The Sanctuary Organ
The SANCTUARY ORGAN of
St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church
Wilmington, North Carolina
“This magnificent instrument is a masterpiece of the organ builder’s art …” began the descriptive notes in the Dedicatory Program for the organ at St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church. This statement is as true today as it was on that July 29 evening in 1958.
Who built the St. Andrews-Covenant organ?
The organ was built by Casavant Freres who have been building organs in the quiet Canadian city of St. Hyacinthe, 30 miles east of Montreal, since 1879. It is that firm’s Opus 2465.
The Organ Console
No, this instrument replaced Estey Organ Opus 1572 installed when the church was built in 1917. Replacement of the Estey was undertaken because: it was failing mechanically, the sanctuary was being reconfigured incorporating the Estey organ chamber into the choir loft, and the church desired a more complete instrument.
How many pipes are in this organ?
There are more than 2,200 pipes spread over 50 ranks in the instrument and housed in two chambers on either side of the Gallery facing into the Choir Loft. The instrument actually is comprised of four “organs”, Swell, Great, Choir and Pedal, played from a three manual console at the base of the Choir Loft.
A Portion of the Great Pipework
What is a “rank” of pipes?
A “rank” of pipes is a group of 61 (for the keyboards) or 32 pipes (for the pedals), one for each note. Each “rank” makes a distinctively different sound, some orchestral (Oboe, Trumpet, Flute, Clarinet, etc.) and others unique to an organ (Diapason, Principal, Mixture, etc.).
Trivia Fact: It takes a 32 foot long pipe to produce this organ’s lowest note. This pitch is the fourth C below middle C. The smallest pipe is less than ¾ inches long and sounds the fifth C above middle C.
What is the purpose of the wooden shutters seen on the Market Street side organ chamber?
The shutters are used to control the volume of the organ. Both the Swell and Choir Organs each have a set of shutters to regulate the sound.
How is an organ tuned?
The length of each pipe is individually adjusted either with tuning scrolls or by sleeves at the top of the pipe. It takes two people two days to tune this organ. Tuning takes place twice per year.
Tuning Scrolls on the Great Pipes
Trivia Fact: It takes a five horsepower motor to drive the blower that generates the air to play the organ.
Do the pipes at the back of the choir loft play?
No, these are actually the façade (display) pipes from the church’s original Estey Organ. They are decorative only.
The Organ's Stop List
Watercolor by Betty Brown