Reformed Church, Bronxville

The Reformed Church of Bronxville, NY has been occupying the plot of land at 180 Pondfield Road, since 1850. The first structure was a traditional white clapboard New England church described by a 1951 Church history document as “a simple plain little building, severe in its lines after the fashion of new England churches but in its very simplicity there was beauty.”

However, these simple beginnings quickly gave way to the grand and Gothic structure built in 1926 that is standing today. The present building was inspired by the architecture of English country churches, blending an Anglo-Norman style with many Gothic details which are evident in the tracery of the windows, the stained glass, and the liturgical woodwork. The stained-glass windows were designed by Charles J. Connick, who also designed the windows at Princeton University, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and many others. The Nave remains today mostly unmodified, except for a 40-foot expansion of the chancel in 1950 to accommodate the new Schantz organ installed in 1957.

The use and expansion of the organ at the Reformed Church of Bronxville mirrored this architecture. As a member of the Dutch Reformed Church in America, the congregation did not initially support the use of instruments in worship, preferring only a precentor and a tuning fork to lead the singing of metrical psalmody. When the new sanctuary was constructed in 1926, a small Hook and Hastings organ, Op. 2528, was installed. Little information about this instrument exists.

The next major update to the instrument occurred in 1956 when Schantz installed a 4- manual, 73-rank instrument, Op. 328. This instrument was expanded several times: in 1965 an antiphonal division was added, in 1984 a Trompette en Chamade was mounted inside the Great chamber, and finally in 1996 the 32’ contra-bombarde was installed. The instrument remained in the Chancel and in operation until May 2020 when a roof leak lead to flooding and two inches of standing water in the Choir chamber, irreparably damaging the original Schantz instrument.

Prior to the catastrophic roof leak, the 1957 Schantz was already in desperate need of re-leathering and restoration, so the Reformed Church of Bronxville decided that a complete rebuild of the instrument would be the best way forward. Several bids were collected, and the unanimous consensus was to move forward with the bid by Austin Organs, to completely rebuild and expand the instrument, returning as Austin Organs, Op. 2804.

The Schantz organ was removed from the chancel in August 2020, and return to the chancel in Februedary 2022, briefly paused over the summer for more roof work. Installation of all components and pipework were complete as of March 2023, and regulation, finishing work, and voicing is ongoing. Op. 2804 is a 4-manual, 7-division, 90-rank instrument that is one of the largest, most expressive, and tonally varied instruments in the region. We can’t wait to share this crown jewel of the tri-state area with you!

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church

Founded in 1848 by Irish immigrants, St. Peter’s is the oldest Catholic parish in Rockland County. Today it is a vibrant, multi-ethnic parish with two priests, two deacons, over 1,600 parishioners, and seven well-attended Masses each weekend, three of which are in Spanish.

When the church, which seats 750, was consecrated in 1899, it was graced with side galleries, stained glass windows, a Carrara marble altar rail, a Meneely (of West Troy, NY) 10- bell chime and a 2-manual, 28-rank 1898 Jardine & Son organ, Opus 1248. Remarkably, all of these adornments still remain in the church. Though the bells now have electric strikers, the organ still has its original mechanical action.

Andover Organ Company was contacted by the pastor, Fr. Thomas Madden, on the recommendation of noted organ consultant Jonathan Ambrosino. An attempted renovation in 2007 by an inexperienced organ tuner had left the organ partly disassembled and unplayable. Andover examined the organ in early 2010 and drew up a detailed inventory of the missing pipes and parts, which were subsequently returned to the church following legal action.

In January 2011, the entire organ, except for its structural frame and case, was removed to the Andover workshop for a comprehensive restoration. The manual and pedal windchests received new crosshatched plywood tables in place of the cracked solid wood originals; their wooden sliders were re-shimmed and the pallets recovered with new felt and leather. The large 6’ x 12’ double rise, inverted fold reservoir was re-leathered. The manual keyboards received new, legally-sourced ivory natural coverings to replace deteriorating plastic coverings put on in the 1960s. The badly-worn pedalboard received new maple naturals and ebony-plated sharps. The bench was rebuilt and refinished. All wooden pipes were cleaned, repaired, and refinished. All of the metal pipes were washed and fitted with new aluminum tuning sleeves, replacing the rusting steel ones. The 39 façade pipes were stripped of three decorative paint layers. Historic paint conservator, Marylou Davis of Woodstock, CT, painstakingly uncovered and documented the original stencil patterns and colors, which were repainted in the Andover workshop under her supervision.

