12th San Anselmo Organ Festival June 24–28, October 18–19, 1996

by Libby Codd

The topic of the twelfth San Anselmo Organ Festival was
“The Organ in California: Successive Styles and Changes.” The
underlying premise of the conference was that change is inevitable, as seen in
;the relatively short history of California since its first settlement by
Europeans. Linda Clark, Director of the Master of Sacred Music program at
Boston University School of Theology, provided sociological and theological
insight into each successive era. She emphasized that we “stand on the
shoulders of people who have faced similar situations and have inherited
practices from them.” “Practices” she defined as “a
complex set of culturally specific ways of accomplishing something of enduring
importance to people.” We have been formed by practices. Clark developed
her subject in brief daily “meditations” which were followed by
five minutes of silence and then the performance by Michael Struck of an organ
work relevant to the subject matter of the day.

Monday: Spanish/Mexican California

The entire conference was in the form of a giant organ
crawl. The first excursion was to Mission San José, which was founded in
1797 as the 15th in a series of Franciscan missions in California. Although an
organ had been ordered in the 19th century, it was not installed due to the demise of the missions when California became part of the United States. Therefore, its first organ is the new instrument installed in 1988 by Rosales Organ Builders. It is historically faithful to the early 19th-century Mexican organs, with a split keyboard, and is tuned in 1/4 syntonic comma meantone. Robert Bates of Stanford University played a recital which illustrated the poignancy of the tuning.

Juan Pedro Gaffney delivered a lecture on the music of the
Franciscan missions, pointing out that the rich musical life of the missions
was based on the mature tradition of musical practice in Mexico City, where
many of the friars had studied. The indigenous Californians adapted easily to
traditional western music as singers and instrumentalists.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Mission San José, for instance,
had a resident orchestra in the early 19th century. The friars also provided
Christian texts in native language and recorded historical narratives from
Aztec nobles. Gaffney directed his
Coro Hispano de San Francisco in a vespers for the feast of St. John the
Baptist using music almost entirely from the great polyphonic choirbooks of
Mexico City Cathedral and other great Baroque Mexican churches.

Tuesday: Anglo Settlement of California

The first part of the 19th century under the Franciscans was
relatively stable politically and economically, and the arts flourished. But
beginning in 1840 the missions were secularized, the great rancheros began to
disappear, and non-Hispanic pioneers began to infiltrate the culture. The 1849
gold rush brought hordes of new settlers from around the world. San Francisco
grew into a city overnight. The miners found that the capriciousness of fate
was the central fact of existence; there was a wide chasm between religious
practice on the west and east coasts in that the pioneers’ commitment to
traditional values was not as widespread or deep. Moreover, the climate and
natural beauty of the region furnished transcendent experiences outside of
organized religion.

A remarkable collection of photographs of 19th-century
organs in California was shared by Jim Lewis. Most of the organs shown were
destroyed in the great San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906. Of particular
interest was a seventeen-section panorama of San Francisco in 1878 showing a
profusion of churches. A prolific Bay Area organ builder of the time was John
Bergstrom, one of whose organs was heard at Christ Episcopal Church in
Sausalito where David Farr conducted the members of the Ragazzi Boys Chorus and
David Farr Chorale in a 1905 Victorian Matins.

After proceeding to San Francisco by ferry, we heard three
pre-fire organs played by students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
and their teacher, Wyatt Insko. At the First United Lutheran Church (the first
English-speaking Lutheran church in San Francisco), Frederick DeBoer played a
short program including Dudley Buck’s Concert Variations on the Star
Spangled Banner. The Woodbury & Harris organ (1899), in its third home, was
restored by Manuel Rosales, and has a flat 27-note pedalboard and mechanical
key and stop action. We then heard Franck’s Pièce
Héroïque played by Jung Ran Lim on a 1906 Pilcher organ at Central
Seventh Day Adventist Church. The Philadelphian Seventh-Day Adventist church
has a tubular pneumatic organ built by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company,
successor to Murray M. Harris. The blower was electric from the start. Yishiu
Chen performed Conrad Susa’s “March for a Joyous
Occasion.”

The 1904 Möller organ in the Church of St. John the
Evangelist has been modified extensively. For example, the 16¢ Lieblich
Gedeckt has been reconstituted from four different ranks from other builders,
but the sound is seamless. Wyatt Insko played J. S. Bach’s transcription
of a Concerto in G Major by Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. The day concluded
with a wine-tasting and tour hosted by Jack Bethards of the historic
Schoenstein organ factory, founded in 1877.

Wednesday: San
Francisco after the 1906 Fire

Wayne Leupold argued that transcriptions are now
respectable, citing arrangers from 1300 to the present—including, among
others, J. S. Bach, Boëly, Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Franck, Widor, and
Novello. Some of the compositions
emerged “new and improved” with the transcriber’s own opus
number. In the early 1900s Edwin
Lemare brought transcriptions to a new level of sophistication, as demonstrated
by Frederick Hohman, who played Lemare’s transcription of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture at a “1924 Concert of Organ Music” on the Skinner organ in Trinity Episcopal Church, which was installed in that year.

Christian Elliott accompanied a screening of Buster
Keaton’s film “Steamboat Bill Jr.” on the Wurlitzer organ at
the Castro Theater, performing his own score. His synchronization with
Keaton’s “singing” of the Prisoner’s Song and also with
the impact of various falling objects was faultless.

Civic organs were discussed at the Palace of the Legion of
Honor by John Fenstermaker, Ed Stout, and Jonathan Ambrosino. The
museum’s Skinner organ was installed with the premise that great music
should accompany great art. Ed Stout is currently restoring this 63-rank 1924
organ, rebuilding the console and adding a computerized combination action. The
organ has many unusual features, including an Arch Clarion and Chimes which are
designed to be heard in the courtyard.
Another unusual aspect of the organ is that there are no obvious
“grills” or means for the organ to be heard in the museum. All of
the openings were originally covered in muslim and painted to imitate the stone
walls which surround them. Over the years, the paint had become so thick that
the sound of the organ was severely compromised. The restoration will include
the installation of a more suitable covering.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist in San Francisco has a
splendid example of the orchestral style of organ building —a 1924
Kimball that has been virtually unchanged. All the pipework is enclosed so that
“one can accompany the Aeoline with the Tuba Mirabilis,” according
to organist C. Thomas Rhoads, who demonstrated the tonal families and then
played a program which included his own transcription of the “Serenade of
the Doll” from Debussy’s Children’s Corner Suite.

Thursday: The
American Classic Organ and The Early Organ Reform Movement

Jonathan Ambrosino showed how pipe organs were everywhere
during Victorian times—not only in churches but in private homes and even
yachts. If there was no resident organist, music was played from rolls; it was
the home entertainment center. There was—and still is—an Austin
organ in Balboa Park in San Diego where Edwin Lemare gave a concert series in
1902. Ambrosino gave an absorbing
account of Murray M. Harris’ ups and downs, E. M. Skinner’s falling
out with three prominent California organists (Moore, Sabin and Allen) and the
ascendancy of G. Donald Harrison. Between 1930 and 1965 organs underwent swift
and dramatic change, but Harrison never rejected the romantic organ; he just
wanted to make it better. He looked backward for authentic organ sounds that
would serve previous periods of music, not imitations of orchestral sounds. He
never lost sight of the organ’s purpose, which was accompanying choirs.
He believed that all sounds in an organ needed to work together. A small
Æolian-Skinner organ (1939) at St. Boniface Church demonstrated this
emerging neo-classical trend with only eight ranks plus Plein Jeu. Other
builders reacted against the perceived sentimental excesses of the romantic
organ.

One of Harrison’s crowning achievements was the organ
at Grace Cathedral where we heard Evensong. Christopher Putnam gave a rousing
performance of Searle Wright’s Lyric Rhapsody for the prelude and John
Fenstermaker conducted the men’s choir in a setting of Psalm 126 by
Sowerby.

A concert of “Organ and Chamber Music for the American
Classic Organ” was performed at First Presbyterian Church in San Anselmo
by three organists. Layten Heckman’s portion included Hovhaness’
Dawn Hymn and Three Pieces for a Ceremony by Michael McCabe with the Festival
Brass Ensemble conducted by David Farr. Wilbur Russell played Wilbur
Held’s Music for the New Year, recently commissioned by the host church.
In Theme and Variations on “The Old Year Now Has Passed Away”
Russell showed the varying colors of the 1966 Æolian-Skinner.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> John Pagett accompanied Susan Rode
Morris on the piano for Prayers, Songs and Praises by David Clark Isele. The
evening ended with a hilarious rendition of “The King of Instruments: A
Parade of Music and Verse.” The Ogden Nash-like text, by Albright and
Eugene Haun, was delightfully hammed up by Chandler Stokes, the pastor of the
church.

Friday:
Latter-Day Reform Movement; The Tracker Revival; Historical Copies

The 1910 Hutchings organ at Old First Presbyterian Church
was a victim in 1950 of the trend toward neo-baroque voicing. Shrill upperwork
was added and important 8¢ ranks discarded. Visscher Associates has just
rebuilt and greatly enlarged the organ, keeping it faithful to the
organ’s original tonal purpose while expanding the instrument’s
versatility. George Becker played
a historically diverse program including Franck’s Choral in B Minor in
which the Vox Humana was particularly effective.

At Stanford University Robert Bates introduced us to the
three magnificent organs at Memorial Church. A brand new addition is the
Katherine Potter-Brinegar cabinet organ built in Renaissance style (after
Compenius) by Paul Fritts and Company.
It is tuned in 1/4 comma meantone temperament with suspended mechanical
key action, and easily movable to other locations in the church. The size of
the instrument is deceptive; the sounds, some pure and sweet and others
surprisingly sonorous, carry through the church with ease. The oldest organ in
the church is the large 1901 Murray M. Harris instrument which has been
reworked by Johnston Organ Company (a successor to Murray Harris), Ernest
Skinner, Æolian-Skinner, Rosales, and in 1995 by John DeCamp and Mark
Austin. The 1984 Fisk-Nanney organ
epitomizes the tracker revival and can be played either in well temperament or
in one-fifth comma meantone by moving a lever.

We visited the home of Jacques Littlefield, in which there
is a large Fisk organ (1987) showing mixed French and German influences.
Noteworthy are the Dom Bedos Tremblant Doux and the harmonic flute which
changes greatly in character as it gets higher, demonstrated by Matthew Dirst
with D’Aquin’s Noël Étranger. Ewert (“Red”)
Wetherill gave an overview of the
acoustical revisions of Memorial
Church. He noted that the mosaic work on the walls provides superb
reflectivity, but that the jointed, lightweight plank ceiling is absorptive
especially in the lower registers. Improvements included removing a thick layer
of hair-covered felt from the entire ceiling of the church. The afternoon ended
with a typical Sunday morning service of Holy Communion at All Saints’
Episcopal Church where Gwen Adams is the music director. It is the
parish’s custom to print a large quantity of music directly in the Sunday
program, thereby encouraging maximum congregational participation. The parish
sings the same setting of the liturgy for the whole of a given church season so
that the congregation can learn it; they sing new hymns three or four weeks in
a row for the same reason.

The final event of the 1996 Festival was a concert with the
three organs at Stanford entitled: “Five Centuries of Transcriptions for
Organ.” Particularly effective was Paduana Lachrimae by Dowland,
intabulated by Sweelinck and played antiphonally by Robert Bates on the
Potter-Brinegar at the front of the church and Matthew Dirst on the Fisk in the
rear top gallery. A rousing end to
the evening and the Festival was provided by Frederick Hohman with the
“Ride of the Valkyries” complete with Brunnhilde’s portamento
up to the high note, played on the Murray M. Harris.

In a follow-up conference in October titled “A
Changing Profession: Embracing the
New Century,” the common thread of need for more education persisted.
Drawing on his article in the February 1996 edition of The American Organist,
“Leonard Bernstein, a Lodestar for the American Church Musician,”
Steve Pilkington urged us to “lighten up” in dealing with the gap
between the organist’s traditional musical orientation and the
congregational comfort level. We must educate congregations more and make music
accessible and inclusive the way Bernstein did in his young people’s
concerts. Harriet Nelson noted that shared traditions hold institutions
together while generational differences work against this. To confront this
trend we should be willing to adapt, have integrity, seek quality and develop
competence.

During research for her book Music in Churches, Linda Clark
studied the style of three Methodist congregations. The style of the first, a
rural congregation, was characterized by energy and hubbub; the second, located
in a suburban neighborhood, was formal and dignified; the third, a downtown
Boston African-American church, was characterized by rhythm, power, and a
call-and-response culture. She feels that conflicts over popular musical style
involve two separate issues: the
quality of the music and the style in which it is performed.

John Pagett advised us to rededicate ourselves to aggressive
education, keeping aware of the pervasiveness of popular culture.

Jack Bethards, Manuel Rosales and Jonathan Ambrosino
discussed developments in organ design. Electronic organs have taken over the
cheap market. With the reduced volume of work there is less feedback and less
opportunity for development, but builders still get excited about reproducing a
sound they hear inside their head.

In an upbeat sharing session attendees contributed various
suggestions: improve your
publicizing skills; play a congregant’s favorite hymns on their birthdays
(perhaps for donations to the music fund); write articles in the bulletin about
the organ music performed that day; investigate new electronic sounds (not
duplicative ones); improve acoustics of the church as much as possible; include
everyone possible as ‘extras’ in your music programs.

The Festival fully explored its subject matter and this
reviewer came away more aware of the debt we owe to those who came before us
and the responsibility we have in handing on to succeeding generations their
and our own “practices.” Change is endemic to every period and
provides the stimulus for a thoughtful determination of what our own
“practice” will be.

San Anselmo Organ Festival

June 25-30, 1995

By Samuel Douglas

Samuel Douglas is Music librarian at the San Francisco Public Library and Organist, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Mill Valley, California.

"Cathedral Organist: A celebration of Louis Vierne at 125" was the theme of the 1995 San Anselmo Organ Festival. The Sunday evening opening concert was performed by Olivier Latry, Titular Organist of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris. First Presbyterian Church, the "host" church, was filled to capacity, even though the temperature had soared to a record 100+ degrees. Latry offered works by Bonnet, Dupré, Barie, and Vierne's Symphony no. 1 in d minor, op. 14. He closed his program with a brilliant improvisation on two themes from the collection Vierne himself had prepared for his students at the Paris Conservatoire. At the concert and subsequent concerts, the symphonies were introduced by Rulon Christiansen, who has published articles on Vierne and Widor in The American Organist.

Monday's events began with a keynote address by John
Pagett, which provided a historical and musical context for the events to
follow. Late in the morning Robert Bates of Stanford University's Memorial Church presented Vierne's Symphony no II in e minor, op. 20. Monday afternoon Karen Hastings-Deans presented a lecture on the development of the organ symphony and organ mass, contributing greatly to the understanding of the context within which Vierne lived and composed. Latry held an interesting
improvisation demonstration from which all gained some very useful "tips." The festival then walked up the hill to the beautiful campus of the San Anselmo Presbyterian Seminary, with its magnificent views of Marin County's Mt. Tamalpais, accompanied by piper Merritt Robinson. Susan Landale, organist at the Church of St. Louis des Invalides, Paris, talked about her exciting days as a young student of Marchal's in Paris. The National Improvisation Contest was held Monday night. The theme, submitted by Festival Director David Farr, was the hymn tune "Kedron" as in Pilsbury's United States Harmony (1799). It can be found in the Presbyterian Hymnal, no. 121. Judges Ron McKean, Susan Landale and Olivier Latry did not award a first prize this year. John Schwandt of Wisconsin was awarded a second prize and Chris Putnam, assistant organist at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, was awarded third prize.

Tuesday morning began with an improvisation lesson for the
beginner presented by Latry. The morning lecture was by organbuilder Manuel
Rosales, sharing slides and recordings of Cavaillé-Coll and other organs
he had visited on a study tour of France. During the morning break John Pagett
played some recordings of Vierne performing at Notre Dame and St. Sulpice. What
a treat to be able to hear the master himself! Paul Jacobson, organist at San
Francisco's First Unitarian Church, presented Vierne's Symphony No. III in f sharp minor. In the afternoon, Rulon Christiansen, director of music at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Ogden, Utah, lectured on the piano music of Vierne. He then performed a selection of the works, showing that Vierne had a first-rate idiomatic understanding of the piano. Tuesday evening's program "Virtually Vierne I" included music for a variety of instrumental ensembles, as well as music by Widor and Dupré. The Soirs Étrangers, op. 56, for cello and piano, the Rhapsodie, op. 25,
for harp, and the Largo and Canzonetta, op. 6, for oboe and piano, show the
wide range of Vierne's interests. The performances by Bay Area musicians
were of the highest quality. Wyatt Insko of the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music organized the evening's performances.

