Cover feature

Austin Organs, 

Hartford, Connecticut

Opus 2344 (1961 and 2014)

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church,

New Canaan, Connecticut

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

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

From the musician

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

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

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

—Brian-Paul Thomas

Organist and Choirmaster

From the builder

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

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

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

Tonal matters

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

—Michael B. Fazio

Austin Organs, Inc.

President and Tonal Director

Austin Organs, Inc., 

Hartford, Connecticut 

Opus 2795

First Baptist Church, 

Washington, D.C.

Austin Organs, Inc., 

Hartford, Connecticut 

Opus 2795

First Baptist Church, 

Washington, D.C.

Fulfillment of a vision: the second five-manual organ in the City of Washington

First Baptist Church’s new Austin Organ installation marks the realization of a vision that has been several generations in the making for both the church and the organbuilder. First Baptist Church was organized in 1802 when Thomas Jefferson was president and Washington, D.C., was a village of only a few thousand people. The first worship space was in a building where the U.S. Treasury is now located. From that early time, First Baptist has provided continuous ministry in the heart of the nation’s capital. Since the division of Baptists North and South in 1845, First Baptist has been a vital link between major national Baptist bodies. It maintains membership in the District of Columbia Baptist Convention (which is triply aligned with the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., the Progressive National Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention). First Baptist Church is also affiliated with the Alliance of Baptists, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Baptist World Alliance. Several U.S. presidents have worshiped here, notably Harry S. Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. The church has occupied five buildings on four sites in the District of Columbia, including one that is now Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated. 

The first service in the new sanctuary at 16th & O Streets was held on January 12, 1890, and six pastors served in the years that followed. Following his installation as senior pastor in 1937, Dr. Edward Pruden led the church in a building campaign. In 1953, First Baptist tore down its previous building and started construction on its current neo-gothic sanctuary on the same site. The first worship service in the new sanctuary was celebrated on Christmas Day in 1955. The plans initially included a large organ that was to be installed in the chancel area and constructed to match the baptistry. Due to funding shortfalls, however, it was eventually decided that the previous M.P. Möller organ would be re-installed in the new building. Under the subsequent three-decade leadership of minister of music Alvin T. Lunde, proposals from myriad organbuilders were examined and considered. 

Ironically, it was the acquisition of a new nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano that revived the church’s hopes for a new organ. In 2007 First Baptist member Carol M. Kirby, who sits on the board of visitors for George Mason University, was assisting the school in acquiring new Steinway pianos for their Steinway School of Music. Through her leadership and introductions to Steinway, the church was able to purchase one of the last concert grand pianos signed by Henry Z. Steinway. The acquisition of the new piano inspired members of First Baptist to believe the time had come to complete the long-deferred dream of a new pipe organ for the church. In early 2010, First Baptist member Dr. Wayne Angell met with the newly installed Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray and members of the church leadership team to investigate the possibility of moving forward with the organ project if the initial funding for the project could be raised. After receiving enthusiastic endorsement, Dr. Angell then worked to raise the funds to meet the cost of the organ. 

Austin’s history of building large instruments

In the early part of the 20th century, an ever-increasing number of important contracts steadily built the Austin Organ Company’s reputation for organs of impressive design and solid construction. A significant piece of Austin history was the company’s hiring in 1901 of the infamous Robert Hope-Jones (later known as the father of the Wurlitzer organ) to help direct the company into the symphonic realm. During this time Hope-Jones, through Austin, exposed the United States to the Diaphone, famously installed in lighthouses and fire stations around the country. The premier organ version of this somewhat musical “noise” to which Austin held the patent, however, is known as the Magnaton. Hope-Jones also brought us high-pressure voicing for both reeds and flue pipes. While the organ at First Baptist does not have a Magnaton, it does have some interesting higher-pressure voicing than is typical. Before discussing the particulars of this new instrument, let us present some history of our instruments built for concert halls and auditoriums. Hallmarks of their design include walk-in airboxes with vestibules (airlocks), significant wind pressures, generous scaling, and a wealth of orchestral and traditional organ stops. Even an incomplete chronology of these instruments and their clients is impressive:

Opus 120 was installed in the Auditorium of John Wanamaker’s New York Store in 1904.

Opus 182 for the Jamestown Exposition, Jamestown, Virginia, was the first concert organ for which we won an award. A succession of instruments in concert halls followed, including Opus 199 in the Greek Hall of Wanamaker’s Philadelphia store, Opus 252 in the ballroom of the Hotel Astor, New York City, and Opus 279 in John M. Greene Auditorium of Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. Of these, the Greek Hall organ survives, relocated from the store, as does the Smith College organ, which we rebuilt a number of years ago. Opus 323, built for the City Hall Auditorium of Portland, Maine in 1912, is today one of the most famous municipal concert instruments in the United States. The Spreckels Organ, Opus 453, installed in 1914 outdoors in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, certainly needs no introduction. 

Opus 500 (120 ranks), for the Festival Hall of the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, was completed and delivered in less than six months. Opus 558 for Medinah Temple in Chicago crossed paths with Opus 500 on the shop floor in 1915. Opus 573 for the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City followed shortly thereafter. Opus 913, built for the mysterious Bohemian Club of San Francisco, is also located outdoors like the San Diego organ. 

