Wesley United Methodist Church
Vienna, VA - Organ rebuilt by Lewis & Hitchcock, 2010
The Wicks organ was installed in 1966 and enlarged in 1971. The organ had begun to have problems in the switching system and combination action. Working with Harvey Bowles and Dick Takamatsu of the Trustees and Jason Bowles, Organist, we developed a plan to rebuild the organ, including replacing the switching system and relays with a new multiplex system that would provide a large combination action with accessories such as a Transposer as well as a piston Sequencer with Previous and Next functions. New keyboards have a better feel as well as reliable contact systems.
We also recommended the replacement of one rank of pipes that would not hold voicing. As plans went forward, the desire was expressed to add some digital stops, and eventually a full complement of digital stops was designed to complete the organ tonally.
Chancel of the church
The organ is in the rear gallery behind the choir. The pipes of the Great are exposed behind the choir, around the rose window.
The console is at the front of the loft, facing the choir.
This is how the console appeared before our work.
In the factory the console was gutted and prepared for the new drawknobs and equipment.
The best place for the control panel was on the music rack of the eyeline console.
The new multiplex solid-state action is being installed in the console.
Complete in the factory, the console is checked over before delivery to the church.
Then the console was delivered and installed.
Because space in the chambers was limited, the bass speaker cabinet for the digital stops was custom finished to match the grillwork. The Choir and Pedal divisions are in the left chamber, and the Swell division is in the right chamber.
The new 4’Spillpfeife of the Great division.
The control panel shows the position of the expression shoes, as well as the memory level and the last piston used.
Not visible in the pictures is the record/playback system.
The result is a flexible organ that can easily provide the right sound for the music, which will operate reliably for years to come.
Great Organ
16’ Violone
61 notes, Walker Pardox System
1.
8’ Principal
61 pipes
2.
8’ Bourdon
61 pipes
3.
4’ Octave
61 pipes
4.
4’ Spillpfeife
61 pipes, new pipes on existing chest
5.
2 2/3’ Twelfth
61 pipes
6.
2’ Fifteenth
61 pipes
8’ Trumpet
61 notes, Walker Pardox System
Chimes
32 notes, Walker Paradox System
16' Great to Great
8' Great Unison Off
4' Great to Great
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
16' Choir to Great
8' Choir to Great
4' Choir to Great
Swell
18 drawknobs
7.
16’ Rohr Gedeckt
61 pipes
8’ Geigen Diapason
61 notes, Walker Paradox System
8’ Rohrflute
12 pipes & #7
8.
8’ Viole d’Gambe
61 pipes
9.
8’ Viole Celeste tc
49 pipes
10.
4’ Geigen Principal
61 pipes
11.
4’ Nachthorn
61 pipes
12.
2’ Piccolo
61 pipes
13.
1 1/3’ Plein Jeu III
183 pipes
16’ Contre Trompette
12 pipes & #14
14.
8’ Trompette
61 pipes
8’ Vox Humana
61 notes, Walker Pardox System
15.
8’ Hautbois
61 pipes
4’ Clarion
12 pipes & #14
Tremolo
16' Swell to Swell
8' Swell Unison Off
4' Swell to Swell
Choir
18 drawknobs
16.
8’ Nason Gedeckt
61 pipes
17.
8’ Erzahler
61 pipes
18.
8’ Erzahler Celeste tc
49 pipes
19.
4’ Koppelflute
61 pipes
20.
2 2/3’ Nazard
61 pipes
21.
2’ Blockflute
61 pipes
22.
1 3/5’ Tierce
61 pipes
23.
8’ Krummhorn
61 pipes
Tremolo
8’ Harp
61 notes, Walker Pardox System
4’ Celesta
61 notes, Walker Pardox System
8’ Festival Trumpet
61 notes, Walker Paradox System, high power
16' Choir to Choir
8' Choir Unison Off
4' Choir to Choir
16' Swell to Choir
8' Swell to Choir
4' Swell to Choir
Pedal
18 drawknobs
32’ Untersatz
32 notes, Walker Paradox System
16’ Principal
32 notes, Walker Paradox System
24.
16’ Bourdon
32 pipes
16’ RohrGedeckt
from #7
25.
8’ SpitzPrincipal
32 pipes
8’ Bourdon
12 pipes & #24
8’ Rohrflute
from #7
4’ SpitzPrincipal
12 pipes & #25
4’ Bourdon
12 pipes & #24
2’ Octave
from #1
16’ Trombone
32 notes, Walker Paradox System
4’ Hautbois
from #15
8' Great to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Swell to Pedal
8' Choir to Pedal
4' Choir to Pedal
Pistons:
Under Swell:
General 1-5, Sw/Ped,
Swell 1-6, Zimb
Under Great:
General 6-10, Gt/Ped, Previous,
Great 1-6, Next, Sw/Gt, Ch/Gt, SFZ
Under Choir:
Set,
Pedal 1-5,
Ch/Ped,
Choir 1-6,
Sw/Ch, Gen Cancel
Toe Movements:
Left:
Center:
Right:
Previous
Next
General 1-5
Ch/Sw/Cresc
Gt/Ped, Sw/Ped, Ch/Ped, SFZ
General 6-10
shoes
Pedal 1-5
Memory Level Selector: 1-128
Transposer: +/- 6 half steps
Piston Sequencer with Next & Back function
MIDI IN/OUT/THROUGH Ports
MIDI Data Filer to record and play back performances
White knobs for stops and division couplers, black knobs for intermanual couplers.
The existing console shell was retained. The manual keys, pistons, drawknobs, toe studs and all internal works are new. The speakers for the Walker Paradox system are hidden within the organ except for the large pedal speaker, which was custom finished to match the grillwork, and stands in front of it on the right side.
Additions/Changes in Italics