The Great Organ

The Great Organ is the primary manual division, containing lots of foundation stops, and is the division primarily heard during hymns.  Most of the pipes visible on the left side of the chancel are from this division; some are also from the Pedal Organ.  At present there are nine speaking stops on the Great, controlling 13 ranks of pipes, including the Trompette en Chamade, which is the horizontal rank of pipes above the right side of the chancel.  We will be digitally adding a large Flute stop, as well as Chimes and a Zimbelstern (literally, bell-star) to the Great.  The Zimbelstern will most often be heard around Christmas, where it adds a delightful tinkle to Baroque organ works.  Two stops from the Pedal organ will also become playable on the Great, and, to get real techie, the en Chamade will play at three octaves:  16’, 8’, and 4’.  The Great, therefore, will grow from the present 10 stop knobs to a new total of 21, plus three blanks for future additions. 

The organ will also become MIDI capable, which means that, with the addition of a sound module, literally hundreds of new and different sounds will be available to the organist.  As church music continues to change and evolve, this will enable Calvary’s future musicians to keep up with current trends.  The organ is one of the few musical instruments that have proven capable of evolving, for well over 1,000 years.  Most other instruments have either changed or become extinct.