St. Joseph’s Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford CT

Austin Organs, Inc., 1962 
Four manuals – 137 ranks

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A view of the gallery from the altar.

The present modern cathedral and organ was opened in 1962 replacing a gothic structure that burned in 1956. The new cathedral is noted for its huge expanse of spectacular stained glass windows crafted in Paris, the ceramic tile mural behind the altar that is the largest of its kind in the world, and its majestic four manual Austin pipe organ.

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The organ contains more than 8000 pipes and was designed by Austin Organs’ Tonal Director, Richard Piper, and Frederick L. Mitchell, Vice-President. The largest case pipes are 32 feet long, which were inserted into the gallery by cranes before the roof was installed! The organ is situated in three locations in the cathedral: The four-manual Gallery Organ, the two-manual Blessed Sacrament Chapel Organ (which can play both the chapel organ and the organ in the gallery), and the Sanctuary Pitch Organ near the altar.

GREAT (Manual II) SWELL (Manual III)
16′ Violone 16′ Lieblich Gedackt
8′ Principal 8′ Geigen
8′ Spitzflöte 8′ Hohlflöte
8′ Bourdon 8′ “Holtz”gedackt
8′ Salizional 8′ Spitz Gamba
4′ Octave 8′ Spitz Celeste
4′ Nachthorn 8′ Flauto Dolce
4′ Flute a Fuseau 8′ Flute Celeste (t.c.)
2 2/3′ Octave Quint 4′ Principal
2′ Super Octave 4′ Rohrflöte
2′ Waldflöte 2 2/3′ Rohr Nazat
Cornet IV-VI 2′ Flageolet
Fourniture V 1′ Sifflöte
Scharf III Plein Jeu V
8′ Trumpet Cymbal III
Chimes (solo) 16′ Fagotto
8′ Trompette
8′ Cornopean
SANCTUARY PITCH ORGAN 8′ Hautbois
8′ Spitzflöte 8′ Vox Humana
4′ Prestant 4′ Clarion
Tremulant
CHOIR ORGAN (Manual I) POSITIVE ORGAN (Manual I Floating)
16′ Gemshorn 8′ Suavial
8′ Montre 8′ Nason Flute
8′ Viola 4′ Prinzipal
8′ Viola Celeste 4′ Rohrflöte
8′ Gemshorn 2′ Oktav
8′ Gemshorn Celeste 1 1/3′ Quint
8′ Gedeckt Sesquilaltera II
4′ Prestant Scharf IV
4′ Koppelflöte Zimbel III
2 2/3′ Nazard 8′ Regal
2′ Blockflöte Tremulant
1 3/5′ Tierce
Mixture III SOLO-BOMBARDE ORGAN (Manual IV)
16′ Ranket 8′ Orchestral Flute
8′ Krummhorn 8′ Violoncello
4′ Rohr Schalmei 8′ Cello Celeste
Harp 4′ Octave
Tremulant Grand Chorus VI
8′ French Horn
8′ Cor Anglais
PEDAL ORGAN 8′ Trompette Harmonic*
32′ Sub Principal 8′ Bombarde
32′ Contra Bourdon 4′ Bombarde Clarion
16′ Contra Bass Tremulant
16′ Principal
16′ Bourdon * unenclosed, 25″
16′ Violone (gt)
16′ Gedeckt (sw)
16′ Gemshorn (ch)
8′ Principal
8′ Bourdon
8′ Spitzflöte
8′ Gedackt (sw)
4′ Choral Bass
4′ Blockflöte
2′ Flöte
Fourniture V
32′ Contre Bombarde
16′ Bombarde
16′ Fagotto (sw)
16′ Rankett (ch)
8′ Trompette
8′ Fagotto (sw)
4′ Clarion
4′ Schalmei