First Baptist Church

Abilene, Texas

Year Built: 2006
Manuals: 4
Stops: 56
Ranks: 71

Swell Organ (Expressive)

16′ Lieblich
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Traverse Flute1
8′ Chimney Flute
8′ Viole de Gambe
8′ Voix Céleste CC
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Dolce Céleste CC
4′ Principal
4′ Flûte Octaviante
2 2/3 Nasard
2′ Octavin
1 3/5 Tierce
III Grave Mixture
III Sharp Mixture
16′ Double Trumpet
8′ Trompette Harmonique
8′ Trumpet
8′ Hautbois
8′ Vox Humana
4′ Clarion
Tremolo
Swell to Swell 16′
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4′

Great Organ

16′ Double Open Diapason
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Second Diapason
8′ Solo Flute (SO)
8′ Flûte Harmonique2
8′ Bourdon
8′ Spitz Gambe
4′ Octave
4′ Nachthorn
2 2/3 Twelfth
2′ Super Octave
1 3/5 Seventeenth
IV-V Fourniture
16′ Posaune
8′ Trompete
8′ Tuba (Tuba enclosure)
8′ Tromba (SO)
8′ Trumpet en Chamade
4′ Clairon
Tremolo
Chimes*
Great Unison Off

Solo Organ (Expressive)

16′ Contra Gamba
8′ Solo Flute
8′ Gamba
8′ Gamba Céleste CC
4′ Solo Flute
8′ English Horn
8′ French Trumpet
Solo to Solo 16′
Solo Unison Off
Solo to Solo 4′
16′ Contra Tuba TC (Tuba enclosure)
16′ Trombone
8′ Tuba (Tuba enclosure)
8′ Trumpet en Chamade
8′ Tromba
4′ Tromba Clarion

Choir Organ (Expressive)

16′ Contra Gemshorn
8′ Geigen
8′ Geigen Céleste CC
8′ Bourdon
8′ Gemshorn
8′ Gemshorn Céleste CC
4′ Principal
4′ Koppelflöte
2′ Flautino
IV-V Mixture
16′ Contra Fagotto
8′ Trompette
8′ Fagotto
8′ Clarinet
Tremolo
Harp*
Celesta*
Cymbelstern
Choir to Choir 16′
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4′
16′ Contra Tuba TC (Tuba enclosure)
8′ Tuba (Tuba enclosure)
8′ Trumpet en Chamade
8′ French Trumpet (SO)

Pedal Organ

32′ Violone*
32′ Bourdon*
16′ Open Wood
16′ Double Open Diapason (GT)
16′ Subbass
16′ Contra Gamba (SO)
16′ Lieblich (SW)
16′ Gemshorn (CH)
8′ Gross Flute (SO)
8′ Octave
8′ Gedeckt
8′ Gamba (SO)
8′ Chimney Flute (SW)
8′ Gemshorn (CH)
4′ Solo Flute (SO)
4′ Choral Bass
II Rauschquint
IV Mixture
32′ Ophicleide*
16′ Trombone (SO)
16′ Posaune (GT)
16′ Double Trumpet (SW)
16′ Contra Fagotto (CH)
8′ Tuba (Tuba enclosure)
8′ Trumpet en Chamade
8′ Tromba (SO)
8′ Trompete (GT)
8′ Trumpet (SW)
4′ Tromba Clarion (SO)
4′ Clarion (SW)
4′ Fagotto (CH)
Chimes*

Reversibles

Great to Pedal (with toe piston)
Swell to Pedal (with toe piston)
Choir to Pedal (with toe piston)
Solo to Pedal (with toe piston)
Choir to Swell
Solo to Swell
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Solo to Great
Swell to Choir
Great to Choir
Solo to Choir
Tutti I (with toe piston)
Tutti II (with toe piston)
Tutti III (with toe piston)

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 8′ 4′
Choir to Pedal 8′ 4′
Solo to Pedal 8′ 4′
Swell to Great 16′ 8′ 4′
Choir to Great 16′ 8′ 4′
Solo to Great 16′ 8′ 4′
Choir to Swell 8′
Solo to Swell 16′ 8′ 4′
Swell to Choir 16′ 8′ 4′
Solo to Choir 16′ 8′ 4′
Great to Choir 8′

Pistons

18 General (with toe pistons)
6 Swell
6 Great
6 Choir
6 Solo
6 Pedal (with toe pistons)
* digital voices
1 1-12 common bass with Chimney Flute
2 1-12 common bass with Bourdon

The Nichols & Simpson organ for First Baptist Church in Abilene replaces an Aeolian-Skinner organ that was built in 1951. The Skinner instrument comprised 41 stops and 50 ranks with console preparation for an additional 22 stops and 33 ranks, none of which were ever installed. The Nichols & Simpson organ has 56 stops and 71 ranks of pipes, of which 17 stops are incorporated into the new organ from the Skinner. The pipes of the main divisions of the organ are on pallet-and-slider windchests. Larger pedal pipes and duplexed stops are on individual valve windchests. The grill cloth was removed from all five of the arches behind which the organ is located, and a new facade with 109 pipes was installed in the open arches. The central arch features a flared brass horizontal Trumpet. The new four-manual console is constructed of rift-sawn oak and features manual keys with coverings of bone and rosewood. The 121 drawknobs are of rosewood with bone faces inset for engraving. The 27 tilting tablets are of bone. The five expression shoes are solid rosewood. The wind pressures for the organ are 5″ for the Great division, 6″ for the Swell & Choir divisions, 8″ for the Solo division, with the separately enclosed Tuba stop on 21″.

Those who contributed to the realization of the organ include:

C. Joseph Nichols
(engineering, installation, tonal finishing)

Wayne E. Simpson III
(design, voicing, tonal finishing)

Duane Vanderpluym
(construction, installation)

Jorge A. Osorio
(console, construction, installation)

Timothy M. Bovard
(construction, installation)

David C. Scribner
(construction, installation)

Kenneth Dykes
(construction)

Christian C. Lentz
(voicing assistant)

Bryan K. Gray
(computer-aided drawing and design)

Frank Friemel
(facade case design)

QLF Custom Pipe Organ Components, LLC
(facade case construction, chest grids)

A. R. Schopp’s Sons
(pipework)