Parkey Organ Builders :: Distinguished Pipe Organs

Great (Unenclosed)

16	Gemshorn	61 pipes
8	Principal	61 pipes+
8	Holz Gedackt	61 pipes+
4	Octave	61 pipes+
4	Bourdon	61 pipes+
2	Fifteenth	61 pipes+
IV	Mixture	244 pipes+
8	Trompete	61 pipes
	Festival Trumpet	Choir
	Chimes	Prepared
	Zimblestern
	Great Unison Off

Swell (Enclosed)

16	Rohrgedeckt (digital)	61 pipes*
8	Rohrflöte	61 pipes
8	Viole de Gamba	61 pipes
8	Viole Celeste	54 pipes
8	Spire Flute	61 pipes*
8	Flute Celeste	49 pipes*
4	Harmonic Flute	61 pipes+
2	Spitz Principal	61 pipes+
III	Plein Jeu	183 pipes+
16	Bassoon	61 pipes
8	Trompette	61 pipes
4	Schalmei	61 pipes
	Tremulant
	Swell 16
	Swell Unison Off
	Swell 4

Positiv (Unenclosed)

8	Nason Gedackt	61 pipes
4	Spitzflöte	61 pipes
2	Prinzipal	61 pipes
1 1/3	Quinte	61 pipes
1	Sifflöte	61 pipes
III	Zimbel	183 pipes+
	Positiv Unison Off

Choir (Enclosed)

8	Viola Pomposa	61 pipes*
8	Viola Celeste	49 pipes*
8	Gedeckt	61 pipes+
8	Erzähler	61 pipes
8	Erzähler Celeste	49 pipes
4	Koppelflöte	61 pipes
2 2/3	Nazard	61 pipes+
2	Blockflöte	61 pipes+
1 3/5	Tierce	61 pipes+
8	Krummhorn	61 pipes
8	Festival Trumpet	61 pipes*
	Tremulant
	Choir 16
	Choir Unison Off
	Choir 4

Pedal (Unenclosed)

32	Contra Principal (Digital)	32 notes*
32	Contra Bourdon (Digital)	32 notes*
16	Principal	32 pipes
16	Bourdon	12 pipes
16	Violon	32 pipes*
16	Gemshorn	Great
16	Rohrgedeckt	12 pipes
8	Octave	32 pipes
8	Gemshorn	Great
8	Rohrflöte	Swell
4	Fifteenth	12 pipes
4	Choral Bass	32 pipes
4	Nachthorn	32 pipes
2	Twenty-second	12 pipes
III	Mixture	96 pipes
32	Contra Posaune(Digital)	32 notes*
16	Posaune	32 pipes
16	Bassoon	Swell
8	Trompete	12 pipes
4	Klarine	12 pipes
4	Schalmei	Swell
8	Festival Trumpet	Choir
4	Festival Trumpet	Choir

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8
Swell to Pedal 8
Swell to Pedal 4
Choir to Pedal 8
Choir to Pedal 4
Positiv to Pedal 8

Swell to Great 16
Swell to Great 8
Swell to Great 4
Choir to Great 16
Choir to Great 8
Choir to Great 4
Positiv to Great 16
Positiv to Great 8
Swell to Positiv 16
Swell to Positiv 8
Swell to Positiv 4
Great to Positiv 8
Choir to Positiv 8

Positiv to Choir 16
Positiv to Choir 8

Choir/Positiv Transfer

Combination Action

32 Levels of memory
Great to Pedal Reversible	Thumb & Toe
Swell to Pedal Reversible	Thumb & Toe
Positiv to Pedal Reversible	Thumb & Toe
Choir to Pedal Reversible	Thumb & Toe
Positiv/Choir Transfer Reversible	Thumb Only
Setter
General Cancel
Sforzando Reversible	Thumb & Toe
Reeds Off Reversible	Toe Only
8 General Piston	Thumb & Toe
6 Choir Divisional Pistons
6 Swell Divisional Pistons
6 Great Divisional Pistons
4 Positiv Divisional Pistons
6 Pedal Divisional Toe Studs

Festival Trumpet is not affected by couplers,
but move with Choir/Positiv Transfer.

*denotes new additions

+denotes revoiced, repitched or relocated ranks

Parkey OrganBuilders was commissioned in April 1995 to complete the necessary renovation, re-engineering and tonal additions to the four-manual, forty-eight-rank Schantz (1966) pipe organ. This commission followed many months of intense work with committees covering many aspects of the renovation. The organ builder was charged with a project that took the resources of the present organ and reconfigured them to fit the new surroundings and the increased musical needs of the church.

As the project moved forward, an acoustical study was done to ascertain precisely the changes needed to the sanctuary and the organ. Parkey OrganBuilders' first responsibility was the redesign and placement of the organ. The renovation committee then followed the recommendations of the music staff and organ builder to enhance the sanctuary’s acoustical response. Changes were also made to place the organ on a central axis of the room, replacing the previously less-than-ideal side chambers.

After the renovation committee addressed the "dry" acoustics of the room, the music committee pushed forward to address the expansion of the organ. The original organ design displayed the influences of the Germanic and Baroque revival style prominent during the 1960s and 1970s, including narrow pipe scales, low wind pressures, and an emphasis on upperwork. Though this has been a prominent and important style of organ building, many churches and musicians now wish to include music which requires a broader tonal palette. Parkey OrganBuilders had to reconsider the tonal design to successfully match the new additions with the organ’s existing resources. Many stops were rescaled and revoiced to achieve an optimal and cohesive tonal balance for the new installation. Irving G. Lawless of Hagerstown, Maryland, assisted with the tonal revision and final tonal finishing of the instrument. The new specification indicates the stops that were added or revoiced from the original organ.

Highlighting the front of the sanctuary is a new thirty-foot Mahogany case, housing the organ and the new 16’ Pedal Violon stop. In addition, a new 8’ Festival Trumpet was added to the Choir Division for the organ’s final flourish. The Schantz-Parkey organ now encompasses fifty-four ranks and four digital stops, giving sixty-three stops distributed over four manuals and pedal.

Dr. John Weaver played the dedicatory recital in October 1996. Dr. Joyce Jones performed on the instrument for the final meeting of the 1996-1997 Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The instrument was used by various artists for concerts and evensong services during the Centennial Olympic Games in the summer of 1996.

Central Presbyterian Church Atlanta, Georgia

Central Presbyterian Church
Atlanta, Georgia