Monday, June 15, 2009

THE ORGAN AT ST. MARY'S CHURCH

NOTE: Some of the pictures at the end of this article were taken from above the ceiling of the church which give a view of the organ not seen by many people.

ORGAN BUILDER: Rodgers (Digital) / Ruffatti (Pipes)

YEAR: 2004
MANUALS: 3
STOPS: 52
RANKS: 11 (pipes) / 112 (digital)


The 2004 Rodgers (T957 console) / Ruffatti was installed in St. Mary’s during the winter of 2004 and was played for the first time during the Holy Week services of that year. The case work is left from the previous organ (1928, 3 manual, 30 rank Kilgen Organ). It was dedicated on November 28, 2004. The dedication concert was performed by Dan Miller.

The organ is a combination of pipes (11 ranks from the Ruffatti Organ Co. in Italy) and digital and utilizes the MIDI (Musical Instrumental Digital Interface) system. This gives the instrument a huge (almost endless) amount of musical expressions and sounds in the MIDI sound module. In addition, an organist can also use a MIDI sequencer for advanced record-and-playback capabilities. This enables prelude music to be played up to a half hour before the Mass while the organist is warming up the cantor or the choir in the choir room.

Another feature of this instrument is a “Voice Palette” or “VP.” Many of the speaking stops on the organ have alternate voices that can be selected and used in performance through the VP feature. VP was so named because it greatly increases the number of tonal colors at the organist disposal; there are many more ranks available to the organist than the number of actual stops on the instrument. VP gives the organist a tremendous amount of added flexibility. For example, not only can the organist choose whether to use the Great Principal 8’ stop in a registration, but they can also choose whether that particular stop uses the default Principal 8’ rank, or one of the stop’s two VP choices: The Diapason 8’ rank or the Prinzipal 8’ rank, each one with a different tonal characteristic. Any of these three selections can be used.

This organ also has twin consoles; one console up in the balcony (the master console) and an identical console down front (the slave console). This enables the organist to play either location depending on the circumstance. When the organist plays down front, the balcony console also needs to be turned on.


THE SPECIFICATION LIST:

* = Voice Palette. > = actual rank of pipes.
MANUAL 1: Top manual: Swell
16 Bourdon (VP: 16 Contre Gambe)*
8 Geigen Principal (VP: 8 Geigen Diapason)
8 Bourdon (VP: 8 Flute Harmonique, 8 Tibia)
8 Viole Celeste II
8 Flute Celeste II
4 Prestant (VP: 4 Unda Maris II)
4 Flauto Traverso
2 2/3 Nazard
2 Flute a Bec
1 3/5 Tierce (VP: Cymbale III)
IV Plein Jeu
16 Bassoon (VP: 16 Contre Trompette)
8 Trompette (VP: 8 Trumpet)
8 Hautbois (VP: 8 Hautbois mf)
8 Vox Humaine (VP: 8 Vox Humana; Strings; Slow Strings)
4 Clairon (VP: 4 Clarion)
Tremulant
Swell – Swell 16; Unison Off; Swell-Swell 4


MANUAL 2: Second from the top manual (Middle manual): Great
16 Violone (VP: 16 Bourdon)
>8 Principal (VP: 8 Diapason; 8 Prinzipal)
>8 Rohrflute (VP: 8 Chimney Flute; 8 Flute Harmonique)
8 Gemshorm
>4 Octave (VP: 4 Principal; 4 Oktav)
>4 Spitzflote
>2 Super Octave (VP: 2 Fifteenth; 2 Waldflote)
>IV Fourniture
8 Trompete (VP: 8 Trumpet)
Chimes (VP: Harpsichord; Handbells)
Tremulant
16 Swell to Great
8 Swell to Great
4 Swell to Great
8 Choir to Great


