Cover feature

Austin Organs, 

Hartford, Connecticut

Opus 2344 (1961 and 2014)

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church,

New Canaan, Connecticut

In New Canaan, Connecticut, just north of a town landmark known as “God’s Acre,” an imposing edifice rises from the staid landscape. St. Mark’s Church was erected in 1961. Approaching from the south, the church beckons your creative spirit as it heralds the artistry that pervades its sacred space. The entrance of the church, facing an elegant, grassy commons to the south, is easily accessed from the street. Entering the two large, intricately carved doors one finds oneself inside an impressive sanctuary that evokes the feeling of a Gothic cathedral. Triangular vaults rise up majestically from towering concrete columns. The altar is clearly the focal point of the room, but behind the altar stands an equally impressive reredos approximately 35 feet wide, standing some 40 feet in the air, displaying 184 intricately carved figures. It was designed by sculptor Clark Fitz-Gerald, whose works can be found in Columbia University, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall, and Coventry Cathedral in England. 

Behind this acoustically transparent screen stands Austin Organs’ Opus 2344, dedicated by John Weaver in a concert on January 7, 1962. In 2014, Austin installed several new stops and completed an extensive tonal redesign of the instrument.

 

From the musician

In 2000, we started discussion about completing some major work on the organ. We thought it important to return to the company that gave birth to the instrument, so we called Austin Organs in Hartford for an evaluation and recommendations. Unfortunately the church was not ready to proceed with the project at that point, so the plan was placed on hold. When we revisited the project in 2008, I was surprised and pleased to reconnect with my former schoolmate from Westminster Choir College, Mike Fazio, who was now president and tonal director of the Austin company. 

As fate would have it, the company, now reborn under the auspices of the new owners, has revisited some of the original Austin organbuilding and voicing practices—their mindset moving beyond the so-common trend of “what’s happening now” and going back to some of the venerable earlier ideals. This philosophy is happily right in line with my own personal vision for this organ. I think that this key point in our collaboration helped lead to the successful rebirth of this instrument. Further, I believe that the combination of the talents of the outstanding Austin craftspeople, some who have been with the company for many years, along with the new administration, who respect the past but also embrace the future, to be a winning combination without equal. Working on this project, I was always confident in our conversations about the direction of the instrument, and I was pleased with the outcome, because we were consistently in sync. They always listened to my vision, and it felt like we were always on the same page with the ultimate goal.

When I arrived in 1998, it was already an organ to be proud of, and I was very happy to be playing this Austin, because it essentially worked well in this space. But today, with the tonal work and expansion, it has become much more versatile. While the organ certainly could have been defined as “American Classic,” I would now say that, while that character remains, we now have the impression of an “English Town Hall” instrument. The organ can handle a broader spectrum of literature, and I find that I can accompany the service in a much more exciting way. When I use the term “exciting,” I am not just talking about louder sounds, I am talking about the inclusion of some softer voices imparting more interesting nuance than there was previously. Utilizing the new timbres available in the pedal organ, the organ has developed a new undergirding that has truly helped its effectiveness in hymn accompaniment, among other things. The inventiveness of the Austin company in finding a creative way to add real pipes (installing a full-length 16′ reed in the Swell, and a full-length 32′ reed in the Pedal, and of course, the 32′/16′ Pedal Bourdon) was amazing! The 16′ Bourdon is also an excellent addition, as it helps support the lower voices in the choir and congregation. I am so proud to be able to boast that all of our additions are real pipes, real chimes, and a real harp, without having to resort to the digital versions. I am convinced that these real voices do add significant richness and quite amazing harmonic underpinning. I am therefore able to play the organ in a much fuller way than I could previously. This has improved both my musical creativity and the choir and congregation’s singing in response. 

—Brian-Paul Thomas

Organist and Choirmaster

From the builder

The organ has excellent tonal projection from its lofty position on the central axis of the church. Its tonal disposition is somewhat reminiscent of the late work of Austin’s most famous tonal designer, James Blaine Jamison (1882–1957). He began with the Austin Company in 1933, and his impact was rather dramatic. Early in his relationship with the company, he redefined the Austin Diapason scaling system and introduced his concepts for ensemble structure and voicing, which were quickly adopted and became common practice for a generation. Richard Piper (tonal director from 1952–1978,) continued the same trend, but imparted his own stamp on the company’s work. Piper had apprenticed for nearly a decade under Henry Willis III, working on many of England’s monumental instruments, his final work being the Dome Organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. Coming to Austin, he was able to impart a bit of English nuance to the Austin version of the American Classic tonal ensemble, but that nuance did not seem to be present in this instrument. My predecessor at Austin Organs, Bruce Buchanan, visited the organ in September 2000. His impression was congruous with my own, in that he proclaimed, “St. Mark’s organ is a version of American Classic with North-European leanings. This means brightness has been preferred to brilliance, and clarity to body.” It was interesting to find his notes some months after I had submitted my own assessment to the church with similar findings.

The St. Mark’s organ had been an interesting platform for Richard Piper’s tonal experimentation. The Great and Positiv were voiced on low pressure (2¾′′ wind). It would appear that the Great Organ had the strongest North-German influence: light Prinzipal scaling, heavy mixture scaling, and the foundation apparently based on the 16′ Quintaton. Overall, the division exhibited bright ensemble tone and the Positiv was much like it. The Swell was designed with somewhat stronger English influence. It, like the Choir, was voiced on 4′′ of wind presure. It was built with colorful flutes, and lush string tone; it also had a full reed chorus, yet not a proper Oboe; there was a high-pitched Plein Jeu, yet the department lacked a full principal chorus. The Choir flue chorus is made up of flutes, independent cornet mutations, and a Gemshorn and Celeste. The Choir reeds included a rather thin Krummhorn (3/4′′ scale) and an 8′ Trumpet, voiced on 6′′ of wind pressure. In the style of many fine Austin instruments of the period, this organ’s Pedal division had nine independent ranks of pipes, beginning with a generous 16′ Open Wood Contra Bass, through a Pedal Mixture and reed chorus. At some point in history, an electronic 32′ Bourdon extension was added, but had failed and was disconnected several years ago.

Approaching the organ’s tonal redesign, we had some specific goals in mind: improve the Diapason chorus, revoice/replace some existing reeds, and supplement the Pedal department. Other enhancements became possible as the project developed. For example, while we would have liked to build a new, movable, drawknob console for the instrument, a decision was made for the present time to maintain the existing console. It was certainly showing its age, but we decided to add new stopkeys in situ for the new voices. This approach would allow us to use more available funds for tonal work as a first step. It would seem that God had other thoughts. Within a month of signing the contract for the tonal work, the church was hit by an electrical storm that disabled the console, along with the church’s sound system. We removed the console to the factory, and installed a new multiplexed console and organ control system, featuring a fiber-optic connection between the console and the organ’s Universal Air Chest. While back “home” in the factory, the manual and pedal claviers were refurbished, all new wiring and stop controls were installed, and the elegant black walnut casework finish was also restored. 

 

Tonal matters

The first matter to address was the wind pressure. To achieve the aural presence we collectively desired, we recognized that the pressure needed to be increased. To that end, we chose to increase the wind pressure to 4′′ water column for the entire instrument. Next, we needed to make a decision regarding the disposition of the Great Organ’s 16′ Quintaton, which had been partly replaced (from 8′ C) several years earlier with Bourdon pipes. The breakpoint from the 8′ to the 16′ octave was abominable, and the effect of the Quintaton in general was counterproductive to our desired ensemble. The Great Mixture was overwhelming and the rest of the chorus was anemic. Our sweeping decision was to remove the entire Quintaton from the specification, and to achieve a manual 16′ voice, install a new Austin Internal Borrow action in the chest that would play the Pedal 16′ Spitz Flute as a Great stop. Previously, this stop was only available in the manual at 8′ pitch, and 16′ in the Pedal. Austin’s voicer Dan Kingman revoiced these pipes to create an excellent Viole de Gamba. Being mildly conical (1/2 taper), we adjusted the nomenclature to reflect that construction, calling it a Spitz Viole. As a manual 16′ and 8′ borrow, it has proven to be extremely successful. While we were sweeping through the organ, we chose to “wash” the 1960s voicing out of the Great Bourdon, which resulted in a flute with more warmth and fundamental. The Diapason and Principal were rescaled, and the Spitz Fifteenth replaced with a new set of Principal pipes that work well with this new chorus. The existing Fourniture was also replaced with new pipes, scaled and voiced to fit perfectly with the new scheme. The final element was the inclusion of a new reed stop for the Great. After much discussion, the choice was made to install an English Horn. Rather than yet another Trumpet, or something from the Clarinet family, we concluded that an English Horn would serve equally well as either a gentle solo or ensemble voice. 

In the Swell, we regret that we were unable to add a new Diapason, as space would not allow it. However, the large scale Viola and Flute are rather successful, evoking “synthetic Diapason” tone, to quote the late G. Donald Harrison. A vintage 4′ Wald Flute was installed to replace the original, which was removed several years ago, having been replaced with the Koppelflute from the Positiv, where it was subsequently returned. The 8′ octave of the Rohrflute was moved off the main chest, and in its place we located the 12 lowest pipes of the 16′ Waldhorn (full-length). The rather pleasant 8′ (French) Trumpet was revoiced to blend well in the ensemble, and a new 8′ (English) Oboe was installed. As a compromise to allow the installation of the Oboe, we removed the 4′ Clarion, (which was rather thin) and extended the Waldhorn to 4′ pitch to complete the chorus. Also added to the organ was a vintage Austin Vox Humana. This particular type is affectionately known as a “Vox-in-a-Box,” as the pipes are entirely placed within an encased chest that hangs directly in front of the Swell expression shades and can be adjusted for dynamic by opening or closing the top cover of said box. The effect of the Vox Humana in this church is extremely successful—it shimmers like a “chorus of voices in the distance!” Finally, the high-pitched mixture was removed and replaced with a new IV–V Plein Jeu, starting at 22⁄3′ pitch. It provides a measure of gravitas to the ensemble, whether flues or reeds. 

