuba stop on a wind pressure of 15 inches.
—C. Joseph Nichols
Photo credit: David C. Scribner

GREAT
16′ Violone (ext 8′ Violone)
8′ Principal
8′ Solo Flute (Solo)
8′ Harmonic Flute
8′ Violone
8′ Bourdon
4′ Octave
4′ Nachthorn
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
13⁄5′ Seventeenth
IV–V Fourniture
8′ Harmonic Trumpet
Tremolo
16′ Trombone (Pedal)
8′ Tromba (Pedal)
8′ Tuba (Choir)
4′ Tromba Clarion (Pedal)

SWELL
16′ Lieblich (ext 8′ Chimney Flute)
8′ Diapason
8′ Chimney Flute
8′ Salicional
8′ Voix Celeste
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Flute Celeste
4′ Principal
4′ Flute Octaviante
22⁄3′ Nasard
2′ Octavin
13⁄5′ Tierce
III Plein Jeu
III Petit Plein Jeu
16′ Double Trumpet (ext 8′ Trumpet)
8′ Trompette
8′ Trumpet
8′ Hautbois
8′ Vox Humana
4′ Clarion (ext 8′ Trumpet)
Tremolo
8′ Tuba (Choir)

CHOIR
16′ Double Dulciana (1–12*) (ext)
8′ Geigen Diapason
8′ Geigen Celeste*
8′ Bourdon
8′ Dulciana
8′ Celeste (1–12*)
4′ Principal
4′ Koppelflote
2′ Flautino
11⁄3′ Larigot
IV Chorus Mixture
16′ Bass Clarinet (1–12*) (ext)
8′ Petite Trompette
8′ Clarinet
Harp*
Celesta*
Tremolo
8′ Tromba (Pedal)
16′ Tuba TC
8′ Tuba

SOLO
16′ Contra Gamba (ext 8′ Gamba)
8′ Solo Flute
8′ Gamba
8′ Gamba Celeste
4′ Solo Flute (ext 8′ Solo Flute)
8′ French Horn
8′ Clarinet (Choir)
8′ English Horn
Tremolo
Harp (Choir)
Celesta (Choir)
16′ Tuba TC (Choir)
16′ Trombone (Pedal)
8′ Tuba (Choir)
8′ Tromba (Pedal)
4′ Tromba Clarion (Pedal)

PEDAL
32′ Contra Violone*
32′ Contra Bourdon*
16′ Open Wood (ext 8′ Solo Flute)
16′ Principal (ext Great 8′ Principal)
16′ Subbass
16′ Violone (Great)
16′ Lieblich (Swell)
16′ Double Dulciana (Choir)
8′ Solo Flute (Solo)
8′ Octave
8′ Bourdon (ext 16′ Subbass)
8′ Violone (Great)
8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)
8′ Dulciana (Choir)
4′ Solo Flute (Solo)
4′ Choral Bass
2′ Solo Flute (Solo)
IV Mixture
32′ Ophicleide*
16′ Trombone
16′ Double Trumpet (Swell)
16′ Bass Clarinet (1–12*)
8′ Tuba (Choir)
8′ Tromba (ext 16′ Trombone)
8′ Trumpet (Swell)
4′ Tromba (ext 16′ Trombone)
4′ Clarinet (Choir)