Wednesday's events took place in the East Bay. Oakland's
First Presbyterian Church, with its marvelous new Rosales organ, was the venue
for Latry's improvisation lesson 2 for the advanced student. Following an
open console, host organist Ron McKean presented Vierne's Symphony no. IV
in g minor, op. 32. Then on to the Walnut Creek home of Eric Walling, where he
has installed the 3-manual Moller organ removed from Trinity Cathedral,
Portland. The organ is in a large music room having a very warm acoustic,
allowing the sound to "bloom" quite nicely.

Thursday began with a masterclass on the works of Vierne and
other French composers by Latry. The morning lecture, "Vierne and his
students: Vierne the teacher" was presented by Landale. It was an
interesting look at organ pedagogy at the turn of the century. Following the
lecture Christiansen performed Vierne's Symphony No. V in a minor, op.
47. The afternoon was devoted to the harmonium and its music, with a lecture by
Jim Tyler, Regional Counsellor for the U.S. West, Reed Organ Society. The
instruments were demonstrated by James M. Bratton, Professor Emeritus,
University of Denver. An open console followed. The evening concert,
"Virtually Vierne II," consisted of choral and vocal music by 20th-century French organists, featuring the David Farr Chorale, organists John Pagett and Paul Jacobson, and other Bay Area musicians. Works by Dupré, Guilmant, Fauré, Duruflé, and Messiaen were presented. The evening closed with a rousing reading of Vierne's Missa Solenelle, op.
16.

Friday morning's lecture by Christiansen emphasized
that the stylistic performance of Vierne's music depends on an understanding of Cavaillé-Coll's organs and an awareness of Vierne's own performing style as reported by his pupils. San Francisco organist Josephine Bennington hosted a dinner for the Festival at her Presidio Heights residence. Grace Cathedral was the site of the closing recital by Susan Landale, who played Vierne's Symphony No. 6, op. 59, and works by Tournemire and Messiaen.

This year's Festival was highly successful in many
ways. Musicians of the highest calibre performed. Guest artists were charming,
approachable, and affable. Vierne's music is, of course, magnificent, and
hearing so many of the instrumental, vocal, and choral works revealed him to be
a composer of enormous skill and breadth.

The 1911 Murray M. Harris Organ at St. James' Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, California

by Manuel Rosales

Notes

1.              Some
of the historical material has been extracted from the late Dr. David Lennox
Smith's 1979 dissertation "Murray M. Harris and Organ Building in Los
Angeles: 1894-1913" (The University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music,
D.M.A. 1979, available from University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor,
MI).

2.              
The most significant partnership was with Henry C. Fletcher.  They installed two new Hutchings organs
in Pasadena churches as well as constructing their Opus 1 for Church of the
Ascension (Episcopal) in Sierra Madre, CA.

3.              The
tonal style of Murray M. Harris organs is a reflection of traditional
19th-century classicism while simultaneously appealing to the trends in
stop-ists of the time. The flue choruses possess great clarity and richness
which preserve the integrity of the ensemble. Even a modest chorus, without a
mixture, is not muddy.

4.              The
Stanford Memorial Church organ was restored from 1981-1995 by Newton Pipe
Organs, Rosales Organ Builders and Curators John DeCamp and Mark C. Austin. The
completed work was featured at the 1995 Convention of the American Institute of
Organ Builders.

5.              Actually
this was not the first 32' reed in the City of Los Angeles. The no longer
extant 1906 Austin in Philharmonic Hall possessed a 32' Magnaton which
technically was a reed but sounded like a very refined Open Wood.

6.              The
Echo 8' Vox Humana and the Swell 8' Concert Flute were missing. In the current
installation the Vox Humana from the 1926 Kimball at St. James' was retained but
the 8' Concert Flute was not restored.

7.              Special
electric pull-downs were developed for the slider chests in order to avoid the
use of  leather. All of the slider
chest's pallets are augmented with electric relief valves. This allows the
windchest to operate on pressures in excess of 4"without any hesitation on
the initial attack or quick repetition. These windchests will never require
re-leathering!

8.              The
property remained vacant for ten years and is now the site of the Sanwa Bank.

9.              Most
regrettable was the loss of this impressive and dramatic sacred space; a
beautiful and welcome refuge from the noise and chaos of downtown Los Angeles.
To get some sense of the Cathedral and its acoustics, one can visit All Souls'
Chapel at Good Samaritan Hospital, a 1/3rd scale replica of the Cathedral which
was designed by the same architect.

10.           The
distribution of the stored material from St. Paul's Cathedral was as follows:
to St. James' went the Murray Harris organ, some stained-glass windows,
carvings and paneling. The pulpit and Cathedra were designated for eventual use
in the as yet un-built Diocesan Center. St. Athanasius Church (on the site of
the new Diocesan Center) received the chapel organ and a mixture wind chest
which had been added to the Murray Harris. The parts were installed in such a
poor manner that the organ was eventually sold for parts.

St.
John's Church in West Adams District of Los Angeles was the recipient of the
antiphonal organ, the Aeolian-Skinner console and the lowest twelve notes of
the Murray Harris 32' Bombard (since the St. John's E. M. Skinner organ had
lost its lowest Bombarde octave some years prior). However, St. John's opted
not to install these large pipes, and eventually they found their way to St.
James'. The Antiphonal organ was installed and is in use, but the
Aeolian-Skinner console was eventually sold.

11.           Actually
the organ was stored for 6 years by the Diocese and after the transfer of
ownership for 4 years by St. James' Church.

12.           St.
James' was the only Episcopal Church in the Diocese which could have
accommodated an organ of that size without major alterations to the building.

13.           See
The American Organist, August, 1994, p. 37.

14.           In
places the walls were as thin as 1/2". In the chancel the walls have been
increased to a thickness of 2".

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The David John Falconer Memorial Organ is a gift of The
Ahmanson Foundation and from the Estate of Helen Parker

A brief history of the project

The Murray M. Harris Company

Murray M. Harris (1866-1922) is generally regarded as the
Father of Organ Building in the West. Born in Illinois, Murray Harris moved with
his family to Los Angeles in 1884. In 1889, Murray Harris relocated to Boston
to receive his training in organbuilding with George S. Hutchings, at that time
one of the nation's premier organ builders. Harris returned to Los Angeles in
1894 both to represent and install Hutchings organs and to establish his own
organbuilding business. After a few short-lived partnerships, he formed his own
firm Murray M. Harris Organ Company in 1898.2

Fame and business soon came Murray Harris' way, and in 1900
he was able to attract a talented band of craftsmen from the East coast to help
him build better organs. This group included several famous organbuilders,
among them William Boone Fleming. Together these gentlemen revolutionized the
mechanism of the Murray Harris organ; the craftsmanship exhibited extraordinary
attention to detail, and the voicing produced an ensemble in step with the
orchestrally-inspired tastes of the day, but with an energy and drama all too
rarely encountered.3 Murray M. Harris himself imparted a coveted tonal
signature. His stature as the builder of some of the finest organs available in
North America brought the company many contracts, among them the organ of
three-manuals and thirty-five speaking stops for the First Methodist Episcopal
Church, Los Angeles. In 1901 he was awarded a contract for an instrument of
forty-six speaking stops for Stanford University's Memorial Church.4

From this prestigious beginning, the company grew rapidly,
securing the contract for the Louisiana Exposition organ (St. Louis World's
Fair) of 1904. At the time, this was the largest organ in the world, with one
hundred and forty stops (it would later become the nucleus of the organ in the
John Wanamaker Store, Philadelphia). Due to cost overruns and litigation, the project spiraled out of control, and the board of directors deposed Murray Harris as president of his own company. He severed all ties with the company, and for the next three years worked as an investment broker. The Board of Directors changed the company name to Los Angeles Art Organ Company.

In 1906, Harris re-entered organ-building with the help of
one of his former workmen, Edwin Spencer, under the name Murray M. Harris
Company. Based upon a different type of wind-chest (sometimes built of pine, at
other times redwood), the instruments from this era continued to exhibit the
same marvelous tonal qualities of the earlier work, and in some cases exceeded
them.

The new firm continued to build organs until 1912. In that
year Murray Harris returned to the investment world; he died in 1922 while on a
business trip to Arizona. However, the former Murray Harris craftsmen continued
to work through 1930, first as Johnston Organ Company, then as the California
Organ Company, and finally as the Robert-Morton Organ Company, becoming
prominent in both church and theater organs. The company continued to employ
many of the Harris concepts, scales and voicing techniques. The Robert-Morton
Organ Company's magnum opus was the four-manual organ for Bovard Auditorium at
the University of Southern California.

The organ for St. Paul's pro-Cathedral

One of the last large organs Murray Harris built was for St.
Paul's pro-Cathedral in Los Angeles. This edifice was built in 1889 as St.
Paul's Church, the largest Episcopal church in the city, located on Pershing
Square in downtown Los Angeles (the current site of the Biltmore Hotel). With
the 1895 election of Joseph Horsfall Johnson as the first bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, St. Paul's was elevated to pro-Cathedral.

In 1906 Ernest Douglas, Mus.D., F.A.G.O., was appointed
organist and choirmaster of St. Paul's. Douglas was a Bostonian, a fine
musician and a product of distinguished organ education, having studied with Samuel B. Whitney in Boston, Sir Frederick Bridge at Westminster Abbey London and with Franz Xavier Scharwenka in Berlin. His arrival at St. Paul's marked a distinct improvement in the music program, making the lack of a suitable organ all the more glaring.

At long last, a contract was signed with Murray M. Harris
& Company in July 1910 for a new three-manual organ of forty-one speaking
stops; the price was $12,500. Several features would distinguish the new
instrument: concrete swell boxes and a movable console (both trademarks of the
notorious English organbuilder Robert Hope-Jones); the doubly-enclosed Echo,
playable on the Choir but enclosed within the Swell box; the duplexing of the
Swell reeds to the Choir manual for added flexibility; harp and chimes; and the
provision of a 32' Bombarde, the first such stop to be installed in Los
Angeles.5 The organ was scheduled for delivery before Christmas 1910, but
appears not to have been ready until the following spring.

Los Angeles was growing at an unprecedented rate with
churches and organbuilding prospering as a result. The Cathedral was no
exception, and by 1920 the congregation had grown sufficiently to warrant a new
edifice. On January 31, 1922, Douglas played a final recital on the Murray
Harris in its first home; the program was entirely of his own works. The organ
was then placed in storage with
the intention that it would be installed in the new Cathedral. Old St. Paul's
was razed later that year, and the new St. Paul's simple, elegant building in
Spanish style was consecrated as the Cathedral in 1924, like its predecessor
one of the largest Episcopal churches in the region.

Fortunately, the new building possessed superb acoustics;
unfortunately, the architects had not provided adequate space or tonal egress
for the existing instrument. In charge of the organ installation was Stanley
Williams, who had worked with Harris in 1911 and had voiced the organ
originally. Williams was now representing the Chicago organbuilding firm of W.
W. Kimball, and thus the Harris organ was provided with a new Kimball console
which contained a number of stop preparations. Williams' only change to the
instrument was to move the Swell Concert Flute into the Echo organ. Otherwise,
the organ remained intact and the Kimball preparations never materialized.
(Also interesting to note, Stanley Williams sold the 1926 Kimball organ to St.
James' Church, Wilshire Boulevard.)

During the years when Frank K. Owen was Organist/Choirmaster
(1953-1974), the organ was well cared for. His admiration and fondness for the
instrument assured the preservation and enhancement of the character of the
original work. He facilitated the replacement of the Kimball console with an
Æolian-Skinner console, the installation of an antiphonal organ, the addition of two mixtures, as well as some other minor tonal changes. However, under another organist in 1975-76, a series of changes were made in an attempt to keep the organ abreast of current tastes in organ tone including the
transposition of ranks to higher pitches and the swapping of stops with the
Estey organ in the chapel. Fortunately, all except two original ranks of pipes
were to be found stored in the chambers.6

When in 1976 Mrs. Carol Foster was appointed organist and
choirmaster, she became determined to see the organ restored as its condition
was dismal; only the Great 32' Tuba unit, the added mixtures on their own
chests and the Antiphonal functioned with reasonable reliability. From 1977 to
1979 the organ was in the care of Manuel Rosales and the late David Dickson;
they could do no more than to keep the reeds in tune and chase after the
incessant ciphers. A meeting with Bishop Robert C. Rusack yielded a promise to
form a committee which would investigate the possibility either of significant
repairs or a revamping of the instrument on new slider chests (the plan
ultimately followed at St. James')7. Unfortunately, the committee took no real
interest nor further action.

In late 1979 the Bishop announced, to the great dismay of
the Cathedral community, that the building would be razed, apparently due to
structural and safety considerations. The Cathedral property was quickly sold,
and an urgency developed to evacuate the premises as quickly as possible.8 The
organ played its final service on Christmas Eve, 1979.

When no plans were announced to save the organ, the
furnishings or any of the Cathedral's architectural treasures, Mrs. Foster,
Dickson and Rosales once again submitted a proposal to the Bishop to find
suitable storage for the organ and to remove it and whatever else could be
salvaged of the building's interior appointments. Bishop Rusack accepted this
proposal. Of the organ, all the pipes, the chest for the Tuba unit, the
bellows, the console, the antiphonal section and its casework, and the chapel organ were removed. Since the main
windchests were of redwood with ventil stop action, and had suffered from
alteration and poor maintenance, it was decided not to save them.9 & 10

For the decade-long period in which the Murray Harris organ
was in storage, some members of the Cathedral corporation searched for ways to
dispose of the instrument.11 Several suggestions were considered, including
donating it to a theater, a stadium, even the Hollywood Bowl. Eventually, the
Cathedral corporation consulted Manuel Rosales, who suggested that another
church in Los Angeles should be the first choice.

A new home at St. James' on Wilshire Boulevard

Concurrently with the Diocese's decision to dispose of the
Murray Harris, St. James' Episcopal Church in the mid-Wilshire section of Los
Angeles was beginning to realize that their 1926 Kimball was beyond reasonable
restoration. By 1980 it had undergone the kind of tonal changes that the
Cathedral organ had, but with so much of the original pipework discarded that
the original character could not be recaptured. At that point the Diocese then
approached St. James' and offered the Murray Harris at no cost.12

Realizing that this instrument could meet the needs of St.
James' parish, David John Falconer, organist and choirmaster, became keenly
interested in the project and obtained approval to seek funding. He had been
exploring a variety of options when he approached the Ahmanson Foundation,
whose grants director Lee Walcott invited him to submit a proposal. Sadly, Dr.
Falconer was killed in an attempted robbery April 22, 1994.13

The Ahmanson Foundation chose to fund the project, and the
Schlicker Organ Company of Buffalo, New York, was selected to perform the work.
David Dickson, who knew and loved the Murray Harris organ, was at that time
Schlicker's artistic director.

Concurrent with the developing plans for the organ, St.
James' decided to improve the Church's acoustics. Eventually, all
asbestos-laden fiberglass was removed from the clerestory, and the plaster on
the walls was increased in thickness, with particular attention paid to the
chancel surfaces.14

A plan was developed which involved incorporating all of the
existing Murray Harris pipework, its bellows and the 1926 Kimball Echo organ,
blower, and two ranks of pipes. To increase the tonal palette, the plan
included adding sixteen stops in the Murray Harris style. The instrument would
also require new slider wind chests, expression boxes and a state-of-the-art
console. Although this would result in essentially a new working mechanism for
the organ, the tonal character of the Murray M. Harris organ would be retained
and enhanced.

The rear gallery, as a place of installation, was ruled out
due to lack of space. It was decided to enlarge the front organ chambers by
adding cantilevered decorative cases, thus creating additional space and
improved egress of sound.

During the organ's re-construction phase, the project has
seen several changes. The Schlicker Organ Company began by designing new slider
wind-chests and a console; eventually, they would accomplish all of the
mechanical work. Some delays occurred, including the untimely early death of
David Dickson in 1991. The project was revived in 1993 when Austin Organs, Inc.
became principal contractor. Under the revised plan, Austin would oversee the
project and take charge of all voicing and pipework, while Schlicker, under the
direction of J. Stanton Peters, would remain in charge of the mechanical
aspects, console and installation. David A.J. Broome, Tonal Director of Austin
Organs, collaborated with Manuel Rosales on the scaling and voicing of the
added pipework, with Broome taking charge of artistic direction at the Austin
factory. The Austin Organ Company pipe shop and voicers are to be commended for
their excellent workmanship and care in the restoration and tonal finishing of
the pipework.

The organ arrived at St. James' in April of 1995, with
on-site installation performed by Schlicker personnel. Tonal finishing began in
August, under Austin's Assistant Tonal Director Daniel Kingman assisted by
Christopher Smith of Schlicker. In the final weeks of the finishing, reed
voicer Zoltan Zsitvay of Austin joined Mr. Kingman. Manuel Rosales and Rosales
Organ Builders supported and assisted throughout the installation and tonal
finishing.

