Musical Instruments at Grace
The Schlicker Organ
The
nine rank Schlicker organ at Grace was built by the Schlicker Organ Company
of Buffalo, New York. Dr. Paul Bunjes served as consultant on the project.
The two orders of organ pipes are determined by the method of exciting
the air column: (1) the edge tone or labial pipes, and (2) the reed tongue
or lingual pipes. The organ at Grace has one rank of the latter type
with the remainder of the ranks being of the labial type. The two families
of organ pipes are determined by the basic shapes of the pipes: cylindrical
and conical. Within the labial family of pipes there are five different
: (1) open cylindrical pipes, (2) open conical pipes, (3) covered cylindrical
pipes, (4) covered conical pipes, and (5) partly covered pipes. Within
the lingual family there are four shapes: (1) pipes having a cylindrical
resonator, (2) pipes having a conical resonator, (3) pipes having a multiple
resonator, and (4) pipes having a fractional resonator. A third factor
to be considered in organ tone is that of the cross-sectional area of the
pipe. There are five genera: (1) very narrow-scaled pipes, (2) narrow-scaled
pipes, (3) moderate-scaled pipes, (4) wide-scaled pipes, and (5) very wide-scaled
pipes.
A final consideration for organ construction is unification. A
straight
organ uses each rank of pipes only once. A unified organ is
one in which a rank is "borrowed" or made to play at a different pitch
and/or on another manual or pedal by means of an electrical switch called
a "stop tablet." The organ at Grace is unified, with s a "tonal fund" of
nine ranks, each of which is used approximately three times at different
pitches: once on Manual I, once on Manual II, and once on the Pedal.
A total of 27 stop tablets results. Maximum use of each rank is thus
achieved without overusing the rank. The organ is of "classic" design,
lacking the swell box which appears on organs designed from the romantic
era onward.
| Rank |
Order |
Family |
Genera |
| 1. Pommer |
Labial |
Covered cylindrical |
Narrow-scaled |
| 2. Gedackt |
Labial |
Covered cylindrical |
Moderate -scaled |
| 3. Prinzipal |
Labial |
Open cylindrical |
Moderate -scaled |
| 4. Konisch-Rohrflote |
Labial |
Partly covered cylindrical |
Wide-scaled |
| 5. Gemshorn |
Labial |
Open conical |
Wide-scaled |
| 6. Italian Prinzipal |
Labial |
Open cylindrical |
Moderate -scaled |
| 7. Mixtur (II ranks) |
Labial |
Open cylindrical |
Wide-scaled |
| 8. Terz |
Labial |
Open cylindrical |
Moderate -scaled |
| 9. Fagott-Schalmei |
Lingual |
Conical resonator |
Very narrow-scaled |
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The Steingraeber Grand Piano
  In
2001, Grace acquired a Steingraeber concert grand piano as a gift from
Grace charter member Sylvia Manchester. Manufactured by Steingraeber und
Söhne of Bayreuth, Germany, the concert grand at Grace is in great
demand as one of the best keyboard instruments in Boulder, enhanced by
the excellent acoustics of the Grace sanctuary. It is a wonderful resource
for both worship and performance.
|
|
The Grace Harpsichord
  Grace
also has a professionally built Flemish single-manual (transposing) harpsichord,
with a 1 x 4, 1 x 8 disposition. It is a wonderful resource for chamber
and early music and is located in the balcony in the sanctuary.
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Last update 5/22/2006