Big Old Unused Organ

[KleinErzahler]

There are some very interesting pics to be found in a site related to the little M.P. Moller organ for sale:

http://www.neworleanschurches.com/je...rgan/index.htm

Evidently there is a monster Pilcher rebuilt and moved by Moller in this same Church that sits silent to this day. It also looks to have a full length open 32' stop in it.

Here's the spec as taken from the most interesting drawknob layouts seen on the site:

M.P. Moller Opus 3318

Great Organ

16' Open Diapason
8' First Open Diapason
8' Second Open Diapason
8' Stentorphone
8' Gemshorn
8' Gamba
8' Cello
8' Gross Flute
8' Melodia
4' Octave
4' Flute Ouverte
4' Flute Harmonique
2 2/3' Twelfth
III Mixture
8' Tuba
4' Clarion
Tremolo

Swell Organ

16' Bourdon
8' Open Diapason
8' Viol d' Orchestra
8' Viol Celeste
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Orchestral Flute
4' Principal
4' Wald Flute
2' Flageolet
III Dolce Cornet
16' Contra Fagotto
8' Cornopean
8' Orchestral Oboe
8' Vox Humana
Tremolo

Choir Organ

8' Geigen Principal
8' Keraulophone
8' Clarabella
8' Gedeckt
8' Quintadena
8' Dulciana
8' Unda Maris
4' Flute d' Amour
2' Harmonic Piccolo
8' Clarinet
8' French Horn
Harp
Tremolo

Echo Organ

16' Echo Pedal Bourdon
8' Orchestra Violin
8' Muted Violin
8' Wald Flute
8' Flute Celeste
4' Fern Flute
8' Vox Humana
Chimes
Tremolo

Pedal Organ

32' Open Diapason
16' Open Diapason
16' Violone
16' Bourdon
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
10 2/3' Quint
8' Octave
8' Cello
8' Bass Flute
8' Flute
16' Tuba
16' Contra Fagotto
8' Tuba

What a heroic instrument - that's the kind of organ I like! (C:

- Nate

[soubasse32]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ



Is this the church that is buying an electronic?

Too bad they don't restore what they have. [:(]

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ



My thoughts exactly, S32! And what a beautiful church!!

I suspect that the new Phoenix is costing about one-fifth to one-quarter of what a complete, top-quality restoration of the pipe organ would cost. But as long as it remains in situ there is always hope.

[MD1032]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ

Oh my goodness, that looks like quite an organ!! I would love to see that sucker rebuilt, looks like it's around the same vintage as mine, but bigger and better.

[KleinErzahler]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ

I think the action/Moller additions are from '22 - I seem to remember that being somewhere on the site/blueprints.

- N

[organist777]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ



I will be installing the Phoenix PD361 in Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in New Orleans, some time before Easter 2007. There are valid reasons why re-building the Pilcher 4-manual could not be re-built, regardless of desire or costs. Unfortunately, that organ was abandonoed in place in about 1965 since nearly 90% of the stops had been disconnected by then as they failed. Sometime between 1968 and 1972 the big ornate 4-manual console had been dismantled and removed. A local pipe organ company has been "blamed" for this, and for giving "less-than-adequate" service to the organ for several years, but that's another story, which I don't want to get into.

This is what remains of the old organ....

The Great Organ (chamber on the right as you face the gallery end on Baronne St, nearest the
outside) had some serious damage to most of the pipes. It looks like a set of
trumpet pipes that had been mounted above the main chest had broken loose from
its ties and crashed onto the chest below, crushing just about all of the pipes
in the middle of the chest.

The Choir organ (right side, over the nave) had a lot of pipes taken out of
their holes and were strewn about.... had disappeared... probably sold off.

In 1979 or before, the entire Swell organ
(left side, over the nave) had been sold, pipe by pipe, by the then-pastor, to
an organ builder, I think from Texas.

What remains "untouched", as far as I know, are the Echo and Pedal divisions
(left side, nearest the street), although some of the echo pipes were
crunched up too, and there is water damage to most if not all windchests. The largest 32' pedal pipes, against the outside wall, cannot be
reached easily, so were never tuned nor regulated. Leaky roofs and hurricanes have taken their toll. The blower was long ago removed.

The organ itself had gone through a major damaging rebuild when it was
reinstalled after the church was torn down and rebuilt in 1928-29. Had to do with greatly
increased wind pressure and cutting of pipes.... Moller did this. It was pretty much ruined then as
a historical instrument! Re-building this organ was out of the question since there is not enough of the original organ to work with, and even what is left has been altered so much that it no longer has any historical value, or musical viability.

There may be at some future time, enough of the Echo division left to add it back to the new Phoenix PD361, but there are no plans on the board to do so at this time.

You can see pictures of the church and the remains of the old Pilcher here:

http://www.neworleanschurches.com/jesuits/jesuits.htm

Hope this info helps.

Dave.

D.L. Simmons & Company Church Organs
http://www.qualityorgans.com

[Austin766]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ

But if the church raised the money, though, the pipes could be replaced, you have the specs, and a new four manual console could be had, it could even be an exact replica of the original.

[organist777]

Re: Big Old Unused Organ

This is a church that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and was closed for repairs from August 2005 until June 2006. With those huge expenses, and a huge drop of church revenues due to more than 1/2 the population leaving, a new or rebuilt pipe organ was not possible, now or in the foreseeable future.