St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

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Church of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Roman Catholic)

249 Ninth Street at Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
http://www.stthomasaquinaschurch.org

Organ Specifications:
► II/20 Wicks Organ Company, Op. 6135 (1988)
• III/ Midmer-Losh Organ Company (1968) – rebuild
► III/38 Midmer-Losh Organ Company (1925)
► III/36 Hook & Hastings Co., Op. 1301 (1886)

In November 1884, the Rev. James Donahoe was sent to establish the Parish of Saint Thomas of Aquinas in South Brooklyn, the 47th parish in the Brooklyn Diocese. Father Donahoe celebrated the first Mass on November 16, 1884 in a building on 9th Street near 5th Avenue. This building, known as the "Wigwam," had been erected by the Twenty-second Ward Democratic Association for their meetings during the National Election of 1884. On Sunday, June 28, 1885, the cornerstone of the present building was blessed by Bishop Loughlin in a ceremony witnessed by over 6,000 people. The church was built within one year at a cost of $90,000, and the first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Passion Sunday, April 4th, 1886. A chapel was added in 1887 on the 8th Street side of the church to house the baptistry, sacristy and altar boys' rooms.

On April 25, 2006 the Diocese of Brooklyn approved the reconfiguration and merging of Holy Family parish and Saint Thomas Aquinas parish.

Wicks Organ Company Highland, Ill. – Opus 6135 (1988) Direct-Electric key action 2 manuals, 27 registers, 17 stops, 20 ranks In 1988, the church commissioned the Wicks Organ Company to build a new organ.

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes (2-3/4" wind pressure)
8	Principal	61	2	Blockflöte (fr. Spillpfeife)	—
8	Rohrflöte	61	1 3/5	Terz	61
8	Viole	SW		Mixture IV ranks	244
4	Octave	61	8	Trompette	SW
4	Spillpfeife	73		Two blanks
2 2/3	Nasat	61		Tremolo

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed (4" wind pressure)
8	Gedeckt	61	1 1/3	Quint	61
8	Viole	61		Blank
8	Viole Celeste (GG)	54	8	Trompette	73
4	Principal	61	4	Clairon (fr. Trompette)	—
4	Nachthorn	61		Three blanks
2	Octavin	61		Tremolo

Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32	Resultant	—	4	Choralbass (fr. 16' Prin.)	—
16	Principal (1-12 wood)	56	16	Posaune * (ext. SW)	12
16	Bourdon	44		Four blanks
8	Principal (fr. 16')	—	4	Clairon	SW
8	Bourdon (fr. 16')	—		* 5" wind pressure

Couplers
	Great to Pedal 8', 4'			Great to Swell 8'
	Swell to Pedal 8'			Swell 16', 4', Unison Off
	Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

Combination Pistons
	Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6-0		affecting Great stops
	Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6-0		affecting Swell stops
	Toe Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6-0		affecting Pedal stops
	Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10		affecting Entire Organ, duplicated by toe studs
	General Cancel

Accessories
	Balanced Swell Expression Pedal			Crescendo Indicator Light
	Crescendo Pedal			Sforzando Indicator Light
	Great to Pedal Reversible (toe)			Music Rack Light
	Sforzando Reversible (thumb & toe)			Pedal Light
	Lock on Combination Setter			Motor Switch

Midmer-Losh Organ Company
Merrick, L.I., N.Y. (1968)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals

This record may be for repairs and/or additions to the existing organ.

Midmer-Losh Organ Company Merrick, L.I., N.Y. (1925) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 33 stops, 38 ranks In 1925, the Midmer-Losh Company of Merrick, N.Y. rebuilt and electrified the 1886 Hook & Hastings organ at a cost of $10,000. The original Hook & Hastings was centrally located in the rear gallery of the church, and in the Midmer-Losh rebuild, the original façade was removed and the organ redistributed in the gallery. The Great and Swell divisions were installed low to the gallery floor, making the West End window more visible, and the Choir organ was moved to the far left (facing the gallery) of the loft and the division placed under expression. Midmer-Losh replaced the original tracker action with a new electro-pneumatic pull-down action fitted beneath the slider chests. They also provided a new tilting-tablet console and a tremulant to the Choir. The pedal was extended to 30 notes. Although there were no tonal changes to the original organ, M-L did add two ranks to the Swell on electro-pneumatic chests: a 49-note Vox celeste and 8’ Vox Humana of 61 notes. When the organ was replaced in 1988 by a new Wicks instrument, the Hook & Hastings pipes and chests were acquired by Larry Trupiano of Brooklyn.

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16	Open Diapason	61	4	Harmonic Flute	61
8	Open Diapason	61	2 2/3	Twelfth	61
8	Doppel Flute	61	2	Fifteenth	61
8	Viola d' Gamba	61		Mixture IV ranks	244
4	Octave	61	8	Trumpet	61

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon	61	4	Flute Traverso	61
8	Open Diapason	61	2	Flautina	61
8	Stopped Diapason	61		Cornet III ranks	183
8	Salicional	61	8	Cornopean	61
8	Vox Celeste [TC]	49	8	Oboe	61
8	Quintadena	61	8	Vox Humana	61
4	Violina	61		Tremolo

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8	Diapason	61	2	Piccolo	61
8	Melodia	61	8	Clarinet	61
8	Dulciana	61		Tremolo
4	Flute	61

Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16	Open Diapason	30	8	Cello	30
16	Bourdon	30	16	Trombone [wood]	30

Couplers
	Great to Pedal 8'			Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
	Swell to Pedal 8', 4'			Great 4', Unison Off
	Choir to Pedal 8'			Swell 16', 4', Unison Off
	Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'			Choir 16', 4', Unison Off
	Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'

Hook & Hastings Co. Boston, Mass. – Opus 1301 (1886) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 31 stops, 36 ranks The original organ in St. Thomas Aquinas Church was built in 1886 by the Hook & Hastings Company of Boston.

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16	Double Open Diapason	61	4	Flute harmonique	61
8	Open Diapason	61	2 2/3	Twelfth	61
8	Doppel Flöte (wood)	61	2	Fifteenth	61
8	Viola da Gamba	61		Mixture 4 ranks	244
4	Octave	61	8	Trumpet	61

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon (wood)	61	4	Flauto traverso (wood)	61
8	Open Diapason	61	2	Flautina	61
8	Stopped Diapason (wood)	61		Dolce Cornet 3 ranks	183
8	Salicional	61	8	Cornopean	61
8	Quintadena	61	8	Oboe	61
4	Violina	61		Tremolo

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8	Geigen Principal	61	4	Flute d'amour (wood & metal)	61
8	Melodia (wood)	61	2	Piccolo	61
8	Dulciana	61	8	Clarinet	61

Pedal Organ – 27 notes
16	Open Diapason	27	8	Violoncello	27
16	Bourdon (wood)	27	16	Trombone (wood)	27

Couplers
	Swell to Great			Swell to Pedal
	Choir to Great			Great to Pedal
	Swell to Choir			Choir to Pedal

Sources:
     St. Thomas Aquinas Church website: www.stthomasaquinaschurch.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Specification of Hook & Hastings organ, Op. 1301 (1886)
     Trupiano, Larry. Specification of Midmer-Losh organ (1925).
     Trupiano, Larry. Specification of Wicks organ, Op. 6135 (1988).
     Van Pelt, William T., comp. The Hook Opus List, 1829-1916 in Facsimile. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1991.

Illustration:
     Bridge and Tunnel Club website: www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com

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