Cover Feature

Part 2: First United Methodist Church & First Congregational Church

Stephen Schnurr is director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, and editor-at-large for The Diapason. His most recent book, Organs of Oberlin, was published in 2013 by Chauncey Park Press (www.organsofoberlin.com). He has authored several other books and journal articles, principally on pipe organ history in the Great Lakes states.

This article is the continuation of a feature in the August 2015 issue of The Diapason. This article was delivered as a lecture for the Midwinter Pipe Organ Conclave on January 19, 2015, in La Grange, Illinois. The research for this project provides a history of a number of pipe organs in the village, but not all. For instance, organs in residences and theaters are not surveyed. 

First United Methodist Church

The Methodists were first organized in La Grange in 1872, served by clergy who also shepherded congregations at Cass and Lyonsville. Franklin Cossitt, founder of La Grange, donated land for the church. Before construction began, several active persons in the congregation moved away, and the property reverted back to Cossitt. This land was eventually the site of the First Congregational Church.

The Methodists reorganized in 1884. In the first year, church expenses were $216 for the pastor, $52 for hall rental for services, and $10 for missions. A frame school, used by the earlier Methodists, was purchased for $2,000, located on the present site, along with two lots. The renovated structure was dedicated for worship on November 28, 1886. Electric lighting was installed at a cost of $75 in 1892.

Plans for a new church were begun in 1890. In 1892, E. R. Turnock was retained as architect. The earlier church was demolished and work commenced on a new edifice in May of 1893. A portion of the stone Romanesque building was completed for use in November.

The completed sanctuary was dedicated in three services on Sunday, January 6, 1895. The congregation begins its pipe organ history in 1907 with acquisition of Henry Pilcher’s Sons Opus 577, a two-manual, thirteen-rank, nineteen-stop instrument completed in March of that year at a cost of $2,300. Pilcher took the church’s Vocalion organ in partial trade. An addition was made to the building the following year, and another in 1917.

Planning for the present church building began in 1948. The cornerstone of the church of Gothic influence in stone was laid in 1950. Dedication occurred on September 25, 1952. With membership at over 1,550 persons, the congregation added a second Sunday service. A new education building was erected between 1961 and 1963, including a chapel. The sanctuary was renovated to its present configuration in 2012.

For the church’s present edifice,
M. P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland, supplied its Opus 8261, a three-manual, electro-pneumatic action organ. The contract was dated August 7, 1950, with completion set for eleven months, at a cost of $20,096. Henry Beard was the representative for the builder. The organ was dedicated with the church in 1952. Beard’s wife, Maud, sang soprano during the church consecration service. The pipework is installed in a chamber above and to the left of the chancel. Around 1960, the Möller firm added the exposed Positiv division, divided on either side of the chancel. (See First Methodist Church stoplist, page 21.)

First Congregational Church

The First Congregational Church was organized on March 18, 1881. A frame church was erected the following year. Franklin Cossitt, a founder of La Grange, was active in this church as well as Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

The cornerstone of the present building was laid September 10, 1892, for a stone edifice of Romanesque influence. Dedication occurred May 1893. This portion of the building is now known as the Founders’ Room and is the oldest church building in the village. The present sanctuary adjoining the 1893 church was built in 1907. In 1937, this sanctuary was remodeled with the addition of a chancel and a new organ. In 1951, the education building was constructed, which includes the Chapel of the Beatitudes.

The first organ in the church was built by the Verney Organ Company of Mason City, Iowa, and was likely installed around 1907. A contract dated April 24, 1937, was signed by the church for a new organ from
the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Job number 1600 for the builder was to cost $10,000, and parts of the Verney organ were to be reused in the new instrument. The Great and part of the Pedal divisions were located on the right side of the chancel in chambers, the Swell and remainder of the Pedal divisions were located on the left side. The Positiv division was positioned on the rear wall of the chancel, some fifteen feet from the floor. The organ was to be completed by October 1. On July 1 $2,500 was due, and another $2,500 on October 1.

The June 1937 issue of The Diapason had this to say about the unique and forward-thinking planning for this organ:

According to the builders, the design of the organ will do much to solve the problem of divided organs. The chambers are to be located on both sides and above the choir. Both chambers are to be opened up to the nave as well as to the chancel, and to such an extent that the chambers as such will cease to exist. A positiv of eight stops will be placed on the back wall of the chancel, midway between the two chambers. This will take the place of the choir. The pipework of the positiv is to be unenclosed, although it will be hidden from sight of the congregation.

The organ is to be entirely “straight” except for the great quintaton 16 ft., and Posaune, 16’ ft., which are also to be used in the pedal. Four stops of the great and the harp and chimes are to be in a swell-box. The typical great stops will be unenclosed. To augment the regular adjustable combination action, a ventil system is included. This consists of ventil pedals 1-2-3, stop release and cancel. The specification was developed by Cecil Smith, organist and director.

The importance of this organ in the Chicago area may never have been realized. This was one of very few organs by Walter Holtkamp, Sr., in the metropolitan area, perhaps his largest, and an early statement of his forward-thinking work. (See Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling stoplist, page 21.)

In 1957, Frank J. Sauter of Alsip, Illinois, replaced the console with a new one from the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas. In 1977, the organ was sold for $12,500 to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Chicago, for relocation there. There have been some tonal alterations to the organ. Also, it is possible that some slight changes were made to the organ’s specification when under construction at Holtkamp. Perhaps the Pedal 4′ Clarion may have been installed as a Clarinet. The Swell 4′ Oboe Clarion may have always been an 8′ Oboe. Further records are not available in the builder’s archives.

In 1965, the Reuter Organ Company installed an organ in the Chapel of the Beatitudes. The contract for Opus 1477 was dated September 12, 1963, for a two-manual, eight-rank, electro-pneumatic action organ, enclosed except for the Principal and Mixture ranks. The chapel organ was dedicated in recital by Clyde Holloway on March 1, 1965. (See Reuter Opus 1477 stoplist, page 22.)

In August of 1978, The Diapason announced that the church had contracted for a new, two-manual, 32-stop, 47-rank mechanical-action organ from Jan Van Daalen of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organ was to be installed at the front of the church in a free-standing case and to be completed by December. The console is detached and reversed. After the organ was finished, the Brustwerk 8′ Musette was replaced with an 8′ Celeste. (See Van Daalen stoplist, page 22.)

Létourneau Pipe Organs, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada

First Presbyterian Church, 

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

From the Organist

From my position at the organ console, I look up into the faces of the choir and at the impressive façade of the new Létourneau organ directly behind the singers. The pipes soar up to the ceiling with the horizontal pipes of the Festival Trumpet above the heads of the back row of the choir. It is indeed an impressive visual experience and many long-time members of the congregation have said, “Our church finally looks finished.”

Even though the organ is visually impressive, the sound of the organ is even more impressive with its colorful ranks of pipes that can crescendo from a mere whisper to the thunder that one would expect from a great European cathedral organ. I had a sound in my mind I hoped we could make into a reality; Létourneau has given us that sound—and more.

In my opinion, the first requirement of a truly effective church organ is to lead congregational singing. After reading the text of each hymn, I decide how to color what is being sung with appropriate choice of registration. With the variety of sounds from which to choose, even challenging texts can be painted with sounds that reinforce what the poet is trying to say. In so doing, even the less musical singers in the congregation hear and experience greater meaning in what they are singing.

After church recently, a man—who will freely admit to not having a musical bone in his body—approached me to comment about one of the hymns for that day, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. His comment was specifically related to the phrase, “The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him.” He wanted to know how I made the phrase sound so “devilish,” so I introduced him to the 32′ Contre Bombarde in the Pedal division! Even a hymn stanza with a text that relates to angels can benefit by use of the Zimbelstern! When average members of the congregation can be led to a greater understanding of a hymn text by merely hearing a difference in registration, this is a win-win situation for a church musician.

Providing colorful anthem accompaniments is easily done on this organ. With three enclosed divisions, a full registration including reeds and mixtures can be easily tamed so that the choir is not overwhelmed. On the other hand, beautiful solo voices can be used to color and enhance what the choir is singing. The Flugelhorn, Harmonic Flute, Clarinet, Gamba, Fagotto, English Horn, and Oboe can all get a “workout” with a bit of creativity. Simply put, orchestral color is all here. Thomas Trotter used every one of the organ’s orchestral stops while playing his own transcription of Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and his performance brought the audience to its feet at the organ’s inaugural concert on April 8, 2016.

The instrument has not only had overwhelming success on Sundays and in solo organ recitals, but it made a grand statement in a recent concert that I played with the Tuscaloosa Symphony. Works featuring the organ were Handel’s Concerto No. 13 in F Major (“The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”), Albinoni’s Adagio, and Rheinberger’s Concerto in F. With the orchestra in the chancel area and the organ at the opposite end of the church, the enthusiastic audience was literally surrounded by exciting sounds.

Létourneau’s Opus 129 excels not only in hymn playing and anthem accompaniment, but also as an eclectic instrument capable of playing any of the standard organ literature. If one wants to play French eighteenth-century music, all of the necessary stops are present. The Great features two separate Cornets—one being a rare 16′ bass Cornet—while the Choir division contains a third. Even the Pedal division contains the necessary elements for a 32′ Cornet! There is an abundance of reeds at 16′, 8′, and 4′ in the manual divisions while the Pedal includes a 32′ reed and two choruses of reeds at 16′, 8′, and 4′. Clearly, the essential foundation and reed tone for playing the entire French Romantic literature is also available.

It would be fair to say that the only limitation that this organ could have would be in the hands of the person who is playing it. Every sound that one would need to use in church services, weddings, and funerals is here in abundance. A recitalist could not wish for a more expressive or colorful instrument. Someone for whom I have high regard commented recently, “You know, I have always said there was no such thing as an eclectic instrument that could play all of the organ literature. After hearing this organ, I will seriously have to rethink that statement!”

—L. Jeffries Binford, Jr.

From the Builder

Opened in 1922, the present sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church was initially home to a Wurlitzer church organ in two opposing chambers above the chancel. The Wurlitzer was replaced in 1977 with a Casavant Frères pipe organ at the back of the sanctuary. The Casavant with its exposed pipework and minimal casework spoke from a raised platform into the nave through a sizeable central arch with secondary arches on either side. Its stoplist was fashionably Orgelbewegung with one-third of its 49 ranks being mixture stops; its small palette of softer colors limited its success in service playing.

Having formed a committee under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Potts to address the instrument’s shortcomings, the church invited us, among others, to put forward our ideas in 2005. Having visited a number of instruments in the south-eastern United States, the committee was enchanted with our instruments in Hodges Chapel at Samford University in Birmingham and at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. It soon became clear that Létourneau was the committee’s choice as First Presbyterian Church’s future organbuilder.

