Rodgers Providence 330 User manual

Owner's Guide
PRO DENCE330
ROffiERS®
INSTRUMENT CORPORATION
The sound choice!
RODGERS Instrument Corporation, Hillsboro, Oregon

OWNER'S MANUAL
Rodgers Providence 330
RODGERS ORGAN COMPANY
Hillsboro, Oregon

RODGERS PROVIDENCE 330
The tonal design and mechanical layout of the Providence 330 provides
a very complete three-manual classical instrument capable of meeting
the needs for every type or worship service as well as supplying the
necessary resources for concert work. All elements that are essential
for practice and teaching work are incorporated in the organ's design,
which expands the usefulness of the Providence to include educational
institutions and private instructors.
This booklet is aguide to the resources of the Providence, but is far
from exhausting the complete tonal range and color available in this
fine organ. There are many practical suggestions offered in this book-
let which may be altered to fit personal taste and need by you, the
organist. If further information is desired or any assistance is needed,
please calIon your local Rodgers Organ Dealer who will be happy to
assist you and also give you names of competent organ instructors in
your area, if desired. Remember that your dealer is always available
to help you use, to the best advantage, the musical resources available
to you from Rodgers Organs.

RODGERS PROVIDENCE
THE THREE-MANUAL CONSOLE
As the art of organ building has evolved over the centuries, certain features
of the instrument have become more or less standard as organists, by a
process of elimination, have gradually culled out "innovations" that served
no practical purpose but merely got in the way. An extreme example of this
type of thing was the old "thunder pedal" of some of the older European organs.
This pedal, when hitched down, would cause the lower four or five pipes
of the Pedal Division to sound simultaneously, giVing a rumble effect like
thunder. Such devices, except on Theatre Organs where they were useful,
are happily extinct.
The modern console is a miracle of convenience and practicality due to the
process of evolution that produced it. The combination of three 61-note
beveled and tilted keyboards and the 32-note concave and radiating pedal-
board gives the organist the necessary console fleXibility to perform organ
music as written, without compromise. In addition, the various tone colors
are conveniently available distributed into divisions according to their
traditional scheme in the tonal des ign of the organ.
GREAT ORGAN
This division is the backbone and main substance of the organ, characterized
by the Principal Chorus as the major sound. This is backed by a softer
Flute Chorus. Together, they constitute the principal sound used to lead
congregational singing. The other manual divisions relate in some way to
the Great Organ, and are playable on the Great manual by the inter-manual
couplers.
CHom ORGAN
This division is typically softer, deriVing its name from the fact that this
division is used to accompany the church choir in softer works. It is com-
posed of soft Principals (or hybrid stops as on the Providence), a complete
Flute Chorus, and soft solo reeds. This gives the CIloir Organ sound an
ideal soft but rich texture so essential for accompanying choirs. The
Rodgers Choir Organ serves an additional function as a Positiv division when
the
Great/Choir Chiff is engaged, giving the flute the percussive harmonic
attack so typical of the German Baroque Organ. The organ's percussions
(Harp and Carillon) are also located in the Choir Organ.
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SWELL ORGAN
The Swell division is the first organ division to be expressive, by being
placed in abox with venetian blind-like swell shades in the front, which
open and close by operating a shoe pedal located above the pedalboard.
The Romantic organ sounds (strings and celestes) are located in this
division, in addition to the secondary Diapason chorus, a Flute chorus,
and the major Reed Chorus.
PEDAL ORGAN
The Pedal organ (pedal clavier) contains the lowest pitched voices which
provide the foundation for the entire tonal mass of the organ. The stops
are mostly Diapasons and Flutes which provide the necessary firm found-
ation, and the pedal Reeds which add the power and color to this division.
The manual divisions couple to the pedal for addtional reinforcement and
clarity of the pedal line.
ENSEMBLE
The most important factor in the sound of an organ is ENSEMBLE.
Basically, ensemble refers to the manner in which the various stops
complement each other, and especially how large combinations sound
collectively. No one stop should overpower the basic ensemble, but each
stop should add its own color and quality to the overall sound.
To
further explain ensemble, we will explain CHORUS as it applies to organ
sound. AChorus is constructed by combining stops of the same tone quality
(family) at successive unison pitches (16', 8', 4', 2'), generally avoiding
the
non-unison pitches (2-2/3' and 1-3/5'). By constructing the chorus,
the full spectrum of the family's tone quality sounds at the playing of a
single chord.
To further explain the tonal design of the Providence 330, we will analyze
the major tone families of the organ, their location and reasons for their
placement •.
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