the manton organ

For more than a half a century, Sir Edwin Alfred Grenville Manton and Lady Florence Manton were known to generations of Ascension clergy and parishioners as "Jim and Gretchen." Next-door neighbors to the church in Greenwich Village, they were active in the parish throughout their lives in New York, and Jim Manton served as a warden and vestry member for many years. Their volunteer efforts helped sustain the parish through the course of many rectors and their generosity during their lives and by bequest continues this day to support the daily life, worship and programs of Ascension.

A British subject until his death and a great collector of British art, especially the paintings of Constable, Jim Manton was knighted and became Sir Edwin in 1994 in recognition of his charitable contributions to the Tate Gallery in London; in fact, he was, after Sir Henry Tate, the most generous benefactor in the gallery's history. But before and after that event, Mr. and Mrs. Manton's generosity toward the Church of the Ascension was unequaled in our parish history. In addition, they had a special love of great music and valued Ascension's unique place in the history of sacred music in America.

Gretchen Manton died in 2003; Jim Manton in 2005. They are survived by their daughter Diana, an alumna of Ascension's Sunday School. To honor their memory, The Manton Family Foundation chose a most appropriate gift to the parish by which to remember these two loyal parishioners: the first French-built organ ever to be installed in New York City, which will be, upon its completion, one of the premier organs in the world and possibly the finest such instrument in America.

pascal quoirin, builder

Built by Pascal Quoirin of St. Didier, a town near Carpentras in Provence, France, the Manton organ is to be completed by the end of 2010. The core of the instrument will be a three-manual classical organ (Grand-Orgue, Positif, Echo/Récit, and Pédale) controlled by a three-manual mechanical action console. A second console of four manuals with electric action will control the classical core as well as many other stops intended for symphonic repertory, including a large French Romantic Grand Récit Expressif. In particular, the organ has been designed to play the works of Olivier Messiaen, and includes every registration called for by Messiaen.

The instrument will be situated in the front of the church on two sides of the chancel. Four organ facades—two on each side—will include elaborate wood carvings of peacocks, inspired by the peacocks of the church's marble reredos. Two trompettes en chamade, one on each side of the chancel, will face each other in the manner of the historic Spanish organs.

(Click on the designer's illustrations below for larger versions of the images.)

South Aisle		South Chancel	ALTAR	North Chancel		North Aisle

Mechanical Console
Grand-Orgue (Manual I) – 61 notes
16		Montre	61	2		Doublette	61
16		Bourdon	61	2		Flûte	61
8		Montre	61			Grande Fourniture 2 rgs	61
8		Flûte harmonique	61			Fourniture 4 rgs	244
8		Bourdon	61			Cymbale 4 rgs	244
8		Gambe	61			Grand Cornet 7 rgs [TF]	308
5 1/3		Grosse quinte	61	16		Bombarde	61
4		Prestant	61	8		1ère Trompette	61
4		Flûte octaviante	61	8		Trompette harmonique *	61
3 1/5		Grosse tierce	61	4		Clairon	61
2 2/3		Quinte	61			Tremblant
2 2/3		Nazard	61			* en chamade
Positif (Manual II) – 61 notes
16		Quintaton	61	1 3/5		Tierce	61
8		Montre	61	1 1/3		Larigot	61
8		Flûte	61	1		Flageolet	61
8		Bourdon	61			Fourniture 4 rgs	244
8		Salicional	61			Cymbale 3 rgs	183
4		Prestant	61	16		Basson	61
4		Flûte	61	8		Trompette	61
2 2/3		Nazard	61	4		Clairon	61
2		Doublette	61	8		Cromorne	61
2		Quarte de Nazard	61			Tremblant
Récit-Echo (Expressif) (Manual III) – 61 notes
8		Bourdon	61	8		Trompette	61
4		Flûte	61	8		Basson-Hautbois	61
2 2/3		Nazard	61	8		Voix humaine	61
2		Quarte de Nazard	61	8		Clarinette	61
1 3/5		Tierce	61			Tremblant
Pédale – 32 notes
32		Bourdon	32	4		Flûte [ext. 8' Bourdon]	12
16		Flûte	32	3 1/5		Grosse Tierce [ext.]	12
16		Principal	32	2		15ème [ext. Prestant]	12
16		Bourdon [ext. 32']	12			Fourniture 4 rgs	128
10 2/3		Quinte	32	32		Bombarde	32
8		Flûte [ext. 16']	12	16		Bombarde [ext.]	12
8		Violoncelle [ext. Principal]	12	16		Basson	32
8		Bourdon	32	8		Trompette	32
6 2/5		Grande Tierce	32	8		Basson [ext. 16']	12
5 1/3		Grand Nazard [ext. Quinte]	12	4		Clairon [ext. Trompette]	12
4		Prestant	32

