click on images to enlarge Church of St. Jean Baptiste (Roman Catholic) 184 East 76th Street at Lexington Avenue New York, N.Y. 10021 http://www.sjbrcc.org/ Organ Specifications: Upper Church: ► IV/71 Wicks Organ Company, Op. 6388 (2000) ► IV/63 Murray M. Harris Company, Op. 104 (1913) ► II/9 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 7581 (1947) – Lower Church • II/19s M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 1404 (1912) – Lower Church In the early part of 1800, a large number of French-speaking people resided in New York City. A Mr. Gabriel Franchère, who came from Montreal, Canada, as one of the secretaries of the Pacific Fur Company founded by John Jacob Astor, reports: "In 1810 there were in New York City 32 churches, two of which were Catholic. The population was up to ninety thousand, of whom ten thousand were French-speaking." In 1841, St. Peter's Church, on Barclay Street, established a mission to the French Catholic population by building St. Vincent de Paul Church on Canal Street. As the French population moved northward, a new St. Vincent de Paul was built on West 23rd Street in 1867. St. Vincent de Paul Church was quite a distance from the Yorkville section of the city where a fairly large group of French Canadians had settled. They had the choice of using the slow-moving horse-drawn trolley along Third Avenue or the more expensive trains of the Harlem Railroad with its open tracks along the northern part of Fourth Avenue, now called Park Avenue. The Societé Saint Jean Baptiste, founded in 1850, established L'Eglise de St. Jean Baptiste in 1882, at first meeting in a stable at 202 East 77th Street while a church was built in 1882-85 at 159 East 76th Street. In 1892, St. Jean Baptiste became a shrine to St. Anne with the presentation of a relic from Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, and the resulting crowds regularly overflowed the church. The construction of the present church building was due, in large part, to the contributions of Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife. Ryan, a devout and wealthy man of unassuming ways, preferred St. Jean's to the large and showy parishes near his Fifth Avenue home, and the Blessed Sacrament Fathers served as his wife's private chaplains at the Ryan's country home in Suffern, New York. One day he arrived late for mass and found that there was standing room only. At the conclusion of the service, he approached the officiating priest and asked how much it would cost to build a new church. The priest answered, apparently off the top of his head, "$300,000." Ryan replied, "Get some plans and I will pay for it." The new church, completed in 1913, was designed by Nicholas Serracino in the Italian Baroque style, with a massive, freestanding Corinthian portico, twin bell towers, and a magnificent dome which rises 175 feet over the crossing of the nave and transepts. The stained glass windows of the church are some of the finest in the city, having been crafted in Chartres, France, before the outbreak of World War I. Its total cost was ultimately close to $600,000. By the 1960s, the demographics had changed and French masses were no longer offered. The vast Lower Church, as large as the main church above, was reconfigured to be the parish Community Center with meeting rooms and a theater. Today, the church hosts productions of DiCapo Opera, one of New York's finest independent companies, and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. In the 1990s, after selling its air rights to the adjacent Siena apartment tower, the church began a program to restore the building's crumbling exterior. The interior, which was originally somber, was renovated and redecorated in vivid colors by Felix Chavez, Inc. of New York City. In 1969, the Church of St. Jean Baptiste was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.             Wicks Organ Company Highland, Ill. – Opus 6388 (2000) Direct-Electric key action Solid State combination action 4 manuals, 71 pipe ranks, 57 digital ranks, 4,204 pipes As part of the renovation of St. Jean Baptiste, the Wicks Organ Company received the contract in 1999 to replace the 1913 Murray M. Harris organ which had become unplayable by the 1990s. The new organ contains 11 divisions, playable from a four-manual console located in the lower gallery, and retains the facade and many ranks from the original organ.                 