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Saint Thomas Church
New York, New York

Opus 93, 2018

  


In June 2014, we were honored by the commissioning of our Op. 93 for Saint Thomas Church, New York City. With its storied history of musicians, including T. Tertius Noble, T. Frederick H. Candlyn, William Self, Gerre Hancock and John Scott, Saint Thomas has for a century been renowned for choral music in the Anglican tradition. The famous Gothic building, the final collaboration between Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, was opened in October 1913; in June 2014 the church completed a yearlong centennial celebration marked by lectures and festivities.

Saint Thomas Church has an involved organ history. The Ernest M. Skinner Company installed the first instrument here, that firm’s Op. 205, a four manual organ of 67 stops. That instrument was revised slightly in the mid-1920s by The Skinner Organ Company, and again in the late 1940s by Ernest M. Skinner & Son and M.P. Möller. In 1955-56 , during the tenure of Dr. William Self, the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company conducted a far-reaching rebuild, increasing the organ to 109 stops, 98 of which were in the chancel. G. Donald Harrison passed away during the tonal finishing. Gilbert Adams’ reconstruction of 1964-69 included new slider windchests in the Swell, Positif, Vorwerk and Grand-Choeur, reducing the number of expressive divisions from two to one, replacing some of the pipework while revoicing much of the rest, and eliminating the gallery sections in preparation for a separate instrument there. This effort resulted in the present 112-stop organ. From 1980 to 1982, Lawrence Trupiano undertook rebuilding work, particularly to the slider windchests and associated actions, and installed new Swell chorus reeds. In spite of these good efforts, carried out now more than thirty years ago, the present organ is neither mechanically reliable nor is it musically supportive of a great amount of choral literature.

Our 102-stop instrument, to be named “Miller-Scott Organ,” has been designed to support choir, congregation and repertoire in fair balance. Across the chancel from Goodhue’s famous 1913 case will be introduced a second case of complementary design, enriched with significant carvings from Dennis Collier Sr. and Jr. and housing the Great and Positive divisions. The remaining departments will be sited within the present case and chambers. The elaborately carved 1913 console cabinet will remain in its present location, its exterior conserved, and its interior fitted with new components. Fifteen select registers from the existing organ will be retained, re-fashioned to suit the new scheme.

The commissioning of Op. 93 culminates an effort that began with an invitation from the parish in Spring 2008. Following our selection as builder later that year, a design process commenced that has required many hundreds of hours both in New York and Lake City, as designs were developed and refined. Crucial to this has been the wisdom and counsel of the Rev. Andrew Mead, Rector Emeritus, Warden William H.A. Wright II, and the late Dr. John Scott, together with the Organ Committee chairs, the late John Neiswanger, and now Kenneth Koen and Karl Saunders. Jonathan Ambrosino serves the parish as organ consultant; Dawn Schuette of Threshold Acoustics has advised on architectural acoustics. We look forward to working with the The Rev’d Canon Carl Turner, present Rector of Saint Thomas Church, who in his previous capacity at Exeter Cathedral was very involved in an organ project there.

The removal of the Arents organ took place in June 2016, handled by Foley-Baker Inc. with the assistance of Lawrence Trupiano and Dobson. Subsequently, the organ chambers have been thoroughly cleaned and repaired, all surfaces renewed, and new, lower ceilings installed in the Swell, Choir and Solo spaces, to aid in the projection of sound. In the southeast chamber, directly above the console, imposing structural steel has been installed to carry the new organ case.

The Miller-Scott Organ will begin to arrive in New York City in the first week of May 2017, with regular shipments and installation continuing through the summer months, after which the voicing will commence. Completion is expected in Summer 2018.

