Announcing Opus 7
Saint John’s Abbey Organ Builders is pleased to announce a commission from the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph to build a new pipe organ for its chapel at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, OH. This organ will be tailored to the building and community in which it resides, providing an architectural, acoustical, and symbolic link between the church in bricks and mortar and the living stones which make up the community at St. Gertrude Priory.
Our hope for this organ is that it excels in the accompaniment of the sung prayers of the Dominican Friars, supporting the psalms and hymns of the Divine Office and the Mass.
The organ will feature a Principal 8’ in the façade as its foundation. A narrower, more delicate Salicet 8’ will be voiced to either alternate with or complement the rounder Coppel 8’. The Coppel 8’ will be available on both manuals, offering added versatility. These contrasting 8’ stops will be paired with similarly distinct 4’ stops: a narrow-scale Fugara 4’ and a broader, tapered Spitzflöte 4’. A Naβat 2 2/3’ on Manual II will provide colorful solo possibilities and contribute a reed-like character to the ensemble. The Pedal division will include a Subbaβ 16’ to supply foundational depth.
Dominican Friars in St. Gertrude Chapel
This modest but versatile specification, combined with a responsive mechanical key action, will also equip this organ to serve as an exemplary practice instrument so that the main church may be reserved for prayer and the playing of music that is prepared to be heard in public.
The Prior of the Dominican community in Cincinnati is Fr. John Langlois, O.P., and the organ consultant for this project is Dr. Christopher Holman, Director of Music at St. Gertrude Church.