Cover Feature

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

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois; Countryside Community Church, Omaha, Nebraska

Opus 47, completed November 2020

From the builder

Countryside Community Church is the Christian participant in the new “Tri-Faith Initiative,” a campus that includes the church, a mosque, and a synagogue. Congregations from the three Abrahamic faiths bought a large tract of land and developed it together as a demonstration of how well our three faiths can live together in peace and harmony. Buzard Pipe Organ Builders was selected for this important commission based on our noble sound and creative designs. It was a privilege and honor to work with the architects, parishioners, and clergy to create a most unique instrument that solidly represents centuries of sacred musical tradition.

This three-manual organ of 25 stops (30 ranks) includes preparations for future addition of nine more stops on the Great, Swell, and Pedal, a “Grande Choeur” of approximately 10 stops as the third manual division, and three Walker digital pedal stops.

The church originally planned on moving the much smaller organ from their previous building. As the new building took shape, parishioners Roy and Gloria Dinsdale came forward with a significant financial gift for an organ, better suited to the larger sanctuary. It was our challenge to engineer the instrument for the somewhat diminutive already-built chamber, which was bisected by steel beams and cross-bracing and a vent for a lower-level kitchen.

The visual design embodies several of the congregation’s faith tenets, as described to us by then senior pastor Eric Elnes: our life’s journey from a chaotic, dark earth upward to heavenly order of peace and light; the trinity and elements of “three;” and the coexistence of science and faith as represented by the front pipes’ mouths, which form a perfect sine wave. In order to encourage the “dark-to-light” journey as one gazes upward at the façade, the three levels of pipes are made of increasingly rich alloys of tin, the visually brightest at the top. Although difficult to see in the photograph, the Pedal 16′ Bourdon pipes in the very back, top right quadrant of the chamber have been interpreted by many parishioners as a visual representation of a skyline of the Heavenly City. The top level Trombas seem to many to be hands at prayer. 

In this organ, as in several of our newest instruments, the Great is divided into enclosed and unenclosed sections. The bold and clear principal chorus is unenclosed, while the colorful stops are in an expression box. The enclosed Great may be coupled to other manuals and the pedal at any pitch and may function either as a “Choir Division” or a “Solo Division” depending on which stops are drawn. This allows us the freedom to give any musical purpose we choose to an independent third manual division. By nature of the two mixtures in the Swell, one low, the other high-pitched, this division can function as a foil to the Great as the Swell or a “Positif.”  The musical personality of the Grand Choeur, being prepared for future addition, is still under discussion.

The heart of any Buzard organ is the Swell division. It is the workhorse for accompanying, coloring and contrasting with the other divisions, and providing the “powerhouse” reed battery for our distinctive full Swell. The Trombas, sort of a reed equivalent to the Great and Pedal First Open Diapasons, louden and thicken the texture of full organ, over and above the significant contribution of the Swell battery to the ensemble.

Organist Alex Ritter served as a project manager on the church’s behalf; Rick MacInnes was the chair of Countryside Church’s Relocation Committee; Daniel Loven-Crum was the patient person at the church who arranged logistics of meals brought in for us, housing, and complete access to the building during what proved to be a much-prolonged installation, with months of hiatus while we were locked down by the pandemic and closed by the State of Illinois.

The staff of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders who participated in this instrument’s design, construction, installation, and administrative support are: 

Charles Eames

Shane Rhoades

Michael Meyer

Felix Franken

Christopher Goodnight

John Switzer

Jeff Hoover

Lauren Kasky

Keith Williams

Jefrey Player

Fredrick Bahr

Andrew Woodruff

—John-Paul Buzard

President & Artistic Director

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, LLC

From the organist

For Countryside, the journey to the completion of this instrument was a wild ride. The plan was to rebuild and relocate our existing Reuter organ to the new building. Construction of the new church was well underway when we received a generous donation from Roy and Gloria Dinsdale to commission the design and construction of a new pipe organ. Imagine our excitement and concern. The architectural plans were complete. Ground had been broken. The foundation and structural supports were already in place. The interior walls surrounding the organ chamber were scheduled to go up in three months, and a grand opening was almost exactly a year away. The Dinsdale’s generosity, however, inspired us to dream big and move quickly. This was a unique opportunity: to design and build an instrument that would be as musically exquisite as it was aesthetically dynamic—the first pipe organ installation in Omaha in nearly twenty years. 

