Crystal Cathedral organ
Encyclopedia
The Crystal Cathedral organ is one of the world's largest pipe organ
s, located at the Crystal Cathedral
in Garden Grove, California
. As of 2008, it has 270 ranks and 16,061 pipes, fully playable from two five manual consoles.
Funded by a $2 million gift from Hazel Wright, a viewer of the church's Hour of Power telecast, the organ was constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti
, based on specifications by Virgil Fox
and expanded by Frederick Swann
. It incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner
pipe organ originally built in 1962 for New York's Avery Fisher Hall
, and the Ruffatti organ which had been installed in the church's previous sanctuary.
Beginning in 1982, the year of the present organ's dedication, Frederick Swann was organist and music director at the Crystal Cathedral. During his 16-year tenure (1982–1998), he was widely regarded as the most visible organist in the world as people in more than 165 countries worldwide saw and heard him playing this organ on the weekly Hour of Power televised services.
s playing the Crystal Cathedral organ :
Peter Baicchi has recorded 1 compact disc
:
In addition, the Crystal Cathedral Choir and organ are heard on the CD We Sing the Power.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s, located at the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
. As of 2008, it has 270 ranks and 16,061 pipes, fully playable from two five manual consoles.
Funded by a $2 million gift from Hazel Wright, a viewer of the church's Hour of Power telecast, the organ was constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti
Fratelli Ruffatti
Famiglia Artigiana Fratelli Ruffatti is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Padua, Italy.- History :...
, based on specifications by Virgil Fox
Virgil Fox
Virgil Keel Fox was an American organist, known especially for his flamboyant "Heavy Organ" concerts of the music of Bach. These events appealed to audiences in the 1970s who were more familiar with rock 'n' roll music and were staged complete with light shows...
and expanded by Frederick Swann
Frederick Swann
Frederick L. Swann is a prominent American church and concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor, and former president of the American Guild of Organists . During his career spanning more than a half-century, he has performed on most of the well-known pipe organs in the world and made...
. It incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner
Aeolian-Skinner
Æolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc. — Æolian-Skinner of Boston, Massachusetts was an important American builder of a large number of notable pipe organs from its inception as the Skinner Organ Company in 1901 until its closure in 1972. Key figures were Ernest M. Skinner , Arthur Hudson Marks ,...
pipe organ originally built in 1962 for New York's Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
, and the Ruffatti organ which had been installed in the church's previous sanctuary.
Beginning in 1982, the year of the present organ's dedication, Frederick Swann was organist and music director at the Crystal Cathedral. During his 16-year tenure (1982–1998), he was widely regarded as the most visible organist in the world as people in more than 165 countries worldwide saw and heard him playing this organ on the weekly Hour of Power televised services.
Stoplist
The organ has the following pipe ranks:
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Recordings
Frederick Swann has recorded 2 compact discCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s playing the Crystal Cathedral organ :
Peter Baicchi has recorded 1 compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
:
- "Organ Under Glass : The Crystal Cathedral Organ" see here
In addition, the Crystal Cathedral Choir and organ are heard on the CD We Sing the Power.