Cover Feature

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois; Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Carmel, Indiana, Opus 45, 2017; Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Opus 46, 2018–2019

Opus 45

“What have you done here!?,” asked Todd Wilson as he leapt off the organ bench to greet me the day before Opus 45’s dedication. Hoping this was a friendly question, I asked to what exactly he was referring. “This organ just about plays itself!” Yes, it was a very friendly question and a complimentary one—even better.

What Mr. Wilson was referring to speaks to the heart of our organs’ playing mechanisms. Opus 45 was the first of our new organs in which our proprietary “Pallet Unit Chests” were used alongside our electrically operated slider and pallet windchests. More about this later. 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church’s new long-hoped-for campus became a reality upon sale of their previous facility, the land being needed for a new entrance ramp to I-465. Early during their planning process, the organ committee selected Buzard Pipe Organ Builders for the instrument, and their architect, Jack Munson of Indianapolis, Indiana, asked us for dimensional and acoustical specifications. Imagine my delight and surprise when nearly ten years later Pilgrim Church’s cantor, Sarah Gran-Williams, called to tell me they were “ready for the organ!” And, imagine my further delight to discover Jack Munson had followed all of our recommendations, producing an intimate but lofty room, featuring four seconds of even reverberation, a nearly silent HVAC system and a perfect space for the organ case, choir, piano, and organ console!

The instrument at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel, Indiana is the 45th new pipe organ built by Buzard Pipe Organ Builders of Champaign, Illinois. It comprises 31 independent speaking stops and 37 ranks of pipes, distributed across two manual keyboards and the pedal keyboard. The instrument is housed in a free-standing case made of poplar, red oak, and walnut measuring 24 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and 35 feet tall. It was designed in concert with the building’s Prairie style architecture; every shape, line, and element of the room’s design is present in the organ case. 

The Great and Pedal divisions are located in the top level of the case. The Swell division is placed in the center above the impost. The lower level contains the winding and mechanical systems and the Pedal 16′ Trombone. The blower and static reservoir are installed in a room located away from the sanctuary. The upper façade comprises polished tin pipes from the Great 8′ Open Diapason; the copper Festival Trumpets bisect the case in its center; the lower façade and two towers feature pipes from the Pedal 16′ Open Diapason beginning at low E (low C through D# are made of wood and lie horizontally behind the case) and the 8′ Pedal Principal.  

We housed the color stops of the Great division in an expression box to provide additional expressive quality and accompanimental flexibility to this two-manual organ. Throughout our history we have tried to be “Traditional Visionaries” in situations in which space or financial resources were limited, resulting in subdivided Swell and Great divisions. This technique, originally utilized to overcome limitations, is becoming more a hallmark of our tonal style, in which equal emphasis is placed upon musical rendering of solo literature, accompanying, and congregational singing.

Buzard organs are custom designed, scaled, and voiced for each individual congregation’s musical tradition and acoustical environment. This means they differ one from another in execution, but an unmistakable musical thread runs through every Buzard pipe organ. The stop names are consistent from organ to organ, but the scaling and voicing of each is entirely determined by the specific circumstances that impact the creation.  In this way, Buzard organs are works of functional art, designed and crafted to each and every client’s identity, while at the same time demonstrating a consistent personality of tone quality and artistic style.

This instrument honors its Lutheran patrimony by a slightly brighter outlook in the Principal choruses, inclusion of a German Romantic Clarinet and Oboe, and the slightly lighter 16′ Pedal registers. But it is a Buzard organ through and through in the enveloping warmth and majesty of Full Organ, its delicacy and sensitivity of tone in softer registrations, and its thrilling Swell reed battery. It has been called “a cathedral organ in a parish church.”

Back to Mr. Wilson’s observation of the playing actions. Buzard organs use electrically operated slider and pallet windchests to eliminate leather, providing an action that encourages sophisticated tonal results and stable tuning. Beginning with Opus 45, our organs’ unit stops (stops which play in multiple locations or at multiple pitches) and Pedal stops are played on actions identical to the slider chests—but without the slider stop actions. Our “Pallet Unit Chests” provide a key-channel expansion chamber for the wind for every pipe, just as the main slider chests, and they utilize identical magnets as the slider chests to open the unit chests’ pallets, giving the unit stops the exact same speech and repetition characteristics as the main slider chests. We are pioneers in the development of sensitive and responsive electric key actions. One can truly feel the difference; the musical result is palpable.

Our pipes are made of thick, high tin-content pipe metal (as well as wood and copper) rather than zinc. We support them in felt-lined traces and European racking systems that prevent the pipes from collapsing and further firms the tone produced. Additional support for the large façade pipes is provided by lining the interior of the feet with copper.  Although far more expensive than the metal zinc, we believe traditional tin-rich pipe-metal produces better tone and is more in keeping with the permanent nature of a pipe organ investment.

We regulate our wind supply using single-rise reservoirs, schwimmer regulators, and concussion bellows to deliver a copious and steady wind supply, with a fine degree of flexibility. Our Tremulant actions send an adjustable timed-pulse to electric solenoids under the schwimmers, which both push and pull on the schwimmer plate to provide a perfect sine wave much like the human voice singing with “vibrato.” These actions are absolutely silent in their operation and extremely effective in both flue and reed stops.

Expression shutters are made of 2-inch-thick poplar, laminated to prevent warpage during seasonal changes, with heavily felted sound traps. Our expression boxes’ walls and ceilings are made of 1-inch MDF (the equivalent of 2 inches of solid hardwood) with 1½-inch-thick poplar stiles and rails, to produce an extremely effective swell expression. The shutters are moved by adjustable electric servo-motors.

Buzard organ consoles are intuitive in their layout and solidly built to last for generations. Their proprietary ergonomics of manual-to-pedal alignment allow for many playing hours without fatigue. The logical layout of drawknobs and couplers, toe-studs and expression pedals, encourages both technical accuracy and musical playing. Keyboards are plated in thick bone and ebony; the cabinets are made of 1½-inch-thick hardwoods.

We build all of our organs in sound reflective and protective cases, even when the organs are installed in chambers, as you will see we did in the second organ featured in this article for our Opus 46 organ at Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We do this to provide excellent projection of sound into the room especially when chambers are located off the axis of the room (as in Opus 46) and to protect the organ from severe temperature fluctuations and potential building failure such as leaking roofs.

Cantor Sarah Gran-Williams said it best: “Buzard Organs sing, and they help us sing!” And, as Todd Wilson said: “This organ just about plays itself!”

Opus 46

In our Opus 46 organ at Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, we were given the wonderful opportunity to explore the nature of what a third manual keyboard could be, in light of our practice of enclosing a substantial portion of the Great. More than half of the Great is enclosed in an independent expression box with its own slider windchest. This allows the Enclosed Great to couple to any location we want and at any pitch. The Enclosed Great includes a flute chorus, a string, and four colorful reeds, so it can function like the unison basis of a Choir division. Additionally, by modifying and adding to the inhabitants of the Swell division’s Principal chorus, the Swell can serve as a Positiv division in the context of the classic secondary foil to the Great Diapason Chorus—as well as the enclosed powerhouse of the organ.  

Therefore, with an enclosed portion of the Great, and suitable treatment of the Swell, we were free to consider a different way to approach the third manual division. This Solo division is loaded with tone colors at both higher and lower volume levels than the Great or Swell, so it can be a material contributor on the pianissimo and fortissimo ends of a seamless crescendo/diminuendo. When approached with this idea, organist Scott Montgomery embraced this vision—our next logical step in the evolution of the “Buzard Sound” and contemporary American organbuilding. Because the Enclosed Great and the Swell can move everywhere independently, Scott began to dream and consider the manifold uses to which such a tonal scheme could be used. Accompanying receives the first consideration of importance, because the rich choral program under Dr. Frode Gundersen’s direction regularly performs literature from literally every tradition. The organ can accompany the entire body of choral literature, and it can support hymnody and musically render just about any piece ever written for the organ. This is our goal. You can accompany Stanford and then play Vierne successfully; you can play Sweelinck for the opening voluntary and Sumsion for the closing voluntary, each with the effects the composer intended. And, because the instrument speaks clearly to the listeners in the nave—even though installed in off-axis chambers—the entire organ has an uncanny single voice, no matter how soft or loud it is registered.

In addition to exercising our evolving tonal style, Tonal Director Brian Davis and Production Director and Chief Engineer Charles Eames overcame what had seemed an impossible off-axis installation situation. Special scaling and voicing techniques, the addition of reflective panels above the pipes in the chambers, siting the divisions strategically for their best projection, constructing the organ in solid cases within the building’s chambers, utilizing slightly higher wind pressures and other techniques—and the tremendous improvement in the church’s acoustics provided by a comprehensive sanctuary renovation project—gave the organ the best chance of success.  

When Scott Montgomery heard the organ’s first sounds as the organ came to life, all his fears concerning the off-axis installation were dispelled. He knew this would be a very special and important organ in the American lexicon. We rise to challenges and consider them opportunities to learn and improve. We’d love for you to visit this organ! Just call ahead!

