2025-05-31 - The Casavant was acquired from St. Andrew’s Preparatory Seminary (closed 1967) to replace a larger instrument destroyed when St. John’s roof burnt on December 27, 1973. (Source=Diocese of Rochester archivist.) St John’s was reconstructed without a west end gallery. Instead, a small organ chamber was created above the entrance vestibule into which the Casavant pipework was relocated. Sound emanated from this chamber into the nave through an assemblage of spray-painted dummy pipes. (Possibly zinc basses salvaged from the previous instrument.) The exquisitely carved oak Casavant console was installed at floor level behind the right row of pews, with organist facing the front of the room. Great and Swell keyboards were positioned where one might expect them in a 3-manual instrument. However, since there was no Choir keyboard, the effect was disconcerting. The relocated organ was blown by a substantial 3-phase Spencer blower that survived the fire in its cellar blower room. The Casavant’s original ½ HP Discus blower sat unused in a corner of the blower room. Diapason pipes 1-12 were full length open wood. The Rohrflote basses had circular wooden stoppers. St. John the Baptist church closed Sept. 20, 1998. The building is now being used by a New Life Assembly of God congregation, which has a “Sight & Sound” ministry. -Mark A. Smith
2025-06-09 - This entry represents the installation of a used organ. Identified through online information from Mark A. Smith (May 31, 2025). -Jim Stettner
PEDAL MOVEMENTS: Expression (balanced), Crescendo (balanced). [Originally received from Jeff Scofield, February 11, 2011] Source: Courtesy of Casavant Freres Archives
Great Lieblich Gedeckt [tc] 16, Open Diapason 8, Rohrflöte 8, Salicional 8, Octave 4, Dulciana 8, Lieblich Flöte 4, Dulcet 4, Nazard 2⅔, Fifteenth 2
Swell Contra Dulciana [tc] 16, Rohrflöte 8, Salicional 8, Dulciana 8, Lieblich Flöte 4, Salicet 4, Dulcet 4, Nazard 2⅔, Piccolo 2, Tierce 1⅗, Tremulant (Affects entire instrument)
Tonal Resources Open Diapason 8, Pedal Bourdon 16, Rohrflöte 8, Salicional 8, Dulciana 8
Pedal Pedal Bourdon 16, Open Diapason 8, Rohrflöte 8, Salicional 8, Dulciana 8
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