Portland, Oregon
First Unitarian Church
ESTEY ORGAN CO., Opus 2231, 1924 - Original Specifications
GREAT CHOIR (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 61 8 Violin Diapason 73
8 Gross Flute 61 8 Clarabella 73
8 Gemshorn 61 8 Viol d'Amour 73
8 Dulciana 61 8 Unda Maris (tc) 61
4 Harmonic Flute 61 4 Flute d'Amour 73
8 Cornopean 61 8 Clarinet 73
Tremolo Tremolo
Great Unison Separation Choir to Choir 16'
Great to Great 4' Choir Unison Separation
Choir to Choir 4'
SWELL (Expressive)
16 Bourdon 73 ECHO (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 73 8 Melodia 61
8 Stopped Diapason 73 8 Muted Viol 61
8 Salicional 73 8 Muted Celeste (tc) 49
8 Voix Celeste (tc) 61 4 Flute 61
4 Wald Flute 73 8 Vox Humana 61
8 French Horn 73 Tremolo
8 Oboe 73 Chimes (20)
8 Saxophone [labial] 73
Tremolo
PEDAL
Swell to Swell 16' 16 Diapason 32 ♦
Swell Unison Separation 16 Violone 32
Swell to Swell 4' 16 Bourdon 32
16 Gedeckt (1-12 Sw) 20
8 Bass Flute 12 ♦
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell to Pedal 8 General 1 - 3
Great to Pedal 8 Swell & Pedal 1 – 5
Choir to Pedal 8 Great & Pedal 1 – 3
Pedal to Pedal 4 Choir & Pedal 1 – 3
0
Swell to Great 16,8,4
Choir to Great 16,8,4
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Swell to Choir 16,8,4 Swell Expression (bal.)
Gt/Ch Expression (bal.)
Echo Expression (bal.)
TOE STUDS Crescendo (bal.)
Sw. to Ped. (rev)
Gt. to Ped. (rev)
Sfz. (rev)
ACTION: E-P Ventil VOICES: 30 STOPS: 32 RANKS: 30 PIPES: 1,858
(inc. chimes)
NOTES
The exact nomenclature of stops and controls is not known. The preceding specification
was provided initially by William J. Bunch of Balcom and Vaughan Pipe Organs, Inc. of
Seattle, Washington. Mr. Bunch presented the organ as having 29 ranks. This would likely
have meant that all of the manual stops were straight. Only the Pedal 16' Gedeckt would
have been borrowed from the Swell, and the Pedal 8' Flute would be an extension of either
the 16' Open Diapason or 16' Bourdon. This being the case, if each manual ranks is 61
pipes (49 for the three celeste ranks), and each of the Pedal ranks is 32 pipes, the total
pipe count would be 1,652. Mr. Bunch recorded the total number of pipes as being 1,493.
A copy of the Shop Order revealed that the manuals are, indeed straight with no unification
or borrowing. But the Pedal 16' Gedeckt borrows notes 1-12 from the Swell 16' Bourdon, and
then has 20 pipes of its own. The Pedal 8' Bass Flute is an extension of the Open Diapason.
And this makes the organ 30-ranks.
The Great and Echo chests were 61-note compass while the Swell and Choir were 73. The Echo
played from the Swell and was also affected by the Swell pistons and couplers. The Swell 8'
Oboe was an Estey Orchestral Oboe. The shop order also indicates that some of the pipework
was to be ordered from the Pierce shop in Reading, Massachusetts.
The organ was installed in two chambers on either side of the chancel at the front of the
chapel with no visible pipes. A fire in 1965 destroyed the organ and most of the chapel
interior. The reconstructed chapel in 1967 contained a replacement 3-manual Wicks.
Sources: Estey opus list; William J. Bunch stoplist; Estey Shop Cost Card
[Received from James R. Stettner 2016-07-05.]