Unknown - Console ((Summer 1995) Photograph by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
Unknown - Console ((Summer 1995) Photograph by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
2007-04-28 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- This was a project of cleaning and refurbishing. All pipework was removed and cleaned. The chambers were cleaned and lighting improved. All stoppers were releathered. Regulators were releathered. Chests were repaired as necessary. A new Peterson MIDI-compatible, multiplex relay was installed to replace the aging E-P original. Quality used E-P shutter engines were installed to replace the badly warped and split originals. Tonal egress was also dramatically improved by the addition of shutter openings in the front of each chamber. These were built by parishioner and contractor Chuck Wieck, who also designed and built the grille covers. The console was overhauled, and moved slightly so that the oragnist's left side faces the congregation rather than their back. Tonal changes were made as a gift to the church. The Great 8' Second Open Diapason and Swell 8' Diapason were changed with the Swell Diapason becoming the Great 4' Octave/2' Fifteenth unit. The Choir 8' Viole d'Gamba was moved to the Swell in place of the Salicional. The Salicional was moved to the Vox Celeste toeboard and rescaled to match the Viole d'Gamba. The original 8' Vox Celeste was rescaled, cut-down, de-bearded, and revoiced as an independent 1-3/5' Tierce on the Aeoline toeboard. The Aeoline was moved to the Great/Choir chamber on the former Viole d'Gamba toeboard, and was rescaled as an 8' Unda Maris (GG) with the existing Dulciana. The original Swell 8' Vox Humana was butchered beyond repair, and was replaed by a used Vox Humana donated by First Church of Christ, Scientist from their 1929 Estey (it was unused, having been replaced by a used Estey reedless Oboe). The original Pedal 8' Cello stop was respecified in the new relay to be a 4' Choral Bass. And the 8' Tuba - formerly only available on the Great - was made available on the Choir as well. The organ was rededicated and blessed by the Bishop in a service on Friday evening, October 27, 1995. Music for the service was played by the Cathedral organist Lorna Nelson; Director of Music & Liturgy, Michael Prendergast; parish member and local organist, Bob Mitchell; and both Clint Meadway and Jim Stettner. -Database Manager
Stoplist from console - October 1995 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Great Falls, Montana
St. Ann's R.C. Cathedral
The REUTER ORGAN CO., Opus 328, 1929
Meadway & Stettner Pipe Organs, 1995 - Refurbishing with Tonal Alterations
GREAT (Expressive w/Ch) SWELL (Expressive)
8' Diapason 73 16' Bourdon 12
8' Concert Flute (Ch) -- 8' Open Diapason 73
8' Dulciana (Ch) -- 8' Stopped Diapason 61
8' Unda Maris (Ch) -- 8' Viole d'Gamba 73
4' Octave 61 8' Vox Celeste (tc) 49
4' Flute (Ch) -- 4' Flauto Dolce 12
2' Fifteenth 12 4' Violina 12
8' Tuba 73 2-2/3' Nasard 7
Chimes 2' Flautina 5
1-3/5' Tierce 61
Great 16' Great 8' Orch. Oboe Syn. --
Great Unison Off 8' Oboe 73
Great 4' Great 8' Vox Humana 61
Tremolo
CHOIR (Expressive w/Gt) Swell 16' Swell
16' Contra Dulciana (tc) -- Swell Unison Off
8' Concert Flute 61 Swell 4' Swell
8' Dulciana 61
8' Unda Maris (GG) 66
4' Flauto Traverso 12 PEDAL (Expressive)
4' Dulcet 12 16' Bourdon (in Gt/Ch) 32
8' Tuba (Gt) -- 16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) --
Tremolo 8' Octave (Gt) --
8' Dolce Flute (Sw) --
Choir 16' Choir 4' Choral Bass (Gt) --
Choir Unison Off
Choir 4' Choir
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell 8' Pedal General 1 - 4
Swell 4' Pedal Swell 1 - 5
Great 8' Pedal Great 1 - 4
Choir 8' Pedal Choir 1 - 4
Swell 16' Great
Swell 8' Great TOE STUDS
Swell 4' Great Pedal 1 - 5
Choir 16' Great Gr. to Ped. (rev)
Choir 8' Great Sforz. (rev)
Choir 4' Great
Swell 16' Choir PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Swell 8' Choir Swell Expression (bal.)
