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OPUS 10 - St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Wheeling, WV

(Watch Videos of Opus 10 Below)

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Wheeling was utilized throughout the 19th century as a sort of cathedral parish, including hosting the consecration service for the newly minted Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia in 1876. Wheeling is a small city about an hour west of Pittsburgh sitting in the tiny sliver of West Virginia which separates Pennsylvania from Ohio.
It's a town which certainly had its glory days, and St. Matthew's Church was built during those days. The opulent Tiffany windows, intricate iron rood screen, carved woodwork and elaborate stone altar point to an appreciation for beauty and quality. The same applied to the church's 4-manual Ernest Skinner pipe organ, which was substantially rebuilt and expanded several times by Aeolian-Skinner, Moller and other local builders. It was decided that another 'go' at it was not advised, since none of the previous instrument revisions resulted in the kind of instrument that was desired for service playing and concert use. After years of extensive research and thought, a decision was made to remove the pipe organ entirely and commission Marshall & Ogletree to build a landmark instrument in its place.
 
Opus 10 was modeled after the great late-period Ernest Skinner organs which enjoyed a richness of bass tonality and clear, singing lines in the principal choruses. The result is an organ that can render just about any kind of music splendidly. With 72 audio channels spread throughout 4 speaking locations, the organ envelops the listener in sumptuous, velvety tone. With 145 speaking stops, it is among the largest traditional-style instrument we've ever built, and is one of the largest instruments in that region of the U.S.  St. Matthew's Organist and Choirmaster Dr. Robert Troeger has deemed the instrument "a miracle of sound, functionality, grace and beauty." Says Dr. Troeger, "There aren't many times during the course of a person's life that he can be certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that he has purchased the very best thing of its kind in the world. Choosing this instrument, for me, was one of those rare occasions."
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