HISTORY OF THE ORGAN AT ST. PAUL'S

The pipe organ at St. Paul's was originally a practice instrument at Peabody Institute in Baltimore. It was composed of five incomplete ranks of pipes (less than 400 pipes). In 1954, it was purchased for a mere $4,500 and installed here by Lewis and Hitchcock, Inc. of Washington D.C. New melodia pipes replaced the old ones in the 1960's. All of the original pipes are now contained in the "swell chamber", to the right of the pulpit.

In the fall of 1971, my husband Bob and I came to King George with our new infant daughter. By December of 1972 I had become organist/choirmaster at St. Paul's, learning to cope with the many antics of an organ that needed constant maintenance.

When I joined the Mary Washington College Community Orchestra as a violinist, I met Dick Gros. In 1974, Dick volunteered to start the much needed upkeep on the organ. The combination of his background in electronic engineering and wood crafting, combined with his outstanding skills in art and music proved to be just the right catalyst needed to spark an interest in a program of renewal and enlargement of the organ at St. Paul's.

In 1978, the Rev. E. Bruton Strange, IV, then rector of St. Paul's, encouraged by unexpected monies from several sources, asked Dick and me to compile a "Dream List" to include "the most and the best" that we could imagine for the development of the organ at St. Paul's. He advised that our church "pledge ourselves to a first-class work in construction and materials." After much consultation with many knowledgeable people, one of whom was Dr. Douglas Mears, tonight's organist, a plan for enlarging the organ was presented to the Vestry. This plan included the installation of six new ranks of pipes in a new "great chamber" to be built to the left of the pulpit, a new electro-mechanical console with preset pistons and two expression pedals, and a choir organ of 8' and 4' melodia pipes.

Over the next ten years, working independantly in the basement of his home and at church, Dick Gros carried out the design and construction of the instrument you see here today. At any given time, at least one rank of pipes was operational and we never went a Sunday without music! By 1982 the new pipe chamber was complete. Next, he hand-crafted a beautiful walnut console and an adjustable bench. These were installed in 1984. The panels of the console are crafted in traditional Colonial design. The back panels, which are removable, expose inner panels that are hinged to swing out to facilitate wiring maintenance. My husnand Bob designed the circuitry for the LED display that indicates which pistons are active at any given time. These lights have been very helpful. Using a sketch of doves by Ann Newton, Dick designed a music rack and then lovingly hand-carved a dove on each side of the organ. The console is indeed a work of art.

By the fall of 1987, Dick had finished installing and voicing the choir organ in the transept. This brought the total number of pipes to 905. He used the design of the Colonial fililgree on the pulpit as the predominating motif on the choir organ to unify its appearance with the rest of the church. A copy of that design is on tonight's program.

Thanks to the cooperative efforts of everyone at St. Paul's and especially our master organ builder, Dick Gros, we now have our own "king of instruments," a living legacy for future generations. We are truly blessed.

Jeannine Richardson

Organist/Choirmaster