Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist / Sanctuary at Admiral
2656 42nd Avenue SW
Seattle, WA
Images
2010-09-08 - Console: manuals and stops (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Jim Stettner)
2010-09-08 - Console (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Jim Stettner)
2010-09-08 - "Great pipework (l-r): 4' Octave, 2' Fifteenth, 8' Diapason, 1-1/3' Ninteenth, 1' Twenty Second" (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)
2010-09-08 - "Swell pipework (l-r): 4' Clarion (orig. 8' Oboe Horn), 8' Salicional, 8' Voix Celeste, 8' Gedeckt" (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)
2010-09-08 - "Swell pipework (l-r): 4' Spitz Principal (orig. Gt. 8' Gemshorn), 8' Trumpet" (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)
Consoles
Main
- Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
- Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Right
- 3 manuals
- 16 stops
- 28 registers
- 3 divisions
- Key action Type: Electrical
- Stop action Type: Electrical
- Stop layout Type: Stop Keys Above Top Manual
- Manual compass: 61 notes
- Pedal compass: 32 notes
- Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Has crescendo
- Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
- Has combination thumb pistons
- Has coupler toe pistons
Notes
2006-10-21 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- This was a tonal revision of the existing 3/16 Balcom and Vaughan, Op. 623, 1956. A few of these tonal changes were altered around 1993 by then B and V employee Jim Stettner as a gift to the organist, Ivy Reed. The congregation has since disbanded and the building has been privately purchased for use as a single-family residence. The owner wishes to keep the organ and use the former auditorium as a concert venue for both organ and other musical presentations. -Database Manager
2012-08-30 - Updated through online information from Jim Ludden. -- Founder of Olympic Organ Builders. The work, formerly attributed to Olympic Organ Builders, was probably by Glenn D White Jr, one of the partners of OOB, which wasn't founded until 1966. -Database Manager
2018-07-06 - Updated by James R. Stettner, who maintains the organ.<br> -Database Manager
Stoplist
Original document from James R. Stettner. Source: Stoplist copied from the console stops and registrational aids 1993-03-11
Unsupported filetype pdf, view here.
Original document from James R. Stettner. Source: Stoplist taken from the altered stop controls; console junction; and from Balcom and Vaughan files 2018-07-05
Seattle, Washington
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist
BALCOM and VAUGHAN, Opus 486, 1969 - 2-8
Balcom and Vaughan, Opus 623, 1956 - Enlargement to 3-16
Glenn D. White, 1964 - Tonal Changes
GREAT (Expressive) SWELL (Expressive)
8 Spitz Principal 61 16 Bourdon 12
4 Octave 61 8 Flute 61
2 Fifteenth 61 8 Salicional 73
1-1/3 Quint 49 8 Voix Celeste (tc) 61
1 Twenty Second 49 4 Principal 61
8 Clarinet (Ch) –- 4 Flute d'Amour 12
Tremolo 2-2/3 Nazard 7
Chimes (Maas; A 22-f 42) (21) 2 Flautina 5
8 Trumpet 73
Great to Great 16' 8 Vox Humana 73
Great Unison Off 4 Clarion 61
Great to Great 4' Tremolo
Swell to Swell 16'
CHOIR (Expressive) Swell Unison Off
8 Melodia 61 Swell to Swell 4'
8 Dulciana 61
8 Unda Maris (tc) 49
4 Flute 12 PEDAL (Expressive)
4 Dulcet 12 16 Open Diapason (Gt) 12
blank 16 Bourdon (Sw) –-
8 Clarinet 73 10-2/3 Sub Quint (Sw) –-
Tremolo 8 Flute (Sw) –-
Choir to Choir 16'
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4'
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell to Pedal 8,4 General 1 – 5
Great to Pedal 8,4 Swell 1 – 5
Choir to Pedal 8,4 Great 1 – 5
Choir 1 – 5
Swell to Great 16,8,4 Pedal 1 – 5
Choir to Great 16,8,4
Swell to Choir 16,8,4 PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Choir Expression (bal.)
Great Expression (bal.)
TOE STUDS Swell Expression (bal.)
Gr. to Pedal (rev) Crescendo (bal.)
ACTION: E-P unit STOPS: 16 REGISTERS: 28 RANKS: 16 PIPES: 1,060
(inc. chimes)
NOTES
This organ began life as a 2-manual, 8-rank organ built by Balcom and Vaughan in 1949
as their Opus 486. In 1956, they enlarged it to 3-manuals and 16-ranks as their opus
623. It survived in this form for a scant eight years before it was tonally altered.
In 1964, Glenn White proposed tonal changes to the organ – assisted by David Dahl.
These changes did not make use of any new pipework, but rather of rearranging the
existing pipework.
On the Great, the original 8' Open Diapason was removed. Notes 1-12 of the Swell 8'
Open Diapason took their place partially, and the former 8' Gemshorn from 4' C and
up became the balance of a new 8' Spitz Principal. The other original ranks were
variously mixed-together to create the remaining four stops. Much of the 1-1/3'
Quint is the original 8' Open Diapason. Sometime later, the 49-pipe Quint was
wired-in a a 2/3' Twenty-Sixth utilizing the Great Unison Off tablet. It only plays
for 37 notes.
On the Swell, the remainder of the 8' Open Diapason became a 'new' 4' Principal.
And the original 8' Oboe was moved down 12 notes on its chest to become a 4' Clarion.
The Choir was left untouched, but the 8' Clarinet was wired to the Great utilizing
a blank stoptablet.
On the Pedal, the original 16' Lieblich Gedeckt – which was the same as the 16'
Bourdon but on soft wind – was rewired as a 10-2/3' Sub Quint.
Around 1992, Jim Stettner who was a Balcom and Vaughan employee, made a slight change
in the sound as a gift to then organist Ivy Reed. She had complained that the Great
had an insufficient 8' foundation tone. So the Great Spitz Principal from tenor C
(the original Gemshorn) was swapped with the Swell 4' Principal (the original Swell
8' Open Diapason) to give the Great more weight, and the Swell a more transparent and
brighter 4' register.
The church closed its doors around 2002, and the building was sold in 2003 to a private
buyer who has converted it into a rent-able facility with a full kitchen, the piano,
the pipe organ, mixing booth, etc. It is used for parties, musical performances,
silent movies with organ accompaniment, private gatherings, weddings, etc.
SOURCES
Balcom and Vaughan opus list & files; extant organ; James R. Stettner
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist
2656 42nd SW
Seattle, WA. 98116 Documented: March 11, 1993
(206) Verified & Updated: Sept. 9, 2010
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