Cover Feature

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio

Saint Paul the Apostle Parish, Westerville, Ohio

The highlight of Muller Pipe Organ Company’s ninety-fifth anniversary year was the completion of the new pipe organ for Saint Paul the Apostle Parish of Westerville, Ohio, the largest congregation in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. Our relationship with the parish began as the new building was being designed, and we enjoyed working collaboratively to create a space that would be effective for both worship and music. The result is a handsome brick edifice seating approximately 1,500 parishioners in an acoustically reverberant and visually arresting space. 

John Bryan, music director at St. Paul, and Paul Thornock, then diocesan organ consultant, worked with us as tonal ideas were developed. These conversations produced an eclectic instrument that supports the diverse liturgies of the parish, boldly leads major diocesan events, and accommodates a wide variety of organ repertoire.

Saint Paul boasts an active choral program to match the size of the parish and space. To ensure ample room for these singers, we placed the Positive on the railing, where it is reminiscent of a Rückpositv both in location and sound. The other divisions are in the large main case at the back of the spacious gallery.

Our tonal philosophy dictates a broad, warm sound for the Great division; this was readily accomplished at Saint Paul by a location in the main case. This division’s broadly scaled and boldly voiced principal chorus is the cornerstone of the entire instrument. The smaller-scaled Violone was designed primarily as a 16′ stop, but plays at 8′ pitch and functions as the secondary principal, being both brighter and more articulate. The Tromba is the darkest of the manual trumpets and employs English shallots and harmonic resonators beginning in the middle octave. Because the division is expressive, the Great includes ranks that would be expected in a Choir division: a throaty Clarinet and a pair of tapered Gemshorns.

The Swell is the workhorse of the organ and balances the Great division. A secondary principal chorus with a low-pitched mixture, an independent flute chorus, and broadly scaled Viole strings provide a solid platform for choral accompaniment. The Trompette and Clairon create a fiery French effect. The Hautbois, with its open shallots, also has a bright French quality or nasality. 

The Positive contains the most articulate and colorful stops of the organ. Its location on the gallery rail allowed us to contrast its voice with the Great by means of smaller scaling, lower wind pressure, and gentler voicing. The somewhat unconventional Quintadena provides a lovely solo voice and offers an alternative to the eloquent Gedeckt. The Positive Trompet is a median between the Great and Swell trumpets. These shallots were designed for effective tone on light wind pressure, providing plenty of power with ample fundamental tone.   

The pipes of the Pedal division are divided into C and C-sharp sections on either side of the main case. It boasts a powerful Trombone as well as a reclaimed 16′ Open Wood Diapason. Like each manual division, the Pedal has a complete and independent principal chorus, culminating with a four-rank mixture. To provide flexibility, the Pedal division includes judicious borrowing from the manual divisions.  

The visually and aurally commanding Pontifical Trumpet is mounted horizontally on the main case and is constructed of brass with flared resonators. This stop is powerful enough to speak over fuller combinations, yet does so with a refined, even tone.  

The cases were conceived to visually harmonize with the Romanesque features of the building. From the choir seating in the balcony, the outline of the Positive pipework mirrors the architecture of the ceiling and mural while drawing one’s focus directly to the liturgy at the front of the church. The casework and the console were fabricated by craftsmen at the Muller shop. The cases of quarter-sawn red oak were handcrafted using traditional joinery, as was the raised panel console. The console is movable and features interior accents of solid walnut with inlays of ebony and maple. 

We are especially grateful for the support of A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc., David R. Beck, Paul Thornock, and countless others in the industry for their counsel and wisdom. However, the instrument would not exist without the heroic efforts of John Bryan, the Reverend Charles Klinger, pastor, and the parishioners of Saint Paul the Apostle. We thank them all for honoring us with the opportunity to build this lasting testimony to their faithfulness.

—Luke Tegtmeier, Tonal Associate

Muller Pipe Organ Company

GREAT - Main case, enclosed

16′ Violone 73 

8′ Principal 61

8′ Violone (ext 16′)

8′ Rohrflöte 61

8′ Gemshorn 61

8′ Gemshorn Celeste (TC) 49

4′ Octave 61

4′ Koppelflöte 61

2′ Super Octave 61

11⁄3′ Fourniture IV 244

16′ Bass Clarinet (ext 8 ′)

8′ Trompet (Pos)

8′ Tromba 61

8′ Clarinet 73

8′ Pontifical Trumpet 61

Tremolo

SWELL – Main case, enclosed

16′ Bourdon 73

8′ Principal 61

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Viole 61

8′ Viole Celéste  61

4′ Octave 61

4′ Harmonic Flute 61

22⁄3′ Nazard 61

2′ Blockflöte 61

13⁄5′ Tierce 61

2′ Plein Jeu IV 244

16′ Basson-Hautbois 73

8′ Trompette 61

8′ Hautbois (ext 16′)

4′ Clairon 61

Tremolo 

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)

POSITIVE – Railing, unenclosed

8′ Principal 61

8′ Holz Gedeckt 61

8′ Quintadena 61

4′ Octave 61

4′ Waldflöte 61

22⁄3′ Quint 61

2′ Super Octave 61

2′ Flautina 61

13⁄5′ Tierce 61

11⁄3′ Larigot 61

1′ Mixture III 183

8′ Trompet 61

Tremolo

8′ Clarinet (Gt)

8′ Tromba (Gt)

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)

PEDAL – Main case, unenclosed

32′ Diapason (resultant, 16′ Open)

32′ Bourdon (resultant, 16′ Subbass)  

16′ Open Wood Diapason 32

16′ Violone (Gt)

16′ Subbass 56

16′ Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Octave 32

8′ Subbass (ext 16′)

8′ Bourdon (Sw)

4′ Choral Bass 32

4′ Subbass (ext 16′)

