Better Pipe Organ Database

Wicks Pipe Organ Co. Opus 1228 (1934)

St. Alphonsus Liguori Roman Catholic Church: The Rock Church
1118 N. Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO

Images

2017-04-13 - Church exterior (Photograph by Wikimedia, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

2017-11-07 - Ceiling, stained glass windows, church interior to front (Photograph from an archival source: Church Facebook, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

2017-12-31 - Church interior to rear and organ case (Photograph from an archival source: Church Facebook, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

2012-10-30 - Organ Case (Photograph by Wicks Organ Co., via Facebook, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Horseshoe
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
3 manuals
36 stops
49 registers
4 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Stop Keys in Horseshoe Curves
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes

Notes

2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1997 -Database Manager

2004-10-30 - Tonal design under Henry Vincent Willis. May be a reference in American Organist 4/1935. -Database Manager

2013-08-31 - Updated through online information from Scott Crowell. -- The church caught fire due to a lightning strike in 2007. The organ suffered some smoke and water damage but the horseshoe-style console and much of the casework was able to be salvaged. The organ was restored and refurbished by Wicks in 2008. Also at this time the organ was updated with solid-state equipment, but no tonal changes were made. -Database Manager

2021-03-17 - Excerpt from the April 2002 edition of The Diapason: Wicks Opus 1228 was built in 1934 in the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori, “The Rock Church”, of St. Louis, Missouri under the direction of John Henry Wick, son of company founder John Wick. This grand instrument served as the genesis for this project. This instrument contains some of the first work done by Henry Vincent Willis for the Wicks firm. Voicing untouched, this instrument has remained “as installed” with the exception of an updated relay in the 1980’s. It was not our intention to use leathered upper lips or strings the size of soda straws, but the over all sound, that grand and glorious sound, was a shoe-in once the music ministry of Christ Church heard it. St. Alphonsus was also used for the concept of the modern façade. Our intention was not to turn back the clock but rather to find the best possible place to stop its pendulum. This concept is long overdue: the return to instruments that inspire players to play them, and inspire the listener to something larger than mere sound or force. The intention was to build an instrument that wanted to be played by a musician as well as a technician, one that promoted improvisation as well as recitation. -Jeff Scofield

Stoplist

From The Stopt Diapason Summer 2007 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

St. Alphonsus Ligouri Catholic Church, St. Louis, MO
1934 Wicks Organ Company Opus 1228

Great (Manual II, enclosed):
16' Open Diapason (unenclosed)
8' Open Diapason
8' Second Open Diapason (unenclosed)
8' Doppel Floete
8' Viola da Gamba
8' Gemshorn
8' Gemshorn Celeste
4' Octave (unenclosed)
4' Flute Harmonic
2-2/3' Twelfth (unenclosed)
2' Fifteenth (unenclosed)
8' Tuba (unenclosed)
Tremolo
Chimes

Swell (Manual III, enclosed):
16' Bourdon
8' Open Diapason
8' Stopped Flute
8' Spitzfloete
8' Salicional
8' Voix Celeste
8' Aeoline
4' Flauto Traverso
4' Violina
2-2/3' Nazard
2' Harmonic Piccolo
III Harmonia Aetheria
8' Cornopean
8' Oboe
8' Vox Humana
Tremolo
Reeds Tremolo

Choir (Manual I, enclosed):
8' Violin Diapason
8' Melodia
8' Viola
8' Dulciana
8' Unda Maris
4' Flute d'Amour
2' Flautino
8' Clarinet
8' French Horn
Tremolo
Reeds Tremolo

Echo (floating, enclosed, prepared)

Pedal:
32' Resultant
16' Open Diapason
16' Manual Open Diapason (from Great, 16' Open Diapason)
16' Subbass
16' Violone
16' Bourdon (from Swell, 16' Bourdon)
10-2/3' Quint
8' Octave
8' Bass Flute
8' Cello
8' Flauto Dolce (from Swell, 16' Bourdon)
5-1/3' Quint
16' Trombone

 [Received from Connor Annable 2012-02-28.]