In 2009, First Presbyterian Church purchased Skinner Organ Company Opus 350 with the intention of redeploying it in the empty chambers above the chancel. Without so much as a 4′ Principal, the Skinner contrasted sharply with the Casavant at the other end of the sanctuary. A 15-rank instrument over three manuals and pedal, its Great was all of one rank—a colossal 8′ Diapason made from zinc and lead—plus five stops duplexed from the Swell. The Swell and Choir’s voices included the Concert Flute, a Flugelhorn, an English Horn, a Clarinet, and two more substantial 8′ diapasons. Later in its life, the Skinner was enlarged through the addition of three ranks made by the Æolian Organ Company: a pair of muted string ranks—today’s Choir 8′ Vox Ætheria II—and an 8′ Vox Humana.

Once the scope of the project had come into focus and various administrative approvals had been received, First Presbyterian Church signed a contract with Létourneau to build a new pipe organ in 2014. The instrument, Létourneau’s Opus 129, would incorporate pipework from the Skinner and Casavant organs as a measure of stewardship and, in the case of the Casavant, as a gesture towards continuity. The project presented an intriguing challenge to us as organbuilders: reuse pipework of vastly different vintages and tonal aesthetics alongside our own materials to provide a uniquely cohesive pipe organ. It was a task we approached with enthusiasm and seriousness in equal measure.

A team from Létourneau brought the Skinner to our workshops from its location in storage in December 2014. Two months later, we dismantled the Casavant organ in Tuscaloosa, and it too came back to St-Hyacinthe. A detailed evaluation of the Skinner, Æolian, and Casavant pipework was then carried out in our pipe shops with final adjustments being made to the organ’s tonal plan. Our experienced pipemakers were invaluable in compiling a detailed inventory of pipework with all the data being annotated in Opus 129’s file. Whether repairing the Skinner’s pipes for another century of service or lengthening the zinc pipes of the Casavant 16′ Prinzipal to produce a 16′ Violonbass, no challenge was too big or too small.

Originally voiced on low wind pressures, the Casavant materials were assimilated into the new tonal plan with some transposition and rescaling. For example, the former Great 8′ Prinzipal rank was reworked to become the Great 4′ Principal after we rescaled the rank four pipes larger (e.g., 8′ G# was cut down to give 4′ C). Likewise, the former Great 16′ Quintaden became the Swell 16′ Quintaton, but the addition of five new bass pipes effectively increased its scale for a fuller, rounder tone. Three Casavant reed stops were reused: the Swell 8′ Oboe, the Choir 8′ Cromorne, and the Pedal 4′ Schalmey. All were revoiced with new shallots and, in the case of the Schalmey, new caps were provided at the tops of the resonators.

Like its predecessor, Opus 129 resides at the back of First Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary. The casework was designed by Claude Demers and is made from richly stained red oak; it displays polished tin pipes from the Pedal 16′ Principal, 8′ Octave, and 4′ Choral Bass as well as the Great 8′ Principal. The horizontal 8′ Festival Trumpet is also prominently arrayed around the central part of the façade. The instrument is divided behind along its center line, with the Choir and Enclosed Great divisions on the lowest level to the left and right, respectively. The Swell division sits on top of the Choir on the left, though the resonators of the Swell 16′ Bombarde and its 32′ Pedal extension are offset so the lower portions of these pipes can stand one level lower within the Enclosed Great. The unenclosed Great division is above the Enclosed Great to the right of the Swell. The Great’s 16′ mutations and their Pedal 32′ extensions are just behind the façade in front of the Enclosed Great division, while the Pedal is divided between the extreme right and left of the instrument. The instrument is winded by two blowers located in a dedicated room beneath the instrument; their motors produce a total of 13 horsepower.

Division by division, the Great 16′ Violonbass and 16′ Bourdon together provide a solid foundation for a 16′ principal chorus while the Bourdon alone serves as the basis for the 16′ cornet décomposé. Meanwhile, the narrower 22⁄3′ Quint and 13⁄5′ Tierce together give a sesquialtera effect, adding spice to the principal chorus or offering another solo possibility. The Enclosed Great can build on its unenclosed counterpart with an array of foundation stops; it can also function as a separate Solo division thanks to transfers to other manuals. On 7 inches wind pressure, some of the Enclosed Great’s unique colors include a pair of flared gambas, a robust English trumpet rank, and two Skinner reeds, the 8′ Flugelhorn and the 8′ English Horn.

The Swell division is as well equipped for liturgical work as for the French Romantic repertoire. The smallest of the Skinner diapasons is the basis for the Swell principal chorus, which builds up to a five-rank Plein jeu mixture. The 8′ Chimney Flute combines with the 4′ Harmonic Flute and 2′ Octavin for a nimble chorus appropriate for the scherzos of Vierne and Duruflé. The Skinner strings’ distinctive warmth gives way smoothly to the two-rank Flute Celeste’s mysterious shimmer, which in turn dissipates into the delicate Æoline. Finally, the Swell’s 16′-8′-4′ trumpet ranks dominate the full Swell; these stops are equipped with dome-headed French shallots throughout and have harmonic trebles.

The Choir offers a number of colors and effects to set off the Swell. The Skinner 8′ Concert Flute is naturally at home here and blooms handsomely as one ascends up the manual. The two-rank Vox Ætheria stop has become a favorite of Jeff Binford for its uncommon blend of delicacy and pungency of tone; its use with the octave coupler is captivating. The full range of flutes and mutations through 1′ within the Choir gives the organ a second cornet décomposé as well as offering possibilities for Italian baroque music. Similar in appearance, the Choir’s two 8′ cylindrical reeds contrast strongly: the smooth Skinner 8′ Clarinet has the expected orchestral quality while the revamped 8′ Cromorne offers fizz and snap in its tone. The new 16′-8′ Fagotto rank is a very mild trumpet stop, which, with the tremulant, is a perfect sonority for Flor Peeters’s Aria.

The Pedal division offers tremendous variety, including a principal chorus from 16′ through mixture and two mutation stops to fill out the 32′ harmonic series. The 32′ Contre Bombarde extension of the Swell 16′ Bombarde has proven itself chameleon-like, slipping in easily under light or heavy registrations and being enclosed, its effect can be moderated with the Swell shades. The generously scaled Pedal 16′-8′-4′ reed sounds on 51⁄2 inches wind, giving the Trombone and the organist’s feet the final word.

Four of the Casavant windchests from 1977 were reused after undergoing the necessary modifications and a thorough restoration in our workshops. Otherwise, the organ’s windchests are all new with pitman-style electro-pneumatic actions. The instrument is played from a three-manual console with all manner of sub-octave, unison, and octave couplers, as well as the divisional transfers for the Enclosed Great division. Other features include 256 levels of memory, a Great-Choir manual transfer, an All Swells to Swell function, and a record-playback function.

Opus 129 stands as a showcase for our abilities in seamlessly incorporating older materials within a new instrument. Its creation—from conception through construction through installation through final voicing—was a process we savored intensely, and we are grateful to First Presbyterian Church for entrusting us with such a complex and rewarding project. The result is an unusually rich musical instrument capable of great power and subtlety, one that will serve worship at First Presbyterian Church for many generations to come. 

—Andrew Forrest, Artistic Director

Fernand Létourneau, President

Dudley Oakes, Project Consultant

GREAT – Manual II – 85mm pressure

16′ Violonbass 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

16′ Bourdon 61 pipes new

8′ Principal 61 pipes new (façade)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

51⁄3′ Gros Nasard 61 pipes new

4′ Octave 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

4′ Open Flute 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

31⁄5′ Grosse Tierce 61 pipes new

22⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes new

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes new

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes new

11⁄3′ Mixture IV–V 288 pipes new

Tremulant

Great 16–Great Unison Off–Great 4

8′ Festival Trumpet 66 pipes new (façade)

Nachtigall

Zimbelstern

ENCLOSED GREAT – Manual II – 180mm pressure

8′ Diapason 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes new, harmonic at a34

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes new

8′ Gamba 61 pipes new, flared

8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes new, flared

8′ Flugelhorn 61 pipes Skinner

8′ English Horn 61 pipes Skinner

16′ Double Trumpet 12 pipes ext 8′ Trumpet

8′ Trumpet 66 pipes new, harmonic at c37

4′ Clarion 24 pipes ext 8′ Trumpet

Tremulant

Chimes 25 tubes

SWELL (enclosed) – Manual III – 95 mm pressure

16′ Quintaton 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

8′ Diapason 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Salicional 61 pipes rescaled Skinner

8′ Voix Celeste 61 pipes rescaled Skinner

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

8′ Æoline 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Flute Celeste II 110 pipes 1st rank: Casavant, 2nd rank: new

4′ Octave 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes rescaled Skinner

2′ Octavin 61 pipes new

2′ Plein jeu III–IV 232 pipes new

16′ Bombarde 61 pipes new

8′ Trompette 66 pipes new, harmonic at f#43

8′ Oboe 61 pipes Casavant with new shallots

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes Æolian

4′ Clairon 78 pipes new, harmonic at f#31

Tremulant

Swell 16–Swell Unison Off–Swell 4

Enclosed Great on Swell

CHOIR (enclosed) – Manual I – 115 mm pressure

16′ Gedeckt 61 pipes Skinner with new bass

8′ Diapason 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes Casavant

8′ Gemshorn Celeste 54 pipes Casavant

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes Casavant

8′ Vox Ætheria II 122 pipes Aeolian, new bass for 2nd rank

4′ Principal 61 pipes rescaled Casavant

4′ Flûte à fuseau 61 pipes Casavant

22⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes Casavant

2′ Flûte à bec 61 pipes Casavant

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes Casavant

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes Casavant

1′ Sifflet 61 pipes new

16′ Fagotto 61 pipes new

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes Skinner

8′ Cromorne 61 pipes Casavant with new shallots

8′ Fagotto 12 pipes ext 16′ Fagotto

Tremulant

Choir 16–Choir Unison Off–Choir 4

8′ Festival Trumpet Great

Harp digital Walker Technical Co.

Celesta digital Walker Technical Co.

Enclosed Great on Choir

PEDAL – 85mm, 95mm, and 140mm pressures

32′ Contra Violone digital Walker Technical Co.

32′ Contra Bourdon digital Walker Technical Co.

