It combines the finest traits of the orchestral organ (an organ‑building movement in Britain and North America in the early twentieth century) and English organ building. Its orchestral aspects are exemplified by its generous collection of warm foundation stops, most of which are enclosed and under expression, that blend warmly and which are voiced in a manner typical of British organs of that time — five 16′ flue stops, twenty 8′ flue stops and seven 8′ reed stops — providing a rich tonal palette. The Solo division, under high pressure, houses an English tuba, Viole d’orchestre, Violes célestes, Octave Viol and Cornet de violes — rare gems, indeed. These are activated by many performer-operated controls at the instrument’s exquisite vintage console: a full complement of unison, sub and super couplers for all the manuals and pedal, an adjustable combination action with a wealth of pistons, and four expression boxes to change the volume of each division independently.

One of the most striking qualities of the organ is the successful marriage of instrument and acoustic. The church’s acoustics are warm and generous and the organ’s tone, volume and projection into the church are at once clear and amply bathed in the building’s lively reverberation. These aspects of the instrument — its orchestral aesthetic and English character — along with its size, quality and placement in a sonorous and ambient acoustic, make this instrument a unique and important instrument in Montreal’s thriving organ culture.