In the Choir, we removed the thin, baroque Krummhorn, and replaced it with an 8′ Cremona, which is a hybrid stop that is constructed as a Clarinet in the lower registers, then it morphs into our Cromorne scale in the treble. This treatment delivers the color of a rich Clarinet in the tenor range and the brightness of a French Cromorne in the right hand. As a matter of course, the existing high-pressure Trumpet was reconstructed (new tuning inserts, etc.) and revoiced.

The changes to the Pedal division were rather dramatic. We were able to redesign the offset chests at the sides of the main organ to allow the installation of a 32′ and 16′ Bourdon. More dramatic yet, we chose to extend the Swell 16′ Waldhorn (a time-honored tradition) to become the 32′ Pedal reed. Organist Brian-Paul Thomas was very clear in his vision for this voice: he did not want a jackhammer or clatter, but smooth dark tone. Using this thought as a guideline, we scaled this stop moderately, and consequently, the 12 full-length resonators fit nicely in the space occupied by the former Quintaton, located in a split arrangement on either side of the Great chest.

The other two voices added to the organ were a set of Deagan Class A chimes, and a vintage Austin Harp. These two percussions also work very nicely in this space.

 

Conclusion

We find the new instrument is exciting, rich, and versatile. It has a delicious, smooth crescendo from pianissimo to fortissimo, never missing a step! These changes were made possible because of the amazing flexibility of the Austin Universal Airchest design. Having been at the helm of Austin since 2005, I am still constantly in awe of the versatility of the Austin system. 

In a future article, we would like to discuss the transformation of a few Austin organs. These instruments were built in the same time period (the mid-1960s). The tonal disposition of each organ was very similar, and they were stereotypical of the period, and desperate for change! The study of the resulting specifications will serve as empirical evidence for any church with an organ, especially an Austin, thinking that there is no hope for a rather bland tonal ensemble. The transformation of each organ was completed with remarkable success—each one unique. We are also embarking on a plan to make a collective recording of these instruments.

While history furnishes a wealth of motivation, we are confident that new avenues and designs are only just around the corner that may enhance earlier efforts. As surely as we are inspired by the triumphs of the past, we face the challenges of today by building organs that will continue to inspire interest beyond today, beyond tomorrow, and into the next generation. Art is only art when it represents the best efforts of the Creator, with both eyes open to even greater possibilities. We aim to create something significant for worship and the performance of great music, and in the greater sphere, to offer our own illumination of how music might be made.

—Michael B. Fazio

Austin Organs, Inc.

President and Tonal Director

 

 

 

 

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, 

Hartville, Ohio: Sacred Heart Church, 

New Philadelphia, Ohio

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, 

Hartville, Ohio

Sacred Heart Church, 

New Philadelphia, Ohio

 

From the organbuilder

I recently agreed with a colleague who said you can determine a pipe organ builder’s priorities by the design of his smaller instruments. Large instruments are easier to design because you have all the sounds required. Nothing needs to be left out; the only decision is where to place everything. In smaller instruments, decisions must be made regarding how to best use the resources available, and these reveal just what is most important to the builder. While our firm has built many large pipe organs, we have made something of a name for ourselves with our smaller instruments, and it is in these instruments where you can discover our personal priorities for a parish pipe organ.

Some builders would say that any organ of 12 stops would be simply 12 stops. Since I was a young man discovering the pipe organ, I have always felt that the best use of funds, and the desire for an interesting specification, indicate that careful borrowing of stops between manuals and pedal was the better design choice for the smaller instrument than the academic approach. To do this requires some kind of unit windchest action. Many years ago I chose to work with the all-electric unit action to see if it could be built such that the undesirable pipe speech characteristics associated with this action could be corrected with careful execution. This action offers complete freedom of chest layout, and it can offer long, trouble-free life. After research and development and years of use, the Kegg all-electric action is now a highly evolved system, using oversized valves that feed copious wind to each pipe by way of an expansion chamber. The expansion chamber then conditions the wind to the pipe such that it has a gentle attack and release. With this action, borrows are economical while retaining integrity of pipe speech. Unity of speech is assured, regardless of the size of the instrument, or how many stops and couplers are in use.

Our new instrument for Sacred Heart Church in New Philadelphia, Ohio is an example of what I consider close to ideal for a parish church. At 12 stops and 15 ranks, it is not small. It is large enough to include a great deal of color and variety, while still being affordable, and it can physically fit into many spaces. The key to successful unit organ design is restraint, careful scaling, and of course finish voicing of the organ in its final location. Scaling of the pipes must be treated differently for a successful result on an extended set of pipes. It is a different treatment than you would give to the same pipes for a straight stop, and it eliminates the “unit” sound that older highly unified organs usually exhibit.

The stoplist of a successful unit organ must contain a core ensemble that is essentially straight. In the design of this organ, the Great contains a chorus of 16-8-4-IV with no borrowing. There are two flute ranks of different character. The wood Gedeckt is typical. The Spitzflute is delicate in the bass and increases in volume as you ascend the scale. This makes a softer 8′ that can still sit above the Gedeckt well when used at the 4′ pitch, and also provides a sparkling 2′. Note that the flutes are distributed differently on each manual. Unification is minimized within each manual and the sounds, both individually and in combination, are very different on each manual. This is another example of carefully “breaking the rules,” while providing an interesting organ to play. The unification of the stops is musically invisible.

Kegg organs of this size are surprising because they give the player and the listener the impression that they are larger than they actually are. Several key design features contribute to this, including musical effects that are usually found only on larger instruments. Some of these design features are effective swell shades, a string celeste pair that are not too soft, more than one enclosed reed stop, at least one reed stop that continues to 16′ completely within the swell box, and if possible, a special sound that is not expected from a smaller instrument. In the case of the Sacred Heart organ, we have all of these things.

The organ is entirely enclosed, with the exception of the 8′ Great Principal and the 16′ Pedal Bourdon. The effective swell shades allow the strings to be more aggressive because you have control over them. The 8′ stops are of similar volume, allowing combinations to blend while retaining individual color. The Spitzflute’s milky sound gives the impression of a very soft stop with the shades closed. Having a Trumpet and an Oboe on an organ of 12 stops is a happy discovery for the musician. One reed stop doesn’t have to play all the reed parts. The Oboe can be gentle, while the Trumpet can shine. You are not limited to one “medium” stop trying to be all things for all music. Having the Trumpet extended to 16′ pitch and enclosed provides the exciting sound of fiery reeds behind closed shades that is frequently heard only on larger instruments. An additional special sound on this organ is the Sesquialtera II on the Great. The flexibility of our chest action permits using the lowest rank of the Mixture for the tenor-C 22⁄3′ partial, thus only needing the additional 37 small pipes of the TC 13⁄5′ to be independent for this stop, and these pipes can be bold. Thus we have a strong leading solo voice that takes little room in the organ, plus it is another sound that is not expected in an instrument of 12 stops.

Another significant and unusual sound in this organ is the 16′ Violone. This stop is an extension of the Viole and is slender in scale in the Cavaillé-Coll tradition. It is entirely enclosed within the swell box. The incisiveness of this stop blends well with the substantial Bourdon. It is a very present help when registering an intriguing Pedal line. It would be a welcome addition to any instrument, but particularly in one where only a single 16′ Bourdon is usually found.

While this instrument would be effective in an intimate room, Sacred Heart Church seats approximately 400 people, was built in the early 20th century, and enjoys a superb acoustic with an empty reverberation time in excess of three seconds. Placement is ideal, high in the rear gallery. The gallery is rather shallow and there is a fine rose window that commands respect. Conventional wisdom would place the organ case in the center, as was the previous instrument. Because the gallery is only 10 feet deep, even a reasonably shallow organ case would mean that the choristers would be divided on either side of the case and/or console and not be able to hear each other well. The solution was to place the organ case entirely on one side, rather than in the center. This clears sight lines for the window and keeps musicians together, leaving all remaining space in one contiguous block. The choirs are already enjoying their new togetherness, with confidence and blend being immediately elevated. The free-standing case is away from each wall, leaving an insulating space. Every part of the instrument has a roof over it. These help greatly with tuning stability, projection, and blend.

The organ case has several features of note. On the long side is a pipe shade panel that has carved and gilded representations of the symbols of the four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are, in order: a human form, a lion, a bull, and an eagle. These appear on the capitols of each column in the church, which served as the inspiration for these particular examples. The forward-facing façade will have a pipe shade that will be an illumination. It is being created now by Jed Gibbons of Chicago and will be installed in the coming weeks. The corner tower extends the visual height of the case. Wanting the organ to visually balance this tall room, I designed the 8′ Principal with long feet and forced length. The tallest pipe in this tower is almost 16′ in length. The forward façade is speaking, the side façade is mute. All pipes are polished, to reflect the filtered color from the fine windows. The constant change in light is delightful.

The console is our premium stepped-terrace drawknob design, with warm LED lighting for music rack and pedal. It is movable and includes a comprehensive combination system with unlimited piston memory, performance record/playback, and transposer. Manual keys are wood with bone and rosewood coverings. As with all our instruments, the bench is adjustable, and there is a large, center pencil drawer.

The Sacred Heart organ is an instrument that has a wide dynamic range, provides warmth, fire, and excitement for homophonic music, two contrasting choruses for polyphonic music, and balanced independence for trios. Its reeds provide color and fire. Its flutes and strings are full of warmth and sparkle. In an age when substitute instrument dealers would have you believe that you must have three manuals and 75 stops to play a hymn, it is gratifying to build, play, and listen to an instrument of only 12 stops that is so satisfying.

No pipe organ project can come to be without the support of clergy and the enthusiasm of musicians. Father Jeff Coning has been an unending fount of firm support for both his staff and this project. Music director Beth Fragasse has led the project with understated elegance, and always in a straight line toward the conclusion. To them and the congregation of Sacred Heart parish we shall be always grateful.