In its present home, the revised and enlarged Murray M.
Harris organ displays its original character as well as an enhanced presence in
St. James' pleasant acoustics. The organ possesses clear and unforced Diapason
tone with a bountiful collection of unison colors. The Great chorus is bold and well defined. The Swell and
Choir chorus are each appropriately softer and make excellent accompaniment
divisions. The chorus reeds are
likewise varied in strength also making beautiful solo stops. The stops created
by Austin Organs were designed and voiced using examples and scales from other
Harris instruments, except for the Cornet V which is appropriately patterned
after a stop in the Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City. The entire ensemble is
underpinned by the original 32' Contra Bombarde whose low CCCC pipe is two feet
across!

The completed instrument was dedicated to the memory of
David John Falconer on November 5th, All Saints' Day, at a festival service
with The Right Reverend Frederick H. Borsch, Bishop of Los Angeles, presiding,
and The Reverend Kirk Stevan Smith, Ph.D., Rector assisting.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Organist & Choirmaster James P.
Buonemani was assisted by Associate Organist David McVey.

Australian David Drury of the University of Sidney performed
the opening concert. His program featured works of Saint-Saëns, Mozart,
Widor, Jongen, Jackson, Hakim and an improvisation on two submitted themes. Mr.
Drury's artistry and imagination well exhibited the varied resources of the
instrument.

Eighty-four years since the organ's construction, and
sixteen years since its removal from St. Paul's Cathedral, the cultural
community of Los Angeles celebrates a voice from the past which was created in
our city and now sounds forth again with restored majesty.
style='mso-tab-count:1'>

Organ Historical Society 46th Annual Convention

by Malcolm Wechsler

The author thanks Scott Carpenter and Harry Martinas for editorial help with this report.

The 46th annual convention of the Organ Historical Society
(OHS) took place June 21-28, 2001, in North Carolina, centering around
Winston-Salem. Convention registration brings with it the fabulous Organ
Handbook, with recital programs, organ specifications and photographs, and bios
and photos of performers. It's the Bible for the week, eagerly devoured, and
kept in one's library forever. As with last year, the editor this year was
Jonathan Ambrosino.

Thursday, June 21

The opening concert was held at First Presbyterian Church in
Greensboro, the perfect convention opening on several levels. The building is
stunningly beautiful, designed by Hobart Upjohn, modeled on the cathedral at
Albi in France, and somehow built in 1929 and 1930, in the height of the Great
Depression. It was able to accommodate the entire convention, not the case with
quite a few buildings later in the week, when we were often divided into
smaller groups. The organ, finished by Létourneau just last year, fills
the 1400-seat building with great clarity and power. It is a grand creation,
with large instruments in both gallery and chancel, beautifully encased. The
acoustic of the building is organ-friendly, but nothing more. Having chancel
pipes on both sides and a large gallery division placed very high up gives the
instrument a great presence. There is a very effective en chamade reed atop the
gallery division. The whole enterprise is undergirded by digital 32's, not
obnoxious all of the time, but often enough.

Bruce Stevens plays with grace and elegance. The program
opened with the Kerll Passacaglia in D Minor, which introduced us to the clarity of the instrument's choruses and
other combination possibilities, through a great variety of variations,
building to a quite sturdy ending. Next, Beethoven, Adagio in F Major (Organ Sonata 8) played on a pleasantly limpid flute registration. Somewhere, at every recital of an OHS convention, a hymn gets sung, mostly meant to show the effectiveness of the organ as an accompanimental instrument, but the custom has taken on a life of its own. There is even a special hymnal printed, especially attractive this year. The recitalist gets to choose the hymn, and to accompany it with as much or as little freedom as wanted. The hymn, "I will give thanks with my whole
heart," to the tune Herr Jesu Christ, was sung in glorious harmony,
supported magnificently by Stevens. Next, Rheinberger, Introduction and
Passacaglia (from Sonata No. 8). This sonata is glorious, and both player and
organ did it complete justice. The huge power of the Pedal, some of it achieved
by illicit means (I would personally prefer a good Resultant), gave the ending
particular force. Then, Franck, Choral No. 2 in B-Minor
style='font-style:normal'>; next, Stevens and flutist Marcella Leonard
performed The Hedding Suite by
Everett Titcomb. Liszt's Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
style='font-style:normal'> received a totally splendid performance, virtuosic
in the extreme, registered without fear, including the en chamade in the
balcony. The Liszt was a glorious ending to a great recital, and a promising beginning for the week to come.

Friday, June 22

The first full day plunged us right into the OHS convention
bus-church-bus-church routine at its richest and fullest, complete with an 8:30
a.m. departure (and I might add, an 11:30 p.m. homecoming). We had a wide
variety of experiences this day, in the vicinity of Danville and Chatham,
Virginia, a two-hour bus ride from the hotel.

The first stop was Mount Vernon United Methodist Church,
Danville, housing a gentle and lovely 1860 Boston-built Simmons and Willcox
organ, rebuilt with significant additions by George Bozeman in 1988. As this
organ was saved and relocated through the good work of the late Alan Laufman
and the Organ Clearing House, it was somehow entirely appropriate that this
recital was played by the new director of the Clearing House, John Bishop. The
program: Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 549), began quietly, very slowly, and passionately; the fugue, on the other hand, was quite quick, almost Newmanlike, on a reedy registration, building naughtily with the gradual opening of the box; Pachelbel, Aria Sebaldina (from Hexachordum Apollinis); Derek Bourgeois (b. 1941, student of Howells), Serenade, written for the procession at his own wedding, a fine, accessible work, in a fresh but not shocking harmonic idiom. The hymn, "Christ is made the sure
foundation," was sung to Westminster Abbey
style='font-style:normal'>--we got to sing in parts in our usual impressive
way, complete with descant. Langlais, Noël with Variations, Choral (from 24 Pieces for Organ or Harmonium); Lefébure-Wély, Sortie--this was so well done, it made up for the over-exposure from which this piece now suffers. He who occupies the director's chair of the Organ Clearing House is able to shape and encourage one of the greatest programs to ever come out of the OHS. Its achievements under Alan Laufman were noteworthy. We offer John Bishop thanks for showing us his musical side, and wish him the very best in guiding OCH in the years ahead.

At Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Danville, James Darling,
well-known for his many years at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, gave an
excellent recital on a Simmons organ from 1877, rebuilt with some tonal changes
by Andover in 1980-81. The program began with the Concerto in C Major, op. 6, no. 10, by Corelli, adapted for organ by Thomas Billington; then Grave (with variations) from Voluntary in D Major (op. 6, no. 5) of Samuel Wesley. The hymn, giving us a good chance at some excellent harmonizing, used the tune Hereford by Samuel Sebastian Wesley for the text "O thou who camest from above" by
Charles Wesley. The program next promised more Wesley, but the artist had a
change of mind and moved smartly into the 20th century with a quite flashy and
wonderful chorale-based work, Christ ist erstanden
style='font-style:normal'> by Ludwig Lenel, long associated with Muhlenberg
College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

After a good lunch at the Knights of Columbus Hall (bar
closed!), we moved on to First Christian Church, still in Danville, which
became the scene of an unfortunate confluence of realities. OHS really tries,
with the help of always willing volunteers, to get organs into shape for our
pleasure and edification. This recalcitrant machine (built at a time when
Möller could actually build good instruments), through poor design,
including really ill-thought-out tuning and maintenance access, and long-term
neglect, in recent years due to the poverty of the congregation, defied all
attempts to bring it "online." Just to get inside the thing, lots of
heavy case pipes have to be removed, this landing one on the huge reservoir,
and leading to other contortions to actually get at the pipes that badly need
ministrations. With the complexities of running smoothly a convention of this
kind, and it does indeed run amazingly smoothly, this poor old organ and its
condition did not get sufficient attention. Baxter Jennings, longtime organist
at Sacred Heart Church, where we had just been, was the unfortunate player
assigned to play this instrument. Susanne Martin, choir director at Sacred
Heart, came along to sing the "Pie Jesu" from the Fauré Requiem, but was overwhelmed mostly by a too-loud registration, which in turn, might have been necessary if none of the softer stops had sufficient notes actually playing. I think too, that Mr. Jennings was totally terrified by the experience of not ever knowing what notes might play at any given time, and by knowing that under these almost impossible
circumstances he was playing for a church full of organists from all over the
country.

The next event took place at Chatham Presbyterian Church in
Chatham and involved a 1912 Möller. This 17-stop organ showed that in the
early 20th century some very good things could come out of Hagerstown. What a
solid and lovely instrument, and what a player is Randy Bourne. For the first
two pieces, the organ was hand pumped, with all the well-known benefits of
this: a Praeludium (WV33) of
Scheidemann, followed by the Prelude & Fugue in F Major
style='font-style:normal'>, from the "Eight Little," with supple and
sensitive playing. Bourne spoke during much of this concert, and the compelling
nature of both the playing and the chat kept the audience at full attention all
the way. One of the first things he mentioned was his use, in the Bach, of an
old edition of 1909, a product of its time, suggesting soloing out sections
using a solo Flute accompanied by strings. Would this have been taken seriously
by many organists as little as ten years ago? Some would say we are returning
to the corrupt old ways of the pre-Orgelbewegung days. Others, I with them,
might say that we have matured musically, and can now ask what is musical
rather than what do the "rules" say. Next, four gently busy Variations on "St. Catherine" written in 1999 by Robin Rokey. Bourne then played a ravishing transcription of Mélodie in E-flat Major (op. 42, no. 3) of Tchaikovsky, with the Flute solo accompanied on that rarity, "an audible Aeoline!" This was followed by another successful transcription, of a Mussorgsky piece, Fair at Sorochintzy, with images of the Cossacks
riding into a village, destroying it, and riding off--exciting stuff! The
program ended with the hymn "Love Divine, all loves excelling," sung
to Beecher. And here was a
recitalist who understands the wonder of hymn singing, and he gave us a chance
at some harmony, and accompanied rather than dominated.

J. R. Daniels, who is organist and choirmaster at Saints
Simon and Jude Church in Pittsburgh, has been around OHS conventions since
1994, in which year he was an E. Power Biggs Fellow. He gave a concert this
year at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham, on a much-moved 1865 S.S. Hamill
organ of about 12 stops. Taylor and Boody did a restoration in 1992, adding a
pedalboard and a Pedal Bourdon. Here is another recitalist who understands
hymns--he supported us gently in a sweet old traditional Roman Catholic hymn,
letting us happily harmonize to our hearts' content. He then made an apt little
speech about how much louder this gentle instrument would have sounded when it
was built, to people who had so little noise and music in their lives. His
recital made me wonder whether we have matured sufficiently to accept most of
the music on this program! Daniels is, at present, researching the music of
Théodore Salomé (1834-1896). The program began with The
Canterbury March, by Harry Crane Perin
(1868-1933), not a work of much substance. This was followed by the essential
Lefébure-Wély, Choeur de Voix humaines (The Nuns'
Chorus), consisting of Flute solo with
flourishes, accompanied on strings. Next, a kind of ornamented aria on "My
hope is built," by John Behnke, born 1953. It was then Salomé time.
Daniels warned us that the next piece, Offertoire in D-flat
style='font-style:normal'>, had been referred to by John Henderson, in his A
Directory of Composers for Organ, as the worst piece of organ music ever
written. The recital ended with a more interesting work of Salomé, Grand Choeur in A, altogether a better piece than the previous offering.

After a good dinner at the Stratford Inn Conference Center
in Danville, we headed to The Church of the Epiphany. George Bozeman,
organbuilder and a regular recitalist at these conventions, played the first
half on a 1928 Skinner of 16 ranks, I thought not a very successful example of
the breed. Bozeman, as always, gave us something unusual and interesting--the Sonata Cromatica (Seconda) of Pietro Yon. I was sure that what we were handed next was not going to work, but I underestimated us. We had in our hymnals a choral score of the Yon Gesù Bambino, and led by an excellent soloist who also conducted, Robert Sutter, we did a wonderful job. What a great idea, and what an interesting recital.

After a brief stretch, the program moved to the balcony, with its 1978 Andover organ of 38
stops, for a contrast of epic proportions. There are 12 ranks of mixtures,
given unpromising names like Cymbal, or simply "Sharp." These are a
bit uppity, but judicious registrational pruning can work wonders, and there is
much that is beautiful in this instrument. The upstairs organist was Kathleen
Scheide, and she began with Aria: Quis mutuos amores, by F.-X. Murschhauser; the hymn "Everlasting Arms of Love" to the tune Galliard; O Lamm Gottes (BWV 656) of Bach; the Reger Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, and then we heard from Ms. Scheide as composer in a very pleasant piece called Aria
La Romanesca. The program finished with
Scheide's own transcription of a Mozart piano duet, K. 358.

Saturday, June 23

This day began with John Farmer's fascinating history of the
much travelled Skinner (opus 248 of 1916), now comfortably and happily living
in the great Vanderbilt mansion, Biltmore, in Asheville, North Carolina, thanks
to Farmer's alertness and skilled ministrations. The following rather long
Internet address will give the story in some detail:

<http://www.biltmore.com/just_for_media/news_releases/whats_new_concert_…;
and this address will show the handsome console:

<http://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore_house/pipe_organ.html>.
There are a few infelicities, like a "genuine forced-air organ," and
other minor oddities, but if you don't know Biltmore, or even if you do, this
is all interesting reading. My thanks to Harry Martenas for locating these
sites.

Next we boarded six buses for the longest journey of the
convention, a bit less than three hours, during which we were shown a rather
good video about the Biltmore mansion. The Asheville part of North Carolina is
wonderfully hilly, giving the bus drivers some anxious moments maneuvering the
sometimes narrow streets, including the one which brought us to Mount Zion
Missionary Baptist Church.

Presiding over Felgemaker Opus 713, 1901, two-manuals and 26
stops, was Will Headlee, always a wonderful presence at these conventions. He
spent some years of his life in Asheville, so this was something of a
homecoming. Out of respect for the organ's lineage, he began the first movement of the Mendelssohn
A Major Sonata on original Felgemaker
sounds--distinguished and beautiful sounds they are, too. For the Andante, he
used the original strings. Next, two choral preludes by Ludwig Lenel: "Now
praise we Christ, the Holy One" and "How brightly shines the morning
star;" then, Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
style='font-style:normal'>, Kellner; Voluntary No. 1 in D Major, Boyce. This organ really does sing. I think everyone realized that we were in the presence of royalty, an organ with
distinguished beginnings well and lovingly restored tonally and mechanically,
with some additions, by John Farmer and Company. Also, somehow, in its
simplicity, the organ is really fine visually as well. Then, "Sarabande" and "Rhythmic Trumpet" (from Baroques), Bingham; "Balm in Gilead" and "Swing Low," Utterback; Fantasy on "Roll, Jordan, Roll," Ralph Simpson (b. 1933), a really great fun piece (published by Morning Star); and the 1875 hymn, "I am thine, O Lord."

The next program took place at St. Matthias' Episcopal
Church, Asheville, and featured Carol Britt playing a one-manual organ built by
Reuben Midmer. Britt, organist and choir director at St. Augustine's Episcopal
Church in Metairie, made fine use of the single-manual instrument. The organ,
built in 1898, is original to this building. Ponder this from the program note:
"Original to the church, the Midmer organ is in a remarkable state of
preservation. Apart from maintenance and some patching to the bellows leather,
the instrument is essentially as installed 103 years ago." Was that a good
investment or what? The program: Triptych
(Prelude, Scherzo, and Fugue), Robert Powell; Grand Triumphal March, Nicholls (1877), a real two-step played with wonderful panache. To play the Partita on O Gott, du frommer Gott of Bach on an instrument with limited variety takes a bit of work. With impeccable phrasing and some careful registration planning, this was a fine and arresting performance. It made perfect sense for us to next sing "O Gott, du frommer Gott," and we did indeed, happily with some directions for harmony and unison verses.

The next move was well up the social ladder, as we visited
the Vanderbilts in their stately home, Biltmore, in Asheville. After a lovely
dinner in "The Stable" on the estate, we then proceeded to the main
house to hear the organ, played partly by the Skinner player mechanism, and
partly by Kristin Gronning Farmer. Kristin, who chaired this convention, and
whose good and thoughtful work in that capacity we benefited from daily, has
also played for OHS conventions in the past, including Boston last year. In
addition to which, she is an organ builder, working with her husband, John
Farmer, and specializing in "gilding, pipe stencilling, polychrome
painting and faux finishes," which skills she makes available not only to
the "family firm," but also to other builders. After a demonstration
of some of the resources of the instrument, she let us sample some of what is
available on the Skinner semi-automatic rolls. It was all good fun.

Sunday, June 24

After yesterday's long ride to Asheville, we spent today
staying quite close to Winston-Salem, beginning the day at the hotel with the
annual meeting of the OHS. Bill Van Pelt presided, and those in charge of other
projects and committees of the society reported on activities since the last
meeting (in Boston in 2000). There were two E. Power Biggs Fellows this year:
Ryan Celestin of Metairie, Louisiana, and Bruce Ludwick, Jr. of Keyser, West
Virginia. An election of officers was held by mail prior to this meeting, with
some ballots submitted on the day. Elected as President: Michael Barone, whose
radio program, Pipedreams, produced and disseminated by Minnesota Public Radio,
is known throughout the U.S.

