Organ

You are invited to come listed to our organ played beautifully by our organist, Jonathan Gregorie, every Sunday at the 11 a.m. service. Mr. Gregoire graduated Salutatorian and received the coveted Young Artist Award from Interlochen Arts Academey in 2006. He is currently working on his doctoral studies in organ at Arizona State University.

The present 56 rank organ in the First Church sanctuary is one of the most tonally complete in Arizona, with complete flute, reed and principal choruses in all divisions. It is complete rebuild, by the firm of Robert Sipe, of the instrument installed by the Casavant Company in 1959. Almost all of the old pipework was used, but only after extensive revoicing and rescaling. The old electro-pneumatic system, which opened valves to individual pipes through leather pouches filled with pressurized air, was replaced with slider chests with electric pulldowns. In this most time-tested of all winding systems, the pipes of the same pitch are supplied air by a single channel opened by a single valve, greatly reducing the number of moving parts.

The organ was slightly expanded through the addition of a Trompete 16' and Tierce on the Great Division. In 2007, a new reed rank was installed: the Vox humana in the Swell division, a stop that is a particularly characteristic sound for French organ music. This stop was given by Dr. Paul Jarrett as a memorial to his wife, Beverley.

If you would like to know more about this incredible instrument, please contact our organist, Jonathan Gregoire.