The inner workings of the organ are arranged into a number of divisions that have evolved over the course of history. Like the various sections of an orchestra, each of these divisions contributes certain characteristics to the overall sound of the instrument. The organ’s main divisions are the pedal division, the choir division, the great division, the small division, and the solo division. Each division has a set of ranks. A rank is a row of pipes. A stop (the various knobs on the organ console) turns on one rank. Fifth Avenue’s Mighty Austin organ has nearly 8000 pipes and is three stories tall!

In the center of this image, you can see a wooden catwalk that tuners use to access the smaller pipes. The V-shape organization of the pipes is a typical way that organ builders assemble the ranks. The smallest and highest pipes are in the middle and the largest and lowest sit on the outside. You’ll notice that some of the pipes are tied to wooden supports—this is to prop up the taller pipes and prevent them from moving around or leaning.

The horizontal slats at the top of the image are called swell shades. Swell shades are louvers that an organist opens and closes to adjust the volume of the organ. These are controlled with swell shoes, located at the base of the organ console. The hooded pipes in the foreground are the tuba stops, the loudest individual stops on the organ.

This is what the enormous gold façade pipes look like from behind. Although these pipes are not currently being used, they were installed as part of the 1913 instrument built by E.M. Skinner. These pipes would be playable if the wind lines to them were restored.

Look to the left and you’ll see one of the ladders used to access the third story of the organ case.

To the left is the great division and the right is the pedal division. Here you can see the wide array of materials used to build pipes. Darker metal pipes have a higher lead content and lighter metal pipes have a higher tin content. Look closely and you’ll even spot some pipes made out of wood in the back. In the center of the image, you can see the tops of the largest pipes in the organ, including the 32-foot-tall low C pipe of the Open Diapason stop. At the tops of many of the pipes, you can see a rectangular hole that has been cut into them and the metal rolled down. These are called tuning scrolls. They adjust the pitch of each pipe during the tuning process.

Peek through the organ casing at the Sanctuary below.