UPPER GALLERY                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   Principal * 61 2 2/3   Twelfth 61 8   Diapason 61 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Gedeckt * 61   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Violone 61   Cymbal IV ranks digital 8   Gamba * 61 8   Trumpet 61 4   Octave 61                 Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Gedeckt * 61   Mixture IV ranks * 244 8   Violin Diapason * 61 16   Contra Oboe * 61 8   Claribel Flute * 61 8   Trompette * 61 8   Stopped Diapason * 61 8   Cornopean * 61 8   Salicional * 61 8   Oboe * 61 8   Voix Céleste * 61 8   Vox Humana * 61 4   Octave * 61 4   Clairon * 61 4   Flauto Traverso * 61   Tremulant 2 2/3   Nazard 61   Vox Humana Tremulant 2   Piccolo 61   Cymbelstern 1 3/5   Tierce 61                   Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Principal * 61 2   Flautino 61 8   Rohr Flute 61 1 1/3   Larigot 61 8   Viole de Gamba 61   Mixture III ranks * 183 8   Gamba Celeste 61 8   Clarinet * 61 8   Flauto Dolce 61 8   Cromhorne digital 8   Flute Celeste 61   Tremulant 4   Choral Principal * 61 8   Fanfare Trumpet SO 4   Harmonic Flute 61                   Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   English Horn digital 4   Octave * 61 8   Grand Diapason * 61 4   Flute * 61 8   Doppelflöte 61   Cornet V ranks [mounted] digital 8   Gross Gamba * 61 8   Tuba * 61 8   Gamba Celeste * 61   Tremulant 8   Dulciana/Unda Maris II ranks * 122 8   Fanfare Trumpet digital             Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Principal digital 5 1/3   Quint 32 32   Bourdon * 32 4   Super Octave * 32 32   Violone digital 4   Doppelflöte SO 16   Open Wood * 32   Grand Cornet IV ranks digital 16   Open Metal digital 32   Posaune digital 16   Diapason GT 16   Ophicleide * 32 16   Violone * 32 16   Bombarde digital 16   Dulciana * 32 16   Contre Trompette digital 16   Bourdon * 32 16   Contra Oboe SW 16   Lieblich Gedeckt SW 8   Tromba * 32 8   Octave * 32 8   Trompette SW 8   Gedeckt SW 4   Clairon * 32 8   Violone GT                   LOWER GALLERY             Grande Orgue (Manual II) – 61 notes, unenclosed 16   Bourdon digital 2   Doublette 61 8   Montre 61 1 3/5   Tierce 61 8   Bourdon 61   Plein Jeu IV ranks 244 8   Flûte Harmonique digital 16   Basson digital 8   Salicional digital 8   Trompette 61 4   Prestant 61 4   Clairon digital 4   Flûte Ouverte digital   Chimes digital 2 2/3   Quint digital                 Récit (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Principal Conique 61 1 1/3   Larigot 61 8   Flûte Traversière 61 8   Cor Anglais digital 8   Viole de Gambe * 61 8   Hautbois 61 8   Voix Céleste digital 8   Trompette Harmonique digital 4   Flûte Octaviante 61 4   Clairon digital 2   Octavin 61   Tremblant             Pédale – 32 notes 16   Contre Basse digital 4   Chorale basse digital 16   Soubasse digital 16   Petite Bombarde digital 8   Octave Basse digital   Chimes G.O. 8   Flûte G.O.                 TRIFORIUM (North transept)             Grande Orgue (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   Montre digital 4   Prestant digital 8   Bourdon digital   Plein Jeu III ranks digital             Récit (Manual III) – 61 notes, expressive 8   Flûte Harmonique digital 8   Hautbois digital 8   Viole de Gambe digital   Tremblant 8   Voix Céleste digital 8   Trompette de Fanfare digital 4   Flûte Octaviante digital                     Pédale – 32 notes 16   Bourdon digital     16   Basson digital             * ranks from 1913 Murray Harris organ         Digital Stops by Walker Technical Company                 Murray Harris facade and Kilgen console Murray M. Harris Company Los Angeles, CA – Opus 104 (1913) Electro-pneumatic action 4 manuals, 60 stops, 63 ranks The Murray Harris organ built for St. Jean Baptiste was a gift from Mr. Thomas F. Ryan. Built in 1913, it is perhaps the last instrument designed by Murray Harris, as the contract was completed by the Johnston Piano and Organ Company. An organ of 60 stops and 63 ranks, it was blessed on Sunday, January 4, 1914 and first used that evening in recital by Gaston M. Dethier (1875-1958), who was then Professor of Organ at the Juilliard School. The specification and scaling of the instrument were carried out by Arthur Scott Brook, in collaboration with Murray Harris. Mr. Brook had most recently finished designing an instrument for the Hon. William A. Clarkson's Fifth Avenue mansion. The Italian Renaissance facade, which stands today, follows the case design of the organ in the 16th century Church of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena, Italy. In the 1940's, the Kilgen Organ Company of St. Louis, MO, installed a new four-manual console to replace the original Murray Harris. The instrument continued to serve the parish until it became unplayable in the early 1990's.