Harrisburg AGO

Wesley United Methodist Church

Middletown

In April 2005, Wesley United Methodist Church in Middletown installed and dedicated a new three-manual and pedal, drawknob digital organ by Walker Technical Company of Zionsville, PA. The organ replaces a two-manual Saville electronic of 42 stops from 1967. The new organ has 51 pipe voices equaling 65 ranks in four divisions, with chimes, harp, zimbelstern, MIDI synth module, MIDI sequencer, piston sequencer, seven stereo amplifiers and 93 speakers.

Wesley’s organist and music director Walt Stiller designed the stoplist and console appointments in consultation with Walker and Gundling Organ Co. The tonal concept and stoplist does not copy, but is influenced by Werkprinzip organ design, and the original Cavaille-Coll Cesar Franck had at Ste. Clotilde in Paris in 1859, a moderate-sized organ of 46 stops, 14 of which were reeds. The Walker has a wonderfully bright, bold, clean, transparent German plenum on the Great and Pedal, distinctive fiery French reeds in the Swell, and a Choir (Positiv) that can balance, contrast, or rival the Great or Swell divisions. A magnificent English Tuba and a Spanish-like chamade at the rear of the nave crown the ensemble. Stoplist and voicing preclude the need for sub- or super-couplers.

Swell reeds and Pedal Bombarde were sampled from the Skinner at Girard College in Philadelphia, the Pedal 32’ Contra Fagotto from St. Bart’s in New York City, and the Great Trumpet 8’ from the Moller at Immanuel Lutheran in Lancaster which Pierce Getz consulted.

Console appointments include manual general pistons 1-12, with general toe pistons 13-20 laid out to resemble Franck’s ventils above the pedalboard. There are each six manual divisional pistons, four pedal divisionals; a Great/Pedal expression (to Choir-shoe) on-off piston, and a Great/Choir Transfer coupler for French literature. Divisional pistons operate couplers to those divisions, and a ‘combons on’ piston allows pedal stops and couplers to operate with manual division pistons. There are 192 levels of memory.

The decision to ‘go digital’ was primarily due to the musically unfavorable acoustic at Wesley Church. We did not think a pipe organ installation would be successful in the room. The Walker instrument has Lexicon reverberation set to mimic the room as it might sound without 100% carpeting, pew cushions and ceiling tile. The same care was given to setting the reverb as was given the voicing since the reverb unit does nothing for choir and congregational singing.

            This instrument begs to be heard and played. Digital reproduction is spectacular, but we still prefer a well-designed pipe organ in a friendly acoustical environment.

Specifications

Great organ

16’ Bourdon (ext. 8’ Bourdon)
8’ Principal
8’ Bourdon
8’ Harmonic Flute
4’ Octave
4’ Nachthorn
2 2/3’ Quint
2’ Superoctave
1 3/5’ Seventeenth
IV Mixture (1 1/3’)
16’ Contra Bassoon (ext. 8’ Bassoon)
8’ Trumpet
8’ Bassoon
8’ Tuba Magna (choir)
8’ Wesley Trumpet (swell)
Tremulant
Chimes

swell organ

16’ Contre Viole
8’ Prestant
8’ Rohrflute
8’ Viole de Gamba
8’ Voix Celeste
4’ Principal
4’ Flute Ouverte
2’ Octavin
III Cornet (12-15-17)
IV Plein Jeu (2’)
16’ Bombarde
8’ Trompette
8’ Hautbois
8’ Voix Humaine
4’ Clairon
8’ Wesley Trumpet
Tremulant

choir organ

16’ Spitzflote (ext. 8’ Spitzflote)
8’ Italian Principal
8’ Spitzflote
II Unda Maris
4’ Octave
4’ Koppelflote
2’ Gemshorn
1 1/3’ Larigot
III Cymbale (2/3’)
8’ Petite Trompette
8’ Cromorne
8’ Tuba Magna
Tremulant
Harp
Zimbelstern

Pedal organ

32’ Contre Bourdon
16’ Principal
16’ Bourdon
16’ Contre Viole (swell)
16’ Spitzflote (choir)
10 2/3’ Quint
8’ Octave
8’ Gedackt
8’ Spitzflote (choir)
4’ Choral Bass
4’ Gedackt (ext. 8’ Gedackt)
2’ Flute
IV Mixture (2 2/3’)
32’ Contre Fagotto
16’ Bombarde
16’ Fagotto
8’ Trumpet
8’ Fagotto (ext. 16’ Fagotto)
8’ Tuba Magna (choir)
4’ Bassoon (great)

Coupler Tabs

8’  Great to Pedal
8’  Swell to Pedal
8’  Choir to Pedal
8’  Swell to Great
8’  Choir to Great
8’  Swell to Choir
Great/Choir Transfer

Thumb Pistons (when light activated)

Generals 1-12
Great A-F, Great MIDI A, B
Swell A-F, Swell MIDI A, B
Choir A-F, Choir MIDI A, B
Pedal A-B, Pedal MIDI A, B
Transposer
Zimbelstern
Great/Choir on Choir Expression Shoe
Tutti
Pedal Combinations On (completely independent, no duplication)

Thumb Pistons (not lighted when activated)

Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Choir to Swell
Setter
General Cancel
Previous/Next (piston sequencer on each division)

Toe Studs

Pedal C-D
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Previous/Next (piston sequencer)
Tutti
Generals 13-20

Indicator Lights

Great/Pedal Expression
Choir Expression
Swell Expression
Crescendo
Tutti

Expression Shoes

Choir (Great/Pedal)
Swell
Crescendo