Over the course of restoring the organ, it became apparent that this was no ordinary Jardine. Research revealed that this was the first Jardine organ overseen by Carleton C. Michell (c.1835-1921), an English organ builder who enjoyed a great reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. Michell’s best-known work in England is the “Grove” organ in Tewkesbury Abbey, built for the London Inventions Exhibition of 1885 in partnership with William Thynne. Michell came to America in the 1880s and collaborated with several Boston firms before joining Jardine in September of 1897 to assume the artistic direction of the firm. Matthew Bellocchio, Andover’s Project Team Leader for this restoration, was very familiar with Michell’s work. In 1989, while at the Roche Organ Company, he oversaw Roche’s restoration of the Michell-voiced 3-manual 1899 Jardine & Son organ, Opus 1257, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Taunton, MA – Jardine’s last major instrument. Bellocchio found a number of similarities in the pipe construction and voicing of the Haverstraw and Taunton instruments, which are only nine opus numbers apart. Dated signatures in two Haverstraw windchests show that they were built in the summer of 1898, just 2 months before the Taunton chests.

This being a strict restoration of an important historical instrument, no changes were made to the organ’s stop list or voicing. However, several supplementary improvements were made to its function and appearance. The wind line from the blower was re-engineered to permit better access in the organ for tuning and maintenance. A return air duct was installed in the rear wall so that the blower, located in the unheated tower room, now draws heated air from the organ interior to improve the instrument’s tuning stability. New music lights on the case, as well as wall spotlights to illuminate the restored façade pipes, were installed and wired by a St. Peter’s parishioner. The organ was reinstalled in St. Peter’s during Fall 2011. Donald Glover, Andover’s head voicer (now Tonal Director) oversaw the tonal regulation. At a special parish Mass on Saturday evening, November 5, 2011, the restored instrument was solemnly blessed and re-dedicated by the Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

Rye Presbyterian Church

Rye Presbyterian Church traces its roots to the establishment of Rye itself in the 1660s. Formal organizations of the church occurred in 1729 and 1795. We know that one building in which the church worshipped – located on what is now the campus of Rye Country Day School – was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. By 1841, a clapboard/meeting-house style building was erected near this current site; likely right on Boston Post Road. The Clark and the Parsons families gave the land for the current building (the family burial vaults are still in the front yard of the church.)

TThe present building, designed by Richard Upjohn and Son and built in 1870, had from 1872 until 1906 an organ built by the Odell firm of New York City. It was located in what is now the junction of the north aisle and the front crossing. The existing rear gallery held a 31-stop Hillgreen-Lane organ from 1906 until 1947, when the organ was moved into the chamber at the right of the then-rebuilt and enlarged chancel (the original chancel was an apse.) Seth Bingham played this organ during his tenure as organist, 1908-1913. In 1966, an Angell organ was installed in the chancel chamber.

In 1980, Casavant Frères was commissioned to build a new organ. It was donated by Miss Esther Jackson in memory of her sister, Edith. The Jackson Memorial organ, Casavant Opus 3506, was completed in January of 1982. Robert Moncrief (director of music and organist from 1977 to 1994) helped to craft the stoplist and the design.

In order to accommodate the size of the Casavant organ, the chancel was modified: The reredos on the east wall of the chancel was moved in by 6 feet to allow the Grand-Orgue and the Pédale 8’ and 4’ principals and mixture to be installed underneath and adjacent to the window.

Choir seating was reconfigured from a collegiate-style arrangement to its present form. The organ chamber houses the enclosed Positif and Récit divisions, the largest Pédale stops, and the Solo Trompette harmonique (enclosed in the Positif.) The 1982 specification had no borrows or extensions (other than those borrowed from the Grand-Orgue into the Pédale) and no unison-offs and super- and sub-couplers.

In 2002, Kevin Walters (director of music and organist from 1994 to 2015) arranged for Casavant to rebuild the console. This significant project included adding unison-offs and super- and sub-couplers (along with a supplemental blower), a basic SSL operating system (with 32 levels of memory), and Walker digital percussion stops.