—John-Paul Buzard, Founder, President, and Artistic Director, Buzard Pipe Organ Builders

Builder’s website: buzardorgans.com/

Pilgrim Lutheran Church: pilgrimindy.org/

Central United Methodist Church: centraltolife.com/

Photo credit: John-Paul Buzard

 

Opus 45, Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Carmel, Indiana

31 independent speaking stops, 37 ranks

GREAT – 3½″ wind

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (wood)

8′ Open Diapason (façade)

8′ Flûte à Bibéron 

8′ Gedeckt Flute (ext 16′ Gedeckt)

8′ Viola da Gamba

4′ Principal

4′ Spire Flute 

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth

1-1⁄3′ Fourniture IV

16′ English Horn

8′ Minor Trumpet (ext Sw 16′ Bassoon)

8′ Clarinet

Tremulant

Cymbalstern (14 bells)

8′ Festival Trumpets (copper, chamade)

SWELL (expressive) – 3¾″ wind

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Stopped Diapason (wood)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste (TC)

4′ Principal

4′ Harmonic Flute (round mouths)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 

2′ Octavin (harmonic)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

2-2⁄3′ Grave Mixture II

1′ Plein Jeu III

16′ Bassoon

8′ Trompette

8′ Oboe

4′ Clarion (ext 16′ Bassoon)

Tremulant

8′ Festival Trumpets (Gt)

PEDAL - various pressures

16′ Open Diapason (wood and façade)

16′ Bourdon (wood)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Gt)

8′ Principal (façade)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Gt)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′ Principal)

4′ Open Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

16′ Trombone (wood)

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Trumpet 

4′ Clarion (ext Sw 16′)

8′ Festival Trumpets (Gt)

 

Opus 46, Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas

43 independent speaking stops, 49 ranks 

GREAT – 5″ wind

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt

8′ Open Diapason (façade)

8′ Flûte à Bibéron

8′ Gedeckt Flute (ext 16′)

8′ Viola da Gamba

4′ Principal

4′ Spire Flute

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV

16′ English Horn

8′ Trumpet

8′ Clarinet

8′ Vox Humana

Tremulant

Tremulant

Cymbalstern (Walker)

Chimes (Walker)

8′ Tromba (Ped 16′ Trombone)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext 8′ Tromba)

8′ Major Tuba (Solo)

SWELL (expressive) – 6″ wind

8′ English Open Diapason

8′ Stopped Diapason

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste (CC)

4′ Principal

4′ Harmonic Flute

2-2⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Doublette

2′ Octavin (harmonic)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

2-2⁄3′ Grave Mixture II

  1′ Plein Jeu III

16′ Bassoon

8′ Trompette

8′ Oboe

4′ Clarion

Tremulant

8′ Tromba

8′ Major Tuba (Solo)

SOLO (expressive) – 7″ wind

8′ Grand Open Diapason (double mouths)

8′ Harmonic Flute

8′ Viola da Gamba (E. M. Skinner style)

8′ Gamba Celeste (CC) (E. M. Skinner style)

8′ Flûte Cœlestis (double mouth, wood)

4′ Principal Forte

4′ Flûte

Tremulant

8′ Major Tuba (15″ wind pressure)

8′ Harp (Walker)

4′ Celesta (Walker)

8′ Chimes (Walker)

PEDAL – 5″ wind 

32′ Double Open Diapason (Walker)

32′ Subbass (Walker)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Walker)

16′ Open Diapason (Walker)

16′ Bourdon

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Gt)

8′ Principal (façade)

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Gt)

8′ Spire Flute

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′ Principal)

4′ Open Flute (ext 8′ Bourdon)

32′ Contra Trombone (Walker)

16′ Trombone (7″ wind)

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Tromba (ext 16′ Trombone)

8′ Trumpet

4′ Clarion (ext 16′ Trombone)

8′ Major Tuba (Solo)

8′ Chimes (Walker)

Photo: Opus 46, Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas

M. P. Rathke, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio; Grace Episcopal Church, Carthage, Missouri

From the builder

When Father Steven Wilson, rector of Grace Church, first invited us to submit a proposal for a new pipe organ, he had my undivided attention from the start. Father Steve spoke of a historic 1869 Episcopal church with a distinguished tradition of liturgy and music, as well as a longtime focus on drama and the visual arts. Subsequent conversations led to the commissioning of our Opus 12, whose future arrival both church and organ builder looked forward to with fine enthusiasm.

First, though, we were challenged with designing a successful organ for a dry acoustic, in a space as compact and intimate as it is beautiful, and likely utilizing a somewhat unorthodox placement. Father Steve quipped that our reputation for engineering 10 lbs. to fit the proverbial 5-lb. bag would surely be tested here, and his words were to prove prescient.

Precisely where the organ would go was our first decision. The existing instrument, a decaying pipe/electronic combination whose metal pipework was nonetheless of extraordinary quality, if not voiced to its full potential, included a set of deep flower box-style windchests hung from the end wall of a shallow transept (see photo: “Removing pipework”). This singular arrangement did locate pipework high in the room, thus engaging the ceiling and helping carry sound out into the nave; it also created rather a claustrophobic atmosphere, looming darkly over choristers below, blocking light from a trio of high windows above, and literally overshadowing the transept. My first reaction—which some might consider unusual for an organbuilder—was “Father Steve, whatever we do, we’ve got to uncover those windows and get those pipes down off the wall.” Easily enough said, of course, but then where could they go, with floor space already at a premium?

The building helped make that decision for us. There was really only one location suitable for the choir in this small church: the transept, where the choir already sat. And the organ clearly needed to be close to the choir, not only for musical reasons, but also so that organist/choirmaster Peter Frost could continue to conduct from the console. Father Steve, himself a talented chorister, saw potential benefits in my suggestion that the main organ case be located per Sketch A, with the attached keydesk oriented as shown.

This is admittedly an unusual blind-corner placement for any significant portion of a pipe organ, let alone the sole two manual divisions, whose resources generally speak to better advantage directly into the main body of the church. But in this case, because the room is quite dry and because we had no opportunity to place manual pipework behind a façade fronting the swell shades—there simply wasn’t enough available depth without crowding the window—we were keen to obtain maximum blend by any legitimate means. It occurred to me that if we allowed sound to mix first in the transept, then reflect once off the front wall, both blend and projection might be served. And that’s exactly what happened. Early listening during finish voicing disclosed the uncanny illusion that all sound was actually emanating from the front walls (somehow!), producing a clarity and presence in the nave that both puzzled and pleased us.

Grace Church’s lack of acoustical resonance also informed Opus 12’s size and specification, for this is certainly a good-sized organ for a relatively small room. Although sound generally gets around well enough, music doesn’t really bloom, and appreciable reverberation is basically nonexistent. Never having previously designed and voiced for a space like this, I went back to the stately Hook & Hastings instruments I knew, played, and admired during my apprenticeship with C. B. Fisk, Inc.
H & H’s general approach, which greatly informed our work at Grace Church, was to saturate the space with plenty of rich fundamental tone, undergirded by manual doubles (here, one in each department) and supported by a generously scaled and winded Pedal. Reeds would almost invariably be on the smoother side, upperwork colorful but by no means aggressive.

Guided by Dr. Susan Marchant of nearby Pittsburg State University, the church settled on a two-manual, 24-stop specification with suspended mechanical key action, apart from the largest bass pipes, which are winded via conventional electro-pneumatic chests. Most of these large pipes reside in the so-called “Attic Pedal” division behind a speaking tin façade fronting a shallow chamber with limited headroom. Most interior Attic Pedal pipes are thus placed horizontally, as are notes #1–19 of the Great 16′ Bourdon, the latter located beneath the choir platform. The full-length 16′ Double Trumpet stands within the main case.

The pipework has truly eclectic origins. From the previous instrument we retained six choice ranks of 30% tin, superbly crafted by Stinkens, the renowned Dutch pipemaking firm. (The original voicers having really done no meaningful voicing, we were able to start essentially from scratch with fresh, unvoiced pipes.) Several lovely stops of pine, poplar, and oak were acquired from a church that was set to be demolished in a neighboring town. The remainder of Opus 12’s pipework is new.

Casework design was the result of a close and lengthy collaborative effort between Father Steve and me. Happily, both of us wished the organ to look as if it had always been there. The results reflect Father Steve’s and my firm conviction that, where possible, an organ’s casework and ornamentation should be in congenial dialogue with the room’s architecture and appointments.

Carvings were designed and executed by noted Boston-area sculptor Morgan Faulds Pike, who wrote the following in preparation for the organ’s dedication:

The carved white oak panels—above the console, above the swell shades, and in the attic pedal case—represent flora and fauna which symbolically resonate with the church interior, the city of Carthage, and, most endearingly, Father Steven Wilson’s specific requests for a carefully camouflaged “sparrow and her nest” (Psalm 84:3) and “somewhere, a little mouse.” Our design process was a stimulating collaboration from which Father Steve’s wishes and my design drawings produced something more like a working friendship than a design challenge.

The Alpha and Omega shades on the Attic Pedal directly relate to other A & Ω carvings in the room. The maple and oak leaf designs are representative of Carthage, Missouri (“The Maple Leaf City”) and the organ’s quartered oak casework, respectively. Above the console two panels, one depicting a Marian rose, the other the ancient Holly and Ivy of pre-Christian ritual, echo motifs that appear in more simplified forms elsewhere in the church. The designs evolved in keeping with Father Steve’s desire for the case to have everything to do with the church interior and the greater community; I must say here that they also reflect his own remarkable and unselfconscious aura of holiness. He wished the sparrow and her nest to be discretely perched within one of the swell façade shades, to be discovered only after some study. We based the sparrow on a North American song sparrow that was nesting at the time in a bush beneath Father Steve’s window. Her beautiful song might just allude to the choir singing beneath her perch above the swell louvres. The mouse, “a creature of great personal valor,” is a cheeky surprise, clinging to the lower frame of an otherwise-smooth front pipe shade.

This organ has been at once the most difficult and most rewarding we’ve ever undertaken, owing partly to the fact that so much of it is densely woven into the fabric of this lovely historic structure, one where nothing is truly level, plumb, or square. We thank the parishioners and staff of Grace Church for their unswerving support, friendship, and patience during installation and finish voicing. We sincerely hope our Opus 12 will serve this remarkable church for years to come.

