Gainesville, Georgia, USA
Grace Episcopal Church
3 manuals, 39 stops
Opus 3865

Gainesville, Georgia — March 2008

As modern worship spaces go, Grace Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Georgia is very blessed. Modified cruciform in style, with excellent acoustics and a dramatic visual ambiance, Grace Church has long been appealing to the eye. Now, however, the ear is also pleased. 

In a project that was limited by space, Casavant has created a medium-sized English Cathedral Organ, complete with full choruses on all divisions and two commanding voices: a Tuba Mirabilis domiciled with the main organ and a Herald Trumpet at the opposite end of the room. There was no space for an organ. Casavant designed our three-manual, 39-stop, 47-rank instrument on a shallow ledge above the choir loft at the back of the nave. Using electric-slider chests, miracles were accomplished in little space. The end result is simply breathe-taking, tonally and visually. 

Accolades could be given about the pure pleasure one always finds in working with Casavant, or mention could be made about the care with which opus 3865 was designed, installed and finished. In every dealing with Casavant Freres, both here and on other projects, this writer finds the firm to be a delight with which to work. Further, the sheer beauty of the instrument in its physical appearance, the refined blend of its choruses and the complete comfort of the console have made the collaboration of Grace Church and Casavant Freres a memorable experience. Best of all, we are Grace Church are blessed to have this fine instrument to lead us for the next 100 years in the Praise of Almighty God. Deo Gratias! 

Dr. David Burton-Brown,
Director of Music/Organist