New Pipe Organ

In November of 2008, Opus #151 by the Noack Organ Company, was installed. Voicing of the pipework was done during January of 2009, and a liturgy for blessing the organ held on Saturday, February 21, 2009.

Designed by Fritz Noack in collaboration of our music director, the instrument was built by the craftsmen of the Noack Company at their shop in Georgetown, MA. After the entire organ was put together, it was dismantled for shipment by moving van, and re-assembled at the church.

While the instrument includes use contemporary materials, the basic philosophy of this organ has roots in earlier centuries, such as the windchests and mechanical action it uses. Each manual and pedal key has a purely mechanical linkage with the pallet (valve) that admits air to the pipes. The type of windchests and key action create a more musical and reliable instrument than other types of construction. For instance, the player has some control over how fast the pallets (valves) open and close, allowing for more nuance in how the pipes speak.

Organs were built in this fashion for centuries until the advent of electricity made mechanical action "obsolete." The return to using mechanical action began in the 1920's when people such as Albert Schweitzer became interested in the organs played by Bach and his contemporaries. This "Organ Reform Movement" slowly gained momentum in Europe as the predominant way of organ building before taking hold in North America. Today there are several North American companies who have an international reputation as builders who are creating organs that are truly works of art. Tonally, our instrument finds its heritage in historic European organs, and the best builders of early 19th Century America.

The Church of the Good Shepherd is blessed to now have an organ built by one of these artisans of international stature - an instrument that is capable of creating wonderful music for this century and beyond.

See photos of the organ

Specifications

GREAT: (58 notes)
1. Bourdon 16'
2. Diapason 8'
3. Chimney Flute 8'
4. Spire Flute 8' (1-12 from #3)
5. Octave 4'
6. Harmonic Flute 4'
7. Twelfth 2 2/3'
8. Fifteenth 2'
9. Seventeenth 1 3/5'
10. Mixture IV 1 1/3'
11. Trumpet 8'

SWELL: (58 notes, enclosed)
12. Stopt Flute 8'
13. Viola 8'
14. Celeste 8' (from A)
15. Principal 4'
16. Recorder 4'
17. Gemshorn 2'
18. Larigot 1 1/3'
19. Cornet III (from f°)
20. Mixture III 2'
21. Oboe 8'
22. Cremona 8'

PEDAL: (30 notes)
23. Stopt Bass 16'
24. Bourdon 16' (from #1)
25. Open Bass 8'
26. Gedackt 8'
27. Octave 4'
28. Trombone 16'
29. Trumpet 8' (from #11)

Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, Swell to Great.

Detached console, Mechanical key action, Electric stop action.

Valotti Temperament.

Straight/concaved pedalboard.