Organ Specification

 

 

 

A Brief History of the Saint Clement's Organ

he first pipe organ at Saint Clement's Church was built in 1854 by J. C. B. Standbridge, of Philadelphia. Originally designed for the Harmonia Sacred Music Society, it contained 4 manuals and 68 ranks; the instrument was relocated to Saint Clement's when the society was disbanded.

Although the church's architect, John Notman, included a large space in the front left of the church (where half the present organ is situated), he notes, in the church's consecration booklet of 12 April 1865, "an organ gallery in the west end". It seems likely that the first organ was installed in a back gallery, long since removed.

The second organ was Hilborne L. Roosevelt's opus 125, built in 1883. This instrument was smaller in size: 3 manuals, 44 ranks, and incorporated some of the Standbridge pipework.

In 1914, the Austin Organ Company was contracted to build a new organ for the church, in consultation with Mr. Henry Fry, organist of Saint Clement's. This instrument, Austin's opus 507, was installed at a cost of $11,900, incorporating much of the Roosevelt, and, therefore, some original Standbridge pipework. Mr. Fry's contractual requirements included 'Swell boxes of double construction,
3 1/2 inches thick', rendering a more effective crescendo/diminuendo of the enclosed pipe voices. Mr. Fry performed the first recital on 16 December 1914.

In 1948, a new Austin console was installed, and some tonal changes were made; additional tonal 'modernizations' occurred in the 1960's. With the exception of a few new voices, the instrument is now restored to its original 1914 specification, using vintage Austin pipework wherever possible. Several orchestral voices, including a French Horn (E.M. Skinner) have been added to the specification.

A comprehensive restoration project, completed in 1997, involved several fine craftsmen: Samuel H. Hughes (reed voices restoration), Steven Emery (mechanical restoration and tuning), Robert Wuestoff/Fritzsche Organ Co. (chamber and pipe cleaning), Bynum Petty (Choir Organ pipework revoicing) and Bob Schopp (Façade refinishing and Trumpets En Chamade).

The restoration was capped off with the installation of a new console built by Roger Colby, of Johnson City, TN. Saint Clement's gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Suzie Williamson, who underwrote the cost of this restoration.

ORGAN SPECIFICATION

Austin Organ Co., Hartford, CT, Opus 507, 1914,
Four Manuals, 51 Ranks

GREAT (61 notes)
Double Diapason 16
First Diapason 8
Second Diapason 8
Harmonic Flute 8
Violincello* 8
Cello Celeste (cc)* 8
Octave 4
Fifteenth 2
Mixture IV*
French Horn* 8
Trumpet* 8
Trumpet En Chamade
* enclosed in Choir Box

CHOIR (73 notes)
Double Dulciana 16
Geigen Diapason 8
Concert Flute 8
Dulciana 8
Unda Maris (cc) 8
Forest Flute 4
Piccolo 2
Nazard (tc)
Tierce (tc)
Clarinet 8
English Horn 8
English Horn Tremolo
Tremolo
Harp 8
Trumpet En Chamade

SOLO (73 notes)
Grand Diapason 8
Major Flute 8
Grand Gamba 8
Gamba Celeste (cc) 8
Orchestral Oboe 8
Tuba 8
Tremolo
Trumpet En Chamade

SWELL (73 notes)
Bourdon 16
Open Diapason 8
Stopped Diapason 8
Melodia 8
Viola 8
Viola Celeste (cc) 8
Orchestral Violes II 8
Dolce 8
Octave 4
Harmonic Flute 4
Flautino 2
Plein Jeu III
Double Oboe 16
Cornopean 8
Oboe 8
Vox Humana 8
Oboe Clarion 4
Trumpet En Chamade
Tremolo

PEDAL (32 notes)
Contra Violone 32
Contra Bourdon 32
First Diapason 16
Second Diapason 16
Metal Diapason 16
First Violone 16
Second Violone 16
Bourdon 16
Soft Bourdon 16
Dulciana 16
Octave 8
Geigen Diapason 8
Flute 8
Soft Flute 8
Viola 8
Octave Flute 4
Ophecleide 32
Trombone 16
Double Oboe 16
Tuba 8
Oboe 8
Trumpet En Chamade

ECHO ORGAN

(WALKER ELECTRONIC VOICES, IN GALLERY)
(ECHO MAY BE PLAYED ON ANY MANUAL)

Diapason 8'
Muted Violes 8'
Orchestral Flute 8'
Traverse Flute 4'
Capped Oboe 8'
Vox Humana 8'
Tremolo
Chimes

Echo Pedal Violone 16'
Echo to Pedal

MAIN CONSOLE ACCESSORIES
Full Complement of standard couplers
Pedal Divide
Pedal to Great
Great/Choir transfer
160 level combination action
20 General Pistons (1-10 Duplicated in Toe Studs)
7 Divisional Pistons to all Divisions
2 Divisional Toe Studs to Swell, Great and Solo
3 Pedal Divisional Toe Studs
Manual to Pedal Divisional Pistons Coupler, for each Division
Piston Sequencer, with full complement of 'NEXT' and 'PREVIOUS' pistons
Expression 'thumb slides' under each manual
2 adjustable Crescendo sequences
Settable Tutti (for each memory level)
Roland Sequencer (for Record/Playback)
Transposer

MINI PORTABLE KEYBOARD (SECOND 'GREAT') ACCESSORIES
10 General pistons (duplicating main console settings)
Bass Coupler (Pedal Organ on lowest note played)
Treble Coupler (Solo Organ on highest note played)
Expression 'thumb slide'