We invite you to come see this newest addition to the Kegg family and to explore further on our website our ideas for organs of all sizes.

—Charles Kegg

 

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders

Charles Kegg, President/Artistic Director

Philip Brown

Michael Carden

Joyce Harper

Philip Laakso

Thomas Mierau

Bruce Schutrum

 

[email protected]

330/877-8800

www.keggorgan.com

 

 

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders

 

Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders, Montréal, Québec, Canada: 

St. Joseph’s Oratory, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders, Montréal, Québec, Canada

St. Joseph’s Oratory, Montréal, Québec, Canada

 

From the builder

The idea to fully restore the Beckerath organ at St. Joseph’s Oratory came from then Organist Titulaire Philippe Bélanger. We came up with different proposals, some involving changes to the instrument, some not, but for the moment we were firmly in the world of the hypothetical; no harm in talking about changes to the instrument—it was only a mental exercise then. Any thought that this might actually occur was accompanied by cold sweat and sleeplessness—after all, perhaps no other instrument has had a greater influence on organ building in Québec, and its influence has been worldwide.

Eventually, to our great relief, the authorities at St. Joseph’s Oratory wisely came to the conclusion that an outside expert and a proper bidding process were required. George Taylor was hired, deus ex machina, and three Québec companies were asked to bid on a very thorough RFP that specified no changes to the tonal specification. “No changes” may seem an obvious requirement, but it is not. Most musicians sitting at the console are soon surprised by what seems missing from the specification, despite its 78-stop, 5-manual footprint. But any thought of making changes leads straight to dilemma.

One example is instructive: the idea had naturally surfaced to add a trumpet to the Récit (yes, a 78-stop instrument with French pretensions and no Trompette on the Récit!). Now, how to add it—it could be added to the back of the chest grid; that way no one could complain about any stop being removed. Or, the Musette 4′ could be removed and replaced with a trumpet. The Musette could be racked mute on a wall in the swell box, for its own protection. I was amused by these two possibilities—the first pleases the musician at the console, who finds the original specification intact—plus, it provides the trumpet they always needed. The second pleases the restorer 50 years (or more!) from now, who finds a windchest that has not been denatured by holes bored through the frame to accommodate the extra toe board, and inevitably returns the Musette to its toe holes. 

This dilemma cannot be resolved and let us not pretend it can. Any restoration, no matter how respectful, will remove some original material. In a museum setting, an ancient clavichord may be copied rather than restored so that the original continues to exist, unmolested, as a document for future generations. The copies allow musicians to play instruments that are as close as possible to the originals and to be informed by the experience. This is clearly not an option for organs, and to add to the conundrum, they exist primarily to accompany a changing liturgy. Organs occupy a strange space somewhere between typewriter and violin—between pragmatism and art—actually both at once. 

But surely this is not of concern for an instrument of only 50 years? What made this project difficult to define in the early stages? In a way, it was an organ of conflict—wonderful to play, a beast to play; the specification is huge, but with huge holes; it is a historic monument, but only 50 years old. There are organbuilders the world over who consider themselves the spiritual sons of Rudolf von Beckerath, and the torchbearers of his tradition. The tension created by these issues  made the appointment of George Taylor, outside expert, a stroke of genius that perhaps made the project the success that we believe it is.

It was decided to make no changes to the musical qualities of the instrument, but to rebuild the key action completely. If a line can be drawn in an organ between the musical and the mechanical, it is surely at the pallet itself, and this became an important distinction. In this instrument, the pallet openings on all divisions are unnecessarily wide—up to 30 mm with only 5 mm of travel at the nose, a terribly inefficient design, if efficiency is what you are after. Naturally, the question arose whether or not to change the pallet design—to provide as much or perhaps more wind and reduce pluck at the same time. But inevitably, the nature of the pipe attack would be changed, even if the quantity of wind was not. It was decided that in order to preserve the musical integrity of the instrument, the pallet dimensions should not be altered. This made for an interesting case study—without reducing pluck, to what extent could the action be made more agreeable to play, with up to four manuals coupled? The action, as we found it, was slow to repeat, but the spring force felt at the keyboard was nearly right. By reducing mass in the action train, we would be able to improve repetition, but the pluck would not be greatly reduced. Would musicians find the action to be improved, and if so, by how much?

A complete rebuild of the action was undertaken, using the tools available to us: reduce mass, reduce friction, and ensure proper functioning of all the elements. New roller boards were built for the Grand-Orgue, Récit, Bombarde, and Positif divisions. This was perhaps responsible for the greatest reduction in action mass; the original design follows laws of physics that we apparently no longer have access to. The mass of the rollers was adding a lot of inertia to the action, but there was also friction and flexibility. All trackers were replaced with carbon fiber—1 mm rod for vertical runs and ½ x 3mm section for horizontal runs. This material, as well as being very light and strong, has the benefit of remaining straight, so alignment is easy. But we did notice a tendency for people to think that as long as carbon fiber was involved, success was ensured. In reality, it is a material, like any other, whose qualities need to be understood for success.

The organ was first stripped of its action, and the console was removed and taken to the shop. There was a feeling of revisiting 1960 at this stage. We found cheeks on the sides of the console that clearly had held a sling used to hoist the console up over the gallery rail. The hole in the ceiling was still there, at the perfect location, ready for us to run a heavy rope through, and the console was soon lowered to the floor of the nave and brought to the shop. Then, restoration continued with two teams, one at the shop restoring the console and building new action parts, the other on site restoring windchests and pipework.

Restoration of each division of the organ was undertaken one after another, starting at the top with the Récit. Pipes were removed and taken to be cleaned and straightened in the chapelle des familles. This soundproof room just below the organ loft is intended for crying babies and their parents during Mass—ideal for pipe restoration, and roomy enough for a fairly complete pipe shop. At the same time, the Récit windchests were turned over and restored in place. This top-to-bottom approach allowed us to break a large instrument into manageable chunks, and had the additional benefit of allowing any dust we created to settle below, to the next division scheduled for restoration.

Particular attention was paid to the console, as it had lost the stark Germanic austerity—apparently not held in much esteem in the intervening years—that now seems oddly exotic. The original plastic stopknobs had long ago been replaced, so new maple ones were made, copying examples from the other Montréal Beckeraths. A sequencer was added, as were divisional pistons, using the same unorthodox arrangement found on the 1963 Beckerath in Pittsburgh—with inter-manual divisionals placed at e-f and b-c, between the sharps. Holes had been cut into the stop jambs over the years to accommodate various versions of instantly obsolete combination action. These were filled and veneered with matching pear wood. The goal was to restore and update the console so that future additions to the combination action would not deface the console. To this end, Solid State Organ Systems provided touch screen functionality via a wireless iPad, so that future changes can be handled here.

The five largest pipes of the Grand-Orgue Montre 16′, visible in the large central pipe flat, had been repaired once and collapsed twice since 1960. It was decided that new pipes were needed, built with knowledge reacquired since 1960, of how to make pipes that will stand. The rest of the tin façade pipes were removed, cleaned, repaired, polished, and returned to their holes. The twelve façade pipes that make up the first octave of the Pédale Montre 32′ are of zinc, and were cleaned in place. The entire operation required full scaffolding in front of the façade, which provided a clear signal to the public that a major project was underway.

Winding to the Montre 16′ was originally provided pneumatically to the bottom five pipes of the stop, to reduce wind demand on the channel. We continued this practice through the rest of the first octave, as there was considerable robbing going on, starting from F. Surprisingly, we had never heard complaints about this, but we were sure that if it was not improved, we would. New pneumatic offset chests were constructed following the design of the old one, which functions perfectly.

Voicing was undertaken in a spirit of respect for the builder. Sunken languids were raised, speech problems were taken care of, and stops were equalized, but every effort was taken to stay true to the intent of the builder. After pipes were straightened and cleaned, voicing was checked on a voicing jack before returning the pipes to their chests. Racking and pipe stays were improved and solidified where needed, but in general this had been well done originally. Façade pipes in danger of recollapse were relieved of about half of their weight by hanging them from springs, and should be safe now.

Reaction to the restoration has been very positive, to our great pleasure and even relief, but it has also been instructive. Musicians tend to feel that the voice of the organ has changed—not for the worse—but we are quick to stress that every effort was taken not to change the voicing one iota. But we’ve seen this before—the simple act of removing dust from an instrument changes its timbre. And we wonder if something else isn’t at work: the action is so changed that one’s approach to playing the instrument is different, and it does sound different—it can be more virile, and it sounds more precise, because it can be played more precisely.

In our work building new organs, Juget-Sinclair started with small instruments and has slowly grown, taking on larger and larger work. This restoration has given us the opportunity to take on a major instrument with new challenges of design and infrastructure. The success of this project fills us with confidence for the future, and we feel validates our approach of maintaining a small shop that builds as much as possible in-house. The variety of skills that we are able to foster through this approach serves us particularly well in restoration, where one never knows what challenges will arise. And we hope, in an ever-shrinking new organ market, that this is a model that will keep us occupied for some time.

The following participated in the restoration, which amounted to over 8,000 hours of work: Jocelyn Bélair, Robin Côté, François Couture, Dean Eckmann, Jean-Dominique Felx, Denis Juget, Céline Richard, Stephen Sinclair, Raymond Batroussy, Arnaud Duchenaux, Richard Houghten, and Vladimir Vaculik.

—Stephen Sinclair

 

A musician’s perspective

In spite of widespread secularization in Québec during the quiet revolution of the sixties, the attendance of about 50,000 Québecers at the celebration of the canonization of Brother André Bessette in Montréal’s Olympic Stadium on October 30, 2010 underscored the extent to which he is still very much this city’s beloved son. Shortly after making profession as a monk with the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Montréal in 1874, Brother André became a doorman at the College of Notre Dame. In the ensuing years, healings attributed to his prayer and intercession quickly gained for him a reputation as a faith healer. Increasing numbers of congregants drawn by the “Miracle Man of Montréal” quickly outgrew the small chapel he had erected in 1904 on the north slope of Mont Royal. The building of the current basilica commenced in 1924 and was completed in 1967. Today, St. Joseph’s Oratory stands as a towering testament to the life of this humble brother and is a prominent destination for pilgrims, tourists, and music lovers alike.

