Restoration
The pipe organ at Christ Episcopal Church of Dayton, Ohio is comprised of four manual divisions and pedal totaling 57 ranks of pipes. Making use of several stops from the previous 1905 Hutchings-Votey instrument, the current organ, Opus 1029, was installed in 1967 by the Tellers Organ Company of Erie, Pennsylvania. Although the organ has served the church well throughout the years, some mechanisms began to show signs of wear, and most reed stops in the organ were virtually unusable due to tuning instability.
The primary project was handcrafting a new three manual and pedal drawknob console. The cabinet, constructed of rift-cut red oak, is stained and finished to complement existing woodwork in the sanctuary. Interior accents are constructed of select solid walnut. The tracker touch keyboards feature bleached bone naturals and ebony sharps. The low-profile console, with solid-state controls and MIDI capability, allows for clean sight lines between the organist and choir. Minor restoration work was completed on other components to resolve mechanical problems.
Tonal Updating
To stabilize tuning, all reed stops were replaced or restored. In the Swell chorus are new French style reeds. The Great Organ boasts a new Bombarde, which serves as a solo voice and as a complement to the restored Pedal Trombone. The Choir Clarinet and Positiv Krummhorn were also restored. Muller also performed tonal updating to allow the instrument to more effectively accompany the liturgies of the church.
