2013-09-19 - Rebuild and enlargement of existing relocated Holtkamp organ of 1951, identified through information received via e-mail from C.H. -- <br>"In 1969, Rubin Frels of Victoria, TX enlarged the organ to about 25 ranks. He detached the plywood console from the chest; the off/on switch, however, remained on the chest----which now became the Positiv chest. Mr. Frels added an entirely new Great division, which I believe was Laukhuff pipework that had been voiced to approximate the Holtkamp style. He replaced the original stop knobs with tabs. He added a setterboard-type combination action that was restricted to thumb pistons (Great, Positiv, and general: I cannot remember how many of each). He added an 8' Principal to the Pedal division, as well as an artificial five-rank Cornet of 32' series. <br>"In this state, the organ was entirely unenclosed and unencased. There was still no tremulant. I believe a wiring flaw made it impossible for a player to play on the uncoupled Great with any kind of touch other than a very close legato. Otherwise, the pipes barked rather than spoke. <br>"In the early 1970s, Mr. Frels provided an 8' extension (older pipework) for the Pedal Subbass and added duplicate toe studs of the general pistons. I cannot recall if, at the time, he added a coupler reversible. He also devised an ingenious system of drawing, individually, the five 'ranks' of the Cornet (6-2/5', 5-1/3', 3-1/5', 2-2/7' and 1-7/9') on five drawknobs the size of bobby pins which were placed above the Pedal tabs. These were not affected by the combination action. The Cornet, at full strength somewhat grating at close range in the loft, got itself together downstairs and was an invaluable help in leading congregational singing and occasionally in delineating contrapuntal lines. <br>"Later in the 1970s, a 16' Pedal extension was provided for the Trompete; an 8' Regal was also added to the Great. The Regal was too prone to go out of tune, so it was replaced by an 8' Krummhorn not long after that.<br>"I have not seen or played this instrument since 1982. In the 1990s or at the turn of this century, the late John Ballard of San Antonio was contracted to rebuild the organ." -Database Manager
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