The Organ Forum

We had the opportunity to play this organ a couple of days ago and to get a close look at the console. Thought it might be of interest to some. It is certainly one of the finer instruments in this area. Matt and I were at the church working on a digital piano. Minister of Music Eric Jones graciously allowed us access to the organ. We were of course delighted to lay hands on this organ which we had heard many times but had not played before. 

Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock is one of the most respected Baptist congregations in the state, and for a long time was the largest church in Arkansas. Their music program is varied, but still includes traditional hymns sung with organ. Their excellent organist, Lyndon Finney, has been with them for 34 years and plays wonderful service music with great style. Eric Jones is himself a fine organist and is sometimes seen on the bench during worship services.

When IBC built an entirely new facility a few years back, an organ was commissioned from Ruffatti, with digital enhancements by Walker. Here's a link to the description on Ruffatti's site:   http://www.ruffatti.com/specs/little_rock.html

And here's a link to the church's site, the page where the organ is described:

http://ibclr.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=162&Itemid=212

The Ruffatti page doesn't reveal it, but a good deal of the organ is actually Walker digital. The primary choruses are pipe, as are the stunning horizontal trumpets. But the 32' stops, secondary choruses, celestes, and several other stops are digital. It was incredible to sit at the console drawing one stop after another and marveling at how they all fit together. Matt and I "thought" we could tell which ones were digital, but I wouldn't bet the grocery money on my judgment. I'm sure that 99% of people hearing it would never guess it was partly digital.

(On the Ruffatti page, the stops marked "prepared" are Walker stops. I'm not positive, but I think some of the stops that were supposed to be pipe wound up being Walker as well. All the stops on the console play except for the Celestial division, mentioned below.)

The wonderful thing is how marvelously this organ fits the room and fills it will sound. The chest-pounding authority is there, and also the sweetest and loveliest quiet tones one could wish for. A future expansion planned is for a "celestial" division sounding from the rotunda high above the nave, consisting of numerous celestes and other ethereal sounds.

The console control system is by Peterson and includes some nice features such as a transposer, sequencer, full MIDI implementation, piston sequencer, and certainly many other features we didn't discover in our brief time. It is also a very beautiful console with some fabulous woodwork.

Anyway, it was a joy to the ear and to the eye. We don't get an opportunity like this every day.

John

 

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

"It is certainly one of the finer instruments in this area." (jbird604)

Interesting.

Glad you got to come to Little Rock, it's a great place. I hope you have evaded all the nasty weather around here lately, it's been terrible.

I find your reception of the organ interesting, considering the fact that this instrument was not economically designed. And they prepared for a Celestial Division? I'm shocked. I had not heard that until now. Are they ever going to add in some of the prepared stops? I certainly hope this takes precedence over the additions of a Celestial Division. That poor Swell at least needs that 8' Gambe and 8' Gambe Celeste. (Or the 8' Gemshorn and 8' Gemshorn Celeste in the Choir!) You should come down and check out some of the magnificent Nichols and Simpson organs in this area. I think you will change your mind.

Oh, by the way, Fred Swann is coming to First Presbyterian in Fort Smith on the 27th, I don't know if you live in that part of Arkansas, but getting to hear Mr. Swann will certainly be a privilege. It would be nice to see you there too, because I don't think we've met. Also, that organ there isn't the greatest, but if your curious you can check it out in my gallery on the forum.

Violoncello 

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Do you Has what it takes to be an Organist?

Speaking of Ruffatti.....here's the link to a BIG Ruffatti I got a chance to play a couple of weeks ago just north of Atlanta.

http://www.ruffatti.com/specs/alpharetta.html

It's a beautiful instrument, text book installation, fun to play but the room is DEAD!!! On the bench it's thrilling but as you work your way back to the rear it just goes away

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"The Organ is in truth the grandest, the most daring,
the most magnificent of all instruments invented by human genius."

Violincello,

Didn't know you were an Arkansan too, but it's nice to know. I'm not far from Little Rock and work there frequently. Of course I'm familiar with the Nichols & Simpson organs and obviously they are in a class by themselves. But I still say this organ can be called "one of the finer instruments" in the area. Incredibly powerful and sweet, a real gem to find in a Baptist church.

We did thoroughly enjoy playing the Ruffatti.. Yes, it is a work in progress, as you note. The "prepared" stops are all being produced at the present time by Walker equipment, so, as I said, the only non-functioning knobs on the console are those intended for the "celestial" division at some point. Eric Jones indicated that perhaps there would be other priorities ahead of the "celestial" addition. We'll have to wait and see what develops.

We won't re-hash the whole question about the appropriateness or quality of digital stops, but to my ears (and skin!) these Walker stops are fantastic and the organ would be the poorer without them, though of course no one would object to having them all filled out with real pipes!