16′ Principal 32 pipes new (façade)

16′ Violonbass Great

16′ Subbass 32 pipes Skinner with new bass

16′ Bourdon Great

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt Choir

16′ Quintaton Swell

102⁄3′ Grosse Quinte 12 pipes ext Great 51⁄3′ Gros Nasard

8′ Principal 32 pipes new (façade)

8′ Violoncello Great

8′ Bourdon 32 pipes Skinner

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt Choir

62⁄5′ Grosse Tierce 12 pipes ext Great 31⁄5′ Grosse Tierce

4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes new (façade)

4′ Flute 32 pipes Casavant

22⁄3′ Mixture IV 128 pipes new

32′ Contre Bombarde 12 pipes ext Sw 16′ Bombarde

16′ Trombone 32 pipes new

16′ Trumpet Enclosed Great

16′ Bombarde Swell

16′ Fagotto Choir

8′ Tromba 12 pipes ext 16′ Trombone

8′ Bombarde Swell

4′ Tromba Clarion 12 pipes ext 16′ Trombone

4′ Schalmey 32 pipes Casavant with new shallots

8′ Festival Trumpet Great

Chimes Enclosed Great

Three manuals; 85 total stops; 75 ranks; 4,014 pipes

Great Mixture IV–V

c1 to b12 19 22 26 29

c13 to f18 15 19 22 26

f#19 to f30 12 15 19 22 26

f#31 to f42 8 12 15 19 22

f#43 to d51 5 8 12 15 19

d#52 to c61 1 5 8 12 15

Swell Plein jeu III–IV

c1 to b12 15  19 22

c13 to b36 12 15 19 22

c37 to b48 8 12 15 19

c49 to c61 1 8 12 15

Austin Organ Company, 

Hartford, Connecticut 

Opus 1215

St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Hanover, Pennsylvania

The St. Matthew Lutheran congregation was organized on April 14, 1743. The present granite church building was completed in 1924 and is the fifth structure in which the congregation has worshiped during its long, continuous history. “Hanover, Penn., is the city made famous by Mr. J. Herbert Springer, St. Matthew’s [sic] Lutheran Church, and a grand lady . . . ” (“Organ in St. Matthew’s, Hanover,” The American Organist, October 1937).

Austin Organ Company’s Opus 1215 was born in 1924, installed following the construction of the current church building. It was conceived by J. Herbert Springer, organist of the church and given by Mrs. Clara Glatfelter Moul. The original instrument had a scope of 87 speaking stops and nearly 5,000 pipes. It was dedicated on January 13, 1925. The divisions of the organ were placed in chambers on both sides of the chancel and on both sides of the gallery. Over the years it has been enlarged to the extent that it ranks as the eighth largest pipe organ in the world, depending upon which website one were to consult. The organ currently has 14,470 pipes and 238 ranks of pipes. Wind for this massive instrument is supplied by four blowers which have a total of 37 horsepower. The main blower is located in the basement. The remaining three are located in the bell tower above the Echo chamber, supplying pressures varying from 7 to 20 inches water column.

While the organ was conceived in 1924, it was slightly expanded before the factory construction was complete. In 1929, Mr. Springer saw to it that the organ attracted much attention. He writes: “It is altogether fitting that for the finest rendition of this worshipful service, a great organ should be built, and the donor expressed willingness to make it complete and artistic in every detail.”  

Meanwhile, the organ was beginning to attract attention around the country as it was growing in size. William H. Barnes, in his regular column in The American Organist, “The Organ,” wrote: 

Mr. J. Herbert Springer, in his interesting account of the very large organ in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Hanover, Pa., makes the statement that though the church seats 1,200 people, and their present organ of 5,000 pipes is quite large enough for any use of the church, or for recitals too, for that matter, yet no great work of art was ever created purely from necessity. (The American Organist, October 1930, page 603).

In 1929, about 2,800 pipes were added to the specification. No sooner was this completed than the Echo division was increased from 10 to 21 ranks and a new console was necessary. As the work progressed on these additions a large loft was discovered above the chancel ceiling. The donor was willing to support Mr. Springer’s dream to create a 31-rank Solo division in this chamber. She went a step further and donated funds to cut a significant hole in the area by the Solo chamber roof to install a room that sticks out above the slate roof like an attic dormer (or as some say, an outhouse!). This chamber is home to the 19-rank String division. Following the addition of these 5,000 pipes and the new chambers, the organ was rededicated on December 1, 1931.

Further additions followed in 1934, as by this time, the fine old German organ music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was being rediscovered, appreciated, and played. This intricate, polyphonic music sounded best on an organ of bright, clear tone. The need was felt for still more brilliance in the higher pitched ranks of the organ. There was a new Great Diapason chorus (the new scaling and halving ratios as developed by Austin tonal consultant/director James B. Jamison); also included were new mixtures in both Great and Swell divisions and a brilliant new trumpet for the Swell. Several decades passed without further change to the instrument, although there remained a bequest from the original donor for the completion of Mr. Springer’s plans. In 1959 it became possible to proceed with another stage, an independent Pedal division. This involved the construction of a new chamber beside the Swell divison which would comprise 14 ranks. The Pedal division would speak through the Swell openings. This new section was completed and dedicated in 1964. At this time, the console was returned to the factory for a complete reconstruction. Also, further additions were made to the Solo, including the new Trompette Royale and Orchestral Horn, voiced on 20 inches wind pressure. In 1971, a few more stops were added, bringing the total count to 231 ranks.

During the next generation, the organ received regular maintenance, and in 1988, Mr. Fredericks added a mammoth 198-Bell Maas-Rowe Carillon to the organ. The carillon cost was covered by various memorials and gifts. Maas-Rowe manufactures unique electronic carillons that employ struck metal “miniature bells” to produce an authentic “live bell” sound. The carillon was playable from the console on the Solo and Great manuals plus Pedal, with the sound coming from either the Great or Celestial chambers or both simultaneously. The carillon also played from the church tower either live or from previously recorded files. Apart from a church building renovation with a new pipe façade in 1999, there were no large-scale, capital improvements made to the instrument. 

In 2007, Austin was summoned to Hanover once again to discuss the instrument with minister of music Scott Fredericks. A plan was developed by Mr. Fredericks with assistance from former associate minister of music Karen L. Buckwalter, and a contract was signed in 2011. The scope of the project was somewhat limited, due in part to the size of the instrument. While it would have been an awesome challenge to return the entire instrument back to the factory for complete reconstruction, budget and the church schedule would not permit the organ being completely out of service for what would be a number of years. With these limitations in mind, Austin was charged with replacing all chest actions, repairing various wind leaks, some cleaning and releathering regulators, and various other mechanical repairs and upgrades. Along with that scope of work, Austin built a new drawknob console and entirely replaced the 1920s-period cloth-covered wiring to meet current code compliance. Tonally, various flue and reed stops were returned to the factory for renovation and revoicing. The former Echo division was removed entirely. A new specification was developed and, utilizing some of the original pipework supplemented with new ranks, an Antiphonal division was created. Voiced on 7 inches wind pressure, this division was conceived as an “antiphonal voice” to reassert the Great plenum. It comprises a new principal chorus, from 8′ Principal to Mixture, a flute chorus, three sets of strings and celestes, a brilliant Mounted Cornet, and three reed stops along with an independent Pedal 8′ Principal and 16′ Subbass.

Initially, there was some skepticism over the addition of some digital voices, but after a bit of experimentation, we certainly found justification for their inclusion. For example, the Pedal department is somewhat thin on the “Choir/Great” side of the chancel (incidentally where the console and choir are situated) and the Gallery Pedal was very small. As a result, it was very difficult to achieve a balanced registration. Also, the original organ had a 32′ Bourdon and an ailing 32′ Contra Bombarde. In an instrument of this size, it was reasonable to expect some variety in “sub-sub-bass” dynamic, and so several 32′s were added in the chancel and gallery through the digital medium, along with some additional 16′ and 8′ Pedal stops. The Celestial harp was in need of repair but in light of cost and space issues a digital harp was added to the Celestial and a new Concert Harp was added to the Solo division. Several digital percussions were added including Pedal chimes, a glockenspiel, piano, timpani, cymbal, and bass drum. MIDI voices are available on all keyboards.

There was discussion about the fact that this somewhat large instrument would only have a four-manual console. It was decided with the various floating divisions and for ease of performance, choir loft visibility, and comfort, a four-manual console would be ideal. This sentiment was presupposed in the 1937 TAO article: “Mr. Springer showed exemplary commonsense when he required a four-manual console instead of a five. A five-manual console is excellent as a show-piece for theaters, but it’s an abomination to an organist. That fifth manual is in the way all the time; it throws everything else out of kilter.”

That being said, the organ is perfectly controllable, thanks to modern electronic systems, and guest organists seem to gain the confidence of comfort within a very few minutes seated at the console. Some of this is, in part, due to the very thoughtful layout worked in collaboration between Mr. Fredericks and Austin’s design staff. Every conceivable convenience has been integrated, and as a result, sitting at the console one has the instant sense of comfort, like slipping one’s feet into a well-worn pair of sneakers.

Tonally, the organ does not blow you away. It was never conceived to do that. This instrument was designed primarily as a service instrument. Mr. Springer wrote: “I do not feel that the liturgical service should be pushed aside for a performance . . . We put all our energies into the anthems and liturgy.” As Mr. Fredericks will often assert: “The St. Matthew organ will wrap you in its beauty: It has more variety of beautiful voices than any organ you may ever hear.” And it really is true.

The organ has been dedicated in a number of concerts. The first was presented by Richard Elliott on October 23, 2016, to a capacity audience. This recital was followed by a concert presented by Peter Richard Conte and Andrew Ennis (trumpet/flugelhorn) on November 20, 2016, to a similar audience. Future performances include those by Monte Maxwell, organist and director of chapel music, United States Naval Academy, who will perform April 23 at 4:00 p.m., and The King’s Brass and Tim Zimmerman with Karen Buckwalter on June 4 at 4:00 p.m. These are ticketed events (no charge). For tickets, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to St. Matthew Lutheran Church. See the church website for details: www.stmattlutheran.org.

One final thought comes from that 1937 TAO article: 

The era of struggling to make the organ smaller, smaller, smaller has about passed; and good riddance. A small organ is as poverty stricken as a small orchestra. When our great orchestras begin the process of reducing their forces to a dozen men will be time enough for the organ world to again try to reduce the organ to a dozen ranks.  Hats off, then, to a truly adequate church organ.

•

We are grateful to members of the Austin Organ’s family for their hard work completing this project: To Victor Hoyt, who spent untold hours working on mechanical systems in the organ, assisted by several members of the factory crew, field service folks and friends, including Michael Chiaradia, Colin Coderre, Curtis Hawkes, Arthur Herzog, and Pedro Flores. We also thank Nick Schroeder and Phil Swartz, who spent the entire summer of 2015 working in the church!  Much pipe repair was required and was completed by Stew Skates and Tony Valdez, assisted by John Rivera. Tonal work in the factory and onsite was completed by Dan Kingman, Annie Wysocki, and Mike Fazio. Layout and design executed by Floyd Higgins. Onsite tuning and regulating completed by Mike Fazio, assisted by Michael-James Hart and Ben Boellner. 

Deepest appreciation and admiration goes to Ray Albright and Bruce Coderre, who aside from building the console, coordinated the construction of several new chests and tirelessly worked to complete the mammoth project of rewiring the entire organ, installing thousands of new Austin actions, the control system, many chests, pipes, and parts for months on end. Without their faithful attention to detail, this project would not have had such a successful outcome.

