Buckingham, PA Trinity Episcopal Church – Buckingham, Pennsylvania

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The original Trinity Church, built in 1841, still stands on land deeded to the congregation by the original farmers and is now a museum. A newer church, constructed in 1965, housed a 1965 seven-rank Wicks organ originally installed along the north and south walls au naturel, without expression boxes and minimal casework.

The Wicks served faithfully until it became clear that tonal variety and basic expression were needed to accompany the growing choral and music program. The challenge for Patrick J. Murphy & Associates was to retain the best pipework, and to provide new console appointments, resulting in greater dynamic and tonal versatility.

The resulting instrument consists of 14 carefully chosen stops placed in a new freestanding case of solid plain-sawn white oak against the east wall and speaks down the central axis of the room. The case is stained to complement the earth colors found in the natural stone walls of the chancel.

A new Principal chorus of generous scale and noble voicing is supported by a firm Pedal Bourdon. The extremely effective expression shades work to provide the dynamic control necessary for the congregational and multiple choral groups at Trinity. Even with this limited stoplist, emphasis was placed on a cohesive, exciting chorus that provides support and color necessary in the two principal emotional tasks of a liturgical instrument, to excite and soothe. The existing console was retained but received new keyboards and Pedalboard as well as multiple combination levels and a playback system. All chests, framing, expression and casework were constructed in-house by our staff.

Great	Swell	Pedal
16′ Rohrgedackt	8′ RohrFlute	32′ Resultant
8′ Principal*	8′ Gemshorn	16′ Subbass
8′ Principal	8′ Gemshorn Celeste	16′ Rohrgedackt
8′ Gemshorn	4′ Principal	8′ Octave*
4′ Octave*	4′ Gemshorn	8′ Bourdon
4′ Flach Flute	2′ Principal	8′ Gemshorn
2 2/3 Nazat t.c.	1 1/3′ Larigot	4′ Choralbass*
2′ Flachflote	8′ Oboe	16′ Fagot
1 3/5′ Tierce t.c.		8′ Oboe
III Mixture 2′		4′ Oboe
8′ Trumpet