St. Philip Episcopal Church


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St. Philip Episcopal Church

334 Macdonough Street (between Stuyvesant & Lewis Avenue)
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11233
www.stphilipsbklyn.org

Organ Specifications:
334 MacDonough Street (since 1944)
► III/44 Guilbault-Thérien, Op. 43 (1999)
► II/17 Austin Organ Company, Op. 1801 (1931)
• II/10s Austin Organ Company, Op. 1097 (1922)
1610 Dean Street (1899-1944)
► II/6 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 2466 (1917)


1610 Dean Street (ca. 1914)

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, founded in 1899, had its first service in a vacant store at 1887 Pacific Avenue in the Weeksville area of Brooklyn. Soon after, a church site at 1610 Dean Street was acquired. Membership in the mission chapel quickly rose to 500 people—many of whom had roots in Virginia, North Carolina and the Caribbean—and the parishioners began programs and activities which appealed to community residents: the first charter for a Black chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew was issued to St. Philip's in 1903; the first Black company of the United Boys Brigade, a forerunner of the Boy Scouts, was chartered in 1907; and one of the earliest Boy Scout charters given to any organization was granted to St. Philip's in 1921. St. Philip's attained parish status in 1926.

In 1944, St. Philip's moved to its present building, a neo-Gothic edifice accomodating 900 people which was designed by Arni Delhi in 1899 for Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. In 1945, the Stuyvesant Community Center was established in the adjoining parish house, becoming the first community center in Bedford-Stuyvesant run by and for Blacks. St. Philip's continues to provide leadership in the religious, social, cultural and economic life of the community. The church is located in the Stuyvesant Heights Historical District, designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1971.

Guilbault-Thérien, Inc.
St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada –Opus 43 (1999)
Electro-pneumatic chest action
Solid State combination action
3 manuals, 41 registers, 30 stops, 44 ranks, 2,372 pipes

In July of 1997, an agreement was made between St. Philip's Church and the Canadian firm of Guilbault-Thérien Inc., St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, for the installation of a new three-manual and pedal pipe organ. The movable detached terraced-jamb console includes sharps made of ebony, naturals made of cow bone, and drawknobs constructed of fine cocobolo wood from North Africa. The key transmission is of the solid state type and includes a combination system of 64 memory levels and a sequencer. Both the casework and the console woodwork were constructed of solid American oak, and the display pipework of the Great and Pedal principals was made of 75 percent polished tin. Selected pipework from the rebuilt 1931 Austin organ, Opus 1801, and even previous organs (origins unknown) that was incorporated into that instrument, has been carefully repaired and revoiced to compliment the new specification.

More than 7,500 hours of labor, including the final installation, were required to complete this instrument. The dedicatory recital of the Rev. Dr. John Milton Coleman Memorial Organ was performed on April 18, 1999, by Hugh Manley Knight, A.A.G.O., Organist and Choir Master of St. Philip's Church.

–adapted from program notes by Guy Thérien

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes

Bourdon

Super Octave

Principal (display)

1 3/5

Terts

Spitzgamba

1 1/3

Mixture V ranks

305

Gedackt

Trumpet

Octave

Trompette en Chamade +

Spitzflute

Chimes

25 tubes

2 2/3

Spitzquint

+ console preparation

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Lieblich Gedeckt (ext.) *

Plein Jeu IV ranks

244

Viola di Gamba *

Fagotto (ext. Oboe)

Voix Celeste (TC) *

Trumpet *

Rohrflute

Oboe *

Spitzprincipal

Clarion

Spillflute

Tremolo

Blockflute

Trompette en Chamade +

Solo Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes

Harmonic Flute

Trumpet

Traverse Flute

Trompette en Chamade +

Cornet V ranks (mounted)

195

Gallery or Positive Organ [prepared for future addition]

Pedal Organ – 32 notes

Resultant Bass Forte

—

Choral Bass

Resultant Bass Piano

—

Stopped Flute

Open Bass *

Mixture IV ranks

128

Subbass *

Posaune

Lieblich Gedeckt

Fagotto

Principal

Trumpet (fr. Posaune)

—

Bass Flute (fr. Open Bass)

—

Schalmei

* pipes retained and revoiced from Austin Organ, Op. 1801 (1931) and unknown previous organs