• • •

Specifications

GREAT (II, in new case)
32'
Diapason extension of 16' 12 pipes
16'
Diapason partly in façade 61 pipes
16'
Bourdon 61 pipes
8'
First Diapason partly in façade 61 pipes
8'
Second Diapason 61 pipes
8'
Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
8'
Gamba existing 61 pipes
8'
Chimney Flute 61 pipes
4'
First Octave 61 pipes
4'
Second Octave 61 pipes
4'
Spire Flute 61 pipes
3-1/5'
Grosse Tierce 61 pipes
2-2/3'
Twelfth 61 pipes
2'
Fifteenth 61 pipes
1-3/5'
Seventeenth 61 pipes
V
Cornet 8 mounted, g20-g56 185 pipes
IV
Mixture 2 244 pipes
III
Cymbal 2/3 183 pipes
16'
Bombarde 61 pipes
8'
Trompette 61 pipes
4'
Clairon 61 pipes
Great 16 does not affect 32'
Tremulant
Solo Chorus Reeds on Great
Great Reeds on Choir
Great Reeds on Solo
Great Reeds on Pedal
Swell to Great 16
Swell to Great
Swell to Great 4
Choir to Great 16
Choir to Great
Choir to Great 4
Positive to Great
Solo to Great 16
Solo to Great
Solo to Great 4
SWELL (III; enclosed in northeast chamber)
16'
Bourdon 61 pipes
8'
Diapason 61 pipes
8'
Viola 61 pipes
8'
Viola Celeste 61 pipes
8'
Flûte Traversière existing 61 pipes
8'
Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes
8'
Flûte Douce existing 61 pipes
8'
Flûte Céleste existing 61 pipes
4'
Octave 61 pipes
4'
Fugara 61 pipes
4'
Flûte Octaviante existing 61 pipes
2-2/3'
Quint 61 pipes
2'
Fifteenth 61 pipes
2'
Octavin 61 pipes
1-3/5'
Tierce 61 pipes
IV
Cornet 4 mounted, g20-g56 148 pipes
IV
Plein Jeu 1-1/3 244 pipes
16'
Double Trumpet 61 pipes
8'
Trompette 61 pipes
8'
Trumpet 61 pipes
8'
Hautbois 61 pipes
8'
Vox Humana 61 pipes
4'
Clairon 61 pipes
Swell 16
Swell 4
Swell Unison Off
Tremulant
Choir to Swell
Positive to Swell
Solo to Swell
CHOIR (I; enclosed in southeast chamber)
16'
Quintaton 61 pipes
8'
Diapason 61 pipes
8'
Spire Flute 61 pipes
8'
Flute Celeste 61 pipes
4'
Gemshorn 61 pipes
4'
Flute existing 61 pipes
2-2/3'
Nazard 61 pipes
2'
Doublette 61 pipes
2'
Recorder 61 pipes
1-3/5'
Tierce 61 pipes
1-1/3'
Larigot 61 pipes
1-1/7'
Septième 61 pipes
1'
Piccolo 61 pipes
16'
Basson 61 pipes
8'
Trompette 61 pipes
8'
Clarinet 61 pipes
4'
Clairon 61 pipes
Choir 16
Choir 4
Choir Unison Off
Tremulant
8'
Tuba Mirabilis Solo — pipes
8'
Trompette en Chamade existing, with new 16' 85 pipes
Swell to Choir 16
Swell to Choir
Swell to Choir 4
Solo to Choir 16
Solo to Choir
Solo to Choir 4
Pedal to Choir
POSITIVE (I, in new case)
8'
Principal partly in façade 61 pipes
8'
Voce Umana 21-61, partly in façade 41 pipes
8'
Gedeckt 61 pipes
4'
Octave 61 pipes
4'
Chimney Flute 61 pipes
2'
Super Octave 61 pipes
II
Sesquialtera 2-2/3 122 pipes
IV
Sharp Mixture 1-1/3 244 pipes
8'
Cromorne 61 pipes
Tremulant
Positive Unison Off
SOLO (IV; enclosed in southwest chamber)
16'
Contra Gamba 61 pipes
8'
Flauto Mirabilis 61 pipes
8'
Gamba 61 pipes
8'
Gamba Celeste 61 pipes
8'
Viole d’Orchestre 61 pipes
8'
Viole Celeste 61 pipes
4'
Orchestral Flute 61 pipes
4'
Viole Octaviante 61 pipes
III
Cornet des Violes 3-1/5 183 pipes
16'
Cor Anglais 61 pipes
8'
French Horn 61 pipes
8'
Orchestral Oboe 61 pipes
Tremulant
16'
Trombone 61 pipes
8'
Tuba 61 pipes
8'
Trompette 61 pipes
4'
Clairon 61 pipes
8'
Tuba Mirabilis unenclosed, 20" w.p. 61 pipes
8'
Trompette en Chamade Choir — pipes
Chimes 25 tubes
Solo 16
Solo 4
Solo Unison Off
Swell to Solo
Choir to Solo
Positive to Solo
PEDAL (in northwest chamber and existing case)
32'
Contrabass 32 pipes
32'
Diapason Great — pipes
32'
Subbass 32 pipes
16'
Contrabass ext. of Contrabass 32 12 pipes
16'
First Diapason partly in façade 32 pipes
16'
Second Diapason from Great — pipes
16'
Subbass ext. of Subbass 12 pipes
16'
Contra Gamba Solo — pipes
16'
Bourdon Great — pipes
16'
Echo Bourdon Swell — pipes
10-2/3'
Quint from Gr. Bourdon 16 — pipes
8'
Octave partly in façade 32 pipes
8'
Bass Flute 32 pipes
8'
Gamba Solo — pipes
8'
Gedeckt ext. of Subbass 12 pipes
8'
Bourdon ext. Swell Bourdon 16 — pipes
6-2/5'
Grosse Tierce existing 32 pipes
4-4/7'
Grosse Septième existing 32 pipes
4'
Super Octave partly in façade 32 pipes
4'
Flute ext. of Bass Flute 12 pipes
3-1/5'
Tierce existing 32 pipes
2'
Flute ext. of Bass Flute 12 pipes
IV
Mixture 2-2/3 128 pipes
32'
Contre Bombarde existing 32 pipes
32'
Trombone ext. Sw. Dbl. Tr. 16 12 pipes
16'
Bombarde ext. 32 12 pipes
16'
Posaune 32 pipes
16'
Trumpet Swell — pipes
8'
Trompette 32 pipes
4'
Clairon 32 pipes
4'
Schalmey existing 32 pipes
8'
Tuba Mirabilis Solo — pipes
8'
Trompette en Chamade Choir — pipes
Chimes Solo — tubes
Pedal Unison Off
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Pedal 4
Choir to Pedal
Choir to Pedal 4
Positive to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Solo to Pedal 4
ACCESSORIES
Bells five bells
All Swells to Swell
Pedal Divide (adjustable)
Manual I/II Transfer
Positive on IV
Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled

  

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200 North Illinois Street • Post Office Box 25
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