Better Pipe Organ Database

Skinner Organ Co. Opus 560 (1925)

East Side Presbyterian Church / East Side Memorial Presbyterian / Historic Parsells Church
345 Parsells Avenue
Rochester, NY

Images

2015-04-18 - Church exterior (Photograph by Courtesy of The Historic Parsells Church, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

July 2020 - Right stopjamb (Photograph by Eastman School of Music, via the Organ Clearing House, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

July 2020 - Left Stopjamb (Photograph by Eastman School of Music, via the Organ Clearing House, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

July 2020 - Console (Photograph by Eastman School of Music, via the Organ Clearing House, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

July 2020 - Chancel and organ chambers (Photograph by Eastman School of Music, via the Organ Clearing House, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
3 manuals
21 stops
24 registers
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Flat Straight

Notes

2006-03-23 - Identified through information adapted from E. M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List, by Sand Lawn and Allen Kinzey (Organ Historical Society, 1997), and included here through the kind permission of Sand Lawn: Built in Westfield; no information. -Database Manager

2014-12-02 - Updated through online information from Cynthia Howk. -- This Skinner Opus 560 pipe organ is in all original/never altered condition, per review & inspection by members of Parsons Pipe Organ Builders Co. staff. For the past 30 years, it was only played occasionally with no annual maintenance & was not known to the local organ/music community. Since 2011, Parsons Pipe Organ Builders Co. is again maintaining the instrument, which they've done since its installation in 1926. Also, this rare, unaltered Skinner organ is now known again to local AGO chapter members and the Eastman School of Music organ department (have played two community concerts on this instrument). The name of this church has changed over past 70 years. The organ was installed when church was "East Side Presbyterian Church" - prior to its 1940 merger with Memorial Presbyterian Church (a different building; this organ never was located in Memorial Presbyterian Church), at which time the church became "East Side Memorial Presbyterian Church." In 1975, the congregation merged with a nearby Baptist congregation and the name was changed to "Parsells Avenue Community Church," with dual Presbyterian and American Baptist affiliations until two years ago (the congregation is now solely American Baptist affiliated). The source of my information is from my personal knowledge of this pipe organ and the staff of Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, who maintain the instrument. I grew up in this church (1950s-70s), but was not active again with the congregation until 2011, when the pastor contacted me, in my professional capacity (neighborhood planning, fund-raising). I researched the instrument, contacted Parsons Pipe Organ Builders (reviewed their maintenance files, discussions with staff, on-site repair visits to the church), and discussed this instrument with organ faculty at Eastman School of Music in Rochester. The organist at this church in the 1950s-early '60s was Grace Trabert, a 1940s Eastman School organ alumna & generous donor ($1.5 million for scholarships) to the Eastman School for their organ program in the 1970s-'90s. Eastman School organ faculty, however, were not at all aware of this E.M. Skinner pipe organ until I called them in 2011 to discuss the current instrument/potential for repair/use for concerts. An article in the local newspaper about the organ, an "Open House" by Rochester chapter/AGO at the church, and two Eastman School community organ concerts here have helped to further inform the community about this remarkable organ. -Database Manager

2020-12-30 - Offered for sale via the Organ Clearing House in 2020. -Jeff Scofield

Stoplist

Stoplist from The Aeolian-Skinner Archives Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

Rochester, New York
East Side Presbyterian Church

Skinner Organ Company   Opus 560   1925   3 manuals, 21 stops, 23 ranks
_______________________________________________________________________

        GREAT ORGAN                         SWELL ORGAN
     8' Diapason            61          16' Bourdon             73
     8' Claribel Flute      61           8' Diapason            73
     8' Wald Flute          61           8' Stopped Flute       73
     4' Octave              61           8' Salicional          73
        Chimes              pf           8' Voix Celeste        73
                                         8' Aeoline             73
        CHOIR ORGAN                      4' Harmonic Flute      73
     8' Concert Flute       73         III  Mixture            183
     8' Dulciana            73           8' Harmonic Trumpet    73
     4' Flute d'Amour       73           8' Oboe                73
     2' Piccolo             61           8' Vox Humana          73
     8' Clarinet            73              Tremolo
        Tremolo
        Harp                pf              PEDAL ORGAN
        Celesta             pf          16' Sub Bass            32
                                        16' Soft Bourdon        SW
        ECHO ORGAN                       8' Flute               12
        6 Blank Knobs                    8' Soft Flute          SW


[Received from Steven E. Lawson  2014-05-26]

Websites

Opus 560: Memorial Presbyterian Church - (Aeolian-Skinner Archives Web Site) Specification (Check Internet Archive, archive.is)