Opus 1206 was built in 1924 for the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Opus 1416 was built in 1926 for the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, and was the largest new instrument built at one time by the Austin Organ Company, having 162 speaking ranks. We restored this instrument in the early 2000s. Finally, Opus 1627 for Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall in Hartford is a still-later example of Austin’s concert hall instruments. This organ, dating from 1929, was restored by Austin in 1989. 

This list only scratches the surface. The legacy and memory of these monumental instruments echo around our shop in the records and photographs of their construction and subsequent history. The machines and fixtures on which they were built continue to turn out new instruments, including the First Baptist organ.

Critical elements of the tonal design

With the reality of the purchase of a pipe organ on the horizon, the church was fortunate to have minister of music Dr. Lon Schreiber on staff. Three decades earlier, he had overseen the “other” five-manual organ in the City of Washington installed at National City Christian Church. After reviewing a stack of proposals that stood two feet high, he contacted Austin Organs through Austin representative William E. Gray. Drawing on his experience as former president of M.P. Möller, and certainly having designed more large organs in this country than any single person alive, he and Lon developed a stoplist of slightly more than 100 ranks, along with some digital augmentation, across five manuals. Bill Gray had a concept for two large organ cases in the chancel (the existing organ has been covered with two decomposing drapes since 1955). The Austin design staff turned this concept into a rendering, and the church enthusiastically endorsed Austin Organs, Inc. to build the new organ for First Baptist.

Austin’s staff drew upon more than a century of design and voicing experience for this project. Each stop was meticulously scrutinized for scale, design, and voicing. The gallery organ project was revised early in the contract to utilize some pipework from the church’s former organ. This, along with several replacements of pipework in lieu of digital, brought the rank count to 118.

The scaling and refinement of this concept was completed by the combined experience of some of the most seasoned voicing staff in the country, including assistant tonal director Dan Kingman, senior voicer Fred Heffner, reed voicer Sam Hughes, and voicers Holly Odell, Annie Wysocki, David Johnston, and tonal director Mike Fazio.

After several visits to the church, it was determined that this large worship space called for an instrument voiced on significant wind pressures. The main airchests are set at 7 inches wind pressure, 10 inches for the Mounted Cornet, and 12 inches and 22 inches for the reeds. In our experience, heavy wind-pressure voicing delivers tone colors and intensity not possible with light-pressure organs. 

The manual divisions of this instrument have multiple diapason, flute, and reed choruses. The mixtures are reasonably pitched and scaled, and the voicing is gently ascendant without stridency. The flutes are subtly voiced for variety, blend, and individualistic tonal colors. Ample mutations, rich string tone, and complete reed choruses expand the tonal palette, allowing the musician to create a kaleidoscope of sound.

The Resonance division is a new concept for Austin, its deployment in this organ due to Bill Gray’s tonal design. The Resonance Organ is composed of the actual voices of the Pedal Organ, but adding 29 pipes, extending from 32 to 61 pipes per rank. Mechanically, it has been possible utilizing an almost forgotten chest design: the Austin Duplex Chest Mechanism. The voices are full, round and deliciously extravagant. The Diapason (a generous 40 scale) was voiced with leathered lips. This practice, once frowned upon, delivers the most natural-sounding Diapason tone for this scale pipework voiced on this pressure. It must be heard to be appreciated.

In the French tradition, the Resonance was a type of Solo organ, but Opus 2795 also has a Solo division. It is composed of several digital voices, provided by Walker Technical Company. It also has a five-rank (305 pipes) Mounted Cornet, installed at the top of the organ, voiced on 10 inches wind pressure, and the Austin Tuba Magna voiced on 22 inches wind pressure that is enclosed in a separate expression box. Inside this expression box are the speakers for the digital voices. A few additional voices inside the Swell and Choir have their speakers mounted in those chambers as well. This allows the tone to resonate with its associated pipework, and express naturally, rather than from an artificial volume control. Again, none of the digital voices are considered ensemble voices; they are only superfluous solo stops.

Following a tradition of tonal innovation, we have also included three new Austin voices in this instrument: a new hybrid Cromorne, the 4′ Spiel Flute, and a 2′ Zauberflöte (listed on the specification as the Descant Flute in the Resonance). The Cromorne is a new scale based on the Austin Clarinet, which morphs into the French Cromorne scale. Our hybrid combination, along with special shallots, gives us the best of both worlds. The Spiel Flute (“Play” Flute) is based on our standard Blockflöte scale, with soldered-on canisters, special mouth widths, and an open bass. The new Zauberflöte is similar to the examples from our instruments of the 1920s. The differences are in the scale and pitch; this type is much larger and has an open bass rather than the typical chimney-flute type. This stop was created to join the chorus of a large 8′ (metal) Hohlflöte and a 4′ Cantus Flute, where we wanted a flute chorus with significant color and strength.

The Choir contains the only stop in the organ to extend in wood past the 4′ range: the Holz Gedeckt. Most of the 16′ extensions (except of course the façade) are wooden as well. Atop the Choir enclosure, we find the 16′ extension of the Gemshorn. This stop was constructed from beautiful vintage 16′ open wood diapason pipes manufactured of perfectly clear-grained sugar pine. The tone is somewhat string-like, but rich and warm. The Pedal (Resonance) Bourdon, made of heavy poplar, is the largest scale made in the Austin factory. These pipes are the first new 16′ Bourdons made in the Austin shop in nearly two decades. They were completed by cabinetmaker Bruce Coderre, finished by Richard Walker, and voiced by Dan Kingman. The 8′ octave of this stop was made of ‘new’ M.P. Möller pipework. Following the demise of Möller, Austin purchased their entire inventory of wooden 16′ and 8′ pipework. The Choir Gedeckt also has a ‘new’ M.P. Möller bass octave of smaller scale.