Given the oratory’s importance in the life of Montréal from its earliest days, the organ that was to be built here was going to have great civic importance from the outset. And given the immense grandeur of this sanctuary, the instrument would be of monumental proportion. After bids were considered, the fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross sent a letter on February 25, 1958 to Rudolf von Beckerath that he had been awarded the contract for the construction of the basilica organ. The contract was signed on June 23 of the same year and the builder was committed to deliver an organ within thirty months. Shortly thereafter, Beckerath submitted a design and several sketches. Among the various requests, Raymond Daveluy, titular organist, requested alterations to the stoplist that would allow the playing of a Récit de tierce, and the architects requested that the case embody more vertical lines. In early 1960, 167 crates arrived by sea, and installation commenced. The inaugural recital was given by Parisian organist André Marchal on November 13, 1960. The opening piece, Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Major, was played by Raymond Daveluy. Marchal followed with a program featuring the works of Louis and François Couperin, Clérambault, Daquin, and Tournemire. He also played de Grigny’s Tierce en taille, Franck’s Choral No. 3, Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, Langlais’ Te Deum, and ended the program with an improvisation.

That the building of the oratory organ would be entrusted to a German firm and not to Casavant Frères was a shock to the nationalist sensibilities of many. Coming only thirteen years after the war in which Québecers were conscripted to fight against Germany, this decision unleashed quite a firestorm in the Québec media of the day. However, there was a growing sense among many North American organists and musicians in the 1950s that the organ reform—as it was manifest in the work of Harrison, Holtkamp, and also Casavant Frères during the postwar period—did not go far enough in restoring principles of organ construction from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Many of these young organists became familiar with organ reform in Holland and Germany on their European journeys. 

Then in 1957, Rudolf von Beckerath installed a 44-stop, four-manual instrument in Trinity Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio. The instrument featured a freestanding case designed according to the werkprinzip, mechanical key and stop action, lower wind pressure, and classical voicing inspired by the instruments of Arp Schnitger. While in North America, Beckerath paid a visit to Montréal in 1957 in response to an invitation from a group of local organists—Kenneth Gilbert, Raymond Daveluy, and Gaston and Lucienne Arel. In the aftermath of that meeting, the respective church administrations of these organists signed contracts with Beckerath. The instruments were delivered and inaugurated at Queen Mary Road United Church in 1959, at St. Joseph’s Oratory in 1960, and at Église Immaculée Conception in 1961. 

These three Montréal Beckerath organs succeeded in bringing the current wave of organ reform, not only to Montréal and to Canada, but to North America as a whole. Indeed, along with the Beckerath at Trinity Lutheran and the Flentrop organ installed in the Busch-Reisinger Museum of Harvard University in 1958, these instruments took North American organ reform to an entirely new level. Beckerath’s renown was spreading quickly, and many young North American organbuilders went to apprentice with him—including George Taylor, Fritz Noack, and John Brombaugh. 

Meanwhile, back at home, Casavant Frères realized that changing conceptions of organbuilding and design required a new paradigm and decided to embrace the organ reform. Casavant’s Charles Perrault and tonal and artistic director Lawrence Phelps brought to North America Karl Wilhelm in 1960 and Hellmuth Wolff in 1963 to run a mechanical organ department; since then, very few mechanical action organs have been imported into Québec. Each of these directors, in turn, went on to start their own workshops and shortly became major players, not only in Canada, but in the organbuilding world internationally. Going even further, Casavant recruited Gerhard Brunzema—already an authority in the organ world—as tonal and artistic director of Casavant Frères in 1972. Thus, the Beckerath instrument at St. Joseph’s Oratory had profound impact locally, but was also a key part of that influential wavefront of reform that was both international and historic in scope. 

Though quite young as organs go, the oratory instrument had developed several problems requiring attention. During its 1960 installation, construction of the basilica was still underway. The stone floor had yet to be installed and many interior modifications were still being made in the sanctuary and in the organ loft. This resulted in a premature internal accumulation of dust in the instrument such that, in that same decade, the instrument was already in need of cleaning and some internal components had to be replaced. By the turn of the century, the organ was again in need of a thorough cleaning and many pipes were in danger of collapse. The first initiatives toward restoration were taken in 2005 by Philippe Bélanger, who was organist at the time. Following a grant from the Québec Ministry of Culture overseen by the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec, the project was underway. George Taylor—having apprenticed with Rudolf von Beckerath and having restored the 1963 Beckerath organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Pittsburgh in 2009—was named consultant for the project. The firms of Casavant Frères, Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders, and Orgues Létourneau were asked to submit bids; Juget-Sinclair was selected to undertake the restoration.

From the organist’s point of view, the changes to the instrument are subtle, but striking. Though playing with manuals coupled on any instrument of this size is not exactly light, the touch is considerably lighter and even more responsive than before. The action used to have a certain sponginess—releases were a little sluggish and manual couplers had a mildly sodden heaviness. These have been significantly improved—the touch is lighter, there is increased precision of attack, crispness in release, and there seems to be a better calibration of attack and release between divisions when the couplers are engaged. Also, there is a remarkable clarity and brilliance to the sound. The crystalline shimmer of the plenum is especially arresting. Not least, the combination action now avails the player with all current conveniences—there are copious general pistons, multiple levels of memory, and a sequencer.

The renovated instrument was celebrated in two inaugural concerts in October 2012. On October 7, Frédéric Champion, laureate of the first Canadian International Organ Competition, played a concert to a capacity audience. The recital featured works by Bruhns, Florentz, Cabanilles, Robin, and Bach, as well as Champion’s own transcriptions of Debussy, Liszt, and Saint-Saëns. The following week, there was a second inaugural concert presented by Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal under the direction of Gilbert Patenaude. The first half of the concert featured a cappella choral works, while the second half featured Louis Vierne’s Messe solennelle en ut dièse, op. 16. The choir, situated around the altar, was accompanied by the father-son team, Jacques and Vincent Boucher, with the father playing the choir organ, and son playing the Beckerath. It was a stunning performance with impeccable coordination between organ loft and chancel. With over 4,000 in attendance, this was truly a celebration worthy of this grand instrument.

—David Szanto

 

 

Beckerath, 1960/restored by Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders, 2012

St. Joseph’s Oratory, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Glück Pipe Organs, New York, New York: Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Glück Pipe Organs, New York, New York

Mayflower Congregational 

United Church of Christ, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

An essay in determination

The quest to replace a six-stop unit organ in Oklahoma City became a study in considered choices made by a fully involved group who gave to the future an instrument that serves worship, choral programs, solo recitals, and orchestral concerts. The organ committee at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, in cooperation with their pastorate and director of music Richard Jobe, worked with consultant Scott Riedel of Milwaukee to develop an architectural, acoustical, and musical plan. They enthusiastically educated themselves, traveled the nation to see and hear instruments, and selected their architects, contractors, and organbuilder.

Living with a mid-twentieth century stock-design instrument, the church was moving from a position of extreme limitation to one of enormous freedom–and its attendant responsibility. It was known from the outset that the stoplist would evolve; omissions would be reinstated, new ideas would be raised and abandoned. That is how pipe organs are refined toward their final design once the builder is selected, a process that at times both disappoints and elates during the pursuit of cleverness. 

There was no focus upon an idiom that would back the organ into a stylistic or nationalistic corner. Mayflower’s instrument is by all means an American pipe organ, from its geographic location to the fact that its components were built by Americans in selected shops throughout this nation. Nonetheless, the term “American Classic” never entered our thoughts or vocabulary. That era remains a crucial and brilliant transition, to be acknowledged for its contributions, but it was dotted with obstacles to the full understanding of organ literature and history. Many of its lessons still apply, but should its templates?

 

Architectural placement

The spatial arrangement of pipe organs has been under discussion for centuries, as evidenced by myriad cyclical catch-phrases—“mixing chamber,” “line-of-sight,” “functional display,” “high and encased,” “tone chute,” and “entombed.” All incarnations present compelling effects, from jumping between main and dorsal cases in a North European organ, to the roaring, shuttered reeds scraping at the triforium of an English cathedral. The choice at Mayflower UCC was an arrangement that addressed the new chancel and choir area as if it were a concert hall, surrounding the proceedings with four well-engineered, highly effective chambers that were proximate enough to cooperate without losing individuality. Rigid walls, properly shaped ceilings, and thick, tightly fitting shutter blades make for an enormous range of amplitude.

 

Tonal development

Traditional structure—independent Principal forces for at least two manuals and the Pedal—anchors the organ in terraced levels of open tone at 16′ for the Pedal, 8′ for the Great, and 4′ for the Swell. The Pedal has no chorus, per se, but a dedicated, extended rank retained from the previous instrument, voiced so that movement of the pedal line is heard. An additional 8′ Open Diapason, extended up from this Pedal stop, is enclosed with the Choir division. There was no room in the Swell for a desirable 8′ Principal, but this voice serves as an English Second Diapason, as well as a solo under expression to be accompanied by other divisions.

The Pedal 16′ Contra Bass is not intended to be a 16′ Principal, but to add definition through distinct tone and a substantial degree of independence from the unit rank. Making evident the motion of the pedal line was the goal, and it works as well under full forces as it does under the two undulants during introspective passages. Pedal power comes from the 16′ Sub Bass, the 16′ Trombone, and the harmonic complexity of duplexed mezzo-forte voices from the compound Great/Choir section. 

