Census ID | PEK2005a |
---|---|
Location | Beijing, Chaoyang Protestant Church |
Builder | Oberlinger |
Specs | II/26+Ped |
Action | Electro-magnetic |
In 2005, two new TSPM (Three-Self Patriotic Movement) churches were completed in Beijing, and for each an organ was ordered from Oberlinger, which had built the organ for the China National Radio recital hall in 1999 (see PEK1999b). (An additional, smaller organ was built in 2004 by Oberlinger for the Yanjing (Union) Theological Seminary in Haidan (PEK2004b).)
The two 2005 organs are both installed in ‘official’, government-controlled Protestant churches (the other is on the other end of the city, at Fengtai, see PEK2005b.) As such, the two organs are landmarks in the integration of the pipe organ in Mainland China into worship in its traditional, not to say iconic, role, though limited by acute government oversight. It would appear that they are twins, and have almost-same stop list (PEK2005b is reported to be a II/23 instrument.)
PEK2005a is a two-manual and pedal split chancel organ. The GT is located in the RH chest with the console, and the SW (under expression) and Pedal in the LH chest.
Hauptwerk (C-g3) |
Principal 8′ Rohrflöte 8′ Octave 4′ Blockflöte 4′ Quinte 2 2/3′ Superoctave 2′ Cornett V (from Tenor e) Mixtur IV-V Trompette 8′ |
Schwellwerk |
Bourdon 8′ Salicional 8′ Voix céleste 8′ Prästant 4′ Flûte octaviante 4′ Nasard 2 2/3′ Schwiegel 2′ Terz 1 3/5′ Plein jeu IV Trompette harmonique 8′ Hautbois 8′ |
Pedal (C – f1) |
Subbass 16′ Octavbass 8′ Gedacktbass 8′ Choralbass 4′ Posaune 16′ Trompete 8′ |
Accessories | SW Tremulant; Couplers: SW/Ped, SW/GT, GT/Ped, SW 4’/GT, SW4’/Ped. SW 16’/G, SW/SW 4′, SW/SW 16′; Swell Pedal. |
As of 2016, the firm’s website states that it “has its own office in Beijing, directed by Yue Shen-Oberlinger.” The specs were published on the website sometime between 2018 and 2020, but these do not quite match the organ as it stands today (the stop list here was updated in March 2025, after an inspection of the instrument.) In 2024, a team of workers from Oberlinger overhauled the instrument over a period of two weeks, in particular cleaning the pipes. The church can be found at 60 Dongfeng Nan Lu, East Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District, 100016 Beijing.
PEK2005a, manuals and stops. Photo courtesy of Andy Ng.
Exterior of the Beijing (Protestant) Chaoyang Church.
Choral concert at the Beijing Chaoyang Church, 2019.