This instrument was built in 1989 as the two ranks of 'wind-blown' pipes for a Rodgers Concord 760 electronic organ. It was installed at St Paul's Church, Burwood when the pipe organ was inoperable. On restoration of the Davidson organ the Rodgers was sold to St Luke's Church, Enmore in 1998. It was in use there until 2011 when the Wordsworth and Maskell organ restoration was completed. The Rodgers was offered for sale, but was now old technology and a buyer was not forth coming. Over a year passed and it looked as if the Rodgers would never find a home, and believing it may perhaps find a use as a practice organ for a student, the pipes and electronic component were divided and Brett McKern bought the two ranks of pipes. The electronic organ remained unwanted until 2014 when a buyer was found.
The 'wind-blown' component of the Rodgers organ had two extended ranks of pipes which sat displayed functionally in a 'planter box' arrangement. There was no bellows and the wind was provided by a small regulator. The original pipework included a 73 note Principal, perhaps built by Ruffatti like other Rodgers pipework, and a 73 note flute using Laukhauff pipework. The flute is stopped wooden for the bottom 37 notes then a conical spitz flute, and of untapered pipework for the top 16 notes. Both extended ranks provide full compass for 4' and 2' stops. As part of the Rodgers instrument, 8' stops were provided with an electronic bass, and some stops of the Great division played pipe or pipe and electronic ranks together. The Rodgers Concord 760 also had a 'Positiv' division which only played the pipe stops.
In 2023 the first reeds were added to the organ. A Vox Humana on its own chest and in its own small swell box was added. The provenance of the pipework for this 'Vox-in-a-box' is unknown. Secondly a temporary electronic trumpet stop has been added until the pipes are installed to replace it.
Also in 2023 the cymbalstern and glockenstern acquired spinning stars on the case, as is traditional for such stops. Additionally, the nightingale stop was installed and when playing, two birds arise above the case and fly in a circle.
This specification was as follows.
| Great Principal Bourdon Octave Flute Nasat Super Octave Waldflöte Positiv Bourdon Principal Flute Octave Quint Pipe Tremulant |
8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 8 4 4 2 1-1/3 |
(pipe duplicated stops only) |
These two ranks were to become a small independent extension organ, playable via MIDI, from any MIDI-equipped keyboard, organ console or computer. Consequently, while it does not have its own console, it would form a complete instrument, rather than being a pipe component of a hybrid instrument as it was originally. As such, it was intended to find an 8' stopped bass that could be used to extend the instrument to 8'. A redundant 8' octave was acquired of pipework made by Kendall. This sits on a unit chest made by Darrell Pitchford.
MIDI deals with the note switching, and a 'stop box', like a mini console, controls the stops. These systems were designed and built by Craig Hall of Custom Midi Organ Solutions. Three rotary switches assign the three divisions to any MIDI channel from 1 to 5. This means that they can all be played from one channel if using a single keyboard, or variously applied to different keyboards on a console of more than two manuals.
With only two ranks, versatility was paramount in a practice instrument played daily, so many extended stops and couplers were included to afford many different sound combinations. The specification at that stage was:
| Great Bourdon Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Swell Super-Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Sub-Octave to Great Swell Lieblich Gedact Principal Flute Nazard Piccolo Swell Super-Octave Swell Sub-Octave Principal Tremulant Flute Tremulant Pedal Bass Flute Quint Choral Bass Octave Flute Swell Octave to Pedal Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal |
16 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 8 5-1/3 4 4 |
B TC A (grooved to 8' stopped bass) B A B A A B A B B B B B A B |
In 2015 one of the four redundant single manual organs was purchased from the Dallas Brooks Masonic Centre in East Melbourne. Built in 1969 by Fincham, this instrument had three enclosed ranks and no pedals. The large-scaled principal rank was sold and a replacement second Fincham Dulciana purchased from Australian Pipe Organs. This enclosed division was added to the residence organ in 2018 and the case was reconfigured for its new home. Again the note switching was completed by Craig Hall of Custom Midi Organ Solutions, who also designed and installed the MIDI-controlled swell mechanism. Hargraves Pipe Organs completed the rewiring in the organ.
