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Fri, 5 Sep 1997 21:47:56 +0000
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Nelson and Tracy Denton wrote:
 
> >Has anyone ever worked on or played a PELS organ?
 
I grew up playing a small, unusual 24-rank Pels pipe organ, from about
1959/1960, located in the First Christian Reformed Church, Chino,
California.
 
Stoplist is:
 
Pedal (32 notes; in Great chamber)
Principal 16'
Quintaton 16'
Octave 8' (extension)
Quintade 8' (extension)
Choral Bass 4' (extension)
Mixture IV
Gt to Ped Unison, Super
Sw to Ped Unison, Super
 
Swell (61 notes, 73 note chests)*
Rohrflvte 8'
Viole de Gambe 8'
Viole Celeste 8'
Principal 4'
Spitzflvte 4'
Mixture III
Trompette 8'
Oboe 8'
Swell Sub, Unison Off, Super
Tremulant
 
Great (61 notes)
Principal 8'
Bourdon 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Octave 4'
Mixture IV
Chimes (console preparation)
Great Sub, Unison Off, Super
Swell to Great Sub, Unison, Super
 
*Top 12 notes of Swell chests not playing last time I was there, several
years ago, due to change over to solid-state keying that, through
someone's stupidity, did not take into consideration the need for that
extra octave on such an unusual instrument: 24 ranks, only two of which
are unified, and yet no stops above 4' pitch (except mixtures), no
manual 16' stops, and no 16' reed at all.
 
Until the late 1970s the Great/Pedal was under expression until it was
decided that removing the shades would improve tonal egress and
projection into the room. What little improvement there was sadly
sacrificed the ability to most effectively exploit the Great stops as
accompaniment and foil to the Swell stops.
 
Still, it's a fun little instrument to play, although its character is
greatly reduced thanks to a late 1980s remodeling which included
replacing the wooden pews with apholstered "kerken" couches and a
much-thicker carpeting.
 
Ken Sybesma

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