22⁄3′ Mixture IV 128

32′ Trombone 56

16′ Trombone (ext 32′)

16′ Basson-Hautbois (Sw)

16′ Bass Clarinet (Gt)

8′ Trombone (ext 32′)

8′ Hautbois (Sw)

4′ Clarinet (Gt)

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)

Wind pressures

Great – 51⁄2″

Swell and Pedal – 5″

Swell reeds – 41⁄2″

Positive – 3″

Pontifical Trumpet – 6″

32′ Trombone (1–24) – 8″

Full complement of couplers

Electro-pneumatic pitman chest action

Peterson ICS 4000

Three manuals, 54 ranks, 3,117 pipes

Quimby Pipe Organs, 

Warrensburg, Missouri

Two organs in North Carolina

In 2017, Quimby Pipe Organs (QPO) completed the installation of two small-to-medium sized instruments in North Carolina. Both projects incorporated pipework or mechanics from the churches’ preceding instruments, as the work would not have been feasible in either case given all-new construction. However, both projects resulted in organs that function mechanically as if they are all new, and both have entirely new tonal identities that align with modern QPO practice. Accordingly, both have been given QPO opus numbers, and each is, in its own way, an exploration of what should constitute a modern-day American multum in parvo organ, where comparatively few ranks of pipes yield surprising results: instruments that are flexible, musical, and artistically satisfying. Each organ plays with the authority of a much larger instrument than its size would suggest.

Opus 73

All Saints Episcopal Church

Southern Shores, North Carolina

We were invited to visit All Saints Episcopal Church by Organist and Director of Music Steve Blackstock because we had previously worked with him to relocate an 1878 Marshall Brothers organ, which was electrified and rebuilt by Ernest M. Skinner in 1912 and is now situated in a new case on QPO electro-pneumatic slider windchests at Holy Redeemer-by-the-Sea in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Blackstock asked us to assess All Saints’ 1948 M. P. Möller organ, Opus 7721. Originally five unified ranks, the organ had grown to nine, enclosed in a freestanding case in the rear corner of the room. There were some pleasant sounds in the instrument—particularly the stopped wood flute—but the disposition of these voices at various pitches over two manuals and pedal was not entirely successful; there was a lack of flexible, contrasting ensembles.

Several options were investigated, including either the relocation of a mid-nineteenth-century Hook tracker or a mid-twentieth-century Austin. But the ideas that resonated most with Steve were those which Michael Quimby and I developed for the expansion and radical rebuilding of the existing Möller.  

The approach was straightforward: the existing enclosed mechanical chassis would become the Swell, and a new unenclosed Great division would be added on a new Quimby-Blackinton electro-pneumatic slider chest. The best of the existing pipework would be retained, and after careful restoration, rescaling, and revoicing, would find a place in the new tonal concept, though not always at the same pitches or divisions as before. One independent Pedal rank was added—a Pedal Octave that plays at 8′ and 4′.

Although the existing Möller unit windchests were retained in the new Swell, having been releathered recently, efforts were made to provide more of a “straight” ensemble in the Swell, with unification judiciously used for added color and flexibility, rather than to create ensemble.

Not one new pipe was constructed for the project. Rather, ranks were carefully selected from our extensive inventory of nineteenth- and twentieth-century American pipework for integration into the ensemble. The end result is not a patchwork of individual voices, as one might expect, but rather, a cohesive, flexible ensemble. This is not only due to the quality of the vintage pipework, but also to the unique facility of Michael Quimby to identify which ranks will work to achieve the intended result, and also to the ability of Head Voicer Eric Johnson and staff voicers Samantha Koch and Christopher Soer to carry out the work. Also essential is our fully functional pipe shop, where cleaning, restoration, modification, and repair can happen as required alongside construction of new pipes.

Several church members participated in passing pipes into the organ. One couple, key donors to the project, also assisted, and knowing that there were no new pipes in the organ, inquired as to the provenance of the pipes. In response, I told her that the pipe she had in her hand came from an organ formerly at a church in St. Louis, Missouri. She was stunned. She had attended there as a young lady, and it was, in fact, where she had met her husband, who was also helping to pass pipes. We quickly figured out that we were installing pipes that had played at the time that she would have heard the organ—a happy coincidence that added dramatically to the significance of the instrument for these two.

New casework was designed by QPO and constructed by members of the church to expand and complement the existing enclosure. The new casework is intentionally somewhat transparent, and the pipes of the Great division are visible at different times during the day when overhead light passes down from skylights overhead. The façade pipes are vintage zinc basses, here painted with pearlescent white bodies and rose gold mouths, which complement the open, light-filled character of the church. The existing console was rebuilt and placed on a moveable platform dolly.  

The existing 8′ Trumpet was extensively revoiced and extended to play at 16′ and 4′. It is at once brilliant and foundational and forms a grand underpinning for the full ensemble. A pair of early-twentieth-century strings yield characteristic, lush string tone in the Swell, and the unison rank extends down to 16′. The 16′ Contra Viola is surprisingly versatile: in addition to making an effective double to the new Great Diapason chorus, it is soft enough to serve as a whisper bass (with the Swell box closed) under the 8′ Dulciana, yet harmonically intense enough to combine with the 16′ Gedeckt and synthesize a 16′ Diapason.

The organ was completed in September 2017 and was dedicated on Sunday, October 1. On Sunday, October 15, Dorothy Papadakos accompanied the 1920 silent film, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Opus 74

Central United Methodist Church

Concord, North Carolina

Susan Renz Theodos, director of music at Central United Methodist Church in Concord, North Carolina, contacted us regarding a project for a possible new organ because of her previous experience playing our Opus 34, of three manuals and thirty-three ranks at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Litchfield, Connecticut (1992). Developed in tandem with then organist Thomas Brown, Opus 34 is a QPO multum in parvo instrument dating from before our work had shifted into the mature Quimby tonal style.  

