The Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford CT
 

BLISS MEMORIAL PIPE ORGAN

Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Hartford, CT
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Boston, MA, 1961
Austin Organs, Inc., Hartford, CT, 2005 (new four-manual Skinner-style console)
Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc., Northampton, MA, 2005 (New pipe additions and tonal revisions)
Walker Technical Company, Zionsville, PA, 2005 (Digital stops)
Four manuals - 71 ranks - 4, 211 pipes

http://www.cccathedral.org/choir.html

Asylum Hill Congregational Church was designed by architect Patrick C. Keely, built in 1865 and dedicated in 1866. Neo-gothic in design, it is made out of Portland brownstone. One of its most famous parishioners was Samuel Clemens, popularly known as "Mark Twain". Today the congregation boasts nearly 2,000 members led by Senior Minister Gary Miller and a comprehensive music and arts program directed by Steven Mitchell and Charles Miller.

There have been three pipe organs in Asylum Hill Congregational Church. The Hook and Hastings firm installed the first in 1871. Contrary to the architect’s original plans, the Hook and Hastings organ was placed in the apse of the church behind the pulpit. In 1910, the church was remodeled into its present gothic interior and a rear choir gallery was built according to Keely's plans. Ernest M. Skinner built a four manual and pedal organ of some 50 ranks of pipes, which included a 32' Bourdon, English horn, Tuba mirabilis and one of his new Erzahler stops. An organ builder in Kentucky currently owns the elegantly carved draw knob console from that organ. In the early 1950's the console was showing signs of severe mechanical failure and the church found it necessary to replace it. The Austin Organ Company built a new console for the church in 1954, with the hopes that the company would soon thereafter rebuild the rest of the aging instrument. However, upon the arrival of Alfred Russell as director of music in 1956, a contract to replace the severely failing E. M. Skinner went not to the Austin firm but to the famous Aeolian-Skinner Company of Boston, MA and in January 1962 the present organ was dedicated with a performance of organ concerti and Maurice Durufle's "Requiem". Joseph Whiteford designed the 1962 Aeolian-Skinner in a then-fashionable neo-Baroque style which includes a Ruck-positiv division on the balcony rail. Its 71 ranks are spread over four manuals and pedal with the 32' Bourdon being placed directly next to the choir singers in the balcony.

 From 2003-2005, as part of the church's capital campaign and building addition, the organ will undergo major renovation, some judicious re-voicing and expansion. Along with a new state-of-the-art four manual console the organ will receive several new ranks of pipes including a Trompette en Chamade.

 
GREAT
Manual II; Unenclosed)
16'	Diapason	61 notes (Walker digital)		 
16'	Quintaten	12 pipes		
8'	Montre		61 pipes		
8'	Bourdon		61 pipes		
8'	Quintaten	61 pipes		
8'	Erzähler	61 pipes
4'	Octave		61 pipes		
4'	Flûte Harmonique61 pipes		
2 2/3'	Quinte		61 pipes		 
2'	Super Octave	61 pipes		 
Mixture IV-V		269 pipes	
Fourniture IV		244 pipes	 
8'	Trompette Harmonique	61 notes (Solo)		
8'	Herald Trumpet 	61 notes (Solo)
Chimes			
Great 16'
Great Unison Off
Great 4'					
MIDI on Great
(Five blank drawknobs)
SWELL
(Manual III; Enclosed & Expressive)
16'	Flûte Conique	12 pipes		
8'	Diapason	68 pipes		 
8'	Gedackt		68 pipes		 
8'	Viole de Gambe	68 pipes		 
8'	Viole Celeste	68 pipes		 	
8'	Flauto Dolce	68 pipes		 
8'	Flute Celeste	61 pipes		 
4'	Prestant	68 pipes		 
4'	Rohrflöte	68 pipes		 
2'	Octavin		61 pipes		 
Plein Jeu III		183 pipes		 
Cymbale III		183 pipes		 
16'	Bombarde	12 pipes		
8'	Trompette	68 pipes		
8'	Bombarde	68 pipes		 		
8'	Voix Humaine	68 pipes		 
4'	Clairon		68 pipes		
Tremulant
Swell 16'
Swell Unison Off
Swell 4'
MIDI on Swell
Cymbelstern
(One blank draw knob)

CHOIR
(Manual I; Enclosed & Expressive)
8'	Viola Pomposa	68 pipes		
8'	Viola Celeste	68 pipes		
8'	Gemshorn	68 pipes		
8'	Gemshorn Celeste 68 pipes		
8'	Cor de Nuit	68 pipes		
4'	Principal	68 pipes		
4'	Koppelflöte	68 pipes	
2 2/3'	Nazard		54 pipes		
2'	Blockflöte	61 pipes		
1 3/5'	Tierce		54 pipes		
1'	Sifflöte	49 pipes		
Mixture III		183 pipes		
16'	Fagotto		68 pipes	
8' 	Corno di Bassetto 68 pipes	
8'	Trompette Harmonique  61 notes (Solo)
8'	Herald Trumpet	      61 notes (Solo)
Tremulant
Chimes						
Harp						
Choir 16'
Choir Unison Off
Choir 4'
MIDI on Choir
(Two blank draw knobs)
SOLO
(Manual IV; Unenclosed)
8' 	Trompette Harmonique	73 pipes		
8'	Herald Trumpet		73 pipes	
Chimes 					
Harp				
Solo 16'
Solo Unison Off	
Solo 4'
MIDI on Solo
(Six blank draw knobs)		