On to the buses at 11, going to the workshop of J. Allen
Farmer, Organbuilders--a great barn surrounded by beautiful countryside. On
display, a two-manual and pedal mechanical-action residence organ, two stops on
each manual division and a pedal 16'. Outdoors, on a perfect day, we were
treated to a fine buffet lunch.

Next stop, Maple Springs United Methodist Church to hear
James Hammann, who is on the faculty of the University of New Orleans, is
organist of St. Francis Xavier Church, and in his spare time runs an organ
maintenance business! The organ is a 1926 Casavant, originally located in
Detroit, but moved to Winston in 1982. Voluptuous describes it well, a 3-manual
instrument with all the good (big) stuff and a sound that is broad and warm.
The program: James Houston Spencer (1895-1967), Symphonesque
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 12 of 1933, a rich work, somewhat inventive
harmonically in a way occasionally somewhat reminiscent of Sowerby, followed by
our second convention performance of "Rhythmic Trumpet" from Seth
Bingham's suite, Baroques, of
1944. This had the benefit of a wonderfully bold Trumpet, and was given a
really swaggering performance. Last, in this concert of music by composers who
lived at just about the same time, Air with Variations (
style='font-style:normal'>written for William Strickland) by Leo Sowerby
(1895-1968).

Here, we did our famous split, dividing into two groups
because of some limited seating in one of the churches. My group went first to
Ardmore United Methodist Church, which houses an organ by Fritz Noack from
1978. Although I recognized a bit of aggressiveness in the sound occasionally,
its was more than compensated for by a luminous clarity and some really lovely
stops and ensembles. This was a most interesting recital, played by William H.
Bates, professor of organ at University of South Carolina in Columbia. He chose
"When in our music" to Engelberg as his hymn, which he played very broadly and did interesting things with the accompaniment. Abruptly changing modes, he played Retrové (Estampie III) from the Robertsbridge Fragment of the early 14th century; then Fantasie sus orgue ou espinette, arr. Guillaume Costeley, mid to late 16th century; the choral prelude Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich of Buxtehude, with the cantus on a beautiful Tierce with tremulant; John Stanley, Voluntary in C: Adagio and Andante; then, Brahms, Herzlich tut mich verlangen, played sensitively on Principal sounds; and Partita on "When in our music God is glorified" by Professor Bates himself. This recital was carefully designed to match the instrument, and all was played with great musicality, technical skill, charm and as needed, wit!

The buses took us then to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church for
a recital by Rachelen Lien, from New Orleans, where she is organist and choir
director at St. Matthew United Church of Christ and Parker Memorial United
Methodist Church. Lien chaired the OHS's national convention in New Orleans in
1989. Her assignment this day was to perform on the smallest instrument heard
in the convention, a charming Erben from 1851, temporarily living in the chapel
at St. Timothy's, while its home church in South Carolina is undergoing
structural work. The organ has one manual, no pedal, 5 stops, 5 ranks, 190
pipes! An 8' Open Diapason goes down to Tenor F, a Dulciana does the same, and
both are anchored by 17 pipes of a Stopped Diapason Bass. There is a 4'
Principal and a Flute to Tenor F. There is a very tight Swell box. For some of
the pieces, the hand pump was used. The program: Adagio in e minor
style='font-style:normal'>, J.S. Bach; Allegro
style='font-style:normal'> from a Thomas Arne Concerto; Soeur Monique of François Couperin, using the Swell box for the contrasts called for in the piece; Pastorale by Charles Wesley, using first the Dulciana, and then the 4' Flute for contrast, sounds of enormous beauty and integrity; Partita on "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman," Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732-1795). Next, mezzo-soprano Mary Martin, violist Tony Pruett, and cellist Worth Williams collaborated with Rachelen in the Brahms Lullaby for the Christ Child, opus 91. A really special treat, followed by another, the Saint-Saëns The Swan with cellist Williams. Following this, the hymn "Built on the Rock." A fascinating program, beautifully played, ended with a good chance to sing.

The convention then moved into the main church for two more
events, and they were something of a family affair, in the broadest sense of
family. It honored people of this community and people who worked to make this
wonderful convention possible. Starting with the organ builder: this amazingly
versatile one-manual instrument is Opus 22 of 1994, by John Farmer. Through the
judicious use of common basses, space and money was saved, and divided stops
made possible accompanied solo effects. The organist who next played a recital
and then accompanied Evensong was Scott Carpenter. He is assistant organist at
this church--Kristin Farmer is director of music. The composer whose music we
heard both in the pre-service recital and in Evensong itself is Margaret
Sandresky, another treasure of this area, of whom more later. The recital: Préambule (24 Pieces), Vierne; next, an anonymous 18th-century English Cornet Voluntary, and courtesy of divided stops, we heard a beautiful accompanied Cornet, three ranks just from middle c up; next a full Trumpet divided at middle c made possible a Trumpet Voluntary of Thomas Dupuis (1733-1796); then, Nun freut euch (BWV 734) of Bach; next we heard the really lovely Celeste in Prayer in E-Flat of Guilmant. The final works on the program were two
parts of an Organ Mass by
Margaret Sandusky based on the little 15th-century waltz tune L'Homme
armé. This was a wonderful recital,
which fact the audience acknowledged fully. Scott Carpenter is a player of
great assurance, musicality, and clarity.

Next was a really glorious Evensong, sung by the splendid
unauditioned choir of St. Paul's, Winston-Salem, conducted by Barbara Beattie.
Evensong began with the Richard Strauss Solemn Entry
style='font-style:normal'>, with the Giannini Brass Quintet. Preces
and Responses were by Martin Neary, then
followed the hymn, "O blest creator, source of light," to the Haydn
tune Bromley. The Psalm was No.
19, impeccably sung to a fine S.S. Wesley chant. The canticles (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D) were by Sir Herbert Brewer (1865-1928). For the anthem, another lovely piece by Margaret Sandresky, The Turtle Dove. The closing hymn was "The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended," to the magnificent tune St. Clement.

After a good dinner at the Adams Mark Hotel, it was off to
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and a joint concert by Margaret and John Mueller.
The organ is Skinner Opus 712 of 1929. Aeolian-Skinner did some revoicing work
in 1965, and in 1996-97 the Thompson-Allen firm of New Haven, Connecticut, did
a complete restoration. The St. Paul's organ has four manuals, 42 stops, 51
ranks--not huge, but quite telling in the space. The event began with Margaret
Mueller at the console as we lustily sang "For All the Saints," to Sine Nomine, complete with harmony for stanzas 5 and 6. After that, came an organ demonstration (Margaret). We were handed a two-sided, tightly-spaced sheet describing the demonstration. There were seven sections for the demonstration of the reeds, six for the Diapasons (no Prinzipals here), seven for Flutes, and three for the Strings; ah, and one
short section for the Harp and Celesta! Each of the sections dealt with
divisions separately, and ensembles and stops alone in those divisions. We then
heard March on a Theme of Handel
by Guilmant; Fantasie in C,
Franck; and finally the charming A Wreath of Carols
style='font-style:normal'> by Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921), making use
in lovely and clever ways of the Sussex Carol, Greensleeves, Lo how a
rose, and In dulci jubilo
style='font-style:normal'>. John Mueller then took over for a very fine Sonata da Chiesa for Flute and Organ assisted by flutist Julie Frye, written (1998) by North Carolina composer Dan Locklair (b. 1949). Dr. Mueller ended the program with the Allegro from the Widor Sixth. The audience essentially erupted at the end of this definitely "feel good" program, a tribute to two North Carolina composers, two well-loved North Carolina organists, and a most beautiful instrument.

Monday, June 25

The day began with a fascinating lecture by Jonathan
Ambrosino, who was just finishing a two-year term as President of the OHS.
"The Residence Organ, 'The Final Touch of Beauty for the Well-Planned
Home,'" took us back to those days of "yesteryear," the early
part of the 20th century when even radio did not exist commercially. If you
wanted music, you made it yourself. Just about everyone had a piano in the
parlor, and someone in the family who could play it. Those with wealth and
space had pipe organs.

After the lecture, a short bus ride took us to Centenary
United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, for a concert involving Margaret
Vardell Sandresky and Dan Locklair. Centenary U.M.C. is not a small church,
surely seating at least a thousand souls. The church was begun in 1929, and
Austin installed an organ in 1931. With its usual uncanny thoroughness, the
Organ Handbook for the convention provides both the original specification and
that of today, after a number of revisions. The main redo was in 1963, not a
promising year! Right away, one notices that the Great lost its 16' Double Open
Diapason in favor of a Quintaten! Five 8' stops were whittled down to three.
The Second Open (albeit an upward extension of the 16') is gone, as is the
Doppelflute. The Great reed unit, Trumpet and Clarion, is gone. To be sure, in
the 1931 instrument the Great only went up to a 2' Principal, and that was an
extension of the 4'; now there is a IV Mixture, surely an improvement. The
Swell did not fare too badly, although it did lose its 8' Open Diapason, always
a shame, I think. It gained a 16' Contra Fagotto. I think I weep a bit for the
Choir organ, which must have had breadth and presence with an English Diapason,
Concert Flute, Flute Celeste, Dulciana and Unda Maris. These morphed into just
a Nason Flute, Dulciana and Unda Maris. It lost its Clarinet and Orchestral
Oboe in favor of a Larigot and Krummhorn. The Solo and Echo divisions are
changed somewhat in character, and possibly improved by the 1963 rebuild. In
1987, Austin made two additions of great significance: a not-too-frightening en
chamade reed in the back, and a solid 32' Bombarde in the Pedal.

The first part of the program was played by Margaret Vardell
Sandresky, who began with a work by her father, the first organist in the new
1931 building, Charles G. Vardell, Jr. (1893-1952). Appropriately, Mrs.
Sandresky registered using only stops from the 1931 organ. Skyland is a
wonderfully atmospheric work, with great soaring lines, and bits of nice glassy
effects, using also the French Horn and the Harp. Next, three works by Mrs.
Sandresky herself, beginning with a year 2000 commission from the Home Moravian
Church, a suite entitled The Good Shepherd, consisting of four chorale preludes based on Moravian Chorales; then a Wedding March written in 1982 while Mrs. Sandresky was organist of this church--somewhat British sounding, with great flourishes; and ending the first half of the program, En Chamade, written for OHS 2001. There are several movements, some with chimes, and some cleverly using the big reed in the back.

After a short break, the program resumed with Dan Locklair
playing his own music, beginning with a Fanfare for Organ
style='font-style:normal'>, written in 2000 on commission from Fourth
Presbyterian Church of Chicago. This was followed by three sections from the
Windows of Comfort (Organbook 2),
commissioned in 1996 by First Presbyterian Church, Topeka, Kansas, and inspired
by that church's Tiffany windows. Then, Ayre for the Dance and Jubilo
(A Prelude for Organ), a 1998 commission
from the AGO for the 2001 regional competitions for young organists. Finally,
we had a chance to sing, and a good chance indeed with the Parry tune to
"O praise ye the Lord!"

We next did a rather free-form triple split. We all drove to
the great estate that Tobacco built, Reynolda House in Winston-Salem, spacious
and elegant. The room from which to hear the organ is not huge, hence the split
with assigned times for each group for hearing the recital, for eating lunch in
the various restaurants on the estate, and for simply walking around the
beautiful grounds. It did not work out exactly as planned, because it took
rather a time to check out the various restaurants and to get into fairly long
lines and to wait for service.

After this visit, the buses took us back to the hotel for a
rest period. Then, we rode to Greensboro for dinner at First Presbyterian
Church, and then to Christ United Methodist Church, the scene of which could
have been a convention planner's nightmare, but turned out more than o.k. We
were to have heard Lenora McCroskey. Ms. McCroskey suffered an injury to her
arm some days before she was to play, and realized it would not be possible to
meet the commitment. Her excellent former pupil Stewart Wayne Foster was,
fortunately, available to play. He is artist in residence and associate
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> organist of First (Scots) Presbyterian
Church and is founder/musical director of the Orchestra of St. Clare,
Charleston's first full-scale Baroque orchestra. Mr. Foster has been
coordinating the pipe organ component of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival since
1999.

We began with a hymn, "O Gladsome Light," to the
tune Cantique de Simeon, a Louis
Bourgeois tune harmonized by Claude Goudimel. The notes on the instrument
indicate that this was one of the organs completed in the last year of Charles
Fisk's life, 1982, and mentioned that it is considered a sister organ to the one at Downtown United
Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York. Mr. Foster is a superb player, possessing a very easy sort of grace, his movements sure and musically based. With very little notice, he was able to put together a most interesting program. He also spoke very clearly and well, with comments carefully chosen and useful. Nicholas Bruhns, Praeludium in e minor; Bach, Toccata in d minor, BWV 913 (written with harpsichord in mind); Clérambault, Suite on the Second Tone; a setting of "Amazing Grace" by Robert Hebble, who was one of Mr. Foster's teachers; Toccata on "Old Hundredth" by Jack Jones (another of Mr. Foster's teachers). The recital ended with the Final from the Vierne Third Symphony, brilliantly played. By this point, I had wondered if Mr. Foster, given the late notice about playing, had actually had a chance to go out in the room and listen to the instrument with his registrations. Some judicious pruning could have made the big moments more bearable, something that was very much wanted in the Vierne, which was so splendidly done, but was also painfully loud.

Tuesday, June 26

The day began with a lecture by Peter Cameron entitled,
"George Jardine and Son, New York Organbuilders--An Era of Spectacular
Organs." Cameron has had a long career in organ maintenance, repair, and
restoration, and from 1977 to 1994 served as maintenance coordinator for the
Andover Organ Company. His lecture was a wonderful appreciation of a once great
company, from one who has had extensive hands-on personal experience with their
output. A great story, well told.

After the lecture, we did our three-way split to accommodate
one very small but beautiful venue in Historic Bethabara within Winston-Salem,
the "Saal" of the 1771 "Gemeinhaus," the meeting room in
which services were held in the Congregation House. While one part of the group
was hearing the recital, the other two parts were visiting the historical exhibits and enjoying the beautiful grounds. The little three-stop, single-manual organ in the "Saal" is by Charles McManis, built in 1971 after a 1772 organ by North Carolina builder Joseph Bultischek, an instrument that perished in a fire in 1942. Sadly and strangely, no one knows what the specification of that organ was, so Charles McManis, fortified with some knowledge of other very small organs used by the Moravians, settled on an 8' Gedact, 4' Principal, and 2' Octave.

Michael Rowland is director of music at Ardmore United
Methodist Church, and staff accompanist at Salem College. He played an
18th-century program beginning with Four Preludes of the English Moravian,
Christian Latrobe (1758-1836), followed by three Bach chorale preludes: Erbarm dich mein (BWV 721), Gelobet seist du (BWV 697), and Allein Gott (BWV 717). We then sang Allein Gott, two stanzas with harmony provided--sheer joy in that lovely place. Mr. Rowland was then joined by Lauren Kossler, a fine violinist, and together they played a suite for violin and keyboard by John Stanley. Thanks to them both for a perfect program for a most attractive and historic place.

Andrew Unsworth played an 18-stop Hook and Hastings
instrument of 1924, with no stop over 4', in a quite dead acoustic at Calvary
Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. Both Unsworth and the organ conquered all,
aided, no doubt, at times by the 73-note chests and attendant super coupler.
Currently organist and choirmaster at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Durham, he holds a Ph.D. in performance practice from Duke. The program began
with two pieces by Henry Dunham (1853-1929), who taught organ at New England
Conservatory for 52 years: from the First Sonata in G Minor
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 10 (from 1882), an Allegro moderato, followed
by Impromptu from a set of 12
pieces of 1912, op. 24; next, "Vision," Rheinberger, a lovely piece
requiring some dexterity at registration changes, which were very deftly
handled. The last of the organ pieces was the War March of the
Priests, Mendelssohn, played with great
flair and a fat and powerful registration--very satisfying indeed. Unsworth
proved himself to also be a very fine hymn player, giving really good support,
and doing clever bits of descanting, with a rather nice reharmonization of the
last verse of the hymn Redeemer of Israel, to a tune by Freeman Lewis.

Lunch was served at Centenary United Methodist Church,
Winston-Salem, following which we bused to Old Salem where we again broke into
three groups in order to accommodate the limited capacity of the "Saal" in the Single Brothers' House. While one group was at the recital, others were touring Old Salem. In the "Saal," Lois Regestein played her excellent recital three times in order to fit everyone in. The organ, by David Tannenberg, 1798, is gentle and sweet, and comprises five stops. The console is slightly detached and reversed. The instrument was rebuilt by Charles McManis in the mid-60s. The program: Organ Obbligatos to an Anthem, by Johann Ludwig Freydt (1748-1807); Fuga, by Johann Gottfried Gebhard (1755-?); Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, Prelude No. 6 in E-flat, by Christian Latrobe; Nun rühen alle Walder, by Ernst Immanuel Erbe (1854-1927), then another "Chorale Verse" based on the same tune, by Carl Anton Van Vleck; Voluntary IV in G, op. 7, by John Stanley; and then the hymn Morning Star, written in 1836 by Francis Florentine
Hagen (1815-1870). James Boehringer, former director of the Moravian Music
Foundation, and Kevin Brown, present administrator of the foundation, were both
acknowledged as having provided help in organizing the program.

