2016-03-17 - This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Scot Huntington, based on personal knowledge of the organ.<br><br>The organ is installed in the rear gallery of the early 20th-century church, on either side of a large window. There are identical consoles in the rear gallery (fixed) and at the front of the church (moveable). When the organ was delivered, it was discovered the gallery railing would not support the weight of the Ruckpositive, and it was installed to the right of the console on the floor of the gallery proper.<br><br> The organ and casework were to be separate contracts: the construction of the organ proper was sub-contracted to Organ Supply Co. of Erie, Pennsylvania, and the casework was to be built by Morel. The organ was paid for by a bequest from a parishioner, but after the organ works were installed, the balance of the organ funding was embezzled by a church administrator so the organ was installed completely unadorned and exposed.<br><br>The Positive and Pedal upperwork were intended to be functionally exposed, but the works of the Great and Swell were not intended to be visible and were to be hidden behind a facade of woodwork and dummy facade pipes. With no funding to provide a case or even to finish the construction of the Swell box, the organ languished in this condition for over 10 years. Roughly a decade later, members of the church crafted a decorative veneered plywood skirt that at least covered the organ's internal mechanics. <br><br>The Pedal upperwork is installed at floor level in front of the rear window. The Swell "box" only consisted of a roof and two sets of shutters- one set facing toward the choir (vertical) and the other facing the nave (horizontal). The components of Swell enclosure were two thin, and many open areas were left unsealed, therefore it was dynamically ineffectual. The original accordion-pneumatic Swell engine was never satisfactory, and was replaced with a solid-state motor ca. 2009.<br><br>In 2015, as part of the church's year-long 100th anniversary renewal, a multi-phase rebuilding of the instrument was begun. Under the first and most comprehensive phase, the organ was tonally rebuilt, being respecified and revoiced by S.L. Huntington & Co. of Stonington, Connecticut. -Database Manager
Factory pipeshop specifications Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Norwood, Massachusetts
St. Catherine of Siena, R.C.
Morel Organ Co., 1992
All stops spotted metal and 61 notes, unless so noted.
Electro-pneumatic pitman and offset chests.
In-built schwimmer regulators manuals,
single-rise regulators pedal and static
White blower.
The factory specification sheet specified 3" pressure
for Great and Positive, 4" for the Swell and Pedal, 5" static. The pressures
as found at the time of the rebuilding in 2015, were all
slightly higher than stipulated, and regulators were
all mis-adjusted and malfunctioning.
A440, equal-temperament; pipes fitted with tuning slides and
trimmed dead-length.
Spellings are correct, as found on stopknobs.
All mouths are (intentionally?) slightly wider than 1/4, unless noted.
Two identical consoles: gallery and front
Compasses: 61/32
Organ rebuilt in 2015.
GREAT 82 mm
16' Principal scale 36, 1-12 zinc, ext. of 8' Principal
16' Gemshorn sc. 38, 1-12 zinc, ext. of 8' Gemshorn
8' Principal sc. 48, 1-17 zinc, unit actions
8' Harmonic Flute sc. 50, 1-17 zinc, harmonic at c37
8' Gemshorn sc. 50, 1:3 taper, 1-17 zinc, unit actions
4' Octave sc. 60, 1-5 zinc
4' Nachthorn sc. 56, 1-5 zinc, 2/9 mouth
2 2/3' Nazard sc. 66, tapered, 2/9 mouth
2' Super Octave sc. 74
2' Piccolo sc. 70 2/9 mouth
1 3/5' Tierce sc. 74 2/9 mouth
IV Fourniture sc. 50@8', 1 1/3', repeating on c's
8' Trompette sc. 3 1/2", 1-24 zinc, top octave flue trebles
parallel, flat bottom, "Franco-American" shallots
Great to Great 16', 4', Unison Off
SWELL 103 mm
16' Bourdon sc. #2, poplar, on independent unit chest
English blocks and caps, 110 mm wind pressure
8' Rohr Flote sc. 48, 1-12 zinc, long chimneys from tenor-c
8' Viole de Gamba sc. 54, 1-17 zinc, roller beards
8' Viole Celeste sc. 54, 12-17 zinc, roller beards, from tenor-c,
2/9 mouth, tuned sharp
4' Principal sc. 60, 1-5 zinc
4' Wald Flote poplar, inverted mouth Melodia construction
2' Block Flote sc. 66, 1:2 taper, 1/5 mouth
II Sesquialtera sc. 48@8' 2 2/3' + 1 3/5' throughout
IV Plein Jeu sc. 50@8', 2' repeating on c's
16' Basson ext. Hautbois, 1-12 zinc, 1/2-length, weighted tongues
on main chest, unit actions
8' Hautbois sc. 3 1/2", 1-24 zinc, English shallots, top octave
flue trebles, unit actions
4' Rohr Schalmei sc. 1 1/4", double-cylindrical resonators,
"Franco-American" shallots, top two octaves flues
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16', 4', Unison Off
RUCKPOSITIVE 80 mm
8' Holz Gedeckt sc. #4, poplar, top octave open metal, English blocks and caps
4' Kopple Flote sc. 56, 1-5 zinc, cylindrical with conical cap
2' Principal sc. 76
1 1/3' Quint sc. 77, 2/9 mouth
III Mixture sc. 52@8', 1' repeating on c's
8' Krum Horn sc. 1 1/4", 1/2-length cylindical, "Franco-American" shallots,
top octave open metal flues
Tremulant
Zimbelstern 6 bells, later addition
Ruckpositive to Ruckpositive 16', 4', Unison Off
PEDAL 112 mm
32' Resultant from Bourdon, 1-12 16' + 10 2/3'; then 32'
16' Principal from Great, 1-12 on pedal reservoir
16' Bourdon from Swell
16' Gemshorn from Great, 1-12 on pedal reservoir
8' Octave sc. 44, 1-17 zinc, unit actions
8' Flute from Swell, extension
4' Choral Bass extension of Octave 8'
III Rauschquint sc. 48@8', 2', 1 1/'3', 1' throughout
16' Posaune sc. 6", 1-32 zinc, "Franco-American" shallots
16' Basson from Swell
8' Trumpet extension 16' Posaune, 32-note unit chest
4' Rohr Schalmei from Swell
COUPLERS (on backrail)
16', 8', 4' Swell to Great
16', 8', 4' Ruckpositive to Great
16', 8', 4' Swell to Ruckpositive
8', 4' Great to Pedal
8', 4' Swell to Pedal
8', 4' Ruckpositive to Pedal
MECHANICALS
Balanced Swell Pedal
Crescendo Pedal
Sforzando (toe & piston)
Gr. to Ped. reversible (toe & piston)
Solid-State combination action (6 levels):
SET (piston)
0 (General Cancel)
1-6 Great
1-6 Swell
1-6 Ruckpositive
1-6 Pedal (toe)
1-8 General (piston & toe)
[Received from Scot Huntington 2016-04-02.]Regrettably, it is not possible to display the information about the sponsor of this pipeorgandatabase entry or if there is a sponsor. Please see About Sponsors on Pipe Organ Database.