—Michael Brian Fazio

President & Tonal Director

Great Organ –  Manual II

7″ wind pressure

16′ Double Diapason 61

16′ Bourdon 85

8′ First Diapason 61

8′ Second Diapason 61

8′ Harmonic Flute 61

8′ Clarabella 61

8′ Stopped Flute (ext Bourdon)

8′ Violon Cello 61

8′ Gemshorn 61

8′ Gemshorn Celeste 61

51⁄3′ Quint 61

4′ Principal 61

4′ Octave 61

4′ Flute Ouverte 61

4′ Lieblichflöte (ext Bourdon)

31⁄5′ Tenth 61

22⁄3′ Twelfth 61

2′ Superoctave 61

2′ Waldflöte 61

13⁄5′ Seventeenth 61

IV–VI Mixture 12-15-19-22 330

V Fourniture 15-19-22-26-29 305

IV Scharf 22-26-29-33 244

16′ Double Trumpet 73

8′ Trumpet (ext 16′)

8′ Tromba 73

4′ Clarion (ext Tromba)

8′ Trompette Royale (Solo)

8′ Orchestral Horn (Solo)

Piano (D)

Trompette Royale Melody

Swell Organ –  Manual III
7″ wind pressure

16′ Contra Geigen 73

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 73

16′ Double Dulciana 97

8′ Diapason 73

8′ Harmonic Flute 73

8′ Rohrflöte (inverted chimney) 73

8′ Zartflöte 73

8′ Holzgedeckt 73

8′ Flute Celeste II 134

8′ Quintadena 73

8′ Violin 73

8′ Viole de Gambe 73

8′ Viole Celeste 73

8′ Salicional 73

8′ Voix Seraphique II 134

8′ Dulciana (ext 16′)

8′ Dulciana Celeste 73

4′ Principal 73

4′ Octave 73

4′ Flauto Traverso 73

4′ Chimney Flute 73

4′ Violina 73

4′ Dulcet (ext 16′)

4′ Dulcet Celeste (ext 8′)

22⁄3′ Rohr Nasat (inverted chimney) 61

2′ Fifteenth 61

2′ Piccolo 61

13⁄5′ Tierce 61

11⁄3′ Larigot 61

V Sesquialtera 12-15-17-19-22  305

V Plein Jeu 12-15-19-22-26 305

III–IV Acuta 24-26-29 220

16′ Contra Fagotto 73

16′ Heckelphone 73

8′ Harmonic Trumpet 73

8′ Cornopean 73

8′ Oboe  73

8′ English Horn 73

8′ Vox Humana 61

4′ Clarion 73

4′ Hautbois Octaviante 61

Tremulant

8′ Trompette Royale (Solo)

Choir Organ – Manual I
7″ wind pressure

16′ Flute Conique 85

16′ Contra Viola 73

8′ Geigen Principal 73

8′ Chimney Flute 73

8′ Flute Conique (ext 16′)

8′ Flute Celeste 61

8′ Quintaten 73

8′ Viola de Gambe 73

8′ Dulciana 73

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49

4′ Principal 73

4′ Waldflöte 73

4′ Flute d’Amour 73

4′ Viola d’Amoure 61

22⁄3′ Nasard 61

2′ Blockflöte 61

13⁄5′ Tierce 61

11⁄3′ Larigot 61

1′ Sifflöte 61

IV Plein Jeu 15-19-22-26 244

III Zimbel 36-40-43 183

16′ Baryton 73

8′ Trompette 73

8′ Oboe d’Amoure 73

8′ Clarinet 73

8′ Regal 61

8′ Vox Humana 61

4′ Rohr Schalmei 73

Tremulant

8′ Trompette Royale (Solo)

8′ Orchestral Horn (Solo)

Harp (Deagan) 61 bars

Solo Organ – Manual IV
10″ wind pressure

16′ Bourdon 73

8′ Diapason 73

8′ Grossflöte 73

8′ Doppelflöte 73

8′ Orchestral Flute 73

8′ Dulzflöte 73

8′ Gamba 73

8′ Gamba Celeste 73

8′ Violoncello 73

8′ Violoncello Celeste 73

4′ Octave 73

4′ Flute Ouverte 73

4′ Zauberflöte 73

22⁄3′ Harmonic Stopped (12th) 61

2′ Piccolo 61

II Terzian 17-19 122

IV Fourniture 12-15-19-22 244

16′ Bass Trombone 85

16′ Bass Clarinet 73

8′ Trompette Militaire 73

8′ Trompette Royale 73

    (20″ wind pressure)

8′ Tuba Sonora 73

8′ Trombone (16′)

8′ Orchestral Horn 61

    (20″ wind pressure)

8′ French Horn 73

8′ Corno di Bassetto 73

8′ Bassoon 73

8′ Orchestral Oboe 61

4′ Clarion 73

Tremulant

8′ Harmonic Trumpet (Swell)

Concert Harp (D)

String Organ – 10″ wind pressure

16′ Double Violes II 122

8′ Violes d’Orchestre II 122

8′ Violes d’Orchestre II 122

8′ Violins II 122

8′ Violas d’Amoure II 122

8′ Violes Sourdine II 122

4′ Octave Viols II 122

4′ Viola d’Amore 61

III Cornet de Violes 10-12-15 183

8′ Vox Humana 61

Tremulant

Zimbelstern (Klann) 4 bells

Celestial Organ – 7″ wind pressure

16′ Contra Salicional 61

8′ Diapason 61

8′ Hohlflöte 61

8′ 1st Unda Maris II 122

8′ 2nd Unda Maris II 122

8′ Aeoline 61

8′ Voix Celeste II 122

4′ Octave 61

4′ Harmonic Flute 61

4′ Flauto Mistico II 122

II Rauschquint 12-15 122

8′ Tromba 61

16′ 1st Vox Humana 73

8′ 1st Vox Humana (ext)

8′ 2nd Vox Humana 73

4′ 2nd Vox Humana (ext)

Tremulant

Celestial Harp (D)

Chimes (Mayland) 25 tubes

Antiphonal Organ
7″ wind pressure 

16′ Bourdon (1–12 digital) 49 

8′ Principal 61

8′ Melodia 61

8′ Gedeckt 61

8′ Gemshorn 61

8′ Flauto Dolcissimo 61

8′ Flute Celeste (TC) 49

8′ Viola da Gamba 61

8′ Viole Aetheria 61

8′ Vox Angelica (TC) 49

4′ Octave 61

4′ Fernflöte 61

4′ Dulcet 61

4′ Dulcet Celeste 61

2′ Fifteenth 61

IV Mixture 19-22-26-29 244

V Mounted Cornet 1-8-12-15-17  150

16′ Double Trumpet (ext 8′) 12

16′ Waldhorn (ext 8′ Corno) 12

8′ Trumpet 61

8′ Corno d’Amore 61

8′ Voce Bassetto 61

Tremulant

Pedal Organ – 7″ wind pressure

32′ Open Wood (D)

32′ Principal (D)

32′ Sanft Bass (D)

32′ Contra Bourdon (Solo ext.) 12

16′ Contra Bass 32

16′ Diapason (Great)

16′ Contra Geigen 32

16′ Violone Bass (D) (Choir)

16′ Soubasse (D) (Choir)

16′ Bourdon (Great)

16′ Stopped Flute (D) (Choir)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

16′ Violone 44

16′ String Celeste II (String)

16′ Viola (Choir)

16′ Flute Conique (Choir)

16′ Dulciana (Swell)

102⁄3′ Quint 32

8′ Principal 32

8′ Octave (Great Double Diapason)

8′ Gedeckt 32

8′ Violoncello (Violone 16′)

8′ Bass Flute (D) (Choir)

8′ Flute Conique (Choir)

8′ Viole Celeste II (Swell)

8′ Dulciana (Swell)

51⁄3′ Twelfth 32

4′ Choral Bass 32

4′ Super Octave (Great)

4′ Nachthorn 32

4′ Flute (D) (Choir)

2′ Kleine Octave 32

2′ Blockflöte 32

V Grand Cornet 12-15-17-19-22 160

IV Cymbale 22-26-29-33 128

32′ Contra Bombarde (D) 20

16′ Bombarde 44

16′ Trombone (Great)

16′ Fagotto (Swell)

16′ Baryton (Choir)

8′ Bombarde (16′)

8′ Trombone (Great)

8′ Bassoon (Solo)

4′ Clarion (Swell Harmonic Trumpet)

4′ Trompette (Choir)

4′ Rohr Schalmei (Choir)

Chimes (D)

Gallery Pedal – 7″ wind pressure

32′ Contra Bourdon (D)

16′ Open Diapason (D)

16′ Subbass 32

16′ Bourdon (Antiphonal)

16′ Violone (D)

16′ Viola da Gamba (Antiphonal ext) 12

16′ Salicional (Celestial)

8′ Principal 32

8′ Octave Bourdon (16′ Subbass) 12

8′ Violone (D)

8′ Viola da Gamba (Antiphonal)

4′ Choral Bass (ext Principal) 12

4′ Fern Flute (Antiphonal)

16′ Double Trumpet (Antiphonal)

16′ Waldhorn (Antiphonal)

8′ Trumpet (Antiphonal)

4′ Clarion (Antiphonal)

Chimes

Bells/Percussion

8′ Celeste Bells (37 notes)* 

8′ Harp Bells (37 notes)

4′ Minor Bells (37 notes)

8′ Major Bells (37 notes)

8′ Symphonic Carillon (37 notes)

8′ Flemish Bells (37 notes)

16′ Pedal Bourdon Bell (13 notes)

8′ Pedal Bourdon Bell (13 notes)

8′ Pedal Flemish Bells (13 notes)

1′ Slide Whistle 10″ wind (Robert 

    Morton type)

Bass Drum (D)  

Cymbal Crash (D)  

Pedal Grand Timpani (D)

Pedal Minor Timpani (D)

Drum Roll (D)

Glockenspiel (D)

* All bells are Maas-Rowe

String, Celestial, and Orchestral divisions are floating and available on all manuals.

D = Walker digital stops

Ortloff Organ Company, LLC, Brookline, Massachusetts

Opus 1 – 2016

In collaboration with Russell & Company Organ Builders

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,

Penfield, New York

From the builder

Organbuilders will likely say how their first contract was the hardest, or certainly one of the hardest, to procure. And why not? Spending a great deal of money on a product built by somebody with no previous track record is, in a word, insanity. But churches are necessarily in the faith business, and it was certainly an act of faith by St. Joseph’s Church to entrust my company to build this instrument, our Opus 1.

The road to Opus 1 began long before St. Joseph’s contacted me, long before I could even reach the pedals the first time I played a pipe organ at age four—a single chord on the 1933 Kimball at Trinity Episcopal Church in Plattsburgh, New York, after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. That one chord began a fascination with the pipe organ that led to the decision in my teenage years, while working for Stephen Russell, to devote my life to this craft. Nine years of training at Russell & Company, further work for C. B. Fisk, Inc., and Spencer Organ Company, and six years at the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester provided a broad range of experience that has informed how I play and how I wish to build. By 2014, I saw an opportunity to fulfill a dream of running my own shop and founded Ortloff Organ Company, LLC. Within just a few weeks, I was surveying St. Joseph’s Church in Penfield, preparing to draft my first proposal for a new pipe organ.

