A Closer Look at the Atlanta Cathedral Pipe Organ

I believe that the organ is a Wicks 5-7 rank unit organ. Everything except the bottom octave of the 8' diapason and the 16' stopped diapason is enclosed in the swell box.

Wicks isn't the finest pipe organ builder, but they are real pipe organs and not electronic immitations. Also, they are mechanically stable and shouldn't require much maintenance other than tuning for decades.

I recently learned that the Allen MDS 26 console we have at St. George is actually far better than I originally thought, but a digital organ shouldn't be a cathedral organ. The speaker system is inadequate and could use some upgrading. This, along with a few other ingredients, can cause the organ to sound really bad sometimes. with more speakers inclosed in some nice casework and a couple of subwoofers behind the wall, it would sound a lot better.

I still can't imagine how we can't have a pipe organ if we can have a digital organ.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Greek
• Orthodox
• Cathedral
• Atlanta
• GA
• Pipe
• Organ

[Georgiaorganist]

Where is the Atlanta Cathedral??

I've lived in Atlanta since 1966 and I haven't heard of it. It's not listed in the phone book, either??

[CantorNikolaos]

@Georgiaorganist

This is the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta. Sorry about the confusion.

[cromorne]

This situation is much like a church I sometimes attend in N.Y. They have a beautiful 3 manual 1904 Hutchings-Votey organ and around the 1970's they supplemented it (rather than repair it) with an Allen which is horrifically out of date. Ah, the choices people make.

[CantorNikolaos]

I bet that outdated thing is am embarrassment! I am embarrassed by the MDS at St. George and it is a much newer and better instrument that the 1970s MOS series. I am fascinated by the card reader though. To me those old Allens are fascinating. I want one, but not in church.

[gurdyflowers]

Interesting.

[passacaglia28]

Even thought it is small I am sure it sounds nice. It looks like the room produces great acoustics.

[davbear221]

What a beautiful room! I'll bet great accoustics! A BRAVO to the church for at least having a pipe organ!!

[Sesquiltera]

The interior is rather....... tacky.

[CantorNikolaos]

Pipe organs can last for centuries and electronics inveitably fail.

Allen organs are good and Allen will support them. If I want parts for an MOS or a TC-1, they will support my organ. That is something I do appreciate about them. I would still say that you'll get a much better return on your investment with a pipe organ. The electronic organ will eventually die in a fraction of the time of a pipe organ's life.

[CantorNikolaos]

Thanks for posting!

I love pipe organs and I really think that a small pipe organ would be far more suitable than an electronic organ.  The Allen has the capability of sounding good, but it still leaves some things to be desired.

I like it that you are building small pipe organs and trying to compete with the lucrative prices of electronic organs. People need to think of buying or restoring an organ as an investment in the future and not a one time purchase.

[CoulterOrganbuilder]

I have taken care of that instrument... It sounds wonderful in the room because of the acoustic. I also completely agree as to other posts preference for all pipe instruments. We have begun building small all pipe instruments like this one for comparable cost to digital.

Thanks for the great video!