Our Organ and Carillon

 Austin Organ

St. Mark’s has a 3-manual five division pipe organ built for the church in 1961 by Austin Organs, Inc. Centrally located behind the reredos and of black walnut to match, is the organ console. Radiating from this central console position are the stepped rows of choir pews, while above and behind them, is the cast concrete shelf on which the organ is placed.

Made entirely of interlaced walnut and metal, with all the pieces of small cross-section, the reredos is for all practical purposes acoustically transparent. A worshipper dimly sees the outlines of organ and choir behind the reredos, but is not overly aware of them. On the other hand, because of the openness of this structure, the choir feels itself very much in, and a part of, the church service.

 

The serious organ builder tries to have the organ located across one end or the other of the church building -- entirely within the auditorium and speaking directly down its full length. Singers should be below and in front of the organ, and the organist-director centrally located in front of both, for effective hearing and control of both. These ideals have all been realized at St. Mark's.

 

Great & Positiv divisions are centrally located on the shelf, flanked by the basses of the 16' Spitzflote and 16' Quintaten. At the left side is the Choir organ and at the right side, the Swell organ. On top of these latter two divisions is the Pedal organ divided into two halves, so that the total effect as seen through the reredos is a symmetrical composition.

The organ was designed to most effectively meet the accompanimental and organ solo needs of the Episcopal Church service.

 

Carillon

 

The bell tower follows the classical, campanile tradition and is separate from the church, adjacent to the main entrance. At the four corners of the tower are four tapered, reinforced concrete columns, each 117' high. They each form a double crossed arch at the pinnacle. Infill pattened brick walls, similar to those of the main church, enclose the tower which is topped by a bronze cross. 

 

The top of the tower houses thirty bells, fabricated by master craftsmen, Les Fils de Georges Paccard, of Annecy-le-Vieux, Haute-Savoie, France. The bells are named in honor of the saints of the Church and those saints in the Book of Common Prayer. The 30 bells vary in weight from 110 pounds to 3,100 pounds and are operated manually by a bellmaster from a keyboard in the tower. The bellmaster strikes the keys with extended fists and operates a full pedal board with his feet. In addition, number 2 and 4 bells are hung to swing in a peal as well as to be played by the keyboard. These two bells can be rung by hand separately from the base of the tower by rope pulls.

 

Bells are often electrically manipulated, but there is a corresponding elimination of touch since the electric instrument allows for a tone of only one intensity. The difference between bells played by hand and those manipulated electrically, is similar to the difference between a mechanical player piano and a regular piano. The manually operated bells thus allow a greater range in intensity and tone.

 

Professor Arthur L. Bigelow of Princeton University, carillon consultant, supervised the building and installation of the bells.  The carillon can be heard once a month on Sunday mornings, at major holidays, and as a prelude to each of the courtyard concerts. http://stmarksnewcanaan.org/music/Bells.mp3 . For more information, click here.