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magnificent music

A pipe organ for God's glory

Soli Deo gloria

The new St. Paul Pipe Organ has been crafted to lead magnificent worship to the glory of God.

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach wrote “SDG” at the end of many of his musical manuscripts. The initials — which stand for Soli Deo gloria (Glory to God alone) — mean that people of faith are inspired by God’s glory and not their own.

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The instrument and its creators

M.L. Bigelow & Co. of American Fork, Utah, created a beautiful assymetrical design that is a handsome fit for the beauty and acoustics of the St. Paul Sanctuary.

The Bigelow artisans describe the particular voice of the St. Paul organ as “very warm, enveloping, inviting, and reaching out.”

International connections mean musical excellence. Two keyboards originated in England. Metal pipes were built in Holland; reed pipes came from Germany. From pencil-sized pipes to the soaring 16-foot “Low C” pipe in the organ facade, the pipes number 2,335.

The organ case stands nearly 36 feet tall at the highest tower, stretching 22 feet wide and 12 feet deep.

The craftspeople

The artisans of M.L. Bigelow and Company of American Fork, Utah, were commissioned to design and construct the organ, and to give it a strong voice uniquely suited to leading worship.

The St. Paul Organ is Bigelow’s “Opus 33,” the 33rd instrument crafted by the company. Read more about the organ specifications and the full stop list on the Bigelow website»

Ranks, stops, and keys

This mechanical-action tracker organ is constructed with 44 ranks and 43 stops (with 37 independent voices).

There are 61 notes on each of two manual keyboards, and 32 notes on the pedal keyboard. The British-made keyboards are made of bone and ebony.

The pipes

A range of 2,335 pipes create the sound of the St. Paul pipe organ.

  • The longest pipe stretches to 16 feet.
  • The shortest pipe is three-quarters of an inch.

The metal pipes are made of tin, lead, and zinc. The wooden pipes are oak and poplar. The pipes were crafted in the United States, Holland, and Germany.

The wood

The finely-polished cabinetry is crafted of quarter-sawn white oak.

The wood surrounding the keyboards is fashioned of cocobolo, a beautiful wood of Central America.

The cymbelstern

A visible star-like feature is mounted high on the organ. When this cymbelstern (or bell star) is played on festive occasions, eight bells sound.

Electric stop action

The organ is driven by electric stop action, with state-of-the-art digital memory. The memory system, crafted in Germany, provides 64 memory levels.

Two video monitors, connected to closed-circuit cameras, provide a view of the sanctuary for the organist.

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Construction process

The congregation of St. Paul envisioned a magnificent pipe organ for its new sanctuary, as part of giving for a $7 million construction project. M.L. Bigelow and Company was contracted on the Day of the Epiphany — Jan. 6, 2006. More than two years of design and construction began in the Utah workshop.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008, the organ arrived in the St. Paul parking lot on two 53-foot semis. Pipe-carriers got in on the fun>>

A five-month installation process involved construction, voicing, and tuning by a six-person Bigelow crew. See the photos»

This fine instrument was dedicated to God’s glory in worship on Dec. 20 and 21, 2008.

For the Quad-City music community

Awe-inspiring music has always been part of St. Paul worship. Housed in a sanctuary with high acoustical standards, the pipe organ robustly leads congregational singing.

The St. Paul pipe organ is considered one of the finest in the region. Watch for special recitals, concerts, and community events that celebrate the song of the church. Read more»

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From the artisans’ perspective

Listen in on a lunchtime conversation as the organ-builders reflected on the design construction of the St. Paul Pipe Organ — to the glory of God. Read the story»

"Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving." ~Frederick Buechner, author