We next walked to Home Moravian Church, where Paula Locklair
presented a most interesting slide-talk about the work of David Tannenberg and
his relationship with the Moravians in North Carolina. Mrs. Locklair has worked
with the various collections at Old Salem since 1975, and has been director of
collections since 1987, and is married to composer Dan Locklair. After her
talk, she introduced John Boody of the firm of Taylor & Boody, who gave a
slide-talk presentation about the company's project for restoring the 1799
Tannenberg organ for the Home Moravian Church. This is the oldest American-made
two-manual instrument extant. (For information on the project:
<www.taylorandboody.com>.)

We then moved upstairs to the church, where the Piedmont
Chamber Singers, directed by James Allbritten, and accompanied by David
Pulliam, led us in a Singstunde, which is just what it sounds like--a wonderful
hour of singing, much of it done by us, with some choral works sung by the
Chamber Singers. We sang hymns that would be known to a Moravian congregation,
but not necessarily to us, and thus learned some new and quite interesting
hymns.

OHS planners always try to find occasional experiences other
than organs and organ music, and tonight was the night. We bused quite a long
way out of town to the Pollirosa Restaurant, obviously a very popular spot.
There was a long line and the place was really packed, but they were ready for
our group, and we had some wonderful barbecue and lots of other good things,
all accompanied by bluegrass music, live, on stage. There were also hayrides
available, but I did not notice any of our group indulging. We had six buses,
and they left for the hotel at intervals, so you could leave when you had had
your fill of food--and possibly of bluegrass. A lot of our gang really got into
it, singing and dancing up a storm, and me without my camera!

Wednesday, June 27

This penultimate full day of the convention featured an
array of various instruments. Here is the pipe count for the day: 362, 363,
951, 4926, 1038, and finally 6663. The day began with an almost two-hour bus
ride to New Hope Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, to hear Steve Barrell play
the 1987 one-manual organ by John Brombaugh. The program: Pieter Cornet (c.
1560-c. 1630), Four Versets on "Regina Caeli," featuring various combinations of sound, some of the fuller
bits somewhat on the harsh side, some individual voices quite beautiful.
Divided stops make possible solo and accompaniment, used to good effect. Then,
Johann Pachelbel (from Hexachordum Apollinis
style='font-style:normal'>, 1699), Aria Prima with Six Variations, the second variation on a beautiful Flute with tremulant. For something entirely different, we sang the hymn "Were you there," with a harmony of Barrell's own devising, based on the music of Fats Waller.

A very short bus ride brought us to Hillsborough and St.
Matthew's Episcopal Church for a recital by Grant Hellmers, an Australian by
birth, who has been at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond for 20 years,
and was assistant for the four years before that. Before his time in Richmond,
he held church positions in Australia and in Vienna. The two-manual Hook &
Hastings stock model organ dates from 1883. The program: Humoresque (L'organo
primitivo), Toccatina for Flutes, Pietro
Yon; the beautiful Schübler Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten, Bach, after which we sang the two stanzas given for the chorale, one in harmony, and the second in unison with a very nice reharmonization. The power of even half of an OHS convention was just too overwhelming (we were split in two groups at this point)--every stop was indeed on! Following the hymn, three charming pieces by Leopold Mozart, from Der Morgen und der Abend (Morning and Evening); then, "Lied" (from 24 Pieces in Free Style), Vierne, with the lovely Open Diapason for the melody; Percy Whitlock, Divertimento (No. 2 from Four
Extemporisations); and finally, Allegro
(Number 6 of Six Short Preludes and Postludes, Set 2, op. 105) of C. V. Stanford. Well conceived and beautifully played was this program, and the little stock organ really is
lovely.

Both New Hope Presbyterian and St. Matthew's Episcopal
provided lunch for their half of the convention party, after which we gathered
at the Chapel of Peace College in Raleigh, where Rosalind Mohnsen played her
16th OHS convention recital. The organ is a transplant, a gift to the college
given by Christ Church, Raleigh. I don't know how many intact organs by
Pomplitz & Company are extant. Here at Peace College, this 17-stop Pomplitz
found an excellent home, and it and the college were presented with an OHS
Plaque in recognition of this. It was accepted by the president of the college,
who said a bit about how much she enjoys this instrument. With only 17 stops,
this two-manual organ nonetheless has both a 16' Double Open and a Bourdon, and
is quite robust in other ways as well. The program began with March from Ten
Progressive Pedal Studies of George
Whitefield Chadwick; then, Gavotte Pastorale by Frederick N. Shackley (1868-1937); Prelude
in E-flat Minor (op. 66-1911), Vincent
d'Indy (1851-1931); Prelude and Fugue in B Major
style='font-style:normal'> (op. 99), Camille Saint-Saëns; Pastorale in D Major, op. 13, William Wolstenholme (1865-1931); and finally an Allegro Moderato in D by Henry Smart (1813-1879). The recital came to a rousing close with the hymn "The Day of Resurrection" in glorious harmony to Henry Smart's well-known tune Lancashire
style='font-style:normal'>.

A bus ride brought us to the beautiful campus of Duke
University, with a chapel boasting three remarkable organs, upon each of which
we heard what could only be described as a perfect recital, tailored to match
the qualities of the instrument. We began at the west end of the chapel with
the famous four-manual Flentrop of 1976, with Mark Brombaugh offering a recital
of Buxtehude, Scheidemann, de Grigny, and a partita by James Woodman,
commissioned by Brombaugh in honor of his father. Woodman's Partita on
"Spanish Hymn" was written in
1999 and comprises seven sections: Prelude, Chorale, Bicinium, Trio, Aria,
Fughetta, and Canon. The program ended with the hymn "Spanish Hymn,"
complete with three harmony verses and even a bit of a descant! The Flentrop
organ had a robust sound in the louder works and permeates the building wonderfully. The chapel's walls have been treated with several coats of sealant with excellent results. Equally impressive were the clarity and color of the quieter sounds.

The next event generated something akin to hostility. I
suppose the behavior of a few of our colleagues might be compared to the
reactions of some who demonstrated their opprobrium at the first performance of
Rite of Spring. Well, in truth, no
tomatoes were thrown on this occasion, but it saddens me to report that a
number of people left the building, saying things like "I don't have to
listen to this." Some even said things like: "I listened to the damn
Flentrop, but this is too much!" Meantone is not nearly as sinister as it
sounds! I heard Margaret Irwin-Brandon at OHS Boston the previous summer, where
she had the assignment of playing the Charles Fisk dual-temperament instrument
at Wellesley College. The anti-anything-different folks were in evidence there,
too. As at Wellesley, she chose a program absolutely perfect for the instrument
at hand: Frescobaldi, Toccata Sesta, Bk. II, per l'organo sopra i pedali, e senza; Canzona Quarta; Toccata Quinta, Bk. II, sopra i pedali per l'organo, e senza. Then we sang "Savior of the nations, come" (Nun komm der Heiden Heiland), five harmony stanzas in our hymnlet, which means we all sang in meantone without any permanent injury, with the exception of stanza 3, which got switched amazingly into a triple meter, which we all managed quite well. Then Canzona II of Froberger, followed by Ballo della Battaglia of Bernardo Storace. Now, if anyone was in doubt about the personality of meantone tuning, the Frescobaldi works left no doubt. There are intervals that jar our "well"-conditioned brains and ears, and I found myself, as at Wellesley, looking straight up at the organ and listening with as much attention as I could muster--this contemplation coupled with a totally relaxed attitude. This is edgy, this is somewhat unsettling, but I can get used to it, and find these sounds more of a condiment than a threat. The very gentle beauty of this Brombaugh organ at Duke beguiled me into complete acceptance, and pleasure at having the opportunity to hear something from the history of our instrument. The Froberger was wonderfully gentle and sweet, and then the Storace was, well, a battle, with the little Regal on the Brustwerk doing yeoman service!

The journal of the Organ Historical Society is called The
Tracker, and back in the very early days, this was the perfect name.
Conventions included visits to, if not totally exclusively, almost exclusively
mechanical-action instruments. The broadening happened gradually, and now
convention goers visit historic E. M. Skinner organs, on which are often
conferred OHS plaques in honor of their preservation and maintenance. We have
often even visited new organs of note, no matter what mechanism makes the pipe
speak, e.g., the new Létourneau instrument at the first recital of this
convention! Welcome, I think, to the real world, with a broader view of real
excellence. I have not, and I know others who are driving the work of OHS have
not, abandoned a belief in the great virtues and advantages of tracker action.
This does not prevent me from thrilling at the sound of the Wanamaker Organ,
for example. The full circle we have made was brought into full view by all the
buzz and almost palpable anticipation of the next event, a recital on the
Aeolian organ in the east end of the chapel, an organ so reviled in times past
that there was a powerful movement to junk it. It makes the heart glad to know
that the OHS had a role in the campaign to save it, so there was some reveling
in all of this as we settled down to hear Ken Cowan give a convincing
demonstration of this instrument: Allegro vivace from the Widor 5th; Ave
Maria of Marco Enrico Bossi (1861-1925) demonstrating the ravishing strings of the instrument; Roulade, Seth Bingham; Overture to The Flying Dutchman, Wagner; the hymn "In our day of thanksgiving one Psalm let us offer," to the glorious tune St. Catherine's Court, with harmony. (Let it be here stated that Ken Cowan does know how to accompany a hymn. I wrote in my book: "What an accompaniment!!") Words won't do in describing Cowan's simply stunning performance of a perfect piece for right where we were, the Liszt Ad nos, ad salutarem undam.

Thursday, June 28

The last day of the convention began with Rachelen Lien from
New Orleans, a regular performer at OHS conventions, giving a preview of a
January 2002 mini-convention entitled "A South Louisiana Organ
Odyssey." This event, to be held January 3-5, was to include tours of
plantations, monasteries, and convents, as well as the famous French Quarter.

A 45-minute bus ride brought us to the First Presbyterian
Church of Lexington, for a recital by Edward Zimmermann, a native of North
Carolina, now teaching at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. The organ, Opus
499 of Geo. S. Hutchings (1900), was relocated to this church through the Organ
Clearing House and members of the staff of Andover Organs, which company
rebuilt and enlarged the instrument in 1994. The program consisted entirely of
works by Otto Dienel (1839-1905), beginning with a chorale prelude on Lobe
den Herren, for which Zimmermann used only
original Hutchings stops; we then sang just one stanza of the chorale. This
two-manual instrument of 23 stops and 28 ranks is very fine. There followed
three more chorale preludes: Komm, O komm, du Geist des Lebens; Mach
dich, mein Geist, bereit; and Wer
nur den lieben Gott lasst walten. The
program ended with a three-movement Grand Sonata No. 3 in F Major, op. 18, on the chorale Wie gross ist des Allmaecht'gen Guete. At some of the convention recitals, we are joined by varying numbers of members of the
congregation, which suggests the good news that there is interest in the organ.
From this church, there were many congregants, and I am sure they had their
interest and pride in the instrument strengthened.

After lunch in Winston-Salem, we moved on to another
surprisingly effective organ, speaking out of a very small rectangular hole
high on the east wall, looking for all the world like a large
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> speaker enclosure. No date is
given for this Kilgen unit organ of 11 stops and 13 ranks. The church was built
in the early 1930s by a Presbyterian congregation, and the organ would seem to
be of the same period. In 1964, the congregation of St. James A.M.E. Church
bought the building. The organ was last played publicly 30 years ago. The last
time it was played at all was 20 years ago. At some point, before the organ
ceased to be used, some tonal changes were made under the direction of John
Mueller, which now, at this time of our organic thinking in the 21st century,
will either bring cheers or jeers. The Great 8' Open was replaced by a Mixtuur
III. The 8' Clarabella became a Gedeckt. The Dulciana became a 4' Octaaf. On the
Swell, the Vox Humana became a 2' Vlakfluit. When members of the convention
committee went to inspect this instrument, it was not playing at all--there was
no longer electricity to the blower. John Farmer and a crew, along with a
licensed electrician, got it all cooking again. There were a few members of the
congregation around for the recital, and I hope they might be persuaded to make
some use of the instrument, now that it can be played again. Those there seemed
impressed. Here we were treated to a concert by bass-baritone John Williams and
organist Max Smith. The program: Handel, Thanks be to Thee
style='font-style:normal'>; Mendelssohn (Elijah
style='font-style:normal'>), Lord God of Abraham (preceded by the recitative);
Margaret Vardell Sandresky, O God, my heart is fixed on thee
style='font-style:normal'> (Psalm 108); for organ alone: Adagio from Widor Symphony No. 6; "I Stood on the River of Jordan," arr. Harry Burleigh; "Let Us Break Bread Together"; provided with full harmony, we happily sang "Fairest Lord Jesus" to the tune Crusaders' Hymn.

A 45-minute bus ride brought us to the third and last
"stately home" of the convention, the Chinqua-Penn Plantation,
devised and built by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Penn. A Skinner organ,
Opus 565, was installed in 1926. The pipes are in the basement, speaking out
into the great living room through large grates. For this visit, we were
divided in two groups to avoid crowding in the room where the organ resides.
While one group was walking the extensive and interesting grounds, the other
was listening to a recital, well played and chosen for the organ and venue, by
Mary Gifford, who is director of music at St. Leonard Catholic Church in
Berwyn, Illinois. Her program was perhaps a reproduction of at least the spirit
if not the specifics of what might have been heard by the residents of this home. There were four charming Edward MacDowell piano works arranged by Ms. Gifford: Hunting Song, An Old Love Story, To a Humming Bird, and the inevitable To a Wild Rose; next A Southland Song by William Lester, an English organist who settled in Chicago in the early part of the 20th century, and was for some years a reviewer for The Diapason; then we attempted to sing "When Mother Played the Organ," by George B. McConnell (text by Dick Sanford) and did not do
too badly at all. The perfect closer was the Mendelssohn War March of
the Priests arranged by Theodore Dubois.

After dinner at the plantation (one could get used to that),
we hopped on the bus for a one-hour relaxing trip to Greensboro, and West
Market Street United Methodist Church, where Peter Sykes played the final
recital of the convention. Organist at First Church in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, Sykes teaches organ, harpsichord, and chamber music at the Longy
School, and serves on the faculty of the extension division of New England
Conservatory. The organ at West Market Street is by Dobson in collaboration
with Manuel Rosales. Quoting from the Organ Handbook: "In the final
equation, Dobson designed and constructed the organ; Rosales provided basic
scaling with input from Dobson; and both companies shared equally in the
voicing and tuning process." Key action is mechanical, stop action,
electric. Some Pedal ranks are on electric action. There are three manuals and
39 stops, the third manual being a small Solo Organ, with an Harmonic Flute, a
5-rank Tenor G Cornet, an 8' Trumpet and an 8' Clarinet. The program:
Mendelssohn, Sonata No. 3 in A Major; a five-movement "suite" by
James Woodman, All Creatures of Our God and King: Sister Moon, Brother Sun, Mother Earth, All of Tender Heart, and Alleluia; the tune Lasst uns erfreuen appears here and there. Then, Tocccata in F (Bux 137); Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537, Bach; three "Tonstücke," op. 22 of Niels Gade; and to close, Duruflé Prélude, Adagio, et Choral varié on Veni Creator. The last hymn to be sung at this convention followed, a rather angular but ultimately attractive and singable tune by Derek Williams (b. 1945) to the text, "Give us the wings of faith." The Dobson/Rosales instrument, though not large, provided plenty of variety and color for such a varied program. There were, for me where I was sitting, a very few overpoweringly loud and harsh moments, and I thought it had to do with the Great Reeds, 16, 8 & 4, but others will have felt differently, I am sure. The instrument is surely a great success, and Mr. Sykes' performance was superb. The buses soon departed for the hotel, and one last look at the exhibits and the convivial bar and it was all over for another year.

This was another wonderful OHS convention! Readers please
note: the 2002 OHS national convention will take place June 25-July 1 in
Chicago, Illinois. For information: 804/353-9228;

<www.organsociety.org>.

Organ Historical Society Convention, 1994 Cromwell, Connecticut, June 19-25

by Ronald E. Dean

For its 39th Annual Convention, the OHS returned to central
Connecticut where it had held its 20th Annual Convention in 1975. There were revisits to only eight of the instruments heard in the previous meeting which lasted for only three days compared to the full week for the 1994 convention which offered 47 events (including optional choices) to the more than 435 who registered for all or part of the week. Headquarters was the Holiday Inn in Cromwell.

