St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church
4625 Springfield Avenue
Philadelphia: West Philadelphia,
PA
19143 US
Organ ID: 47209
The size of this instrument, both in ranks and pipe counts, have been greatly overstated in publicity and in comments and notes on this database, particularly the claims made in the note from 2010. It is not the largest church organ in Philadelphia and has a little less than 5000 pipes, certainly not more than 6000! The 1911 Haskell organ was 44 ranks.
Updated through online information from Doug Backman.
Updated through online information from Fred Riley. -- Jane Parker-Smith made a recording in 1980 on this organ. Angel DS 37748 (EMI) Bruce Shultz is listed on church website as music director
Identified through online information from James Hale. -- The church is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the Delaware Valley, a four-manual, 6,000-plus pipe organ used by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra for their 1980 recording of Camille Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony No. 3. It is one of the best examples of French organ in the United States. It is the largest church organ in the region. I believe originally by Haskell but greatly expanded by Bruce Schultz.