 |
Click on image to enlarge |
Church of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Roman Catholic) 249 Ninth Street at Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
http://www.stthomasaquinaschurch.org
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|