A NEW ORGAN FOR ST JAMES' CHURCH
HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA


The city of Hendersonville is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, 100 miles west of Charlotte. St James's Episcopal Church was dedicated in 1863, and has been enlarged several times since then, in the English Gothic style. It is a lofty building with seats for 250. The most recent work in the church included a remarkable improvement in the acoustics, under the guidance of the consultant Scott Riedel.

The two matching oak cases, bracketed out on either side of the chancel, were designed by Didier Grassin, suitably echoing the nineteenth-century work of the English designer and organbuilder Dr Arthur Hill. The south case contains the enclosed Choir Organ; the remainder is all within the north case, including the copper Orchestral Trumpet on 10-inch wind pressure.

The organ is as expressive as it is eye-catching. In many ways it is typical of our Romantic instruments: for example, the Swell and pedal chorus reeds have English closed shallots and are voiced on 6-inch wind pressure.

The organ has 44 stops on three manuals; the console is detached and mobile. Electro-pneumatic action is accompanied by traditional slider chests and reservoirs.


            PEDAL ORGAN
 1. Principal                     16
 2. Gemshorn       (from 22)      16
 3. Sub Bass                      16
 4. Quint          (from 3)       10 2/3
 5. Octave                         8
 6. Bass Flute     (from 3)        8
 7. Fifteenth                      4
 8. Open Flute                     4
 9. Mixture                       IV
10. Trombone                      16
11. Fagotto        (from 42)      16
12. Trumpet                        8
13. Clarion                        4
         I  Choir to Pedal
        II  Great to Pedal
       III  Swell to Pedal


            CHOIR ORGAN 
	   (14 - 20 enclosed)
14. Stopped Diapason               8
15. Flute Céleste      (tenor c)   8
16. Dulciana                       8
17. Gemshorn                       4
18. Fifteenth                      2
19. Quint                          1 1/3
20. Clarinet                       8
        IV  Tremulant
21. Orchestral Trumpet             8
         V  Swell to Choir
            GREAT ORGAN 
22. Gemshorn                      16
23. Open Diapason                  8
24. Hohl Flute                     8
25. Principal                      4
26. Harmonic Flute                 4
27. Twelfth                        2 2/3
28. Fifteenth                      2
29. Seventeenth                    1 3/5
30. Mixture                       IV
31. Trumpet                        8

32. Orchestral Trumpet   (from 21) 8
        VI  Choir to Great
       VII  Swell to Great


            SWELL ORGAN
33. Chimney Flute                  8
34. Salicional                     8
35. Céleste    (G)                 8
36. Principal                      4
37. Stopped Flute                  4
38. Nazard                         2 2/3
39. Block Flute                    2
40. Tierce                         1 3/5
41. Mixture                       IV
42. Fagotto                       16
43. Oboe                           8
44. Cornopean                      8
      VIII  Tremulant
        IX  Octave
         X  Sub Octave
        XI  Unison Off

(Photographs by David Hooks Photographs)


ACCESSORIES
8 General pistons (duplicated by foot pistons)
8 Foot pistons to the Pedal Organ
6 Pistons to the Choir Organ, and 8 to each of the Great and Swell Organs
Reversible pistons to I, II, III, V, VI and VII.
Reversible foot pistson to II, III, VII.
Reversible piston to Full Organ
General Cancel piston
General Crescendo pedal, with 4 settings

The pistons are instantly adjustable with 8 general and 8 divisional memories.


Return to Main Index


For further information, email:
h.h@btinternet.com