Swell 4' Choir Gt/Ch Expression (bal.)
Crescendo (bal.)
PISTON COUPLERS (Switches)
Ped. to Man. [Swell] On/Off
Ped. to Man. [Great] On/Off
Ped. to Man. [Choir] On/Off
ACTION: E-P Ventil VOICES: 14 STOPS: 34 RANKS: 14 PIPES: 962
& Unit (inc. chimes)
NOTES
The organ is in divided chambers on both sides of the rear gallery. As originally installed,
the organ was reportedly in free-standing cases with gold dummy façade pipes. In later years,
one of the priests ordered the front windows over the altar to be removed. (Fortunately, some-
one had them sealed-over instead). It is believed that the organ was altered to its chambered
state at that same time. The Swell 8' Vox Celeste automatically draws the 8' Salicional when
registered. The Swell 8' Orch. Oboe is a synthetic stop made from the 8' Salicional and 2-2/3'
Nasard. The Ped. to Man. combination couplers are located in the keyslip of each division.
During the 1995 refurbishing by Meadway & Stettner, the entire organ was de-piped, and all of
the pipes were cleaned. Metal pipes were washed in a special solution. All of the wooden pipes
were blown-out with a compressor and wiped-down with oil soap. All stopped wood pipes had their
stoppers re-leathered. All reed ranks were dismantled and the shallots and reed tongues polished.
New leather was put on the first 17 shallots of the Swell 8' Oboe. The Great/Choir and Swell reg-
ulators were removed and re-leathered. The original pneumatic expression engines had warped and
split beyond effective repair, so two quality, used engines were found and installed in their
place. Tonal egress was dramatically improved by adding expression shutters on the nave side of
each chamber. The new shutters were built by parishioner Chuck Wieck to the designs of Meadway &
Stettner. Mr. Wieck also made new grilles for the nave openings. The chambers were completely
cleaned while all the pipes were out. The console was over-hauled, moved slightly, and a new
MIDI-compatible multiplex relay was installed in-place of the original electro-pneumatic relays.
Tonal changes were made by Meadway & Stettner as a gift to the church. The Great 8' Second Open
Diapason and Swell 8' Diapason were changed – the Swell Diapason becoming the Great 4' Octave/2'
Fifteenth. The Choir 8' Viole d'Gamba was moved to the Swell in place of the 8' Salicional, and
the Salicional was moved to the Celeste toeboard and rescaled to match the Viole d'Gamba. The 8'
(tc) Vox Celeste was cut-down, de-bearded, and revoiced as a new, independent 1-3/5' Tierce on
the 8' Aeoline toeboard. It was the first independent Tierce in any organ in Great Falls. The 8'
Aeoline, in turn, was moved to the Great/Choir chamber on the Viole d'Gamba toeboard, and re-
scaled to match the Dulciana as an Unda Maris. The tonal changes and new relay allowed for the
slight revamping of the stoplist which included replacing the Pedal 8' Cello with a 4' Choral
Bass borrowed from the Great, and the Great 8' Tuba was also made playable from the Choir so it
could be used as a solo voice against the full Great. The original Swell 8' Vox Humana had pre-
viously been butchered beyond repair. It was replaced with a used 1929 Estey Vox Humana donated
by First Church of Christ, Scientist whose Vox Humana had been replaced by a reedless 8' Oboe.
The original Reuter Vox Humana may later be converted into an 8' Clarinet for the Choir.
Future plans may include new, exposed Great and Pedal divisions; additional tonal changes to
the Choir and Swell divisions; moving the console to the front of the Cathedral; adding a 3-
rank choir organ up front; and the final conversion of the console to all-electric solid state.
Sources: Reuter opus list; Meadway & Stettner files; JRS; extant organ
St. Ann's R.C. Co-Cathedral
715 3rd Ave. N.
Great Falls, MT. 59403 Documented: June 29, 1994
(406) 761-5456 Verified & Updated: October, 1995
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