St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

Arlington, VA

The organ in St. Peter’s Church began as Lewis & Hitchcock Opus 199, built in 1956 for St. Alban’s Episcopal Church of Annandale, Virginia. In 1984 this organ was rebuilt and expanded and installed in St. Peter’s Church. It was subsequently enlarged after that.

The main problem with the organ was the attic chamber where the Swell division was installed. This division was very sensitive to changes in heat and humidity in the attic, which affected tuning as well as the playing action.

When the situation became critical in 2006, we were asked to devise a way to make the organ stay in tune and be more flexible for use in accompanying the liturgy, as well as choirs and soloists. Another desire was a three manual console, again for the flexibility available to the organist in registering and accompanying.

We devised a plan to rebuild to new standards a three manual console we had taken in trade, and make the organ be the best it could be by replacing the Swell division with a digital division, and using other digital stops to enhance the Great, Choir and Pedal divisions. This was set into motion in 2007. As so often happens, the church provided funding in excess of what was required, so we were very happy to revise our plans to use a larger three manual console, one we had taken in trade from the Old Post Chapel of Fort Meyer in Arlington, Virginia, plus add more stops.

The Walker firm, leaders in the development of digital sounds to be added to pipe organs, provided the digital stops. These were voiced in the room, to supplement and complement the pipe registers.

The result is an instrument that can easily provide the proper accompaniment for any anthem or solo, as well as interpret the bulk of the organ literature. And space has been left for future additions, as the church is able to provide them.

Emily Koons, organist, worked with us to design the organ; Lisa Lettau, Senior Warden of the church, handled the negotiations between the church and our firm.

Great:

16’ Violone

61 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

8’ Principal

61 pipes, basses in façade

8’ Flûte Harmonique

61 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

8’ Stopped Diapason

61 pipes

4’ Octave

73 pipes, basses in façade

4’ Flute Traverse

61 pipes

2’ Super Octave

from #3

1 1/3’ Mixture II

122 pipes

8’ English Horn

61 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

Chimes

21 tubes

16’ Great to Great

8’ Great Unison Off

4’ Great to Great

Blank

SWELL: Enclosed in right chamber

8’ Rohrflute

61 notes, WPS*

8’ Viole de Gamba

61 notes, WPS*

8’ Viole Celeste

61 notes, WPS*

4’ Spitzflute

61 notes, WPS*

2 2/3’ Nazard

61 notes, WPS*

2’ Blockflute

61 notes, WPS*

1 3/5’ Tierce

61 notes, WPS*

16’ Contre Hautbois

61 notes, WPS*

8’ Trompette

61 notes, WPS*

8’ Oboe

61 notes, WPS*

Tremolo

16’ Swell to Swell

8’ Swell Unison Off

4’ Swell to Swell

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CHOIR: Positiv Case and left chamber

8’ Gedeckt

61 pipes, exposed in Positiv case

8’ Erzähler

61 notes, WPS*

8’ Erzähler Celeste

61 notes, WPS*

4’ Spitz Principal

73 pipes, exposed in Positiv case

4’ Koppelflöte

61 notes, WPS*

2 2/3’ Nazard

61 notes, WPS*

2’ Spitz Octave

from #10

8’ Clarinet

61 notes, WPS*

Tremolo

(digital stops only)

16’ Choir to Choir

8’ Choir Unison Off

4’ Choir to Choir

8’ Festival Trumpet

61 notes, WPS*, high power

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PEDAL: Right Chamber, expressive with Swell except as noted

32’ Untersatz

32 notes, WPS*

16’ Diapason

32 notes, WPS*

16’ Bourdon

32 notes, WPS*

16’ Gedeckt

32 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

8’ Octave

32 notes, WPS*

8’ Bassflute

32 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

4’ Super Octave

32 notes, WPS*

4’ Flachflute

32 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

32’ Bombarde

32 notes, WPS*

16’ Trombone

32 notes, WPS*

4’ Rohr Schalmei

2 notes, WPS*, expressive w/Choir

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COUPLERS:

8' Great to Pedal

4' Great to Pedal

8' Swell to Pedal

4' Swell to Pedal

8' Choir to Pedal

4' Choir to Pedal

16' Swell to Great

8' Swell to Great

4' Swell to Great

16' Choir to Great

8' Choir to Great

4' Choir to Great

16' Swell to Choir

8' Swell to Choir

4' Swell to Choir

Great/Choir Manual Transfer

Pistons:

Under Swell:

General 1-4, Sw/Ped, Swell 1-8, Zimbalstern

Under Great:

General 5-8, Gt/Ped, Great 1-8, Sw/Gt, Ch/Gt, Tutti

Under Choir:

Set, Pedal 1-4, Ch/Ped, Ch 1-8, Sw/Ch, General Cancel

Toe Movements:

Left:

Center:

Right:

General 1-4

Ch/Sw/Cresc

Gt/P, Sw/P, Ch/P, Tutti

General 5-8

shoes

Pedal 1-4

Memory Bank Selector

Transposer

MIDI IN/OUT/THROUGH ports

The 1965 colonial style drawknob console from the Old Post Chapel in Fort Meyer, Arlington, Virginia was totally rebuilt to new standards, with all new works.

*WPS = Walker Paradox System