2007-04-28 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- Sometime in the early 1970's, the former Congregational church was declared structurally unsafe. So First Congregational found a new site in a different section of the city and built a new edifice/facility. Interestingly, the old edifice was occupied by a Baptist congregation who remain to the present. The existing 1918 Moller organ - which had been electrified by the original builder in 1953 - was relocated to the new edifice by Mr. Curryer with tonal changes. It was installed in two side-by-side chambers on the left wall at the front of the room with the terraced choir seating in front of the chambers. Tonal changes were made to both the Great and Swell, with some original ranks removed, and others used in new ways. A new 2' Principal was added to the Great on a new Moller unit chest. (Mr. Curryer was the Moller Representative at the time). -Database Manager
Stoplist copied from the console March, 1994 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Great Falls, Montana
First Congregational Church/Christ United Methodist Church (shared facility)
M.P. MÖLLER, Opus 2710, 1918
M.P. Möller, Opus R-457, 1953 - Electrification and Rebuild
Harold B. Curryer, 1975-76 - Moving, Re-installation, Tonal Addition
Harold B. Curryer, after 1976 - Subsequent Tonal Changes
GREAT (Expressive) COUPLERS
8' Open Diapason 73 Swell to Pedal [8],4
8' Doppel Flöte 73 Great to Pedal [8]
8' Dulciana 73
4' Octave 73 Swell to Great 16,[8],4
4' Melodia 73
2-2/3' Quinte 73
2' Principal 61
8' Tuba 73 FINGER PISTONS
General 1 – 5
Great 16' Swell & Pedal 1 - 5
Great 4' Great & Pedal 1 - 5
Gen. Can.
SWELL (Expressive)
blank [missing] FOOT LEVERS
blank Gt. to Ped. Reversible (rev)
8' Stopped Diapason 73 Sforzando reversible (rev)
8' Viole d'Orchestre 73
8' Salicional 73
8' Vox Celeste (tc) 61 PEDAL MOVEMENTS
4' Flute Harmonique 73 Swell Expression (bal.)
4' Aeoline 73 Great Expression (bal.)
8' Cornopean 73 Crescendo (bal.)
8' Oboe 73
8' Vox Humana 61
Tremolo
Swell 16'
Swell Unison
Swell 4' ACTION: Electro-Pneumatic
VOICES: 20
PEDAL
16' Open Diapason (in Gt) 32 STOPS: 22
16' Bourdon (in Sw) 32
8' Octave 12 RANKS: 20
8' Bourdon 12
4' Choral Bass 32 PIPES: 1,317
NOTES
The original façade at the original church was comprised of a pipe fence containing
51 pipes in three flats divided by two small towers arranged as: 7–5–27–5–7. The
original console was detached.
Chimes were added to the organ prior to the 1953 rebuild as a memorial to those from
the congregation who lost their lives in the Second World War. The chimes have 21
notes and were built by Maas. They were purchased through Barber's Music Standard
Furniture, Inc. and installed in 1947. They were playable from their own keyboard.
The cost, including both materials and labor, was $75.50.
The 1953 electrification and rebuild was done by the original builder. A new console
was provided, and the original tubular-pneumatic chests were retained, but with new
electro-pneumatic primaries and stop actions. No tonal changes were made, however all
the pipework was revoiced for the remodeled sanctuary. The original 27 pipes of the
middle portion of the façade were replaced with a wooden grille.
The rebuilt organ was dedicated on Friday, October 9, 1953 at 8:00 p.m. in a concert
given by Dr. Frank W. Asper - organist of the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
In the 1970's, the congregation was told that the building had structural issues and
was not safe to inhabit. The congregation joined with Christ Methodist at an existing
facility, and then built to expand it. They signed a contract dated February 1, 1975
with Harold B. Curryer of Spokane, WA. who was the Möller Rep. to remove the organ
from the old edifice, and re-erect it at the new facility. The church signed March 17.
This contract also called for the addition of a new Möller 2' Principal and chest to
be added to the Great, but no other changes. It was added in memory of Esther Hathaway
who had been the organist for 38 years. The cost of the project was $7,530.00 and was
completed in 1976 when the building was completed. The dedicatory concert was played
by Austin C. Lovelace in May of 1976.
Other tonal changes were made to the organ subsequent to the moving and re-installa-
tion. The preceding stoplist reflects the 1976 addition, as well as subsequent sub-
situations and pipe re-arranging, and was the specification as documented in 1994.
On the Great, the original 8' Melodia was transposed to 4' pitch on it's original
toeboard, and 12 treble extension pipes were added. The original 4' Flauto Traverso
was moved to the Swell and replaced with a set of open wood, non-harmonic pipes of
unknown origin marked “Fl. Trav.” installed at 2-2/3' pitch.
On the Swell, the 16' Bourdon (duplexed to the Pedal as the 16' Lieblich Gedeckt)
was removed altogether and the stoptablet at the console was removed as well. The
8' Open Diapason was transposed to 4' pitch and placed on the Bourdon toeboard
solely to appear in the Pedal as a 4' Choral Bass. That left the Open Diapason toe-
board unoccupied. The tenor C 8' Vox Celeste was moved to the 8' Aeoline toeboard as
a 4' stop in an attempt to provide the Swell with a keener 4' stop. The 8' Aeoline
then lost its bottom octave and was installed on the Vox Celeste toeboard and tuned
sharp with the 8' Salicional. It was not a very successful pair! The original Swell
4' Flute Harmonique was removed from the organ altogether and replaced with the
original Great 4' Flauto Traverso. The 8' Cornopean was replaced in 1977 with a new
Moller 8' Trompette as a gift from Music Dir. Mary Moore in memory of her mother Nydia
Moore.
On the Pedal, as previously mentioned, the 16' Lieblich Gedeckt borrowed from the
Swell was removed and replaced with the Swell Open Diapason from 4' pitch to function
as a 4' Choral Bass.
Sources: Möller opus list; church documents; JRS; extant organ
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