Sunday

Events began with a trip to New Haven to hear several
organs, which, although too new to be historical in the antiquarian sense, are landmarks of organ building in the area and are all situated on or near the famous New Haven Green.

The United Church on the Green and its 1967 3-manual
Hillebrand (as rebuilt by Kinzey-Angerstein, 1979-1981 with further mechanical
revisions by Foley-Baker) was the site for a recital by Mark Brombaugh: Toccata in d (BuxWV 140), Buxtehude; Poolsche Dans, Sweelinck; the hymn "New Songs of Celebration Render" sung by all to the tune Rendez à Dieu; and Introduzione, Aria e Passacaglia, Op. 15c, Healey. Brombaugh, the church's Director of Music, provided a vigorous start to the convention with his reliance on energetic agogic accents and appropriate plenum ensembles as well as artistic exploitation of the many colorful solo combinations available in this modified North German tonal design.

A short walk next door to Center Church (where Charles Ives
had been organist from 1894 to 1898) brought us to a short recital presented by
Kimberly Ann Hess on a 3-manual Fisk, Op. 54 (1971 and 1974): Präludium
in D Major (BuxVW 139), Buxtehude; Variations on "Puer Nobis Nascitur," Sweelinck; Chorale Prelude: "Drop, Drop, Slow Tears," Persichetti; the hymn "Drop, Drop, Slow Tears" sung to the tune Prince; and Variations on a Noël, Dupré. Ms. Hess displayed the instrument well, even though its rather thin and intense tone did seem to be a bit too much for the totally unreverberant room.

Dwight Chapel on the Yale campus was the site for a short
recital by the extremely talented Marvin Mills on the 3-manual Beckerath of
1971: Partita on Showalter (1992),
Spong; the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" sung to Showalter; Pastorale (1991), Conte; Agnus Dei
(from the Mass for Double Choir,
1992), Martin; and Maple Leaf Rag,
Joplin. All of the pieces spanned the 20th century, with the lyrically
expressive Conte work being especially attractive. Mills exhibited his usual
subtle balance between virtuosity and musicality and seemed to enjoy himself as
did the capacity audience in this lofty and acoustically sympathetic former
library. It was tempting to compare these three instruments heard in close
succession, produced, as they were, within a span of a few years of each other.
To this reviewer's ears, the Dwight Chapel Beckerath, aided no doubt by the
favorable acoustics, seemed to be the most well balanced and musically
satisfying of the three.

While many conventioneers immediately sought out the
air-conditioned comfort of the undercroft of Trinity Episcopal Church to escape
the almost tropical heat and humidity of the afternoon, others opted for a more
leisurely stroll and enjoyed a carillon recital from the famous Harkness Tower
presented by Timothy Hurd: "Allegro non presto" from Organ
Concerto No. 2, Handel; Prelude
on "Chartres," Johnson; Sonata a cimbalo solo, Op. 1, no. 4, van Noordt; "Visions" from Etudes in a New Age
style='font-style:normal'>, Courter; and Melodeon
style='font-style:normal'> (Toccata 1982-87
style='font-style:normal'>), Hurd. It was an uplifting experience for those who
took their time to listen as they wandered around the quadrangle on their way
back across the Green for a service of Evensong at Trinity.

Many people had been looking forward to hearing Trinity's
choir of men and boys as well as the magnificent 78-rank Æolian-Skinner
(Op. 927, 1935), as recently restored by the A. Thompson-Allen Co. They were
not disappointed. The service itself was beautifully done, and the choir, in
spite of the continuing heat, performed extremely well under the direction of
Walden Moore. Organists David Chrzanowski (assistant at Trinity) and Peter
Stoltzfus (formerly assistant there also and now assistant at St. Thomas' in
New York) provided expert accompaniments and revealed the Harrison-designed
organ to be a superlative service instrument and an outstanding vehicle for
solo organ music. The Prelude was Evening Song, Bairstow, followed by the Introit, "O Thou That Hearest
Prayer," Davies. Preces and Responses as well as the Lesser Litany,
Suffrages and Collects were settings by Shepherd. Hymns were: "O Blest
Creator" (Bromley);
"God Fashioned Earth and Called it Good" (Dominus regit me); "And did Those Feet" (Jerusalem); and "For all the Saints" (Engelberg). Psalm 91 was sung to an Anglican chant setting by Parratt. The Magnificat and Nunc
Dimittis were by Howells, and the anthem
was "Lord, Thou Hast Been our Refuge," Bairstow. The service ended with Tu es Petra
style='font-style:normal'>, Mulet. Congratulations and deep gratitude are due
to those who prepared and participated in this event, especially those Trinity
parishioners who offered their hospitality to many a hot and thirsty
conventioneer.

The newly and magnificently restored Battell Chapel on the
Yale campus was the scene for an evening recital by Will Headlee on its
landmark Holtkamp (Op. 1653 of 1951) which had been restored by the A. Thompson
Allen Co. in 1985 without any alterations to the original voicing: Praeludium
in F-Sharp Minor (BuxWV 146), Buxtehude;
"Das Alte Jahr" (BWV
1091), "O Jesu, wie ist dein Gestalt"
style='font-style:normal'>(BWV 1094), "Du Friedefürst, Herr
Jesu Christ" (BWV 1102), "Alle Menschen müssen sterben" (BWV 1117), all from the Neumeister Collection, Bach, which had been premiered in Battell Chapel in 1985; Fantasia in G (BWV 572), Bach; Sonate I, Hindemith; Choralpartita: "Lobe den Herren," Ahrens; the hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" sung to Lobe den Herren; "Cantilène" from Suite Brève, Langlais; and Dieu Parmi Nous, Messiaen. Like his counterpart, G. Donald Harrison, Walter Holtkamp was a tonal pioneer in seeking out greater ensemble clarity, and this instrument shows him at his most convincing with its clear but colorful and firm foundations, intense mixtures and buzzy reeds. Curiously, some of the most effective stops for subtle carrying power issued from the apse division. This location had been the site of a Hook organ of 1875. Perhaps we can indeed learn from history. Headlee, who provided well chosen verbal comments concerning some of the pieces as well as the instrument itself, received a rousing reception at the conclusion of the recital.

Monday

The day began with an illustrated talk by OHS Archivist,
Stephen Pinel, on the background, personality and work of Philadelphia and New
York organ builder, Thomas Hall. Supported by many slides of archival material,
Pinel gave a fascinating and lively account of the early years (up to the mid
1820s) of this influential builder and later partner of Henry Erben and John Labaugh.

A short bus trip to Hartford brought us to Second Church of
Christ, Scientist for a recital by Lorenz Maycher on its Skinner, Op. 793 of
1929: A Solemn Melody, Davies, arr,
Perry; the hymn "Brood o'er us With Thy Sheltering Wing" sung to the
tune Vita; A
style='font-style:normal'> Joyous March and Arioso
style='font-style:normal'>, both by Sowerby; and Sketch in B-Flat
Minor, Op. 41, Dupré. The welcome
change to bright, clear and crisp weather together with the ambience of the
immaculate and impressive edifice helped create a congenial atmosphere for rich,
warm and colorful sounds of the Skinner which was handled in the usual expert
Maycher fashion. The unassuming demeanor of this young artist belies the fire
and musical intensity that he always projects. His playing of the Dupré
Sketch in particular displayed his effortless virtuosity. It is obvious why he
has become a favorite with OHS audiences (beginning with his debut at the New
Orleans convention in 1989). Make a special effort to hear him if you have the
chance. You will be in for a musical treat.

We then took a short walk virtually across the street (much
to the impatient consternation of central Hartford late morning traffic) to the
sumptuous Art Deco Horace Bushnell Memorial Auditorium to hear the magnificent
Austin of 1929 as expertly restored by the original builders in 1988-89. Like
many such civic organs, this instrument's future was uncertain until reason
prevailed, and through the generosity of the Beldings of Old Lyme, CT, Austin
Organs, Inc. undertook its thorough rehabilitation. Since they still had the
original pipe casting information as well as other engineering and tonal
specifications on file, any necessary reconstruction and voicing adjustments
were done in the manner of the 1929 installation. Thus, this was a true
restoration.

Peter Sykes utilized the organ's vast tonal resources
spectacularly as he presented the world premeiere of his transcription of
Holst's The Planets to the delight and
awe of those in attendance. What a perfect match of locale, organ and artist
for such an occasion! The ceiling decoration features planets and
constellations, the organ was in perfect condition, and Sykes astounded all
with his playing from both the technical and musical standpoints. He had begun
this monumental task just this past April and found Holst's original two-piano
score helpful as he reworked the composition into, as Sykes put it in his
program notes, " . . . an organ work that would uniquely and effectively
display the resources of the orchestral organ of the 1920s, today's best reason,
after all, for attempting such a project." His wife, Victoria Wagner (who
also played accompaniments on a small 1-manual Smith organ later in the week)
provided an additional set of hands at the console for the final movement,
"Neptune." The audience acknowledged the performance with
appropriately wild enthusiasm. Through the generosity of an endowment by the
Dexter Corporation of Windsor Locks, such concerts will continue on this
monumental instrument. The program concluded with the singing of "Star Spangled Banner" to an arrangement by Edwin H. Lemare. Convention chairman, Scot Huntington, presented an OHS Historic Organ Plaque to an official of the Auditorium as the concluding event of the morning.

After lunch, we continued with a visit to yet another Austin,
Op. 166 of 1906 in St. Mary's R.C. Church in New Britain, whose elaborately
decorated interior has recently been restored with great care. The unusual
Austin (with tubular pneumatic action) was a revelation as it erased any
assumptions of what the tone of a 1906 Austin might be. Reconditioned by
Foley-Baker in 1983, it features remarkably bright and singing diapasons and
such a well integrated chorus (up through 2') that one almost forgets that
there are no mixtures or, indeed, any off-unisons. Timothy Edward Smith
obviously enjoyed the instrument as he played both sensitively and with
dramatic flair in the following program: "Andante rustico" from Sonata Cromatica, Yon; Alpine Fantasy and Storm, Flagler; the hymn "Ye who own the Faith of Jesus" sung to the tune Daily, Daily; An Elizabethan Id
style='font-style:normal'>yll, Noble; and Toccata
style='font-style:normal'>, Fletcher. All these works came from the decade
following that in which the organ was installed, and thus revealed the sounds
and musical tastes of the time. Alan Laufman presented an OHS Historic Organ
Plaque to the curate, Fr. Carter, in recognition of the worth of this
remarkable Austin.

A trip to the scenic and historic town of Litchfield and its
United Methodist Church featured a short program by Gregory Crowell assisted by
Paul Austin (horn) on a rare 2-manual tracker built by F. J. N. Tallman in 1893
for a New York residence and later moved to Litchfield: Canone all' ottava, Boëly; Meditation, Foote; Four Aeolian Versets (1990), Woodman; Andante for Horn and Organ, Saint-Saëns; Scherzetto, Vierne; and the hymn "My Soul Gives Glory to my God" sung to the tune Morning Song. Crowell's beautiful, flexible and expressive playing coupled with the bright and musical sounds of the Tallman and Austin's expert horn playing in the Saint-Saëns piece provided us with a total musical experience. For those who might be looking for a fine ensemble piece, this duet for horn and organ is well worthwhile and will suit many different occasions. Very active trackers in the duet and a momentary cipher at the beginning of the hymn did not detract in any way from the enjoyment of the program and demonstrated once again that such things may well be expected in playing a vintage instrument. An experienced player like Crowell can simply take such occasions in stride.

The final event of the afternoon was a short recital by Lynn
Edwards on an elegant 1-manual, 7-stop Thomas Hall organ of 1823 in Trinity
Episcopal Church, Milton. The tiny wooden combination Classic and Gothic style
building with its modified barrel vault ceiling in pastel blue contrasted with
light rose hues on the walls together with white and gray on the woodwork
provided a visually subtle setting for the elaborately carved mahogany
English-styled case with its gilded front pipes: Solo per Cembalo in E-flat
Major, C.P.E. Bach; Variations on
"Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,"
Pachelbel; Fantasia in C Major
(G. 60), Handel; Prelude and Fugue in B Minor
style='font-style:normal'> (BWV 867), Bach; Voluntary, Op. 1, No. 5, Walond; and the hymn "Lord of all Being, Throned Afar" sung to the tune Mendon. Even though there is an electric blower available, Ms. Edwards chose to have her wind raised by hand pumping for most of the program to demonstrate the subtle difference in effect this produces on tone and phrasing. The standing-room-only audience gave her and the restored Thomas Hall organ a well deserved ovation.

Prior to the main evening recital, there was a short
pre-dinner program on a large reconstructed McManis, originally his Op. 35 of
1957, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Waterbury. The event was not on the
original schedule, but dinner in the Parish Hall was, so the convention
committee thought this would offer an opportunity to hear a major example of
the work of a distinguished veteran American organ builder. John W. Sherer played the following program: Fugue in E-Flat ("St. Anne"), Bach; Prelude on "Iam sol recidit igneus," Simonds; "Allegro" (Symphony No. VI), Widor; and the hymn "Immortal, Invisible" sung to St. Denio. Scherer's very capable playing showed off the colors and intense ensembles of this modern landmark instrument.

The evening event was a recital by Rosalind Mohnsen on the
3-manual Johnson and Son Op. 778 of 1892 in Sacred Heart of Jesus, R.C. Church
in Waterbury: Concert Overture in C Minor, Hollins; Concerto in D Minor (from "L'estro Harmonico") (BWV 596), Vivaldi-Bach; Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Reger; Méditation à Sainte Clotilde, James; the hymn "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" sung to Tregaron; St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Water
style='font-style:normal'>, Liszt; the hymn "O Jesus, in Thy Heart
Divine" sung to Jesu dulcis memoria; and Lauda Sion (from "Suite Latine
style='font-style:normal'>," Op. 86), Widor. The organ's history and
restoration had been the subject of a recent article by Susan Armstrong (see
The Tracker, Vol. 37, No. 4, 1993) and Ms. Mohnson handled it in the grand
manner by displaying its hefty but colorful ensembles and many solo colors
(including a particularly delicious Doppel Flute on the Great). The highly
decorated and wonderfully restored interior of the church with its magnificent
rear gallery Johnson combined to create an uplifting end to the day's round of
recitals and demonstrations. Opening remarks by the Pastor and the Director of
Music revealed that the parish realizes the worth of the instrument and will
continue to cherish it for both its beauty and utility.

Tuesday

The Annual Meeting of the OHS took place as the first event
of the morning with President, Kristin Farmer, attending to necessary business
matters and reports with dispatch. Among the items of general interest were the
announcement that the Hook organ recently removed from Woburn, MA will be
installed in Berlin (Germany) in a couple of years; the convention for 1995
will be headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, with Dana Hull as chairman
(Philadelphia, the Pacific northwest area, Washington, D.C., and Boston are
sites for upcoming meetings through the end of the century); and the
announcement that the OHS Distinguished Service Award goes to John K. Ogasapian
this year. Since he was busy preparing for his recital later in the morning,
the actual presentation was done in conjunction with that event.

A lecture entitled, "Tonal and Mechanical Development
of Skinner and Æolian-Skinner Organs" followed the meeting and was
introduced by a sampling of the new video tape produced by The Symphonic Organ
Society on "Mr. Skinner's Home Movies." This informative and often
hilarious video was presented with background and comments by Jonathan
Ambrosino and Joe Dzeda after which Dzeda and Nicholas Thompson-Allen of the A.
Thompson-Allen firm, Curators of Organs at Yale and experienced experts in the
restoration of Skinner organs, gave advice on restoration in general and of old
pipework in particular.

The Second Congregational Church in Middle Haddam was the
location for the following short program by John Ogasapian, editor of the OHS's
quarterly, The Tracker: Pastorale in F (BWV 590), Bach; Sonata in G Minor (W 70/6), C.P.E. Bach; and the hymn "All Glory be to God on High" sung to Allein Gott in der Höh. This fine 2-manual Appleton of 1827, which had suffered from both neglect and damage, was discovered by Barbara Owen several years ago. Long thought hopeless, it received a masterful reconstruction and restoration in 1992 by Mann and Trupiano (who had restored a similar Appleton of 1830 for the Metropolitan Museum in New York). Ogasapian's sensitive playing and appropriate programming showed off the subtle colors of this delightful instrument. He was aided as page turner and stop puller by the organ's restorer, Larry Trupiano, who must have been proud of his "baby" and the way it was played. Barbara Owen presented an OHS Historic Organ Plaque to the church and gave some heartfelt remarks on the background and history of the efforts to save this musical jewel. This is a distinguished example of one of the purposes of the OHS--to engender interest in preserving worthy examples of American organ building even though the effort may take a generation to accomplish. Ogasapian and the Appleton (together with Trupiano and Owen) were given an appropriate standing ovation.

