Dr. Edward Alan Moore, ELPC’s Director of Music, with the Aeolian-Skinner Organ
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The ELPC Organs

ELPC's organ consoleEast Liberty Presbyterian Church is home to two pipe organs, an Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Sanctuary, and an Austin organ in the Chapel. Dr. Edward Alan Moore is ELPC’s Director of Music.

Our Aeolian-Skinner organ

We are fortunate to have a world-class, Aeolian-Skinner organ, installed as a gift from Richard Beatty Mellon in 1935 as Opus # 884. The organ was rebuilt and restored in 2007 by the Goulding and Wood company. The organ has over 8,000 pipes, 120 ranks, and is actually several organs in one instrument (“four manuals”). Its console is pictured at left. Aside from being the main instrument to accompany the Chancel Choir in the 11:00 Sanctuary service, several organ concerts are performed during the year. The organ was also featured in the Organ Historical Society’s 2010 national convention. The organ was originally installed to include an Antiphonal Organ, which complements the principal instrument by having two additional divisions of pipes at the back of the church. In this way, sound travels from the front divisions and rear divisions to provide a uniform sound regardless of where you are seated. This organ was recently featured in a news article, “Pipe organs essential part of Pittsburgh's big churches.” The webpage for the article also featured an interview with Dr. Moore discussing and playing the Aeolian-Skinner organ.

You can find out more about this remarkable instrument. Below is a short video of our former music director The Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany talking about the Aeolian-Skinner instrument. You can also see more in-depth videos of Szeremany and the organ on ELPC’s YouTube channel, including "How come the organ has so many keys?" and "Diapasons, flutes, strings, and reeds. Trumpets, too!"

Our Chapel organ, made by Austin Organs

Our chapel, which is made of stone but whose ceiling is a beautifully high arched wood nave, with carved beams, is home to our second pipe organ. The current chapel organ was built by the Austin Organs, Inc., of Hartford, Connecticut, and was installed in February 1973. It is a four-division instrument: Great, Swell, Positiv/Choir, and Pedal, with 36 ranks, and 2,014 pipes. It is installed in the balcony area behind what is believed to be the original casework for the Frank Roosevelt organ built for the church in 1888.

The current church building was completed in 1935 and is actually the fifth house of worship to stand on this land. The previous building had been completed in 1888. Its main church organ was a four-manual Austin pipe organ dating from 1919. During construction of the new church building in the early 1930’s, this instrument was preserved, and when our current building was completed in 1935, it was moved to the chapel. However, the 1919 Austin was over-sized for the space, requiring that the pipes be installed in the chapel’s chancel and in the balcony. Due to ongoing musical and mechanical problems with the 1919 Austin, it was replaced in 1973 with the current Austin chapel organ. Click to our History and Architecture page for more information about the building’s rich history.