Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
founded 1949
Worcester
Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
Central Massachusetts Pipe Organ Specification Collection
Worcester
Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
Central Massachusetts Pipe Organ Specification Collection
Please visit new site: www.WorcAUD.com
Specs below have typos and inaccuracies that have since been corrected at: www.WorcAUD.com/organ/
May 2002 Worcester Magazine Article on AUD & the fate of the organ.
W. W.
Kimball Company
Chicago IL, Opus 7119, 1933 EP
Organ Historical Society Plaque given 1983
Tonally Untouched, console covered.
Building used only for SWAT Team drills/training. Main hall areas (first floor) cleaned June 2016.
Organ is "playable" and wind leaks and ciphers significantly repaired as of June 2016 (including unenclosed great main reservoir (3'x6')releathering).
Roof leaks have split several chests (enclosed great; enclosed solo chambers are on the top levels); the city repaired the roof in the 1990s.
photo by Worcester
Magazine
Specs below have typos and inaccuracies that have since been corrected at: www.WorcAUD.com/organ/ <---------------
(w= wood; m=metal)
GREAT:
61 notes, enclosed [top left chamber]
16 Contra Basse (open) (ext.) 12w
8 IV Diapason sc45 61m
8 Viola (tapered) sc51/55 61m
8 Bourdon 61w
8 Melodia 61w
4 II Octave sc56 61m
4 Flute Ouverte 61w&m
2 Super Octave 61m [stored in the side of the chamber due to split chest due to roof leaks]
VI Harmonics 366m
16 Contra Tromba 61m
8 Tromba 61m
4 Tromba Clarion 61m
8 (So.) Chimes -- -
Tremolo
Gt Enclosed 16', Gt Enclosed 4', Gt Enclosed Unison Off
GREAT:
61 notes, unenclosed [middle left chamber]
32 Contra Gemshorn (TC) (ext.) -- -
16 Double Diapason 61m
16 Contra Gemshorn (ext.) 12m
8 I Diapason 61m
8 II Diapason 61m
8 III Diapason sc43 61m
8 Gemshorn (tapered) sc45 61m
8 Harmonic Flute 61m
5 1/3 Quint 61m
4 I Octave sc53 61m
4 Harmonic Flute 61m
3 1/5 Tenth 61m
2 2/3 Twelfth 61m
2 Fifteenth 61m
V Mixture [Plein Jeu] 305m
8 Trumpet 61m
[unenclosed always assigned to Great Manual]
SWELL:
61 notes, enclosed [right chamber]
16 Contra Geigen sc50 73m
16 Rohrbourdon (ext.) 12w
8 I Diapason sc41x44 73m
8 II Diapason (Geigen) sc46 73m
8 Viola da Gambe sc58 73m
8 Viole d=92Orchestre sc66 73m
8 Salicional sc55 73m
8 Voix Celeste sc55 73m
8 Rohrflote sc62 61m<-- correction 73m
8 Clarabella 73w&m
8 Spitzflote (tapered) sc47 61m<-- correction 73m
8 Flute Celeste (TC) (tapered) sc47 61m
4 Octave (Geigen) sc57 73m
4 Violina sc67 73m
4 Rohrflote (ext.) 12m
4 Flute Triangulaire 73 w&m
2 2/3 Nazard (capped) 61m
2 Fifteenth 61m
2 Flautina (ext. Rohrflute) 12m
1 3/5 Tierce (rohrflute) 61m
V Mixture (Fourniture) 305m
16 Double Trumpet 73m
8 French Trumpet 73m
8 Cornopean 73m
8 Oboe (capped) 73m
8 Vox Humana (add=92t=92l encl.) 146m [This is a two-rank celeste-tuned stop]
4 Clarion 73m
8 (Ch.) Harp -- -
4 (Ch.) Celeste -- -
Tremolo
Vox Humana Vibrato
Sw 16, Sw 4, Sw Unison Off
CHOIR:
61 notes, enclosed [right chamber]
16 Double Dulciana (ext.) 12m [Dulciana is a unit chest fully populated from 16-8-4-2; no super top octave for 2']
8 English Diapason sc44 73m
8 Violin Diapason 73m
8 Dulciana 61m
8 Viola (tapered) 56x60 73m
8 Unda Maris 73m
8 Concert Flute 73w&m
8 Cor de Nuit (capped) 73m
4 Principal 73m
4 Dulcet (ext.) 12m
4 Traverse Flute 73w&m
2 2/3 Nazard 61m
2 Piccolo (tapered) (harmonic) 61m
2 Dolcetin (ext.) 12m
1 3/5 Tierce (tapered) 61m
1 1/3 Larigot (tapered) 61m [break in top octave]
1 1/7 Septieme 61m [break in top octave]
1 Twenty Second (ext.) (top Oct. repeats) [corrected, previously labeled as a 2' stop here]
III Mixture 15-19-22 183m
16 Bassoon (capped) 73m [16' correct; previously erroneously listed as 8']
8 Trompette 73m
8 Orchestral Oboe (capped) 73m
8 Clarinet 73m
4 Clairon 73m
8 Harp (Deagan) 61 bars
4 Celesta (from Harp) -- -
Tremolo [does not affect (or broken 2016) 16' Bassoon, 8' Trompette, 8' Orch Oboe, 4' Clairon]
Ch 16', Ch 4', Ch Unison Off
SOLO:
61 notes, enclosed [top right chamber]
8 Violoncello sc54 73m
8 Cello Celeste sc54 73m
8 Orchestral Flute (harmonic) 73w&m
4 Concert Flute (harmonic) 73w&m
8 Tuba Magna (prep.) (Unencl.) -- -
8 Tuba Mirabilis (harmonic) 73m
8 French Horn (capped) 73m
8 English Horn 73m
4 Tuba Clarion 73m
8 Chimes (Deagan) (G20-G44) 25 tubes
8 (Ch.) Harp -- -
4 (Ch.) Celeste -- -
Tremolo
Solo 16', Solo 4', Solo Unison Off
PEDAL:
32 notes, (borrowed) enclosed with Gr. or Solo [upper stop jamb]
16 (Gr.) II Diapason (open) 32w
16 (Sw.) Contra Geigen -- -
16 (Ch.) Double Dulciana -- -
16 (Gr.) Contra Basse -- -
16 (Sw.) Lieblich Gedeckt (Rohrbdn) -- -
8 (Gr.) II Octave (ext,) (open) 12w
8 (Sw.) Geigen -- -
8 (Sw.) Dulciana -- -
8 (Gr,) Open Flute 32w
8 (Sw.) Still Gedeckt (Rohrfl.) -- -
4 (Sw.) Octave Geigen -- -
4 (Gr.) Open Flute (ext.) 12w
16 (So.) Trombone 32m
16 (Gr.) Contra Tromba -- -
16 (Sw.) Double Trumpet -- -
16 (Ch.) Bassoon -- -
10 2/3 (Gr.) Tromba Quint -- -
8 (So.) Trumpet (ext.) 12m
8 (Gr.) Tromba -- -
4 (So.) Clarion (ext.) 12m
8 (So.) Chimes -- -
PEDAL:
32 notes, unenclosed [lower stop jamb] [lower left chamber]
32 Contra Violone (ext.) (open) 12w
32 Major Bass (ext.) (stopped) 12w
16 I Diapason (open) 32w
16 III Diapason 32m
16 Violone (open) 32w&m
16 (Gr.) Gemshorn -- -
16 Bourdon 32w
10 2/3 Quint (derived Bourdon) -- -
8 I Octave 32m
8 Violoncello (ext.) 12m
8 (Gr,) Gemshorn -- -
8 Stopped Flute (ext.) 12m
5 1/3 Octave Quint sc48 32m
4 Super Octave (ext.) sc37 12m
4 Stopped Flute (ext.) 12m
IV Mixture 128m
32 Contra Bombarde (ext.) 12m
16 Bombarde 32m
8 Bombarde Octave (ext.) 12m
4 Bombarde Clarion (ext.) 12m
COUPLERS (tilting tablets)
Gr-Ped 8
Sw-Ped 8
Ch-Ped 8
Solo-Ped 8
Gr-Ped 4
Sw-Ped 4
Ch-Ped 4
Solo-Ped 4
Sw-Gt 16-8-4
Ch-Gt 16-8-4
Solo-Gt 16-8-4
Solo-Sw 16-8-4
UnEncl Gt-Ch 8
Encl Gt-Ch 8
Sw-Ch 16-8-4
Solo-Ch 16-8-4
Gt-Solo 8
Sw-Solo 8
Sw-Solo 4
Master Expression
Crescendo - selectable from six "factory" settings: 1: flues, 2: strings; 3: flues; 4: reeds; 5: full; 6: (less?)