Each reed chorus contains stops of unique personalities. In the Great division, we find Trumpets of the English style. The Resonance reed chorus is distinctly in the American-Symphonic tradition. The Choir has a smaller German Klein Trompete, and of course the hybrid Cromorne, while the Swell Organ has reeds that echo the brightness of the Trompettes of the French tradition. All the reeds were made in the Austin factory, with exception of the 64/32′ Posaune, Chamade, and the Gallery Swell Trompette and Clairon (from the previous organ). It is notable that every reed from 32′–16′ boasts full-length construction; that there are no half-length reed basses in any department of the organ results in unmatched tone color and voicing stability.  

The organ also boasts three Tuba stops. The Resonance 8′ Octave Trumpet is made to Austin’s small Tuba/Horn scale, and voiced as a Tromba. The Solo Tuba Major is made from the early Austin Tuba patterns, dating to the 1920s. Mounted horizontally on the gallery rail, low in the church, is the brass Trompette-en-Chamade. It was manufactured using the dark Waldhorn shallots, and begins its harmonic range at middle C. 

An early visit to two Austin organs in Hartford allowed First Baptist’s organist Lon Schreiber to hear two very different examples of horizontal trumpets. The problem became immediately apparent in that he wanted both! So, the Chancel 8′ Trompette-en-Chamade (located on the gallery rail) has been designed to be a darker Tuba, commanding yet neither harsh nor bombastic. High above in the Gallery organ’s Great division, atop the expression boxes, one will find the very bright harmonic Trompette Royale (horizontal). This location allows the stop to be voiced bright and full-out.

Console design

This console is the third five-manual drawknob console built by Austin in 120 years. It is also the largest. In addition, it is only the second five-manual console in the city of Washington! It is manufactured of selected red oak with custom-carved moldings and an elegant black-walnut interior. The basic design and layout was conceived by Austin’s vice president Raymond Albright, with cabinetmaker Bruce Coderre and designer/draftsman David Secour. The console was stained and finished by Richard Walker. Austin’s Bill Gray and First Baptist’s Lon Schreiber worked with Albright, with valuable support from Austin CEO Richard Taylor, Bill Hesterman, and organist Frederick Swann, drawing inspiration from the five-manual Aeolian-Skinner console at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. The organ control system was custom-designed by Atlanta-based International Organ Technologies in collaboration with Albright, who holds a degree in electrical engineering. This Virtuoso system employs a very stable processor that connects the console to the chamber with fiber-optic cables. The system includes a virtually unlimited number of memory levels for the combination action. The keyboards were made to original Austin key design by Pennells & Sharpe Ltd. of Brandon-Suffolk, United Kingdom. They have bone natural coverings with walnut sharps. The console is built upon the sturdy, Austin-patented steel frame. The internal dolly allows the console to be easily moved by one person. The console was shown at the AGO national convention held in Nashville last summer.

Mechanical design

The Austin Universal Airchest was developed in the early 1890s by John T. Austin, who was granted a U.S. Patent for this innovation in 1893 at the age of 23. We are certainly proud of the Airchest, and we also truly believe that it is the very best action and system for an organ that can be built. The original 1893 design (of which several remain in service) was improved and updated several times over a 30-year period, until the current design (which we term the “modern action”) was universally employed in 1923. The older organs can be retrofitted with this action, and most have been, but this 1923 action remains the current version and is still made on the same patterns, jigs, and machines. The First Baptist organ not only employs this windchest design but also the conveniences of Austin Airchest construction: full-height, walk-in airboxes, fitted with vestibules (airlocks), so that one may enter the airbox while the organ is being played. Because of the heavy wind pressures, the regulators are of an older, more substantial construction. The 20-hp blower was custom-manufactured by Robert Otey of Washington State to provide the rather substantial pressures and volume of wind required.

Conclusion

The new Austin organ at First Baptist represents two important company ideals: first, the continuation of a fine tradition of large organs in a time-honored style; second, an exciting challenge for our company to recapture the spirit of many legendary Austin organs. This project is the result of the skill, dedication, and vision of many people: Richard Taylor, a veteran of Aeolian-Skinner and Austin Organs, and Michael Fazio, who acquired Austin Organs, Inc. from the original stockholders in January 2006; Bill Gray for his design input and representation; and the Austin factory staff: Victor Hoyt, Stewart Skates, Rafael Ramos, Tony Valdez, Dan Kingman, Fred Heffner, and Michael Chiaradia, along with designer Donald Hand, who learned his craft from Percy Stark, designer of the 1915 Mormon Tabernacle organ. Some of these artisans are now teaching their craft to new apprentices, ensuring that the Austin organ legacy will continue for future generations. The chest room/mechanical department is headed up by Victor Hoyt, with Michael Chiaradia, Bill Mullen, Rafael Ramos, Arthur Hertzog, and Pedro Flores. The console and cabinet shop crosses over to include the craftsmanship of Bruce Coderre, Richard Walker (who not only sets pipes, but is the company wood finisher), and Ray Albright. Manufacturing pneumatics and mechanical components of all kinds: Keith Taylor assisted by Sarah Rigby, Jessinia Flores, and Jonathan Roberts. The pipeshop is ably staffed by Stewart Skates, Tony Valdez, and Colin Coderre. Our office staff consists of Alan Rodi, a recent Wesleyan graduate who serves as general assistant and media specialist; Curt Hawkes, a 20-year Austin employee who serves as our historian and project manager; and David Secour, CAD designer. Together, they have spent countless hours sharing the Austin story on Facebook (Facebook.com/AustinOrgans), YouTube (Youtube.com/AustinOrgans), and the recently revamped Austin website (Austinorgans. com). Please visit these sites for further information on this and other projects. 

