Our Pipe Organ
The original organ was built by the Welte Company of New York in 1927. In 1962, the organ was completely rebuilt by Casavant Freres. Recent additions include a second console, fourth manual division (sanctuary positif by Fr. James Serrick, S.J. in 1993), trompette en chamade and 32’ pedal contre bombarde (by R.Helderop and P. Macoska, 2004-2005), for a total of 57 ranks of pipes.
Organs are built to imitate orchestras. Organists can hit different buttons as they play called “stops” to bring in different sounds. Some stops are meant to sound like string instruments (like violins or violas), some are meant to sound like flutes, others are meant to sound like brass instruments (such as a trumpet or a tuba.) The combination of stops an organ has makes each organ unique. With 57 ranks (i.e. sets of pipes), our organ is on the larger side of the spectrum. Below, Jonathan Toni demonstrates what this organ can do.
Organ Demonstration
St. Mary of Redford Specification of the Pipe Organ
Pedal
Resultant 32’
Open Diapason 16’ *
Bourdon 16’ *
Lieblich Gedackt 16’ *
Antiphonal Subbass 16’ *
Octave 8’ *
Spitzfote 8’
Antiphonal Subbass 8’ *
Choral Bass 4’
Mixture IV
Contra Bombarde 32’
Bombarde 16’
Clairon 4’
Great to Pedal
Great to Pedal 4’
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Pedal 4’
Antiphonal to Pedal
Antiphonal to Pedal 4’
Positif to Pedal
Positif (floating division)
Diapason 8’
Flute 8’
Principal 4’
Flute 4’
Superoctave 2’
Mixture III
Sesquialtera II
Great (manual I)
Quintaton 16’
Principal 8’
Rohrflote 8’
Octave 4’
Spitzflote 4’
Octave 2’
Mixture IV
Harmonic Trumpet 8’
Great to Great 4’
Great Unison Off
Swell to Great 16’
Swell to Great 8’
Swell to Great 4’
Positif to Great 8’
Antiphonal to Great 8’
Antiphonal to Great 4’
Antiphonal (manual III)
Gedeckt 8’
Ehrzaler 8’
Gemshorn 4’
Nazard 2 2/3’
Blockflote 2’
Cymbel III
Krummhorn 8’
Trompette en Chamade 8’
Trompette en Chamade 4’
Tremulant
Antiphonal to Antiphonal 4
Swell (manual II)
Salicional 8’
Voix Celeste 8’
Lieblich Gedackt 8’
Flute Ouverte 8’
Principal 4’
Flute a Cheminee 4’
Octavin 2’
Fourniture IV
Bassoon 16’
Trompette 8’
Hautbois 4’
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16’
Swell to Swell 4’
Swell Unison Off
Positif to Swell 8’
Antiphonal to Swell 16’
Antiphonal to Swell 8’
Antiphonal to Swell 4’
*from original Welte organ
Our Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument of at least 23 tuned cast iron bronze bells arranged in a chromatic order and played from a manual keyboard, allowing dynamic control through variation of touch. A true carillon has no electrical parts, either to assist in playing or to generate the sound.
When St. Mary’s was being designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram, adequate space was provided in the belfry for a sizeable carillon. Finally, in 1997, interest in obtaining a carillon resulted in a successful drive to raise the funds, and in 2002 the bells were delivered and installed in the tower. The bells and all related equipment (bellframe, mounting hardware, clappers, keyboard and transmission system connecting the keyboard to the clappers) were made by the Paccard Fonderie du Cloches of Annecy, France, a family-owned business that has been casting bells for over 200 years. It is interesting to note that their foundry is located in western France, near the Swiss border, an area from which many of St. Mary’s founding families came.
Our carillon has 51 bells – just over 4 octaves. The heaviest bell weighs 3,300 pounds and sounds the note, ‘D’. The bells of a carillon are normally hung stationary, but three of our bells – low D, F# and A – are designed to swing and are run before Sunday Mass as a call to worship.
There are over 160 carillons in the United States; Michigan has 14 carillons, ranking 3rd behind Texas and Pennsylvania.
A Demonstration of the Carillon
People listening to one of the carillon concerts on St. Mary's lawn
The bell tower wherein the bells and the carillon are located
The practice carillon
Stairs leading up to the carillon and a pull rope for one of the bells
The carillon
The bells in the tower. Note all the wiring that ultimately hooks up to levers that are played down below.