Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California; Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, Orlando, Florida
This modern basilica is based on the size and shape of the fourth-century Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It seats 2,000 and is a place of pilgrimage for the millions of international tourists who visit Orlando each year. The extensive music program with professional choir is directed by William F. Picher. The shrine has a busy calendar of Masses, numerous special celebrations, and regular concerts. Dr. Picher envisioned an instrument of extremely broad tonal flexibility, something like the one we built for the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
The organ had to be large enough to match the acoustic of this huge building. Its size is illustrated by the 32′ pipes in display. Behind the pipes on the left are the Great, Swell, and Choir divisions. On the right are Solo and Pedal. The console and singers are to the left of the sanctuary along with a small Positive division to provide an intimate sense of pitch and rhythm. The Gallery division is at the west end. Casework was designed in cooperation with Cameron Bird of Jackson & Ryan Architects and built by New Holland Church Furniture.
The acoustic of the Basilica maintains clarity throughout the space and is especially sensitive to subtle tonal color differences among the stops. This, along with five divisions under expression plus double expression in the Swell allows a kaleidoscopic color and dynamic range. Among the special features is a string division in the Gallery, which is designed to create a celestial atmosphere as worshippers enter for Mass. There are two powerful solo reeds, both under expression—Tuba Magna in the main organ and Grand Harmonic Trumpet in the Gallery. The Solo includes six genuine Wurlitzer stops. As in our Salt Lake City organ, these were selected to broaden the tonal palette. Each of these six stops is used in the ensemble the same way any other attractive tone would be.
This grand organ is the largest we have built for a Roman Catholic church in our 143-year history. It has very special meaning for our firm and our founding family. Surely our founder, Felix F. Schoenstein, a devout Catholic who dedicated two children and two grandchildren to Catholic religious orders and built his very first organ for a Marian church, would be pleased. Having emigrated from Germany, he would be especially honored to know the organ will be serving an international assembly from among the 75 million who visit Orlando yearly.
Four manuals, 70 voices, 86 ranks
Electric-pneumatic action
GREAT (II) 5′′ wind
32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (TC – Sw)
16′ Double Open Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Phonon Diapason (Solo)
8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Small Open Diapason (ext) 12 pipes
8′ Gallery Diapasons (II)
8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)
8′ Aeoline (Choir)
8′ Bourdon 61 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Spire Flute 61 pipes
2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes
2′ Mixture mf (III) 167 pipes
2′ Mixture f (IV) 201 pipes
8′ Trumpet 61 pipes
8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)
8′ Tuba Chorus †
8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)
Gallery on Great
Positive on Great
† Tuba Magna at 16′, 8′, 4′
SWELL (III–enclosed) 5½′′ wind
16′ Lieblich Bourdon 12 pipes (ext Stopped Diapason)
8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes
8′ Voix céleste 61 pipes
8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
2′ Harmonic Piccolo 61 pipes
2-2⁄3′ Cornet (III) 176 pipes
8′ Oboe 61 pipes
Tremulant
Stops under double expression, 10′′ wind
8′ Erzähler 61 pipes
8′ Erzähler Celeste (TC) 49 pipes
2′ Mixture ff (IV) 215 pipes
16′ Posaune 61 pipes
8′ Cornopean 61 pipes
4′ Clarion 61 pipes
8′ Vox Humana (Solo)
Swell 16′
Swell Unison Off
Swell 4′
Gallery on Swell
Positive on Swell
CHOIR (I – enclosed) 5½′′ wind
16′ Aeoline (ext) 12 pipes
8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes
8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)
8′ Aeoline 61 pipes
8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes
4′ Fugara 61 pipes
4′ Silver Flute 61 pipes
2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Blockflöte 61 pipes
1-3⁄5′ Tierce 54 pipes
2′ Mixture mf (IV–V) 285 pipes
16′ Bass Horn (ext Fl Horn) 12 pipes
8′ Trumpet 61 pipes
8′ Flügel Horn 61 pipes
8′ English Horn 61 pipes
8′ Clarinet 61 pipes
Tremulant
Choir 16′
Choir Unison Off
Choir 4′
8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)
Gallery on Choir
Positive on Choir
SOLO (IV–enclosed) 10′′ wind
16′ Tibia Clausa 85 pipes (1–12 Pedal Bourdon)
8′ Phonon Diapason 73 pipes
8′ Symphonic Flute 61 pipes
8′ Tibia Clausa (ext)
8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes
8′ Gamba 85 pipes
8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes
8′ Viol d’Orchestre 73 pipes
8′ Viol Celeste 73 pipes
8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)
4′ Octave (ext 8′ Phonon Diapason)
4′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)
4′ Flute (ext Concert Flute)
4′ Gambette (ext Gamba)
4′ Viol Celeste (II – Violes)
2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (ext Tibia)
2′ Fifteenth (ext Gamba)
2′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)
1-3⁄5′ Tierce (ext Tibia)
16′ Corno di Bassetto 73 pipes
8′ Tuba Horn 61 pipes
8′ French Horn 61 pipes
8′ Corno di Bassetto (ext)
8′ Vox Humana † 61 pipes
8′ Tuben (III – Swell)
Tremulant
Variable Tremulant
Solo 16′
Solo Unison Off
Solo 4′
8′ Tuba Magna (15′′ wind) 61 pipes
8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)
Gallery on Solo
Positive on Solo
† Separate Tremulant – slow p/fast f
POSITIVE (unenclosed–floating) 4′′ wind
8′ Salicional 61 pipes
8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes
4′ Lieblich Flute (ext) 12 pipes
2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes
GALLERY (floating) 5′′ wind
Unenclosed Stops
16′ Double Diapason 12 pipes (ext Diapason No.2)
8′ Open Diapason No.1 61 pipes
8′ Open Diapason No.2 61 pipes
4′ Octave (ext Diap No.2) 12 pipes
Enclosed Stops
16′ Bass Viol (ext Viola Pomp) 12 pipes
8′ Viola Pomposa 73 pipes
8′ Viola Celeste 73 pipes
8′ Gamba Celeste (II) † 129 pipes
8′ Violin 73 pipes
8′ Violin Celeste 68 pipes
8′ Voix Serénissime (II) † 129 pipes
4′ Violina (ext Viola Pomposa)
8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet †† 61 pipes
† Unison 73, Celeste (TC) 56
†† 10′′ wind
PEDAL (enclosed) 5′′–15′′ wind
32′ Open Metal (unenclosed) 32 pipes
32′ Resultant
16′ Open Wood 32 pipes
16′ Open Metal (ext 32′) 12 pipes
16′ Double Open Diapason (Great)
16′ Diaphone (Solo) 12 pipes (ext Phonon Diapason)
16′ Diapason (Gallery)
16′ Violone 32 pipes
16′ Bourdon 32 pipes
16′ Aeoline (Choir)
16′ Bass Viol (Gallery)
16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)
8′ Principal 32 pipes
8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes
8′ Tibia Clausa (Solo)
8′ Violone (ext 16′) 12 pipes
8′ Flute (Great)
8′ Stopped Diapason (Swell)
4′ Fifteenth 32 pipes
4′ Flute (Great)
2′ Mixture mf (IV–V Choir)
32′ Cornet (derived)
32′ Contra Trombone (ext) 12 pipes
16′ Trombone 32 pipes
16′ Posaune (Swell)
16′ Bass Horn (Choir)
8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)
8′ Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes
8′ Posaune (Swell)
4′ Octave Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes
4′ Corno di Bassetto (Solo)
8′ Pizzicato Bass
Gallery on Pedal
Positive on Pedal