The fall dedication concert series launches on September 15 at 4 pm with the inaugural recital by Lon Schreiber, and continues on October 20 at 4 pm with Ken Cowan, and November 24 at 4 pm with Christopher Houlihan.

—Michael Fazio, Alan Rodi, 

Curt Hawkes

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, 

Hartville, Ohio: Sacred Heart Church, 

New Philadelphia, Ohio

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, 

Hartville, Ohio

Sacred Heart Church, 

New Philadelphia, Ohio

From the organbuilder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—Charles Kegg

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders

Charles Kegg, President/Artistic Director

Philip Brown

Michael Carden

Joyce Harper

Philip Laakso

Thomas Mierau

Bruce Schutrum

[email protected]

330/877-8800

www.keggorgan.com

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders

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

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Glück Pipe Organs, New York, New York

Mayflower Congregational 

United Church of Christ, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

An essay in determination

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

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

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

Architectural placement

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

Tonal development

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

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

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

The compound Great/Choir

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

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

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

The mutations

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

The undulants

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

The three reed stops

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

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

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

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

The 32′ stops

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

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

The console

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

The visual design

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

Putting it all together

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

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

Videos and compact discs

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

—Sebastian Matthäus Glück

Cover photo by Robert Rast.

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

Glück Pipe Organs, Opus 14

GREAT I – Manual II,

unenclosed

8′ Open Diapason 50% tin

8′ Holz Gedeckt pine

4′ Principal 50% tin

2′ Fifteenth 50% tin

Chorus Mixture IV 50% tin

C 1 19 22 26 29

A#11 15 19 22 26

G#21 12 15 19 22

F#31 8 12 15 19

E41 1 8 12 15

G#57 1 8

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

Chimes

Great I Silent

GREAT II – Manual II,
enclosed with Choir

16′ Bourdon* mahogany

8′ Harmonic Flute (Choir)

    C1–B12 from 16′ Bourdon

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Vox Angelica (Choir)

4′ Nason Flute (ext, Bourdon)

8′ Clarinet (Choir)

Tremulant (duplicate control)

4′ Great II to Great

CHOIR – Manual I, enclosed

8′ Solo Diapason* (Pedal 8′ Princ)

8′ Bourdon* (ext)

8′ Gemshorn* 50% tin

8′ Vox Angelica* 50% tin

4′ Gemshorn* (ext)

4′ Harmonic Flute pine

2′ Principal* (ext, Ped 8′ Princ)

2′ Recorder* (ext, Bourdon)

1′ Fife* (ext, Gemshorn)

8′ Clarinet 30% tin

Tremulant

Chimes (25 tubes)

Zimbelstern (unenclosed with Gt I)

16′ Choir to Choir

Choir Silent

4′ Choir to Choir

SWELL – Manual III, enclosed

8′ Viole de Gambe (slotted) 90% tin

8′ Voix Céleste (slotted) 90% tin

8′ Stopped Diapason pine

4′ Principal 50% tin

4′ Chimney Flute 50% tin

22⁄3′ Nazard 50% tin

2′ Piccolo 50% tin

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

Mixture IV 50% tin

C 1 19 22 26 29

C13 15 19 22 26

C25 12 15 19 22

C37 8 12 15 19

A46 1 8 12 15

G#57 1 8

16′ Bassoon (ext) 30% tin

8′ Trumpet 30% tin

8′ Oboe d’Amore 30% tin

Tremulant

16′ Swell to Swell

Swell Silent

4′ Swell to Swell

PEDAL – enclosed except for 16′ Contra Bass

32′ Infrabass§

16′ Contra Bass† (ext) zinc

16′ Sub Bass pine

16′ Bourdon (Great)

8′ Principal* 50% tin

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Bourdon (Great)

4′ Fifteenth* (ext) 

4′ Flute (Great)

2′ Choral Bass* (ext)

32′ Contrabassoon§§

16′ Trombone (ext) zinc

16′ Bassoon (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Bassoon (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

Chimes

* Four ranks of pipes revoiced from the original organ

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

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

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

Interdivisional Couplers

8′ Great I to Pedal

8′ Swell to Pedal

8′ Choir to Pedal

16′ Swell to Great

8′ Swell to Great

4′ Swell to Great

16′ Choir to Great

8′ Choir to Great

4′ Choir to Great

8′ Great II to Swell

8′ Swell to Choir

8′ Great and Choir Reversed

Wind pressures

Pedal Trombone and Swell: 5 inches

Remainder of the organ: 4 inches

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois: 

Opus 41, Trinity Lutheran Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders,

Champaign, Illinois

Opus 41, Trinity Lutheran Church, 

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

From the artistic director

Sometimes great new organs result when materials from older instruments are recrafted and repurposed. Many of the best builders throughout history have reused former instruments to varying degrees in their new work. Our Opus 41 began life as a Möller organ, rebuilt and enlarged several times during its history. We happily agreed to reuse the best of the existing materials, all the while considering this project a commission to build a new organ. The façade’s casework, for example, is the original Möller woodwork, redesigned and renewed, now including speaking pipes of the Great and Pedal 8′ Principals.

