I've always found it the strangest ongoing misnomer how 1st Congregational in LA is called the largest church organ on the planet, mentioned as a destination spot for the convention.  It is an acoustical disaster area with a lovely, but not unusual Skinner up front, and a fine Schlicker a ball field's length down the church.  I've played there at times, and, yes there are lots of sets of pipes housed within 4 walls that have been wired to be playable from a console.  Does this make it one instrument?  Certainly not in this case.  The front Skinner and a few of the additions are one complete instrument from one concept and cohesion design.  In the back is the Schlicker - an entirely different instrument in every way.  You could hardly choose more distinctively different organs.  This is great for having the options for various literature.  And you can make lots of sound by throwing it all together - fairly required if you want to create enough sheer sound pressure to give a little sound back to listeners through the acoustical foamed walls and ceiling.  Together there is zero cohesion or "one instrument-ness" between the instrument at least along any standards used for orchestras, choirs, building a piano or any other serious music-making endeavor.  And neither should there be any attempt at such cohesion, or the instruments would be individually ruined.

1st Congregation is a building which happens to have within its 4 physical walls the highest count of operating sets of pipes of any church on the planet.  That is the only distinction I've experienced, and it is a fun curiosity for sure.

Along these lines, if we could suspend the standard of how many sets of pipes are contained within 4 walls, we could interface all the organs from the other adjoining chapels, organs in churches next door, or around town, across the country and nation(s) together.  With proper audio transmission and delays, an organist could rightly play all these organs together from one console - and call it the largest organ in the world.  That would be one for Guiness!

Weston
West Hollywood/California

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note:  opinions  expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  GET LSVCMMDS.TXT  or see  the  web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::