Organ

Building NYA's New Organ

New York Avenue congregants had the unique opportunity to track progress on installation of the new organ every Sunday for more than two months in the fall and early winter of 2009. The work crew from The A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company of Lithonia, GA, began by building the internal structure that, like the frame of a new house, supports all the working parts of the new organ. The structure is anchored to the back and side walls of the chancel alcove and rests on steel beams at the floor level. Once this framework was in place, the crew installed the wind chests, pipe racks, and the Swell and Choir enclosures and shades (with the Great and Pedal divisions stacked over the Swell and Choir divisions).

Then the electrical systems that control the sounding of the pipes were wired and the wind chests connected to the blower located "off-stage" on the New York Avenue side of the chancel. The builders proceeded to install the ranks of pipes—58 sets totaling almost 4,000 pipes from tiny "tweeters" to 16-foot pedal pipes. (A dozen sets are refurbished from the old organ.)

Only after completing this complex internal work could the crew then put together the floor-to-ceiling wood façade (stained in the pulpit’s walnut color), including the façade pipes finished in a brushed zinc color. The St. John Cross was hung on the façade, and the temporary electronic organ was replaced by the new console with three keyboards and pedals.

Each of the four "divisions" of pipes relates to a specific keyboard and plays a different role in generating organ sound. As the name implies, the Great stops provide strong support for congregational singing and concert performances. The Swell offers alternative arrays of softer pipes including solo stops such as oboe, flute, and "strings." The Choir is meant to accompany choral singing with an array of colors. Pipes in both the Swell and Choir divisions are enclosed with shutters that open and close to affect the volume of sound. The Pedal division, played on the pedalboard, provides a variety of sound qualities needed to blend with the other divisions. All the divisions can be accessed and their stops mixed using the console stopknobs and couplers.

In the weeks following the construction of the organ, the builders carried out intensive "voicing" of the pipes, focusing on drawing out the full color of each stop (sets of pipes of specific sound qualities). Adjustments were made to capture the most desirable sound qualities within the sanctuary. The organ builders tell us that the organ will speak most beautifully when the balcony seat cushions are removed for most services.

We can now all enjoy hearing the results!

—Doug Porter, Chair of the Organ Committee