Ste-Thècle

311, rue St-Jacques
Ste-Thècle (Qc) G0X 3G0

Photo: ENC

General

Make: Companie d'orgues canadiennes
Serial:
Year: 1914
Type: Built-in pipe organ
Console: detached
Action: Pneumatic, mechanical pistons
Manuals: 2
Pedal: 32-pedal flat/radiating
Pistons: toe only
Toe pistons: yes

Photo: Mance Bacon

Divisions

Recitative  

• Diapason: Prestant 4'
• Diapason: Doublette 2'
• Flue: Bourdon 8'
• Viol: Viola da Gamba 8'
• Reed: Hautbois 8'

Mutation stops

• Voix Celeste 8'
• Cornet II (a.k.a. Sesquialtera)

Other

Note: there are no mixtures

Grand Orgue

• Diapason: Principal 8'
• Diapason: Prestant 4'
• Diapason: Doublette 2'
• Flue: Bourdon 16'
• Flue: Flûte chéminée 8'
• Reed: Trompette 8'
• Mixture: Fourniture III

Note: there are no mutation stops

Pedal

• Diapason: Montre 8'
• Diapason: Basse Chorale 4'
• Reed: Basson 16'
• Reed: Basson 8'

Couplers

• Sw to Gt, +8ve, -8ve
• Sw to Ped
• Gt to Ped

Comments

For 2012:

• Let the organ warm up a few minutes before playing. There is enough wind, but at first there will be some latency between touch and sound.
• The Swell expression is good for the lowest 1/3. Above 1/3 there isn't any difference in expression.
• The pedal reeds are disconnected from the toe pistons, so get an assistant.
• The church building itself is BEAUTIFUL and, surprisingly, not overly live.

Ste-Thérèse-de-l'enfant-Jésus

209, rue Ste-Thérèse
Cowansville (Qc) J2K 1R7

General

Make: Casavant Frères
Serial: Opus 2059
Year: 1951
Type: Built-in pipe organ
Console: detached
Action: Electro-pneumatic
Manuals: 2
Pedal: 32-pedal AGO
Pistons: yes
Pedal pistons: yes
Expression pedals: G.O. and R.

See also: Patrimoine Québec

Recitative stops

Divisions

Recitative  

Great Organ division

• Flute: Cor de Nuit 8'
• Flute: Flute Conique 4'
• Flute: Flageolet 2'
• Viol: Viola da Gamba 8'
• Viol: Principal Violon 8'
• Viol: Violon 4'
• Reed: Hautbois 8'
• Reed: Cromorne 8'
• Reed: Voix Humaine 8'

Mutation stops

• Voix Celeste 8'
• Nazard
• Tierce
• Tremolo

Other

• 8ve lower (grave)
• 8ve higher (aigu)

Note: there are no diapasons or mixtures

Grand Orgue

• Diapason: Montre 8'
• Diapason: Dulciana 8'
• Diapason: Prestant 4'
• Diapason: Quint 2 2/3"
• Diapason: Doublette 2'
• Flute: Bourdon 16'
• Flute: Bourdon à Chéminée 8'
• Flute: Flute d'amour 4' (no jokes, please)
• Reed: Trompette 8'
• Mixture: Fourniture IV

Other

• 8ve lower (grave)
• 8ve higher (aigu)

Pedal

• Diapason: Octave 8'
• Diapason: Basse Chorale 4'
• Flute: Flute Conique 16'
• Flute: Bourdon 16'
• Flute: Gedeckt 16'
• Viol: Contrebasse 16'
• Reed: Bombarde 16'

Note: there is a spare stop just sitting there.

Couplers

• Sw to Gt, +8ve, -8ve
• Sw to Ped, +8ve, -8ve
• Gt to Ped, +8ve, -8ve

Comments

• Very responsive keyboard; trills are very easy.
• The Swell expression is quite good, The Great expression is ineffective.
• The diapasons are quite warm.
• The viol and flute combination on the Swell is also quite warm. I'm using it for the accompaniment on BWV 659.
• The church building itself is large and very, very live (concrete floor, wall and ceiling, no fabrics, large windows) so precise articulation is critical. UPDATE: The building will have sound baffles added in2014 as the parish changed the seating arrangements some decades ago, so expect the organ sound to suffer.
• As there are no diapasons or mixtures on the swell, using it as a positif for French traditions will not work; one will need to use the Great expression pedal. Unfortunately, the Great expression pedal doesn't seem to work as of December 5, 2013.
• Organo pleno. I find the Bombarde quite loud and harsh for such a live church (UPDATE: much better since it was tuned, but it is far too loud for Bach preludes; just perfect for Widor). Since the Swell shouldn't be needed for organo pleno, tossing on the Hautbois and coupling Sw to Ped will work.