FIrst Church of Christ Congregational
“Center Church”
Austin Organs, Inc. Opus 189-A (1954)
Console Shell from Austin Organ Co., Opus 189 (1907)
Console renovation and additions by Foley-Baker, Inc., Tolland, Connecticut (2004)
Four manuals – 71 ranks
Center Church’s great organ, built by Hartford’s own Austin Organs, Inc. in 1954, contains nearly 4,000 pipes. It uses many pipes from two previous instruments: a 1907 Austin and an 1883 Roosevelt. The case and façade pipes are from the church’s second organ, built by Thomas Appleton in 1835. (The church’s first organ was installed in 1822.)
The organ’s primary role is to support congregational singing and accompany choral anthems, responses, and vocal solos. The instrument’s size and dynamic range make it capable of rendering all styles and periods of organ literature.
Center Church also owns two Steinway grand pianos: the older having been built in 1895 (2nd floor of the Church House), the younger having been built in 1965 (Meeting House). A 2-manual harpsichord, built in 1976 by William Dowd, is located in the Meeting House.
CHOIR (Manual I, expressive) | SWELL (Manual III, expressive) | ||
8’ | Montre | 16’ | Lieblich Gedeckt |
8’ | Bourdon | 8’ | Spitz Principal |
8’ | Dolce | 8’ | Rohrflöte |
8’ | Dolce Celeste (from tenor “C”) | 8’ | Viole de Gamba |
4’ | Koppelflöte | 8’ | Voix Celeste |
2 2/3’ | Nasard | 4’ | Principal |
2’ | Blockflöte | 4’ | Waldflöte |
1 3/5’ | Tierce | 2 2/3’ | Rohr Nasat |
1 1/3′ | Larigot | 2’ | Octavin |
8’ | Krummhorn [1969] | Plein Jeu IV [2 2/3’] | |
8’ | Clarinet [1998] | Zimbel III [1/3’] | |
8’ | Trompette harmonique [high pressure] | 16’ | Basson |
Tremolo | 8’ | Trompette | |
16’ | Choir | 8’ | Basson (ext. 16’ Basson) |
Choir Unison Off | 4’ | Clairon | |
4’ | Choir | 8’ | Vox Humana |
16’ | Swell | Vox Tremolo | |
8’ | Swell | Tremolo | |
4’ | Swell | 16’ | Swell |
8’ | Great | Swell Unison Off | |
8’ | Positiv | 4’ | Swell |
8’ | Choir | ||
GREAT (Manual II) | 8′ | Positiv | |
16’ | Quintaten [1969] | ||
8’ | Principal | POSITIV (Manual IV) | |
8’ | Flûte harmonique | 8’ | Holzgedeckt |
8’ | Gedeckt | 4’ | Prinzipal |
4’ | Octave | 2’ | Oktav |
4’ | Spitzflöte | 1’ | Sifflöte |
2’ | Superoctave | Sesquialtera II | |
2’ | Flachflöte | Scharf III (2/3’) | |
Fourniture IV [1 1/3’] | |||
8’ | Trumpet [1969] | PEDAL | |
8’ | Trompette harmonique (from Choir) [2004] | 32’ | Open Wood Diapason [prep. 2004] |
16’ | Great | 32’ | Contreviolone [prep. 2004] |
Great Unison Off | 32’ | Untersatz [prep. 2004] | |
4’ | Great | 16’ | Contrebasse [from 1883 Roosevelt organ] |
16’ | Swell | 16’ | Violone [from 1883 Roosevelt organ] |
8’ | Swell | 16’ | Bourdon [from 1883 Roosevelt organ] |
4’ | Swell | 16’ | Quintaten (from Great) |
16’ | Choir | 16’ | Lieblich Gedeckt (from Swell) |
8’ | Choir | 8’ | Principal |
4’ | Choir | 8’ | Bourdon |
8’ | Positiv | 8’ | Cello [ext. 16’ Violone] |
Chimes [under expression via Choir] | 8’ | Lieblich Gedeckt (from Swell) | |
Manual Transfer [2004] | 4’ | Octave [ext. 8’ Principal] | |
4’ | Flute [ext. 8’ Bourdon] | ||
CONSOLE CONTROL SYSTEM [2004] | 2′ | Flautino [ext. 8’ Bourdon] | |
Artisan “Classic” system with | Mixture III [2’] | ||
254 levels of memory | 16’ | Basson (from Swell) | |
piston sequencer | 8’ | Basson (from Swell) | |
transposer [+/- 5 semitones] | 32’ | Contrebombarde [prep. 2004] | |
programmable Crescendo pedal | 16’ | Bombarde | |
programmable Sforzando | 8’ | Trompette [ext. 16’ Bombarde] | |
Automatic Solo | 4’ | Clairon [ext. 16’ Bombarde] | |
Automatic Pedal | 8’ | Great | |
4’ | Great | ||
ACCESSORIES | 8’ | Swell | |
14 General pistons (1-9, thumb; 10-14, toe) | 4’ | Swell | |
7 Divisional thumb pistons each for Choir, Great, and Swell | 8’ | Choir | |
Great 3, 5, & 7 and Swell 3, 5, & 7 duplicated via toe studs | 4’ | Choir | |
8’ | Positiv | ||
4 Divisional thumb pistons for Positiv | |||
5 Divisional toe studs for Pedal | MIDI [prep. 2004] | ||
Reversible pistons: | MIDI on Pedal | ||
Great to Pedal – thumb and toe | MIDI on Choir | ||
Swell to Pedal – thumb and toe | MIDI on Great | ||
Choir to Pedal – thumb and toe | MIDI on Swell | ||
Positiv to Pedal – thumb | MIDI on Positiv | ||
Swell to Great – thumb | |||
Swell to Choir – thumb | |||
32’ Untersatz – toe [2004] | |||
Chimes Volume Control Knob |