Unknown - Professor Carl G. Alexis at the 1925 Bennett console, 1930s. (Photo in the church archives, courtesy of Rick Erickson/Database Manager)
2011-01-18 - Identified through online information from Rick Erickson. -Database Manager
Stoplist copied from dedication program Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Rockford,, Illinois First Evangelical (Swedish) Lutheran Church Bennett Organ Co., Opus 951, 1925 Great Organ, unenclosed, Manual II 16’ Double Diapason, 61 8’ Diapason Major, 61 8’ Diapason, 61 8’ Tibia Major, 61 8’ Violoncello, 61 4’ Octave, 61 8’ Harp Celeste, 49 bars Chimes (Exho) Great Organ, expressive division (enclosed with Choir Organ), Manual II 8’ Diapason, 61 8’ Melodia 61 8’ Gemshorn, 61 4’ Flute Harmonic, 61 16’ Tuba Profunda (unit ext) 8’ Tuba Mirabilis, 85 (unit) 4’ Tuba Clarion (unit ext) Tremolo Great to Great 16 Great to Great 4 Unison Off Swell to Great 16 Swell to Great 8 Swell to Great 4 Choir to Great 16 Choir to Great 8 Choir to Great 4 Echo to Great 16 Echo to Great 8 Echo to Great 4 Choir Organ, expressive, Manual I 16’ Contra Viola, 73 8’ Diapason, 73 8’ Concert Flute, 73 8’ Flute Celeste, 61 8’ Dulciana, 73 8' Erzahler, 73 4’ Flute d’Amour, 73 2’ Piccolo, 61 8’ Clarinet, 73 Tremolo Choir to Choir 16 Choir to Choir 4 Unison Off Swell to Choir 16 Swell to Choir 8 Swell to Choir 4 Echo to Choir 16 Echo to Choir 8 Echo to Choir 4 Swell Organ, expressive, Manual III 16’ Bourdon, 73 8’ Diapason, 73 8’ Viol d’Orchestral, 73 8’ Viol Celeste (TC), 61 8’ Salicional, 73 8’ Stopped Diapson, 73 8’ Quintadena, 73 8’ Aeoline, 73 8’ Unda Maris (TC), 61 4’ Flauto Traverso, 73 4’ Fugara, 73 8’ Cornopean, 73 8’ Oboe, 73 16’ Vox Baritone (TC) (ext) 8’ Vox Humana, 73 Tremolo Swell to Swell 16 Swell to Swell 4 Unison Off Echo to Swell 16 Echo to Swell 8 Echo to Swell 4 Echo Organ, expressive, Manual IV 8’ Stopped Flute, 73 8’ Muted Viol, 73 8' Vox Angelica, 61 4’ Concert Flute, 61 8’ Vox Humana, 61 8’ Cor Anglais, 61 8’ Chimes with Dampers, 25 tubes 8’ Chimes without Dampers Tremolo Echo to Echo 16 Echo to Echo 4 Unison Off Pedal Organ, partly expressive 32’ Acoustic Bass (ext, “12 special pipes”) 16’ First Diapason, 44 16’ Second Diapason (Great) 16’ Bourdon, 44 16’ Dolce (Swell Bourdon) 16’ Violone, 44 16’ Echo Bourdon, 12 (ext Echo Stopped Flute) 8’ Octave (ext) 8’ Violoncello (ext) 8’ Flute (ext) 16’ Tromba (Great) 8’ Tuba (Great) Great to Pedal 8 Great to Pedal 4 Swell to Pedal 8 Swell to Pedal 4 Choir to Pedal 8 Echo to Pedal 8 Pistons adjustable, visibly moving stops 5 General thumb and toe pistons 5 Thumb pistons to Choir & Pedal 6 Thumb pistons to Great & Pedal, Swell & Pedal 4 Thumb pistons to Echo & Pedal 5 Thumb and Toe pistons to Pedal Rev. Great to Pedal Rev, Sforz. toe piston 4 Balanced expression pedals: Choir Great & Pedal, Swell. Master, Echo Balanced Crescendo Pedal First Lutheran was at one time the largest Swedish organization in the United States, and Mother Church to various other congregations in Rockford. The Church Choir had increased in size to a “chorus choir”, outgrowing the small loft at the front of the church, and a boys’ vested choir had been formed. The appointment of “European trained” Professor Karl G. Alexis as organist 1921-1974 added impetus to make changes with the organ in 1925 at a cost of about $30,000. Some of the original 1884 pipework and Lindgren’s later additions were retained, but on all new “Bennett System” windchests. The walnut organ case had to be widened, so the side returns were removed, and two new “flats”, each with 4 non-speaking pipes closed off the entire front, all of the pipes being repainted in a dull gold. The Great, Swell and Pedal were sited behind the case, and the enclosed Great and Choir placed in an upper-floor room in the north-west corner of the building, with tonal egress not directly into the church, but into pipework behind the case. A new room was built in the northeast corner of the rear gallery to house an Echo division, playable from the fourth manual. The all-electric console was located at the far west end of the south gallery, facing west, but in a position near the choir seating. The Bennett console did not conform to the usual A.G.O. standards regarding the order of the stopkeys within each division, or the placement of accessories. The combination action was adjustable by means of hundreds of tiny switches placed on vertical drawers on either side of the console. The organ was said to have some 98 stops and couplers, 46 combination pistons, 22 miles of wiring, and “countless possibilities for orchestral, band, and organ effects”. The Harp and Chimes were made by Deagan, and at least some of the reed stops by Gottfried. In 1951 an electrical fire in the console necessitated changes. A contract for $16,810 was signed with Austin Organs, Inc., Hartford, Conn., Calvin B. Brown, representative, in April 1952, though Austin did not assign an opus number. A new 4-manual Austin console was installed, the entire instrument was cleaned, new swell louvers and swell-engines were fitted to the Choir/Great and Echo divisions, a new rectifier and Chimes actions were fitted, and the Echo Vox Humana was taken off the main Echo windchest and planted on a new Austin “box” chest. The new oak console was of the usual Austin style. At the request of the organist the order of stopkeys and placement of accessories were made to conform as much as possible to the Bennett patterns, contrary to A.G.O. standards. The “Bennett System” windchests and most of the 1925 cables and electrical switching were retained. Austin added a three-stop enclosed Solo division in the empty room/chamber in the northeast corner of the rear gallery, playable from the fourth manual. They also added a new 3-rank Mixture and its windchest to the Swell, and a new 32-note windchest for the lowest 32 notes of the Choir 16 Contra Viola so that it was also playable on the Pedal. In all other aspects the Bennett instrument remained untouched. All onsite installation was carried out by Ernest Moore. E. Power Biggs presented the first major recital on the instrument in October 1953. Changes with Austin Console, 1952 Additions Swell: III Mixture, 183 Solo: 8’ Geigen Principal, 73 8’ Gross Gamba, 73 8’ Trumpet, 73 Tremulant Chimes (Echo) Pedal: 16 Contra Viola (ext of 16 Choir stop) In the 1960s a local organ tuner added a 2’ Fifteenth to the Echo, using new Dutch pipework. [Received from Rick Erickson 2011-01-24.]
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