We respect our clients’ musical and liturgical needs, and the good work of those builders who preceded us. In this case, Trinity Lutheran Church wanted us to build them an organ that would meet the rich musical and liturgical needs of traditional Lutheran worship, honor the gifts of past donors of the existing organ, and respect the deep German heritage of the congregation and the wider community. They loved the tonal depth of our organs, but wondered if we could perhaps stretch our “Anglo-American” style and thereby create a unique work of art—just for them. 

My organ-playing roots go deep into the performance of the great works of Bach, and the exciting “turning of the tables” that the Organ Reform Movement brought to our profession at the time I was just beginning organ study. My love for romantic textures and symphonic registrational colors developed as a synthesis of these colors into the well-precedented framework of classic organbuilding, not from a rejection of the lessons the Organ Reform Movement taught. An organ for Lutheran worship must be classically conceived, with a hierarchical ordering of the divisions and the choruses within those divisions. (Oh . . .  but that’s also how we go about designing an Anglican organ as well . . .) 

The greatest artists throughout history are those who have taken existing styles and stretched them to make their own new style. So it is with styles of organbuilding. It is the classic discipline that we follow (which extends from the pipe scaling and voicing through the use of slider and pallet windchests), which allows us to craft our sound to meet a wide variety of contexts. For example, an organ for Lutheran worship should not be exclusively thin, top-heavy, and screechy (as are many examples of Organ Reform organs); on the other hand, its Principals probably shouldn’t be Diapasons because its music places a greater importance on transparency of tone. A successful organ—style, denomination, and musical use notwithstanding—needs to be able to text-paint the words being sung or the mood being communicated by the composition. A significant part of Lutheran hymnody expresses profound darkness alongside the joyous light of redemption. Therefore, ought not its organ also be able to portray darkness as well as light? Shouldn’t the organ be able to thunder and shake the floor—even when playing softly?

We were blessed to receive a strong endorsement of our work by Kantor Rev. Richard Resch from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and gratefully accepted an invitation to build this organ from Trinity Lutheran Church’s director of music, Brian Heinlein. We were asked to create the quintessential “Lutheran organ” for Trinity parish’s expansive and impressive music program, combining the overall effect of our own “house style” with the specific items that differentiate the two. The result of the full organ, and the ability to make seamless crescendos and diminuendos, is that of a Buzard organ—one simply gets to full organ a bit differently!  Principals are light in nature, flutes transparent. Strings are typically rich and warm, and in one instance explore colors created by tapered pipes. Reeds, while quite similar to those found in our other new work, are slightly adjusted to the nature of what was wanted.

The most recent previous rebuild had been undertaken by the former Schlicker Organ Company. A significant amount of the pipework added during this rebuilding was new. The Schlicker organ used low wind pressures and therefore low cut-ups in the flue pipes. Thus it was economically and artistically responsible to reuse them, altering the scales as appropriate, and cutting the mouths higher to meet the new tonal context. The original Pedal 16′ open wood Diapason was retained, modified with new beards and proper tuning panels. The original Swell/Pedal 16′ Lieblich Gedeckt was too small of scale to do its job, so we made four new pipes, which are mitered and bolted to the ceiling of the Swell expression box. 

Our tonal director, Brian Davis, created this magical synthesis. Even before tonal finishing began, we could all tell that this was going to be a very special organ for everyone concerned. Each of our organs is a custom-designed and custom-built musical instrument, because we draw upon an intimate knowledge of many styles and schools of voicing, as well as aspects of tonal design, for the particular musical contexts at hand. Add to that sensitivity for one’s individual style and you have the making of art.

Ours is one of few modern commercial organbuilding firms that dares to believe it can create a unique place in the profession and its history by developing an individual artistic style. All of our visual and tonal designs, the engineering and execution, are accomplished in-house by our own artists and craftsmen. True, our style is inspired at its core by what some specific instruments have had to say to me. But it is the timeless concepts of classic organbuilding that provide the perfect framework to allow our style to thrive on its own, or be molded, shaped, and finessed to satisfy other contexts. When an organ bears the Buzard name, you know that the Art is never “outsourced!”

—John-Paul Buzard, President & Artistic Director

From the tonal director

The project for Trinity Lutheran Church in Sheboygan was full of tonal challenges from the very beginning. We were commissioned to build an organ for the parish that would meet the needs of the Lutheran liturgy as well as perform the huge treasury of music written for the church. On top of that, this instrument also needed to be able to convincingly play more modern and romantic repertoire. The old instrument had been redone several times by various firms and was leaning in the direction of bright and thin. Some stops individually sounded pretty, but had nothing else in the organ with which to blend. Herein was the largest problem of the old instrument. It did not meet the first and foremost requirement in organs that I voice, which is that the stops must blend, blend, blend! A copy of a set of pipes from “Saint So and So” doesn’t automatically mean that it will be successful in a coherent instrument! You can scale things properly so that they will blend, and still capture the essence of the sound you are seeking.