In 2013, St. Joseph’s received a generous bequest specifically to enrich the musical life of the parish. This happy event led to a decision to commission a new pipe organ, which would replace a failing 30-year-old electronic. Nathan Davy, the director of music and a fellow Eastman alum, approached me about the project, and from there he championed my firm, expressing faith in my ability to produce a high-quality instrument of distinction.

This abundance of faith was, however, fully sighted, and St. Joseph’s requested that the contract be co-signed by an established organbuilder to provide a level of security in the project’s success. It was only logical that I should collaborate with my mentor Steve Russell, to which Steve enthusiastically agreed, and we began discussing the instrument’s mechanical and tonal design shortly after my initial visit. This particular show of faith was perhaps the most important. Knowing my training and ability better than anyone, Steve’s tacit “You can do this. You’re ready. It’s time,” propelled me forward with confidence and excitement.

Distilling many musical requirements into 18 stops, particularly within a fixed budget and limited space, is naturally a challenge. Moreover, working in the shadow of our alma mater, Nathan and I were all too aware of the scrutiny the organ would receive, adding pressure to how the stoplist, scaling, and tonal approach were developed. But a suburban Catholic parish is not the academy, and my vision for the instrument was that it need make no apology for serving its liturgical requirements first and last. In the broad picture, the organ should subscribe to certain guiding principles. As much as possible, slider chests are used, for simplicity of mechanism, the benefits of tone-channel chests, and the honesty they enforce in design. Chorus work should be silvery and bright but not shrill, made of a high-lead alloy, and supported by amply scaled, warm 8′ tone. Reeds are ideally placed on higher pressure for improved speech, better tuning stability, and noble power. Applying these principles to St. Joseph’s, seating about 600, we strove to create an ensemble that would have plenty of energy and clarity without being unduly powerful. It should lead without overwhelming, not only a largely volunteer choir, but also occasionally reluctant congregational singing. The color palette should tend unapologetically toward the romantic, but be based firmly in sparkling classical choruses.

While organs of this size are often treated essentially as giant one-manuals spread over two keyboards, the architecture of St. Joseph’s necessitated the two manual divisions being too physically divided for that kind of approach. Furthermore, the ultimate design felt more honest; a few Swell stops are duplexed to the Great for accompanimental variety, but otherwise each division is independent, with its own chorus. While the organ’s original design included an independent Swell 8′ Diapason, a funding shortfall necessitated its elimination, as well as independent Pedal registers, a Clarinet on the Great, and mutation bass octaves. In turn, we modified the design of the Chimney Flute and Viola, and repitched the Swell mixture lower, introducing 8′ tone by treble C.

In these and many other details throughout the design process, Nathan, Steve, and I found ourselves largely on the same page. Thus it was a jolt when, shortly after signing the contract in November 2014, Nathan accepted the position of assistant organist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D. C. Happily, Nathan’s successor, Jacob Fuhrman, picked right up where Nathan left off and has proven to be just as collaborative as his predecessor.

Built in 1967, St. Joseph’s wasn’t designed with a pipe organ in mind. Its low ceilings, quirky acoustics, and lack of obvious location for an instrument all contributed to the challenge of layout and visual design. Fortunately, the church was amenable to placing the organ front and center, giving it the best possible advantage. My older brother, Buffalo architect Chris Ortloff, Jr. developed a striking multi-tiered design of flamed and polished copper, with gentle curves and multiple layers. The façade also creates a useful arcade between sacristy and church, integrating into the room in an organic way. Great care was taken to maintain focus on the altar and to complement, not compete with, the gold mosaic surrounding the crucifix.

Behind the façade, the organ proper is arranged on a new, single-level, 37′-wide platform. The wind system lives in the center, with Great and Pedal to the congregation’s left and Swell on the right. Two fields of shutters direct tone both down the nave and into the south transept, where the choir sits. Electric-slider chests form the basis of the chassis, with electric and electro-pneumatic chests serving bass pipes and unit registers.

Of the organ’s 18 voices, six are vintage ranks, including reeds, wood flutes, and strings. All have been restored and revoiced. New flue pipes, built in the Russell & Co. shop, are made from a 94% lead alloy to promote warm, singing tone. Reed renovation and voicing was carried out by the Trivo Company, who also built a new 16′ Trombone of generous scale. A somewhat higher pressure is employed for the reeds, allowing a warm, rich voicing style.

Construction began in August 2015, with a deadline to have at least part of the new organ playing by Easter 2016. To ensure an installation process as free as possible from complication, everything was pre-erected and tested in our shop. On a twenty-below-zero Valentine’s Day, 2016, a truck left Waltham, Massachusetts, bound for Penfield with the Great and Pedal. Amory Atkins, Terence Atkin, and Dean Conry brought their signature steam-shovel efficiency to the installation, accomplishing in 10 days what I thought would take three weeks. By Holy Week, five stops of the Great and the Pedal divisions were playing, and much of the Swell mechanism was in place. Over the next few months, the remainder came together in the shop, with final installation in May and tonal finishing completed by early August. Much beloved by his former parish, Nathan Davy returned to dedicate the organ on September 9. His careful thinking about repertoire demands during the design phase paid off in a colorful, varied program that made the instrument seem far larger than its actual size.

This project brought together both the seasoned and the newcomer. Bart Dahlstrom, Ortloff Organ Company’s first employee, flunked retirement at age 62 when he decided to join his woodworking skills to his organ-playing talents and become an organbuilder. His steady hand, impeccable work, and unfailing cheer have been a blessing throughout the project. Andrew Gray, a precocious 16-year-old son of an organist and a singer, had expressed interest in organbuilding for a few years; he came on as a summer employee in 2015. His meticulous wiring and pipe racking speak to his quiet diligence. Kade Phillips, an MIT student, lent help when not busy studying computer science 80 hours a week. Robert Poovey, organist-choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, and someone with not a little of the organbuilding bug himself, provided generous local assistance for installation and some of the tonal finishing. And Jonathan Ambrosino helped in scratch-tuning the organ on Labor Day, four days before its dedication.

Finally, the support from Steve Russell’s shop has been vital, principally in the construction of the console and 971 of the organ’s 1,390 pipes—each meticulously handcrafted. An organ’s soul lies in its pipes, and these are gorgeous indeed. Steve himself provided the sober foundation of over 40 years’ experience in all aspects of design and construction and was invaluable in helping me to shape the instrument’s final sound, both in shop and site voicing.

On behalf of the 14 people who had a hand in crafting this instrument, my thanks go to St. Joseph’s Church, and especially to its pastor, Fr. Jim Schwartz, for the vision not only to commission a pipe organ, but for putting faith in untried quarters. He and members of St. Joseph’s offered generous support and hospitality at every turn. It is my hope that the faith this parish demonstrated in all of us will be repaid by generations of faithful service from this instrument, our proud Opus 1.

—Jonathan Ortloff

Personnel

Ortloff Organ Company:

Bart Dahlstrom

Andrew Gray

Jonathan Ortloff

Kade Phillips

Russell & Company:

Mayu Hashigaya Allen

Paul Elliott

Erik Johansson

Carole Russell

Stephen Russell

From the former director of music

I remember the beginning of the organ project at St. Joseph’s very clearly. I was in the church office kitchen, making tea, when Father Jim Schwartz walked in and said, “We need a new pipe organ. You should go talk to some organ builders.” How often does it happen that the pastor approaches the organist about a new instrument?! Though not entirely without context—the church’s electronic instrument was old and ailing (a few months later it caught fire during a funeral)—I was still dreaming wistfully of a pipe organ and considering how to broach the issue persuasively.

Among those from whom we sought a proposal was Jonathan Ortloff. Jon and I had been at Eastman together, and I had been his assistant when he was one of the organ department’s staff technicians. I knew his work ethic, and I knew his preferences and values in organ sound. Upon receiving his proposal, we were taken with both the tonal and physical design. Each voice would be able both to stand on its own and to contribute uniquely to the united chorus. The façade would adorn the front of the church, catching the eye, but directing attention to the altar.

Now, Jon would be among the first to grant that to sign a contract with an unproven organ builder is not without a certain amount of risk. The parish was mindful of that risk, but two factors allayed our concern. The first was my above-mentioned firsthand knowledge of Jon and his work. The second was that Stephen Russell, with whom Jon had apprenticed, and whom I knew by reputation, had agreed to work alongside of Jon throughout the project. It was Jon and Steve’s combined presentation to the Parish Pastoral Council on a memorable night in the summer of 2014 that won over the hearts of the parish and persuaded us that we would be in good hands.

I could not have been more pleased with the completed instrument when I first played it in September. Never have I seen flamed copper so well integrated into a church’s interior architecture. The broad richness of the foundations fills the room, the mixtures add clarity and brilliance without stridency, and the reeds balance smoothness of tone with a prevailing warm effulgence. This is an instrument perfectly suited to congregational and choral accompaniment, but also fully capable of realizing a wide variety of organ repertoire in a thoroughly satisfying way. It is my sincere hope that it is the first of many.

—Nathan Davy

From the current director of music

Our organ’s arrival over the past six months has fulfilled my hopes and expectations of almost two years. When I began my work at St. Joseph’s in March 2015, the contract had already been signed, the stoplist was finalized, and design had begun. I am as fortunate as an organist can be, enjoying a world-class new organ without having had to do any of the groundwork—convincing committees, raising funds, and the like. 

It was exciting for me, as a relatively early-career musician, to work with an organbuilder who is at a similar point in his own career. The entire church staff enjoyed Jonathan’s sincere, energetic love for the organ. His combination of youth, expertise, and passion helped give St. Joseph’s parishioners confidence that our art has a future.

Those of our parishioners who were at the dedicatory recital had an epiphany singing a hymn with a large audience of organists and choristers—this organ really sings, and it supports full, vibrant congregational singing. The choruses are bright without ever losing gravity. The reeds are penetrating, yet admirably vocal. The console is extremely comfortable and manageable, and it is light enough that one person can move it easily in just a few minutes: I can play from the middle of the church whenever I want to, which helps tremendously for preparing performances. The physical design of the organ, with its outward-radiating flamed copper façade, draws the eye to the altar, complementing both the shape of the building and the color profile of its stained-glass windows. I couldn’t be more pleased with this instrument.

