Michael Proscia Organbuilder, Inc., Bowdon, Georgia: Julius Dayle Harding residence, Douglasville, Georgia
Michael Proscia Organbuilder, Inc., Bowdon, Georgia
Julius Dayle Harding residence, Douglasville, Georgia
In August, 2009, Julius Dayle Harding commissioned our firm to rebuild and expand his existing, unexpressive, four-rank practice instrument, obtained from a local Florida hobbyist. The ranks consisted of a capped metal flute,
Gemshorn, Dulciana, and Celeste at various pitches controlled by a “Holtkamp”-style, three-manual and pedal stoptab console, with chests and reservoirs fabricated from particle board and other miscellaneous woods. The organ was augmented by use of a separate Roland keyboard and sound engine, amplified through Roland speakers.
The expressed goal of our client was to have in his home an instrument of quality, representing four designs of organ building—classic, romantic, theatre, and symphonic—utilizing properly scaled and voiced pipework, appropriate for his residence and augmented with faithful digital sampling. After consultation with local Atlanta theatre organ professionals and drawing upon our own experience with classic/romantic organ design, we believe we have accomplished our goal and the goal of our client to produce a successful, multi-dimensional, hybrid instrument that one could say is in a class by itself.
Upon inspection of the extant instrument, we recommended a “clean sweep” approach. Judiciously retaining only those certain components that warranted retention, we embarked upon our journey into uncharted territory.
The four manual and pedal, all-electric console, a product of our shop craftsmen and the first of its kind for us, is finished in hand-rubbed, satin black lacquer, and fabricated in a style reminiscent of residence instrument consoles built by the Aeolian Organ Company. From bottom to top, the keyboards are as follows: Accomp/Positiv, Great, Swell/Main and Solo/Bombarde; the manual divisions, as noted, reflect the “marrying” of the various designs of organ building. The pedal division comprises voices from the manuals (extensions and borrows) with one independent rank, the Bourdon at 16′ and 8′. There are eleven pipe ranks and twenty-nine digital “ranks,” with the digital voices speaking through six audio channels over (available) 7,200 watts, amplified through appropriately sized speakers, distributed logically throughout the large music room.
—Michael Proscia
GREAT — Man. II
3 ranks, 11 stops
8′ Principal
8′ Metal Gedackt
8′ Salicional (Sw)
8′ Voix Celeste (Sw)
4′ Octave
4′ Gedackt
2′ Block Flute
11⁄3′ Quint
Mixture III (digital)
8′ Petite Trompette
4′ Clarion (digital)
MIDI-A
MIDI-B
MIDI-C
Tremulant
Gt/Gt 16-UO-4
Sw/Gt 16-8-4
Pos/Gt 8-4
Main/Gt 16-8
Solo/Gt 8-4
ACCOMP/POSITIV — Man. I
1 rank, 17 stops
8′ Quintadena (digital)
8′ Viola Pomposa (digital)
8′ Tibia Clausa (digital)
8′ Viole d’ Orchestre (digital)
8′ Viole Celeste (digital)
8′ Vox Humana (digital)
4′ Tibia (digital)
4′ Gemshorn
4′ Viole (digital)
4′ Viole Celeste (digital)
4′ Vox Humana (digital)
2′ Harmonic Flute
11⁄3′ Nineteenth
1′ Octave
Chrysoglott
Vibraphone
Brush
MIDI-A
MIDI-B
MIDI-C
Tremulant
Sw/Pos 8-4
Main/Pos 8-4
Solo/Pos 8-4
SWELL/MAIN — Man. III
5 ranks, 14 stops
16′ Gedackt Pommer
16′ Contra Salicional (t.c.)
8′ Violin Diapason (digital)
8′ Chimney Flute
8′ Salicional
8′ Voix Celeste (t.c.)
4′ Rohr Flute
4′ Fugara
4′ Dolce Celeste
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Piccolo
13⁄5′ Tierce
11⁄3′ Larigot
8′ Oboe (digital)
MIDI-A
MIDI-B
MIDI-C
Tremulant
Sw/Sw 16-UO-4
Main/Sw 16-8
Solo/Sw 8-4
All Swells to Swell
MAIN, floating, all digital
19 stops
16′ Ophicleide
16′ Tibia Clausa
16′ Contra Viole (tc)
16′ Vox Humana (tc)
8′ Tuba Horn
8′ Tibia Clausa
8′ Viole d’Orchestre
8′ Viole Celeste
8′ Vox Humana
51⁄3′ Tibia Quint
4′ Tuba Clarion
4′ Piccolo (Tibia)
4′ Viole
4′ Viole Celeste
4′ Vox Humana
22⁄3′ Tibia Twelfth
2′ Piccolo (Tibia)
2′ Fifteenth
13⁄5′ Tibia Tierce
SOLO/BOMBARDE — Man. IV
1 rank, 17 stops
8′ Concert Flute
8′ Tuba (digital)
8′ Clarinet (digital)
8′ Krummhorn (digital)
8′ Trumpet de Fete (digital)
8′ Brass Sax (digital)
4′ Gross Octave (digital)
4′ Harmonic Flute (digital)
4′ Clarion (digital)
2′ Piccolo (digital)
2′ Fifteenth (digital)
Tremulant
Marimba
Harp
Chimes
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Orchestral Bells
4′ Solo/Solo
PEDAL — 1 rank, 13 stops
32′ Faux Bourdon
32′ Gedackt Resultant
16′ Principal (digital)
16′ Bourdon
16′ Gedackt Pommer (Sw)
8′ Principal (Gt)
8′ Bourdon
4′ Choral Bass (Gt)
32′ Contra Bombarde (digital)
16′ Trombone (digital)
8′ Trompette (digital)
Bass Drum
Kettle Drum
MIDI-A
MIDI-B
MIDI-C
Gt/Pd 8-4
Sw/Pd 8-4
Pos/Pd 8
Main/Pd 8
Solo/Pd 8
TREMULANTS
Tuba Horn
Tibia Clausa
Vox Humana
Main
Toe Studs
Crash Cymbal Roll
Crash Cymbal Tap
Gong