Yes, the weather has been awful, and we may have some more of it later in the week. We'll just try to stay covered up and dry. Will have some organs and pianos to tune when this all comes to a stop.

John

 

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

Please do keep safe in this weather! We are a dying breed, we can't afford to lose any more of us! 

I'm sorry if it seemed like I bashed the organ. Ruffatti is a respected builder and they deserve praise for some truly phenomenal work. While I would take pipes over digitals anyday, I do think the Walker Technical stops can work wonders in the pipe organ industry-if used in moderation. In fact, Nichols and Simpson uses Walker in the digital stops they use! (Usually around 4-5 Digitals per instrument. This includes 32's and percussions.) I can tell you of one instance, at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, they did not have room for a 16' Open Wood, so they installed a bass-woofer and tucked it away at the end of the chancel where it could not be seen. This stop truly does wonders for the instrument: It adds perfect gravitas, its definition and depth of tone are out-of-this world. It packs quite a wallop! Also, the Wicks organ at First Presbyterian in Ft. Smith (that one in my gallery) uses Walker Technical for their digitals. The 32' Untersatz really causes a rumble. If Wicks would only come back and redo that instrument, it would be so much better...

I digress, since you've played that organ, could you answer some questions I have about this instrument? It would be most appreciated. Here we go:

Are the pistons lighted? It kind of looked like it from where I've seen the organ. Are the great trumpets English style? Have you been in the chambers, is their much room for expansion? What construction are the windchests? Are they slider? Do both 16' Principals sound different?  Do you know the specs for the prepared celestial division? When Mr. Jones indicated further priorities did any of those priorities include adding strings?

Thanks jbird604, I think I asked too many questions, I was just curious about the instrument because it is still very much a new thing here in town!

Violoncello 

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Do you Has what it takes to be an Organist?

I don't know about the reeds, and wind chests, but I know for a fact, that the pistons are lighted.

I did not know that Nicholas and Simpson used digital stops in some of their instruments.

Also, I will have to see if I can get in the chambers some time soon.

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"Unless music is composed and performed to the glory of GOD, it is nothing but a clammering and a clanging to the ears!"
~J.S. Bach

VC,

I missed your post with more questions about the Ruffatti until just now when Octavebasse8 chimed in.  Actually, you're asking questions that I can't answer, having had only that one encounter with the organ up close. Maybe we'll get a chance to have another look at that organ one day soon and can tell you more about it.

Octavebasse8, you may know more about it than I since you've done some recording on it. Feel free to offer your observations. I'd enjoy hearing about your reactions and whether or not you agree that the Walker stops are quite convincing and useful.

I'm guessing that Eric Jones was thinking they may be more interested in replacing some of the Walker stops with pipes than in implementing the Celestial division, or maybe there will be some expansion of the stop list in the existing divisions before they get to that Celestial. Either way, it probably means more pipes before more digital.

John

 

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

I've had one or maybe two encounters with hybrids (one I'm not quite sure if it was or was not a hybrid {I should consult Wicks to find out]) One of which was a Rodgers/Ruffatti which in my opinion was just awful. The only pipes in the instrument were 4 ranks of principals, on a 3 manual organ. I also hated the console (one of those hideous lighted drawknob and lighted coupler monsters). Although I suppose technically, I encountered many hybrids, since some of the instruments I've been to had electronic 32s, and were otherwise all pipe, but those don't really count in the hybrid category, they really belong in the 100% pipe organ category. Sorry for my rant. What sort of console do they have connected to the instrument?

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

Here's a link to a photo (taken by my partner) of the Ruffatti console. Notice the LCD screen in one corner of the music desk. There is an AC outlet on top of the console for additional lighting. Console control is by Peterson. Extensive MIDI capabilities. Not much else that I know about it.

[OOPS . . the link doesn't work. Look down a few posts and see the picture itself, if that works . . .  ]

The organ is scheduled to be tuned this week and we are planning to drop in for a visit, maybe get to see some of it close up.

John

 

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

deleted unintended post

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

I clicked the link and got a message stating the picture was currently unavailable. Though from the picture I saw on the church's website it looks like a fairly normal console (not the goofy lighted knobs and couplers).

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control

Speaking of Ruffattis....here is the link for the Ruffatti we take care of.  This is NO hybrid and it's a blast to play.

http://www.ruffatti.com/new_organs.html

It the organ in Alpharetta, Ga.  John's Creek Baptist Church

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"The Organ is in truth the grandest, the most daring,
the most magnificent of all instruments invented by human genius."

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

OK. I got the photo to appear here, but without a caption. First time I've ever successfully posted a photo (patting self on back). Anyway, above you can see the console. Nothing shabby about that! 

John

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

jbird604:

Anyway, above you can see the console. Nothing shabby about that!

Possibly...  I like to look inside the console and at the materials before I would pass judgement.  (speaking in general terms about any console, not specifically about this builder). 

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Soubasse32