Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist - New York City (Photo: Jeff Scofield)

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Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist

9 East 43rd Street
New York, N.Y. 10017


Organ Specifications:
9 East 43rd Street (since 1921)
► IV/97 Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., Op. 330-A (1954)
► IV/45 Ernest M. Skinner Co., Op. 330 (1921)
29 West 42nd Street (c.1914-1921) – Aeolian Hall
• IV/78 Aeolian Company, Op. 1212 (1912)
Madison Avenue at 38th Street (c.1908-c.1914)
• Unknown Builder
228 West 45 Street (1903-c.1908)
• unknown


The Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, incorporated in 1901, held its first services in the former Church of St. Mary the Virgin at 228 West 45th Street. Twenty years later, between 1920-21, A.D. Pickering designed a new Skyscraper Church in the lower floors of the Canadian Pacific Building, located on East 43rd Street, just to the west of Grand Central Terminal.
           
 

Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 330-A (1954) at Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist - New York City

Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc.
Boston, Mass. – Opus 330-A (1954)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 93 stops, 97 ranks







The organ in the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist dates to 1954, when the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston was contracted to rebuild and greatly enlarge the existing 1921 Ernest M. Skinner Organ (Opus 330). At that time, Aeolian-Skinner provided a new four-manual drawknob console that is located on the main floor to the right of the Readers' Desk. Aeolian-Skinner returned in 1956 to install the Echo division (Opus 330-B) within the Antiphonal. At a later date, the combination action was replaced with a solid-state system.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, unenclosed (5" pressure)
16
  Quintaton
61
4
  Flute
61
8
  Principal
61
2 2/3
  Quint
61
8
  Harmonic Flute
61
2
  Super Octave
61
8
  Spitzflöte
61
    Fourniture IV-VI ranks
288
8
  Gedeckt
61
    Cymbel III ranks
183
4
  Principal
61
    Chimes
EC

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed (7" pressure)
16
  Bourdon
73
4
  Flute
73
8
  Geigen
73
2 2/3
  Nazard
61
8
  Viole de Gambe
73
2
  Fifteenth
61
8
  Viole Celeste
73
    Plein Jeu IV ranks
244
8
  Echo Viole
73
    Scharff III ranks
183
8
  Echo Viole Celeste
73
16
  Contre Trompette
73
8
  Aeoline
73
8
  Trompette
73
8
  Unda Maris [TC]
61
8
  Flugel Horn
73
8
  Gedeckt
73
8
  Vox Humana
73
8
  Quintadena
73
4
  Clairon
73
4
  Octave Geigen
73
    Tremulant  

     

     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed (6" pressure)
8
  Viola
73
2
  Blockflöte
61
8
  Viola Celeste
73
1 3/5
  Tierce
61
8
  Concert Flute
73
8
  Clarinet
73
8
  Kleine Erzähler II ranks
134
    Harp  
4
  Nachthorn
73
    Celesta  
2 2/3
  Nazard
61
    Tremulant  

     

     
Positiv Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, unenclosed (2½" pressure)
8
  Nason Flute
61
1
  Sifflöte
61
4
  Koppel Flute
61
    Cymbel III ranks
183
2
  Principal
61
8
  Cromorne
61
1 1/3
  Larigot
61
    Tremulant  

     

     
Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed (10" pressure)
8
  Gamba
73
8
  English Horn
73
8
  Gamba Celeste
73
8
  Trompette Harmonique
73
8
  French Horn
73
    Tremulant  

     

     
Echo Organ (floating) – 61 notes, enclosed (5" pressure)
16
  Dulciana
61
8
  Gedeckt
61
8
  Viole
61
8
  Vox Humana
61
8
  Viole Celeste [TC]
49
    Tremulant  
8
  Flute Celeste II ranks
134
   
Chimes
21 tubes

     

     
Antiphonal Organ (floating) – 61 notes, enclosed (5" pressure)
8
  Diapason
61
    Plein Jeu III ranks
183
4
  Octave
61
8
   Trompette
61

