The New Lewtak Opus II Church Organ, installed and dedicated in 2009, boasts 27 stops and 33 ranks for a total of 1,803 pipes. The façade was left in its original general concept. The façade pipes were completely stripped to bare metal and repainted with the addition of some subtle stenciling. In the top portion of the middle arch, a painted rosette with elaborate decorative floral elements was added. Draw knobs are made from Norwegian maple and were customized by Johannes Rieber in Oslo, Norway; the amber inlay pieces are from Poland from one of the most renowned figures in amber art circles, Mariusz Drapikowksi (his original creations are on permanent display at the Vatican Museum).
- Principals: These are the backbone of the organ. Many of the pipes imitate the sounds of other instruments. The principal family is the only one that is unique to the organ.
- Flutes: Soft spoken and colorful, these pipes imitate the sounds of flutes and recorders. They often play a role in quiet pieces that call for a full-bodied sound.
- Strings: These pipes look and sound thin. They are capable of creating many levels of dynamics producing a soft and mysterious sound.
- Reeds: These pipes serve one of two purposes. Some, like the trumpet, are bold and fiery. This is the loudest stop on the organ. Others, like the clarinet, are soft and beautiful, and they are used as solo stops.
- Rank: A rank of pipes is full set of one kind of pipes
About the builder: Lewtak Organ Builders in Camillus, New York
Tom Lewtak was educated as an organist and organ builder, having two master’s degrees in Organ Performance. His organ building life-long inspiration and experience began at the age of 16 when he viewed the building of the great organ at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Gdansk (Danzig), Poland, by the German firm of Hillebrand. Later, he took organ building and design as his minor during his five years at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. The following years took him to Denmark and Norway, where he apprenticed with Carsten Lund Organ Builders of Copenhagen. He acquired his voicing skills by working with Mogens Pederson, a man who for over twenty years was the chief voicer of legendary Frobenius Organ Builders. Tom’s organ building knowledge is not just theoretical, but came from first-hand experience with the best organ builders in Europe.