Temple Organs has built a new pipe organ for First United Methodist Church, Burlington, Iowa, to replace an earlier Temple organ destroyed in a catastrophic arson fire in 2007. The organ comprises 60 ranks, with a four-manual console, and includes a polished copper Trompette-en-Chamade. The exposed Great, Solo, and horizontal Trompette surround the unique rose window, which is six windows around one, whose concrete frame was salvaged after the fire. A large oak frame will enclose a future LCD screen.
The earlier Temple organ, built in 1967 by N. Frederick Cool, incorporated several ranks of pipes from the historic Hinners organ in the church, notably strings and flutes. In deference to this tonal scheme, the present organ has six ranks of Hinners pipes from a vintage and untouched instrument purchased from a church in central Kansas. New Principal and Trumpet ranks were custom-made in Germany, while some 40 ranks of pipes were procured by the company from late-model pipe organs in churches that were closing or had been sold to congregations that eschewed the traditional American worship sound.
The organ is laid out in the same basic format as the 1967 organ, with the Swell in the left corner, the Great divided C and C# around a center chest, which in the new organ contains the Solo division, and the Choir in the right corner. The Pedal is disposed throughout the layout, with the 16′ Open Diapason partially included in the façade. The three unison stops of the Grand Cornet V are available separately in the Solo division, as well as together in the Cornet. The Choral Octave, the main tuning rank for the whole organ, is placed in the Solo for another full chorus ensemble.
Dr. Jan Kraybill played the dedicatory recital the afternoon of March 30, to a packed house.
Photo credit: Jim Priebe