—Michael Rathke

Builders of the organ

Saskia Croé

Rebecca Madison

Lauren McAllister

Stella O’Neill

Michael Rathke

Caleb Ringwald

Jefimija Zlatanovic

 

We are deeply grateful to the following individuals and organizations:

†The Reverend Steven Wilson (project leadership)

Dr. Susan Marchant (consultation)

Brad White (technical assistance)

Peter Frost (onsite voicing assistance)

Paige Rhymer (onsite voicing assistance)

A. J. Rhymer (onsite voicing assistance)

Will Endicott (onsite voicing assistance)

Jerin Kelley (onsite voicing assistance)

Chris Church (onsite voicing assistance)

Morgan Faulds Pike (carvings)

Nami Hamada (tonal finisher)

Casey Dunaway (tonal finisher)

Vladimir Vaculik (solid state installation)

Patrick J. Murphy & Associates (casework)

 

Diagram and photo credits

All photographs by Regina Newport except as noted:

Sketch A – Michael Rathke

Removing pipework – John Hacker, The Joplin Globe (used by permission)

 

From the organist/choirmaster

It was my great fortune to accept the position of organist/choirmaster at Grace Episcopal Church in 2017, just as the organ committee was reviewing proposals for a new instrument. Happily, the group needed little persuasion to select M. P. Rathke, Inc., to build their new organ. (By coincidence, I had just completed a summer internship in the Rathke workshop.) We worked with the builder to create a stoplist to fulfill a variety of needs: accompanying the choir, supporting congregational singing, and convincingly playing the repertoire, all while occupying a decidedly small space.

In addition, the 1890s nave would undergo significant cosmetic changes that, while uncovering original details of the building, might potentially be jarring for parishioners. Melinda Wilson, a gifted artist, fashioned an elaborate and clever gingerbread organ and choir layout based on the contract drawings so church-goers had an early 3-D explanation of the new look they could expect as the instrument took shape. The late Reverend Steven C. Wilson motivated the parish to fund the continuation of a well-established tradition of Anglican music. In signature Father Steve jest, threats of an “Organ Donor Dinner,” at which would be served the internal organs of various critters, resulted in many generous donations. The Reverend Joseph Pierjok expertly followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, continuing to support the construction of Opus 12 and bolstering the legacy of traditional worship at Grace.

Upon completion of Opus 12, the congregation immediately became less cautious singers, now being supported by the organ, rather than drowned in electronic sound. The choir enjoys improved acoustics: where they’d previously been tucked under imposing “flower boxes” that both stifled their sound and covered original stained glass, the transept is now open all the way to the ceiling. Voices now fill the space with ease, and the design of the case blends seamlessly into the architecture of the building.

Opus 12 is a welcome addition to the shrinking inventory of traditional instruments in southwest Missouri. It has been a great joy to help create an organ that will be an integral part of worship at Grace Church for generations to come.

—Peter Frost

GREAT (expressive, Manual I)

16′ Bourdon white pine & red oak 58 pipes

8′ Principal zinc & 50% tin 58 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 30% tin 58 pipes

4′ Octave 50% tin 58 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth 50% tin 58 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 30% tin 58 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Seventeenth 30% tin 54 pipes

2′ Mixture III 50% tin 174 pipes

Zimbelstern

SWELL (expressive, Manual II)

8′ Dulciana (1–11 façade) zinc & 50% tin 58 pipes

8′ Celeste (TC) 50% tin 46 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason white oak 58 pipes

4′ Principal 50% tin 58 pipes

4′ Open Flute 30% tin 58 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quinte 30% tin 58 pipes

2′ Doublette 30% tin 58 pipes

16′ Bass Clarinet zinc & 50% tin 58 pipes

8′ Trumpet zinc & antimonial lead 58 pipes

PEDAL (unenclosed)

16′ Subbass poplar and 50% tin 30 pipes

16′ Bourdon (Great)

8′ Open Diapason (12–30 façade) pine & 70% tin 30 pipes

8′ Bass Flute (ext Subbass) 12 pipes

4′ Octave (ext Open Diapason) 12 pipes

16′ Double Trumpet (ext Swell) zinc & 30% tin 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

 

Three unison couplers

General tremulant

Direct mechanical key action apart from certain large bass pipes

Electric stop action with solid-state combination action

24 stops, 21 ranks, 1,182 pipes

 

Builder’s website: www.rathkepipeorgans.com

 

Church’s website: gracecarthage1869.org/

Pasi Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., Roy, Washington; Saint George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Virginia

From the organ builder

When all the stars line up as they have for this project, a happy outcome is almost a sure thing. Right from the beginning, several years ago, when I was invited to submit a proposal for a new organ at Saint George’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, all the different components of a good chance were there.

Dr. Benjamin Keseley sent me a packet of complete information about the building and the music program at Saint George’s and their desire for a new instrument. Following a site visit and meeting with the organ committee, we submitted the proposal with specifications and drawings. The window needed to be preserved in its full glory and there needed to be ample space for the choir. The goal was to end up with a rather complete two-manual and pedal instrument without borrowing between stops.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the good people at Saint George’s led by the Reverend Shearon Sykes Williams, rector, who has lent a great amount of support to the music ministry. A special thank you to Dr. Benjamin Keseley, minister of music, always ready to listen and act on the many components that made this project a success. Thank you to the choir, the backbone of a church music program, and all the friendly people at Saint George’s.

None of all this could have happened without the team effort at Pasi Organ Builders, starting with Markus Morscher, long-time right-hand wood guy who ensures smooth operations at the shop and installations; Maurine Pasi, reed pipe maker, carver and general organ builder; Luke Sumerfield, pipe maker; Anthony Balducci, on site installation; David Cason, finish voicing assisting on site; Mark Matters, stop action combination system including wiring.

Thank you to everyone contributing in any way to the successful completion of Opus 28.

—Martin Pasi

From the voicing assistant

I assisted with the voicing of Pasi Opus 28 during the month of November 2021. Part of that experience, unique for an organist, was to hear the instrument come into being in an integral way, a kind of slow-motion evolution. It has been fascinating to hear so many individual voices and colors emerge into a cohesive and artistic whole!

At 33 stops over two manuals and pedal, this instrument includes complete principal and flute choruses in all divisions, colorful variety in foundation and reed voices, and several uniquely colorful stops. Principal choruses have the required brilliance for clarity while the individual tone of the pipes is remarkably warm and vocal in quality; these are plenums with both liveliness and gravitas. The Swell plenum is not secondary to the Great but stands on its own with brilliance and character. Capped and open flutes are available at 8′ and 4′ pitches, and the 4′ flutes are particularly “telling” in the room, giving the cornet combinations remarkable weight. The mutations and 2′ stops simply dance. The Great Trumpet has plenty of brilliance, and like the principals, it is warm throughout its range. The Swell 16′ Dulcian adds transparent warmth and color to the ensemble and is of course a beautiful solo stop. The Swell strings are quite bright, with gentle speech, and carry throughout the room beautifully. Pedal reeds also lend harmonic color while adding to the fundamental presence of that division. The two 16′ Pedal flues—one open, one stopped—complement each other well; the bass tones in the Pedal are present, and never out of balance. (At the conclusion of my time with the organ, the Swell Trumpet and Oboe were not yet in place.)

A few unique features lend even more interest to this already expressive instrument. Most Pasi instruments include an 8′ Suavial, which is tuned as a celeste to the 8′ Principal; the effect is bold and swimming foundation tone. The Quintadena is transparently bright and colorful in contrast to the warm flutes. A rare luxury is the Swell Principal, which is in the façade! Its construction is nearly the same as that of the Great Principal, and its tone is only slightly different. Having both principals in the façade is part of what gives Opus 28 its sense of gravitas, and along with the Pedal Principal, the option to play a Bach trio on balanced and singing principals is more than welcome! These layers of effect, placement, and color from the principals, Quintadena, and Suavial lend the kind of color and variety that we normally only expect from choruses and upperwork. These quieter effects coupled with a responsive action make this instrument imminently expressive; there are layers and layers of color to explore.

Organists who play this instrument for the first time will notice the sensitive action and buoyant acoustic. The overall playing experience is a delight and quite intimate thanks to the proximity of the console to the case; the console is detached, but not distant. At the bench one can hear the room and still sense the immediacy of the action. The console layout is neat and comfortable, with all stops and controls easily visible. The control system is by Pipe Organ Control, which integrates perfectly with the console, with minimal pistons for memory and sequencer control.

I must not omit an obvious first impression for any who see this instrument: the case. The visual impact of this instrument is stunning. Like the tone of the instrument itself, the visual element of the case and façade complements the church without overwhelming the space, a clear testament to the artistry of Martin Pasi and his immensely talented shop of artisans.

Congratulations to Martin Pasi and Saint George’s congregation on this collaboration.

—David Cason

David Cason is organist of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lawrence, Kansas. He continues organ study with James Higdon at the University of Kansas where he earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in organ performance.

From the minister of music

Saint George’s Episcopal Church is a vibrant, social-justice-minded parish located in the heart of Arlington, Virginia, a few miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The music ministry spans from cradle to grave, offering a graded choir program for children as well as choral and bell opportunities for adults. Music is a cornerstone of the Saint George’s community, from Sunday morning to monthly Evensong, concerts, and informal gatherings.

When I arrived in the summer of 2009, I found a delightful congregation strongly committed to their ministries, including music. The organ was a 1911 Wicks that was reengineered by Newcomer Organ Company and installed into an annexed chamber off the front of a newly built nave in 1952. At two manuals, 25 stops, and 27 ranks, the organ received minor reconfigurations throughout the years. In the past twenty years it had fallen into disrepair, not because of neglect, but simply because it was not designed to last for that long. The console and switching system were in a very fragile state. There were also fundamental design flaws: its scaling was too small for the room, and a floor level placement meant the pipes spoke directly into the choir’s ears. Despite these things, the organ sounded remarkably better than it deserved because the room’s acoustic was quite good.

With the arrival of a new rector in December 2010, the parish soon began to address the need for an updated and accessible worship space. The church recognized that the organ and room were linked: changes to one affected the other. An organ committee was formed to work alongside the renovation committee to evaluate the organ and determine how to best support the needs of a growing and dynamic music ministry. After receiving a thorough education in organ building, the committee commissioned an independent review of the instrument from John Santoianni, curator of organs at Duke University, to supplement their own review and study. The vestry unanimously agreed with John and the committee’s conclusion that building a new instrument would yield the most successful result, and in the long run be the most cost-effective path forward.

The committee continued their work visiting many organs from electronic to hybrid to electric-action and mechanical-action instruments. Through this extensive survey and research, they determined that a mechanical-action instrument would be the best choice for the church. After soliciting proposals and interviewing several organ builders, the committee and vestry chose Martin Pasi. His proposal was for a two-manual, mechanical-action instrument of 33 stops, 39 ranks, with a detached console. The committee was impressed by Pasi’s approach to organ building and the fine attention to detail in all aspects of his instruments.

