Organ Works

The Catholic parish dates back to 1930, when a small place of worship was established in what was then the village of Sinjeongdong; this was expanded into an independent mission in 1965. In 1972, the Parish of St. Paul of the Archdiocese of Seoul was founded. Due to the rapid urban development of what is now the Mokdong district, the parish also grew significantly, leading to the dedication in 1996 of a new complex featuring a large church, several prayer and community rooms, and an educational center.

The spacious church features a three-nave layout and is characterized by clean geometric forms. A multitude of mostly small windows flood the space with light. The simple, modern design focuses on the altar as the liturgical center. The interior is defined by the brick walls, which contrast with the concrete columns and the folded wooden gable roof.

The large rear choir gallery extends forward by one bay in both side aisles. Our new organ will be installed on these side galleries—divided into two sections, each with two facades facing the main nave and the side aisles. The Great and enclosed Positive are located on the left, while the Pedal and Swell are housed on the right side gallery. The freestanding console is positioned at the acoustic center of the main gallery, in direct contact with the choirs.

This position, set well forward, brings the organ close to the congregation and ensures even sound distribution throughout the church. The freestanding arrangement of the interior organ further enhances sound projection. The design of the four facades, in both form and character, is inspired by the architecture and harmoniously integrates the organ into its surroundings.

In terms of sound, the instrument is designed specifically to support congregational singing, choral accompaniment, and the liturgical repertoire. The design is inspired by the English and French choir organ traditions, which emphasize a wide range of fundamental voices, a voluminous bass, and expressive reed stops. This allows for both gentle registrations for meditative moments and a broad, resonant sound to accompany congregational singing in a packed church. The specification is appropriately scaled to the size of the space, its acoustic characteristics, and the musical requirements.

In the Great, two Principals 8' of different scales complement each other in the English style. Here and in the enclosed Positive, similar reed stops enrich the ensemble, while the palette in the Swell is expanded to include characteristics of a French Récit. The various string stops lend the sound a versatile expressiveness. Notable features include a 16' Principal in the Great, the extremely wide-scaled and room-filling 16' Open Diapason in the Pedal, and an acoustic 32-foot stop. A generous wind supply and a corresponding design of the windchannels and windchamber construction are indispensable for the successful implementation of such a concept. Last but not least, our extensive experience in voicing organs in the English and French Romantic style comes into play, which is ultimately what allows us to achieve the desired tonal characteristics.