ST. CHARLES BORROMEO  CHURCH
Sacramento, California

This new Allen Renaissance™/Pipe Combination Organ, has an interesting history. When the decision was made to replace the old transistor theater organ, Allen Organ and J. Nelson & Company were selected to create one of Sacramento's important classic organ installations.

The new custom console is a three-manual design with electro/mechanically moving drawknobs. The nine ranks of speaking pipes are controlled by separate stops in their respective divisions. The new Allen/Renaissance™ divisions have a total of 85 speaking voices, including two 32' pedal stops and a very large Trumpet Enchamade.

The silver pipes were built by Ruffatti of Padua, Italy. These pipes first served on a combination organ installed in St. Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe, California. When St. Theresa's Church built a new facility, the decision to install an Allen Renaissance™ organ made this pipe division available.

The large 16' gold pipes come from Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco, California, and were originally part of the Basilica's rear gallery Hook & Hastings Organ. When the new four-manual Allen Renaissance™ organ was installed in December of 1997, the rear gallery organ no longer spoke, and over the intervening years the entire organ has been removed. This 16' Violone was then shipped to Organ Supply Company, Erie, Pennsylvania, for complete rebuilding and gold finishing.

The final result is one where the visual and tonal results meet in perfect harmony. Truly this project is one of greater Sacramento's outstanding classic installations, and J. Nelson & Company is pleased to have participated.