THE CHURCHES OF RICHMOND
Photography by John G. DeMajo

 

SAINT BENEDICT CATHOLIC CHURCH
300 North Sheppherd St., Richmond, VA
 
 
RECENTLY REFURBISHED BAPTISTRY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
View of the Martin Pasi Opus 5 organ installed in 2013
 
Photo above showing the previous Moller organ and the rose window which is now hidden by the new organ.
SPECIFICATIONS OF MARTIN PASI ORGAN OPUS 5
  GREAT     SWELL
16'   Bourdon 8'   Viol da Gamba
8'   Principal 8'   Celeste
8'   Suavial tc 8'   Bourdon
8'   Salicional 4'   Harmonic Flute
8'   Rohrflöte 2'   Octavin
4'   Octave     Cornet III t.g.
3'   Quint 8'   Dulcian
1 3/5'   Tierce      
2''   Superoctave      
1 1/3'   Mixture IV      
8'   Trompete      
           
    PEDAL      
16'   Subbass      
8'   Bourdon *      
8'   Principal      
4'   Octave *      
16'   Posaune      
8'   Trompete *      

Summary:
*Octave transmissions.
One manual coupler.
Two pedal couplers.
Wind system with one wedge shaped bellows.
Mechanical stop action.
58-note keyboards with boxwood naturals and ebony sharps.
32-note pedalboard.
Temperament: Mark Brombaugh Mild.
 
ORGAN HISTORY
.
Specifications of previous organs installed in St. Benedict Catholic Church, from the notes of Donald Traser

Saint Benedict's R. C. Church
300 North Sheppard Street

Estey organ, 1929, Opus 2811, 2m/16r

GREAT

1.    8      Open Diapason                      73 pipes
2.    8      Melodia                             73 pipes
3.    8      Dulciana                            73 pipes
4.    8      Gross Flute                   73 pipes
5.    4      Flute Harmonic                      73 pipes                  
6.    8      Tuba                                73 pipes
7.          Chimes

SWELL

8.    16      Bourdon                             73 pipes
9.    8      Open Diapason                      73 pipes
10.   8      Salicional                    73 pipes
11.   8      Aeoline                             73 pipes
12.   8      Stopped Diapason              73 pipes
13.   8      Voix Celeste                       61 pipes
14.   4      Flute D'Amour                       73 pipes
15.   8      Oboe                                73 pipes

PEDAL

16.   16      Open Diapason                      44 pipes
17.   16      Bourdon                             44 pipes
18.   16      Lieblich Gedeckt (#8)
19.   8      Bass Flute (from #16)
20.   8      Flauto Dolce (from #17)

COUPLERS

Great to Great 4, Swell to Great 16, Swell to Great 8, Swell to Great 4, Great Unison Separation; Swell to Swell 16, Swell to Swell 4, Swell Unison Separation; Great to Pedal 8, Swell to Pedal 8, Swell to Pedal 4

Organ, choir, and console were located in the rear gallery with the organ in divided cases on either side of the rose window.  It was replaced by M. P. Moller in 1964.
Although the above information was copied from the original contract, the pedal extensions seem a bit odd.  More typical, it seems, would be for the Flauto Dolce to be extended from the Lieblich Gedeckt and the Bass Flute to be extended from the Bourdon.

Moller organ, Opus 9869, 1964, 2m/19r

GREAT

1.    8      Principal
2.    8      Flauto Dolce (enc..)
3.    4      Octave
4.    4      Spitzflote (encl.)
5.    IV      Mixture (1 1/3)
6.    8      Krummhorn (encl.)
7.          Chimes (encl.)
Tremolo (encl.)

SWELL

9.    8      Rohrflote
10.   8      Viola
11.   8      Viola Celeste
12.   4      Nachthorn
13.   2      Prinzipal Flote
14.   1 1/3 Larigot
15.   8      Trompette
16.   8      Chimes (#7)
Tremolo

PEDAL

17.   16      Subbass
18.   16      Rohrgedeckt (from #9)
19.   8      Principal
20.   8      Subbass (from #20)
21.   8      Rohrflote (#9)
22.   4      Choral Bass (from #19)
23.   16      Fagot (encl. with Great)
24.   8      Krummhorn (#6)
25.         Chimes (#7)

COUPLERS
Great to Great 16 & 4, Unison off; Swell to Swell 16 & 4, Unison off; Swell to Great 16, 8 & 4; Great to Pedal 8 & 4; Swell to Pedal 8 & 4

Like its predecessor, the organ is in the rear gallery.  Great enclosure to the left, Swell enclosure to the right.  The exposed Great is framed around the rose window.