—Jacob Fuhrman

GREAT

16′ Bourdon (Pedal/Swell)

8′ Diapason (1–12 façade) 61 pipes 

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Viola (Swell)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth  61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV 204 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

Great 16

Great Off

Great 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great

Swell to Great 4

SWELL

16′ Bourdon (tc) (from 8′)

8′ Chimney Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Viola* 61 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste (tc) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flute* 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard (tc) 49 pipes

2′ Flute* (ext 4′) 12 pipes 

13⁄5′ Tierce (tc) 49 pipes

2′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

8′ Oboe* 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Off

Swell 4 

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (Bourdon)

16′ Principal (1–34 façade) 56 pipes

16′ Bourdon* 44 pipes

8′ Octave (ext 16′)

8′ Bourdon* (ext 16′)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 16′)

32′ Harmonics (Trombone/derived)

16′ Trombone* (ext Great) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Great)

Great to Pedal

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Pedal 4

18 stops, 24 ranks, 1,390 pipes

3½″ wind pressure throughout

*5″ wind pressure

8 general pistons

8 divisional pistons per division

300 memory levels

Emery Brothers, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Christ Church in Short Hills, Short Hills, New Jersey

From the builder

It is no secret that tonal styles and the desires and expectations of organists have undergone significant changes in the last hundred years. Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1347, built in 1960, evidences most of the characteristics one would expect from an organ of that decade—lower wind pressures (Positiv speaks on 2 inches wind pressure), ample mixtures and upperwork, and as I heard a colleague once say, “plenty of Zs and umlauts.” Make no mistake—this instrument, as originally designed, made a strong, cohesive statement as a whole, and with the clever division of Swell and Bombarde on the third manual, provided a surprising amount of room for creativity in registration.

Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1347 was well designed and well built, thus its physical restoration formed the core of the project. In the course of this work, we stripped and releathered pouch boards, stripped and releathered reservoirs, including the installation of double gussets, fashioned and installed new primary valves on primaries and unit actions, releathered tremolos and shade engines, totally rewired the organ, and reconditioned the blower and motor. Everything wooden received a thorough cleaning and, where appropriate, a new coat of shellac. Pipes were all individually cleaned and polished by hand, stoppers stripped and repacked, and open flue pipes fitted with new stainless-steel tuning slides. All pipework was checked for voicing and regulation before leaving the shop, with final tonal finishing completed onsite.

However, in this project we were tasked not only with addressing the physical breakdown of the organ’s various mechanisms after five decades of continuous service, but also with maximizing the instrument’s strengths through some sensible and judicious tonal additions and revisions. In addition, the original console was built around the structure of the chancel—one corner was cut out to make room for a beam—and so with the desire for the console to be made movable, provision of a new console was necessary. With the church’s very active music program, including the frequent presence of visiting organists, a multi-level combination action (provided by Solid State Organ Systems) was absolutely necessary.

In its original design, the Bombarde division featured independent reeds at 16′, 8′, and 4′ pitch. This was altered later, when Aeolian-Skinner removed the 8′ Trompette from the Bombarde and moved it to the Great. The 16′ Contra Trompette was then placed on unit action and trebles provided for it to speak at 16′ and 8′ pitch. This compromised the strength of the Bombarde reed chorus, and in the end the most sensible step was to put the Trompette back in the Bombarde, which also made room for a new 8′ Major Trumpet on the Great. This new stop leans towards solo strength, while remaining usable in full chorus.

Mutations in the Positiv were originally pitched an octave higher than usual (11⁄3′ Nasat, 4⁄5′ Terz), and the 4′ Rohr Schalmei was not particularly successful. Re-pitching the mutations presented no difficulty, and the solution for the Rohr Schalmei presented itself when the desire to replace the Swell Krummhorn with an Oboe came up. The Krummhorn was revoiced onto the lower Positiv wind pressure, and a new Hautbois built for the Swell.

The new Antiphonal organ comprises six ranks, all playing on electro-pneumatic action, designed to complement and provide a foil to Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1347 and to bolster congregational singing. Within a compact footprint (both cases measure 41″ x 72″) are housed five of the six ranks (the Trompette en Chamade is mounted on the wall between the two cases), the blower, static reservoir, step-up blower and high-pressure reservoir, double-pressure divided wooden wind trunk, solid-state relay, four wind chests, and two additional reservoirs. Pipes 1–23 of the 4′ Principal make up the right-hand façade. When played with the main organ, the Antiphonal organ has the effect of “pulling” the sound into back third of the room. The full-length, flamed-copper Trompette en Chamade was carefully designed to provide a rich and commanding solo voice that would stand up well to the full organ.

I am most grateful for Bynum Petty’s help in scaling and designing the tonal additions included in this project. I also extend hearty thanks to Brian DeWald (briandewaldwoodworking.com), who built and finished the new Antiphonal organ casework and assisted with installation; Dan Cole (pipeshader.com), who assisted in the casework design and provided promotional materials showing renderings of the Antiphonal organ; and Samuel Hughes, who restored all the reed pipes in the organ. New pipes and chests were built by A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc.

—Adam F. Dieffenbach

Emery Brothers

Emery Brothers staff involved with this project included: Adam Dieffenbach, Steve Emery, Rosemary Hood, Parfyon Kirshnit, Jon Kracht, Clem Mirto, John Nester, Ardie Peeters, Rich Spotts, and Ryan Stout.

From the organist and choirmaster

The Aeolian-Skinner organ at Christ Church was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1960. The instrument was typical of the era with a neo-baroque design that included bright principal choruses and ample upperwork. Joseph Whiteford voiced the organ on the aggressive side to cope with a dry acoustic and a low ceiling height in the nave. The organ was altered slightly in 1967 by the builder (Opus 1347-A) to adjust for the addition of heavy carpet across the center aisle. 

When I came to Christ Church, the organ had served the parish for over 50 years, with minimal maintenance and annual tunings. The only change made to the organ was the addition of a remote solid-state capture action to operate the console. Because of failing leather, outdated wiring, and a worn console, the church formed an organ committee to address the needs of the music program as well as the acoustic issues in the church. While the committee did look at several possible replacements for the instrument, in the end the organ was restored because of the overall fine quality of the original installation.

With the guidance of the rector, wardens, and vestry, the decision was made to first renovate the church in several stages. Each stage was completed during the summer months to avoid conflicts during the program year. The first year included the removal of all the carpeting in the church and the installation of new hardwood floors in the entire nave. The second year included new plaster ceilings in the nave to cover the wood lathe ceiling panels and restoration of the stained glass windows. The last year included the removal of the organ, renovation of the ceilings and floors of the choir, and new lighting throughout the church. At that time the woodwork in the church was refinished, removing the white pickled oak stain so popular in the 1950s. 

The organ work performed by Emery Brothers for over a year and a half included new leather, new wiring, a new console, and a new Antiphonal division. The console is built in the style of the original, but is movable and contains additional drawknobs for the Antiphonal and Pedal divisions. The keyboards, music desk, and walnut key cheeks were retained. Only minor changes were made to the chancel organ specification. While the renovated church now has a warm acoustic that requires little amplification for speech, the length of the nave and low ceiling height called for the addition of an Antiphonal organ to support congregational singing. For festivals and weddings, a horizontal reed was added under the center of the Transfiguration window. The scaling and design were by Bynum Petty, installation by Adam Dieffenbach, and tonal finishing by Steve Emery and Charles Callahan. The console replica and the Aeolian-Skinner digital samples were supplied by Walker Technical of Zionsville, Pennsylvania. The organ was rededicated by Alan Morrison with an American Guild of Organists workshop and recital in November.

I believe that in the end we stayed true to the original design of the organ. With very minor changes we have made the organ more flexible and better equipped to serve the parish for the next 50 years.

It is truly a blessing for a parish to have such an instrument. May it lead and inspire worship each and every week for generations to come!

—Andrew Paul Moore, DMA

Organist and Choirmaster

From the rector

When I arrived at Christ Church in Short Hills in 2010, I discovered, to my delight, that it had a really fine Aeolian-Skinner organ. It had a sound that seemed to be saying, “Yes, I’m a cousin to some of those wonderful organs you’ve heard in other churches that have great music in worship.”

Now, I’ve lived in France and love the sound of a great French organ playing. And I’m Dutch, so those marvelous trackers sound to me like the DNA of my youthful upbringing in the Dutch Reformed Church. But the sound of the organ in Short Hills was American. I don’t say that in a prideful way, not even in a “better than others” way. But there was something about this organ that could sound the repertoire ranging from an English cathedral choir chanting a psalm, to full-blown-out Reger. It sounded it all well and with its own twist on things.

I’ve served churches with electronic organs and wheezing electro-pneumatics. I was just so grateful this instrument was neither. Unfortunately, this organ was a bit like that date that is really great the first time but doesn’t grow better as the time goes on; in fact, just the opposite.

After having been at the church a little more than a year, I began to wonder why people hardly sang the hymns in the back half of the nave? I began to wonder if it were just me, or if the sound really did fall off a cliff when we reached a certain pew in the retiring procession each week? We began to notice greater hissing noise, more frequent repairs, and costly service.

Then in 2011, Andrew Moore joined us, and he could make the instrument sing as I’d never heard it before. But he could also diagnose its illness, and he told us the prognosis was dim. The good news was that little work had been done to the instrument since it had been installed in the 1960s, so little harm had been done. He also confirmed that the congregation’s lack of singing in the back half of the church probably had to do with such little organ support. The acoustics didn’t work in our favor, and the sound just wasn’t getting back there.

We hosted an organ education night at which Stephen Emery from Emery Brothers in Allentown, Pennsylvania, came to show us worn leathers, ill-fitting pouches, tarnished pipes, cotton wrapped wires, and more. We led tours through the chambers, and people who had always taken the sounds of the organ for granted now were in awe of how it actually works—and why it didn’t. They saw piles of pipes that had been removed from their windchests and were unable to function.

Adam Dieffenbach from Emery Brothers proposed a complete renovation of the existing instrument and suggested a new Antiphonal for the rear wall, both to provide sound back there, as well as to pull the sound from the pipes in the front. Because of space issues, they proposed adding a limited number of digital stops to round out the instrument’s full sound and complete Whiteford’s original concept for the instrument.

“How to pay for it?” is every parish’s question and every rector’s challenge. But in this case we had two wardens, John Cooper and Cynthia McChesney, who recognized not only the need to do the restoration work, but also its stewardship. We had competitive bids for both rebuilding and replacement. Replacement never caught any of our imaginations. That would be more expensive, but also, we realized this was a very fine instrument with a fairly unique American sound, the likes of which simply are not being made today in the same way.

Through John and Cynthia’s leadership in fundraising and both Andrew Moore’s and my direct involvement in asking individuals for support, the entire amount needed was raised in about four months. That included a substantial cushion, of which we used every last dime as we made changes to both the organ project and the worship space.

Our people realized that this was the right time to act, not only because of the present need of the instrument, but also out of respect for the amazing talent of Andrew Moore. Every age has its gifts, and the wise church appreciates and supports those gifts when they happen.

Our choir went from five section leaders and three volunteer members to four section leaders and more than twenty volunteers over the last five years. Singing has vastly improved. This summer, the entire choir is going to England to be the choir-in-residence for singing the daily office at Bristol Cathedral. More than fourteen new music groups used our space last year, both religious and secular, bringing so many people through the doors of the church.

