The Pipe Organ

The Pipe Organ

On November 1, 1964, at the end of a twelve-year building project, Brecksville United Methodist Church consecrated its current Sanctuary. The following month, after more than a year of research, the Organ Committee proposed the purchase of a new Casavant pipe organ to the Trustees.

Space and budget constraints dictated that the new organ favor a balanced ensemble sound. It omitted specialized voices in the belief that classic specifications would ensure a fresh, clear and contemporary sound for many years. The installation was completed in time for Christmas 1966 at a cost of $30,000.

Flash forward to 2012. Casavant is still world-renowned for building some of the finest pipe organs in places as far away as China. Visit their website: www.casavant.ca for a tour of the factory and pictures of recent projects. According to the Casavant firm, the replacement cost of our organ is now over $500,000.

Over the years we have made additions to the organ. In 1974, to complete the initial organ design, we added a Gemshorn stop. In the 1980’s eighteen-year-old Chris Toth joined the staff for the first time and oversaw expansion of the instrument, adding a new Oboe stop and making the existing Trumpet stop available to the organist on both keyboards and pedal. In 2012, a project was undertaken to replace the original electrical system with a new, digital system. At the same time, the chimes were replaced and a zimbelstern was added. The organ console was also made movable for the first time.

Music Samples
Boellmann: Chorale and Menuet from Suite Gothique
Cooman: Joysong
Pachelbel: Canon in D
Purcell: Trumpet Tune
Wagner: Bridal Chorus
Walther: Toccata and Fugue
Walton: Introduction and March from The Battle of Britain

Organ Stop List
Brecksville United Methodist Church

Casavant Frères Ltée. (1966, Opus 2904).

GREAT
16 Gemshorn *
8 Principal
8 Rohr Gedackt
8 Gemshorn(EXT)
4 Octave
4 Spitz Flöte
4 Gemshorn (EXT)
2 Super Octave
IV Mixture
8 Trompete (SW) *

SWELL (enclosed)

8 Spitz Gamba
8 Vox Coelestis
8 Gedackt
4 Geigen Principal
4 Rohr Flöte
2 Wald Flöte
1 1/3 Quint Flöte
IV Scharf
8 Trompete
8 Oboe *
Tremulant

PEDAL

16 Bourdon
16 Gemshorn (GT)
8 Principal
8 Pommer Gedackt
8 Gemshorn (GT)
4 Choral Bass
4 Gemshorn (GT)
III Mixture
16 Fagott
8 Trompete (SW) *
4 Trompete (SW)

PERCUSSION

Chimes on Great
Chimes on Swell
Chimes on Pedal
Zimbelstern

CONSOLE CONTROLS
MIDI (2 per division)
99 Memory Levels
Piston Sequencer
8 General Pistons
4 Divsional Pistons
Couplers (unison/sub/super)
Automatic Pedal

* additions circa 1986
2012 console rebuild, chimes and zimbelstern by Rick Nelson, Nelson Restoration, Cleveland, OH.