In working together with Susan after her visit to a more recent project at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia (Opus 66, 2010), we developed a proposal for an equally effective three-manual organ, slightly expanded, which would have the same versatility and nuance as Opus 34, but expressed according to a more Romantic approach: with heroically scaled chorus work and characteristic, harmonically developed individual voices that lock together into seamless, coherent ensembles.

The resulting instrument makes use of select existing pipework from the church’s former 1973 Casavant (Opus 3179), new pipework constructed by Quimby, and select vintage ranks from QPO inventory. New electro-pneumatic slider windchests were constructed for all straight manual ranks and electro-pneumatic unit ranks for all pedal and extended ranks. The winding system and interior structure of the organ are all new. In order to help make the project more cost-effective, we refurbished and rebuilt a three-manual console, constructed by another builder in 2000, for an organ that is now redundant. With new mahogany interior, console lid, and bench top, the refinished console is a splendid match for the church’s neo-Classical interior.

The use of existing Casavant pipework in combination with our own inventory was attractive to the church, not only because it was fiscally responsible, but because they understood it to be environmentally responsible when compared with new construction, and therefore, good stewardship in several senses. The transformation to the carefully selected principals, flutes, strings, and mutations is stunning; none of the reused ranks bears any resemblance to what existed before. The previous instrument was weak in the unison range, and top-heavy with piercing upperwork. Individual foundation voices were bland and blended poorly, with little support for choral accompaniment or even congregational song. The transformed ranks, having been recomposed, rescaled, and radically revoiced, now form colorful, expressive Diapason ensembles at a wide range of dynamic levels.  

Our approach to rescaling and revoicing old ranks of pipes that came from the church’s previous organ is conceptually similar to the practice of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in nineteenth-century France. His organs at Notre Dame de Paris and Saint-Sulpice incorporate significant percentages of eighteenth-century Clicquot pipework, but those old ranks of pipes were successfully transformed to contribute to a new tonal aesthetic by Cavaillé-Coll.  

New and vintage reeds were provided, custom voiced in-house; these range from the throaty Cromorne in the Solo-Choir, to the lyrical Oboe and fiery Trumpet in the Swell, to the brilliant Harmonic Trumpet in the Solo-Choir, and finally, the dominating, spectacular Tuba in the Great. The Harmonic Trumpet, available at 16′, 8′, and 4′ on manuals and pedal, can serve in the Great as chorus reeds with the box closed, as a soft or loud 16′ reed in the Pedal, and with the box open as an exciting climax to full organ at all three pitches. The Tuba is intended strictly for solo use and is voiced on 12 inches wind pressure so that individual notes can be heard over full organ.

Also of note are the variety of 8′ and 4′ flutes, several of which are vintage, and which contrast and combine with each other effectively. The Swell strings are revoiced Casavant pipework and contrast a more broadly voiced Viola Pomposa and Celeste in the Solo-Choir.  Together with the Swell Spitzflute and Celeste, a wide range of undulants is provided, which can be combined in surprising ways.

The organ was completed in November 2017 and was dedicated by Bradley Hunter Welch on Sunday morning, April 15, 2018, with a recital following the same afternoon.

—T. Daniel Hancock, A.I.A., President

Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc.

Quimby Pipe Organs, Opus 73

GREAT (unenclosed)

16′ Contra Viola (Swell)

8′ Open Diapason, 49 pipes, 1–12 common with Pedal 8′ Octave

8′ Hohl Flute, 55 pipes, 1–6 common with Swell 8′ Gedeckt

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Viola (Swell)

8′ Dulciana, 61 pipes

4′ Octave, 61 pipes

4′ Spitzflute (Swell), 1–12 Swell 8' Gedeckt; 13–61 2′ Flageolet

2′ Fifteenth, 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture III, 183 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

Zimbelstern

SWELL (enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt, 97 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (ext)

8′ Viola, 85 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste, TC, 49 pipes

4′ Principal, 73 pipes

4′ Stopped Flute (ext)

4′ Viola (ext)

22⁄3′ Nazard, 49 pipes, 1–12 common with Swell 8′ Gedeckt

2′ Octave (ext)

2′ Flageolet, 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce, TC, 37 pipes, top octave repeats

16′ Contra Oboe, TC, 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet, 85 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext)

4′ Clarion (ext)

Tremulant

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (fr 16′ Bourdon)

16′ Bourdon (Swell) 

16′ Contra Viola (ext Swell 8′ Viola) 

8′ Octave, 44 pipes, 1–17 in façade

8′ Gedeckt (Swell) 

8′ Viola (Swell)

4′ Super Octave (ext)

16′ Trombone (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell) 

8′ Oboe (Swell)

4′ Clarion (Swell) 

4′ Oboe Clarion (Swell)

Two manuals, 18 ranks, 1,111 pipes

Builder’s website: 

https://quimbypipeorgans.com

Church website: http://allsaintsobx.org

Quimby Pipe Organs, Opus 74

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, Hartville, Ohio

Christ the King Chapel, 

St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver, Colorado

Every new pipe organ project, large or small, has a unique sense of importance. Rarely are we afforded the opportunity to build an instrument that will inspire generations of clergy to high ideals. Our new organ at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary is a true honor for an organbuilder.

Each of our pipe organs is custom designed for the space it occupies and the musical task it must perform. During the design process, the organ evolves. Sometimes the stop list has additions made as funds become available, or unknown building impediments are discovered that require us to adjust. This new organ of course went through this process, but through it all, the goal we shared with associate professor of sacred music, Dr. Mark Lawlor, did not. The goal was to build an instrument suited primarily to the multiple daily Masses of the seminarians.