Oh, every once in a while someone will complain that the trumpets in the back are too loud, but then the person standing next to her will say, “I think it’s just great!” There you have it; life in the Church! And in our case, we feel our worship. Our welcome and invitation to others has vastly improved, all because we acted rather than argued about whether to be responsible for something our ancestors here had left us as a gift in the first place. And we feel we’ve left the next generation something better than we could have ever imagined.

—The Reverend Dr. Timothy Mulder

Rector, Christ Church in Short Hills

Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1347, Joseph Whiteford, 1960. 

Renovation/additions and Antiphonal division, Emery Brothers, 2015: 63 ranks, 3,625 pipes.

GREAT

16′ Quintaton 61

16′ Rohrbourdon (Sw)

8′ Principal 61

8′ Bourdon 61

8′ Quintaton (ext) 12

4′ Octav 61

4′ Rohrflote 61

22⁄3′ Quint 61

2′ Super Octav 61

IV Mixtur 244

III Scharf 183

8′ Major Trumpet (6″ wp) 61

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Ant)

Chimes

Zimbelstern

SWELL

16′ Rohrbourdon 61

8′ Rohrbourdon (ext) 12

8′ Klein Erzahler 61

8′ Erzahler Celeste (TC) 49

4′ Geigen 61

22⁄3′ Nasat 61

2′ Octav 61

III Cornet 183

8′ Hautbois 61

8′ Menschenstimme 61

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Ant)

Tremolo

BOMBARDE

8′ Geigen Principal (digital)

8′ Viol Pomposa 61

8′ Viol Celeste 61

4′ Flute Harmonique 61

V Plein Jeu 305

16′ Contre Trompette 61

8′ Trompette 61

4′ Clarion 61

Tremolo

POSITIV

8′ Nasonflote 61

4′ Koppelflote 61

22⁄3′ Nasat 61

2′ Blockflote 61

13⁄5′ Terz 61

11⁄3′ Quint 61

III Zimbel 183

8′ Krummhorn 61

Tremolo

8′ Major Trumpet (Gt)

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Ant)

ANTIPHONAL (Emery Brothers)

8′ Rohrflute 61

4′ Principal 61

2′ Octave 61

II Rauschquint 11⁄3′ 122

8′ Trompette en Chamade 61

PEDAL

32′ Contrebass (digital)

32′ Subbass (digital)

16′ Contrebass 32

16′ Subbass 32

16′ Quintaton (Gt)

16′ Rohrbourdon (Sw)

16′ Rohrflute (Ant) 12

8′ Principal 32

8′ Gedectpommer 32

8′ Rohrbourdon (Sw)

4′ Octave (ext) 12

4′ Gedectpommer (ext) 12

V Mixtur 160

32′ Contrebombarde (digital)

32′ Contre Trompette (digital)

16′ Bombarde 32

16′ Contre Trompette (Bombarde)

8′ Bombarde (ext) 12

8′ Krummhorn (Pos)

4′ Bombarde (ext) 12

4′ Krummhorn (Pos)

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Ant)

Chimes (Gt)

Couplers

Gt/Ped 8

Sw/Ped 8-4

Bomb/Ped 8-4

Pos/Ped 8

Ant/Ped 8

Sw/Gt 16-8-4

Bomb/Gt 16-8-4

Pos/Gt 16-8

Ant/Gt 8

Sw/Pos 16-8-4

Bomb/Pos 16-8-4

Ant/Pos 8

Gt/Sw 8

Ant/Sw 8

Gt/Pos Trans

Gt/U

Bomb 16-U-4

Pos 16-U-4

Sw 16-U-4

All Sws to Sw

Pre/Next/Full

Austin Organs, Inc.,
Hartford, Connecticut

The Royal Poinciana Chapel, Palm Beach, Florida

Another Austin in Paradise

Nestled on the island of Palm Beach, alongside the last remaining cocoanut grove, one will discover the rather charming Royal Poinciana Chapel, named after the magnificent Delonix Regia, the Royal Poinciana tree that was once abundant on the island.

The Royal Poinciana Chapel is a vital, post-denominational Christian community with a strong congregation of 800 members and seasonal guests during winter, including some 250 year-round families and children. The chapel sits at the center of Palm Beach Island on three acres of lush landscaped property bordering Henry Flagler’s famous home Whitehall, now open as a museum. The chapel overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and the West Palm Beach waterfront to the west and The Breakers resort and ocean golf course directly to the east. It features the landmark giant kapok tree giving frame to an exquisite view. It is the most photographed spot in Palm Beach and a favorite location for destination weddings.

Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Norris is known for his impassioned preaching, pastoral ministry, and active community involvement. He also serves as adjunct member of the teaching faculty at Princeton Theological Seminary. The chapel is widely known for its phenomenal music program led by Stewart Foster, minister of music. Foster plays the chapel’s new Austin organ with rare talent and passion and also conducts the professionally trained Royal Poinciana Chapel Chorale at weekly services.

The history of Royal Poinciana Chapel owes its life to Henry Morrison Flagler (1830–1913). Flagler, alongside his friend and business partner, John D. Rockefeller, built the Standard Oil Company into the most prosperous and monopolizing oil empire of the era. As the company flourished and Flagler’s fortunes grew, he left his offices in New York City, and ventured south to a wild frontier known as Florida.

In 1894, Flagler built the Hotel Royal Poinciana on the shores of Lake Worth on the island to be known as Palm Beach and extended his railroad to its service town, creating the city of West Palm Beach. This remarkable edifice, the largest wooden structure in the world at the time, had 1,150 guest rooms with over seven miles of hallways, served by a staff of 1,700, many of whom lived across the pond in housing provided by Flagler and would arrive daily by rowboats to work their shifts. The island boasted an infamous casino, the hotel, and a humble chapel on this parcel. The disposition had the hotel in the center, casino to the south, and chapel to the north. It was said that one could engage in debauchery, rest, and reconciliation without ever leaving the property! The chapel was known for having engaging preachers and excellent music from the beginning. The hotel was demolished in 1934, in favor of the newer, lavish Breakers Hotel, which remains to this day, the former enterprise having become redundant. Years later, the chapel was relocated on the property, and now sits close to Whitehall. Henry Flagler’s original cottage was also moved to this property in recent times, and serves the chapel’s needs for meeting space and special events.

While Whitehall boasts a modest J. H. & C. S. Odell organ in its music room, we do not know the original instrument in the chapel. In 1963, the M. P. Möller Organ Company installed its Opus 9720. At the time of this installation, the organ was a modest three-manual instrument of 30 stops; some 26 stops in the chancel, with three ranks of flutes and a Vox Humana in the antiphonal. In 1981, Austin Organs, Inc., built a new four-manual console. It was designed with the intention of expanding the instrument, and this expansion was initiated before the new console was installed! The revised tonal plan was developed with the assistance of Thomas R. Thomas, director of music at the time. Also, a possibly apocryphal addition to the legacy includes Virgil Fox, a close neighbor. It was said that he wanted a significant instrument on which to practice, and therefore lent his voice and expertise to the early console and tonal design thoughts before his death in 1980. As a result, the new tonal work included a new Austin Great of 10 stops, a new 7-stop Positiv, and a 7-stop Solo. The existing Möller 6-stop Great pipework was revoiced and placed on a new Austin tracker chest in the gallery, alongside a new 14-stop Gallery Swell, and 5-stop Pedal using some vintage pipework from various sources along with new Austin pipework. Back in the chancel, the existing Möller Swell and Choir remained as they were installed in 1963, but a new Pedal division was created utilizing some new Austin chests and pipework alongside a few selected Möller stops. New casework and façades were drawn by Austin’s chief designer Frederick Mitchell.

The new, mostly Austin organ was tonally finished by Fred Heffner and David Johnston. Tripled in size from the original Möller, parts of this instrument spoke from deep chambers and seemed to fill the room with ethereal presence.

Time and tide ravaged the organ. Trouble began with delivery of the façade pipes in 1983. For unknown reasons, pipes of tin and tin-plated zinc were ordered from an Eastern European supplier. Upon arrival directly in Florida, many of these pipes were damaged, some beyond repair. Over time, the soft metal deformed, and random notes began to lose their former eloquent speech. There were hurricanes, water, and various other pests that created issues within the organ chambers. The Möller company proposed a significant renovation/reconstruction of the organ, and removed much of the instrument to their factory in Hagerstown in 1990. With the collapse of the Möller company, the chapel was able to perform a rescue of the organ components from the Möller factory, and the Reuter Organ Company was subsequently contracted to perform a major overhaul of the organ in 1992. This work included some chestwork, additions, and replacement of some reed stops. A number of reed pipes were compromised, because adding to the atmospheric issues that affected the chapel, many instruments in the 1980s suffered decomposition of lead in the blocks of reed pipes. As the lead crumbles into lead sulfate, replacement or reconstruction is necessary. The other factor in the work completed in 1992 was the reconstruction and expansion of the chapel space. The former Swell, Solo, and Choir chests and pipes were relocated to front chambers left and right of the façade. The effect proved problematic since the pipework was apparently not revoiced to compensate for the new location closer to the ears of the Chorale and congregation. As a result, the Swell and Solo aggressively dominated the entire instrument, making proper registration balances difficult to achieve.

In 2014, working with the chapel’s director of music, Stewart Foster, our tonal staff at Austin Organs set out to design an essentially new organ, using the building blocks of the existing instrument as a starting place. The final instrument would contain 104 ranks of pipes. Our guiding principle was that the tonal result would be one of elegant beauty and gentle nuance. In other words, with a temperate approach, tonal blend had to be achieved without allowing any domination of individual departments or voices. The success of this project is certainly in part due to the active participation at every stage from design to installation by Stewart Foster. A consummate musician, he knows not only how to make the organ sing, but what it takes to make an organ truly successful tonally. Austin staff members, including Raymond Albright, Bruce Coderre, Dan Kingman, Curt Hawkes, Anne Wysocki, Colin Coderre, Victor Hoyt, Scotty Giffen, the late Stew Skates, Tony Valdez, Dick Taylor, Mike Fazio, Tong Satayopas, Phil Swartz, and Nick Schroeder, who worked directly on the installation, imparted their own special gifts that contributed to its success. 

Mechanical considerations

Our approach in designing the new instrument was to update or replace every questionable mechanical system. A new, four-manual Austin console replaced the earlier mechanical console. The new console, built of painted birch and oiled cherry, is equipped with 300 levels of combination action memory, record-playback, and a transposer; a WiFi interface is integrated in the console control system for iPad/iPhone operation of advanced functions. Austin-made walnut drawknobs control all stops and couplers, the latter being spread on either side of the keydesk. Among some of the unique design elements, the console has a mechanism that physically closes the crescendo pedal when General Cancel is pressed. A second set of divisional pistons called “English Divisionals” appear when selected and have pre-set combinations that create a typical English Crescendo in the desired division. There is also a drawknob matrix that selects Swell and Choir/Solo expression shade operation, controlling three independent expression shade assemblies in each chamber. This allows sound from these divisions to be modeled to suit a variety of dynamic options. By using “Swell Shades Pianissimo,” for example, the organist can successfully accompany a vocal quartet with robust, Full Swell combinations. 