As an organist who knew Pasi’s work, I was thrilled with the choice. I have played several of Pasi’s instruments and have been impressed with the responsive action, the quality of stops rich in fundamental tone, and the lyrical voicing—and his organ cases are beautiful.

While the organ committee did its work, the renovation side of our project focused on the redesign of the nave to provide an accessible altar and space. Plans for the choir area were designed in conjunction with Martin’s design. This allowed us to prepare a proper seating area for the choir with clear sight lines to the organ console, construct steel floor supports for the organ, design in-floor heating so that it was not under the organ or other instruments, and provide proper humidification and future electrical connections for the organ.

From the very beginning of these projects, I insisted that Saint George’s retain the services of an acoustician. Having experienced the exceptional results of Bob Mahoney’s work at Bales Organ Recital Hall at the University of Kansas, I knew this was essential to a successful space renovation. We hired Bob to guide our process and committed to having acoustical considerations be one of our core principles for the renovation. I was pleased that the parish quickly understood addressing these considerations at each step of the journey, while not inexpensive, would yield invaluable results. We were thankful for Bob’s approach to acoustical design that sought to tune the building acoustic for music and treat the spoken word with technology. To this end, the church installed a Meyer line-array column speaker that successfully allows for the spoken word to be understood clearly in a reverberant space.

Acoustical modifications to the room included the installation of a new silent HVAC system, complete with tunneling large, insulated ducts under the floor to move large quantities of air slowly. Care was taken to ensure air returns were at a significant distance from air supply to reduce noise. All HVAC systems were designed to noise criterion 25.

Further acoustical upgrades to the building included the addition of an inch of solid wood to the nave ceiling to increase bass response and filling voids in the plaster walls of the chancel with high density foam insulation to create a solid mass. The old chamber that would be used for the Pedal division was strengthened with double layers of sheetrock placed on studs eight inches on center. Cavities were filled with high-density foam.

A new ceiling was constructed above the choir area with a sawtooth design to help move sound out past the proscenium arch. This ceiling design proved extremely effective. Final acoustical tests reaffirmed our acoustical work was highly successful with a new reverb time of over four seconds (before organ installation) and a significant increase in bass response. This was all one could hope for in a simple room from the 1950s that seats 300 people. The tremendous results of the room’s acoustical modifications have enabled our new organ to speak in a very relaxed and free manner.

The installation of the organ was a joyous occasion for the people of Saint George’s with nearly fifty people, aged 4 to 92, carrying in many parts of the organ on a Sunday afternoon in early October 2021. The parish support for and excitement about this organ is broad and infectious. This beautiful instrument will support our needs for leading congregational singing, accompanying the choir, and playing of a wide range of organ repertoire for generations to come.

Opus 28 is a sheer joy to play. From the quality of its sounds to the vocality of its voicing, soulful winding, and exquisite action, this instrument sings. I am continually impressed with each stop’s ability to function well both in solo and ensemble roles. It is efficient and plays like a larger instrument. The layout of this organ makes it an exceptional tool for teaching about all aspects of the organ, including construction, design, and winding (with its optional foot-pumped bellows). It is an instrument that teaches you how to play.

I commend Martin and his team for their exceptional work. We are thrilled to be a part of the Pasi family and blessed to count Martin and his associates a part of our community. They brought forth a beautiful instrument of praise for the worship of God. This project is a fine example of the perfect marriage of room and instrument, and we couldn’t be happier. We look forward to sharing it for years to come. Soli Deo Gloria!

—Ben Keseley

Minister of Music, Saint George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Virginia

 

Builder’s website: pasiorgans.com

Church’s website: saintgeorgeschurch.org

Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Keseley

GREAT

16′ Bourdon 58 pipes

8′ Principal 58 pipes

8′ Suavial (MC) 34 pipes

8′ Spitzflöte 58 pipes

8′ Quintadena 58 pipes

4′ Octave 58 pipes

4′ Nachthorn 58 pipes

3′ Quinte 58 pipes

2′ Octave 58 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Terz 52 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV 221 pipes

8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

Zimbelstern

SWELL

8′ Principal 58 pipes

8′ Gedackt 58 pipes

8′ Viol 58 pipes

8′ Viol Celeste (TC) 46 pipes

4′ Principal 58 pipes

4′ Rohrflöte 58 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 58 pipes

2′ Octave 58 pipes

2′ Waldflöte 58 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 52 pipes

1′ Mixture IV 221 pipes

16′ Dulcian 58 pipes

8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

8′ Oboe 58 pipes

PEDAL

16′ Open Bass 30 pipes

16′ Subbass 30 pipes

8′ Principal 30 pipes

8′ Spitzflöte 30 pipes

4′ Octave 30 pipes

16′ Posaune 30 pipes

8′ Trumpet 30 pipes

 

Tremulant

Swell to Great

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

 

Freestanding case in solid hardwood, detached console

Hand-carved pipe shades

Mechanical suspended key action

Electric stop action with combination system by Pipe Organ Control/Matters

Foot-pumped winding system with three bellows in addition to the blower-fed bellows (75mm of wind on water column)

Well tempered tuning

Balanced Swell pedal

Slightly concave pedalboard

33 stops, 39 ranks, 1,996 pipes

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois; Saint George’s Episcopal Church, Nashville, Tennessee

From the builder

Saint George’s Episcopal Church is a vibrant, multi-generational Christian community. The parish ministers to 4,000 members, approximately 1,000 of whom attend one of the five worship services offered every Sunday. It boasts the largest Episcopal kindergarten in the United States, a phenomenal staff of dedicated clergy and laity, and a growth pattern which is a shining light of hope to the wider Church.

The new organ is the final component of a comprehensive visual and acoustical renovation of the primary worship space, which was the capstone of a multi-million-dollar general construction project to serve their growing congregation. The church’s formerly harsh top-heavy acoustics were masterfully transformed by Riedel & Associates to become a beautiful tonal environment: buoyant, lively, clear, and evenly responsive, with a warmth that embraces the most delicate musical nuances. Sound originating in the chancel projects effortlessly to the entire nave. 

The chancel’s former configuration forced the choir to sing from a position behind and below a centrally located baldachin. The result was that the choir could neither be heard clearly nor seen by the congregation, and the organist was challenged to find stops soft enough to accompany them. The parish knew something had to be done, and the leadership realized a new organ would be required because of the planned new physical configuration and projected acoustical improvement. The building committee included an organ committee, which auditioned the work of North American and English builders. The Buzard team was selected to build the new instrument because of our well-known passion for sensitive musical expression in the liturgy and how successfully our instruments fulfill both accompanimental and soloistic roles. 

It was a joy to develop the unique specification, which includes a great degree of expression. The instrument currently consists of 55 stops/65 ranks. Preparations for planned future additions include six stops in the main organ, and a ten-stop Antiphonal/Ethereal division. Architecturally, the façade was designed in conjunction with architect Baird Dixon, who had envisioned a curved colonnade to outline the apse. The organ’s façade incorporates elements of this concept.

Former rector, the Reverend Dr. Leigh Spruill, commented: 

Saint George’s is honored and excited to contract with John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders for the construction of a magnificent new instrument. The decision for a new organ . . . flows from a strong ongoing commitment to our traditional Anglican liturgical and musical heritage. We are confident a new organ in this space will enhance our experience of worship and are grateful for the privilege of working with Buzard on this project. Worship is our highest priority as Christians, and I give thanks to God again for the generosity of our parishioners who have made possible these dramatic improvements to Saint George’s liturgical life for the future.

In closing, I gratefully acknowledge and thank my team from the bottom of my heart for their tireless efforts, enthusiasm, and beautiful work. This organ’s installation was prolonged by many challenges. Our entire staff (and their spouses back home) accepted and met them with grace and extraordinary patience and effort. I am extremely proud of their outstanding accomplishments in every aspect of this instrument: from the planning and engineering, through the construction, installation, and voicing.

The instrument was first used in worship on Christmas Eve 2022 and first heard in public at a hymn festival led by Robert McCormick on January 27, 2023. The final dedicatory event featuring the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra was presented on May 9. 

—John-Paul Buzard

From the tonal director

The Buzard team always welcomes the opportunity to design and build an organ for institutions that lean heavily toward the performance of English cathedral/collegiate chapel repertoire. In reality, it is perhaps far more accurate to alter that term to “the American interpretation of English Cathedral repertoire.” When some United States choirs are generously welcomed to the UK for week-long residencies in those hallowed spaces that inspired the repertoire, they fall ever more deeply in love with it and strive to bring the mountain-top experience back to their home church completely intact.

The integrity of the repertoire remains constant, but nothing else is the same! The shapes, construction methods, and acoustics of the rooms are vastly different. Worship styles, though always being adapted on both sides of the Atlantic, are fed by very different traditions and heritage. Organbuilders apply their art in a variety of ways to help bridge the gap and let the music live in the new environment. Sometimes it is a virtual reproduction of a much-admired stoplist. Sometimes it is a detailed documentation and copy of the scaling of a particular stop, or even incorporating one or more ranks from an historic organ that has been removed from service.

The Buzard approach, particularly in this organ for Saint George’s, takes some of those techniques into account, but does not stop there. In multiple discussions with Woosug Kang and Gerry Senechal, the outstanding directors of music, we studied specific examples of pieces that highlight their choices of music on a regular basis. Rather than identifying individual stops that would be needed, we concentrated on issues of balance, tone color, composition of critically important accompaniment ensembles, blending, and above all, flexibility. 

It has been a rare treat to voice an organ in a revised acoustic environment like Saint George’s. Scott Riedel’s recommendations have provided a room that, without excessive reverberation time, responds with extraordinary evenness throughout the frequency range. This has allowed us to voice the organ with clarity at its softest, building smoothly to a thrilling full-organ sound, without ever needing to exaggerate anything in order to fill the room. We have deliberately concentrated our efforts in shaping the blending characteristics of stops in the mezzo-piano to mezzo-forte range, making choral accompaniment a real joy. Having three separate divisions enclosed and expressive enhances the experience!