Electric Console
Grand-Orgue (Manual I) – 61 notes
16		Montre	—	2 2/3		Nazard	—
16		Bourdon	—	2		Doublette	—
8		Montre	—	2		Flûte	—
8		Second	61			Grande Fourniture 2 rgs	—
8		Flûte harmonique	—			Fourniture 4 rgs	—
8		Bourdon	—			Cymbale 4 rgs	—
8		Gambe	—			Grand Cornet 7 rgs [TF]	—
5 1/3		Grosse quinte	—	16		Bombarde	—
4		Prestant	—	8		1ère Trompette	—
4		Second	61	8		Trompette harmonique *	—
4		Flûte octaviante	—	4		Clairon	—
3 1/5		Grosse tierce	—			Tremblant
2 2/3		Quinte	—	8		Trompette harmonique *	GRéc
Positif (Manual II) – 61 notes
16		Quintaton	—	1 1/3		Larigot	—
8		Montre	—	1		Flageolet	—
8		Flûte	—			Fourniture 4 rgs	—
8		Bourdon	—			Cymbale 3 rgs	—
8		Salicional	—	16		Basson	—
4		Prestant	—	8		Trompette	—
4		Flûte	—	4		Clairon	—
2 2/3		Nazard	—	8		Cromorne	—
2		Doublette	—			Tremblant
2		Quarte de Nazard	—	8		Trompette harmonique *	GRéc
1 3/5		Tierce	—
Grand Récit Expressif (Manual III) – 61 notes, located on North (Liturgical South) side of Chancel
16		Bourdon	61	2		Octavin	61
8		Principal	61	1 3/5		Tierce	61
8		Flûte harmonique	61			Plein-jeu 5 rgs	305
8		Bourdon	61			Sur-cymbale 3 rgs	183
8		Gambe	61	16		Basson	61
8		Céleste	61	8		Trompette	61
8		Æoline	61	4		Clairon	61
8		Céleste	61	8		Basson-Hautbois	61
4		Prestant	61	8		Voix humaine	61
4		Flûte octaviante	61			Tremblant
2 2/3		Nazard harmonique	61	8		Trompette harmonique *	61
Récit-Echo (Expressif) (Manual IV) – 61 notes
8		Bourdon	—	8		Basson-Hautbois	—
4		Flûte	—	8		Voix humaine	—
2 2/3		Nazard	—	8		Clarinette	—
2		Quarte de Nazard	—			Tremblant
1 3/5		Tierce	—	8		Trompette harmonique *	GRéc
8		Trompette	—
Pédale – 32 notes
32		Bourdon	—	4		Flûte	—
16		Flûte	—	3 1/5		Grosse Tierce	—
16		Principal	—	2		15ème	—
16		Bourdon	—			Fourniture 4 rgs	—
16		Petit Bourdon	GRéc	32		Bombarde	—
10 2/3		Quinte	—	16		Bombarde	—
8		Flûte	—	16		Basson	—
8		Violoncelle	—	8		Trompette	—
8		Bourdon	—	8		Basson	—
6 2/5		Grande Tierce	—	4		Clairon	—
5 1/3		Grand Nazard	—	8		Trompette harmonique *	GRéc
4		Prestant	—
						* en chamade

more information

Read about the history of the organs at the Church of the Ascension on the Web site of the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.