The failing electronic organ from 20 years ago had “replaced” the original 1931 Kilgen pipe organ. Heavily damaged first by modifications to the stop list with foreign pipes installed by lesser hands, then with loud speakers among and largely on the pipes, the original pipe organ was assumed destroyed. When Kegg sales representative Dwayne Short first crawled into the crowded, dark, and dirty space, he made his way into the furthest reaches where few had ventured in years, to discover that many of the Kilgen Swell stops had survived in reasonable condition. These, along with one Pedal stop and an orphan Great Clarinet, gave us some original pipes to consider retaining in the new organ.

Christ the King Chapel is a handsome room built in 1931. Beautiful to look at with masonry walls and terrazzo floors, it is a child of its time, apparent when one looks up. The coffered ceiling panels are beautifully painted acoustic tile, rendering only about one second of reverberation when the room is empty. The organ is at the rear of the room, in a shallow chamber over the main door. The robust all-male congregation is mostly at the front of the nave and in the crossing. All these elements dictate a rich, strong, and dark organ to meet the voices at their pitch and location. There is an Antiphonal division that is prepared in the console. Until it is installed, the main organ will have to fill the room from the rear with the singers up front.

Dr. Lawlor specifically requested that all manual divisions be enclosed to afford him and future musicians maximum musical flexibility. Most organists prefer a three-manual organ to two, which we frequently offer in organs of this size. The new organ is 19 stops and 25 ranks dispersed over three manuals and pedal. The only unenclosed stops are the Pedal 16′ Principal, from which the façade pipes are drawn, and the horizontal Pontifical Trumpet, in polished brass with flared bells. This last stop was also a specific request. Because the room is not excessively large, these pipes are placed as high as possible. The large scale, tapered shallots and 7-inch wind pressure give these pipes a round, Tuba-like quality that is commanding and attractive.

The Great/Choir and Swell are enclosed in separate expression boxes. The stop list is not unusual, but the execution of the Principal choruses is. Both choruses have Mixtures based at 2′. This allows them to couple to the Pedal without a noticeable pitch gap in the bottom octave sometimes heard with 11⁄3′ Mixtures. The breaks of these two Mixtures are different. The Swell Mixture breaks before the Great, bringing in the 22⁄3′ pitch early. This gives the Swell Mixture a rich texture, particularly helpful in choral work. Emphasis in finishing is on unison and octave pitches when present. The first break in the Great Mixture is at C#26 and from C#14 is one pitch higher than the Swell, making it relatively normal. For the Great Mixture, the upper pitches are given more prominence during finishing. The two choruses complement and contrast well in this intimate space, without excessive brightness.

Many of the flutes and strings were retained from the original Kilgen organ. With some attention in the voicing room, these work well within the Kegg tonal family. Having heard other examples of our work, there was a keen desire by Dr. Lawlor for a new Kegg Harmonic Flute. To make this happen within the budget and space available, we used an existing wood Kilgen 8′ Concert Flute for notes 1–32. At note 33, this stop changes to new Kegg harmonic pipes. The stop increases in volume dramatically as it ascends the scale. Available at 8′ and 4′ on both the Great and Choir manuals, the 8′ stop is nicely textured and mezzo-forte. The treble of the 4′ morphs into a soaring forte voice, made even more alluring by the tremulant.

With the exception of the Clarinet, all reeds are new Kegg stops and typical of our work. The Trumpet has a bright treble and a darker, larger bass extending into the Pedal at 16′. The Oboe is capped and modeled after a Skinner Flügelhorn. The lovely Kilgen Clarinet fits nicely into the Kegg design.

The Pedal has the foundation needed for the organ. The 16′ Principal unit of 56 pipes provides stops at 16′, 8′, and 4′. This is the only flue stop that is not under expression. It grows in volume as you ascend the scale and does so more than its manual counterparts. Because of this, it is easy to have the Pedal be independent and prominent when needed for polyphonic music. This stop joins the Great Principal and Octave, all playing at 8′ pitch, to make the 8′ Solo Diapason III, a Kegg exclusive. With three 8′ diapasons at one time, it is similar in effect to a First Open for both solo and chorus work where a firm 8′ line is required.

The console provides all the features expected in a first-class instrument today including unlimited combination memory, multiple Next/Previous pistons, bone and rosewood keys and, of course, the Kegg signature pencil drawer and cup holder. 

The original 1931 organ was covered by a gray painted wood and cloth grill. The new organ façade design was inspired by the building age and funds, but mostly by the significant stone door that dominates the rear wall. This is not a formal case, but it is more than a simple fence row. The stone door is massive and will always be visually dominating, so it is natural to acknowledge it and build from it. The center façade section pipe toes sit atop the lintel with the tops dipping down to mirror the brick arch above, making space for the Pontifical Trumpet to seemingly float. The center section sits 5 inches behind the side bass sections, giving more depth to the visual effect. Viewing the façade from any angle other than head-on, it becomes sculptural.  

This was an exceptionally exciting and enjoyable project for us. The enthusiasm, interest, and complete cooperation from the seminarians and staff were a daily spiritual boost for the entire Kegg team. This organ was installed in nine days, ready to be voiced, due largely to the excellent working conditions. Many thanks to James Cardinal Stafford, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, Dr. Mark Lawlor, and all our new friends at St. John Vianney.