In the summer of 2016, under the watch of the current director of music and organist Jason Charneski, Casavant was again engaged to accomplish a major upgrade to the SSL operating system and modifications to some windchests to bring into the Pedal division the lowest-pitched pipes in the expressive divisions. These enhancements have allowed greater efficiency and flexibility and have provided for a more comprehensive range of options for accompanying hymns, service music, and anthems, as well as the rendering of organ repertoire of all styles and periods.

Bedford Presbyterian Church

Op. 13 is a 2-manual organ of 29 stops placed in a rebuilt and extended rear gallery of the elegant 1872 Carpenter Gothic sanctuary. The organ is entirely encased in painted solid poplar casework. Its shape and decorative elements pick up architectural elements from the sanctuary. The decorative pipe shades of mahogany were carved by Martin Pasi. The case assumes the vital tonal function of blending and focusing the sound of the pipes, while also protecting them from dust.

The new console and bench are made of cherry, with walnut highlights. The manual natural keys are covered with cow bone, the pedal naturals are maple, the sharps for the manuals are ebony and those for the pedals are rosewood. The stop knobs are arranged in terraces to either side of the keyboards. The stop knobs and toe pistons are Pau Ferro.

The organ is laid out horizontally in order to preserve a view of the large rear window. Therefore the pipes of the Great and Pedal divisions are placed on windchests divided on either side of the Swell, which is slightly lower in the center of the case. The Swell pipes are enclosed behind expression shutters, rather like large Venetian blinds, just behind the case (facade) pipes. The two largest pedal stops, the Subbass and Posaune, stand on a separate chest at the lower rear of the organ.

The key action is entirely mechanical, the organist's fingers directly opening the valves beneath the pipes through a system of levers and thin wood connections called trackers. This ancient system gives the organist intimate control over the speech and release characteristics of the pipes, for a sensitive control of musical phrasing and articulation, and through careful design and construction promises longevity measured in centuries. The console is detached from the organ case, allowing the choir to see the organist clearly. In a tour de force of careful design and construction, Martin Pasi has created a suspended key action, in which the keys are hinged at the rear and literally hang from the valves, or pallets, in the wind chests, equal in lightness and responsiveness to the finest actions in organs with attached consoles.

The stop action is electric, a solid-state combination action with eight levels of memory providing for recall of numerous stop combinations. This state-of-the-art technology allows the player maximum flexibility in controlling the many tonal colors of the instrument. The organ draws its principal tonal inspiration from the great North German organs of the 17th and 18th centuries, leavening its resources with several stops inspired by 19th and 20th century models. This enhances its flexibility in choral accompaniment and interpreting 19th century and later solo organ literature. Enclosing the pipes of the Swell division behind expression shutters affords the organist a more subtle range of dynamic control.

The four major families of organ tone, principal, flute, string and reed, are all well represented in the new organ. The principals are the foundation stops of any fine organ, a sound unique to the pipe organ. Choruses of these stops are present on both manuals and pedal. The presence of three facade Principals at the unison pitch (8-foot) is very unusual for an organ of this size. The tonal essence of the organ springs from the intense and vocal quality of these pipes, with their clear, articulate speech under sensitive control of the mechanical key action. On the Great and Swell full choruses of principals (octave, quinte, sesquialtera, mixture, scharf), representing the higher harmonics of the sound, are built above these facade pipes.

Flutes are represented in many forms and pitches, the names reflecting both the shape of the pipes (stopped, tapered, stopped with chimneys) and their tonal function. On the Great the family of flutes at the first five pitches of the natural harmonic series form a bold and yet sweet cornet registration. The Viola and its companion Celeste provide colorful string sound useful in choral accompaniment and Romantic organ literature.

The organ''s reed stops are quite varied, from the strong Trumpet and Posaune (Trombone), to the sweeter Oboe and Dulcian, an ancient form of clarinet. All but the Oboe are inspired by stops in the baroque organs of North Germany, especially those built by Arp Schnitger, who worked in the Hamburg area from about 1670-1720. The full and yet focused sounds of the Trumpet and Posaune are particularly representative of Schnitger's work. The piquant Oboe is modeled after 19th-century stops by the French master builder, Aristide Cavaille-Coll. An unusual addition to the organ's tonal palette is the Chamade, a trumpet stop beginning at Middle C on the Great, its pipes placed horizontally at the front of the case in a manner pioneered by Spanish baroque builders. It has a bright and commanding solo voice from this position.