The mixtures are kept to an even number of ranks for harmonic balance, and achieve different effects. The Great Mixture is unenclosed, speaks directly down the nave, sits at the front of the soundboard, breaks successively lower, and keeps its quints two scale diameters smaller than the unisons, resulting in a fuller treble. While I am personally disinclined toward the guttural infusion of a bold twelfth entering the chorus too far down the compass, it was eased in carefully during tonal finishing, avoiding the “pull,” and in this case, actually appears to strengthen the alto voice in the middle and soprano octaves. The Swell mixture breaks less frequently, maintaining a slightly higher aggregate pitch in the contrapuntal range, the shimmer enhanced by power parity between harmonic components. Toward the top of the compass, a larger-scaled 8′ pitch enters to fortify the unison line in the absence of an independent 8′ Principal.

 

The compound Great/Choir

Between the wars, Mr. Skinner’s three- and four-stop Choir divisions unintentionally opened a window onto Classicism for those Americans who had looked beyond the vested American zeitgeist during their overseas travels; in recent organs, I have followed his lead with very small third manuals that can make playable more of the literature with satisfying accuracy while enhancing the service of prayer. 

I was determined not to make the Choir a garage for miscellanea at the expense of filling out the Great, and recommended to the consultant and the organ committee that we strip and releather Mayflower’s original six-stop unit windchest to accommodate enclosed voices that could both embolden the Great and furnish a small Choir division. Four of the organ’s seven ranks were revoiced and incorporated, while the Clarinet and Harmonic Flute are new to the organ. 

The key was to make certain that independent voices could be drawn at each pitch, and that if two stops on the same division were drawn from the same rank, we strive for a two-octave separation to minimize “missing pipe syndrome.” The benefits are an elegant, clear third ensemble punctuated by the sparkle of the 1′ Gemshorn, an historically dictated position for the Clarinet, and the nuance enabled by a second expression enclosure. The Great gained the indispensable 8′ Harmonic Flute for the French literature and a solid 16′ Bourdon to carry hymnody and undergird the plenum.

 

The mutations

For an instrument furnished with only one tierce combination, published works—both treatises and scores—from the 17th through 19th centuries provide guidance. Historically ensconced in the Choir or Positiv, the cylindrical half-length reed (here the Clarinet) cannot be roommates with the Tierce combination and perform the French dialogues of the Baroque (why deprive future organists of that option?), and it is well unwise to lock up two of the most pungent solo effects on the same manual. The Nazard and Tierce (originally conceived as a Cornet II until funds made it possible to separate them), reside in the Swell, benefiting from the recombinant capabilities of the fully independent flute choir, and where they can engage with the reeds for the fiery Grand Jeu, an effect unique in the world of music.

 

The undulants

The Choir Gemshorn and GG-compass Vox Angelica are the source for gentle tone with more slowly tuned undulation. They were well-made pipes that the church already owned, and with revoicing and tonal finishing, they serve well in services of prayer; sacrificed were the likes of an English Horn and a bit more Choir independence, both of which had been on the “wish list.” By contrast, the Swell strings are authentically brilliant, cutting, shimmering, and unapologetically orchestral, taking the vibrantly tuned undulant all the way down to 8′ CC. This type of tone, desired and characteristic during the fourth quarter of the 19th century and well into the last, is vital to the performance of the literature and should not be diluted.

 

The three reed stops

The reed allotment challenge in a small organ is one of both color and pitch. The three historically primary colors (Trumpet, Clarinet, Oboe), and relative unison pitches (8′ for the manuals, 16′ for the pedal) jockey for position, and the balance tips inevitably when one is limited to a single rank of Trumpets that is hoped might fulfill the needs of the Great, Swell, and Pedal departments. The dilemma of rationed budget and space is not new, and Americans have faced it for decades. It is for this reason that I chose to place the organ’s three reed stops on individual electro-pneumatic valve actions and present a candid acknowledgement of the available assets. Tonal directors choose sleights of scaling and make accommodation in the voicing so that musicians might take their cues from the resulting resources. If the conservative builder or designer chooses not to sustain the compromise, the clients and their successors must manage without. 

Carrying the chorus reed burden of the entire organ, the Mayflower Trumpet is large, bold, brilliant, and must be handled with care. Fortunately, it could be scaled and voiced with abandon as it descends into the Pedal 16′ Trombone extension where it needs not serve two masters. Part of the rank’s success is that it grows toward the bass in the French tradition, and there is no 4′ Clarion extension to pierce and fragment the grandeur.

The Swell 8′ Oboe d’Amore, extended to 16′ as the Bassoon, is firm, full, and warm, avoiding nasal tone in favor of a plump, round voice that is essential to the fonds d’huit. The richness achieved with full-length resonators facilitates blend when introducing milder reed tone into ensembles for textural buildup or choral accompaniment. In the American tradition of the last century, it is duplexed into the Pedal at 16′ and 8′ pitch. 

The Choir 8′ Clarinet makes no concessions, free to be gutsy, woody, and forthrightly characteristic. Highly identifiable to the “non-organ” ear (the target audience of the future?), the evocative, orchestral style of Clarinet fulfills the needs of both the solo and anthem literature in lieu of a caricature voice that might elicit questions of taste or judgment. The Clarinet is made available in the enclosed Great II section so that it can be accompanied by stops from its own department, and appears in the Pedal as a cantus firmus voice.

 

The 32′ stops

The new acoustic at Mayflower could support gently balanced 32′ tone, but there was no available space for the pipes. Resultant basses almost never work effectively in American organs, although they appear to be standard equipment, false hope in the form of a switch. They succeed in brief ranges, with certain scales, and with pipes of particular tonalities, but only if carefully placed in relationship to their neighbors and to the physical structure that houses them. The failure rate is compounded by the assumption that any stopped flute will suffice and that physics will intuitively provide a musical effect. Fortunately, the Mayflower 16′ Sub Bass is of the scale, cutup, voicing, and positioning that it produces an unobtrusive and pervading 32′ tone without muddying the waters.

Now that weight had been achieved, something unusual had to be introduced. What would prove to be most interesting? Resultant 32′ Dulcianas date back at least to Hilborne Roosevelt’s 1879–1883 double organ at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Long Island City. The concept resurfaced in 1922 in Casavant’s tonal recasting of the 1902 Hook & Hastings built for Temple Beth-El in Detroit, but the Mayflower 16′ open metal proved too incisive and exposed to achieve such an effect with the desired subtlety, so I opted for a hint of spectacle. Cavaillé-Coll’s 1880 organ for La Cathédrale Saint Croix in Orléans sports a clamorous 102⁄3′ Bombarde, breaking to 32′ at C13, labeled Contre Bombarde. While such noise would be utterly inappropriate at Mayflower UCC, the transfer of this effect to the Bassoon is telling but unobtrusive.

 

The console

The keydesk was inspired by the Aeolian organs for the homes of the aristocracy during the nation’s Progressive Era, and further informed by later Hook & Hastings consoles. The balanced tablets on side jambs permit the musician to “read” the specification quickly and clearly; each field of stop controls is in the same location that it would be if drawknobs had been used. It glides less than half an inch above the floor with the gentle push of a hand as it is repositioned for its many uses in association with Mayflower’s ministries. As with all Glück consoles, it is equipped with a high-capacity combination action, MIDI interface, and record and playback capabilities, yet the clutter of gadgetry is kept to a tasteful minimum.

 

The visual design

When developing organ cases, I call upon my university training as a preservation architect to develop visual statements that take their cues from their surroundings. Ornamentally and proportionally, this firm’s new instruments appear as though they had always been in the buildings they serve. A relaxed presence and æsthetic harmony are achieved through the use of sympathetic materials and elegantly adapted details that are meaningful to the community. The classical arcuated pediment of the central window, the visual focus of the church since its construction in 1957, served as my guide. Where there were once two blank, sheer walls now stands a pair of pendant cases that echo the ceiling vault and the central window in order to accommodate the unenclosed Great I and Pedal Contra Bass.

 

Putting it all together

Pipe organs are made real by teams of people, and this firm’s lean business model benefits from collegial cooperation. The staff at Glück Pipe Organs, including Joseph DiSalle, Albert Jensen-Moulton (general manager), and Robert Rast (chief technician), was supplemented by students from the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma and volunteers from Mayflower Congregational Church during the removal of the church’s original pipe organ and the installation of the new one. Along with the trusted American suppliers with whom this firm has worked for over a quarter of a century, they liberated me to focus upon the design, scaling, voicing, and tonal finishing, with a view toward the artistic and musical outcome.

Scott Riedel, working with both Glück Pipe Organs and Steve Matthews, principal and project manager at Architectural Design Group, made it clear that consultants do not choose pipe organ builders, but guide institutions toward educated decisions—not hopeful guesses. The joy with which this project came together is heard in the sound of the pipes, and we are thankful to have been chosen by this growing church, educational center, and outreaching community unique in Oklahoma City.

 

Videos and compact discs

A short documentary on the Mayflower organ, a time-lapse film of its installation, and videos of other recent Glück pipe organs may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gluck PipeOrgans/videos. Four compact discs are available of Glück organs directly from the builder’s website: http://www.gluckpipeorgans.com.

—Sebastian Matthäus Glück

 

Cover photo by Robert Rast.

All other photographs are by Sebastian M. Glück, unless otherwise noted.