And so we set forth on conceiving a tonal design that would blend well, fill the sanctuary with sound, and satisfy the musical needs of the congregation. Scales needed for the job were drawn up. When old pipes could be fit into the scheme they were reused. Several were liberally rescaled to make them work in the new sound scheme. Where there were gaps in the scaling concept, new pipes were ordered to fill these in. In this way, a pool of properly scaled pipework was ready to be voiced, with the intention of having a bit brighter sound than what we would do otherwise. Nicking is light, and the pipes have a light speech to them, which is charming but never dominates the tone itself. The result is an organ in which the flues are warm and singing and crowned by upperwork that is bright, but does not overshadow the lower pitches. It is very much a concept from the Organ Reform Movement. Many organs in Europe that inspired the Organ Reform Movement are like this and perform as such in their own environment. That is the key! We do not copy what we see and hear in older organs but rather strive to recreate the essence of this sound in our rooms, changing what is necessary about pipe construction in order to achieve this.

The reeds in the organ are what give the instrument its special character. Overall they are brighter than what we normally would use, as the instrument as a whole is also this way. Stops more traditional to what one would find in a Lutheran organ are also employed in the instrument. The Schalmei, Dulzian, and Fagott are all present in the organ as well as a variety of trumpets. Following the concept of creating what is needed, rather than just copying what was done in an organ of the past, led to new sounds coming out of a Buzard organ. Many hours of consulting with our pipe maker, Christoph Ulmer at Killinger Pfeifen Freiberg, went into developing these reeds. He would look at the scale and shallot suggestions I proposed, shake his head and call me a crazy Texan, and then use them to create unique and truly beautiful voices for the organ, which make the instrument so versatile. Only one old reed was of use in the new instrument. The old swell Oboe 4′ had a new bottom octave made for it. The stop was originally too soft to be useful, but the scale and lengths of the pipes were good. The shallots were therefore milled open here at our shop and new tongues were cut so that the revoiced Oboe would sing at an appropriate volume.

Reusing old pipework in a rebuild of an organ is infinitely more difficult than simply starting from scratch with a totally new instrument. I am honored by the trust placed in us by Kantor Richard Resch and the music director at Trinity Lutheran, Brian Heinlein. The support of the entire congregation was wonderful! You will not find better people to work with anywhere. It is my hope that our creation will serve God and them as well for years to come!

—Brian K. Davis, Tonal Director

From the director of music

The organ at Trinity Lutheran Church was first installed by the Möller Organ Company in 1927. Over the next 85 years the instrument was rebuilt or revoiced three different times by three different organ companies. The tonal scheme changed dramatically during that time period as the organ increased in size from 20 to 39 ranks. In the late 1990s, we realized something needed to be done to break the cycle of organ alterations that were being made once every decade. Plans were made to install a completely new instrument, but the project never moved forward.

Ten years later we contacted John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and asked them for a proposal for an extensive organ renovation that would use the best components of the old organ to craft a new instrument. We desired an instrument that was similar to the neo-baroque sound to which we were accustomed, but with more warmth and foundational pitches than were present in the existing instrument. We also wanted an organ that would last for 100 years without a need for major repairs or modifications. The Buzard Company identified exactly what we were looking for and built us an instrument that exceeded our expectations in every aspect.

Most of the principal chorus and mixtures were reused from the previous instrument. Under the skillful hand of tonal director Brian Davis, the mixtures were voiced to maintain the brilliance we desired, but without being as harsh and strident as they were previously. Many of the existing flutes were also rescaled and revoiced. Prior to renovation, the instrument contained three 8′ flutes that were almost indistinguishable from one another. Today we now have four 8′ flutes with unique timbres and varying dynamic levels. All new strings were also added to the instrument. When the Swell Salizional and flutes are played together, they blend so perfectly that one would think it was a Stopped Diapason.

The most noticeable tonal improvements were made in the reeds. Aside from a reused Oboe, all of the reeds in this instrument are new. The Swell reeds have a fiery brilliance that contrasts nicely with the darker timbre of the reeds in the Great division. Where the previous instrument had all half-length reeds, we now have new full-length 16′ reeds that provide a solid foundation to the new organ sound. While the Festliche Trompete is absolutely thrilling to hear, the new Dulzian is equally as impressive. Its tone is a cross between a Krummhorn and a Clarinet and possesses the best characteristics of each stop.

All of these improvements result in an instrument that looks and sounds as it never has before. Parishioners have commented on how much easier it is to sing with the new organ than with the previous instrument. The sound is clearer and the pitches are in the proper proportions between high and low registers. Through the skillful engineering of Chuck Eames, all 52 ranks of the instrument fit in the same space as the previous instrument, and yet the pipes are more accessible for tuning and maintenance.

As Lutherans, our weekly time together in the Divine Service is filled with sung liturgy and hymns. We have identified the pipe organ as the best instrument to lead congregational singing, as it is able to “text-paint” the hymns in meaningful and varied ways. This project has preserved the best pipework given to us by our predecessors and blended it seamlessly into a new instrument that will serve many generations in the years to come. Soli Deo Gloria.

—Brian Heinlein

Director of Music

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Opus 41 

Trinity Lutheran Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

GREAT

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

8′ Prinzipal (polished tin in façade)

8′ Rohrflöte

4′ Oktav

4′ Flöte

22⁄3′ Quint

2′ Oktav

Mixtur IV

16′ Englisch Horn

8′ Trompete

Tremulant

Zimbelstern (digital)

Chimes (25 notes, digital)

8′ Festliche Trompete 

    (horizontal inside case)

* Festliche Trompete stops are not affected by any couplers in any division, nor by couplers between divisions.

