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All new organ reports received are included in the New Organs department in the order received as space permits, provided that a complete specification and high-resolution photograph in clear focus have been supplied. Only TIFF or JPG files (at least 300 dpi) are acceptable for electronic photo submissions to neworgans@agohq.org.
MOUNT LEBANON UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
J. ZAMBERLAN & CO.
WINTERSVILLE, OHIO
When this church dedicated a new threemanual organ by Frattelli Ruffatti in November 2002, the instrument included a number of prepared-for stops. Our involvement began in fall 2004, when Russell Weismann, then organist at the church, asked us to take over regular maintenance and make a proposal for completing the organ. When Weismann left to pursue graduate studies at Yale, the pastor, Bruce J. Pedersen, asked him to act as consultant on the project. While fundraising continued, Weismann, Larry Allen (the new director of music and organist), and I weighed various alternatives; we eventually agreed that an Antiphonal division in the rear of the church, incorporating the Trompette en chamade that had originally been planned within the front case, would be the best course of action. In addition, a new chest would be built for the future Choir pipework, plus 17 treble pipes would be provided to allow duplexing the Pedal Trumpet up to the Great as a chorus reed - the original plan had included the Chamade as the only Great reed.
The new casework is of Honduras mahogany, finished to harmonize with the main case in the chancel, and while this case has more classical proportions than the front organ, it echoes certain design elements in order to give a respectful nod to its big sister. What had originally been my tongue-incheek suggestion to suspend the Antiphonal from the ceiling (like the Klais in Cologne Cathedral) turned out to be the best solution from the structural engineer's viewpoint. This eliminated the need for a clumsy support framework beneath the...