All of the pipes, metal and wood, flue and reed, were made in the Pasi shop, from the casting of the metal through to the completed pipes. The metal pipes are made of 98% lead, with trace impurities of copper, bismuth and antimony, which help stiffen the metal. To enhance the intensity of the pipes sound, the metal is hammered following casting, which tightens its molecular structure. The Subbass and the lowest 12 pipes of the Great Bourdon are made of poplar, the only wood pipes in the organ. The organ is tuned in the Kellner/Bach unequal temperament, which favors the keys nearer c major, and yet remains harmonious through all keys.

An electric centrifugal blower supplies wind to the organ, which is stored and regulated in a single wedge-shaped bellows measuring 4 feet by 6 feet. The bellows and blower are located in the bell tower. This wind system imparts a gentle flexibility to the organ''s sound, allowing the pipes to sound more like a choir of human voices than an impassive machine.

Two special stops frequently found in Baroque organs lend a festive air to the organ. The Zimbelstern (Bell Star) has eight small bells struck in a repeating sequence. The gilded star above the center facade pipe turns when the stop is drawn. The Vogelgesang (Bird Song) is a single pipe placed upside down with its end submerged in a cup of water. It makes the sound of a chirping bird when drawn.

—Mark Brombaugh, as seen in Westchester Magazine

Cadet Chapel, West Point Military Academy

The organ installed in the Cadet Chapel at West Point in 1911 was built by the M.P. Möller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland, and paid for through an appropriation from the U.S. Congress. Originally, the organ had a console of 3 manuals and pedals controlling 2,406 pipes installed in chambers above the right side (facing the altar) of the choir chancel placed behind a case designed by the building architect, Bertram G. Goodhue. Since 1911, graduates and friends of the Academy have given additions to the organ as memorials, commemorated by bronze plaques lining the fronts of the choir stalls.

Frederick C. Mayer envisioned an expanded instrument based on George Ashdown Audsley's symphonic concepts of design. The additions began with Möller installing the 24-rank Orchestral division in 1923, the 12-rank Viol division in 1927 and the 72-rank Harmonic division in 1930, which necessitated moving several divisions of the organ to the left side bays placed behind a case of façade pipes, dedicated to the Women of the Army. The last addition by Möller was in 1940 under head voicer Richard Whitelegg – a new Great division placed above the right side of the altar.

In 1950 the present four-manual and pedal console, the third console serving the organ, was installed by Möller, allowing all main and floating divisions to couple to all four manuals and pedal through 141 couplers. There are 874 stop tabs in all, the second largest console configuration of this type in the world (behind the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall). Ten expressive divisions may couple to any of four swell pedals.

Under John Davis’ direction, the Great “A” division was added by Stinkens of the Netherlands in 1970 greatly facilitating the interpretation of Baroque polyphonic music. The so called “Dutch” Great was so successful that it inspired the installation of three “German” divisions – Great, Positive and Pedal – in the transept balconies of the chapel. The American firm Gress-Miles carried out these additions.

Under Lee Dettra’s direction, the Trompette-en-Chamade was added to the west end under the World War I window to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Dr. Davis’ appointment. Also the Nave division was added at the micpoint of the nave on the left side assisting with congregational singing and wedding processions.

Since Craig Williams’ arrival in 2000, there have been additions made to the Gress-Miles divisions using pipework from another Gress-Miles organ expanding the tonal range of those divisions. Also the Echo division and the Trompette-en-Chamade were reconditioned by the Reuter Organ Company of Kansas. At present, the organ stands as the world’s largest all-pipe organ in a house of worship. Today it contains approximately 23,500 pipes, the smallest being the size of a pencil, the largest being over32 feet long and over 30 inches in diameter.

White Plains Presbyterian Church

Austin Organ Company's Opus 2399 was built in 1964 for White Plains Presbyterian Church. Unfortunately, writings about the process of building this organ seem to be lost or destroyed. However, some educated guesses can be made about the organ's history. The disposition of this organ is almost identical to that of Austin Opus 2316, built in 1959 for Memorial United Methodist Church across town.

It is also noteworthy that the church's Director of Music & Organist at the time, John Paget, was educated at the now defunct Guilmant Organ School. Many longtime chapter members have asserted that Mr. Paget was uncompromising in his requirements for the reeds on Opus 2399, which speak with a fire not remotely expected in an American organ built in the 1960's.