—Charles Kegg

President and Artistic Director

The Kegg team:

Philip Brown

Michael Carden

Cameron Couch

Joyce Harper

Charles Kegg  

Philip Laakso 

Bruce Schutrum

Ben Schreckengost

Dwayne Short

GREAT (manual II, enclosed)

8′ Solo Diapason III (fr Gt 8′, 4′, Ped 8′)

8′ Principal (61 pipes)

8′ Concert Flute (1–32 existing, 33–73 

    new pipes)

8′ Dulciana (61 existing pipes)

8′ Unda Maris (TC, 49 pipes)

4′ Octave (73 pipes)

4′ Harmonic Flute (ext 8′)

2′ Fifteenth (ext 4′ Octave)

IV Mixture (2′, 244 pipes)

8′ Clarinet (61 existing pipes)

Tremulant

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (TC, 39 pipes, 

    C13–D51, polished brass, flared 

    bells, high pressure)

Chimes (console preparation)

Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great 4

8 stops, 11 ranks, 661 pipes

SWELL (manual III, enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt (73 existing pipes)

8′ Diapason (73 existing pipes)

8′ Gedeckt (ext 8′)

8′ Salicional (61 existing pipes)

8′ Voix Céleste (TC, 49 existing pipes)

4′ Principal (ext 8′)

4′ Harmonic Flute (73 existing pipes)

22⁄3′ Nazard (TC, 49 existing pipes)

2′ Flute (ext 4′)

13⁄5′ Tierce (TC, console preparation)

11⁄3′ Larigot (fr 22⁄3′)

IV Mixture (244 pipes)

16′ Trumpet (85 pipes)

8′ Trumpet (ext 16′)

8′ Oboe (61 pipes)

4′ Clarion (ext 16′)

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4

9 stops, 12 ranks, 768 pipes

CHOIR (manual I, enclosed with Great)

8′ Concert Flute (Gt)

8′ Dulciana (Gt)

8′ Unda Maris (TC, Gt)

4′ Principal (Gt 4′)

4′ Flute (fr Gt 8′)

2′ Octave (fr Gt 4′ Octave)

8′ Oboe (Sw)

8′ Clarinet (Gt)

Tremulant

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)

Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived)

16′ Principal (56 pipes)

16′ Subbass (44 existing pipes)

16′ Gedeckt (Sw)

8′ Octave (ext 16′)

8′ Subbass (ext 16′)

8′ Gedeckt (Sw)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 16′)

32′ Harmonics (derived)

16′ Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

4′ Clarinet (Gt)

2 stops, 2 ranks, 100 pipes

INTER-DIVISIONAL COUPLERS

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir to Pedal 8

Choir to Pedal 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 8

Choir to Great 4

Swell to Choir 16

Swell to Choir 8

Swell to Choir 4

Great/Choir Transfer

ADJUSTABLE COMBINATIONS

14 General pistons (1–14 thumb, 1–10 toe)

6 Great pistons (thumb)

6 Swell pistons (thumb)

6 Choir pistons (thumb)

4 Pedal pistons (toe)

General Cancel (thumb)

Set (thumb)

Range (thumb)

Undo (thumb)

Clear (thumb)

Next (General piston sequencer, 4 thumb, 1 toe)

Previous (2 thumb)

30 memories per User, unlimited Users

REVERSIBLES

Great to Pedal (thumb and toe)

Swell to Pedal (thumb)

Choir to Pedal (thumb)

Full Organ (thumb and toe)

32′ Harmonics (toe)

ACCESSORIES

Balanced Swell expression pedal

Balanced Great/Choir expression pedal

Balanced Crescendo pedal (2 memory adjustable, with numeric indicator)

Full Organ indicator

Transposer

Concave and radiating pedal clavier

Adjustable bench

TONAL RESOURCES

19 Stops, 25 Ranks, 1,529 Pipes

Organbuilder website: www.keggorgan.com

Seminary website: http://sjvdenver.edu

Marceau Pipe Organ Builders,

Seattle, Washington, Opus 35

University Lutheran Church, 

Seattle, Washington 

Marceau Pipe Organ Builders has completed their Opus 35, a three-manual and pedal organ of 25 stops, 27 ranks, and 1,714 pipes for University Lutheran Church of Seattle, Washington. The first instrument for this edifice was built by the Reuter Pipe Organ Company in 1954, Opus 1097. It consisted of two manuals, 18 stops, 19 ranks, and 1,358 pipes. An Echo division was later installed by Balcom & Vaughan Organ Builders in 1957, Opus 637. This consisted of two manuals, six stops, six ranks, and 392 pipes. Two consoles were added; the Chancel unit was able to control both locations, and a separate console was placed in the rear balcony to play only the Echo division. This arrangement worked well for a number of years before mechanical and tuning issues began to affect the reliability of the organs.

In 2013, a conversation was begun that would address the status of the existing consoles, the unplayable Echo division, and the obsolete electrical system. After exploring a number of options, University Lutheran awarded Marceau Pipe Organs a contract to build a new three-manual, terraced drawknob console and create an Antiphonal division that would be located on the floor of the balcony, as well as some modest tonal additions to enable this division to function in a variety of musical styles and to stay in tune with the Chancel organ, regardless of the season. In addition to the above details, there was a desire to transform the sounds of both organs from dull and colorless to a brighter, more energetic sound. This was achieved by introducing new pipes for the Great, Swell, and Antiphonal principal choruses along with major re-regulation of the existing reed stops. In addition, the Antiphonal received an 8′ Festival Trumpet and an 8′ Krummhorn; the existing 8′ Vox Humana was not retained in this division since the Chancel Swell already contained a stop of this character.

The new console was constructed of solid white oak with the coupler rail and stop tiers of bubinga. The simple elegance of the white oak complements the red-brown appearance of the bubinga. The keyboards feature polished bone naturals and ebony sharps. These console treatments have been an integral element of all Marceau consoles for the past 15 years.

A reading of the stoplist suggests a much more colorful and energetic tonal design. The Great principal chorus is completely new to the organ and includes a much-needed 13⁄5′ Seventeenth. The Swell 8′ Principal was a last-minute addition, replacing the original rank, which was slotted with a narrow, string-like sound. The Antiphonal is the only division with a façade; these 12 pipes are from the 8′ Principal. The Pedal 16′ Principal was extended by 17 notes to become 8′ Principal II on the Great. The luxury of having four 8′ Principals is most effective in a less than supportive acoustic.

