Mount Olive’s impressive pipe organ seems, at first glance, too large for the room. But it offers significant range, invites enthusiastic congregational singing, and fits perfectly into Mount Olive’s musical tradition.
Designed and installed in the mid 1960s by noted organ builder Herman Schlicker, the organ broke new ground by preserving the bright sound Baroque music needs while also fulfilling the eclectic appetites of the modern church. The instrument has three parts:
- The antiphonal component, installed in the north transept in 1965, improved the sound quality for worshipers seated toward the front of the church.
- The main case, finished in 1966, was placed in the west gallery above the narthex.
- A third component, the positiv, was added behind the organ bench in 1966. Its pipes are cantilevered over the rear of the nave to fill in an empty spot in the instrument’s sound pattern.
Together, the organ’s three parts produce a splendid neo-Baroque sound and make a stirring visual impact.
Click here to read Specifics for Organists.
Click here to watch a YouTube video of an interview with David Cherwien about Mount Olive’s Schlicker organ. The interview is by Brent Johnson of the Organ Media Foundation.
