The previous chancel design of this church featured an organ buried in deep chambers. With the renovation of the sanctuary, the opportunity was available to improve the organ’s location. The altar and pulpit were moved closer to the congregation, and a new choir seating area was created. The organ is now located in shallow chambers and matching casework on either side of the chancel.
The acoustic problems of this church were addressed in a unique manner. Through cooperation with the architect and contractor, the structure of the ceiling was made more reflective and dense through the use of a special expandable insulation. New slate flooring was also installed. The result is a space that is excellent in its support of liturgical participation and the grand "English Cathedral" sound of the Harrison & Harrison Organ.
From the Harrison & Harrison Organ Company:
The city of Hendersonville is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, 100 miles west of Charlotte. St James's Episcopal Church was dedicated in 1863, and has been enlarged several times since then, in the English Gothic style. It is a lofty building with seats for 250. The most recent work in the church included a remarkable improvement in the acoustics, under the guidance of the consultant Scott Riedel.
The two matching oak cases, bracketed out on either side of the chancel, were designed by Didier Grassin, suitably echoing the nineteenth-century work of the English designer and organbuilder Dr. Arthur Hill. The south case contains the enclosed Choir Organ; the remainder is all within the north case, including the copper Orchestral Trumpet on 10-inch wind pressure.
The organ is as expressive as it is eye-catching. In many ways it is typical of Harrison Romantic instruments: for example, the Swell and pedal chorus reeds have English closed shallots and are voiced on 6-inch wind pressure.
The organ has 44 stops on three manuals; the console is detached and mobile. Electro-pneumatic action is accompanied by traditional slider chests and reservoirs.
