Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church - Detroit Missouri Synod
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The Wicks Organ
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The original organ was purchased for worship during the 1940's.  Due to space limitations, the console was placed in the lower central part of the balcony, while the pipe work occupied second-story chambers on each side of the altar.  The balcony location can be seen today, since the wooden supports for the three lowest pews are aligned differently from the remaining pews.  

The church fire in 1955 caused severe damage to the pipes and chests in the chambers, resulting in the purchase of a new organ.  Subsequently, the console was located in the from left portion of the nave and the pipe chambers occupied their previous position.  The new organ had three manuals, which were needed to lead the growing congregation. 

To improve its sound and function over the years, the following changes were made:
  1. A 3-Rank Mixture was added to the Great
  2. The sounds-deadening clothes were removed
  3. A thorough cleaning of both pipe chambers was done in 1990, as water and considerable plaster debris had fallen into the pipe area.  Visqueen plastic and a drainage basin were then installed to catch any further water seepage or debris. 
In 1992, there was a replacement of 85 whispering pipes with 85 principal pipes, which made the third manual functional for solo, backgrounds, and ensemble music.  That same year, a 5-bell Cymbelstern was added, which highlights doxological stanzas and specific organ music.

Finally, in 2015, badly needed repairs resulted in the replacement of the no-longer-patchable original leather bellows (air chambers), the replacement of the stuck magnets in two extremely large wooden pipes (rust from the 1990 water damage), and the replacement of the severely worn white pedals. 

The list below shows the current list of stops from the 1992 renovation.  The result is that Mt. Calvary has an instrument that can lead its people in the singing of the hymns and liturgy; provide support for choir, vocal soloists, and instrumentalists; and offer suitable worship music for preludes and postludes.  May God continue to bless our congregation as it proclaims the saving Gospel in Word and music. 

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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Welcome To You
    • Our Story
    • What We Believe
    • Staff
    • Officers >
      • Bill Buchanan
      • Pat Fritz
      • John Hupp
      • Marion Kunert
      • Adam Kurtz
      • Brian McNally
      • Jerry Roy
      • Lorraine Roy
      • Ron Varty
      • Carol Vietzke
      • Lucie Witte
    • The Wicks Organ
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Calendar
    • In Our Prayers
    • From The Pastor's Desk
    • Newsletters
    • YouTube Channel
  • Ministries
    • Baptisms
    • Camp Restore Detroit
    • Confirmations
    • Easter Fair
    • Food Bank
    • Summer Camp/VBS
    • Weddings
  • Events
    • Neighborhood Clean-Up Days
    • New Playscape - July 2017
    • Work Day & Playground Dedication - August 2017
    • Harvest Party - October 2017
    • 95th Anniversary - October 2017
  • Online Giving
  • FAQs
  • Contact