2024-11-23 - This entry represents the installation of a new organ. According to the current (Nov. 2024) church website (https://www.fpc.lc/musicians/): "The Sipe organ became the second pipe organ for the church." "In January 1975, the Worship Committee recommended to the Session the need for an Organ Committee to deal with the steadily deteriorating pipe organ. The session appointed a committee." "Six pipe organ building firms were invited to bid either on restoring the existing instrument or building a new instrument. All firms bid on a new instrument. The bids ranged from $85,025 to $130,000. Three builders of electronic organs made bids." "None of the electronic builders, whose bids were only slightly less than those of the pipe organ builders, would guarantee their instruments beyond 10 years. In contrast, the pipe organ builders claimed their instruments would last a minimum of 50 years." "It was decided that, in order to procure an organ of quality while being careful with expenditures, we would find an organ builder who would be willing to use some of the better pipe work from the old organ, a conglomerate instrument of at least three different builders. We found this man in Robert Sipe, who had worked for years with the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in their mechanical action department and who lived in Dallas. Mechanical action means that the organ key action is operated mechanically, rather than by electrical contacts. This type of organ is much more responsive to touch and has greater longevity." "A congregational meeting was called for January 25, 1976. The committee recommended the bid of Robert L. Sipe, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, who offered a two-manual tracker instrument with 26 stops and 35 ranks of pipes, for $109,200. The congregation approved the recommendation. Mr. Sipe had several organs under construction in 1976. It was not until the Summer of 1980 that he was able to install the instrument." -Jim Stettner
2024-11-23 - Updated through online information from Rev. Dr. Van Herd (November 22, 2024): Organ still very much extant and playable and used all the time per the church website (https://www.fpc.lc/musicians/) as well as personal communication with the organist's family. The church website also gives information on the first organ at the church which was from the Roxy Theater in NY. -Jim Stettner
Combinations - 1-10 Generals. Access: Gt/Pd rev, Sw/Pd rev, Full Organ rev. Source: Typed stoplist from builder May 1980
Great Bourdon 16, Principal 8, Gedeckt 8, Octave 4, Spillflöte 4, Super Octave 2, Sesquialtera II, Mixture IV-V, Trompete 8, Tremulant
Swell Viole Celeste (tc) 8, Viole de Gambe 8, Rohrflöte 8, Principal 4, Nachthorn 4, Gemshorn 2, Quinte 1 1/3, Scharf III-IV, Basson 16, Tremulant, Hautbois 8
Pedal Subbass 16, Octave 8, Spitzflöte 8, Mixture III, Fagott 16, Choralbass 4
Swell to Pedal 8, Great to Pedal 8, Swell to Great 8
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