Opus 04:  Zion Evangelical Lutheran, Saskatoon

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
323 - 4th Ave. South
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 1N3
(306) 653-2442

This is a new instrument incorporating the existing 3 rank T. Eaton’s Co. organ (opus 102 from 1950). The instrument has 8 ranks of pipes and 9 digital ranks giving a total of 17 ranks. The digital ranks were created using Musicom’s digital synthesis system and speaker systems of our own manufacture. This system installation includes a 12 level memory system, transposer, and MIDI interface and complete pipe controller.

gal=PipeOpus04, img=ZionConsole
gal=PipeOpus04, img=ZionFinished

 

This project included a new oak case of our design, built by parishioners Henry Wichert, Jim Hopkins, and Bob Hamilton. The oak console was refinished to match the new case and completed with all new controls, key and pedal contact systems, pistons and toe studs, and pedals on the pedalboard. The entire organ is blown on 3 1/2” with separate reservoirs for Swell and Great/Pedal.

We chose to include the digital ranks because of limited funds for an all pipe instrument to meet the requirements and hopes of the organists for a North German Baroque style of voicing and an instrument suitable for concert performances. There was also a concern that the organ project should not appear to be the rebuild of an outdated instrument, thus the addition of sophisticated digital equipment, the possibility of interfacing the organ with keyboards, computers, etc seemed attractive.

Workers in the project were: Henry Wichert, woodworking and general help; Gordon Woznica installation and general helper; Glenn Goodman, pneumatics and wiring; Randy Lorenz, reservoirs; Bill Thurmeier, design, voicing, tonal finishing and everything else. Initial voicing of the digital stops was done by Graham Blythe in England and finished by Bill Thurmeier on site.

The project was completed January 25, 2006. It has the following specification:

   Swell: expressive    Great:    Pedal:
   with Great and Pedal    
  • 8’ Gedeckt *
  • 8’ Dolcissimo
  • 8’ Celeste (digital)
  • 4’ Principal (digital)
  • 4’ Gedeckt (ext.) *
  • 2 2/3’ Nazard (ext.) *
  • 2’ Flautino (digital)
  • 1 3/5’ Tierce (digital)
  • 8’ Oboe
  • MIDI
  • Tremolo
  • 8’ Principal *
  • 8’ Salicional *
  • 8’ Quintadena
  • 4’ Octave
  • 4’ Salicet (ext.) *
  • 2’ Fifteenth
  • 1 1/3’ Nineteenth (digital)
  • 1’ Twenty-second (digital)
  • 8’ Trumpet (digital)
  • MIDI
  • Swell to Great
  • 16’ Principal (digital)
  • 16’ Gedeckt (Sw. ext.)
  • 10 2/3’ Grossquint (Sw.)
  • 8’ Octave (digital ext.)
  • 8’ Quintadena (Gr.)
  • 4’ Super Octave (dig.ext.)
  • 2 2/3’ Nineteenth(dig.ext.)
  • 16’ Trombone (digital)
  • 8’ Oboe (Sw)
  • MIDI
  • Great to Pedal
  • Swell to Pedal

Stops with asterisks are from original ranks

The pipework is arranged so that with the addition of pipes to replace digital ranks in the Swell, or with the addition of another sound card to separate Swell digital ranks from Great/Pedal digital ranks, the Swell and Great/Pedal can be under separate expression.