Music in S.C. Masonry

The A.B. Felgemaker Organ

Opus 871, 1905

Music is held in high regard by Masonry and in 1905 a pipe organ was purchased by a local Masonic Organization to support the rituals. The following article was written by yours truly when a new edifice was erected and the organ was relocated to the new Temple. It has been revised and expanded slightly for this homepage

Specifications:

Great Organ:
Bellows Signal*
Open Diapason 8'
Dulciana 8'
Melodia 8' [wood]
Octave 4'

Swell Organ:
Stopped Diapason 8'
Violin Diapason 8'
Aeoline 8'
Tremolo

Pedal Organ:
Bourdon 16'

Couplers:
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal

Compass:
Manuals: 61 notes
Pedalboard: 25 notes [flat]
Funeral Chime [Tenor G]

The Masonic Temple is the third home of this historic instrument. It was moved from the Meeting Street Temple by volunteer brothers from the Temple and under direction of Brother J. L. Hyatt, P.M. of Strict Observance Lodge, #73 A.F.M.. The Brethren are to be commended for their excellent work as only one pipe foot was slightly damaged during the move. As the installation progressed, some repairs were made to remedy problems caused by water damage received prior to the move. Three changes from the Meeting Street Temple installation were made: (1) the Violin Diapason 8' rank had been shifted to the 4' position, it was returned to its original layout at the 8' pitch; (2) the two outermost pipes in the facade (from the Dulciana & visible in the picture on the far left) had been removed to a position behind the facade to accomodate the opening. These "hidden" speaking pipes were returned to their original 1905 position at either end of the facade; and finally the Bellows Signal drawknob operates the blower motor and a hand held mahogany pushbutton operates the single note funeral chime.

A.B. Felgemaker's Opus 871 is an 8 rank tracker instrument with pipes varying in length from 9' to smaller than a pencil. Wind was originally supplied by hand pumping the feeder bellows. Late in the 1940's an electric blower was added which feeds the single multi-ribbed bellows. Unfortunately, the original manual mechanism has been lost.

A tracker instrument is one that utilizes mechanical action to control the speech of the pipes. When a key is depressed a mechanical linkage attached to the key opens a valve under the corresponding pipe(s) allowing the compressed air to enter the pipe(s) at the bottom causing them to "speak" or sound a tone. Of particular interest are the wooden trackers, some 12 feet long, spanning the distance from the pedal keys to the pedal pipes at the rear of the organ. Each of the thousands of parts that make up the instrument were hand made by fine craftsmen using simple tools of the period [1905]. Various types of leather are the only perishable portion of the organ and is used to cover the valves and the bellows. When the leather deteriorates, it can be replaced. Because of the tracker design and excellent craftsmanship, the instrument continues to serve by providing musical support for our Ancient Rituals.

Recent research indicates that A. B. Felgemaker died in 1905. This instrument retains the original installation plaque with the inscription"Sept, 1905" under the Felgemaker emblem [name printed in Old English].