Building of a New Organ for the Church in Hamburg Eppendorf
A Short Explanation about Organs
The information on this page was provided for us by the Neuapostolische Kirche, Hamburg Eppendorf. The organ comprises three independent departments, which can sound individually, but also be played together. Each individual department is played by way of a keyboard: Manuals, played with the hands; or Pedals, played with the feet. The specification contains 23 sounding voices (Stops), distributed as follows
| Hauptwerk (1.Manual) |
|
Schwellwerk (2.Manual) |
|
Pedal |
| 1. |
Prinzipal |
8' |
|
10. |
Holzgedackt |
8' |
|
18. |
Subbass |
16' |
| 2. |
Metallgedackt |
8' |
|
11. |
Salizional |
8' |
|
19. |
Oktavbass |
8' |
| 3. |
Gambe |
8' |
|
12. |
Rohrfloete |
4' |
|
20. |
Gedacktbass |
8' |
| 4. |
Oktave |
4' |
|
13. |
Prinzipal |
2' |
|
21. |
Choralbass |
4' |
| 5. |
Blockfloete |
4' |
|
14. |
Quinte |
1 1/3' |
|
22. |
Hintersatz |
2 2/3' |
| 6. |
Nasat |
2 2/3' |
|
15. |
Sesquialtera 2f |
2 2/3' |
|
23. |
Fagott |
16' |
| 7. |
Spitzfloete |
2' |
|
16. |
Scharf 3f |
1' |
|
|
Koppel |
II/I |
| 8. |
Mixtur 4-5f |
1 1/3' |
|
17. |
Oboe |
8' |
|
|
|
I/P |
| 9. |
Trompete |
8' |
| |
|
Tremulant |
|
|
|
II/P |
The Great contains the basic voices, such as Principal, Octave, and Mixture, which are used to give the characteristic organ sound, and are particularly suited to leading congregational singing.
The Swell gives a particularly intensive effect. It is enclosed in a "swell box" which has shutters built into the front. Moving the swell pedal on the organ causes the shutters to open or close, which in turn causes the volume to increase or decrease. The Swell contains several interesting stops, including one of the string stops, the "Salizional" which has a close scale and therefore produces extremely rich overtones.
The Pedals have comparatively few stops and usually serve as the bass foundation, although coupling to the manual stops can extend their tone colour and enable the Pedals to be used for solos.
The reed stops, or "Linguale," produce a particularly majestic sound. With these stops (which include "Labial" and "Blockfl�) the notes are not produced via flue pipes, but in a similar way to a mouth organ, with the striking of a small metal tongue - the "reed" - sounding through a resonating tube.
The bellows are structured as a slider chest. The key action is mechanical, so that depressing any of the manual or pedal keys makes a mechanical connection to a valve.
To make it possible to select different combinations of stops (including couplers) quickly, the organ contains a programmable memory, which can hold up to 256 selections. Combinations of stops can be pre-programmed and then selected at the touch of a piston, which is particularly helpful during services and concerts when there are complicated changes of registration - the registrations can be pre-set, and then selected during use without any time delay.
The organ commission of the NAK Hamburg oversaw the technical and architectural construction of the organ. The organ was handed over by KMD and OSV Hans-Martin Petersen on the 3rd May, 2002, and its consecration took place on the 25th May, 2002.
Pictures from the construction of the organ:
Laid out in the church
prior to installation. |
The first sections are erected. |
| |
Pedal pipes |
Swell pipes |
| |
Great pipes;
Mixtur and Trompete 8´
are not yet installed.
|
Great wind chest |
| |
The fa栤e under construction. |
Front view, with chief organ-builder H� |
| |
The keyboard |
The finished organ
- a wonderful instrument.
Instrument. |
Pictures from the organ's inauguration:
The bishop of the region leading the
inauguration meeting |
Manfred Borkowski from the organ
commission of the NAK Hamburg. |
| |
Organist J�Reddin gives an explanation. |
Chief organ-builder H�br>
presents the instrument.
|
| |
The Hamburg-Ost Chamber Choir
attend the gathering.
|
Music-loving guests fill the church in
Hamburg Eppendorf. |
| |
Organist Wolfgang Peper at the Organ. |
|