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St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Biddeford, Maine Custom 50 Stop Three-Manual Quantum™ Pipe and Digital Combination Organ |
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Since the late 1800's, the pipe organ at St. Joseph's Church has spoken from the rear gallery of the church. In recent years the two-manual, 29 rank Hook and Hastings tracker action organ was converted to electro-mechanical action. Additional pipe work and a three-manual console were installed by Bob Faucher of the Faucher Organ Company in Biddeford, Maine. With the organist and choir in the rear gallery and the cantor in the front chancel, the delay in sound was a challenge to the musicians. The economical solution to the church's needs was a 50 Stop Three-Manual Allen Quantum™ organ, installed in the chancel by Ed Gormley of Starbird Piano and Organ of Portland, Maine. Through the use of fiber optic technology and a solid-state pipe interface, pipe ranks or digitally sampled voices-or both together-can be engaged through control tabs. The digital voices can speak from the rear, front or both ends of the building. The organist, choir, and cantor can now work in the same location without sound delays. Organ duets are now possible by one organist playing pipes from the rear console and another organist playing the digital Allen from the front. Photo by Amber Gormley |
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 Ed Gormley and Bob Faucher 
Michael Stairs, third from left, performed the Dedication Concert
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 Michael Stairs addresses the audience at the Dedication Concert 
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