Opus 1 – Milford Hills United Methodist Church (Salisbury, NC)
Organ Specifications (PDF)
Date
1999
Category
Custom Design (Opus)About This Project
The 2-manual, 17-rank installation at Milford Hills United Methodist Church was completed on May 16th of 1999. Mr. John Richardson captivated the audience with an outstanding inaugural concert.
The project fulfilled the expectations of both congregation and builder. The church has been extremely pleased with the visual and functional impact on the sanctuary. The room’s improved acoustics permits the choir to be cognizant of blend and the appropriate projection into the room. Removal of the reredos allowed the choir to become part of the service and not just a sound source as in the past.
The finished organ has a robust principal chorus in the Great Division. The Mixture crowns both the principal chorus and full organ without being shrill or piercing. A multifaceted flute rounds out the specification of the Great Division. It provides options for flute solo work as well as its use in classical literature. To enhance the versatility of a two manual instrument, the Viola, Viola Celeste and Trompette were duplexed as independent stops from the Swell Division to provide additional flexibility in registration.
The Swell Division provides the resources to function as a Swell Division or an enclosed Positiv Division. Space and budget permitted only one string and celeste stop. These strings were scaled to be broad and warm. This scaling complements the Rohrflote to provide the 8’ foundation tone for choir accompaniment. The 2’ Spitz Octave offers a clear focus to the division for Positiv work and completes the Principal chorus for choir accompaniment. Additionally, a Cornet transforms from a flute Sesquiltera to a mounted Cornet when the 2’ Spitz Principal is drawn. The 16’ Rohrgedeckt is available in both divisions as a sub pitch for full chorus registration. The reed voices are derived from a 16’ Bassoon and 8’ Trompette. Scaling and the judicious use of shallot styles permit the reeds to exhibit more color variety than one normally expects.
The Swell Division supports 16’ and 4’ couplers, but no subs or supers are provided on the Great Division. Each stop on the Great was designed and voiced to support its position in the ensemble, eliminating the need for couplers.
The console was designed to our exacting company standards to assure longevity and the comfort of the organist. The manuals were supplied with bone naturals and rosewood sharps, together with tracker touch for precise key action. The console interior is burled maple with rosewood drawknobs and tilting tablets. The combination action is “capture” with 50 levels of memory, and programmable sforzando and crescendo.
Custom scaling and voicing, improvements to the acoustics of the room, and proven standards for organ mechanical design have resulted in an outstanding musical instrument. Please call or write to request our CD featuring the Milford Hills United Methodist Church organ. As always, your comments and inquiries are greatly appreciated.