The sound of any organ is always the result of many people who have contributed to its design, construction, installation, voicing, and ongoing maintenance. I have often said that our ears are able to detect sounds that have been loved into existence. Along with my colleagues of the Buzard team, we are honored and proud to offer you this gift. Come and hear it for yourself!

—Fredrick Bahr

From the director of music ministries

“Sing ye to the Lord,” from one of the most beloved Easter anthems by the English composer, Edward Bairstow, was the theme of our organ dedication series in the spring of 2023. It reflects our vision of creating an instrument that sings and encourages our choir and congregation to sing whole-heartedly. When Saint George’s Episcopal Church launched its capital campaign several years ago, there was an emphasis on the renovation of the acoustics inside the church and the placement of the choir, because the previous setup presented visual difficulties as well as unbalanced choral sound throughout the room. It also made it difficult for the choir to lead congregational singing. We learned quickly through research that it was in the best interest for the church and the Nashville community to invest in a brand-new organ—it would lead to the most artistically assuring and satisfying result, and it was the most fiscally responsible action for the long-term future.

The organ search committee was quickly formed, with our consultant Scott Riedel supporting us along the way. This was one of the most exhilarating, challenging, and joyful tasks, as we played numerous organs around the country, giving fair evaluations while seeking what we desired. Our mission was to find an organ that would give us the outstanding quality and vast range of expression that would inspire us for generations. I enjoyed working with our search committee, and I am thrilled we chose Buzard Pipe Organ Builders. We have been fulfilling the vision of “Sing ye to the Lord” since our first dedication concert, a hymn festival with guest organist Robert McCormick, and guest speaker Jeremy Begbie. Opus 48 by Buzard, combined with our newly enhanced acoustic, is encouraging our congregation to sing more, and our choir is connected to our congregation while the organ supports them with colorful expressions. We hear the reaction of our congregation, even some who were skeptical of the need for a new organ, vocally responding to us positively about the impact it is making even before the full completion of the organ. 

Opus 48 is capable of a wide range of colors and vast range of expression, and I enjoyed showing that in my solo recital in our dedication series in March. The soft and varied flue stops, the fiery reeds that brought music of French Romantic repertoire alive, and the incredible build-up of the organ in music of Herbert Howells all excited me. The softer stops are my favorites on this organ, as the acoustical adjustments now allow the sounds to be distributed evenly, and the individual delicate stops of Opus 48 share many different colors that are unique to their own. I find myself registering for hymns differently Sunday to Sunday as I learn and grow with this new organ, which is a wonderful teacher.

My role here at Saint George’s is to continue to develop the musical legacy I inherited and build an even stronger foundation that future generations of musicians can continue to build on. I believe Buzard Opus 48 is one of the crowning realizations of that vision, along with the acoustical enhancement and the new place for the choir, and I am deeply humbled by this process. I know this organ will serve Saint George’s, its community, and our region with its outstanding craftmanship and artistry for future generations. As I told my choristers, “Some of you will get married with this organ!,” and their smiles as they sing with our new Opus 48 prove that the future is bright. 

—Woosug Kang

From the organist

As long as I live, I will never forget the first Sunday we were permitted to use the new organ in worship; though only half the pipework of Opus 48 was installed and voiced at the time, the good people of Buzard correctly judged that there would be enough to support worship. That morning I not only had the opportunity to play but also to sing a bit, and as Woosug concluded the hymn introduction, I became keenly aware that the organ’s sound had involuntarily drawn me toward it in such a way that I absolutely had no choice but to burst into the first stanza. The warmth and support of the organ was like gravity; if I didn’t begin to sing, the rocks themselves may well have! What an incredible, unprecedented feeling.  

I was not alone. I immediately noticed that the entire congregation was indeed singing; the contrast from the previous Sunday was night and day! I had expected there to be a great, though surely gradual, increase in congregational song, but I could never have imagined that it would happen in the space of a single hymn introduction. The organ has transformed every hymn it has accompanied since; I have never had a more supported, enabling, and satisfying hymn-singing experience in my life.

In that glorious first moment that morning, the organ fulfilled the aspirations of its design; from the very beginning, the chief purpose of the instrument has been to support Anglican musical worship. The measure of success of any Anglican organ lies in its ability to accompany both the choir and congregation; Opus 48 not only does both beautifully but brings to bear an astonishing array of color—and at any volume. The Swell division features strings at 16′, 8′, and 4′, the Great includes three 8′ Open Diapasons (as the 8′ Dulciana is of Willis disposition, essentially serving as a Third Open), and even the 8′ Clarinet and 16′ English Horn of the Enclosed Great work beautifully in chorus roles. The Pedal 32′ Contra Trombone is both full-length and fully enclosed, allowing it to tastefully reinforce the final chord of a Gloria at Evensong, but can also thunder at full voice at the end of a closing voluntary.

The organ accompanies splendidly but is no retiring wallflower; in addition to the 8′ Cornopean in the Swell, there is also an 8′ Trompette Harmonique that gives white-hot fire to French literature and allows for powerful text-painting in hymns. The splendid Solo Tuba Mirabilis becomes the Ophicleide 16′ in the Pedal, ensuring that there is never a lack of foundation. The Pedal Trombone is playable on the Great as Trombas 16′, 8′, and 4′, all under very effective expression. There are seven 16′ ranks in the manuals alone. The 16′ First Open Diapason in the Pedal lies on its side beneath the rose window, and to quote Fred Bahr, it “owns the real estate.” Even full organ becomes noticeably fuller and more grounded when the Pedal First Open is added! The sound of full organ fills every corner of the room; even in the back pew, one’s entire body senses the pervading warmth and embrace of the organ.

Opus 48 has fundamentally changed how we are able to worship at Saint George’s. I could never adequately express my gratitude for the genius, skill, and love of John-Paul Buzard, Fred Bahr, Felix Franken, Shane Rhoades, Scott Riedel, and Clay Jackson, among many others.

We are happy to welcome any visitors to come play this glorious instrument; please don’t hesitate to be in touch when you are next in Nashville!

—Gerry Senechal

 

Builder’s website: buzardorgans.com

Church website: www.stgeorgesnashville.org

Photo credit: John-Paul Buzard, except as noted otherwise

MANUAL I – Coupling Manual

GREAT – Manual II

* Enclosed stops

Enclosed Great couples to Manual I at all pitches.

16′ Double Open Diapason (polished tin in façade towers)

16′ Double Dulciana (polished tin in nave-facing façade flats)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (wood) *

8′ Open Diapason No. 1 (polished tin in façade)

8′ Open Diapason No. 2 (polished tin in façade)

8′ Dulciana (polished tin in façade) 

8′ Bourdon *

8′ Gedeckt Flute (ext Lieblich 16′) *

8′ Flûte Harmonique *

8′ Viola da Gamba *

8′ Viola Celeste (CC) *

4′ Principal

4′ Open Flute *

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth *

2′ Fifteenth

2′ Flauto *

1-3⁄5′ Seventeenth *

1-1⁄3′ Larigot *

1′ Twenty-second *

2′ Fourniture V

1′ Sharp Mixture III *

16′ English Horn *

8′ Trumpet *

8′ Clarinet *

Tremulant *

Tremulant

Cymbalstern

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpets (horizontal, copper) (preparation)

SWELL – Manual III – Enclosed  

16′ Violone (Haskelled)

8′ English Open Diapason

8′ Flauto Traverso (open and harmonic length)

8′ Stopped Diapason (wood and metal)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste (CC)

4′ Principal

4′ Harmonic Flute

4′ Violina (ext 16′ Violone)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Fifteenth

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

2-2⁄3′ Grave Mixture II

1′ Plein Jeu III

16′ Bassoon (full length)

8′ Trompette Harmonique (Haskelled basses, harmonic at C 25)

8′ Cornopean (English construction)

8′ Oboe (English style, scrolls and lift-lids)

8′ Vox Humana

4′ Clarion (ext 16′ Bassoon)

Tremulant

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

SOLO – Manual IV – Enclosed  

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Great)

8′ Grand Open Diapason (double mouths in treble)

8′ Claribel Flute (wood and metal)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Great)

8′ Viola Pomposa (inverted taper, E. M. Skinner style)

8′ Viola Celeste (CC)

8′ Flûte Cœlestis II (double pipes, single bodies)

8′ Corno di Bassetto (prepared)

8′ Orchestral Oboe (prepared)

8′ Flügel Horn (prepared)

8′ French Horn (prep, high pressure)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (high pressure)

Tremulant

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

PEDAL

Partially enclosed; in façade and their respective divisions’ boxes

32′ Double Open Diapason (Walker Digital)

32′ Subbass (Walker Digital)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Walker Digital)

32′ Contra Violone (Walker Digital)

16′ Open Diapason No. 1 (wood, large scale)

16′ Open Diapason No. 2 (polished tin, in façade towers) (Great)

16′ Dulciana (Great)

16′ Bourdon (wood)

16′ Violone (Swell)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Great)

8′ Principal (polished tin in façade)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Great)

8′ Salicional (Swell)

8′ Dulcet (Great)

4′ Choral Bass (ext Principal 8′)

4′ Open Flute (ext Bass Flute 8′)

4′ Claribel Flute (Solo)

32′ Contra Trombone (wood and metal, in Great box)

16′ Ophicleide (Solo)

16 Trombone (ext 32′, in Great box)

16 Bassoon (Swell)

16 English Horn (Great)

8 Tromba (ext Trombone 16′)

8 Trumpet

4 Tromba Clarion (ext Trombone 16′)

8 Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8 Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

4 Festival Clarions (Great, prep)

ANTIPHONAL – Floating Enclosed in gallery (prepared) 

ANTIPHONAL PEDAL Enclosed (prepared)

(The tonal personality of the Antiphonal is currently under discussion. Ten stops are prepared for, and blank drawknobs have been provided for the speaking stops and couplers.)