Austin specified a hydraulic lift that raises the console from the main floor to the chancel platform for concert use. Every Möller (and Reuter) chest was removed and replaced with new Austin tracker and unit chests; the entirety of the Swell was placed upon a walk-in air chest with integrated regulator. Wind pressures were raised in some divisions, and a new control system was made by Solid State Organ Systems. Chancel to Gallery data transmission is accomplished via fiber-optic cable. 

Tonal design

We started with the Great division to establish the revised tonal personality of the organ. Our guidance from Stewart Foster was found in one particular stop, designated as a model for the character of the entire instrument: the Positiv Italian Principal. It was indeed very smooth, beautifully voiced by Fred Heffner in 1983; only slightly ascendant and while of somewhat light weight, this stop had great tonal presence due to its nicely developed harmonic structure. One fear we had was that, as part of the new tonal design, we were raising the pressure of the Positiv by one inch (water column), so we wanted to be sure not to alter that which was treasured! During the scope of this project, some stops required rebuilding, others re-scaling. The result was enthusiastically received and has proven perfectly satisfactory. 

The Great was carefully voiced to perfect balance, from foundation to sharp mixture. The Reuter Trumpet was removed and replaced with a vintage Austin Cornopean (voiced as a chorus reed), available at 16′ and 8′ pitches; the 16′ octave was built from the former Möller 16′ reed (resonator length was added to match Austin patterns for our 6-inch scale, full-length Double Trumpet). Also added to the Great was a five-rank Mounted Cornet. This stop was scaled along French Classic lines and sits on a plinth fed by single actions speaking through 42-inch tubing. The Positiv was re-imagined, retaining the Italian Principal and 4′ Octave. The 1⁄3′ Zimbel was changed to 1′ pitch and revoiced. The 8′ Gedeckt was revoiced and is now available at 8′ and 4′ pitches. We added a new Sesquialtera and Cromorne and re-pitched and voiced the former 8′ Rohr Schalmei as a 4′ stop to support the new 8′ Cromorne. The additions of the Cornet, Sesquialtera, and Cromorne/Schalmei have opened new forays into historical organ repertoire. Another new addition, a charming Rossignol, adds a bit of whimsy to this division.

The Pedal was improved by the replacement of the previous ½-length 32′ Bombarde with a new full-length 32′ Trombone. The existing 16′ reed was revoiced to a darker timbre, blending perfectly with the new pipes. The existing 32′ Bourdon extended only to EEEE, the bottom four notes sounding a resultant of the 16′ Bourdon. For better effect, four new pipes were installed speaking 102⁄3′ pitch, at the correct dynamic and tuning to deliver more satisfying 32′ tone for CCCC–DDDD#. New façade pipes were made with some subtle design changes suggested by Stewart Foster, replacing the dented, collapsed old tin pipes. The old pipes were given to members of the congregation as keepsakes; in a week, all 72 pipes ranging from 4′ to 16′ GGG were removed by members!

In the Swell, a new Principal Chorus was envisioned, utilizing some of the existing pipework. A new 8′ Principal was manufactured and the 4′ Octave was re-scaled; an existing 2′ Fifteenth happily fit into the scheme very well. The existing Möller Mixture had been recomposed in 1992, but was found to be shrill and ineffective some years ago, with many pipes stuffed with cotton to silence them. We used much of the original pipework, re-pitching the primary IV-rank mixture at 22⁄3′ pitch (which also draws separately) and installed a new III-rank Cymbale, based at 1′ pitch. The strings and flutes in this department were voiced to new pressure, dynamic, and blend. The reeds were completely rebuilt or replaced to create a chorus of independent voices at 16′/8′/8′/4′. The result is generally perceived as being a French tone color, light in weight but fiery without excessive volume. The Vox Humana is placed in an Austin “VoxBox” with independent tremulant and lid that can be raised and lowered from the console to control dynamic. Note that between Gallery and Chancel there are two Vox Humanas and five celestes with all the requisite inter- and intra-manual couplers!

The Möller Choir organ was enhanced with a new 4′ Principal and a new Clarinet. The 1963 pipework was mostly original, so the process of revoicing was easier than the work required in the Swell. The overall effect was a gentle broadening of tone color with the ever-present goal of achieving perfect blend. The new Clarinet was voiced on 10 inches wind pressure, and the new chest was built with unique high-pressure section, which allowed this stop to speak on the higher pressure, while remaining on the same action. Directly behind the Choir chest we find the Solo organ, which had minimal voicing performed at this time. The Reuter English Horn remained, but the Austin Bombarde was rebuilt and revoiced, and the Reuter Clarion was replaced with Austin pipework. The existing Deagan Harp was rebuilt with electric actions and located high on a side wall to avoid being a hindrance to tuning access.

Minimal work was performed in the Gallery, being mostly intact and otherwise satisfactory. A new extension was added to the 16′ Diapason, allowing it to speak as a second 8′ manual Diapason, contrasting and complementing the existing 8′ Principal. A new 8′ Trumpet en Chamade was made in brass and installed as replacement for the existing stop of the same name. The new pipework was scaled and voiced along the lines of an Austin Waldhorn—darker in color and generally warmer in tone, similar to an English Tromba. In this somewhat intimate setting, this results in a more desirable solo voice than a very bright, fiery Trompette. Stewart Foster reports that the previous Chamade would regularly receive complaints from wary congregants. Now, the complete opposite is true, as folks often ask why the trumpets didn’t play on a particular morning: “We love hearing them!”

This instrument is the second Austin organ in Palm Beach. The other installation is our exciting organ at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, located just across the golf course on the opposite shore of the island. Both instruments have unique personalities—surely identifiable as “Austin”—but each organ has its individual character and splendor that serves the very different roles these congregations demand. It is an enlightening pilgrimage to visit each church, perhaps at a worship service, or even during the week, and mark the similarities and differences.

The three-year project was made possible by funding from several prominent and generous chapel families and foundations. The organ was inaugurated by Christopher Houlihan, who played a truly unforgettable and stunning recital on April 3, 2016. Future concerts and recordings are planned along with a YouTube video series. Thanks to Stewart Foster for his assistance with this article, photos, and constant encouragement. Ad multos annos!

—Michael B. Fazio

President & Tonal Director 

Austin Organs, Inc.

Austin Organs: www.austinorgans.com 

Royal Poinciana: http://austinorgans.com/Op2685.html 

http://royalpoincianachapel.org/ 

More on BBTS: www.austinorgans.com/2777.html 

http://www.bbts.org/music/organ/ 

Royal Poinciana Chapel

60 Cocoanut Row

Palm Beach, FL 33480

Phone: 561/655-4212

CHANCEL GREAT 4″ wind

16′ Violone 61 pipes

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Spitzflote 61 pipes

8′ Violone (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Rohrflote 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Fourniture IV 244 pipes

1⁄3′ Scharff III 183 pipes

8′ Mounted Cornet V (TG) 185 pipes

16′ Contra Trompete (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Trompete 61 pipes

Tremulant

Carillon (Tower, digital)

POSITIV 31⁄2″ wind 

8′ Italian Principal 61 pipes

8′ Singendgedeckt 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Gedeckt (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Blockflote 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Sesquialtera II 122 pipes

1⁄3′ Zimbel III 183 pipes

8′ Cromorne 61 pipes

4′ Rohr Schalmei 61 pipes

Tremulant

Rossignol

CHOIR 4″ wind

8′ Concert Flute 68 pipes 

8′ Gemshorn 68 pipes

8′ Gemshorn Celeste (TC) 56 pipes

4′ Principal 68 pipes

4′ Koppelflote 68 pipes

22⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes 

8′ Clarinet 68 pipes

Tremulant

Harp 61 bars

Celesta (ext Harp)

Carillon (Tower, digital)

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

CHANCEL SWELL 4″ wind

16′ Bass Gedeckt (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Geigen Diapason 68 pipes

8′ Gedeckt 68 pipes

8′ Salicional 68 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 68 pipes

4′ Principal 68 pipes

4′ Flute Harmonique 68 pipes

4′ Voix Celestes II (extension)

22⁄3′ Twelfth (Mixture extract)

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

1′ Cymbale III 183 pipes

16′ Basson 68 pipes

8′ Trompette 68 pipes

8′ Oboe 68 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 68 pipes

Tremulant

SOLO 10″ wind

8′ Flute Harmonique 68 pipes 

8′ Violoncello 68 pipes 

8′ Cello Celeste 68 pipes 

4′ Orchestral Flute 68 pipes

8′ English Horn 68 pipes

8′ Bombarde 68 pipes

4′ Bombarde Clarion 68 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trompette en Chamade (TC) 42 pipes 

GALLERY GREAT 31⁄2″ wind

16′ Montre 61 pipes

16′ Bourdon Doux (Swell)

8′ Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Montre (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Quinte 61 pipes

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Fourniture III 183 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

GALLERY SWELL 4″ wind

16′ Bourdon Doux (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Flute à Cheminee 68 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe 68 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 68 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce 68 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce Celeste (TC) 56 pipes

4′ Fugara 68 pipes

4′ Flute à Fuseau 68 pipes

2′ Principal 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Cornet II 122 pipes

1′ Plein Jeu IV 244 pipes

16′ Bombarde 68 pipes

8′ Trompette 68 pipes

8′ Voix Humaine 61 pipes

4′ Clairon 68 pipes

Tremulant

Chimes 25 tubes

PEDAL

32′ Contre Bourdon 8 pipes

      102⁄3′ 4 pipes

16′ Contrebasse 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Violone (Great)

16′ Bass Gedeckt (Swell)

102⁄3′ Quint (from Bourdon)

8′ Principal 12 pipes

8′ Geigen (Swell)

8′ Bourdon 12 pipes

8′ Cello (Great) 

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

51⁄3′ Twelfth (from Bourdon) 7 pipes 

4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes

4′ Flute 32 pipes

22⁄3′ Mixture IV 128 pipes

Cornet V (derived)

32′ Contra Trombone (ext) 12 pipes

(Full length) CCCC 12″ scale

16′ Trombone 32 pipes

16′ Contra Trompete (Great)

16′ Basson (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (ext Trombone) 12 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext Trombone) 12 pipes

4′ Cromorne (Choir)

GALLERY PEDAL

16′ Montre (Great)

16′ Bourdon Doux (Swell)

8′ Octave (Great)

8′ Flute à Cheminee (Swell)

16′ Bombarde (Swell) 

8′ Trompette-en-Chamade (Solo)