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Every pipe in the façade is functional. The bass notes of the Great and Pedal principals are polished aluminum, made to our specifications by Matters, Inc. of Hermosa, South Dakota. The pipes are arranged in three towers and two flats and the overall height of the case tops out at fifteen feet, mounted roughly ten feet above the sanctuary floor. The style of the casework is deliberately simple, so as to be in harmony with the appointments of the church sanctuary.
The façade performs a very important function in giving one a visual focal point. It declares the organ present, and urges you to consider it rather than wonder from where behind the grill cloth the organ might be. Its cruciform arrangement also reflects elements of sacred numerology: three towers with three pipes each for the Trinity, ten pipes located the inner flats for the Commandments.
The sanctuary space in Westport could be described as a postwar-modernist take on the “Akron Plan”, less the adjoining Fellowship Hall. Three sets of pews radiate from the altar and pulpit up front, with organ and choir off to the left. The space over the altar is open with a ceiling height of approximately forty feet. This intersects with a lower A- Frame suspended transverse over the pews. From there the ceiling slopes downward to the rear of the pews to meet a northeasterly facing wall that is mostly glass. The floor is a simple concrete aggregate. Thankfully carpet and pew cushions are absent. More simply described, it is a space with a great deal of cubic volume, but not overly reverberant.
Throughout the process we gave a great deal of thought to what levels of power would be appropriate for the various tonal resources of the organ. Our concerns about sufficient tonal egress from the chambers were put to rest when we experienced how well the organ spoke into the room. In the tonal finishing process we were pleased to discover how our scaling and voicing decisions suited the space. With a well-balanced variety of 8’ tone available, the organ easily leads congregational singing in a variety of settings.
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