Better Pipe Organ Database


McNeely Organ Co. (1986)

St. John's Episcopal Church
Fishers Island, NY

Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)


Consoles

Main


Notes

2006-05-10 - Identified through information adapted from <i>E. M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List</i>, by Sand Lawn and Allen Kinzey (Organ Historical Society, 1997), and included here through the kind permission of Sand Lawn: <br><i> The original builder was E. M. Skinner (Opus 799, 1929). Enlarged and revoiced.</i> -Database Manager

2014-10-30 - Updated through online information from Ralph Powers. -- Facing the Altar, the main organ is in a chamber to the left of the Chancel. The console, a two-manual Austin type, is directly in front of these pipes. There are five ranks of pipes over the main entrance door, which are treated as a "floating" Antiphonal. This being a summer church on an island, the only Reed voices are Walker Digital - an 8' Trumpet on the Swell, also playable from the Great, and a 16' Bassoon on the pedal [these voices are not included in the pipe count]. Many changes and additions have been made over the years by Alan McNeely. -Database Manager

2019-04-17 - Updated by Scot Huntington, who maintains the organ. <br> <br>The console was a recycled Austin affair in a custom-built cabinet of contemporary design. Several original Skinner ranks were replaced and the remainder of the pipework was spurious from many sources. The new chests were electrical mechanical. This summer chapel is used approximately 8-10 weeks per year, beginning at the end of June and continuing through August. The church is unheated and for the remainder of the year is closed. The island location is cold and damp through the winter, which caused a succession of ills over the years: oxidized zinc pipes, a succession of rusted blowers, and a plethora of dead notes and non-functional mechanicals every year when the organ was brought on line. The solid-state control system was especially susceptible to minor but chronic malfunctions. Sounding from within a deep chamber around a corner from the chancel opening, the organ was ineffective in the room. After years of increasing problems, the decision was made to replace the organ with a new Bigelow tracker, dedicated in the summer of 2018. The Skinner case was reused with a mixture of original dumb and new speaking facade pipes. The Gedackt was retained, rescaled and revoiced. The 1986 Antiphonal remains on the back wall, disconnected, and the McNeely/Skinner chancel organ was broken up and dispersed. -Database Manager

2019-04-17 - Updated by Scot Huntington, who maintains the organ. <br> <br>The addition of imitation reeds happened at an unknown date, but the console was enlarged and rebuilt with additional couplers and an expanded stoplist in 2008 by McNeely. The added stops in 2008 were the Great Harmonic Flute and soft Pedal Gedackt. When I first saw the organ in 2008, the Skinner Salicional zinc basses were in the cellar blower room but gone when I saw the organ next in 2015; much of its treble was found under the Swell chest at that time. The stoplist below was recorded in 2015, and represents the organ's state from the 2008 rebuilding until its dispersal. -Database Manager


Stoplist

Original document from Scot Huntington. Source: Stoplist from console. 2019-03-21

Fishers Island, NY
St. John's Episcopal Church

1986 Organ by McNeely Organ Co.
Recycled material except as noted

GREAT (new chest)
8' Principal
8' Bourdon            duplexed from Pedal Gedeckt 8'
8' Harmonic Flute
8' Gemshorn           Swell
4' Octave
4' Harmonic Flute     ext.
2' Fifteenth
II Mixture            C 1 1/3', 1'; breaks by fifths on each c to c37
8' Trumpet            Swell
Great Unison Off
Swell to Great 16, 8', 4'
Antiphonal to Great 8'

SWELL  (enclosed, original Skinner duplex chest and enclosure)
8' Gedeckt            Skinner, wood
8' Gemshorn           recycled Haskell basses
8' Gemshorn Celeste   Skinner Voix Celeste, t.c.
4' Flute              Skinner
2 2/3' Nazard         [SIC] possibly cut-down string
2' Block Flute
8' Trumpet            imitation
Tremolo
Swell to Swell 16', 4'
Antiphonal to Swell 8'

ANTIPHONAL
8' Rohrgedeckt
4' Praestant
4' Spitz Flute
2 2/3' Nasard          [SIC]
2' Octave

PEDAL
16' Sub Bass           Skinner, wood
8'  Octave             Skinner: original Great Diapason 8' and chest
8'  Bourdon            ext. Sub Bass
8'  Gedeckt            spurious wood Gedeckt
4'  Octave             ext. Octave
4'  Gedeckt            ext. Gedeckt
16' Bassoon            imitation
Great to Pedal 8'
Swell to Pedal 8', 4'
Antiphonal to Pedal 8'

Mechanicals
1-8  General,  thumb
9-12 General, toe
1-8  divisionals, Great and Swell
1-4  divisionals, Pedal
0    General Cancel
Tutti, toe stud
Great to Pedal Reversible; toe and piston

Austin-style stopkey console, new case, recycled components   




		

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