A scenic bus ride through the picturesque Connecticut
countryside brought us to the beautiful 1820 Congregational Church in
Killingworth for a recital by Kevin Birch on a 2-manual 1875 E. L. Holbrook as
restored by Richard Hamar in 1971. The organ, in a rear gallery, features a
highly decorated case with exposed Great pipework. The program: Sonata V ("Allegro di molto"), C.P.E. Bach; Cantilena in F, Op. 71, No. 1, Foote; "Prelude" (Symphony No. II), Widor; the hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" sung to the tune Repton; and Carillon de Westminster, Vierne. The solid and bright Holbrook was served well by Birch's wonderfully sensitive, energetic and intelligent playing. It was refreshing to hear the Vierne Carillon played in a sane tempo which allowed the musical phrases to happen and communicate. This young artist is a player to watch--he should have a fine career.

From Killingworth we returned to New Haven for the first of
two recitals on a 3-manual E. & G.G. Hook Op. 576 of 1871 which had been
transplanted from St. Alphonsus R.C. Church in New York to St. Mary's R.C.
Church in New Haven in 1982 and restored by a group of New England organ
builders under the direction of Larry Trupiano of Brooklyn, N.Y. This reviewer
had heard the organ in its original location many years ago and had marveled at
its tone and musical effect at that time in spite of the instrument's obvious
mechanical difficulties. The church (now razed) was a somewhat higher building
than St. Mary's, but the organ now looks and sounds "at home" in its
new loft. The building sounds as large as it looks and features a recently
restored opulently decorated interior which creates an appropriate setting for
the colorful and robust tone of the Hook. Bruce Stevens played magnificently in
the following program: Sonata No. 3 in G Major, Op. 88, Rheinberger; Concert Variations on "The Star
Spangled Banner," Paine; Canon in A-Flat Major, Op. 56, No. 4, Schumann; Fantaisie in A, Franck; "Andante sostenuto" (Symphonie Gothique), Widor; Toccata and Fugue ("The Wanderer"), Parry; and the hymn "Holy Ghost, Dispel our Sadness" sung to Geneva. Throughout, Stevens exhibited his usual superlative, mature and artistic approach to communicating the music and seemed totally in command of the piquant small and vigorously-voiced large ensembles as well as the many solo colors of this important organ transplant. The recital was certainly a high point of the convention.

Nearby St. Paul's Episcopal Church hosted a late afternoon
recital by John Cummins on a relocated 2-manual 1876 Jardin & Son tracker
which had been renovated by Brunner and Heller in 1982-1985. The facade pipes
had been decorated by Kristin Farmer within a couple of weeks of the beginning
of the convention. Her expert work, featuring a bright cardinal red in the
mouth area of the pipes led one wag (who shall remain nameless for her own
protection) to affectionately dub the organ, "Hot Lips." Cummins gave
good verbal explanations on the music and registrations for his program: Sonata II in C, Mendelssohn; "The Peace may be Exchanged" (from Rubrics), Locklair; the hymn "Praise the Lord, ye Heavens Adore Him" sung to the tune Faben, written by former St. Paul's organist, the renowned J. R. Willcox; and Concert Variations on "Old Hundredth," Paine. Cummins is an excellent player who displayed both virtuoso pedal technique in the Paine and expert hymn playing as he and the gutsy Jardine led the large audience in vigorous singing. Following a catered pizza party in St. Paul's Parish Hall, we took a welcome post-prandial stroll through a portion of the Wooster Square area of New Haven to St. Casimir's R.C. Church for an evening recital by David Dahl on the church's large 2-manual E. & G.G. Hook and Hastings, Op. 750 of 1874 as restored by Richard Hamar in 1970. Unlike the Jardine in St. Paul's, this Hook was originally installed in this building which at that time was the home of Davenport Congregational Church. The program: Praeludium in d, Lubeck; Four Organ Chorales, ("Wo soil ich fliehen hin," "Schmücke dich," "Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut," "Christ lag in Todesbanden"), Homilius; Sonata IV in A Minor, Op. 98, Rheinberger; Four Pieces ("Canon in the 5th," Op. 68, No. 1, "Romanza," Op. 13, No. 3, "Novelette," Op. 68, No. 3, "Fugue" Op. 36, No. 3), Parker; the hymn "We will extol You, ever-blessed Lord," sung to the tune Old 124th; Nordic Lament, Dahl; and Fantaisie in G (BWV 572), Bach. Tim Smith presented an OHS Historic Organ plaque to the church during the intermission. Dahl handled the instrument both musically and brilliantly with his solid, sensitive and dramatic playing displaying the tonal features of the organs to great advantage. His Nordic Lament was a particularly colorful and attractive work. Dahl and the finely restored Hook received a well deserved standing ovation.

Wednesday

A morning illustrated lecture by The Reverend Nicholas
Thistlethwaite on "The Tonal Development of 19th Century British
Organs" exposed us to the differences and similarities in character of
organ building trends vis-à-vis the U.S. and Britain presented from the
perspective of the British Institute of Organ Studies, a younger sister
organization of the OHS.

Glenn Kime gave the first recital of the day on a magnificent
late Johnson, Op. 788 of 1893 in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden: Trumpet Tune, Phillips; Canzonetta, Op. 71, No. 4, Foote; "Allegretto" (from Sonata in E-flat Minor, Op. 65), Parker; Amazing Grace, arr. Held; Variations on "America," Ives; and the hymn "Sing out Praises for the Journey" sung to Westminster Abbey. Prior to the program, Dana Hull presented the church with an OHS Historic Organ plaque. The handsome restored Romanesque structure with its pristine Johnson singing out from its corner installation, its beautifully balanced sound elicited by the expert playing of this young artist with his refined and relaxed technique which let the music really speak, formed a wonderful beginning for an equally wonderful day--the almost tropical humidity having given way to another example of crisp New England early summer weather.

The final morning event was a recital by Mark Bighley on
what may be the only remaining 3-manual Ryder, Op. 156 of 1890 in St. Francis
R.C. Church in Naugatuck. His program: "Wir treten zum Beten vor Gott
den Herren," Reger; the hymn
"Once He Came in Blessing" sung to the tune Gottes Sohn ist
kommen with settings by Pepping as organ
interludes between the stanzas; "Christus der ist mein
Leben," Rinck; and Four Short
Pieces, Pinkham. The organ, a tracker,
features an unusual reversed console and an almost "see-through"
facade. Since most of the pipework is situated low in the case, the west window
is visible through the pipe front. Bighley demonstrated the colorful organ well
and registered the Pepping settings to show off the transparent and light
colors as a contrast to the fuller ensembles during the sung verses.
Unfortunately, the subtle registrations in the quiet Pinkham pieces were
punctuated with the sounds of happy children being released from a neighboring
school.

Wednesday afternoon was devoted to a variety of options: a
tour of the Austin organ factory in Hartford; a visit to the Trolley Museum in
East Haven; a trip to the Hitchcock Chair Museum in Riverton with a program on
its diminutive 1-manual organ of unknown manufacture followed by a trip to
Otis, MA for a short recital on the 1-manual Whiting in St. Paul's Episcopal
Church; a trip to the famous seaside resort of Watch Hill, RI; or a few hours
of free time for rest and relaxation back at Cromwell. Since one could not be
in all of these places, this reviewer chose the tour of the Austin factory
which was open for all with printed floor plan maps to help in locating the
various departments, from pipe casting and fabrication, chest making, and small
parts manufacture to console constructions and the design and voicing rooms.
Our hosts were very helpful and courteous in explaining the various operations
and fielding questions posed by the visitors. Of particular interest was the
important display of historical documents that had been set up for our perusal.
In addition, we were able to see bits and pieces of Austin's Op. 500 of 1915, a
large instrument built for the Panama-Pacific Exposition that had been severely
damaged in the recent California earthquake and had been returned to Austin's
for restoration. One can only imagine the immense amount of work involved in
shipping this vast organ across the country for rehabilitation by its original
builders. We shall await the news of its reinstallation.

For those who wished, there was time to visit the former
residence of Mark Twain on nearby Farmington Avenue We then traveled to
Rockville for Ezequiel Menendez's recital on a 2-manual Johnson & Son
tracker, Op. 830 of 1895, formerly in the Masonic Hall in Hartford, and
successfully relocated to the First Lutheran Church in Rockville. His program: "Komm Gott, Schopfer, heiliger Geist" (BWV 667), Bach; Pastorale in G, Whitney; Toccata, Villancico, Ginastera; the hymn "Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode" sung to Was mein Gott will; and Sonata I, Mendelssohn (which contains the hymn tune just sung). Menendez's sensitive, bold, brilliant and musical playing delighted all those in attendance. This young Argentinian is undoubtedly an artist of major talent, and we should expect to hear of his great international success in the near future The performer seemed totally at home at the Johnson, another example of a successful transplant of an instrument which had been slated for destruction. Relocation and reassembly was accomplished in 1992 under the direction of Thad Outerbridge.

After dinner back in Cromwell, we bused to Hartford again
for a recital by Christa Rakich on an extraordinarily fine 3-manual Kilgen, Op.
4828 of 1932, in St. Justin's R.C. C The Pastor, Fr. Devito, accepted the OHS
Historic Organ plaque from Lois Regestein and made moving and appropriate
remarks prior to the recital. The program: "Liebestod" from Tristan
und Isolde, Wagner; Prelude and
Fugue in D Minor, Clara Schumann; Variations on "Wondrous Love," Barber; "Sweet Story," "All Things Bright and Beautiful," "Wonderful Words of Life," and "Praise our Father," all from Folk Hymn Sketches, Diemer; the hymn "Amazing Grace" sung to New Britain; Sweet Sixteenths (A Concert Rag), Albright; and Prelude & Passacaglia in festo Pentecostes, Woodman. An encore was in order, and that was the Sicilienne of Paradis. The wonderful Art Deco vastness of the marble interior with its alabaster rererdos and elaborate decorations was the perfect milieu for the truly distinguished sounds of the Kilgen which had been designed and overseen by Charles Courboin who also had played the "Liebestod" at the dedication of this instrument in 1932. Ms. Rakich, who is Director of Music at St. Justin's, obviously was much at home on this instrument and displayed its sumptuous, bold and luxuriant colors with expertise. There is always an extra dimension of success to the effective use of the organ when the incumbent musician is at the console. Fr. Devito and the parishioners of St. Justin's deserve our plaudits for seeing that the organ received a sensitive restoration by Michael Foley.

Thursday

The day began with a short trip to Storrs and the University
of Connecticut's St. Thomas Aquinas R.C. Chapel for program by Richard Hill on
a gutsy Steer & Turner 2-manual tracker, Op. 8, of 1868 which had
originally been built for the Baptist Church in Rondout, NY and moved to Storrs
under the supervision of the Organ Clearing House and installed by A. David
Moore in 1973. The program: the hymn "Now Shall my Head be Lifted
High" sung to the tune Victory; Grand Centennial March, Zeuner; Chorale-Prelude on "Jewels," Bitgood; Rondo-Caprice
style='font-style:normal'>, Op. 35, Buck; Berceuse
style='font-style:normal'>, Shelley; and Sortie in D Major,
style='font-style:normal'> Rogers. Most of the pieces chosen had a connection
with Connecticut, a nice touch in programming. The contemporary and modest
sized chapel features a narrow and long barrel vault ceiling, which is not only
visually attractive, but also helps give the room acoustics. The organ, with
its natural chestnut case, fits in with the architecture well. Its sound is
robust, with a firm and bright tone. Hill demonstrated the colorful single
registers persuasively and gave the larger ensembles an appropriately vigorous
touch. Some out-of-tune ranks and a rather violently aggressive tremolo were
the only jarring factors.

The next stop was in Willimantic for a superlative recital
by Leo Abbott on a later Steer & Turner, Op. 86 of 1874, in St. Joseph's
R.C. Church. The 2-manual tracker is in the rear gallery and filled the
recently restored church interior with its dignified, bright and bold sounds
which led one to think that the organ was much larger than it is. The program: Festival Voluntary, Op. 87, Peeters;
"Incantation," "Pastorale," "Antienne,"
"Hymne," and "Danse" from Mariales pour Orgue, Hakim; the hymn "Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail" sung to Maritus; Menuet-Scherzo, Op. 54, No. 2, Jongen; and "Allegro con moto" from Grand Sonata, Op. 25, Whiting. The instrument, restored by Charles Aitken in 1989, fairly danced at the expert virtuosity and artistic playing by Leo Abbott who demonstrated his talents in improvisation by supplying appropriate interludes between the verses of the hymn. After such a musical treat, we all needed some time to absorb what we had just heard, and we were able to do so, as well as to absorb a wonderful catered luncheon held in St. Joseph's Parish Hall.

After lunch, Ray Cornils presented a short recital on the
last of a series of the three Steere organs of the day, a 2-manual tracker, Op.
340 of 1892 in First Baptist Church, Willimantic. His program: "Mein
junges Leben hat ein End," Sweelinck; Fuga IV, Zeunner; the hymn "All Hail the Power" sung to Diadem; Scherzo, Buck; Pastorale and Aviary, Roberts; and Variations de Concert, Op. 1, Bonnet. It was instructive to hear these three Steeres, one after the other, and thus to compare them. This instrument, the mildest of the three, also featured a bright and well balanced principal chorus, characteristic of Steeres of this era, with an extremely quiet Great Dulciana and Swell Salicional. A recessed front location for the organ and the dead acoustics may have had a bearing on the understated effect. Cornils demonstrated the various subtle and colorful combinations to great effect and proved once again that he is a well disciplined and thoroughgoing musician. The capacity audience showed their appreciation with an appropriate ovation.

Mark Buxton: An Appreciation March 23, 1961--December 18, 1996

by Charles Callahan, Albert Neutel, Herbert Huestis

Mark Buxton's sudden and unexpected death on December 18, 1996 was a loss to all of us in the organ world. See his "Nunc Dimittis" notice on page 4 of the February 1997 issue of The Diapason. His work as a church organist, recitalist, and organ consultant was well-respected and of an enduring quality. Even more so, his voluminous writings will remain as a significant legacy to our profession. The following tributes are offered in his memory.

In Memoriam--Mark Buxton

by Charles Callahan.h2>

The sudden passing of a fine
musician and writer has left a sadness in all of our hearts. A graduate of
Durham University, Mark spoke French fluently and was an especially gifted
improvisateur, having studied with Jean-Jacques Grunewald in Paris. As the
author of countless articles on matters of interest to the organ world, Mark
was known here in North America and abroad. But for those of us who knew him not
only as a colleague but also as a friend, the loss is intense.

For Mark personalized a quality
of idealism that has become all too rare today. His standards of excellence
were accompained by high hopes for a renaissance in the best possible standards
in church music, organ playing, and indeed business and personal relationships.
As a sensitive and dedicated musician, Mark was certainly out of step with the
many clerical types sadly all-too-prevalent in today's church music circus.

For this alone, he would have
earned much admiration! But he "moved ahead" and carved a
well-respected name for himself through his many recitals, reviews, and feature
articles. Those of us who were blessed by his friendship cherished his calls
and cards that demonstrated his care for us, his true friendliness, and his
great civility in a world that sadly needs much more of the same.

Only days before his passing, I
received a postcard from him from St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol--saying
"what a superb organ it is!" Of course he know how I would revel in
his enthusiasm for one of the supreme examples of English organ building.

Our thoughts and prayers go now
to his wife Sandy and the two children. May he rest in peace, and may perpetual
light shine upon him.

Mark Buxton

by Albert Neutel

To write about Mark Buxton is
about as difficult as it was to get to know him. No, I don't mean to imply that
Mark was a difficult person, in fact, quite the opposite was true. It was
difficult in that Mark was "many faceted" and a complex man while at
the same time one of the clearest thinkers and most articulate writers of our
time. Does one write about his phenomenal keyboard skills, his keen
understanding of the literature, his interest in research and writing? I will
leave these to others who have a deeper understanding of the subjects. One
thing was very clear about Mark: he suffered no fools or idle talk. His respect
for worship and the meaning of the liturgy helped to make Mark what he was: a
consummate musician with great skills to communicate the beauty of all styles
of music to the listener with simplicity and ease.

It was my privilege to have
known Mark for almost three years. It all started with discussions about what a
church organ ought to be. To Mark's mind there are only two kinds of organs:
good organs and bad organs. The size of the organ had no influence on his
simple philosophy. A good organ could consist of four stops and he had many
examples of bad organs that consisted of 40 or more stops. His simple
philosophy extended also to organists as musicians.

During our many discusions,
several times Mark insisted that we go back to visit the small eight-stop
"Willis on wheels" organ in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, to prove
his point of how a few stops, well chosen, wisely scaled and exquisitely voiced
can fill the space of a room, accompany the choirs and be a perfectly fine solo
instrument.

It was a real honor and treat to
have had Mark as our colleague at Reuter. All of us have learned much, gained a
deeper appreciation and found a new desire to continue to build instruments
worthy to be placed in a house of worship to serve the people and our Creator.
He will be missed by us as well as his many friends around the world. Our
heartfelt sympathy to his family Sandy, Kevin and Joanna in Toronto, as well as
to his mother, brother and sister in Manchester, England.

