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The Covenant Organ
Covenant's Aeolian-Skinner-Holtkamp organ is known as one of the landmark pipe
organs in the Midwest. Built by the E. M. Skinner Company in 1930, it was
rebuilt and enlarged by the Aeolian-Skinner Company in 1958. In December,
1996, a new console crafted by the Holtkamp Organ Company was installed.
Besides being a beautiful piece of furniture, the console includes the most
current solid-state technology being employed in the organ industry. There are
256 "levels of memory," meaning that every combination button on the organ can
be set 256 times. There is also a digital record/playback system, and the
console is moveable to the center of the chancel for recitals and concerts.
Five new stops were added to the organ, including two new reeds (members of the
trumpet family) and a new Cornet ("cor-nay") which is a special solo color used
especially for leading hymn tunes. Two new 32' stops were also added. These
are the lowest pitches in the organ and they greatly improve the sense of
undergirding and support for congregational singing. These low pitches are
produced by a large electronic speaker placed in the organ chamber. This work
brings the organ thoroughly up-to-date in terms of technology and
fills in critical holes in the tonal scheme.
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