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason   4   Principal   8   First Open Diapason   4   Octave   8   Second Open Diapason   4   Harmonic Flute   8   Dopple Flute   2 2/3   Twelfth   8   Gamba   2   Fifteenth   8   Viola d'Amour   8   Trumpet                    Swell (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Gedeckt 4   Octave   8   Open Diapason 4   Wald Flute   8   Violin Diapason 2   Harmonic Piccolo   8   Salicional   Mixture IV ranks   8   Viol Celeste 16   Contra Oboe   8   Viol d'Orchestre 8   Horn   8   Lieblich Gedeckt 8   Orchestral Oboe   8   Clarabella 4   Clarion                   Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Double Diapason   8   Dulciana   8   Geigen Principal   8   Viola   8   Flauto Traverso   4   Flauto d'Amour   8   Quintadena   8   Clarinet                   Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Grand Diapason   8   Philomela   8   Saxophone [labial?]   8   Flauto Major   8   Gross Gamba   8   Tuba Mirabilis   8   Vox Seraphic                         Echo Organ – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Keraulophon   8   Vox Seraphic   8   Rohr Flute   8   Unda Maris   8   Vox Mystica   4   Nachthorn                   Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Contra Bourdon   16   Dulcet Bass   16   Open Diapason   8   Octave   16   Contra Basso   8   Gedeckt   16   Violone   8   Violin Cello   16   Bourdon   4   Carillon   16   Dulciana   16   Trombone               Organ in the Lower Church: M. P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 7581 (1947) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 34 registers, 20 stops, 9 ranks The M.P. Möller Factory Specification, dated March 1, 1947, shows that their Op. 7581 was entirely enclosed in a single expression chamber and had a detached stop-key console. Möller reused many pipes from the previous Möller organ, Op. 1404 of 1912. The entire organ was voiced on 4" wind pressure.                 Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Diapason 85 4   Flute [fr. Clarabella] — 8   Clarabella 85 4   Dulcet [fr. Dulciana] — 8   Dulciana 85   Tremolo 4   Octave [fr. Diapason] —   Chimes preparation                 Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 97 4   Flute d'Amour [fr. Bourdon] — 8   Geigen Principal 73 2 2/3   Nasard [fr. Bourdon] — 8   Viole d'Gamba 73 2   Flautino [fr. Bourdon] — 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 61 8   Trumpet 73 8   Gedeckt [fr. Bourdon] —   Tremolo                 Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 44 8   Gedeckt SW 16   Lieblich Gedeckt SW 4   Flute SW 8   Flute [fr. Bourdon] —                     Couplers     Great to Pedal   Great 16', Unison, 4'     Swell to Pedal   Swell 16', Unison, 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'                     Adjustable Combinations     Pistons No. 1-2-3 affecting Great and Pedal Stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3 affecting Swell and Pedal Stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3 affecting Full Organ                 Pedal Movements     Balanced Expression Pedal   Sforzando Reversible     Balanced Crescendo Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible                 Accessories     Expression Indicator (light)     Sforzando Indicator (light)     Crescendo Indicator (light)     Action Current Indicator (light)             Organ in the Lower Church: M. P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 1404 (1912) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 19 registers Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.             Sources:      Brown, Kyler. Document on the organs at the Church of St. Jean Baptiste.      Church of St. Jean Baptiste website: http://www.sjbrcc.org/      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Scofield, Jeff. M.P. Möller Opus List.      Smith, David Lennox (ed. by Orpha Ochse). Murray M. Harris and Organ Building in Los Angeles, 1894-1913. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2005.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of M.P. Möller Organ, Op. 7581 (1947). Photos:      St. Jean Baptiste website: exterior and interior      Wicks Organ Company: Interior view of rear gallery, Wicks organ console     | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |