Musical Opportunities
"In praise of God meet duty and delight ..." (Erik Routley)
Saint Thomas Aquinas Choir
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Choir (open to singers of high school age and up) rehearses at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday morning, singing for the 11:00 a.m. Mass. The choir also sings for holydays and special events as announced. The new choir season begins on Sunday, September 5, 2021. We welcome newcomers and Christopher Urbiel, Organist/Choir Director, would be happy to speak with you about your interest. Please feel free to contact him at 740-453-3301, ext. 122 or curbiel@columbuscatholic.org.
About Our Beautiful Pipe Organ
The Church holds the pipe organ “in high esteem, for it … adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things” (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, 120). We are blessed to have a versatile symphonic-style organ with a long history, provided and maintained through your generosity.
Photos
(click to enlarge)
History
Schantz Organ Company (Orrville, Ohio)
1912 (tubular-pneumatic action, 2 manuals, 18 ranks)
1926-28 (new console and electro-pneumatic action, new Vox Humana)
Bunn=Minnick Company (Columbus, Ohio)
1988 (rebuild with additions)
Specifications
The current stop names date from the 1988 rebuild; original names (where differing) are noted in parentheses. Some of the pipework used in 1912 is undoubtedly from a 19th-century mechanical-action instrument (builder thus far unknown) which was partially destroyed by a catastrophic tornado that toppled the church steeple during Sunday Mass on June 16, 1912.
| Order | Length | Tone | # of Pipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8' | Principal | 61 pipes (Open Diapason) |
| 2 | 8' | Waldflote | 61 pipes (Melodia) |
| 3 | 8' | Dulciana | 61 pipes |
| 4 | 8' | Unda Maris T.C | 49 pipes (Aeoline, original scale) |
| 5 | 4' | Oktav | 61 pipes (Octave) |
| 6 | 4' | Flute d’Amour | 61 pipes |
| 7 | 2' | Fifteenth | 61 pipes (new in 1988) |
| 8 | 1 1/3' | Mixture IV | 244 pipes (new in 1988; 1st break at MC#) |
| 9 | 16' | Regal T.C | 49 notes (from #10) |
| 10 | 8' | Rohr Schalmei | 61 pipes (new in 1988) |
| 11 | 4' | Schalmei | 12 pipes |
| 12 | Tremulant | ||
| Chimes |
| Order | Length | Tone | # of Pipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 16' | Still Gedackt | 61 pipes (Lieblich Gedeckt) |
| 14 | 8' | Geigen | 61 pipes (Violin Diapason) |
| 15 | 8' | Holz Bourdon | 61 pipes (Stopped Diapason) |
| 16 | 8' | Salicional | 61 Pipes |
| 17 | 8' | Voix Celeste T.C | 49 pipes |
| 18 | 4' | Principal | 61 pipes (Octave) |
| 19 | 4' | Flute Harmonique | 61 pipes (Harmonic Flute) |
| 20 | 2 2/3' | Quint | 61 pipes (source unknown) |
| 21 | 2' | Blockflote | 61 pipes (Flautina) |
| 22 | 1 3/5' | Terz | 36 pipes (ext. #13) |
| 23 | 1' | Klein Gedeckt | 61 notes (ext. #13) |
| 24 | 16' | Contre Trompette | 12 pipes (ext. #25, new to organ in 1988) |
| 25 | 8' | Trompette | 61 pipes (new to organ in 1988, Fagot scale) |
| 26 | 8' | Vox Humana | 61 pipes (new windchest in 1988, pipes added 1926 or ’28) |
| 27 | 4' | Clarion | 12 pipes (ext. #25) |
| 28 | Tremulant |
| Order | Length | Tone | # of Pipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 32' | Untersatz | 32 notes (from 16’ Subbass) |
| 30 | 16' | Subbass/td> | 32 pipes (Bourdon) – enclosed with Great |
| 31 | 16' | Still Gedackt | 32 notes (from #13) |
| 32 | 8' | Diapason | 32 pipes (new to organ in 1988?) |
| 33 | 8' | Gross Flute | 12 pipes (ext. #31) |
| 34 | 8' | Lieblich Gedeckt | 32 notes (from #13) |
| 35 | 4' | Octave | 12 pipes (ext. #32) |
| 36 | 4' | Halb Gedackt | 32 notes (ext. #13) |
| 37 | 2' | Super Octave | 12 pipes (ext. #33) |
| 38 | III | Mixture | 12 pipes (derived from Great Mixture) |
| 39 | 16' | Contre Trompette | 32 notes (from #24) |
| 40 | 8' | Trompette | 32 notes (from #25) |
| 41 | 4' | Clarion | 32 notes (from #25) |
| Great to Great 16, UO, 4 |
| Swell to Swell 16, UO, 4 |
| Swell to Great 16, 8, 4 |
| Great to Pedal 8, 4 |
| Swell to Pedal 8, 4 |
| 10 general and 6 divisional pistons with 8 levels of memory |
| Crescendo pedal |