Couplers as drawknobs in their respective divisions:

Great to Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great to Great 4

Swell to Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell to Swell 4

Great to Great 16  *

Great Unison Off *

Great to Great 4 *

Solo to Solo 16

Solo Unison Off

Solo to Solo 4

Couplers as tilting tablets, centered in the nameboard, from left to right:

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 8 *

Swell to Pedal 8

Solo to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Great to Pedal 4 *

Swell to Pedal 4

Solo to Pedal 4

Swell to Great 8

Solo to Great 8

Solo to Swell 8

Great to Man I 8 *

Swell to Man I 8

Solo to Man I 8

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 4

Solo to Great 16

Solo to Great 4

Great to Man I 16 *

Great to Man I 4 *

Swell to Man I 16

Swell to Man I 4

* Couplers for Enclosed Great

Divisional Pistons to Pedal Stops (This tab allows divisional pistons to also operate Pedal stops)

Great as Choir 8. This coupler would transfer the Enclosed Great to Manual I and leave it there to act like a Choir division.  It would also turn on the Great Unison Off coupler in the stop jamb so the Enclosed Great does not play on the Great keyboard, creating the semblance of a straight four-manual organ.

Couplers as drawknobs with Antiphonal Speaking Stops

Antiphonal on Man I

Antiphonal on Great

Antiphonal on Swell

Antiphonal on Solo

Antiphonal on Pedal

Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders, Tacoma, Washington; Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan

From the builder

Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders has recently completed the last of two new significant organs, the firm’s Opus 44 and Opus 45, for Christ Chapel at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. The chapel was completed in 2019 and provides seating for 1,350 within the 27,500-square-foot building. Designed by architect Duncan Stroik, the interior of the classically inspired chapel is modeled after St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and Christ Church, Philadelphia. The 64-foot-high barrel vault ceiling, stone columns, wooden pews, and polished marble floors provide the space with excellent acoustics, especially in the elevated chancel at the front of the nave. In addition to regular services, the chapel provides space for college ceremonies and concerts. Consultant for the organ projects Dr. Paul Thornock and the builder worked extensively together with the architects throughout all phases of the project to insure the best possible musical and logistical results.

The design phase for these two projects was extensive. Never before were we tasked with building cases designed by the architect of the building where they stand. This requires a unique collaboration due to the tonal and structural requirements of an organ often unfamiliar to architects. The work ended well, problems were solved, and we are proud of the collaboration and how it has expanded our design scope.

Early on when the building was being designed it was determined that rather than making one very large organ, the needs of the program would be better served by two organs. Opus 44, completed concurrently with the new building in 2019, is conceived as a “choir” organ and speaks from the side of the chancel where it is in close proximity to small and large ensembles. Its 30 stops are divided between three divisions: the Great at impost level, the Swell above, and the Pedal divided on either side. The organ case is made of sapele mahogany to match all of the woodwork throughout the chapel. Its musical resources are designed to support a wide variety of service music and organ repertoire. The organ serves admirably as a solo and concert instrument in its own right, and it was dedicated with a concert by Nathan Laube on April 15, 2021.

To provide support for singing for a full congregation and to serve as a concert instrument, the Gallery Organ, Opus 45, has three manuals and pedal. Installation and tonal finishing were recently completed in October 2022. It, too, is housed in a sapele mahogany case with a large “broken” pediment, columns, and architectural capitals. The polished tin façade pipes are the lowest notes of the Great and Pedal Principal 16′ stops, both of which are independent. The en fenêtre keydesks of both organs are in the front center of the cases.

Both organs feature suspended mechanical key actions providing a light but easily controlled touch while sending tactile feedback to the player. Stop actions are mechanical with the inclusion of “intelligent” solenoids and 999-memory-level combination actions. General and divisional pistons, coupler and 32′ reversible toe studs, and a sequencer with multiple “forward” pistons and studs are part of both combination systems.

The stoplists were drawn up by the consultant and the builder. Both organs have substantial principal choruses on each of their divisions along with a variety of flute and string stops and are capped with a generous array of reed stops. The Gallery Organ includes both a large-scale 32′ Subbaß and an independent 32′ Posaune. Both French and German Trompets at 8′ reside in the Great, and a French-style 8′ Cromorne in the Positive as well as a Cavaillé-Coll inspired 8′ Hautbois in the Swell and 8′ Flûte Harmonique in the Great. There is also a Renaissance-style 8′ Trompet with duck-billed shallots included in the Swell. All are voiced with full-length resonators for a full yet colorful sound that blends appropriately with the overall organization of voicing style and related pipe design throughout. Compact design with reasonable access was important for space reasons and focus of the sound.

The Gallery Organ is similar in its layout to the Choir Organ, with the organ’s three manual divisions triple decked in the center with the Positive at the lowest (impost) level, the Great above, and the Swell at the top of the 38-foot-tall case. The Pedal division is divided on either side of the manual divisions. The 32′ Subbaß bass octave is placed on two windchests (C and C-sharp) at floor level at the rear of the case. Directly in front of the large Subbaß pipes, the 32′ Posaune stands on two windchests at floor level, the tallest of the tin resonators reaching to the top of the case.

The large pipes in the center façade are the lowest nine pipes (C to G-sharp) of the Great 16′ Principal. The largest four pipes of the Pedal 16′ Principal (C to D-sharp) are wooden, made of sugar pine, mounted inside the case. The Pedal façade pipes begin at E and continue to tenor f. The four smaller façade pipes in the outer fields and closest to the center field continue the Great 16′ Principal up to tenor e.

The pipes for both organs were made entirely in the Fritts workshop, the metal ones constructed of two alloys—high lead and high tin—that have been cast on sand. The process dates to ancient times and was the method used for the pipe making of Gothic and Renaissance organs and continued in some instances well into the Baroque period. The very rapid cooling of the pipe metal on the sand bed (compared to a relatively long cooling period on a cloth-covered table) produces material with a smaller crystalline structure, which has discernible benefits to the sound of the pipes. The speech of the pipes is enhanced with the pipes reaching their steady-state tone seemingly more quickly with less fuss, and with less obtrusive harshness and speech noise. Windways can be generous and pipe toes open encouraging a free, colorful, and unforced sound on relatively low wind pressures. The overall impact of the organs can then be determined by wind pressure and to a lesser degree pipe scales.

The Gallery Organ has five wedge-shaped bellows, all positioned within the case. The Great and Positive divisions share two bellows that have been carefully balanced to work together for good support of these divisions. The Pedal division makes use of one similarly sized bellows for the C and C-sharp sides and the Swell has its own bellows. The bass octave pipes of the 32′ Subbass are directly winded from the blower’s static pressure windline, which provides them with 120 mm (4¾ inches) of wind pressure. The Great and Positive divisions are winded at 74 mm, the Swell on 70 mm and the Pedal division on 76 mm.

The two organs are pitched identically at 440hz @ 70°F. Both utilize Kellner’s “Bach” temperament.

The Gallery Organ is provided with a dedicated air conditioning system that was planned at the outset and built as a part of the chapel construction. During summertime, air-conditioned air is circulated throughout the organ case and is regulated by a thermostat high in the Swell. During the heating season, air will continue to circulate throughout the case to control temperature stratification. Experience with similar systems in our organs has shown this to be critical for keeping vertically separated divisions in tune with one another.

The success of an organ project, or in this case, two projects, depends upon a great number of contributing factors. Chief among them is installing the organs in advantageous locations in a great space. A well-developed design and tonal plan along with meticulous craftsmanship and expert voicing and tonal finishing lead to outstanding results. The melding of the countless and seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive whole that is greater than the sum of its parts is the special alchemy that is superb organ building.

Special thanks go to the administration of Hillsdale College for their foresight and vision in commissioning these instruments and to project advisor, Dr. Paul Thornock. Thanks and appreciation also go to the staff of Paul Fritts & Company: Greg Bahnsen, Zane Boothby, Rain Daley, Paul Fritts, Raphi Giangiulio, Erik McLeod, Andreas Schonger, Bruce Shull, Ben Wooley, and to our bookkeepers and business managers, Robyn Ellis and Marlon Ventura. Carving work was provided by Dimitrios Klitsas. 

The completion of the Gallery Organ will be celebrated with an inaugural concert by Nathan Laube on April 13, 2023.

—Paul Fritts

From the consultant

The Hillsdale organ project began with a phone call from the architect who expressed the desire for a new organ to be as special and specialized as the building itself. The desire for mechanical action was in place before the consultant was hired.

An organ in the new Christ Chapel would be required to do many things, including playing for academic ceremonies, accompanying the college’s choirs and orchestras, playing repertoire, and serving as a teaching instrument. Hillsdale College President, Dr. Larry P. Arnn, believes that, “To elevate the hearts and minds of the faithful, Christ Chapel must be a home for musical beauty of the highest order.” Further, his desire to create a regularly sung evensong in the chapel was given considerable weight. The college’s large symphony orchestra also had to fit in the chancel.

The available space in the chancel precluded building a single large instrument in the front of the building that would completely fulfill the musical mission. Further, there was no appetite for placing an organ on the main axis at the front of the building. The only solution was two organs of complementary but distinct characters.

This visionary project was truly an “if you build it, they will come” affair. The college wished to build a sacred music program, and the administration understood that the infrastructure had to be in place to do it. Therefore, an organ professor was not yet in place during the design phase. The committee, which consisted of the architect, consultant, and various administrators, traveled throughout the Midwest to see and hear dozens of instruments by six of North America’s distinguished builders. It is fascinating how committees often have an “Aha!” moment in visiting a particular organ; this moment happened when they visited the Fritts organ at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame. 

The result is a workhorse two-manual organ in the chancel with an efficient but developed Swell division that enables the organist to render choral accompaniments convincingly and to play the many liturgical events in the chapel, including evensong. The instrument also has sufficient power to pair with the orchestra. The Gallery Organ is the heroic instrument the college desired for large convocations and concerts.

Dr. Arnn’s ideals are borne out in these examples of the organ art: “There never has been a great university unconcerned with the question of the Divine. More than one-third of our students are involved in music—an invaluable gift that helps us to contemplate beauty, harmony, and meaning. To that same end, our splendid organs will help point man’s thoughts toward God.”

