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Concord Church Home
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Praise Him With Organs
...with big, loud organs!
Once upon a time, our church organ gave up the ghost.
So...
Another church had a spare organ sitting around and gave it to us.
What a deal!!!
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Concord Missionary Baptist Church had a spare organ. Here is the organ console after they decomissioned the instrument and placed it "down" on the floor. The church deacons had already decided to give the non-used organ to a church needing an instrument. New Covenant was certainly "in need" of an organ.
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The Concord Church gave us a beautiful Rodgers 925 Oxford church organ in pristine condition.
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The first thing that happened was to move the console from Concord to NCPC. The non-working console sits right in front of the choir. The large console was not connected to anything at first. But it sure did look good.
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All of the speakers and amplifiers were placed in a large room off of the chancel area. This is only part of the sound system for this fourteen-channel organ.
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This is the LEFT speaker chamber with the grill cloth removed.
Before the organ could be played, work was needed to get the two organ "speaker" chambers ready. The paneling was opened up completely to allow a broader sound overall. Someone had to climb that ladder to lift multiple speaker systems and amplifiers from the front, into the chamber. It obviously was NOT the church organist.
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This is the LEFT speaker chamber again. Here, the speakers are being placed by Rodgers technician, Bill Ehrke, the best in the business.
As a long-time Rodgers tedhnician, Bill was the head of the team that installed the organ originally in Concord Church when it was new, eighteen years ago. Nobody knows this instrument as well as Bill.
When the technical installation was almost finished, Bill brought in William Morris from the Dallas suburb of Houston. William Morris (Bill#2) did the tonal voicing on the organ. As an organ "voicer," Bill #2 had the tedious job of adjusting each organ "rank" to sound harmoniously with the other ranks while working collectively with the acoustics of the room, producing the most accurate sound. The two "Bills" have worked together on dozens of organ installations for around thirty-years. When the organist played the first few notes, it was obvious that the two musician/technicians had completed a splended task.
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This is the RIGHT organ chamber.
With furniture covered, some minor "re-configuring" of the chancel area was necessary, painting, acoustically transparent grill cloth, etc.
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From this overview of the sanctuary midway through the installation, it is easy to see the relationship between the two large speaker chambers, the choir and the placement of the organ console behind the pulpit, yet in front of the choir.
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From the bell choir tables, you can see the relationship of the piano, the choir and console in the center. This photo was taken before any installation work had started. In the upper-left of the photo, you can also see the small opening for the organ sound, before the entire chamber was opened wide and "re-grilled."
The new organ even has a Zimbelstern!
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The Zimbelstern is a musical instrument which rings small bells at random as an accompaniment to organ music. The word Zimbelstern means "cymbal-star." In fact, the original Zimbelsterns were made in the shape of a star with small bells at each point. You may have seen something like a Zimbelstern in a popular holiday table decoration where candles turn a windmill which strikes small cymbals.
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Three manuals, lighted drawknobs, plenty of couplers and a zimbelstern.
Who could ask for anything more???
(Well...how about removal of all the carpet in the sanctuary?)
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The organist is trying out the console for size. Notice, the stops actually "light up" when activated. It is easy to read what stops are on and off.
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Yes, we have a lovely instrument to provide music for the Church, music that glorifies God and leads His family into worship. New Covenant Presbyterian Church is so very grateful to the faithful family of God at Concord Missionary Baptist Church for such an excellent gift. We are especially thankful to the original families who first presented this instrument to the glory of God and for the opportunity to continue using the organ for that purpose. We are eternally grateful to the Creator of the Universe for his wonderful gift of music, and for allowing us to present offerings of praise with our voices accompanied by the magnificent Rodgers Organ.
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| The Completed Installation
The organ is heard from the two expansive "organ chambers" on each side, specially designed, enclosed rooms with the sound drivers stratically placed. The sound is heard through acoustically-transparent grill cloth. Our intended objective was to present as realistic a sound as this organ could reproduce, giving the illusion of the placement of various "ranks of pipes" without actually involving wind-blowing pipes. So far, the reviews have been positive from the congregation and others.
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Come worship with the family of God at New Covenant Presbyterian Church!
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