SWELL

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (wood)

8′ Spitzflöte

8′ Holz Gedeckt (from 16′)

8′ Salizional

8′ Schwebung (TC)

4′ Prinzipal

4′ Kleinflöte

22⁄3′ Nasat

2′ Flachflöte

13⁄5′ Terz

Groß Mixtur IV

16′ Fagott

8′ Trompete

8′ Oboe

4′ Klarine (from 16′)

Tremulant

8′ Festliche Trompete (Gt)

POSITIV

8′ Harfenpfeife

8′ Metal Gedeckt

4′ Prinzipal

4′ Blockflöte

Kornet II

2′ Oktav

2′ Pfeife

11⁄3′ Larigot

Zimbel III

8′ Dulzian

Tremulant

16′ Festliche Trompete (Gt)

8′ Festliche Trompete (Gt)

4′ Festliche Trompete (Gt)

PEDAL

32′ Untersatz (digital)

16′ Holz Prinzipal

16′ Subbass

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

8′ Oktavbass (polished tin in façade)

8′ Gedeckt (ext 16′ Subbass)

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

4′ Choralbass (ext 8′)

4′ Nachthorn

Mixtur IV

32′ Kontra Posaune (digital)

16′ Posaune

16′ Fagott (Sw)

8′ Trompete (ext 16′)

8′ Schalmei

8′ Festliche Trompete (Gt)

40 independent speaking stops, 52 ranks across three manuals and pedal

C. B. Fisk, Inc., Gloucester, Massachusetts, Opus 146

Chapel of the Holy Spirit, 

Christ Church, Glendale, Ohio

Glendale, Ohio, incorporated in 1855, is an enchanting, historic village of 2,200 inhabitants located 15 miles north of Cincinnati. One of the earliest planned communities in the state, Glendale was positioned next to a railroad that originally provided transportation to local industries and to downtown Cincinnati. These rails now carry only freight but are still part of Glendale’s unique ambiance. Its winding streets and charming Village Square are surrounded by many parks and large Greenbelt preserves. It is the only village in Ohio designated a National Historic Landmark.

In 1865, only 10 years after Glendale’s incorporation, Christ Church, Episcopal, was founded, and soon thereafter an elegant Victorian era stone church with surrounding campus was built. Nearly 150 years later, in the spring of 2014, Christ Church completed an exciting new addition to their campus—the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Attractive, modern in design, and filled with light, the chapel was designed by City Studios Architecture of Cincinnati. Acoustically, the new space is reverberant, well balanced, and nicely supportive of both organ and choral sound. It is outfitted with movable furnishings, allowing for great flexibility and multiple configurations for various types of worship and performance. 

Discussions focusing on a new tracker organ for the chapel began with Bryan Mock, organist and director of music at Christ Church, in the summer of 2011, and by May of 2014, C. B. Fisk was chosen to be the builder of a two-manual, 25-stop instrument. A contract was signed in July of the same year. Dr. Mock, a past president of the Association of Anglican Musicians, presides over a comprehensive music ministry that involves numerous volunteer musicians and encompasses four choirs. From the beginning, he insisted that the primary function of the new organ be to provide fitting, sympathetic accompaniment of his multiple choirs. Naturally, liturgy and literature were central considerations as well, but our charge was to strike just the right balance, with choral accompaniment being the top priority.

Constructed in our Gloucester workshop during the winter and spring of 2015, Opus 146 was delivered to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in early August. On October 25, one week after the tonal finishing was completed, the organ was dedicated in a service of Evensong, with the Holy Spirit as the theological motif. Dr. Mock presided at the organ, presenting Veni Creator-based music of Nicolas de Grigny, Maurice Duruflé, and J. S. Bach. Christ Church’s 30-voice Adult Choir, accompanied by the new organ, also participated in the liturgy, singing Thomas Attwood Walmisley’s Service in D Minor and Michael McCarthy’s choral arrangement of O Love of God, How Strong and True.

Charles Nazarian’s striking case design for Opus 146 was accomplished in a 1:16-scale physical 3D model, a process that has been the norm in the Fisk workshop for over five decades. As the photos show, the instrument occupies one corner of the chapel space. In plan, the shape of the façade is the result of two intersecting planes tailored to this corner location. The interior layout of the organ reflects this shaping, with the Great and Swell divisions placed behind the hammered spotted metal Principal 8′ in the three right-hand façade compartments (the Great is at impost level, with the Swell just above, oriented back-to-front), and the Pedal division located behind the wooden Violone 16′ in the two left-hand towers. With regard to the development of the visual design, Charles Nazarian has written:

One of the most interesting features of the room architecture is the way intersecting wall planes and wood paneling form dynamic triangular and polygonal shapes. Those interesting shapes provided the angular design language that helps the organ to feel at home in the Chapel’s architectural context. On first view, the most striking example of this shaping may be the organ’s roof. It is deliberately allowed to “fly” above the square ends of the casework with exciting polygonal angles that give the entire organ a sense of being ready to lift off into flight. . . . Since the Chapel is named for the Holy Spirit whose traditional symbol is the Dove, the theme of flight is represented in abstract forms of the pierced pipe-shades over the pipe arrays. The composition of the five shades is
identical, but each one is different in scale and angle, tailored to the pipe tops below. In this case we saw a wonderful opportunity to represent the Dove and to give a signature design element to the organ. The pierced panels also provide a variegated screen for tonal egress.

