Seattle, Washington
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist
Balcom and Vaughan, Opus 486, 1949
BALCOM and VAUGHAN, Opus 623, 1956 - Enlargement; Original Specifications
GREAT (Expressive) SWELL (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 73 16 Bourdon 12
8 Gemshorn 73 8 Open Diapason 73
4 Octave 73 8 Flute 61
blank 8 Salicional 73
2-2/3 Octave Quint 61 8 Voix Celeste (tc) 61
2 Fifteenth 61 blank
Tremolo 4 Flute d'Amour 12
Chimes (Maas; A 22-f 42) (21) 2-2/3 Nazard 7
2 Flautina 5
Great to Great 16' 8 Trumpet 73
Great Unison Off 8 Oboe 73
Great to Great 4' 8 Vox Humana 73
Tremolo
CHOIR (Expressive) Swell to Swell 16'
8 Melodia 61 Swell Unison Off
8 Dulciana 61 Swell to Swell 4'
8 Unda Maris (tc) 49
4 Flute 12
4 Dulcet 12 PEDAL (Expressive)
blank 16 Open Diapason (Gt) 12
8 Clarinet 73 16 Bourdon (Sw) –-
Tremolo 16 Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) –-
8 Flute (Sw) –-
Choir to Choir 16'
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4'
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell to Pedal 8,4 General 1 – 5
Great to Pedal 8,4 Swell 1 – 5
Choir to Pedal 8,4 Great 1 – 5
Choir 1 – 5
Swell to Great 16,8,4 Pedal 1 – 5
Choir to Great 16,8,4
Swell to Choir 16,8,4 PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Choir Expression (bal.)
Great Expression (bal.)
TOE STUDS Swell Expression (bal.)
Gr. to Pedal (rev) Crescendo (bal.)
ACTION: E-P unit STOPS: 16 REGISTERS: 27 RANKS: 16 PIPES: 1,144
(inc. chimes)
NOTES
The original 1949 organ built as opus 486 had been a 2-manual, 8-rank instrument. The
organ was installed in two, side-by-side chambers above and behind the reader's platform
with the Great on the left and the Swell on the right.
In 1956, a new 3-manual console was provided, and a Choir division added. A new, small
chamber was created on the right side of the reader's platform to the right of the Swell
chamber, but forward. The Melodia and Dulciana formerly in the Great were moved to a new
4-rank chest in the newly created Choir chamber, and a new tenor C 8' Unda Maris and 8'
Clarinet were added.
On the Great, an 8' Gemshorn replaced the Dulciana, and a new 4' Octave replaced the 8'
Melodia. A new 2-rank chest was added for the 2-2/3' Octave Quint and the 2' Fifteenth.
On the Swell, a new 73-pipe 8' Open Diapason, and a new 73-pipe 8' Trumpet were added to
the original five Swell ranks.
The Pedal has no independent registers. And the 16' Lieblich Gedeckt is the same as the
16' Bourdon, but with notes 1-12 on soft wind. The 16' Open Diapason is an extension of
the Great 8' Open Diapason, and the pipes are open wood and installed horizontally, face-
p, at the back of the chamber.
The organ remained like this for a scant eight years before Glenn White proposed tonal
changes – assisted by David Dahl. The tonal changes, while providing some degree of
brightness on the Great, was not truly highly successful as the existing pipework was
essentially moved-around to try and create a new tonal ethic.
SOURCES
Balcom and Vaughan opus list; Balcom and Vaughan files; extant, altered organ.
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist
2656 42nd SW
Seattle, WA. 98116