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes (5" pressure)
32
  Bourdon [unit]
56
4
  Choral Bass
32
16
  Contre Basse
32
4
  Nachthorn
32
16
  Principal
32
2
  Blockflöte
32
16
  Bourdon [ext.]
—
     Fourniture III ranks
96
16
  Violone
44
     Cymbel II ranks
64
16
  Quintaten
GT
32
  Bombarde [unit]
68
16
  Echo Lieblich
SW
16
  Bombarde [ext.]
—
8
  Principal
32
16
  Trompette
SW
8
  Cello [ext. Violone]
—
8
  Trumpet [ext.]
—
8
  Gedeckt [ext.]
—
4
  Clarion [ext.]
—
8
  Still Gedeckt
SW
    Chimes
EC
5 1/3
  Quint 
32
       

     

     
Antiphonal-Echo Pedal Organ – 32 notes (5" pressure)
16
  Principal [ext.]
12
8
  Flute [ext.]
—
16
  Bourdon
44
8
  Dulciana
EC
16
  Dulciana
EC
16
  Posaune
44
8
  Principal
ANT
8
  Posaune [ext.]
—
           
  Early Photo (c. 1925) Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist - New York City
 

Interior showing console (c.1925)

Ernest M. Skinner Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 330 (1921)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 55 stops, 45 ranks






The original organ in the present edifice was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Company in 1921. Skinner installed the pipes and mechanism in a chamber at the front of the auditorium, and the four-manual drawknob console was placed in the musicians' gallery above the Readers' Desk.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Diapason
61
4
  Octave
61
8
  First Diapason
61
4
  Flute
61
8
  Second Diapason
61
    Tremolo
61
8
  Gedeckt
61
    Chimes  
8
  Flute Harmonic
61
       

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
4
  Flute
73
8
  Diapason
73
2
  Piccolo
61
8
  Gedeckt
73
    Mixture III ranks
183
8
  Quintadena
73
16
  Posaune
244
8
  Viole d'Orchestre
73
8
  Cornopean
73
8
  Voix Celeste
73
8
  Flugel Horn
73
8
  Aeoline
73
8
  Vox Humana
73
8
  Unda Maris [TC]
61
4
  Clarion
73
4
  Octave
73
    Tremolo  

     

     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Concert Flute
73
2
  Piccolo
61
8
  Flute Celeste
73
8
  Clarinet
73
8
  Dulciana
73
    Tremolo  
4
  Flute
73
       

     

     
Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Gamba
73
8
  English Horn
73
8
  Gamba Celeste
73
    Tremolo  
8
  French Horn
73
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
73

     

     
Echo Organ (floating) – 73 notes, enclosed
8
  Gedeckt
61
8
  Vox Humana
61
8
  Vox Celeste II ranks
122
    Tremolo  
8
  Dulciana
61
    Chimes  

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  Bourdon
68
8
  Gedeckt [ext.]
—
16
  Diapason
56
8
  Cello
SO
16
  Diapason
GT
8
  Still Gedeckt
SW
16
  Bourdon [ext.]
—
4
  Super Octave [ext.]
—
16
  Echo Bourdon
SW
4
  Flute [ext.]
—
16
  Echo Dulciana [ext. CH]
12
16
  Trombone
44
8
  Octave [ext.]
—
8
  Tromba [ext.]
—
           
  Sunday School of Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist - New York City (photo: Byron Company, 1909)
 

Sunday School in previous edifice (1909)
Organ in church located on Madison Avenue at 38th Street:

Unknown Builder
Mechanical action




The 1909 photo at right shows the Sunday School in front of an organ by an unidentified builder.
           
Sources:
     Aeolian-Skinner Archives web site: http://aeolian-skinner.110mb.com/
     Callahan, Charles. The American Classic Organ: A History in Letters. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1990.
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Holden, Dorothy. The Life and Work of Ernest M. Skinner. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1987.
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.

Illustrations:
     Byron Company (New York, N.Y.). Sunday School (1909) of Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist. Collection of the Museum of the City of New York.
     Scofield, Jeff.