Mount Vernon, Washington
Salem Lutheran Church
M.P. MÖLLER, Opus 3128, 1968
R. Byard Fritts, 1970 - Rebuild & Enlargement
GREAT CHOIR-POSITIV (Expressive *)
8 Principal 61 8 Gedeckt Pommer (façade) 61
8 Rohr Flöte 61 8 Erzahler (*) 68
4 Octave 61 8 Erzahler Celeste (*) (tc) 56
4 Harmonic Flute 61 + 4 Gedeckt Flöte 12
2 Principal 12 2-2/3 Nazard (façade) 61
III Mixture [19-22-26] 183 2 Sifflöte 12
Chimes (Deagan; ta-e2) (20) 1-1/3 Larigot 12
8 Clarinet (*) 68 +
Great to Great 4' Tremulant
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SWELL (Expressive) [8] Harp (K-L; mc - c 61) (37)
8 Hohl Flöte 61 +
8 Viola Pomposa 68 Choir to Choir 4'
8 Viola Celeste (tc) 56
8 Quintadena 68 +
4 Traverse Flöte 12 + PEDAL
2 Piccolo 12 16 Bourdon 24 +
III Plein Jeu [19-22-26] 183 16 Quintaton (Ch) 12
8 Trompette 68 8 Principal (Gt) --
4 Hautbois 68 8 Hohl Flöte (Sw) --
Tremulant 4 Choral Bass (Gt) --
2 Doppel Gedeckt 32 +
Swell to Swell 16' II Rausch Quint [15-19] --
Swell to Swell 4'
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell to Pedal 8,4 General 1 – 3
Great to Pedal 8 Swell 1 – 6
Choir to Pedal 8 Great 1 – 6
Choir 1 – 6
Swell to Great 16,8,4 Full Organ [added] (rev)
Choir to Great 16,8,4 To Set Combinations On/Off
Swell to Choir 8,4
TOE STUDS
Unknown [not working] (rev)
FOOT LEVERS (Unlabeled) Unknown [not working] (rev)
To Set Combinations (rev)
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
SWITCHES Swell Expression (bal.)
Manual Pistons to Great On/Off Choir Expression (bal.)
Pedal Pistons to Manual On/Off Crescendo (bal.)
ACTION: E-M & E-P VOICES: 18 STOPS: 32; inc. RANKS: 22 PIPES: 1,404
chimes & harp
NOTES
The M.P. Möller was originally built for the Hill Street Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.
The Möller opus list gives the size of the instrument as III-manuals and 54 registers.
According to church records, it was purchased and installed at Salem Lutheran
Church in 1931. In 1949, Balcom and Vaughan of Seattle, WA. added a 61-pipe, tenor C,
8' Dulciana to the organ. That firm's opus list records the organ as having III-manuals
and 13-ranks including the added Dulciana. This was done as Balcom and Vaughan's opus 495.
In 1970, Dr. R. Byard Fritts of Tacoma, WA. was contracted to rebuild and enlarge the
organ. All new direct-electric chests were built, and much new pipework was added.
Stops marked with a plus (+) in the specification indicate original ranks from the
Möller. The Pedal 2' Doppel Gedeckt may be original. Two, 2-rank chests were
cantilevered into the chancel. One holds the Great 8' Rohr Flöte and most of the
8' Principal, and the other holds the unenclosed "Positiv" portion of the Choir
division. This is the unit metal Gedeckt and the unit Nazard.
The Great chimes are actually located in the Swell chamber as is the Choir harp.
The harp was manufactured by the Kohler-Lieblich Co.
The Great division is located on the front, left side of the chancel over the
sacristy. The Swell is located on the central axis of the building and high over
the altar. The Choir-Positiv is located on the front, right side of the chancel
opposite the Great.
With the exception of the stoptablets - the console, keyboards, pedalboard, etc. appear
to be entirely original. Interior functions are still operated by air.
When Salem Lutheran decided to build a new church in the late 1990s, they sold the
old church to a new congregation called The Gathering in 1998. The organ was left
ccbehind. It was in playable but unusable condition.
Sources: M.P. Möller opus list; church history; B&V opus list; JRS; extant organ.
[Received from James R. Stettner February 27, 2015]