The number of flute stops is on the lean side due to space and mechanical limitations. The intent was to finish each stop with a multitude of functions, creating a more versatile result. While it is not an ideal design to derive multiple stops of various pitches from one rank, the various derived mutations (Swell and Antiphonal) work quite well as tonal contrasts to the independent Great mutations. 

There are two sets of strings that work remarkably well and complement each other tonally. Having a set of strings in the Antiphonal again creates a unique location of sound that has a most satisfying result!

The reeds all received extensive revoicing in the shop and regulation on site. Both Swell reeds were opened up to gain color and dynamic capabilities. For greater versatility, the Trumpet is set at 16′, 8′, and 4′ pitches in the Swell, 8′ pitch in the Great, and 16′, 8′, and 4′ pitches in the Pedal. A 32′ electronic extension was added as the final dynamic element for the Pedal chorus. The Antiphonal 8′ Krummhorn is bright, and its location still works well with the Chancel organ. The Antiphonal 8′ Festival Trumpet brings a solo reed sound to the organ. Its sound is bright and very present without overwhelming the full ensemble.

The organ was dedicated on October 8, 2016, with a vespers service followed by an organ recital performed by William Bryant.

This was a challenging project in so many ways. Working with an existing pipe organ brings many surprises along the way that could not have been anticipated. We acknowledge the following for their efforts in the many details of this work: Carl Dodrill (Pipe Organ Foundation), Jim Stettner and Michael Way (Puget Sound Pipe Organs), William Bryant, organist of University Lutheran Church, and the staff of Marceau Pipe Organ Builders. These skilled craftsmen took on the many and sometimes difficult challenges of this project with energy and commitment! 

—René A. Marceau 

President/Tonal Director

—Sean Haley

Operations Manager

Glück Pipe Organs,

New York, New York

Saint Patrick Catholic Church,

Huntington, New York

Roosevelt Organ No. 408

In 2003, I purchased Frank Roosevelt’s three-manual, thirty-six rank Organ No. 408 before the wrecking ball struck Brooklyn’s Schermerhorn Street Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Roosevelt organ, contracted for in 1888, begun in 1889, and completed the following year, enjoyed renown while Franz Liszt’s student, Hugo Troetschel, presented 250 bi-weekly recitals during his 52-year tenure as organist. As the Roosevelt organ was being dismantled, a project was initiated for it to be reconstituted in its historic configuration for Princeton University under the aegis of the late David Messineo, university organist. Dr. Messineo’s vision was to install it within the 1916 Aeolian organ case in Proctor Hall, which had been designed by Ralph Adams Cram as the elegant graduate dining hall of the campus. The Aeolian was supplanted by a Gress-Miles organ in 1968, but we felt that bringing the Roosevelt there, with a replica of its original console and limited combination system, would give students an accurate idea of what an untouched Roosevelt sounded like, and more importantly, how it would have to be played without modern solid-state equipment. Upon Dr. Messineo’s death in June 2004, the project abruptly was ended, so I reserved the material within our company’s selection of heritage pipework until such time as a suitable home could be found for it. 

A decade after saving the Roosevelt from the landfill, it became obvious that it would take a very special type of church, synagogue, homeowner, or school to take the leap of faith to historically reconstruct a heritage cultural property that they could not hear or see. I was left with little choice but to market the Roosevelt as the core of a new instrument, but did not wish to disperse it rank-by-rank, the fate of so many antique instruments. With the understanding that its genes had to carry on in a different way, I knew it was unlikely that all of it could be used, and some contemporary tonal elements might be included to make it viable for modern musical ministry. The goal was to keep its spirit alive.

The opportunity presents itself

Saint Patrick Catholic Church is a vast, lofty, reverberant building constructed in 1962 and equipped with M. P. Möller’s Opus 9751 from the start. That gallery organ was the unfortunate product of the joint influence of the firm’s “special tonal consultant,” Ernest White, and their tonal director, John Hose. Too small for the room and voiced barely to energize the pipes, it was from its inception frustratingly inadequate for liturgical use. Sparse allocation of the organ’s twenty-one ranks among three manuals and pedal forced the elimination of essential voices in what likely should have been a well-appointed two-manual instrument. Subsequent alterations to the stoplist accomplished nothing, and the organ was still suffering mechanically after technical work was executed. Upon careful examination, I determined that insurmountable scaling irregularities precluded it from forming an effective core for a new instrument, and that the parish would accrue no benefit from retaining any of its mechanical infrastructure.

I entered into a situation for which ideas already had been presented, so as an architect, organist, and organbuilder, I had to make my case with clarity as the last man “at bat,” and had to risk proposing something so different that it would either be rejected or embraced. I proposed that the Roosevelt organ be incorporated into two new organs at either end of the building, controlled by twin mobile consoles that emphasized the elegant richness of natural materials so that the organs would not be seen as utilities. A single aggressive organ blasting from one end of the very long room would be less effective than two more elegantly voiced instruments dividing the task. With no substantive literature written for an “antiphonal” division, I chose a modified continental model. The labor is divided between the two organs, but the use of assisted rather than mechanical action would make them playable separately, together, or simultaneously by musicians at either end of the building.

Countless volunteer consultants offered their strong opinions about tonal design, builders, and the merits of pipeless sounds, with a nebulous consensus that the Möller organ should be rebuilt, supplemented by an “antiphonal” division, real or artificial. The prevailing notion that circuits and speaker cabinets could fill the artistic gaps with a shrug of the shoulders was proclaimed the path of least resistance. Swimming with vigor against that tide, I proposed two complete all-pipe organs of contrasting character, albeit constitutive elements of a grander whole.

