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The Organ

1926

Pine Street Presbyterian Church’s organ was designed and installed in 1926 by the Skinner Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts. At the time, Skinner was the premier organ builder in the United States.

1963

The organ served faithfully and virtually unchanged for nearly 40 years. In 1963, the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by the M.P. Möller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. During this rebuild, the best of the Skinner pipework and virtually all of the chestwork was saved, renewed and reinstalled in what was mostly a new instrument. Of particular importance was the retention of the Solo Organ with its magnificent state trumpet, colorful solo strings and French horn. The principal, mixtures and much of the flue work were new, as were the (sw)ell reeds, which are a wonderful example of the work of Adolph Zajick, Möller’s legendary chief reed voicer.

1980s

In the 1980s, the organ was in need of repair. The Möller Company, under the direction of tonal director Daniel Angerstein, was called upon to restore, upgrade and enlarge the organ. During this rebuild, Möller installed the Nave Organ, which speaks from the two grilles surrounding the choir loft window, and the dazzling Trompette-en-Chamade on the west wall of the church.

The 1980s rebuild was carefully guided by Donald L. Clapper, Pine Street’s organist at the time. The cost was underwritten by the Million for Ministry campaign. The new organ was dedicated in 1991.

2000

In 2000, the 32 foot stops, retained from the 1963 rebuild, needed to be replaced. The replacements were made by Walker Technical Company in Zionsville, Pennsylvania. Walker used state-of-the-art digitally sampled voices, which give the needed underpinning to the organ in this large space. This work was made possible by a generous gift from the estate of Albert Herbert.

List of Organ Stops

GREAT		CHOIR
16′	Quinataton	8′	English Open Diapason
8′	Diapason	8′	Stopped Flute
8′	Rohrflute	8′	Unda Maris II
8′	Quintaton ((from 16′)	4′	Principal
8′	Erzahler	4′	Nachthorn
4′	Prestant	2′	Fifteenth
4′	Spitzflote	1 1/3′	Larigot
2′	Waldflote	1′	Blockflote
II	Sesquialtera	IV	Mixture (1′)
III	Foruniture (1 1/3′)	8′	Clarinet
8′	Trompette-en-Chamage (Solo)		Tremulant
	Carillon		Harp
	Zimbelstern		Celesta

NAVE		SOLO
8′	Principal	8′	Flauto Mirabilis
4′	Octave	8′	Gamba
2′	Super Octave	8′	Gamba Celeste
IV	Mixture (1 1/3′)	8′	English Horn
16′	Double Trumpet	8′	French Horn
8′	Trumpet	8′	State Trumpet
4′	Klarine		Tremulant

ECHO
8′	Cor de Nuit
8′	Vox Angelica II
8′	Vox Humana
	Tremulant
	Chimes
	Carillon
	Harp

SWELL		PEDAL
16′	Lieblich Gedeckt	3′	Contra Diapason (electronic)
16′	Contra Gemshorn	32′	Contra Bourdon (electronic)
8′	Viola Pomposa	16′	Diapason
8′	Viola Celeste	16′	Violon (electronic)
8′	Gedeckt (extension of 16′)	16′	Bourdon
8′	Voix Celeste II	16′	Quintaton (Gt.)
8′	Gemshorn (extension of 16′)	16′	Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)
8′	Stopped Diapason	16′	Contra Gemshorn (Sw)
8′	Flauto Dolce Celeste II	10 2/3′	Quint
4′	Octave Geigen	10 2/3′	Gemshorn (Sw)
4′	Koppelflote	8′	Principal
2 2/3′	Nazard	8′	Diapason (from 16′)
2′	Zauberflote	8′	Bourdon (from 16′)
1 1/3′	Tierce	8′	Gedeckt (Sw)
V	Plein Jeu (2′)	8′	Gemshorn (Sw)
IV	Scharff	4′	Principal
16′	Bassoon	4′	Bourdon ((from 16′)
8′	Trompette	4′	Quintaton (Gt.)
8′	Oboe	IV	Mixture (2 2/3′)
8′	Vox Humana	V	Grand Cornet (32′)
4′	Clarion	32′	Contre Bombarde (electronic)
	Tremulant	16′	Bombarde
		16′	Double Trumpet (Nave)
		8′	Bombarde (from 16′)
		8′	Trumpet (Nave)
		4′	Bombarde Clarion (from 16′)
All standard couplers
Great and Nave function as a single division although it is possible to separate them and play them against one another.

E.M. Skinner, 1926