E.M. Skinner Organ
Moore was organist and Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church from 1921 until his death on February 12, 1951. Trained in England, he was a great organist. He was also a fine pianist, chamber music play and accompanist whose all-around musicianship Skinner greatly admired. Opus 477 - the organ Moore wanted - is Skinner’s diligent and faithful response to the demands of his revered friend. Skinner continually refined the organ, incorporating his latest discoveries in pipe construction and voicing, and in mechanical equipment. The acoustical ambiance of the building is live and supportive. The organ speaks from specially built organ chambers behind zinc pipes, which are mounted in beautifully crafted walnut cases high above opposite sides of the chancel. The Great and Pedal divisions are on the north side, along with Choir and Solo; the Swell is on the south. The organ is voiced throughout to suit this distinctive installation.
The Willis-type diapasons in Opus 477 are narrower and longer than their predecessors and have a pronounced octave harmonic, which gives them a wonderfully clean richness, blending capacity and clarity in ensemble not found in earlier Skinner organs. Carefully voiced and proportioned 4’ and 2’ pitch, and two bright mixtures add top and focus to the 8’ foundation. The orchestral imitative voices in Opus 477 are among Skinner’s glorious best. His patented French Horn has the characteristic "bubble" and the plaintive, nasal quality of the Orchestral Oboe is like its instrumental counterpart. The Harp and Celesta have true, sweet tones that Skinner achieved by using wood resonators in stead of metal ones, and piano hammers instead of mallets. Six celestes from characteristic tonal spectra, each with its own selective wave. The Unda Maris beats slow, undulating puffs of blue smoke with the Dulciana, and the Kleine Erzãhler tells stories in ethereal whispers. Opus 477 is one of the few remaining untouched Skinner organs in the Unites States; it is the largest unaltered classical Skinner organ on the West Coast and one of only two unchanged Skinner organs in San Francisco. Visit our Upcoming Events page to celebrate the recent restoration. |
Three special circumstances, playing in concert, set apart the E.M. Skinner Organ Opus 477 from all other organs built in America from 1910 until the early 1930s: the influence of organist Benjamin S. Moore, the acoustics of the church building, and the timing of the contract. The resulting performance is a true Ernest M. Skinner masterpiece - an organ of brightness, warmth and versatility typical of the more recent "classic" Aeolian-Skinner organs, and one whose flexibility and tonal variety support the performance of the entire wealth of organ literature.
The contract for Opus 477 was made in June of 1924, shortly after Skinner returned from his second trip to England and France. He visited the factory of Henry Willis III and heard the Westminster Cathedral organ in progress. Impressed by the brilliance of the new Willis mixtures, Skinner traded the blueprints of this combination action for the scaling of these mixtures and of some Willis flues. With fresh insights, he came home to build his 1924/1925 organs - the finest of his long career.
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