No major restoration or revision work was ever done, so the organ is fully intact and mechanically sound. It is essentially an American Classic design, with the noted reed division in the Swell, and a powerful Bombarde located in the Positif case. To further the argument for its French influence, the Great and Positif manuals are reversible for a French style of manual configuration. 

Another interesting feature is the two separate tremolo styles on the Swell and Positif. The Swell uses a weighted cam style to manipulate the wind chest, giving it the character of a typical North German tremulant appropriate for baroque or classical music. The Positif, however, uses a rotating air pusher (similar to a paddlewheel on a steamboat) located in the upper area of the Positif case which manipulates the sound in the case after it is produced by the pipes. This latter tremulant, when combined with a fully unified flute registration (16'-1'), provides a compelling gospel vibrato sound which is uncommon to both the era and organ building style. 

St. Mary's of the Immaculate Conception

Saint Mary’s parish was established in 1848 and the first Mass was celebrated in the original church (now the parish center) on Christmas Day of that year. Almost from its inception, the parish has had two names. In his 2016 book, The Parish of St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception Yonkers 1848-2016, Msgr. Hugh Corrigan, now Pastor Emeritus, explained this dual identity. “St. Mary’s was the first name given by the first pastor [Fr. John Ryan, S.J.] in early 1848. In late 1848 he said you could also choose to use a second name: ‘The Immaculate Conception.’ In 1878, the latter name became the canonical one. However, people have always preferred the first one.”

IThe current church building was erected in 1892. Built in the Richardson Romanesque style, a local legend suggested that it was built to be a cathedral if Westchester was split off into a separate diocese. Msgr. Corrigan’s research indicates that that was probably not the intent, but St. Mary’s is still considered the mother church of Yonkers.

The organ at St. Mary’s was built by J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co. of New York City in 1906 as their Opus 423. The instrument was to have 3 manuals and 46 ranks with tubular-pneumatic action. Manual compass was 61 notes, while the pedal compass was 30. The organ included a 7-rank Echo division, located in a front gallery, playable from the Choir manual. The new organ cost $12,800.

In 1959, the Odell firm, by then located in Yonkers, rebuilt the instrument as their Opus 637, with 49 ranks and chimes. The action was electro-pneumatic with slider chests. The pedal compass was increased to 32 notes, and the fourth manual was provided for the Echo division. Most of the swell and choir stops were increased to 73 notes, the exceptions being the 2’ ranks and the Dolce Cornet. Deagan chimes were added. The rebuild cost $25,000. The pastor at the time, Msgr. Richard Fitzgerald, was an organist himself, and it is clear that he appreciated the tonal design of the original instrument as most of the changes were on the mechanical side. The one tonal change in the contract was in the Pedal division: In the original installation, there was an independent 16’ Double Open Diapason. In the rebuilt instrument, this was replaced by a 16’ Major Bass while the Great Double Open Diapason was made playable on the pedals at 16’, 8’ and 4’ pitches.

By the time Msgr. Hugh Corrigan arrived as pastor on February 1, 1987, the organ needed some major repairs. While some advised him to get an electronic organ, he recognized that this instrument is one of the great treasures of the parish. So necessary repairs were made and the organ continued to play for the people of God. Msgr. Corrigan retired July 1, 2018, and was succeeded by Fr. Anthony Columba Ekanem, MSP. Fr. Tony, as he is known, appreciates the organ and its role in worship, and jumped at the chance to host this recital as part of the AGO’s 2023 Northeastern Regional Convention as the parish celebrates its 175th anniversary.

Stanton Daugherty Pipe Organ Service cares for this instrument, which is used each week for the parish’s English Masses as well as the Arabic Masses of the Church of the Good Shepherd, an Arabic national parish that has been located at St. Mary’s since 1975. It also provides the music for our bilingual Masses, when the English- and Spanish-speaking communities come together, as well as weddings and funerals and other special events.

Thanks to Anne Walkenhorst of the Organ Historical Society’s Archives for assistance in researching the history of this organ. Msgr. Corrigan’s book was also a source of great information.