There is always room for a pipe organ, even if there is not the willingness. Each house of prayer holds only so many people and will accommodate the appropriate number of pipes to accompany their voices. Despite the absence of sanctuary chambers and the cries of “no room for pipes,” I proposed the centuries-old practice of suspending the chancel cases from the sheer walls of the building, and designed the large gallery case to embrace the rose window. The organs’ cases complement the architecture without distracting from liturgical proceedings, and the chancel cases are located high enough to remain in tune with the gallery organ.

I am grateful to have worked with and for composer, conductor, organist, and tenor Matthew Koraus, FAGO, director of music, whose enormous talent, vision, commitment, and patience helped bring two new organs to the parish.

The new instruments

Roosevelt’s standard wind pressure of 31⁄2 inches determined the wind pressure used for the Saint Patrick instruments. The Roosevelt pipes, once cleaned and winded, would dictate to me the tonal direction of the organ’s new stops. Roosevelt’s work after the first few years deliberately followed a template from which the firm rarely deviated, so even the presumption of “what would the company produce today?” was treading on thin ice. The historical material was a point of departure in a new venture.

Visually, my mission was to design three organ cases that acknowledged the modernity of the church building but would bear my stamp as an architectural classicist. Following half a century of blank white walls, the size and depth of the cases, particularly those that flank the sanctuary, presented “the shock of the new” to some parishioners. With choirs, orchestras, and congregation surrounded and coordinated by sound, the new arrangement has been fully embraced. With a sumptuous mobile console at each end of the building, the liturgical and musical flexibility, and the ability for two musicians to play simultaneously, have fostered a new understanding of the organist’s duties in the parish.

The Gallery Great is anchored by a 16′ Violone, which was rebuilt from the Möller Pedal 16′ Principal. This gives the reader a good idea of just how under-scaled the Möller instrument was. The Roman-mouthed Roosevelt Great 16′ Double Open Diapason—gilded, stenciled, and sand painted—had to be abandoned with the magnificent case in Brooklyn, and sadly went down with the building. Soaring harmonic flutes stand alongside Roosevelt’s signature double-mouthed flute, as well as his wonderful 8′ Trumpet with tin-rich resonators and schiffschen shallots. 

The Great Chorus Mixture is composed slightly lower than most and voiced with some restraint. The original Roosevelt tierce mixture could not be retained as a second mixture for budgetary reasons, and with only one mixture in the division, I opted for a new quint mixture for clarity. The Roosevelt Great tierce mixture has found a new home; it is being included in our firm’s reconstruction of Roosevelt Organ No. 4 of 1873, his earliest surviving effort, at The College of Mount Saint Vincent, overlooking the Hudson River. The Great Mixture had been stolen from that organ in 1969, and the Brooklyn stop will sing again among its siblings. 

The Swell harbors the largest concentration of original tone with nine Roosevelt ranks. The warm 8′ Diapason, often absent from the American Swell, supplants the ubiquitous addiction to the 16′ Bourdon. The new Plein Jeu lends clarity to the Pedal when coupled, with no break from its 15-19-22 composition until G#33. With space and budget for only one Cornet combination, it was placed in the Swell, where it is under expression, can be folded into the reeds, and can enter into dialogue with either the Corno di Bassetto or Clarinet. The Swell reeds are rich and warm for anthem work, a balance made possible by the more brilliant manual reeds elsewhere in the organ.

The Choir division is cast with a nod toward traditional structure, without taking it too far into the neo-Classical realm.  The new muted undulant is completely uncharacteristic of Roosevelt’s work; both brothers preferred a second Choir 8′ string of contrasting character, and the Unda Maris appeared in a mere one percent of their 538-instrument output. Tenor C of the Dulciana is marked #400 408 ECHO Choir DULCET G. MACK JULY 1889; this rank was originally built as the 4′ Dulcet for Roosevelt’s 1892 four-manual, 109-rank magnum opus No. 400 for the Chicago Auditorium Theatre, the pipes for which were in production at the same time. The division’s flute choir and subtle Carillon are joined by a notably bold 8′ Corno di Bassetto. Two commanding Trumpets, one enclosed and one not, play from the Choir manual but are not necessarily of the Choir. The new Herald Trumpet, voiced on six inches wind pressure, is in the expression enclosure, and the 8′ Tromba is the former Swell 8′ Cornopean. At six-inch scale with harmonic spotted metal resonators, it was incorporated into the Saint Patrick Pedal as an 8′ and 4′ unit, with the top 17 pipes retained for its use as a powerful manual Trumpet for processions and fanfares and to cap the full organ without standing apart.

The Gallery Pedal is a stack of independent flue ranks, with Roosevelt’s seismic 16′ Open Wood Bass sitting beneath purely tuned 102⁄3′, 62⁄5′, and 44⁄7′ pitches in the bass to reinforce the 32′ line. The magnificently brassy, rolling 16′ Trombone, with its wooden shallots and blocks and sleeved zinc resonators, is so powerful that it triggered burglar alarms and summoned police during the tonal finishing phase of the project. 

The partially unified organ flanking the sanctuary supports and encourages congregational singing by helping to maintain coordination, tempo, and pitch. The front organ is of a lighter and gentler character than the main organ because of its use in more intimate services and its proximity to the parishioners and clergy, yet it is still large enough to use for the performance of a sizable segment of the concert literature.

The sparkling Great and Positiv inhabit the Gospel case and the mellower Swell, with its Skinner-style Flügel Horn, is in the Epistle case. Roosevelt’s splendid Clarinet takes up residence in the Positiv, and the three 16′ Pedal stops (string, flute, and warm reed) keep the bottom from dropping out. The instrument enjoys its own personality, with the resources to enhance liturgy and to acquit a respectable body of the literature. The two cases are widely spaced. There is directional distinction and balances must be heard in the room, yet the acoustic brings them together in the nave.

