Saint Peter’s E.M. Skinner Organ was made by Boston’s celebrated Skinner Organ Company, then as now generally considered the finest organ-building firm of their day. The organ’s 2,565 pipes have supported the worship services in this historic church for ninety years.  Affectionately dubbed “Margie” by the musicians who have sat at the console, Opus 862 (as the builder called her) has long been the musical soul of Saint Peter’s Church. 

Ernest M. Skinner’s ability to design an organ that complements its acoustical environment is nowhere more evident than at St. Peter’s Church. A total of forty-seven stops are controlled by a three-manual console. Two-thirds of the pipes are “under expression,” in louvered enclosures that provide a wide dynamic range. While the smallest pipes are the size of soda straws, the largest pipe, if stretched out, could reach across Pine Street. The kaleidoscopic musical resources of this instrument include gentle ethereal whispers, hauntingly beautiful flutes, broad and rich foundation stops, and a powerful tutti that is completely satisfying and never oppressive. 

The ornate organ case was built in 1767 by German craftsman Philip Feyring and decorated by Martin Jugiez. The organ is under the curatorship of the A. Thompson Allen Company. 

Organists visiting Philadelphia are always welcome to include a stop to St. Peter’s to play the organ. Contact us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.