Austin Organ, First Congregational Church, Westfield NJ

The facade

Austin Organs, Inc. op. 2547, built in 1972, is housed at First Congregational Church, Westfield NJ. It contains four divisions over two manuals and pedals.

History

In 1951, the congregation built a new sanctuary building. Unlike the previous arrangement, in which the organ was placed against the back of the chancel speaking into the space, the organ was split into two chambers on each side of the chancel. When the Möller organ was moved into the new sanctuary, it was installed in the two chambers with no exposed pipeworks.

In 1964, the church began to consider purchasing a new organ. Besides the state of the installation, other major problems had started to occur with the electro-pneumatic action and combination action. However, the problem of what to do with the organ was deffered for several years. Finally, around 1970 the organ committee was formed. Fred Swann was hired as an organ consultant, as he was the teacher of Nick Tino the organist of the church when he was a student at the Guilmant School. Swann designed a four-division stoplist over two manuals and pedal.

Description

The English Horn 8

The four division layout is a compromise between a two- and three-manual design, as the Enclosed Great is similar in design to a typical Choir division with flutes, a flute celeste, and reed–here an English Horn instead of Cromorne (except that it also includes the Trumpet 8). The Unenclosed Great contains the principal chorus which is exposed on the "stage-right" side, containing a Montre 8, Prestant 4, and 3-rank Fourniture, in addition to 16-foot Quintadena which is on the "stage-left" facade.

The pedal contains a few indipdendent ranks, a 16-8 Contrebasse-Principal unit, an indipendent Choralbass 4, and 2-rank mixture. The rest of the stops are borrowed, the Quintadena 16 and two flutes from the Great and Swell extended to 16-foot, and Rohrschalmei 4. It also includes a 16-foot extension of the Great Trompete 8, called Posaune, even though the extension is half-length meaning it would more accurately be called Fagot or Bassoon).

The Vox Humana 8 on the Swell is retained from the 1924 Möller organ from FCC Westfield. The Swell also includes the Rohrschalmei 4 stop. Usually this stop is reserved for the pedal only, but it was placed in the swell to act as the 4-foot reed, so that it wouldn't be quite as loud as a 4-foot Clairon.

The Enclosed Great is in the "stage-left" chamber with the Pedal 16-8 Principal unit, and the Swell is in the stage-right chamber.

There are a few changed to the layout of the console from that which is required by the AGO Specifications. These were intended by Fred Swann to make the organ more ergonomic and flexible.

• Each division has 8 instead of 6 divisionals.
• "Great/Swell pistons to pedal", which enabled "British mode" divisional use in which hitting a divisional on the Great (or Swell) divisional engages that same divisional in the pedal.
• The layout of the toe studs was changed.

The dedication recital for this organ was performed by Fred Swann on 29 October, 1972.

Stoplist

an advertisement for Austin Op. 2547 in the March 1973 issue of Music

Unenclosed Great				Enclosed Great				Swell				Pedal
Quintaten		16		Bourdon		8		Rohrflöte		8		Grand Cornet		VII
Montre		8		Flauto dolce		8		Viola Pomposa		8		Contre Basse		16
Prestant		4		Dolce celeste		8		Viola Celeste		8		Bourdon (Gr.)		16
Fourniture		III		Koppelflöte		4		Principal		4		Quintaton (Gr.)		16
				Blockflöte		2		Harmonic Flute		4		Gedeckt (ext. Sw.)		16
				Larigot		1 1/3		Octavin		2		Principal (ext.)		8
				Trompete		8		Sesquialtera		II		Rohrflöte (Sw.)		8
				English Horn		8		Mixture		II		Choralbass		4
				tremulant				Trompette		8		Mixture		II
				Chimes				Vox Humana		8		Posaune (ext. Gr.)		16
								Rohrschalmei		4		Rohrschalmei (Sw.)		4
								tremulant						Chimes
								Chimes

Gr. to Gr. 16, 4, Unison off. Sw. to Sw. 16, 4, Unison off. Sw. to Gr. 16, 8, 4. Gr. to Sw. 8. Gr. to Ped. 8. Sw. to Ped. 8, 4.

8 divisionals, Gr. Sw. and Ped. 14 Generals.

Reference

Rehwinkel, William. "50th Anniversary Organ Concert", 2022.

Pipe Organ Database^organ#12489

Pipe Organ Database^{stoplist#12457}