Providing the highest quality pipe organ services to the Atlanta and the Southeast since 2003
First United Methodist Church - Manchester, Georgia
E.M. Skinner, Inc. Pipe Organ of First United Methodist Church, Manchester, GA
The organ of First Methodist was built and originally installed by the E.M. Skinner, Inc firm of Lake City, Florida in 1960. A workman of the world-renowned E.M. Skinner firm of Boston started the E.M. Skinner, Inc Company with his wife and son. The Skinner firm was long known for its solid, dependable workmanship and the beautiful tones which sold their instruments the world over.
By 2003, many of the mechanical parts of the organ had begun to wear out. The leather pouches that are found under each individual pipe had begun to fail, resulting in ciphers (pipes that will not stop playing), and the organ console itself was beginning to show the ravages of time and use. It was decided that Widener & Company, Inc. of Grayson, Ga would be responsible for restoring the organ to it's former glory. Coulter - Organbuilder was contracted in July 2003 to assist Widener & Company with this project. In late July, a crew removed all the pipe work, leather pouches and reservoirs and the console for repair. The console was refinished and refitted with a state of the art, solid state switching system and new combination action that allows the organist to have up to 32 levels of distinct and different memory. That all allows the organist to store many more combinations of stops.
The organ was completely rewired, to bring it up to current electrical code, and to provide for easier troubleshooting and longer life. In addition to the electrical and leather repairs, every pipe in the organ was checked and restored to it's original, beautiful tone, allowing the organ to speak as it did originally.
By December, all the components were in place, the organ was reinstalled, rewired, all the pipes replaced, regulated and tuned. The Skinner organ of First United Methodist Church has provided 43 years of faithful service, and with this restoration should easily provide many more into the future.
E.M. Skinner, Incorporated Organ Company - 1960
II - 12
Great Organ
16' Gemshorn |
16' Bourdon
16' Gemshorn (Great) |