Historic Christ Church in Gordonsville, Virginia, was built in 1875. About 1930 the church was given an Estey organ, which was installed in a small chamber on the north side of the church. This organ had been rebuilt and added to over the years, but had become unreliable. It also did not have the tonal resources to support the ambitious music program.

After many discussions about what the organ should do and where it should be located, we recommended a new organ that would retain the best pipes of the present instrument, located in the former organ chamber, but with the organ brought forward, so that it could project into the nave. The organ had been built with a false facade that was within the organ chamber. We made a new facade of real pipes, keeping the same mouth line and same style of gilded mouths. But by bringing the facade forward, we were able to make the pipes form the same shape as the stained glass windows near the chamber, so that the organ now balances in style and scale.

In order to gain flexibility for accompanying, part of the Great division is enclosed with the Swell. The Principal chorus is exposed directly behind the facade, so that for congregational singing and the organ literature, it can be clearly heard within the nave. The organ had many fine ranks of pipes that were revoiced and retained. We then were able to fill out the tonal design with the sounds the organ lacked. The result is an instrument that has the utmost in flexibility. The specification provides all the right sounds in the right places, and even the organist, Tom May, says that he is constantly discovering new things the organ can do.

The organ was dedicated in a Festival Evensong Service on February 7, 1999. The organ was prepared for the addition of a Trompette en Chamade over the West door, and this will soon be installed, adding yet another dimension of sound to the organ.