Hitchcock Presbyterian Church

The firm of J.W. Walker & Sons was established in 1828, though the origins of the firm go back to the illustrious 16th-Century organ builder Thomas Dallam, whose exquisite organ case still graces the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. Recognition came from the English Royal Family in 1880, when the Prince of Wales ordered the new instrument for the Royal country estate in Sandringham, and later as King Edward VII commissioned a larger instrument. Queen Victoria also made gifts of Walker Organs from this period. The Royal Appointment has been continued by King George V, King George VI, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Worldwide commissions throughout their history have given Walker organs renown for their quality and durability. Tonally, the Walker Organ is built in a style which comfortably embraces all schools of music. The Hitchcock organ, built and installed in 1990, has 2 manuals and pedals with 29 stops comprising 36-ranks and 1,798 pipes. The organ case was designed by Peter L. Gluck and Partners, architects for the Sanctuary, and manufactured by J.W. Walker & Sons. Walker used a variety of materials imported from many countries for the construction of the organ, including Indian rosewood, American maple, Canadian pine, American oak, Western red cedar, and American basswood. The natural keys are covered in cow bone. 

In conjunction with Michael Butler, Walker voicers Mark Lively and Paul Fulcher designed the technical details for the construction of the pipes and undertook the voicing. The manual and pedal actions of the organ are tracker and the stop control is electric.

Irvington Presbyterian Church

Irvington-on-Hudson, about twenty miles north of Manhattan, is home to a very special marvel: the Presbyterian Church, Charles Renwick, architect. The magical stained glass windows have been designed and made by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who worshipped here. A complete renovation of the sanctuary made the replacement of the old electronic organ possible.

The new Klais organ was installed in early Spring 2001. This 3-manual, 29-stop, 35-rank mechanical-action instrument is the firm’s seventh U.S. installation, and the first organ built for an American destination in more than a decade.

TArchitectural modifications to provide a location for the new organ included the construction of a chamber located in the front and speaking down the central axis of the building, above and behind the choir loft. The Great, Swell, and Pedal divisions stand within the new chamber.

The Choir division is enclosed in a freestanding wooden case, positioned as a Chair Organ (English choir division placed behind the console), with expression shades on three sides speaking to the singing choir. The close placement supports and encourages the voices and provides a subtle accompaniment for vocal soloists and instrumentalists. The case also serves as a wall behind the communion table.

The key action is mechanical; the stop action is electric. The Great division and the 8’ and 4’ stops of the Pedal share a common windchest behind the Great Principal 8’ façade. The spacious Swell box, which stands directly behind the Great windchest, is framed by the 16’ Pedal stops, divided in C and C-sharp.

The freestanding console is detached and located between the main instrument and the Choir case, providing the organist with excellent sight lines for conducting the choir. The Choir and Swell can be used separately for expression, or together as one big Swell that envelops the Great and Pedal sound. The keyboards are made of fir with naturals of bone plating and sharps of ebony; the pedalboard is made of oak.

Building renovations also included the removal of wall-to-wall carpeting, and through the leadership of architects Gerald Allen and Jeffrey Harbinson and acoustians Lawrence Kirkegaard and Associates, the acoustics were enhanced to provide a warm and resonant environment for both congregational singing and the spoken word. Under the guidance of Philipp Klais, the instrument was designed by Guido Graumann and voiced by Heinz-Günther Habbig. Barbara Owen and McNeil Robinson served as consultants for the project, in close collaboration with F. Anthony Thurman, who served as music director and organist from 1994 until 2016.

Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco

The organ was designed and built by the von Beckerath Organ Company of Hamburg, Germany, in cooperation with Anthony Newman. It was named the “Water Organ” by the donor, Bonnie Trotta, as water is a symbol of new life, and to reflect the dramatic force, graceful peace, and emotional healing of spiritual music.

The organ incorporates the German Baroque and French Romantic traditions of organ building. The 41 stops, 53 ranks, and 2640 pipes are distributed among the Grand Orgue, Récit expresif, Positif expressif, and Pedal divisions. It has mechanical key action with slider wind chests and electric stop action. The casework style matches the colonial aspects of the Church. The sectional-rounded moldings under the façade pipes refer to the style of the baptismal font. The snowflake pattern of pipe shades pays tribute to the former instrument.

One special feature of the organ is the Cymbelstern, a stop producing the sound of tinkling bells while two decorative stars spin on the case of the organ. The Cymbelstern was donated by Jane Brooks Farrell in memory of her husband, Robert H. Brooks.