The Westminster Organ
Westminster’s Austin pipe organ celebrates the 20th anniversary of its installation during the year 2011.
The organ’s beautiful range of sounds has supported countless worship services, weddings, funerals, and concerts. With the sanctuary’s lively acoustics, the organ supports congregational singing with warmth and power, supports the choir and soloists in a wide variety of music, and displays its versatility in organ literature from the 17th century to the present. The Austin organ is a joy to hear as it enriches our worship at Westminster.
ABOUT THE ORGAN
Austin Organs, Inc.
Hartford, Connecticut
Opus 2734
1991
Our organ’s 81 ranks of pipes (4,772 pipes in all) are divided among six divisions: Pedal, Great, Swell, Choir, Enclosed Choir, and Nave. The organ is played from the console’s three 61-note manual keyboards and a 32-note pedalboard. The console includes knobs for pulling on the stops and buttons (pistons) for controlling combinations of stops. Couplers provide the means to combine the stops of one or more divisions to be played together on one keyboard. This adds to the variety of possible sounds.
The organ’s stops fall into four categories of sound. The principals or diapasons provide the organ’s unique sound; these are the backbone of the entire ensemble. The flutes, strings, and reeds more or less imitate their orchestral counterparts and contribute their variety of tonal colors to the ensemble.
Pedal
Played by the feet, these notes provide the rich bass which is often felt rather than heard. The largest pipes in the organ are found in the Pedal division. In addition, there are several stops that provide clear solo lines in the upper registers as required by some music. Each of the four families of sound is heard in the Pedal division.
Great
The stops on the far right of the console belong to the Great Division. “Great” means most important or principal, the foundation organ. The sounds on the Great organ serve well for the accompaniment of hymns and other “big sounds” found in the repertoire. The Great and Pedal organs together provide the fundamental sound of the entire instrument. The Great division is played on the bottom manual. This division has flute stops of major importance and sparkling mixtures, which add bright higher pitches to the basic organ sound.
Swell
The Swell division is played on the upper manual. “Swell,” meaning to enlarge or grow, does just that by means of shutters that enclose the division. (Although the organ as an instrument dates back to ca. 265 B.C., the Swell division did not come into existence until around 1712.) The organist opens and closes the shutters at will, achieving varied degree of volume. The sound of the Swell organ is secondary to that of the Great organ. Its reeds and diapasons are rich and full, providing great drama when the organist opens and closes the shutters. Also, the broad sounds of the strings and flutes are found in the Swell.
Choir and Enclosed Choir
Some pipes of the Choir division of our organ are enclosed in chambers (like the Swell and others are exposed, creating a pleasing visual and aural effect. “Choir” is a corruption of the word chair, which historically refers to a division of pipes installed immediately behind the organ console, at chair level, hence the term. In modern instruments the Choir organ provides light, clear sounds that are ideal for accompanying the singing choir. The softer reed solo stops are also found in this division, as well as the softest, gentlest sound of the entire organ. The advantage of having half the pipes of this division under expression with the other half exposed provides more versatility for the organist. The Choir division is played on the middle manual.
Nave
The Nave organ refers to the pipes that are visible at the back of the nave on either side of the balcony. The purpose of the nave organ is to enhance congregational singing. Also found in the Nave division is the brilliant Solo Trumpet made of copper pipes, which is used for weddings and other ceremonial occasions.
Digital Carillon
A Schulmerich digital carillon is included as part of the organ. Modern technology allows the organist to choose many types of percussion sounds: bells, chimes, celesta, carillon, and others. The carillon is available to the organist on each division of the organ.
This wonderful instrument helps us to sing with greater joy, to pray with deeper awareness, to listen to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our hearts as together we worship from week to week.
WESTMINSTER ORGAN SUMMER 2011
Celebrate the Austin organ’s 20th year on six Thursdays at 5 p.m., beginning June 16. Read more.