—Paul Thornock

From the architect

Christ Chapel at Hillsdale College, Michigan, is the first freestanding chapel in the college’s 175-year history. Located on the main axis of campus and forming a new quadrangle, the classical brick and limestone exterior features a domed circular entrance portico with Doric columns. Three concave entry doors lead into an elegant barrel-vaulted nave with limestone columns and mahogany side balconies. Large arched windows fill the space with natural light. 

The Choir Organ is located along the side wall of the chancel and framed by a limestone arch and Doric columns engaged to the wall. The case is 24 feet tall by 13 feet wide. Carved mahogany Corinthian columns divide the façade of the organ case into a taller central section and two side wings. This architectural motif (called a “Serliana”) is found throughout the chapel, such as on the second level of the main exterior façade, and the window above the altar in the chancel. A gold leaf inscription in the frieze of the entablature of the organ case reads: Laudate eum in Chordis et Organo (“Praise him with strings and pipes,” Psalm 150). Carved mahogany laurel wreaths punctuate the pedestal of the organ. Limestone relief panels in the chancel show a harp, trumpets, cymbals, and floral swags, visually depicting the praise of God called for in the psalm.

The Gallery Organ case harmonizes with the Choir Organ but is much larger, 30 feet tall by 30 feet wide. Its overall shape is also a Serliana motif. It has four 15-foot-tall fluted composite columns. An elaborate entablature and broken pediment with a receding apex are above. It also has an inscription across the pulvinated frieze: Cantate Domino Canticum, Novum Quoniam Mirabilia Fecit (“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done great wonders,” Psalm 98). 

While there are some examples of college chapels with two organs in the United States, there are few examples of the organs being conceived together. The architect has designed five other cases in the United States for both new and historic organs, and was inspired by the Saint-Sulpice grand orgue case by the architect Jean-François Chalgrin. The two new organs will be the centerpieces of Hillsdale’s expanding music program.  

—Duncan G. Stroik 

 

Builder’s website: www.frittsorgan.com

Architect’s website: www.stroik.com

College website: www.hillsdale.edu

 

Choir Organ, Opus 44

GREAT (Manual I)

16′ Bourdon

8′ Principal

8′ Salicional

8′ Rohrflöte

4′ Octave

4′ Spitzflöte

2-2⁄3′ Quinte

2′ Octave

Mixture IV

8′ Trompet

4′ Trompet

SWELL (Manual II)

8′ Principal

8′ Gamba

8′ Voix celeste

8′ Gedackt

4′ Octave

4′ Rohrflöte

2-2⁄3′ Nasard

2′ Gemshorn

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

Mixture III–IV

16′ Fagott

8′ Trompet

8′ Basson/Hautbois

PEDAL

16′ Subbass

8′ Principal

8′ Bourdon*

4′ Octave*

16′ Posaune

8′ Trompet

*Some pipes transmitted from other stops

Couplers

Swell to Great, Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal

 

Polished tin front pipes

Suspended, direct mechanical key action

Mechanical stop action with electric pre-set system

Tremulant

Compass: Manual 58 notes; Pedal: 30 notes

Gallery Organ, Opus 45

GREAT (Manual I)

16′ Principal

8′ Octave

8′ Salicional

8′ Rohrflöte

8′ Flûte Harmonique

4′ Octave

4′ Spitzflöte

3′ Quinte

2′ Octave

Mixture VI–VIII

Cornet V

16′ Trompet

8′ Trompet

8′ Trompette

SWELL (Manual III)

8′ Principal

8′ Gedackt

8′ Baarpijp

8′ Violdigamba

8′ Voix celeste

4′ Octave

4′ Koppelflöte

2-2⁄3′ Nasat

2′ Octave

2′ Blockflöte

1-3⁄5′ Terz

Mixture V–VI

16′ Trompet

8′ Trompet

8′ Hautbois

8′ Vox Humana

POSITIVE (Manual II)

8′ Principal

8′ Gedackt

8′ Quintadena

4′ Octave

4′ Rohrflöte

2-2⁄3′ Nasat

2′ Octave

2′ Waldflöte

1-1⁄3′ Larigot

Sesquialtera II

Mixture VI–VII

16′ Dulcian

8′ Trompet

8′ Cromorne

PEDAL

32′ Subbaß*

16′ Principal

16′ Subbaß

8′ Octave

8′ Bourdon*

4′ Octave

4′ Nachthorn

Mixture VI–VII

32′ Posaune

16′ Posaune

8′ Trompet

4′ Trompet

2′ Cornet

*Some pipes transmitted from other stops

Couplers

Swell to Great

Positive to Great

Swell to Positive

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Positive to Pedal

 

Polished tin front pipes

Suspended, direct mechanical key action

Mechanical stop action with electric pre-set system

Swell Tremulant

Great & Positive Tremulant

Wind Stabilizer

Compass: Manual 58 notes; Pedal: 30 notes

 

 

Opus 44 Choir Organ: 

30 stops; 38 ranks; 1,854 pipes

Opus 45 Gallery Organ: 

57 stops; 85 ranks; 4,115 pipes

Sebastian M. Glück, New York, New York; The William and Alice Stack Cathedral Organ, The Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior, Wisconsin

Sebastian M. Glück

Sebastian M. Glück, New York, New York

The William and Alice Stack Cathedral Organ

The Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior, Wisconsin

Ground was broken for the Cathedral of Christ the King on June 23, 1926, and the building was dedicated on Christmas Day of 1927. Elegant simplicity marks the neo-Romanesque structure and its campanile, built upon a raised platform and standing nobly against the Wisconsin sky. Romanesque architecture, which features thick masonry walls with small windows rather than large expanses of flexible stained glass, normally would provide ample reverberation and the preservation of most frequencies. The cathedral’s interior stood unfinished until a fund drive was initiated in 1937 to complete the decorations and furnishings, installing carpet in the sanctuary and sound-absorbing materials covering the ceiling and the upper side and rear walls of the nave. Despite the great cubic volume of the building, reverberation was annihilated, with a range of .94 to 1.0 seconds. The choir sang from a low-ceilinged gallery above the narthex, its voices struggling to reach the crossing with the inadequate accompaniment of a small organ with failing digital stops.

A new acoustic

In 2003, Rev. Richard Vosko was engaged as the liturgical designer, along with architect Robert Semborski of Architectural Resources, Inc., of Duluth, Minnesota, to begin a revision of the cathedral, with Scott R. Riedel & Associates, Ltd. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as acoustic and organ consultants. The choir was relocated into the Epistle-side transept, and the altar, ambo, and liturgical functions onto a raised sanctuary space that extends into the crossing. The project was completed and dedicated in February of 2005.

The installation of terrazzo paving and the removal of the sound absorbing ceiling and side wall treatments were initial steps toward doubling the reverberation time. A coffered, hard plaster ceiling and hard surface clerestory walls now result in clear, intelligible speech and more than two seconds of gracious reverberation. Modest amounts of sound absorbing treatment on the rear wall prevent unwanted reflections and repetitions.

Upper-level balconies and ambulatory spaces flanking the sanctuary were redesigned as organ chambers for a future instrument, and the building was outfitted with electrical conduits and ductwork in anticipation of the installation of a new organ. The former hybrid organ was sold, and the cathedral used a piano as their primary musical instrument after the building renovation.

In 2003 the Cathedral Organ Committee had selected another organbuilder to build a new organ, but the price of the large instrument was formidable. The project was set aside until Scott Riedel recommended that I review the circumstances, since he had served as the consultant on three organs I had built across the country and believed that a different approach would lead to success. Client, consultant, and builder were in agreement that if an appropriate heritage organ could be adapted to the situation, the timeline could be compressed and the budget reduced. I made it very clear that despite the prevailing hopeful mythology, a complete restoration or reconfiguration of an existing organ might equal or exceed the cost of a new one.

Over a period of years, I located and offered three possibilities to the cathedral. The first was a late Frank Roosevelt organ that I had purchased and stored before its abandoned home was razed. Future plans had not been finalized in Superior, so I incorporated that instrument into a 62-rank double organ for another client (see The Diapason cover feature, April 2018). Two substantial, serially altered Aeolian-Skinner organs subsequently were brought under consideration. Both of those situations were so heavily freighted with bureaucracy, politics, and interference by middlemen that a choice was made to redirect the search.

On another front, unforeseen circumstances made the cathedral organ project possible. A church in the northeast had purchased, under my direction, carefully selected ranks from organs that had been dismantled and placed on the open market. That client chose to wait patiently for the time when they could build the organ I had designed for them without preparing any stops for future installation. At the point of signing a contract, Hurricane Sandy severely damaged that congregation’s roof, existing organ, and organ chamber. Their pipe organ would have to wait until they restored their building, and the pipes remained in storage. An evaluation of the needs of both potential clients led to the sale of that pipework to the Cathedral of Christ the King.

The available ranks were suited to adaptation for an organ in the cathedral, with adjustments to the specification, some rescaling of the fluework, and the construction of some new pipes. The clear mission was to serve the Catholic liturgy, congregational singing, and the established organ and choral literature. There was no interest in adopting the whims of any particular temporary organbuilding trend that might prove regrettable in the future. The specifications were built upon the features held in common by the instruments of the important eras and cultures of organ composition and building. That information was filtered through the registration guidelines handed down by tradition, performance practice treatises, and the composers’ scores. Such tenets distilled the stoplist toward a practical design that endures rather than frustrates.

The musical blueprint

What began as a two-manual design grew to three manuals in light of how much substantive literature called for a third, and how the nuances of choral accompaniment could be expanded. During the century and a half that Americans have placed Choir divisions under expression, these sections often have been of nebulous conception and could not serve the literature. I walked the conservative path of an unenclosed eight-rank Positiv division in the Gospel case, with the Great in the Epistle case. These divisions enjoy the spatial separation of a Baroque Positiv in a dorsal case while keeping the organ entirely on one level for the sake of tuning stability. The interior of the organ features abundant lighting, broad walkboards, sturdy tuning perches, and secure ladders to facilitate its future care and longevity.