 

Glück Pipe Organs, Opus 14

 

GREAT I – Manual II,

unenclosed

8′ Open Diapason 50% tin

8′ Holz Gedeckt pine

4′ Principal 50% tin

2′ Fifteenth 50% tin

Chorus Mixture IV 50% tin

C 1 19 22 26 29

A#11 15 19 22 26

G#21 12 15 19 22

F#31 8 12 15 19

E41 1 8 12 15

G#57 1 8

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

Chimes

Great I Silent

GREAT II – Manual II,
enclosed with Choir

16′ Bourdon* mahogany

8′ Harmonic Flute (Choir)

    C1–B12 from 16′ Bourdon

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Vox Angelica (Choir)

4′ Nason Flute (ext, Bourdon)

8′ Clarinet (Choir)

Tremulant (duplicate control)

4′ Great II to Great

CHOIR – Manual I, enclosed

8′ Solo Diapason* (Pedal 8′ Princ)

8′ Bourdon* (ext)

8′ Gemshorn* 50% tin

8′ Vox Angelica* 50% tin

4′ Gemshorn* (ext)

4′ Harmonic Flute pine

2′ Principal* (ext, Ped 8′ Princ)

2′ Recorder* (ext, Bourdon)

1′ Fife* (ext, Gemshorn)

8′ Clarinet 30% tin

Tremulant

Chimes (25 tubes)

Zimbelstern (unenclosed with Gt I)

16′ Choir to Choir

Choir Silent

4′ Choir to Choir

 

SWELL – Manual III, enclosed

8′ Viole de Gambe (slotted) 90% tin

8′ Voix Céleste (slotted) 90% tin

8′ Stopped Diapason pine

4′ Principal 50% tin

4′ Chimney Flute 50% tin

22⁄3′ Nazard 50% tin

2′ Piccolo 50% tin

13⁄5′ Tierce (breaks to 4′ at F54) 50% tin

Mixture IV 50% tin

C 1 19 22 26 29

C13 15 19 22 26

C25 12 15 19 22

C37 8 12 15 19

A46 1 8 12 15

G#57 1 8

16′ Bassoon (ext) 30% tin

8′ Trumpet 30% tin

8′ Oboe d’Amore 30% tin

Tremulant

16′ Swell to Swell

Swell Silent

4′ Swell to Swell

 

PEDAL – enclosed except for 16′ Contra Bass

32′ Infrabass§

16′ Contra Bass† (ext) zinc

16′ Sub Bass pine

16′ Bourdon (Great)

8′ Principal* 50% tin

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Bourdon (Great)

4′ Fifteenth* (ext) 

4′ Flute (Great)

2′ Choral Bass* (ext)

32′ Contrabassoon§§

16′ Trombone (ext) zinc

16′ Bassoon (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Bassoon (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

Chimes

 

* Four ranks of pipes revoiced from the original organ

† C1 through G8 with Haskell re-entrant tubes, extension of Great 8′ Open Diapason

§ C1–B12 resultant from Sub Bass; 32′ Sub Bass at C13

§§ C1–B12 resultant from Bassoon; 32′ Bassoon at C13

Interdivisional Couplers

8′ Great I to Pedal

8′ Swell to Pedal

8′ Choir to Pedal

 

16′ Swell to Great

8′ Swell to Great

4′ Swell to Great

16′ Choir to Great

8′ Choir to Great

4′ Choir to Great

 

8′ Great II to Swell

8′ Swell to Choir

8′ Great and Choir Reversed

Wind pressures

Pedal Trombone and Swell: 5 inches

Remainder of the organ: 4 inches

Orgues Létourneau Limitée, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec

Opus 125

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Orgues Létourneau Limitée, 

Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec

Opus 125

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,

Murfreesboro, Tennessee 

 

From the builder

Whether organbuilder or organist, most of us savor the process of planning for a grand instrument with four or five manuals, multiple 32′ stops, and an extravagant Solo division on heavy wind. But such projects are rare; the development of more modest instruments is undoubtedly a greater exercise of an organ builder’s creativity. Pipe organs should be flexible and colorful no matter what their size; playing even the smallest instruments—and listening to them—should always be a rewarding experience.

Each Létourneau instrument is carefully planned to sit comfortably within its surroundings, not just in terms of its physical size but also in the organ’s tonal inclinations. The pipe organ must be a powerful and expressive tool in the church’s music ministry, so it is hardly unusual to develop and later tweak an organ’s specification to a denominational liturgy or a specific repertoire the organ needs to serve. The instrument at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is an example of these sentiments in practice, with the result that our Opus 125, a small but uncommonly capable pipe organ, fits seamlessly into its new home.

From our first meetings with the organ committee at St. Paul’s, it was clear this dynamic group put a high value on music and quality. The parish itself observed consistent growth throughout the twentieth century and the church’s facilities expanded commensurately, culminating in the dedication of a new sanctuary in 2002 with seating for 300 people. For the sanctuary’s opening, the parish’s aging M. P. Möller unit organ was relocated, though it was clear this was a stopgap solution. The little Möller was out of its depth, and as the church’s organ committee recognized, it needed to be replaced with a larger instrument properly scaled for the worship space.

Sitting in an apse-like space at the front of the sanctuary, the new organ’s casework was designed to complement the surrounding architecture and furnishings, while displaying some influences from the organ cases of Hook & Hastings. The polished tin façade pipes are taken from the bass of the Great 16′ Violonbass in the central flat, while the basses of the Great and Pedal 8′ principals fill in the outer two flats. The instrument is located immediately behind the church’s choir, and one of our goals with the organ’s internal layout was to keep as much of the organ above impost level as possible. Not only does this help the organ project sound unimpeded down the nave, but it equally spares the choir from exposure to excessive decibels.

The Swell division is centered behind the façade where it addresses the room fully; the individual swell shades are 13⁄4 inches thick, and, coupled to a responsive mechanism, the Swell offers a tremendous dynamic range. The lowest octave of the 16′ Bassoon is sited at ground level underneath the Swell, but its full-length resonators rise up such that the pipes speak into the Swell box. Meanwhile, the Great division is divided into two chests—C and C# sides—on either side of the Swell, where its elevated position and the Swell sidewalls actively direct sound down the nave. Like the Swell 16′ Bassoon, the Great 8′ Trompette’s Pedal extension, the 16′ Trombone, features full-length resonators for superior tone.

As with the parish itself, it was a joy to get to know and work with the church’s director of music, Angela Tipps. A student of the legendary Dr. Wilma Jensen, Angela is Professor of Organ at Middle Tennessee State University and is the founding director of the acclaimed Nashville Chamber Singers. Our discussions focused on how we could extract maximum flexibility out of a small instrument, and a collective decision was made early on to build the organ with electro-pneumatic windchests. This cleared the way for the limited number of borrowings and extensions between and within divisions respectively.

The result of our discussions is a stop-list with a wide variety of foundation tone ranging from the delicate Swell 8′ Bourdon to the keen Swell strings to the rich Great 8′ Open Diapason. Out of 23 ranks in the manuals, some 13 ranks play at 8′ or 4′ pitches. Both manual divisions have mild 16′ flue stops that are duplexed to the Pedal; the Swell 16′ Bourdon has a particularly gentle and effective character. The presence of two 8′ trumpet stops in the specification permits a choice in dynamic and color, with the bolder Great 8′ Trompette living up to its French nomenclature. The Pedal division is relatively modest, but with a number of intelligently borrowed stops and elegant balancing between the ranks, there is always more than one choice to balance the manual registrations. Equally, the Pedal’s traditionally dominant role in tutti combinations is pleasingly fulfilled.

The organ is played from a two-manual console, with terraced stopjambs that combine a comfortable playing position with excellent visibility. The console is built with a rigid internal structure and casters to enable mobility within the church’s chancel area. It features a complete system of divisional and general pistons with 256 levels of memory and a general piston sequencer.

No successful organ project is the product of one person or one company, and Opus 125 was no exception. We were assisted at every turn by the good people of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and we would be remiss if we did not single some of them out for thanks. Ed Rogers was a key member of the organ committee and did much of the research and stoplist evaluations that led to us being a frontrunner in their selection process. George Carlson graciously volunteered hours of his time to serve as our man on the ground in Murfreesboro, and we know the organ’s installation was accomplished in record time in no small part due to his tireless coordination. Vestry member and choir member Wendi Watts was another tremendous supporter of the St. Paul’s organ project, whose steadfast resolve to see it through was an inspiration to all of us. Finally, the Rev. Polk Van Zandt listened to the church musicians’ and parishioners’ hopes for a new instrument to enhance worship and to provide new ministry opportunities. Without his invaluable support, the campaign for the new organ would never have been achieved so readily or in such a short period of time.

In closing, organists and organbuilders alike get periodically swept up in emphasizing the number of stops or ranks in a pipe organ rather than the instrument’s essential musical character. Like our clients, we are pleased that our pipe organ for St. Paul’s Church has proved to be as flexible and colorful as anyone could hope. Opus 125 stands as a testament to the faith and vision of St. Paul’s parish; we are collectively delighted that this instrument has so quickly established itself as a key component in St. Paul’s music ministry.

—Fernand Létourneau, President

—Andrew Forrest, Artistic Director

—Dudley Oakes, Vice President for Sales

Orgues Létourneau Limitée

From the organist/director of music

Opus 125’s story began more than ten years ago, when the parish of St. Paul’s built a new worship space. The congregation had outgrown what is now our chapel, and a lovely nave with excellent acoustics was completed in 2002. Funds for a new organ were not included in the capital campaign, however, so the six-rank M.P. Möller Artiste from the old worship space was moved into the nave. Needless to say, the instrument simply could not keep up!

When I became the organist and director of music in 2004, the senior warden of our vestry asked what our options were regarding adding to or replacing the current organ. We obtained a proposal from a builder in our state to renovate and augment “Ethel” (as the Möller had now been named by the choir) and even at a very reasonable $150,000, rebuilding Ethel proved too much for the vestry to add to an already tight budget. It seemed as if an organ project of any kind was out of the question.

It was the determination of Ed Rogers, a choir member who is also an experienced organist, who kept the momentum going. He knew exactly what kind of sound I had in my head and set to work to find a good match. Ed spent countless hours listening to examples from builders’ websites and even visiting churches on his own to narrow the field. 

Ed quickly settled on Létourneau as the right builder for St. Paul’s and took several of us to visit the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery near Bardstown, Kentucky; Christ United Methodist Church in Louisville; and Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Each of these instruments was very different, yet just right for their spaces. I fell in love with their common denominators: warm principals and lush strings. 

The parish received some very generous donations to its small organ fund, and this helped the vestry decide to use these donations as seed money for a new instrument rather than simply repair the Möller. Within a matter of months of launching a new pipe organ campaign, the entire amount was pledged—and all this in the worst economy since the Great Depression!

