The Episcopal Church of the Ascension - Hickory, North Carolina
The Flentrop Organ
The Church of the Ascension is pleased and proud to be the owners and caretakers of a fine pipe organ, designed expressly to help fulfill the purposes and needs of our church. This two-manual instrument with twenty-one stops was constructed in The Netherlands by the craftsmen at the workshop of Flentrop Orgelbouw, B.V., and was installed during the months of June and July in 1986. A Dedication Festival was held on November 9, begining with a Holy Eucharist service, then a dedicatory recital that afternoon. The recital was played by John & Margaret Mueller, and featured works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Hindemith, and Eben. A continuing dedicatory recital series followed which brought many artists to Ascension, including John Bradburn, Stephen Tappe, and Guy Bovet. Threee decades later, the organ continues to be the primary instrument used during worship, as a solo and chamber instrument, and, most importantly, to support the singing of the congregation.
The organ is in a free-standing case at the front of the church, on the left side of the chancel. The case is made of French Oak. The pipe work is made from tin, lead, and mahogany. Manual keys are covered with bone for the naturals and ebony for the sharps. The pedal keys are made of oak.
Action is mechanical throughout, with trackers of red cedar, rollers of metal, and rollerboards of oak. Slider windchests are made of oak, topboards and piperacks of mahogany, pallets of red cedar, covered with first quality double leather, and sliders of solid oak. The wind supply is a Meidinger blower, one large wedge bellow, and windtrunks of oak. The organ is on wind pressure of 2 7/8 inches, and is tuned in equal temperament.
Specifications of the Organ
Bovenwerk
Prestant 8' (c1-g3)
Bourdon 8'
Viola 8'
Roerfluit 4'
Nasard 2 2/3'
Gemshoorn 2'
Terts 1 3/5'
Dulciaan 8'
Koppelingen
I + II
II + I
P + I
P + II
Hoofdwerk
Bourdon 16'
Prestant 8'
Bourdon 8'
Octaaf 4'
Fluit 4'
Quint 2 2/3'
Octaaf 2'
Mixtuur V
Trompet 8'
Pedaal
Subbas 16'
Fluit 8'
Fagot 16'
Trompet 8'