Moravian Chapel - Graceham, Maryland

(now at Lititz Moravian Church, Lititz, PA)

1793


The smaller of the two Tannenberg organs now located at Lititz Moravian Church was originally constructed for the Moravian Chapel in Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland. Tannenberg arrived there with the organ on April 25, 1793, and it was played for the first time on May 4. The cost of the organ was £65 to £70. The organ was used continuously until 1957 when it was sold for $3,000 to the Lititz Moravian Church and was set up in the Single Brothers' House. The organ is completely original. It was reconditioned by James R. McFarland in 1984. Additional restoration work was done in 2011 by Hans Herr (of SDG Organs). As part of this work, the walnut stop knobs were stripped of paint and stop labels were added.

The stop list is:
NOTE: There may originally have been no labels for the stops on this organ. New ones were added in January, 2011 using Tannenberg's spellings found on the stop trundels.

Manual: C-f3, 54 notes
Gedact
8F.
Viola da Gambe
8F.
Flöth
4F.
Principal
2F.

The Gedackt is stopped wood while the Flaute is open wood. The first seventeen pipes of the Gedackt are shared with the Viola de Gamba. The first nineteen pipes of the Principal are in the facade. The pitch of the organ is nearly one whole tone lower than modern pitch. The organ has no blower but can be manually pumped by the player using a metal foot pedal on the right side or by another person using a leather pull-strap located on the left side of the case.

Listen to an improvisation on the Gedackt 8' by clicking here.

Listen to an improvisation on the Flaute 4' by clicking here.

Listen to an improvisation on the Viola da Gamba 8' by clicking here.

Listen to an improvisation on the Principal 2' by clicking here.

Listen to Christe, du Lamm Gottes by Johann Pachelbel played on the Viola da Gamba 8' by clicking here.

Listen to Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist by Johann Pachelbel played on the Gedackt 8' and Flaute 4' by clicking here.

Listen to Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend by Johann Pachelbel played on the Gedackt 8', Viola da Gamba 8' Flaute 4' by clicking here.

Listen to Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern by Johann Pachelbel played on the Gedackt 8', Flaute 4' and Principal 2' by clicking here.

Click on the thumbnails to see the larger pictures:

   

Photo #1 courtsey the Archives of Lititz Moravian Church - old photo of the 1793 Tannenberg organ while still in Graceham, Maryland. Photo 2 is an old photo of the Graceham Moravian Church. Photos 3 & 4 were taken August, 1983.
Photos 5 through 12 were taken March, 2011.

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