A Quiet Interlude for Organ

This is my first post using the Organ Expressions Estey reed organ sample set.

I am a reed organ restorer, acquiring and restoring my first instrument in 1973. In the mid 1980's I restored 3 Estey 2-manual and pedal reed organs similar though not identical to this one. Two of these organs were in churches and the third was privately owned. I have revoiced the sample set along the lines of these instruments.

This tiny interlude shows the sounds of the "back" ranks. The design of an Estey 2-manual reed organ has the softer, foundational ranks facing the rear inside the instrument's case, which diffuses their sound. The brighter, louder ranks face the front. Their sound emerges through openings close to the player, which enhances their aural impact. The front ranks aren't heard here.

The accompaniment is played on the Swell Salicional plus Celeste. The solo on the Great features the Diapason and Dulciana ranks with the "Vox Humana" effect.

The Vox Humana isn't a speaking stop as in a pipe organ. It is a fan tremulant placed close to the trebles of the Diapason and Dulciana ranks. These two ranks are affected most by this effect, though other ranks can be influenced to a lesser degree. Separate samples were recorded for stops influenced by the Vox Humana effect.

The quieter 16-foot pedal rank makes a brief appearance at the beginning and again at the end.

The manual ranks are all enclosed and controlled by a single balanced swell pedal. The pedal ranks - mounted high inside the top of the organ's casework - are unenclosed.

The sample set is dry. I've added a "medium room" reverb using Reverberate by Liquid Sonics, running inside Reaper. It's the same reverb I used recently for the Franck pieces which I played on the Silver Octopus harmonium.