The pipe organ of First United Methodist Church of Torrance is one of the largest and most complete instruments in Los Angeles’ South Bay. The tonal design is a comprehensive Anglo-American scheme that capably supports hymn singing, sensitively accompanies the choir, soloists, and instrumentalists, and faithfully renders a large body of solo organ literature.
The pipe organ is composed of vintage pipework of the highest quality operated by new mechanical and electrical mechanisms including blowers, wind chests, winding, wiring, switching, swell boxes, and console. The core of the organ includes complete matched pipe choruses by Aeolian-Skinner (1958), including the Great Principal chorus, Positiv, and Swell Reeds and our church’s original M.P. Moller organ (1970) in the Swell flues. Additional sets of vintage pipes, some new sets of pipes custom-built for the church, and Walker digital stops complete the scheme.
The planning, pipe refurbishment and installation is being performed by Rister Pipe Organs of Whittier, CA. Steuart Goodwin is carefully voicing and regulating all the pipework to sound as a unified whole.
The tone is centered around a large body of transparent singing 8′ and 4′ stops with clear, un-forced upper-work, and a wide range of 16′ pedal stops to provide balanced pedal point. These core resources are augmented by colorful solo stops and variety of flutes and strings capable of providing sympathetic accompaniments.
The organ is placed in the altar area of the church. Two new pipe chambers were constructed to house portions of the organ and have the excellent qualities of shallow depth, hard, reflective walls, and large tone openings. The divisions of the organ are strategically placed with the main choruses of the Great and Positiv cantilevered in the altar area where they project freely into the sanctuary. The Swell, Choir and Solo—which benefit from a bit of distance and indirect exposure—are sited in the chambers.
The organ was contracted for in late 2009 and is currently under construction with the Great and Positiv divisions complete as of September 2011. It is anticipated that the contracted-for work will be complete by the end of 2013.
The church has in its’ possession additional sets of pipes with which to build a small Processional division to support the choir singing at the rear of the church as well as several beautiful soloistic stops which are envisioned to be placed in an Orchestral division also at the rear of the church. If you would be interested help support this work please contact the church.
We at Torrance First UMC are most blessed to have this monumental pipe organ leading the music at our weekly Sunday 9:15am worship service and we warmly invite you to come hear it and worship with us.
Specification Of The Pipe Organ
GREAT ORGAN – Manual II
Exposed at right side of Altar; 3 ½” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 16’ | Quintaton (from Choir) | 12 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 8’ | Principal | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 8’ | Rohr Flote | 73 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 8’ | Harmonic Flute (from Solo) | ||
| 4’ | Octave | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 4’ | Rohr Flote (from 8’) | ||
| 2 2/3’ | Twelfth | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 2’ | Super Octave | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| IV | Fourniture | 244 | new |
| 16’ | Posuane (from 8’) | 12 | Walker digital |
| 8’ | Trumpet | 61 | Biesecker (Germany) |
| 8’ | Tuba (from Solo) | ||
| 8’ | French Horn (from Solo) |
POSITIV ORGAN – Manual I
Exposed at left side of Altar; 3” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 8’ | Nason Flute | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 4’ | Koppel Flute | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 2 2/3’ | Nasat (tapered) | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 2’ | Lieblich Principal | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 1 3/5’ | Tierce | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 1’ | Sifflote | 49 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| Tremulant |
CHOIR ORGAN – Manual I
Enclosed at right side of Altar; 3 1/2” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 16’ | Double Dulciana | 73 | 1-12 Walker digital; 13-73 Kilgen |
| 8’ | Spitz Flote | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner (revoiced Reuter) |
| 8’ | Quintaton | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 8’ | Dulciana (from 16’) | ||
| 8’ | Unda Maris t.c. (tuned flat) | 49 | Kilgen |
| 4’ | Gemshorn | 61 | Hutchings-Votey |
| 8’ | Clarinet | 61 | Wicks |
| Tremulant |
SWELL ORGAN – Manual I
Enclosed at left side of Altar; 4” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 16’ | Contra Salicional | 85 | 1-12 Walker digital; 13-85 new |
| 8’ | Geigen Principal | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 8’ | Gedeckt | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 8’ | Viola Pomposa | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 8’ | Viola Celeste (tuned sharp) | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 8’ | Salicional (from 16’) | ||
| 4’ | Spitz Principal | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 4’ | Nachthorn (stopped) | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 4’ | Salicet (from 16’) | ||
| 2’ | Harmonic Piccolo | 61 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| III-V | Plein Jeu | 256 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 16’ | Bassoon (1-12 half length) | 85 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner (mfd by A.R. Schopp) |
| 8’ | Harmonic Trumpet | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner (mfd by A.R. Schopp) |
| 8’ | Bassoon (from 16’) | ||
| 8’ | Oboe | 61 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner (revoiced Kimball) |
| 4’ | Schalmey (from 16’) | ||
| Tremulant |
SOLO ORGAN – Manual I
Enclosed at right side of Altar; 10” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 8’ | Harmonic Flute | prepared-for | |
| 4’ | Harmonic Flute | 12-note extension of 8’ prepared-for | |
| 8’ | Tuba (harmonic) | 61 | 1916 Austin |
| 8’ | French Horn (harmonic) | 61 | 1926 Austin |
| 8’ | Bassoon (from Swell) | ||
| 8’ | Oboe (from Swell) | ||
| Tremulant |
PEDAL ORGAN
Various locations; 3 1/2” wind pressure
| Pitch | Stop Name | Notes | Source |
| 32’ | Sub Bass | 32 | Walker digital |
| 32’ | Violone | 56 | Walker digital |
| 16’ | Principal | 32 | Walker digital |
| 16’ | Bourdon | 44 | 1970 M.P. Moller |
| 16’ | Gedeckt (from Swell) | ||
| 16’ | Quintaton (from Great & Choir) | ||
| 16’ | Violone (from 32’) | ||
| 16’ | Gemshorn (swell expression) | 32 | Walker digital |
| 8’ | Octave | 44 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner |
| 8’ | Major Flute (from 16’ Bourdon) | ||
| 8’ | Gedeckt (from Swell) | ||
| 8’ | Cello (from 32’) | ||
| 4’ | Choral Bass (from 8’) | ||
| 4’ | Gedeckt (from Swell) | ||
| 32’ | Contra Bassoon (half-length) | 12 | 1958 Aeolian-Skinner (mfd by A.R. Schopp) |
| 16’ | Ophecleide (from Solo) | 12 | 1916 Austin |
| 16’ | Posuane | 32 | Walker digital |
| 16’ | Bassoon (from Swell) | ||
| 8’ | Tuba (from Solo) | ||
| 8’ | Trumpet (from Great) | ||
| 4’ | Schalmey (from Swell) |
SUMMARY
| Pipe Ranks | 42 |
| Pipe Stops | 35 |