Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2024-03-26 - From "The Toronto Daily Star" (March 16, 1905): "A memorial grand organ will shortly be erected in the Central Methodist Church, Bloor Street East, in memory of the late Mr. W. E. H. Massey, who, during the later years of his life, gave much active and generous support in the affairs of that church. It will be the gift of his eldest daughter, Miss Ruth Lillian Massey. The organ, which is electro-pneumatic in principle, will have four manuals, or keyboards, and will comprise a main organ in the gallery, and a separate echo organ situated at the opposite end of the church, in the alcove behind the pulpit. The only other four-manual organs in Toronto are those in the Metropolitan and Sherbourne Street Methodist churches, while the only other church possessing an echo organ proper is the Metropolitan, two other city churches having what may be termed auxiliary organs at the opposite end of the church. It is being built by the D. W. Karn Company, Limited, of Woodstock, of which Mr. Charles S. Warren is at the head of the church organ department. The Metropolitan church organ was built by this firm, and has proved such a pronounced success as to lead to their engagement in this instance as well. The specification is by Mr. T. C. Jeffers, a former organist of the church. This new memorial organ, while carefully adapted to the size of the church as regards power, will have great depth and richness, without stridency, in the full organ tone, and an almost inexhaustible variety of different tonal effects, both as regards contrast and graduation. There will be 46 speaking stops (11 great, 12 swell, 7 choir, 8 echo, 8 pedal), and 49 mechanical accessories, 95 in all. There are several features in the new organ worthy of attention. Two 8-feet open diapasons have been specified in the great organ, as well as a 16-foot one; the pedal scale is one of 42 notes, one octave beyond the pedals proper. There are also crescendo, forte, mezzo, reed, and flue-work pedals, and 13 pneumatic thumb-pistons allow of changes being made without moving the hands from the keys. The bellows accommodation, a vital point, will be especially ample, and of the highest kind of workmanship and material, and as the main auxiliary bellows is placed behind the echo organ case, no damp cellar air will be blown into the organ, only dry air from the auditorium being used. A 15-inch zinc conductor 150 feet long conveys the wind through the basement up to the main organ, and the Universal wind chest being used, the tone will be remarkably steady and even. The electric blowing motor will be in the rear basement, and cased to avoid noise. A new feature will be a flue-oboe (of wood) in the echo organ, not needing tuning, the first to be used in this city. A bass clarinet in the swell organ is specially noticeable, and with a pedal reed produced by a series of rapid rhythmical puffs or vibrations of air into a resonance chamber, is a new departure. The two organ fronts, of gothic design, richly molded and carved, will have a dark brown-red mahogany finish, as will also the pews, pulpit, and furniture, and choir chairs. It may be seen, on careful examining the specifications of the organ, that, while great wealth of resource has been secured, and no cheap makeshifts employed, yet the expenditure of money has not been disproportionate or unduly lavish. It is expected the new organ will be ready for use by Easter, April 23rd, and will doubtless be opened about a month later by a prominent United States organist." The opening organ recital was performed by Clarence Eddy on May 16, 1905. Central Methodist Church merged with Westminster Presbyterian Church upon Church Union in 1925, meeting in the former Westminster building, eventually merging with other United Churches to become St. Andrew's United Church. -Andrew Henderson
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