Pipe organs of moderate size can exhibit some predictability in tonal design if the builder is a conscientious steward of a client’s funds; each indulgent frill that supplants a requisite voice is an extravagant waste—a disservice to music, liturgy, and education. Instruments of this size can be conceived with measured additions to the safety of the template, increasing color and utility without being irresponsible. My ethical obligation to keep the instrument free of artificially generated voices served to focus the stoplist and curb tonal temptation.

The forthright core of the Great division is its Diapason chorus, with the bottom octave of the 8′ standing in the speaking façade. The large scale 8′ Harmonic Flute, which takes its lowest nine pipes from the Open Diapason to maintain open tone throughout the compass, is joined by the 16′/8′ wooden Bourdon unit and the Viole de Gambe borrowed from the Swell. The 4′ Spire Flute is voiced and finished such that it can be used in unconventional combinations with other flue stops for a variety of tonal colors. The firm and round Trumpet is an extension of the Pedal reed unit, and although a theoretical compromise, is not detected as such by the listener in the now-sumptuous acoustic.

The Swell division is located in the triforium of the Epistle side of the sanctuary, with shutter fronts opening into the sanctuary as well as to the transept behind the Great windchest. This second set of shutters prevents the Swell from sounding distant and directs its tone toward the choir stalls in the transept. The division is planted on a slider soundboard like the rest of the organ, with the exception of the reeds and the Viole de Gambe, which stand on an electropneumatic unit windchest.

The American Swell division, for decades gutted of its 8′ Open Diapason, is enjoying a return of this valuable pitch base. It is included here as a hearty slotted version that is immeasurably useful in the liturgy as well as in the performance of organ and choral music. The Swell Diapason chorus is marked by a brighter Mixture than that of the Great, and although it contains only three ranks, it bears two unisons and one quint throughout the playing range to maintain clarity in voice leading. Incisive French strings of slotted construction take their traditional places, and the undulant makes a good pair with the Diapason as well. The parent rank stands behind the shutter front near the Great windchest, as it is borrowed onto the Great to complete the quartet of stops for the fonds d’huit.

The choir of flutes includes the elements of the Cornet Composé. With only one tierce combination in the instrument, I felt that the mutations should be flute scaled. Principal scaled mutations cannot weld into a Cornet, yet the 8′-22⁄3′-13⁄5′ flute combination can, in a good acoustic, convince one that there is a Sesquialtera present. This places the Cornet in a position to enter into dialogue with the half-length cylindrical reed in the Positiv while still contributing to the Grand-Jeu.

The original plan called for independent ranks for the 16′ Bassoon and 8′ Oboe, but they were reconceived as a unit when the organ was expanded to three manuals. An unexpected feature of the capped, full-length 16′ Bassoon is that when drawn in the Pedal by duplex action, it sits beautifully beneath the strings, as a surrogate Violone, and adds color and pitch identity to the Pedal line in softer combinations.

The Positiv borrows a bit from the Georgian chamber organ and a bit from the Continental Baroque, but is neither. Open flue stops at 8′ pitch were common practice for the secondary manual divisions of Bach’s time and culture. The chronic omission of such tone, as well as the frequent absence of the 4′ Principal during the Orgelbewegung’s American manifestation, perpetuated an imbalance between the Great and Positiv. The utility of the 8′ Dulciana cannot be overstated, especially when it leans more toward an Echo Diapason than the type of neutered, bland string placed in American organs of a century ago. The two-rank mixture is not high-pitched, as the Positiv differentiates itself by its weight and texture without having the upperwork separate from the ensemble. The 8′ Clarinet is made of very hard black zinc and is notably bold and broad in tone, voiced brightly so as to work well in both French organ repertoire and its characteristic soli in English anthem accompaniments. The Herald Trumpet, which plays from this manual, is placed in the triforium on the Gospel side of the sanctuary and is the most brilliant stop in the organ.

The Pedal division is derived from four boldly scaled unit ranks and carefully selected mezzo-forte stops either borrowed or extended from the manual divisions, with the 8′ Principal in the Gospel façade. The 16′ Dulciana, extended from the Positiv, is worth its weight in gold for its utility and elegance, and allows for the forcefulness of the 16′ Open Wood Bass to fully undergird the ensemble. The 16′ Trombone unit, despite its brassy flair, is warm and round, and rolls down the nave dramatically. It is scaled and voiced for the Pedal, rather than being a conceptual extension of the Great Trumpet, a practice which can lead to inadequate support in the bass.

The visual element

It is a challenge to be invited to design and build an organ after another builder’s recommended alterations have been made to the edifice. A freestanding organ in a resonant case, recessed slightly into one of the transepts, would have been ideal, but two factors negated that possibility. Reinforced concrete platforms projecting into each transept were already in place at the direction of the previously selected builder. Worshippers and visitors to the cathedral had been looking at those empty shelves and gaping holes in the transept walls for a decade and a half, and expected a resolution. In addition, three fine mosaics in the Byzantine style had been commissioned for each of the building’s apses, and their beauty had to remain in view.

My series of concept sketches began with a sculptural “pipes in the open” array, which quickly revealed itself to be contextually inappropriate. As a preservation architect attuned to precedent and context, I felt that the mid-20th-century treatment was an evasion of artistic responsibility, so I moved forward by cataloguing the building’s architectural elements. One principle of fine interior design is that if stylistically disparate furnishings are placed in a room, the gesture is most successful when they are at least two historical periods apart.

The cathedral case design, as built, combines pendant pairs of pipe stockades with wooden casework. The former is a nod to what Midwestern American builders were producing for Catholic churches at the time the cathedral was built, and the latter was inspired by my walk-through of the permanent stage settings of Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico of 1585, in which he used classical architectural elements in forced perspective to create the illusion of greater height and depth in the built environment. Unconventional as this treatment may be, one has the sense that the portions of the instrument that flank the liturgical focus of the building were always in place and meant to be there. Rather than being imposed distractions, they tend to sweep the eye back toward the sanctuary.

Beyond the walls

When a church or synagogue asks its membership to contribute funds toward a major project, the campaign is most successful if it enhances the lives of those beyond the circle of donors. If pipe organs are heard only during religious services and are kept under lock and key at all other times, a barrier is erected between the institution and the inquisitive listener. The organ is one of many tools that can bring the surrounding community into the congregation’s sphere of ministry.

The area’s organists and academics have taken note of this instrument in part because it offers a new perspective on the performance of the post-Mendelssohnian organ repertoire without rejecting any of the structure of the golden age of the organ. In a region that until recently has favored the interpretive neoclassicism of the last century, organ students are welcomed to a new pipe organ of a more inclusive academic style.

Large-scale choral works and the hundreds of pieces written for organ with solo instruments or orchestra will be more authentically experienced in this peaceful, spiritual, resonant space. The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Twin Ports Wind Orchestra, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Duluth-Superior Symphony Chorus, Superior Diocesan Chorale, and myriad collegiate ensembles have a new resource through which to expand and vitalize the musical life of the region.

—Sebastian Glück

Personnel:

Sebastian M. Glück, Artistic and Tonal Director

Albert Jensen-Moulton, General Manager

Robert Ahlborg

Joseph DiSalle

Keith Goss

Dominic Inferrera

John Kawa

Robert Rast

William Wildenberg

David Winek

 

Suppliers:

Organ Supply Industries, A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Syndyne, Peterson Electro-Musical Products

 

GREAT – Manual II

16′ Bourdon (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 58 pipes

8′ Bourdon 58 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute (a) 49 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe Swell

4′ Principal 58 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 58 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 58 pipes

Chorus Mixture IV 232 pipes

8′ Trumpet (b) 14 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Clarinet Positiv

8′ Herald Trumpet Positiv

Great Silent

SWELL – Manual III – enclosed

8′ Open Diapason 58 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 58 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe 58 pipes

8′ Voix Céleste (TC) 46 pipes

4′ Principal 58 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 58 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard 58 pipes

2′ Quarte de Nazard 58 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 58 pipes

Mixture III 174 pipes

16′ Bassoon (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

8′ Oboe 58 pipes

  Tremulant

16′ Swell to Swell

4′ Swell to Swell

POSITIV – Manual I

8′ Viole de Gambe Swell

8′ Dulciana 58 pipes

8′ Holzgedeckt 58 pipes

4′ Principal 58 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute 58 pipes

2′ Recorder 58 pipes

Sharp Mixture II 116 pipes

8′ Clarinet 58 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trumpet Great

8′ Oboe Swell

16′ Herald Trumpet (fr 8′) 

8′ Herald Trumpet 58 pipes

Positiv Silent

PEDAL

32′ Untersatz (c)

16′ Open Wood Bass 32 pipes

16′ Dulciana (ext Pos 8′) 12 pipes

16′ Sub Bass 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon Great

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Sub Bass (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Viola Swell

8′ Dulciana Positiv

8′ Bourdon Great

4′ Fifteenth (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Flute Great

16′ Trombone 32 pipes

16′ Bassoon Swell

8′ Trumpet (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Bassoon Swell

4′ Clarion (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Clarinet Positiv

8′ Great to Pedal

8′ Swell to Pedal

4′ Swell to Pedal

8′ Positiv to Pedal

16′ Swell to Great

8′ Swell to Great

4′ Swell to Great

8′ Positiv to Great

8′ Swell to Positiv

Great/Positiv Transfer

(a) C1–G#9 from 8′ Open Diapason

(b) extension of Pedal Trombone unit

(c) C1–B12 resultant from Open Wood Bass

 

Three manuals, 37 ranks, 2,107 pipes

Positiv Sharp Mixture II

C1 19.22

C25 15.19

F#31 12.15

A46 08.15

 

Swell Mixture III

C1 15.19.22

C13 12.15.22

C37 08.12.15

C49 01.08.12

 

Great Chorus Mixture IV

C1 19.22.26.29

C13 15.19.22.26

G#33 12.15.19.22

F#43 08.12.15.19

C#51 05.08.12.15

 

Builder’s website: www.gluckpipeorgans.com

Cathedral website: https://superiorcathedral.org

Photo by John Kawa.