The request to display the Tetragrammaton was answered by creating three indented panels above the console, just under the three metal pipe arrays. The lettering appears in the center panel. The organ console features vertical stop jambs that add sculptural interest to the casework and afford easy access for registration changes by the musician who is often conducting the Choir. The intended Choir location, in the large room indentation to the right of the organ, provides good lines of sight for the singers to watch the music director at the organ console.

In overview, the design of Opus 146 has taken us down some anticipated as well as some exciting unexpected paths. In every aspect of the organ’s development we have asked the question, “What will make this instrument mechanically, tonally, and visually a perfect match for its home with a personality like no other?”

Reflecting on the presence of the Tetragrammaton on the organ case, music director Bryan Mock wrote in the dedication leaflet, “Christ Church Glendale is dedicated to the second person of the Trinity, our new Chapel to the third person, and the Fisk organ bears the Tetragrammaton (), that is, the Hebrew letters for the unpronounceable and ineffable Name of God, thus bringing us around full circle to the symbolic abiding presence of the Holy Trinity within our community.”

Tonal finishing of Opus 146’s 1,420 pipes took place from early September through mid-October and was under the direction of Fisk voicer Nami Hamada. Nami had visited the chapel the previous September in order to get a first-hand look at the space and to listen to music being made by instrumentalists and singers performing from various points in the room. An acoustical profile was created in imagination, thus beginning the tonal design process. What Nami learned informed countless decisions as we scaled the pipework, computed mouth widths, chose pipe materials, and settled on wind pressures. Recently reflecting on her experiences working in the chapel, Nami Hamada wrote:

When we start to voice an organ, the first thing we need to do is to learn what the characteristics of the room’s acoustics are. As we began voicing the Principal 8′ of the Great for the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, we did a lot of analysis of the room by experimenting with changing the tone and volume of the pipes. One thing that became clear was that the space was very sensitive to the number of chairs present (and, by extension, to the amount of floor area that was exposed), as well as the number of people in the Chapel. The space had a pleasant reverberation and good bass support. The treble range, while not overpowering, sustained its clarity.

Once we learned about the room, we continued with the voicing of each pipe, carefully keeping in mind the changes to the acoustic when the room was in use for various occasions. One of the specific challenges to the voicing of Opus 146 was to achieve the proper volume level of each stop without forfeiting the expressive qualities and distinctive colors of each voice. Another challenge was to find just the right balance between the principal and flute choruses. 

The light and responsive key action of Opus 146 allowed the pipes’ speech to be voiced freely and expressively, which in turn offers the organist the ability to
control the pipes’ speech. The ability to have “flexible” wind, by disengaging the largest winker, enables expression through emphasis or accent not unlike the human lungs, especially in earlier music and hymn playing. For me, this means that the organ can perform a wider range of repertoire very convincingly, and its capacity to lead hymn singing is enhanced.  

While the various flue choruses make available a wide variety of tonal colors, the Hautbois 8′ on the Swell provides a quiet reed color, under expression. The Trumpet 8′ on the Great and the Trombone 16′ on the Pedal add a wonderful strength and support to create a full and exciting tutti sound in the chapel.

All of us at C. B. Fisk are grateful for having had the opportunity to build Opus 146 for Christ Church Glendale. It has recently come to light that this instrument will be made available to organ students of Professor Michael Unger at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Thus, in addition to its many important sacred roles in the chapel, the organ will take on an additional role of great consequence—that of teacher. We couldn’t be more pleased.

—David C. Pike

Senior Vice President & Tonal Director

C. B. Fisk, Inc.

From the organist and director of music

Christ Church Glendale, an Episcopal Church in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded in 1865. Three years later the parish built a worship space in Victorian Gothic style, complete with Connick windows and a Hilborne Roosevelt organ, Opus 25. The parish built a new education building between this church and the adjacent parish house in the mid-twentieth century. This new construction included a small chapel designed in scale to be primarily used by children. Over time, adults also chose to use this space, and attendance quickly outstripped the chapel’s capacity. This mid-century building was demolished and a new education building was built in 2014, including a large chapel with seating capacity for over 200 congregants. This chapel was carefully engineered and designed for optimal resonant acoustics for clear and beautiful production of music and speech.

Initially there was little planning for a new organ in the new Chapel of the Holy Spirit, as discussions centered on alternative musical expressions within the worship life of the church. Eventually the parish decided that a new organ, of the best quality available, should be built for the space. This organ should, within the constraints of space and resources, be as flexible as possible in accompanying corporate worship within current and foreseeable trends in Episcopal liturgy and the needs of the community. The C. B. Fisk organ company of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was ultimately chosen for its proposed sensitivity to the 21st-century design of the room visually and the superior musical quality of their extant instruments.

Our Fisk, Opus 146, continues to amaze and charm listeners with its beauty as a solo and accompanimental instrument in its acoustical and visual space. It has a warm and inviting sound that aids and supports both congregational and choral singing. It also renders beautifully singing solo stops and powerful pleno for a very wide spectrum of musical production, and I am certain that this instrument will continue to inspire many generations to come at Christ Church Glendale.

—Bryan K. Mock, DMA

Organist and Director of Music

Christ Church, Glendale, Ohio

GREAT – Manual I – 61 notes

16′ Bourdon 

8′ Principal 

8′ Spire Flute 

4′ Octave 

4′ Chimney Flute 

22⁄3′ Quinte 

2′ Superoctave 

Mixture IV–V

8′ Trumpet