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8', 4'

Also on coupler rail:

Swell to Pedal 8', 4'

Zimblestern

Solo to Pedal 8', 4'

Chimes on Swell

Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

Chimes on Solo

Solo to Great

Bells on Solo

Solo to Swell

Bells on Great

Great to Solo

Adjustable Combinations

Solo Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4 (thumb)
Swell Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Great Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Pedal Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb & toe) 7-8-9-10 (toe)
Entire Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb & toe) 7-8-9-10 (thumb)
	Adjust (thumb)
	Cancel (thumb)

Reversibles

Solo to Pedal Reversible (thumb & toe)

Reeds (thumb & toe)

Swell to Pedal Reversible (thumb & toe)

Tutti I (thumb & toe)

Great to Pedal Reversible (thumb & toe)

Tutti II (thumb & toe)

Expression

Balanced Swell Pedal

Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 1801 (1931)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 20 registers, 17 stops, 17 ranks

On July 13, 1931, the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church signed a contract with the Austin Organ Company to rebuild their existing Austin organ, Op. 1097 from 1922. Austin provided a new console, new double-construction metal swell shades, and reworked several of the old ranks, including the old facade pipes. Total cost of the rebuilding was $7,500.

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed

Open Diapason

Harmonic Flute

Doppelfloete *

2 2/3

Twelfth

Melodia *

Fifteenth

Dulciana

Chimes

25 tubes

Octave

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed

Lieblich Gedackt *

Flute d'Amour

Open Diapason

Cornopean

Stopped Flute *

Oboe

Salicional *

Tremolo

Voix Celeste (TC) *

Pedal Organ – 32 notes

Open Diapason (ext. GT)

Lieblich Gedackt *

Bourdon *

Flute (fr. Bourdon)

—

* pipes retained from Austin Organ, Op. 1097 (1922)

Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 1097 (1922)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 10 stops

Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.

Organ in church located at 1610 Dean Street: M. P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 2466 (1917) Tubular-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 11 registers, 6 stops, 6 ranks The Agreement (Sept. 27, 1917) between M. P. Möller and St. Philip's P.E. Church stated that Möller would build a two-manual organ and "erect it in the above church on or before December 1, 1917, or as soon after as possible." Möller used tubular-pneumatic action and provided a detached stop-key console. The total cost of the organ was $1,600, payable in "cash on completion, and one half by Carnegie Corporation of New York." The organ was shipped on December 11, 1917.

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8	Open Diapason	73	4	Flute Harmonique	73
8	Rohr Gedeckt	73	4	Octave (fr. Op. Diap.)	—
8	Gemshorn Dolce *	61	* lowest 12 notes grooved

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8	Concert Flute	—	8	Gemshorn Dolce	—
8	Salicional Celeste (TC)	61	4	Rohr Flute	—

Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16	Bourdon	30
16	Bourdon Dolce (lo-press.)	—

Couplers
	Great to Pedal			Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
	Swell to Pedal			Swell 16', 4'
	Pedal Octaves

Mechanicals
	Tremulant			Wind Indicator
				Crescendo Indicator

Pedal Movements
	Balanced Swell Pedal			Great to Pedal Reversible
	Grand Crescendo Pedal

Sources:
     Centennial Celebration 1899–1999. Brooklyn: St. Philip's Episcopal Church, 1999. Courtesy Diane Johnson.
     Coleman, Franklin. Details of Guilbault-Thérien organ, Op. 43 (1999).
     Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.
     Johnson, Diane. Stoplist of Guilbault-Thérien organ, Op. 43 (1999).
     Moxey, Emil George (archivist for St. Philip's Church). Specifications of Austin organ, Op. 1801 (1931).
     M.P. Möller Ledger Book (Sep. 27, 1917):58. Agreement and Specifications of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 2466 (1917). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.
     St. Philip's Episcopal Church website: www.stphilipsbklyn.org

Illustrations:
     Armstrong, Tony. Exterior of present church. Courtesy Franklin Coleman.
     Centennial Celebration 1899–1999. Photo of Dean Street building. Courtesy Diane Johnson.
     Bourke, Rasaan. Photos (2017) of Guilbault-Thérien organ console and façade.

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