The combined organs easily lead large choral forces, support full congregational singing, and contain gentle, accompanimental voices at both ends of the building to provide subtle, evocative, and meditative effects for life cycle events and introspective portions of the Mass. Over the centuries, organbuilders and composers have established particular conventions regarding which stops and combinations of stops must “live” in particular divisions, and if these rules are set aside, many works cannot be played as intended. I have tried to honor those requirements in the design of this dual instrument.

Pipe organ building is an interdisciplinary craft, and every instrument, traditionally the vision of the tonal director, is a group effort. In addition to our significant suppliers (OSI, A. R. Schopp’s Sons, and Peterson Electro-Musical Products), these instruments were made possible by the capable staff of Glück Pipe Organs: Albert Jensen-Moulton, general manager; and technicians Joseph di Salle, Dominic Inferrera, Dan Perina, the late Peter Jensen-Moulton, and Robert Rast.

—Sebastian Matthäus Glück

Builder’s website:

www.gluckpipeorgans.com

Church websites:

stpatrickchurchhunt.org

stpatrickhuntingtonmusic.weebly.com

GALLERY GREAT – Manual II

16′ Violone 61 m

8′ Open Diapason 61 m

8′ Violoncello (ext 16′) 12 m

8′ Concert Flute [a]

8′ Doppelflöte 61 w R

4′ Principal 61 m

4′ Flauto Traverso (harm.) 61 w&m

2′ Fifteenth 61 m

IV Chorus Mixture 244 m

8′ Trumpet 61 m R

Zimbelstern

8′ Herald Trumpet (Choir)

GALLERY SWELL – Manual III

8′ Diapason 61 m R

8′ Cor de Nuit 61 w R

8′ Salicional 61 m R

8′ Voix Céleste 61 m R

4′ Principal 61 m R

4′ Flûte Harmonique 61 m R

22⁄3′ Nazard 61 m

2′ Octavin (tapered, harm.) 61 m R

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 m

III–IV Plein Jeu 212 m

16′ Bassoon (ext 8′ Hautboy) 12 m

8′ Trumpet 61 m

8′ Hautboy 61 m R

8′ Vox Humana 61 m R

Tremulant

GALLERY CHOIR – Manual I

8′ Violoncello (Great)

8′ Dulciana 61 m R

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 m

8′ Gedeckt 61 w R

4′ Gemshorn (cylindrical) 61 m R

4′ Flûte d’Amour 61 w R

2′ Blockflöte 61 m

II Carillon 122 m

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 m

Tremulant

16′ Herald Trumpet (TC, fr 8′)

8′ Herald Trumpet 61 m

8′ Tromba [b] 17 m R

GALLERY PEDAL

32′ Double Diapason [c] 12 w

16′ Open Wood Bass 32 w R

16′ Violone (Great)

16′ Subbass 32 w R

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 12 w R

    (ext Choir 8′ Gedeckt)

8′ Principal 32 m

8′ Violoncello (Great)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′) 12 w R

8′ Gedeckt (Choir)

4′ Fifteenth 32 m R

4′ Gedeckt (Choir)

2′ Bauernflöte 32 m

32′ Harmonics [d] 38 m

16′ Trombone (maple shallots)

32 m R

16′ Bassoon (Swell)

8′ Trumpet 32 m R

8′ Bassoon (Swell)

4′ Clarion (ext 8′) 12 m R

CHANCEL GREAT– Manual II

8′ Open Diapason 61 m

8′ Spitzflöte 61 m

4′ Principal 61 m

2′ Fifteenth (ext 8′ Open) 24 m

IV Mixture 244 m

CHANCEL POSITIV – Manual I

8′ Rohrgedeckt 61 w&m

4′ Offenflöte (ext Gt 8′ Spitz) 12 m

2′ Nachthorn (ext 8′ Rohr) 24 m

11⁄3′ Quintflöte 49 m

    (top octave repeats)

1′ Zimbelpfeife (8′ Rohr)

8′ Clarinet 61 m R

Tremulant

CHANCEL SWELL – Manual III

8′ Viola 61 m

8′ Viola Céleste (TC) 49 m

8′ Holzgedeckt 61 w

4′ Fugara (ext 8′ Viola) 12 m

4′ Koppelflöte 52 m

      (C1–G#9 Gedeckt)

2′ Piccolo (ext 8′ Holzged) 24 m

8′ Flügel Horn 61 m

Tremulant

CHANCEL PEDAL

16′ Contrabasso (ext Sw Viola) 12 m

16′ Sub Bass (ext Pos Rohr) 12 w

8′ Principal 32 m

8′ Spitzflöte (Great)

8′ Viola (Sw)

8′ Rohrbordun (Positiv)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′ Princ) 12 m

4′ Offenflöte (Positiv)

16′ Waldhorn (ext Flügel Hn) 12 m

8′ Flügel Horn (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Positiv)

[a] C1–B12 common with Doppelflöte, C13–C61 from Flauto Traverso

[b] Unenclosed; extension of Pedal 8′ Tromba

[c] Independent 102⁄3′ stoppered pipes play with 16′ Open Wood for C1–B12; breaks to 32′ Open Wood at C13

[d] 102⁄3′ wood + 62⁄5′ metal + 44⁄7′ metal (with internal chimneys); composition changes as it ascends the scale, with mutations dropping out

m = metal

w = wood

R = Roosevelt

Chancel Organ: Opus 16 (16 ranks, 1,058 pipes)

Gallery Organ: Opus 17 (46 ranks, 2,564 pipes)

Dedicated September 14, 2014

Gallery: Blackinton slider chests; chancel: electric valve chests with reeds in electropneumatic pouch chests.

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

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