About Our Historic Instrument
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History
Trinity is home to an historic George Stevens pipe organ. Stevens was a popular 19th century builder of organs based in Massachusetts. The organ was built in 1866 for Calvary Episcopal Church, in Tarboro, NC. In 1914, the organ was sold to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Wilmington, NC, where it led worship for 30 years before being moved to Trinity in 1944. Stevens built about 850 pipe organs during his career and Trinity's instrument is one of probably no more than 35 or 40 still in existence, and one of only two in North Carolina. The instrument is tracker action. This means that when a key is pressed, a wooden "tracker" or rod mechanically moves to release air into a pipe. The pressurized air moves through the pipe to create a sound. Pipes of different materials, sizes, and shapes produce different sounds. In 2005, the instrument was in dire need of repair. The vestry determined that the pipe organ was such a fixture of the church that it would be worth the cost to restore and refurbish it rather than replacing it with an electric or digital organ. Mary Ann St. John undertook the tremendous task of raising the funds necessary to complete the restoration and repair. John Allen Farmer of Farmer Pipe Organs in Winston-Salem, NC, was engaged to carry out the work. The work required the removal of the instrument to his workshop in Winston-Salem. The organ chamber, which houses the blower and pipes, was rebuilt by Charles Edward "Chuck" Powell, Jr., in preparation for the organ's return. After a thorough rebuild and restoration, which included some additions that increased the number of pipes from 453 to 607, the organ was reinstalled in 2008. The instrument now has 12 ranks and 13 stops to lead singing to the glory of God. Colin Andrews, a renowned concert organist, played the inaugural recital. A Hymn Festival celebrating 150 years of singing with this historic pipe organ now gracing Trinity Church was held on June 5, 2016. For our semi quincentennial celebration in 2024, the organ was featured in a concert by Dr. Filippa Duke on Trinity Sunday, May 26, and a Hymn Festival on Christ the King Sunday, November 24. |
Specifications
The organ has three divisions of pipework: swell (upper manual/keyboard), great (lower manual/keyboard), and pedal (keys played with feet). Swell: 58 notes, C1-a58, enclosed, tracker action
Great: 58 notes, C1-a58, unenclosed, tracker action
Pedal: 27 notes, C1-d27. unenclosed, electric action
Accessories:
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