In 2016 a second-hand cymbelstern was purchased from the United States. It comprises six bells, and was described by the American organ builders as having a very ‘sweet sound’. Its provenance is unknown. It was connected to the house organ in 2018.
In 2020 a thirty-note glockenspiel was acquired. This was originally supplied with a Rodgers electronic organ that no longer exists. This provenance neatly connects the percussion stop to the original two ranks of pipes. It was repaired and connected by Craig Hall of Custom Midi Organ Solutions. Also in 2020, a Pedal Divide system was developed and installed by Craig Hall. This system allows the originally selected pedal stops and couplers to play in the lower part of the pedalboard while the upper part of the pedalboard plays the stops selected on the manual or manuals designated with the Pedal Divide couplers.
In 2021, the MIDI system was upgraded and some digital pedal stops (16’ and 32’ pitch only) were added. Additionally, a new module was added allowing the glockenspiel to be programmed and activated as a second cymbelstern. This provides two independent cymbelsterns of differing volumes, while also allowing the glockenspiel to be played from the keyboard.
In 2022, the organ took a major step forward towards standard functionality. A second-hand and then non-functioning console from a Makin electronic organ had been acquired in about 2018, and was repurposed to play the residence pipe organ. For the first time, the organ had its own console, rather than requiring the stop box to be used with a midi console. Standard console techniques could now be employed and practised by organists. The Makin console required new keyboards, and a five-manual set was purchased from Peterson Electro-Musical Products in the USA. Hargraves Pipe Organs installed these and repurposed the console. Craig Hall of Custom Midi Organ Solutions updated the Midi note-switching system, installed a capture action with piston stepper, and completed the Pedal Divide to function with five manuals and a variable divide point.
In 2023 the first reeds were added to the organ. A Vox Humana on its own chest and in its own small swell box was added. The provenance of the pipework for this 'Vox-in-a-box' is unknown. Secondly a temporary electronic trumpet stop has been added until the pipes are installed to replace it.
Also in 2023 the cymbalstern and glockenstern acquired spinning stars on the case, as is traditional for such stops. Additionally, the nightingale stop was installed and when playing, two birds arise above the case and fly in a circle.
The current specification is as follows.
Great (Manual II) |
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|
* When any of the pedal divide couplers are selected, the upper portion of the pedalboard plays the stops selected on the division(s) coupled and the lower portion plays the pedal stops and couplers otherwise selected. The Pedal Divide can be set on general pistons.
Pistons:
6 departmental pistons to Great
6 departmental pistons to Swell
4 departmental pistons to Choir
4 departmental pistons to Solo
3 departmental pistons to Celestial
12 general pistons (under Swell and Solo)
Reversible pistons to Celestial to Pedal, Celestial to Solo, Solo to Pedal, Celestial to Swell, Solo to Swell, Swell to Pedal, Celestial to Great, Solo to Great, Choir to Great, Swell to Great, Great to Pedal, Celestial to Choir, Solo to Choir, Swell to Choir, Choir to Pedal, Glockenstern, Nightingale.
Pistons for Setter, General Cancel.
2 pistons for stepper advance (under Great and Swell)
Reversible toe pistons to Cymbelstern, Glockenstern, Nightingale, Swell to Great, Great to Pedal, Solo to Great.
Stepper advance toe piston
Stepper back toe piston
6 departmental toe pistons to Swell (doubling as Generals 1-6)
6 departmental toe pistons to Pedal (doubling as Generals 7-12)
Piston Memory:
8 levels of departmental memory
2000 levels of general memory
separately selectable, levels showing on LCD screen
LCD screen also displays the most recent general piston pressed, and whether the current stops selected are still what is set on the piston.
Switches:
Great & Pedal Pistons Combined
All Swells on Swell
Generals on Toe Pistons
Tuning:
Electronic Pedal stops tune up/down
Compass:
61/32
Cymbalstern
Glockenspiel
Vox Humana swell box
Notes and photos provided by Brett McKern (December 2021, December 2022) and September 2023)