By the end of 2011, the contract was signed and Opus 125 was being built. The excitement was palpable as Andrew Forrest regularly sent pictures of the progress from the shop. Every few weeks the congregation was greeted in the narthex by pictures of its newest member. We were also fortunate to have choir member George Carlson volunteer to serve as project manager. An ex-Marine, ex-engineer, and ex-verger in the Episcopal Church, George was the perfect person to prepare the site for installation.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, the huge truck containing Opus 125 arrived from Canada. More than 50 congregation members met in the parking lot to help unload. After a prayer—in French and in English—everyone from age eight to over 80 carried in those precious pipes. It was a great day in the life of St. Paul’s.

It seems that the instrument was assembled in no time at all, and we all became very attached to Michel, Michel, and Eric from Létourneau. They were very cordial in allowing congregation members to watch, and even let our rector install the last piece! The tremendous care and craftsmanship with which this instrument is built is remarkable: it’s as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. 

The voicing process completely amazed me. The skill and tenaciousness of the voicers to get just the right sound is what makes Opus 125 such a wonderful instrument. With only 26 ranks, certain stops had to play dual roles: the Great 8′ Open Diapason had to serve as a solo stop as well as the foundation of the principal chorus. Likewise, the Swell 8′ Oboe had to be used as a solo stop as well as a light ensemble reed for choral accompanying. To me, that is the beauty of this instrument: each stop maintains its own character while still being part of an ensemble sound. 

It has been a whirlwind year for St. Paul’s. From the dedication service with Bishop John Bauerschmidt celebrating the Eucharist and my teacher Wilma Jensen accompanying the anthems, to a Nashville AGO program for organ and instruments featuring my colleagues from Middle Tennessee State University, to the dedication recital by Sewanee’s Dr. Robert Delcamp—all have been well-received by our parish and community. We even hosted two organ crawls for children: one on the eve of the dedication service for the families of our parish, and another during the school year for our Cub Scout pack. To the people of St. Paul’s, the installation of Opus 125 completes the vision of the “new” nave of 2002.

From the beginning, I wanted an organ that could do three things: lead congregational singing, accompany choral anthems, and play a wide variety of solo organ repertoire. The Létourneau team accomplished all three goals, with only 26 ranks. As Wilma Jensen said when she was preparing to assist with the dedication service, “This is a very flexible instrument, which should accommodate the many needs of the Episcopal liturgy quite well.” Of course, she is absolutely right; I could not have asked for better variety or a more versatile instrument. Colleagues who play Opus 125 consistently mention the lush strings, the soaring flutes, and the warm 8′ principal around which the organ is built: all the sounds I fell in love with many years ago. 

—Angela Tipps

Organist and Director of Music

 

Cover and page 26 photos by Fant Smith; other photos by Kenneth Stein,
www.photosbystein.com

 

Orgues Létourneau Limitée, Opus 125 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

 

GREAT (85mm wind)

16′ Violonbass 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Spindle Flute

  (C1–B24 wood) 61 pipes

8′ Violoncello 12 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Open Flute 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture II–IV 213 pipes

22⁄3′ Cornet III (F18 to F54) 111 pipes

8′’ Trompette 66 pipes

SWELL (expressive, 80mm wind)

16′ Bourdon (wood) 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (from G8) 54 pipes

8′ Bourdon 12 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Traverse Flute (harmonic) 61 pipes

2′ Octavin (harmonic) 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

16′ Bassoon-Oboe (full length) 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet 66 pipes

8′ Oboe 12 pipes

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived from 16′ Subbass

  and 16′ Bourdon)

16′ Subbass   (wood, 100mm wind) 32 pipes

16′ Violonbass (Gt)

16′ Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Principal (100mm wind) 32 pipes

8′ Violoncello (Gt)

8′ Bass Flute (from Subbass) 12 pipes

4′ Choral Bass (85mm wind) 32 pipes

16′ Trombone (from Gt 8′ Trompette, 

  full length) 12 pipes

16′ Bassoon-Oboe (Sw)

8′ Trompette (Gt)

 

Full complement of inter- and intramanual couplers

Electro-pneumatic windchests

 

21 independent stops

26 ranks

1,459 pipes

Taylor and Boody Organbuilders Staunton, Virginia

Opus 70, 2015

Virginia Theological Seminary Alexandria, Virginia

 

Virginia Theological Seminary and the Organ

It is often said, “No one ever leaves a church humming the words of the sermon.” Music in congregational worship is vitally important. The experience of worship is for many people linked with their experience of the music. So when Virginia Theological Seminary lost its 1881 chapel to fire in 2010, the board gave the administration a clear instruction—to build a new chapel that was perfect for music.

For the new Immanuel Chapel, Robert A. M. Stern Architects and acoustician Jaffe Holden (with acoustics reviewed by Robert Mahoney) produced a worship space that has a rich, vibrant acoustic. From the thick walls, heavy doors, and a heating and cooling system that is silent, the seminary made experience of sound a priority. Now we needed an organ to fit this perfect space for music. 

Although we made sure that this chapel can work for informal music and for unaccompanied singing, we always knew we needed an organ. The organ remains the most dependable instrument to accompany congregational singing; even the nine-foot grand piano is drowned out when you have a seminary congregation of people who know the hymns and love to sing. And we were not even tempted by the electronic alternative. We wanted a traditional pipe organ in this chapel.

Taylor and Boody both appreciate the majesty of the pipe organ and its flexibility. They were ready to work with a demanding client. And the result is exceptional. The case is made from the two great white oaks that had to be cut down to allow the chapel to emerge. It is visually striking in its simplicity. And Taylor and Boody worked hard to create an instrument that can play the full spectrum of music needed in the Anglican tradition. The result is extraordinary. One cannot help but have one’s heart lifted by the sound of an instrument so beautiful, so resonant, and so powerful.

There is nothing ephemeral about this chapel. The last organ served the seminary over a century; this organ will—God willing—be serving the seminary for centuries to come. 

—The Very Reverend Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.

Dean and President, 

Virginia Theological Seminary

 

The Mission of Liturgical Music and the Virginia Theological Seminary

When Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal) lost its 1881 chapel in a tragic fire in October of 2010, the tracker organ was also destroyed. In addition to the seminary community, the chapel and organ were also used by a neighboring Episcopal parish, Immanuel Church on the Hill, with whom the seminary has a long and intimate connection. One parishioner had worshipped in this chapel for over seventy years. Both communities felt keenly the loss of the chapel, if not the organ. 

Built by Adam Stein of Baltimore in 1900, this organ might be described as serviceable but not beloved. It was small, difficult to manage, and offered a limited tonal palette. Nonetheless, during its 110 years the Adam Stein led thousands of services, faithfully ushering people into prayer. I asked our director of buildings and grounds if there was any other piece of equipment of any kind on the campus that was still in daily use after 110 years. He could think of none. And so, while we didn’t mourn the loss of this organ in the same way we did the small, charming Victorian chapel, still we gave thanks for its extraordinary length of service. 

It is a rare opportunity to commission an organ for a new building, giving architect and organbuilders a chance to meet, to gain respect for each other, and to develop synergy. Though I have been involved in three new organ commissions in my career, this is the first for a new worship space. While the concerns of architects and organbuilders intersect, even overlap, they come to the drawing board from completely different perspectives. A working relationship needed to develop over time, and there were some surprises. The project managers, for example, were continually alarmed at the time, attention, and expense we devoted to acoustics. They soon perceived that music is a core value for this community.

Singing is at the heart of Anglican worship. We therefore needed an instrument that supports and encourages the human voice. Seminarians are passionate about their faith, and this is heard in their robust singing, thus we also required an instrument that could sing. While we looked at a number of superb builders, we were impressed by the impeccable craft of Taylor and Boody, who, not unlike medieval artisans, begin with the raw, basic materials, and build an instrument slowly, individually, and by hand. The result is visually and tonally an impressive work of art.

Musicians often say of Taylor and Boody Opus 70 that each individual voice has its own discrete character, and that the voices combine to create ensemble sounds of rare beauty. What could be better? We are delighted with the results of our collaboration, and our dedication to these builders is even stronger now than when we selected them. 

The consecration of the chapel and the organ on October 13 will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. We look forward to many years with this magnificent instrument, continually discovering its many qualities, but, more important for our purposes, being powerfully led by the organ into prayer, as new leaders are formed for the future Church. Soli Deo Gloria.

—The Reverend William Bradley Roberts, D.M.A., Professor of Church Music and Director of Chapel Music

 

The Building of Taylor and Boody Opus 70 for the Virginia Theological Seminary

Psalm 11:6. Fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Two powerful events at the Virginia Theological Seminary conspired to bring to life a new chapel and a new pipe organ: the tragic destruction of the 1881 seminary chapel by an accidental fire in October of 2010 and the destruction wrought in the mid-Atlantic region by a freak summer derecho windstorm on June 29, 2012. The fire spurred the creation and building of a new, elegant, and powerful worship space that bears witness to the dedication of the Virginia Theological Seminary to worship arts and liturgy. The windstorm felled over 20 of the old-growth white oak trees that graced the seminary campus, some of which were eventually incorporated into a new organ for the chapel. 

Prior to the fire, Taylor and Boody had already met with a renovation committee to see what could be done to update and improve the 110-year-old Adam Stein organ. We were already acquainted with the Virginia Theological Seminary leadership and had been talking about a new organ for the chapel. Following the fire, an organ committee was formed, composed of Jason Abel, musician at Christ Church, Alexandria, and assistant chapel musician at VTS; Scott Dettra, consultant, organist at Washington National Cathedral [now at Church of the Incarnation, Dallas]; Ray Glover, consultant, professor of church music emeritus, editor of The Hymnal 1982; Barney Hawkins, professor of pastoral theology and associate dean; Lloyd A. (Tony) Lewis, professor of New Testament [now emeritus] (and assisting clergy at St. Paul’s, K Street); William Bradley Roberts, professor of church music, director of chapel music, committee chair; Thomas Smith, musician at Redeemer, Bethesda [now musician at Christ Church, Georgetown, Washington], and assistant chapel musician at VTS; and Heather Zdancewicz, vice president for administration and finance. This committee worked diligently, considering several builders and visiting many instruments. We were pleased to have been chosen to build the organ for this important and influential Episcopal seminary. The connections seem to fit together. We are a Virginia organbuilder who could take on this important commission. There was also an historic connection between Staunton, Virginia, and the seminary. After the fall of Alexandria at the beginning of the Civil War, the seminary moved for a time to Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia, home church of George Taylor and John Boody.

