The Church Organ
The pipe organ located in the sanctuary plays an active role in the worship and musical life of Broad Street Presbyterian Church. It was originally built in 1937 by the M.P. Moller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. The organ had 4 manuals and pedal, with 66 ranks of pipes. It was rebuilt in 1986 by the Schantz Organ Company of Orville, Ohio, incorporating slightly more than half of the original Moller pipework and windchests.
It is one of the finest pipe organs in Central Ohio, hailed as a “crown jewel” in Columbus. In the 1986 rebuild, new cantilevered cases were constructed on either side of the beautiful west Tiffany window, and a set of brass Trompette en Chamade pipes was placed horizontally over the east entrance doors in the back of the sanctuary, on either side of the east Tiffany window.
The new console has 4 manuals and pedal, controlling 66 ranks; there are more than 4,000 pipes located in the two cantilevered cases and two large chambers above the north and south choir lofts. A new Peterson combination system with 99 levels of memory, 4 crescendo levels, and a piston sequencer was installed in 2001. At that time, new Harris draw knobs were also installed.
Subsequent upgrades include replacement of the original maple and rosewood keyboards, which had deteriorated after twenty years of use, with ivory keyboards originally used in another Schantz instrument in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, the original key contacts and other electronic components inside the console were replaced with up to date equipment.
The large bundled wire cables connecting the console and the switching systems in the pipe chambers were replaced with multiplexing. Finally, the organ has been equipped with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), enabling the organ to record and play itself back. It also allows other electronic keyboards to be connected to the organ.
All upgrades were performed by J.W. Muller Pipe Organ Company of Croton, Ohio, who also maintains the instrument. For a complete specification of the organ, contact Jim Hildreth at jhildreth@bspc.org.
The Church Organ
The pipe organ located in the sanctuary plays an active role in the worship and musical life of Broad Street Presbyterian Church. It was originally built in 1937 by the M.P. Moller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. The organ had 4 manuals and pedal, with 66 ranks of pipes. It was rebuilt in 1986 by the Schantz Organ Company of Orville, Ohio, incorporating slightly more than half of the original Moller pipework and windchests.
It is one of the finest pipe organs in Central Ohio, hailed as a “crown jewel” in Columbus. In the 1986 rebuild, new cantilevered cases were constructed on either side of the beautiful west Tiffany window, and a set of brass Trompette en Chamade pipes was placed horizontally over the east entrance doors in the back of the sanctuary, on either side of the east Tiffany window.
The new console has 4 manuals and pedal, controlling 66 ranks; there are more than 4,000 pipes located in the two cantilevered cases and two large chambers above the north and south choir lofts. A new Peterson combination system with 99 levels of memory, 4 crescendo levels, and a piston sequencer was installed in 2001. At that time, new Harris draw knobs were also installed.
Subsequent upgrades include replacement of the original maple and rosewood keyboards, which had deteriorated after twenty years of use, with ivory keyboards originally used in another Schantz instrument in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, the original key contacts and other electronic components inside the console were replaced with up to date equipment.
The large bundled wire cables connecting the console and the switching systems in the pipe chambers were replaced with multiplexing. Finally, the organ has been equipped with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), enabling the organ to record and play itself back. It also allows other electronic keyboards to be connected to the organ.
All upgrades were performed by J.W. Muller Pipe Organ Company of Croton, Ohio, who also maintains the instrument. For a complete specification of the organ, contact Jim Hildreth at jhildreth@bspc.org.