Mark Buxton -- An Icon of Political "Independence" in the Organ
World

by Herbert L. Huestis

Mark Buxton's untimely death at
the age of 35 ended a writing career that was just hitting full stride. He
published over 50 articles, music, book and record reviews in The Diapason and
brought to the magazine a refreshing perspective filled with musicality and
personal experience. He was a master reviewer, able to discover the essence of
a book or recording, abstract it, and reveal its essentials quickly. He did all
that and kept an engaging personal style, filled with pithy quotes that helped
sustain the reader's interest. He could sneak in bits of musical philosophy by
telling a story--its conclusion would reveal his point of view.

Mark preferred the eclectic in
organs as well as organists. He was always open to individualism in organ
building, but was particularly aghast at what he considered "slavish"
copying by organ builders who subscribed to what he considered "historical
trendiness." That point of view came to light with a delightful story in a
review which was published in December 1995. He told a tale of attending a
reception after a recital where he dubbed both food and program as
"provender of dubious provenance." He declared that this fare caused
him to "repair to a pub to fix the damage with pork pie and real
ale."

He disliked the performance of
big Bach works on "tiny scale registrations, which robbed them of their
dignity." He put this notion into especially colorful language:

The organ world suffers from a
pandemic surfeit of Cassandras, blithering on about how large, unwieldy
instruments are bad for our communal health.

He contended that a certain disk
by Frederick Swann "answered the prayers of those who crave deliverance
from the 'Organ Lite' movement:"

Here is a top-notch musician,
who really knows how to play and project a large organ with spectacular
conviction. Hats off to one of this continent's finest exponents of our
instrument for his devotion to music-making rather than musical trendiness.
This disc will win friends for the organ, and might just remind some of us why
we took up playing in the first instance. It would be gratifying to think that
Mr. Swann likes Lincolnshire pork pipe and ale, and that he sautées his
food in real butter.

There were no holds barred in
the reportage of the organ world for Mark Buxton. Yet humor was always lurking
between the lines and often bubbled up between them. His vocabulary was
extensive and often colorful. He was adept at the sometimes necessary
situations where he felt compelled to remark on various aspects of organs that
he didn't like. This he could do with a certain penache that belied the negative
impact of his commentary.

For example, in a review where
he did not take a shine to the organ, he put it this way:

The organ and the repertoire are
not always the most comfortable of bedfellows. Frankly,I found it an unlovable instrument, although some
smiles are coaxed from what often appears to be a sullen beast in an
unflattering acoustical cage.

He could be relied on to find a
sly way to deliver a swift kick, when an organ could not do the musical job at
hand:

The various undulants go some
way to imparting a bloom to the sound that otherwise would be absent . . .

Mark had a definite preference
for large, eclectic and interesting organs. In his commentary on the famous Longwood Gardens Aeolian, he
said the organ was "a sumptuous behemoth if ever there was one." He
continued . . .

The instrument's seemingly
endless and eclectic tonal palette, including strings by the desk and entire
clans of Vox Humanas will curl the ponytails of the purist fraternity . . .

Writing can be a solitary job,
especially for free lance reporters like Buxton. He divided his time between England, his birthplace, Canada,
where he lived with his wife, and the U.S., where he eventually hoped to
settle. On the subject of expatriate writers, Brian Moore, the author of The
Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne1, observed:
"When you emigrate, you are never quite from anywhere--you are not at home
at home . . ."2

Mark put it this way in
"Off the Beaten Track in England" (April, 1995):

Returning to the land of one's
birth is a peculiar business for the expatriate. Will things have changed beyond recognition? Will those
favorite places still be there? Will one still feel at home? Or uncomfortably
out of step with current tastes and fashions?

Like Brian Moore, Mark Buxton
was a chronicler and had the knack of making a strong start in his writing. He
could hook the reader's interest and hang on to it until the end of the
article, whether it was an interview, record review or opinion piece.

The tragedy of his early death
denied him the happy ending most of us anticipate. But within the short period of six years, he contributed
extensively to The Diapason.
Within that opus we can see an enthusiastic, upbeat and independent
spirit, always communicating the presence (or absence) of music as the real
subject for all that he wrote.

This adds up to a terrific loss
for The Diapason and other journals which benefited from his free-flowing pen.
Filling in that gap will be a demanding burden that will probably require a
team effort. One can only imagine from such beginnings, how magnificent his
contribution to organ reportage would have been. However, the opus that remains
with us is full of insight, sparkle and wit, often punctuated with a good
story. If you collect the issues of The Diapason with Buxton offerings, you'll
have a 2-inch thick pack to go through, but it will be worth the effort. You'll
chuckle at his witticisms, revel at his insights and weep that he is no longer
with us.

A few "Buxtonisms"

On Richard Strauss: "Would
that the composer of Salome and Electra have favored our instrument with a
piece from his top drawer!"

On Edwin Lemare: "Thomas
Murray's recording of music by Lemare, yet another step in the composer's
rehabilitation, serves to prove one again that Fortune's Wheel does indeed turn
. . . After a lengthy period in musical purgatory (a spacious resort, one would
imagine) Lemare's name is back in recital programs, and in recording
catalogs."

Reflecting on an English Organ:
"I cannot disguise a lack of affection for some of the chiffy flues and
assertive upper work heard here . . .. The Tuba Mirabilis has the requisite
hint of good flat lukewarm British beer!"

Some recommended reading

These references do not include
all of Mark Buxton's writings in The Diapason. They are those selections which
are most highly recommended by the author.

Articles and Interviews

October 1992 Daniel Roth at 50

April 1994 Ralph Downes: An
Appreciation

May 1994 A Conversation with
Thomas Murray

August 1994 A Conversation with
Oliver Latry

February 1995 George H. Guest: A
Guest at Cambridge

June 1995 Stephen Cleobury--A
Profile

March 1996 A Conversation with
Martin Neary

Surveys of Organs and Organ
Builders

May 1995 An American Landmark in
Canada, The Schoenstein Organ at Islington Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

July 1995 Off the Beaten Track
in England, A Survey of Interesting English Organs

July 1996 Restoration of
the Casavant Organ at Redlands
University, Redlands, California

February 1997 Rieger-Orgelbau:
The First 150 Years, History of the firm and interview with Christoph
Glatter-Götz

Reviews of recordings

June 1991 An Evening with Edwin
H. Lemare, Thomas Murray, Austin Organ, Portland, Maine

January 1992 The Symphonic Organ
Thomas Murray, Skinner Organ, Woolsey Hall, Yale

February 1992 Marcel
Dupré--Le Chemin Du Croix, François Renet plays the
Cavaillé-Coll organ at St. Sernin de Toulouse

February 1993
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The Mystic Organ, Frederick Swann,
Möller organ, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC

February 1993 Romantic Organ
Music, Mikael Wahlen plays the Organ of The Jacobskyrka, Stockholm, Sweden

May 1993 Daniel Roth interprets
César Franck on Three Cavaillé-Coll Organs

September 1993 Charles-Marie
Widor: Symphonies III and IV, Ben van Oosten plays the Cavaillé-Coll
organ of St. François-de-Sales

October 1993 Poesie de l'orgue
symphonique, Odile Pierre plays two Cavaillé-Coll organs

October 1993 Music of Alexandre
Guilmant, François Lombard plays the Cavaillé-Coll organ of St.
Omer Cathedral

November 1993 Organ Duets,
Sylvie Poirier and Philip Crozier play the Aurèle Laramée Organ
in the Chapel of the Maison Provinciale des Frères Maristes, Iberville
Québec. Organ built by Mariste brother Aurèle Laramée

March 1994 The Organs of Oxford,
Nine Organists Play The Organs at Oxford

April 1994 Organ Music of
Franck, Boëllmann, Mendelssohn, Reger, and Grunenwald. Veronique Choplin
plays Cavaillé-Coll at St-Sulpice. (Note: Mark Buxton studied with
Grunenwald, former organist.)

August 1994 Anthems and Motets,
Choir of St. John's Episcopal Church, Samuel Carabetta, director. Lafayette
Square, Washington, DC ("Church of the Presidents")

September 1994 César
Franck--Music for Harmonium and Piano,
Joris Verdin and Jos Van Immerseel play harmonium and nineteenth-century
piano

October 1994
Reger-Organworks--Heinz Wunderlich at St. Jacobi and St. Michael's, Swabish
Hall. Nelly Soregi, violin

December 1994 Vierne--Works
for organ, Wolfgang
Rübsam, E.M. Skinner organ at Rockefeller Chapel, Chicago, IL

January 1995 Well Tempered
Organ, John Wells plays the Letourneau organ at St. Paul's Collegiate School,
Hamilton, NZ

May 1995 Organ works of Basil
Harwood. Roger Fisher plays the
organ of Chester Cathedral Whitley organ, rebuilt by Gray & Davidson, Hill,
and Rushworth & Dreaper

July 1995 Sigfried
Karg-Elert--Organ Works, Wolfgang Stockmeier plays the organs of
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> St. Johannis, Osnabruck, St Martin, Bad
Lippsprige and Herz-Jesu, Bremerhaven-Lehe

July 1995 Hear My Prayer--Choir
boy and choir girl competition--RSCM choir boy and choir girl of the year, 1992

August 1995 The Historical St.
Thomas Organ, Pierre Cochereau plays the organs of St. Thomas Church, NY

September 1995 The Organ Music
of Alfred Hollins, David Liddle plays the organ of Hull City Hall

November 1995 Stars and Stripes
Forever: Organ Duets, Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault, Skinner organ of
Washington National Cathedral

November 1995 Longwood Pops--The
Longwood Gardens Organ, Michael Stairs plays the Longwood Aeolian Organ

December 1995 Four Masterworks--Frederick
Swann at the Crystal Cathedral--Ruffatti organ

June 1996 George Walker--A
Portrait

September 1996 Olivier Messiaen
--Complete Organ Works, Gillian Weir, Frobenius Organ, Arhus Cathedral, Denmark--Early
Frobenius with French reeds

Book Reviews

May 1991 Charles Callahan--The
American Classic Organ: A History in Letters

August 1994 Jane Langdon--Divine
Inspiration, A review of the "organ" novel

Reports

October 1992 AGO National
Convention, Atlanta, GA (with Jess Anthony)

March 1993 Herbert Howells
Centenary Concert, Westminster Abbey

April 1994 21st Lahti Organ
Festival, August 2-7, 1993

Notes

1.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Moore, Brian. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1988.

2.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Wyman, Max "Profile--The loneliness of the long-distance writer". Vancouver: Vancouver Sun, January 1997.

Redlands Rejuvenated: Organ & Festival

(The return of Casavant Opus 1230)

Irmengard Jennings

The late Dr. Samuel John Swartz founded The Redlands Organ
Festival in 1987. Held on the campus of the University of Redlands in southern
California, the festival features many of the world's leading organists in
concerts, lectures and masterclasses. Formerly, clinicians had to rely heavily
on the aging 1927 Casavant organ (opus 1230). The Memorial Chapel, on the
university campus, houses the organ. Due to the renovation of the chapel the
festival was silenced in 2000. The organ returned to the Casavant Frères
factory in St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada for rebuilding. On April 3, the
reinstallation of this grand symphonic organ was complete, and hailed, once
again, as a great success.

The week-long celebration of this landmark instrument ran
from May 11-14, 2003. The artists for this year included Pierre Pincemaille,
Craig Williams, James Welch and Russell Hancock, Christopher Pardini, and
Jacquelin Rochette. M. Pincemaille is titular organist of the
Cathedral-Basilica of St-Denis in France. Mr. Williams is organist and director
of music of the Cadet Chapel at The United States Military Academy, West Point,
New York. Dr. Welch is university organist at Santa Clara University. Russell
Hancock is director of the Shorenstein Forum for Asia-Pacific Studies at Stanford.
Mr. Pardini is the senior organist at the Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove,
California. Jacquelin Rochette is artistic director at Casavant Frères.

Jacquelin Rochette gave the keynote address covering the
history of Casavant, its ties to the great Cavaillé-Coll tradition, and
the influences that shaped the original design of the University of Redlands
instrument--and comments on the renewal of interest in the symphonic organ. He
emphasized preserving high quality performances and diversity in programming.

Pierre Pincemaille presented the inaugural concert with
virtuosic flair. His program included the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major
style='font-style:normal'>, BWV 552 by J. S. Bach, Choral in a minor
style='font-style:normal'> by César Franck, the Scherzo from Symphony
No. 2 by Louis Vierne, Choral
varié sur Veni Creator, op. 4, of
Maurice Duruflé, and Le banquet céleste
style='font-style:normal'>by Olivier Messiaen. He also performed two
improvisations on submitted themes: the first, a chorale suite in the style of
J.S. Bach; and the second an improvisation in free style.

Craig Williams presented a solid performance of nicely
varied repertoire. This program included Carillon, op. 27, no. 4, by Marcel Dupré, Trio Sonata in C
Major, BWV 529, by J. S. Bach, a
transcription of the theme from "Largo" of Symphony No. 9
style='font-style:normal'> by Antonin Dvorák, and the Concert
Variations on "The Star-Spangled Banner," op. 23, by Dudley Buck. The second half included Trumpet
Tune in B-flat Major by Roy Brunner, Sonata
in F minor, op. 65, no. 1, by Felix
Mendelssohn, and three movements from Dix Pièces
style='font-style:normal'> by Eugène Gigout. Lynwood Farnham's Toccata
on "O Filii et Filiae" was the
encore.

The Welch-Hancock Duo was delightful, and featured
seldom-heard organ and piano music: Prelude, Fugue and Variation
style='font-style:normal'> by Franck, the Festival Overture
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 50, by Edwin Grasse, Prelude and
Jubilee by Dale Wood and three movements of
the 6 Duos pour Piano et Harmonium
by Widor. They also played the Final alla Schumann
style='font-style:normal'> by Guilmant, the evocative "Muir Woods"
from Three Northern California Landscapes by Sondra Clark, Intermezzo and Scherzo from Joseph Clokey's Symphonic
Piece, three movements from 6
Duos pour Harmonium et Piano, op. 8, by
Saint-Saëns, and finally, Fantaisie for Organ and Piano
style='font-style:normal'> by Clifford Demarest.

Christopher Pardini played with confidence and gave a
skillful performance. This diverse program included Festival Toccata
style='font-style:normal'> by Percy Fletcher, Clair de Lune
style='font-style:normal'> by Claude Debussy, Fantaisie in E-flat
Major by Saint-Saëns, Soliloquy
style='font-style:normal'> by David Conte, Rubrics
style='font-style:normal'> by Dan Locklair, Cathédrales
style='font-style:normal'> by Vierne, and Sonata I in d minor
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 42, by Guilmant. He closed with an encore, Sonata
on the First Tone by José Lidon.

The festival featured an eclectic sampler of workshops,
lectures and demonstrations. Jacquelin Rochette spoke describing the specific
changes accomplished on the Opus 1230 project. He discussed Casavant's
philosophy regarding organ restoration, and gave an exhibition of the various
stops in each of the divisions of the organ. He played the Variations de
concert by Bonnet, Pascha Nostrum
style='font-style:normal'> and Terra Tremuit
style='font-style:normal'> by Reboulot, and the Adagio and Final from Symphony
No. 3 by Vierne.

Christopher Pardini presented a service repertoire workshop
that highlighted music that is accessible to most organists and appealing to a
wide range of tastes and styles. Organist James Welch and pianist Russell Hancock
gave a lecture-demonstration entitled "Unlikely Bedfellows: The Organ and
the Piano." This focused on the small but fascinating body of classical
literature written for piano and organ duo. A significant portion of the
lecture was devoted to the 19th-century literature for harmonium and piano,
including a history of the harmonium in 19th-century France.

Craig Williams led a workshop entitled "The Instrument
from the Organist's Perspective." He established practical and effective
ways to approach the diverse range of instruments that we face and how to
choose appropriate repertoire for any organ. Next, he displayed registration
techniques using the university's 17-rank Schlicker and then demonstrated how
to apply registration skills learned to repertoire of different countries and
musical periods. His final workshop on hymn playing had special focus on the
poetry of the hymn texts fitting the tune. Discussion centered on various ways
of interpreting a variety of hymn types.

M. Pincemaille taught a performance masterclass. During this
lively teaching session four organ students from California universities
participated. M. Pincemaille's unique style and flair brought out the best in
each of the performers. His passion for music was evident in his exuberant
teaching. At the student recital, three of the performers returned to show what
they had learned during the masterclass. The students represented Christopher
Cook of San Diego; Ladd Thomas and Cherry Rhodes, USC; Esther Jones, Cal State
Fullerton and Irmengard Jennings, University of Redlands.

We wish to extend a special thank you to all the individuals
and organizations that are too numerous to mention that helped to make this
program possible.

For information about the festival, scholarship opportunities,
or study at the University of Redlands, call or write: 909/793-2121, ext. 3264;

<[email protected]>.

edited by W. G. Chapman

12th San Anselmo Organ Festival June 24–28, October 18–19, 1996

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