Over the years, Taylor and Boody have worked together with many architects and acousticians to design and build worship spaces and concert halls. This is one of the things that we do best, but our experience at the Virginia Theological Seminary was unique. We were teamed with Robert A. M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) of New York, New York, a 300-person giant of a firm with hundreds of projects to their credit, including: 15 Central Park West, New York City; Tour Carpe Diem, Paris, France; the George W. Bush Presidential Library; the Comcast Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Disney Beach Club Resort, Orlando, Florida. They had, however, relatively little experience in liturgical buildings. Fortunately, the chapel building committee at VTS, led by the Very Reverend Dean Ian S. Markham and the Reverend J. Barney Hawkins IV, assisted by a well-informed committee from the seminary faculty and staff, had a very clear idea of what they wanted. The creative power of the RAMSA team led by Robert A. M. Stern and Grant Marani was harnessed to bring those concepts to life in a refined building plan. There were times when the organbuilders and musicians had to state their requirements clearly, but the end result is a unique and wonderful space that is emblematic of the seminary’s purpose, emphasizing the importance of worship, music, and liturgy in the education of Episcopal priests.

The Immanuel Chapel is a beautifully crafted building. The red brick exterior is not a copy of any building on the VTS campus, but a new creation that harmonizes with the existing historic campus architecture. The RAMSA architects and the builders, Whiting-Turner Contracting of Greenbelt, Maryland, have already won awards for craftsmanship in the chapel’s construction. The building gives the impression of refinement, solidity, and grace that will be enduring. The worship space is in the form of an equal-armed Greek cross with the center defined by a large, circular, black aluminum chandelier. All the furnishings are uniquely designed by the architects and are moveable should the seminary ever want to modify the arrangement. The ceiling is divided into coffers for good sound dispersion. The floor is slate and the walls are hard plaster on concrete block. The acoustic is brilliant in the empty space, toning down to a comfortable and discernible reverberation with full congregation. The air handling is remarkably silent. Mark Holden of Jaffe-Holden was the acoustician, with a peer review done by Bob Mahoney.

The new Opus 70 organ stands 8.3 meters (27 feet) tall at the end of one of the arms of the cross. The case is solid quarter-sawn white oak finished with a clear matte-finish water-based lacquer. The 80% burnished tin Open Diapason 16′ from low F is en façade. The shape of the case is classical but restrained in complexity of moldings and decoration, allowing the organ to be at home in this clean, contemporary space. The effect is powerful and compelling, letting the worshiper know that music is important to the seminary. 

The Great organ is at the impost level. The Swell box, made of heavy wood, is in the center, above the Great. The Swell pipes are in major thirds, with the treble pipes in the front. The Swell reeds are placed at both ends of the channels so that tuning can be done from both sides of the box. The Swell shutters are mechanically operated and are on three sides of the box. This makes for a dramatic crescendo and refined control of the Swell sound. The Pedal is on two chests at floor level behind the organ. It speaks directly through tracery grilles on both sides of the lower case and also into the ambulatory that is connected to the chapel acoustic. 

The key action is mechanical tracker with the tracker runs done in rectangular carbon fiber 4mm x .6mm. Of all the modern materials that have been used for trackers, carbon fiber is, by far, the best. The carbon fibers are extruded through a die and embedded in epoxy. It comes on a roll a mile long. When the material is taken off the roll, it is perfectly straight and extremely rigid. This reduces the number of guides and hence friction. It is nearly impossible to break and impervious to moisture. The roller boards are made of 3/8-inch square solid aluminum rollers with black walnut bearings. The key levers are thermally treated poplar, which has great stability. All these things together make for a key action that is crisp, precise, and responsive. We do like some mass in the key action, so we make the pallet valves out of white oak. The key coverings are polished cow bone and the sharps are Gabon ebony. The stop action control is by electric solenoids with a combination action by Solid State Organ Systems using Harris drawstops with engraved knobs.

The slider windchests are all solid wood with yellow poplar grids, quarter-sawn yellow poplar sliders, Western red cedar tables 6 mm thick, Eastern white pine toeboards, and quartered white oak pipe racks. The pipe racking was done in a traditional manner with red-hot burning irons fitting the pipes to the racks. This leaves a ring of inert charcoal in contact with the lead-tin alloy pipes. All the pipes were made in the Taylor and Boody workshop of lead-tin alloys. All pipes were hammered with our 50-lb. pneumatic foundry hammer with the exception of the front pipes, which were hand scraped and polished.

The chance to use the 20 white oak trees downed in the derecho and acquiring the logs from the three large oak trees that were removed from the site of the chapel construction was one we could not pass up. We have always been interested in whole-tree utilization. Other Taylor and Boody instruments such as Opus 27 for St. Thomas Fifth Avenue, New York City, have been built from a group of trees harvested in one location. In commercial timbering, the very best logs go for veneer and we never see them. The middle grade are used for saw logs, but usually only for flat-cut boards cut around the outside of the logs. The top logs are used for industrial lumber building timbers and railroad ties. In historic European organs, because the labor-intensive cutting, transportation, and preparation of timber made the wood so valuable, the whole tree was used. There was a hierarchy of use so the best wood went into the pipes, keys, and windchests. Lesser quality was used for the case and carvings, and the lowest for the timbers and supports.

We took these logs, some up to 30 inches in diameter, and split them down the center with a 60-inch chainsaw. The half logs were then placed on our band sawmill at 45 degrees and most of the cutting was done in a radial fashion to produce the maximum amount of lumber with the year rings oriented in vertical or quarter-sawn direction. This lumber is the most stable, dries without defect, and in oak produces the beautiful flake grain pattern that we so cherish. We air-dried the wood on our yard for about a year and then finished off the drying in our dehumidification dry kiln. The results were well worth the effort. This also provides environmental economy and a connection to the saints of VTS who walked beneath those ancient trees.

What kind of organ is appropriate for a seminary? In many of our projects Taylor and Boody has used historic models in the North European style for our projects. Our Opus 65 project at Grace Church, New York City, was a departure from this Schnitger model. Particularly in the construction of the swell boxes and the voicing of the enclosed divisions, the Grace Church organ taught us how effective these divisions can be for choral accompaniment. In the development of the VTS organ we knew that this type of organ would serve the Episcopal seminary well. Coupled with this wide range of expression in the Swell organ, we wanted the Great and Pedal to retain the power and vocal qualities essential to good hymn singing. In the words of Aaron Reichert, who along with Christopher Bono voiced the organ:

 

Should not the organ sing with as good a vowel as one asks of their choir? The balance of the organ is based on, and in direct relationship with, the fervor with which the VTS community sings. Each division can accompany the other, a soloist, a choir, an orchestra, a congregation, or all combined; coincidentally, being so versatile in accompaniment makes the organ quite a good soloist as well.

 

The two-manual specification of 34 stops allows for a balanced chorus on each division. There are two mixtures and five manual reeds, giving the organ sufficient power to accompany the robust singing of the seminary congregation. There is also a good complement of string stops: a Salicional on the Great, and Gamba, Celeste, and 4′ Salicet in the Swell, makings for a string chorus. It is useful that both the Great and Swell have Trumpets and solo reeds, the Oboe in English style, and a sweet Clarionet on the Great. The Pedal Open Diapason 16′, which is transmitted from the Great, is quite round and full, having full-length wooden basses. A large-scaled 102⁄3′ Quint Bass gives a synthetic 32′ for a convincing pedal point for English choral music. 

This instrument has already proven to be a stimulant to the musicians at VTS. There is often a student or visiting organist learning, discussing, and enjoying the organ. As Bill Roberts said in the mission statement for the organ search: “Procuring a fine organ will enrich the worship life of the community for years to come. It will contribute to the formation of young women and men who are being trained to lead the Church, modeling the power of music to transform lives and bring worshippers into the presence of God.” We also as organ builders believe this and we are honored to have been able to contribute to this landmark project. Soli Deo Gloria.

—George K. Taylor and John H. Boody

 

Opus 70—The Builders 

George Taylor, John Boody, Larry Damico, Emerson Willard, Christopher Bono, Kelley Blanton, Robbie Lawson, Thomas Karaffa, Robert Harris, Erik Boody, Aaron Reichert, Bobbi J. Regi, Katina Lawson, Alessio Giacobone, Christopher Witmer, Jenna Dennison, Chris Peterson, Steven Jett.

Chapel design by Robert A. M. Stern Architects New York, New York.

Design Partner: Grant F. Marani. Senior Associates: Rosa Maria Colina, Charles Toothill. Associates: Esther Park, David Pearson, Leticia Wouk-Almino. Team: James Brackenhoff, Kevin Kelly, Marc Leverant, Marissa Looby, Katie Casanta Rasmussen, Frank Stevens, Mark Talbot, Jessie Turnbull, Chriska Wong.

Landscape Architect: Michael Vergason Landscape Architects. Liturgical Consultant: Terry Byrd Eason Design.

 

Inaugural Year Events 

November 6, 2015, 7:30 p.m., Scott Dettra, dedicatory organ concert  

January 10, 2016, 4 p.m., Janet Yieh

March 18, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Marilyn Keiser

April 22, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Dorothy Papadakos accompanies the silent movie, “Hunchback of Notre Dame”

 

Photo credit: Robbie Lawson