MANUAL 3: Third from the top manual (Bottom manual): Choir
8 Spitz Geigen (VP: 8 English Diapason)
8 Holzgedackt (VP: 8 Concert Flute)
8 Erzahler Celeste II (VP: SATB Ah; SATB Oo)
4 Prinzipal (VP: 4 Fugara)
4 Koppelflote (VP: 4 Flute d’Amour)
2 Oktav (VP: 2 Flautino)
1 1/3 Larigot (VP: Sesquialtera II; 1 Sifflote)
IV Mixture (VP: IV Rauschquinte)
8 Cromorne (VP: 8 French Horn; Harp)
8 Festival Trumpet (VP: 8 Tuba)
Tremulant

Choir Unison Off
16 Swell to Choir
8 Swell to Choir
4 Swell to Choir


FLOATING DIVISION: Solo
8 Violincello Celeste II (VP: Stings, Slow Strings; Boy Choir Ah)
4 Harmonic Flute (VP: SATB Ah; SATB Oo; Brass)
8 French Horn (VP: Orchestral Oboe; Soprano Ah; Amens / Alleluias)
8 English Horn (VP: Harpsichord; 8 Festival Trumpet, 8 Tuba)
Tremulant
Solo on II
Solo on III
Solo on Pedal


PEDAL DIVISION:
32 Contre Bourdon (VP: 32 Contre Violone)
>16 Principal (VP: 16 Open Wood)
16 Subbass (VP: 16 Bordun)
16 Violone
16 Bourdon Doux (Sw)
>8 Octave
8 Gedackt
4 Choral Bass (VP: 4 Nachthorn)
IV Mixture
32 Contre Bombarde (VP: 32 Contre Basson)
16 Basson (Sw) (VP: 16 Contre Trompette [Sw])
8 Trompette
4 Rohrschalmei (VP: 4 Clarion)


8 Great to Pedal
8 Swell to Pedal
4 Swell to Pedal
8 Choir to Pedal



THUMB PISTONS:
Memory 1, 2, 3, 4
General 1-10
Swell 1-5
Great 1-5
Choir 1-5

MIDI Great A
MIDI Great B
MIDI Swell A
MIDI Swell B
MIDI Pedal A
MIDI Pedal B
MIDI Choir A
MIDI Choir B

Great/Pedal Pipes Off
Great/Pedal Ancillary On
Choir Pipes Off
Choir Ancillary On
Melody From Swell
Melody From Choir
Bass

Main Off
Antiphonal On
Main Tremulant II
Flute Tremulant II
Quick Menu
Set
All Swells to Swells Expression
Solo to Choir Expression
Great / Pedal Enclosed
Festival Trumpet (on Choir) Enclosed
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Swell to Choir
Alternate Crescendo
Choir / Great Transfer
Tutti
Zimbelstern


TOE PISTONS:
General 1-10
Pedal 1-5
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
32 Bourdon
32 Bombarde
Tutti

EXPRESSION PEDALS:
Choir (and Great)
Swell
Crescendo


PICTURES:


The console down front






The console down front



The only organ in the state of Ohio believed to utilize the Staple's "Easy" button! Yep, when the music gets tough, the Staples Easy Button is just an arms reach away!



A view of the rear gallery or balcony.



The rear gallery or balcony console.



The "C" side of the organ in the balcony.


The dedication plaque.



The blower and reservoir.


The 6 "Reflective" speakers can be seen along the wall on the right. There are 6 of these speakers on each side of the organ. These speakers fire early and cause the sound to reflect off the back wall of the church, then down the naive. The 6 regular speakers (again, 6 on each side) which fire directly into the naive of the church can be seen to the left behind the bass / pedal pipes.


Two of the four huge "Woofer" speakers in the organ.


Behind the organ taken from one of the windows in the
steeple stairway.


Balcony organ taken from above the church ceiling.


Closeup of the antiphonal speakers which lay on top of the reredos.


Above the altar platform with the antiphonal speakers laying on top of the reredos.


Balcony C-Side of the organ taken from above the church ceiling.


The C# side of the balcony organ taken above the church ceiling.

2 comments:

  1. Did you ever cover the speakers on top of the reredos?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not sure what you mean by your question.

    If you are asking if the speakers ever had the protective cover put on them, the answer is yes.

    If you are asking if the speakers were properly covered while the new altar platform was constructed during February 2008, again the answer is yes.

    I hope that answers your question. If not, please leave a little more detailed question.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete