St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
Bethlehem, PA

Gress-Miles Organ Company - Built 1963, 1971
2 Manuals, 13 Ranks


  Great   Swell
8'   Principal (Pedal)                 8'   Lieblich Gedeckt
8'   Holzgedeckt 8'   Gemshorn
4'   Octave 4'   Spitzfloete
4'   Kleingedeckt 2 2/3'   Nasat (TC)
2'   Superoctave 2'   Octave
2'   Gedecktfloete 1 1/3'   Quintfloete
  Mixture III-V 1'   Superoctave
    8'   Dulzian
      Tremulant
       
  Pedal    
16'   Subbass    
8'   Principal    
8'   Holzgedeckt (Gt)    
5 1/3'   Qulntfloete    
4'   Octave    
2'   Superoctave    
  Mixture III-V (Gt)    
16'   Dulzlanbass    
8'   Dulzian (Sw)    
4'   Dulzian    


History

In 1963, in anticipation of the move into the new sanctuary, the building committee did not deem it feasible to move the original organ built by Paul Fritzsche in 1939. On March 14, 1963 a contract was signed with the Gress-Miles Organ Company, then of Pennington, N. J., for an eight rank "great" section to be temporarily connected to the old console, with the idea that the organ was to be completed at some future date by the addition of a new console and "swell" section. This arrangement proved adequate for congregational singing, but was unsatisfactory for organ offertories and choir accompaniment.

At the annual meeting on January 20, 1965 the congregation authorized the establishment of an organ fund for the purpose of completing the instrument. Church Council on May 14, 1969 authorized the Worship Committee to promote a special drive to secure pledges for the completion of the direct-electric action organ. This drive met with such success that the congregation on September 21, 1969 authorized the signing of a contract with Gress-Mlles for a new "swell" division and console.

Gress-Miles (who is no longer in business) built only organs with the classic tonal characteristics of the great organs of the North European tradition. These organs articulate with unusual clarity, and have what the noted organist, E. Power Biggs, calls "the Consonant before the vowel of sound" (sometimes known as a "chiff").



[ Organs | Home ]