Aeolian-Skinner Organ Welcomed by First Baptist Church, Seattle

Seattle First Baptist Church will be the new home of Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1216, three manuals, thirty-five ranks, recently rescued from First United Methodist Church of Tacoma just before the latter building’s demolition. The Seattle church, located in a handsome stone building in the First Hill neighborhood, had been agonizing over how best to address the progressing mechanical deterioration of the oldest components of its Kimball/Balcom & Vaughan instrument, and so leapt at the opportunity to acquire this historically significant instrument, built in 1953, which bears G. Donald Harrison’s signature nameplate.

At present, the organ’s components fill the Bond shop, where they are undergoing mechanical restoration, including complete releathering. The organ’s condition is excellent; it will be installed in Seattle later this summer with only the bare minimum of changes to its configuration required for its new space and with no tonal changes whatever.

Though this instrument’s availability attracted expressions of interest from all over the country, organists (and organbuilders) here in the Pacific Northwest rejoice that it will remain within the region. For whatever reason, very few Aeolian-Skinners made their way to Oregon and Washington, so the loss of even one would have been very keenly felt. Bond Organ Builders is honored to have been entrusted with this project, which is already proving very educational and inspiring.

Photo galleries of the present organ and of the work in progress at Bond on Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1216 may be viewed on the church's website in The Gallery Menu>

Older Kimball/B&V Needs New Home

The organ which will be removed to make way for the Aeolian-Skinner is also for sale. Though the original ventil windchests are beyond repair there are forty-eight ranks of pipes of various vintages and makers and a recently rebuilt three-manual console. Bond Organ Builders is enthusiastic about fashioning a new instrument around these components for an interested buyer.

Kimball/B&V stoplist (PDF, 50K) >