POSITIV 
(Manual I; Unenclosed)
8'	Holz Gedackt		56 pipes			
4'	Spillflöte		56 pipes			 
2'	Lieblich Prinzipal	56 pipes			
1 1/3'	Larigot			44 pipes			 
1'	Oktav			44 pipes			 
Jeu de Clochette II		112 pipes			
8'	Krummhorn		56 pipes	 
Tremulant
Positiv 16'
Positiv Unison Off
Positiv 4'   						
(One blank draw knob)
	

PORTATIVE (Prepared division)
12 Blank Knobs. This is a future project that will be a self-contained, 
fully independent unit on a moveable platform to be located in the 
front of the sanctuary. 
PEDAL
32'	Open Wood	32 notes (Walker digital)					
32'	Contra Bourdon	12 pipes					
32'	Lieblich Gedackt 32 notes (Walker digital)			 
16'	Principal	32 pipes
16'	Bourdon		32 pipes			
16'	Quintaten 	(Great)
16'	Flute Conique 	(Swell)			 
16'	Lieblichflöte	12 pipes (ext. Choir)
8'	Principal	32 pipes
8'	Bourdon		12 pipes
8'	Erzähler	(Great)			
8'	Gedackt 	(Swell)		
8'	Quintaten	(Great)
4'	Choral Bass	32 pipes
4'	Koppelflöte	(Choir)				 
2'	Blockflöte	(Choir)		
Mixture IV 		128 pipes			
Kontra Posaune		32 notes (Walker digital)
Contre Bombarde		12 pipes	
16'	Posaune		32 pipes
16'	Bombarde 	(Swell)
8'	Posaune		12 pipes
8'	Trompette Harmonique (Solo)
8'	Herald Trumpet	(Solo)			
4'	Klarine		12 pipes			
4'	Corno di Bassetto12 notes		
Chimes											
MIDI on Pedal
COUPLERS
Great to Pedal 8'
Great to Pedal 4'
Swell to Pedal 8'
Swell to Pedal 4'
Choir to Pedal 8'
Choir to Pedal 4'
Solo to Pedal 8'
Solo to Pedal 4'
Positiv to Pedal 8'
Positiv to Pedal 4'
Swell to Great 16'
Swell to Great 8'
Swell to Great 4'
Choir to Great 16'
Choir to Great 8'
Choir to Great 4'
Solo to Great 16'
Solo to Great 8'
Solo to Great 4'
Positiv to Great 16'
Positiv to Great 8'
Positiv to Great 4'
Pedal to Great 8'
Tremulants Off
All Swells to Swell
Great/Choir Transfer
Pedal Divide
Choir to Swell 16'
Choir to Swell 8'
Choir to Swell 4'
Positiv to Swell 16'
Positiv to Swell 8'
Positiv to Swell 4'
Swell to Choir 16'
Swell to Choir 8'
Swell to Choir 4'
Solo to Choir 16'
Solo to Choir 8'
Solo to Choir 4'
Great to Solo 16'
Great to Solo 8'
Great to Solo 4'
Swell to Solo 16'
Swell to Solo 8'
Swell to Solo 4'
Choir to Solo 16'
Choir to Solo 8'
Choir to Solo 4'
Positiv to Solo 16'
Positiv to Solo 8'										
Positiv to Solo 4'
Portative on Solo

COMBINATION ACTION
128 levels - Solid State Organ Systems, Inc.)
General Pistons	1-16 (thumb & toe)
Great Pistons	1-8 (thumb)
Swell Pistons	1-8 (thumb)
Choir Pistons	1-8 (thumb)
Solo Pistons	1-8 (thumb)
Positiv Pistons	1-4 (thumb)
Portative Pistons 1-4 (thumb)
Pedal Pistons	1-8 (thumb & toe)
REVERSIBLES  
Great to Pedal reversible (thumb & toe)
Swell to Pedal reversible (thumb & toe)
Choir to Pedal reversible (thumb & toe)
Solo to Pedal reversible (thumb & toe)
Positiv to Pedal reversible (thumb & toe)
Swell to Great 8' reversible (thumb)
Choir to Great 8' reversible (thumb)
Solo to Great 8' reversible (thumb)
Swell to Choir 8' (thumb)
All Swells to Swell reversible (thumb, with indicator light)
Tremulants Off reversible (toe)
Cymbelstern (toe)
32' Open Wood reversible (toe)
32' Lieblich Gedackt reversible (toe)
32' Contra Bourdon reversible (toe)
32' Kontra Posaune reversible (toe)
32' Contre Bombarde reversible (toe)
Tutti I reversible (thumb & toe, with indicator light)
Tutti II reversible (thumb & toe, with indicator light)