ABOUT THE PIPE ORGAN
The Wicks pipe organ at Second Presbyterian Church was originally built in 1952 by Memphian Bob Capra and M. P. Möller Pipe Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD.
It was expanded on in 1987 and 2021–22, and was most recently upgraded in 2023 with the installation of horizontal Trompette en Chamade above the rear balcony of the sanctuary by R. A. Colby Co.
The organ is one of the largest church organs in the Midsouth. Pipes from inches long to 32 feet long are housed in three chambers located above the first floor of the Sanctuary. The organ consists of 10 divisions and a V manual draw knob console, with the following composition:
Pipe Ranks: 89
Walker Digital Ranks: 88
Pipe Percussions: 2
Walker Digital Percussions: 7
Trompette en Chamade: 1
With its many voices, this instrument summons the highest praises for the One True God. The solemnity, dignity, excitement, and passion it brings to each service and performance speak of the many attributes of the Lord Almighty, the King of Creation.
TROMPETTE EN CHAMADE
En chamade (“to sound a parley” in French) refers to powerfully voiced reed stops in a pipe organ that have been mounted horizontally and project out into a space.
Second’s new flared brass 61-note installation is an extraordinary addition that promises to create an awe-inspiring auditory experience that will herald a new era of grandeur and majesty within our worship.