Pistons (capture with SET button): Gen 1-12 (1-8 copied on pedal studs); Solo 1-8; Sw 1-10; Gt 1-10; Ch 1-10; Ped (studs) 1-8
Specs above have typos and inaccuracies that have since been corrected at: www.WorcAUD.com/organ/
Images below are the beginnings of an update for the AUD building and Kimball organ, May 2016. Discussions in Worcester have begun for possible arts & music usages for the building.
WorcAGO is wanting to plan one or more organ events or concerts with organ involvement during July and August 2016.
Facing the stage, the enclosed Great is on top left, unenclosed Great middle left, Pedal bottom left; Solo is top right, Swell is middle right, Choir is bottom right
Additional review from OHS & piporg-l: http://database.organsociety.org/documents/MA/MA.Worcester.1933Kimball.ID7119supp.txt
(Larry Chace, Grahame Davis on PIPORG-L 1997)
The Kimball is an example of R. P. Elliot's conception of a "classical" instrument, and it is well-supplied with a _tin_ Diapason chorus on the Great consisting of 16,8,8,8,8,5-1/3,4,4,3-1/5,2,V,VI with chorus reeds of 16,8,8,4. The Pedal has a 32' wooden Violone, a 32' Major Bass (stopped wood), and a 32' Bombarde of metal. (The Great's 32' is a tenor-c Gemshorn, also playing at 16' and 8'.) There are additional mixtures in the Swell (V), Choir (III), and Pedal (V). The Pedal has its own unenclosed 16' Open Diapasons of both wood and metal as well as a further enclosed 16' open wood.
The Swell also has a chorus of 16,8,8,4 Trumpets. The Choir's is only 8,4, as are the Solo Tubas. (All are independent.) The Pedal 32' Bombarde, unenclosed, also plays at 16,8,4, while its enclosed Trombone plays at 16,8,4.
The 1933, 106-rank Kimball organ which is in the War Memorial Auditorium at Worcester, Mass. is surely one of Kimball's finest instruments. It resembles the 1938 instrument which they built for the Episcopal Cathedral in Denver Colorado. The Worcester Kimball is larger and not as buried as the Cathedral organ. Ten years ago, I and some other builders were privileged to be able to spend many hours touring through the organ taking scales, measurements and examining other details. At the time, my firm was about to begin the restoration of 1928 Kimball (four manuals 58 ranks, now complete) and we wanted to see along what lines the company developed its later, and subsequently final tonal philosophy. Tom Murray from Yale ably demonstrated the organ to us and we all quite pleased to note that only one drawknob refused to cancel, there being a blown console pneumatic....this after no maintenance for at least ten years. How's that for good, solid American organ building?! All of the builders present were stuuned by the beauty of the individual voices, the cohesiveness of the ensembles and the regulation of the entire instrument....still intact and working well 53 years later. This instrument was built during the last days of Robert Pier Elliot's reign and I commend to all a study of this man's influence on several organ compnies of the day. His story may be found in David Junchen's Encyclopedia of the Theater Organ under the listing beautifully made. They all speak promptly and are very effective in the room.