1935 Willis/Wicks Organ - St. Alphonsus Liguori "The Rock Church" - St. Louis, Missouri

[@peterfennema3112]

Very interesting. These videos really help me to appreciate these older organs of a certain era with qualities that sometimes escape me. Love Horst as a presenter - lovely playing and he's insightful and enthusiastic.

[@youtubesketches110]

Lovely Wicks organ. Beautiful presentation.

[@johnspeller3666]

Horst, welcome to Michigan, where I also live. I am not a Catholic, but an Episcopalian. I was partially responsible for obtainingn the Juget-Sinclair organ at St. Mark's, St. Louis. So, whatever you wish to do when you get here, you are most welcome to Michigan.

[@BruceLudwick]

Having seen both consoles in the shop, this is a magnificent copy of the original (regardless of what thinks about things theatre!)

[@cromorno8749]

What a wonderful instrument!

[@Diapason16ft]

And i know the back story of Herr Buchholz heading North. Tread a straight path, Horst. Michael Voris holds a hot spotlight on the AoD!

[@markaustin4370]

Wow. What a pretty organ. It must be amazing for accompanying choral music. Bravo on the restoration!

[@WAX6428]

Actually, there is a photo in the 1934 Diapason (can’t remember the month) announcing Willis’ hiring and listed with the photo is a set of pipes and a caption saying they were from the rock. So he was working on them in the shop.

[@jrorganbuilding]

This is a very ideal traditional RC organ much better than a baroque style instrument.

[@markwest5674]

I was intrigued by the fact that the console arrangement is somewhat reminiscent of a Wurlitzer theater organ.

[@splsystems]

If you ever make your way to the east coast, the organ to see is the 1972 4 manual, 125 rank Casavant Freres at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, R.C. in Providence R.I. Largest mechanical action organ on the continent.

[@Willorga1708bux]

I hope Brent can go to the National Cathedral someday

[@StoreeDenson]

Or Saint John Divine after the Great Organ and Chapel Organs are restored.

[@matthieubazile3350]

Very nice and interesting organ!

[@brucetominello325]

Why don’t you visit Austin 2711 in Edina Minnesota. It’s very important in the history of Austin and the reds and flutes are killer!

[@johnspeller3666]

I didn't know before that Willis only got involved at the finishing stage. It is, nevertheless, a very fine instrument. It was decades ago when I was in STL but of the Willis-Wicks instruments I was familiar with the one I know best is Our Lady of Sorrows. I know that the Sorrows instrument is not entirely original, but I hope you will do a video on that as well.

[@BruceLudwick]

Alas, the acoustic is revised (not in a good way!) at OLS. Cheers to you all: the J-S organ was a revelation! Hope all is well!

[@WAX6428]

Not true, he did some voicing in the shop, Diapason - 1934, no idea of which month. Martin was keen on keeping Willis’ involvement to a minimum for some reason.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

Martin would have been 14. I think Jake Schaeffer had more control over the work on this organ.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@BruceLudwick the acoustic would be so much better if they ripped out all those pews and carpets, but the building is a very poor bit of mid C19 neo-gothic, and the plaster vaults will always kill the acoustic somewhat.

[@johnsteven6273]

I assume the 32 Resultant would be wired to become a real 32 at the second c of the pedal board where as the 10-2/3 remains a 10-2/3 throughout the compass. I like the horseshoe console. I always thought Horseshoe consoles were the most ergonomic if they could have more classical looking tabs. Just having them all in white helps, but a Holtkamp style tab in wood be really nice.

[@joespeciale5875]

Yet, regarding the “horseshoe console,” tho much more practical, they are often viewed pejoratively because they associate the pipe organ manufacturer with a theater organ. As you well know probably. I worked at a church that had a horseshoe console for many years, and it was great to furtively add or subtract stops one at a time, but when people would come to view the consul would say, “Oh, it’s just a theater organ.”

[@principals16842]

I used to play on a 1922 organ with some very, very quiet stops such as the Swell 8' Aeoline and 4' Fern Flute which were almost impossible to hear with the box closed. I'm not sure quite why tastes tended toward the inaudible in the beginning of last century. Mine had a horseshoe console as well, which I have to admit was extremely comfortable, with everything in easy reach. What a wonderful presentation of a fascinating instrument! Brent, who did you say would be proud at 38:23, just before Horst mentioned Jean Guillou? I can't quite make it out.

[@thebog11]

Paul Manz. Known for his creative registrations (and improvisational skills).

[@principals16842]

@@thebog11 Ah, thanks! I couldn't quite make it out. Brent did a video on the 1965 Schlicker organ which Paul Manz designed in Minneapolis, and it's well worth a listen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omLUmGR-nr2MmsU

[@richardharrold9736]

@@principals16842 I cannot understand the point of such inaudibility. The soft stuff in this organ is so muted as to be useless for accompanimental purposes.

[@johnmangels5572]

@@richardharrold9736 organs do.more than accompany.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@johnmangels5572 indeed, and in the solo repertoire, such inaudibility is even more useless. Better to have strings and flutes voiced mp than ppp and take them down to ppp with effective enclosures.

[@DavidKrautscheid]

the console looks like a theatre organ horsehoe console but without the colorfull tabs

[@johnmangels5572]

Really...

[@praestant8]

A number of lovely 20th century sounds. Its not surprising reeds have their own trems given the period and that they have their own higher pressure wind supply in the english fashion. A horseshoe console with a roll top is not common.

[@fbrabson]

What is the piece being played at the opening of the video? I may have mis-scanned the music listed, but I didn’t see this melody.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

That's Festal March by Florence Price.

[@jrorganbuilding]

How would you be able to mute those mixture pipes?

[@markwunder7748]

I'm glad that you don't have vertigo like I do. I'd never be able to get up in those chambers. Also - Does the parish use that organ since it is primarily an African-American congregation? Doesn't seem to fit gospel music much.

[@PapaLynn1]

Is the Doppelflute a real double mouthed Doppel?

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

Yes, it is. There are some shots of it on the chest starting at 55:14.

[@OrganNLou]

WOnderful instrument! I bet it would sound even better if they removed all that terrible carpet down below!

[@richardharrold9736]

And the pews, they absolutely kill reverberation.

[@brettowen7174]

I can't see the point of so many similar very soft stops. Lovely sounds but they don't seem appropriate for such a large church.

[@hewitttexasrobloxsirens225]

Is it just me or does that look like a theatre organ console?

[@dairylandsportswi]

As a theatre organ enthusiast, yes

[@jonofarc443]

I thought that too!

[@AJ12-76]

Beautiful sounding instrument. Hideous theater organ console. Is that original to this organ?

[@davidminton5176]

Watch the video (and pay attention). That "hideous" horseshoe console IS original, or a reconstruction of the original (according to the video) after the organ's full restoration after a fire.

[@AJ12-76]

@@davidminton5176 hadn’t watched that part yet. No need to be an asshole

[@davidminton5176]

@@AJ12-76 - never called you an asshole (nor did I think you to be one). Perhaps I was mistaken.

[@dairylandsportswi]

Why are theatre organ consoles hideous?