2022-09-27 - Organ in rear gallery (Photograph by T. W. Ketcham/T. W. Ketcham)
2010-12-18 - Identified through online information from Richard Ditewig. -Database Manager
2012-05-01 - Updated through online information from Timothy Tikker. -- I had my first semester of undergraduate organ lessons on this organ, Fall 1977. The organ originally had an IBM card-reader combination action. This was replaced with a modern solid-state system in the 1980s, and which time the organ also underwent some revoicing. -Database Manager
Stoplist taken from the 1967 organ dedication brochure, supplemented by numerous visits during organ lessons Fall 1978 and after Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
San Francisco, California
First Unitarian Church
Robert Noehren, 1967
GREAT (manual II; 2.5" wind) # of pipes:
16' Quintaton 51 (from low F)
8' Principal 51 (low 5 from Pedal Principal)
8' Rohrfloete 56 (low 12 wood)
4' Octave 44 (low 12 from 8' Principal)
4' Spitzfloete 68
2' Octave 44 (low 12 from 4' Octave)
2' Waldfloete -- (from 4' Spitzfloete)
1-1/3' Mixture V 244 [see notes below]
1/5' Cymbel III 168 (Terz rank silenced c. 1980)
8' Trompette 68 (low 12 copper; harmonic from c'')
4' Clairon -- (from 8' Trompette)
Great Off
POSITIV (manual I; on gallery rail; 2.5" wind)
8' Gedeckt 56 (wood)
4' Principal 56
4' Rohrfloete 44 (low 12 from 8' Gedeckt)
2' Octave 44 (low 12 from 4' Principal)
2/3' Scharf V 244 [see notes below]
2-2/3' Sesquialtera II 88 (from cº)
8' Cromhorne 56
Positiv Off
Bombarde Reeds Off
Swell Reeds Off
Pedal Reeds Off
BOMBARDE (manual I; 3" wind)
8' Flute harmonique 44 (low 12 from 8' Bourdon; harmonic from f')
8' Bourdon 56 (low 12 wood)
4' Principal 56
2' Octave 44 (low 12 from 4' Principal)
1' Plein-jeu V 244 [see notes below]
16' Bombarde 56 (low 12 L/2 copper)
8' Trompette 68 (harmonic from c''')
4' Clairon -- (from 8' Trompette)
Tremulant
Bombarde Off
SWELL (manual III; expressive; 2.5" wind)
8' Bourdon 56
8' Gambe 56
8' Voix céleste 44 (from cº)
4' Flute octaviante 68
2' Octavin -- (from 4' Flute octaviante)
2' Plein-jeu V 244 [see notes below]
16' Basson 68 (low 12 L/2)
8' Trompette 68
8' Hautbois -- (from 16' Basson)
8' Voix humaine 56
4' Clairon -- (from 8' Trompette)
Tremulant
SOLO (manual IV; expressive in same box as Swell; 2.5" wind)
8' Flute harmonique -- (12 from 8' Bourdon, rest from Swell Flute octaviante)
8' Bourdon -- (from Swell)
8' Gemshorn 80 (low 5 from 8' Bourdon)
8' Unda maris 44 (from cº)
4' Flute -- (from 8' Gemshorn)
2-2/3' Nazard -- (cº, from Larigot)
2' Piccolo -- (from 8' Gemshorn)
1-3/5' Tierce 44 (from cº)
1-1/3' Larigot 56
1' Flageolet -- (from 8' Gemshorn)
Tremulant (common with Swell)
PEDAL
16' Principal 44 (low 12 wood)
16' Subbass 12 (wood; extension Bombarde 8' Bourdon)
8' Octave -- (from 16' Principal)
8' Gedecktbass -- (from Bombarde 8' Bourdon)
4' Octave 32
2' Octave 20 (low 12 from 4' Octave)
1-1/3' Mixture V 124 [see notes below]
32' Harmonics VI -- (derived from Principal and Octaves)
32' Contre-bombarde 44 (low 12 L/2)
16' Bombarde I -- (from 32' Contre-bombarde)
16' Bombarde II -- (from Bombarde manual)
8' Trompette -- (from Bombarde manual)
4' Clairon -- (from Bombarde manual)
32' - 16' Off [this was wired to control an electronic 32'Bourdon in 1978;
present state unknown]
Couplers (drawknobs on stop-jambs):
Great to Pedal
Positiv to Pedal
Bombarde to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Swell to Great 16'
Positiv to Great
Bombarde to Great
Swell to Great
Solo to Great
Great to Positiv
Swell to Positiv
Solo to Positiv
Swell 16'
Solo to Swell
Positiv to Solo
Bombarde to Solo
About the mixtures:
With its Terz rank silenced, the Great Cymbel is composed:
C 40 43
F 36 40
A# 33 36
g#º 29 33
c#' 26 29
b' 22 26
e'' 19 22
d''' 15 19
This implies the following original composition:
C 38 40 43
F 36 38 40
A# 33 36 38
d#º 31 33 36
g#º 29 31 33
c#' 26 29 31
f#' 24 26 29
b' 22 24 26
e'' 19 22 24
a'' 17 19 22
d''' 15 17 19
Alexander Post, 1st Unitarian Church's Organist & Music Director at the time of the installation of this organ,
told me that the all mixtures labeled V on the stopknobs were actually III-V (III for the first octave, IV
for the second, V thereafter); the number of pipes given here reflects this. However, looking at the pipes
on the chest later I noted that some if not all of these mixtures were actually V throughout; some had many
silenced pipes, however.
Fragmentary notes on compositions:
Great Mixture:
C 19 22 26
cº 15 19 22 26
c' 12...
c'' 8...
Positiv Scharf:
C 26 29 33 36 (?)
G 19 22 26 29 33 (?)
gº 15 19 22 26 29
c' 12 15 19 22 26
g#' 8 12 15 19 22
c''' 8 12 15 19 19
Bombarde Plein-jeu:
C 22...
cº 19...
c' 15...
f#' 12...
c'' 8...
Swell Plein-jeu:
C 15 19 22
c#' 12...
c#'' 8...
Pedal Mixture:
C 19 22 26 29 33 (top rank silenced)
cº 15 19 22 26 29
The Pedal Harmonics is labeled VI, but has a quite variable composition through its compass. Some pitches appear
to be nearly same same on adjacent notes. Other notes play fewer pitches. The pitches 10-2/3' 6-2/5' and 4-4/7'
were discernible at c'. A tritone pitch was heard at cº, though of course as the actual 11th harmonic is a
quarter-tone away from 12-tone equal temperament so this is particularly unsuccessful.
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