An organ committee was formed, and I cautioned that we should not rush the process, but we did need to narrow our choices down quickly so the builder would have some time, although limited, to work with the architects on any needed changes. We were fortunate to find a partner uniquely suited for the situation in the team at Buzard Pipe Organ Builders. The committee quickly fell in love with the Buzard sound, but the relationship proved beneficial in other ways as well. The success of our Opus 47 despite numerous challenges is a testament to their engineering prowess and ingenuity. For example, the organ chamber was designed for a smaller instrument, and some structural support beams had made their way into the space, causing an obstacle course for a larger instrument. Not only did the Buzard team circumvent the obstacle course, they were able to fit an organ twice the size without compromising the instrument’s integrity. 

For us and for our donors, an important consideration was a visual design to match the beauty of the sanctuary and punctuate it by symbolizing our values and signifying the organ’s role in our future. In reviewing builders’ designs, we felt that Buzard’s stood out, weaving contemporary and traditional elements together, while making the instrument appear as though it was always meant to be there. Their work on our design exceeded our expectations. An organ is a convergence of art and science, and this is beautifully reflected in the façade design, which makes a strong but not obtrusive statement.  

In the context of Countryside’s involvement in the Tri-Faith Initiative, the symbolism is compelling. Our purpose is not to borrow from our Tri-Faith partners or change who we are. We are there to stand in solidarity, learn from one another, and use that knowledge to grow stronger in our own faith.

From a tonal perspective, our intention was similar—avoid eclecticism that too often results in a lack of unity, and instead seek a tonal design with integrity that is historically informed and benefits from sharing of the best building practices from across historical periods with an eye towards the future. We cultivated a tonal design that embodies the diversity, drama, expressiveness, and contrast needed for liturgy. The result is unique—a depth and breadth of individual sounds, yet strong unified choruses, articulate and contrapuntally clear voicing without austerity. 

The pandemic put a wrench in our plans to share this distinctive and wonderful instrument with the world. We had a strong belief that giving our congregation a chance to hear the instrument in person was very important, especially in a time such as this—after all, we could all use a pick-me-up these days. Thus, we worked with medical professionals in our congregation to curate a series of small, RSVP-only recitals, intentionally limiting capacity to maintain a safe environment. While we would have loved to pack the house with more than 500 people and bring in a special guest to perform, we were grateful to share it with members of our congregation and look forward to the time when we can safely fill the sanctuary seats and experience the majestic sound of the instrument in person. 

We were pleased to partner with a firm that invests in the future of the trade by employing women and members of the next generation. My hope is to use this one-of-a-kind instrument to feature up-and-coming organists of diverse backgrounds and foster new compositions from those underrepresented in the current repertoire, ensuring a vibrant future for the instrument and expanding its audience.

What an amazing gift the Dinsdales have given to Countryside Community Church and to the broader Omaha community. It is truly a crown jewel that will be a centerpiece for liturgy and music. 

—Alex Ritter 

Director of Arts Ministry and Organist

Cover photo: John-Paul Buzard, digital editing by Len Levasseur

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Double Open Diapason (metal, in façade)

8′ First Open Diapason (metal, in façade)

8′ Second Open Diapason (metal, in façade)

8′ Bourdon*

8′ Flûte Harmonique*

8′ Viola da Gamba (prepared)*

4′ Principal

4′ Spire Flute (prepared)*

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth

2′ Fourniture IV

1-1⁄3′ Sharp Mixture III (prepared)

16′ English Horn (prepared)*

8′ Clarinet (prepared)*

Cymbalstern*

8′ Minor Trumpet (ext Sw 16′)

8′ Tromba (ext Ped 16′)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext Ped 16′)

8′ Major Tuba (prepared)

* enclosed

GRAND CHOEUR (Manual I, enclosed, prepared)

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (temporary digital)

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Stopped Diapason (wood)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste (TC)

4′ Principal

4′ Harmonic Flute

2-2⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Octavin

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

2-2⁄3′ Grave Mixture II (prepared)

1′ Plein Jeu III

16′ Bassoon

8′ Trompette

8′ Oboe

8′ Vox Humana (prepared)

4′ Clarion (ext 16′)

Tremulant

8′ Tromba (ext Ped 16′)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext Ped 16′)

8′ Major Tuba (Gt prepared)

PEDAL

32′ Double Open Diapason (digital, prep)

32′ Subbass (digital, prepared)

16′ First Open Diapason (Walker)

16′ Second Open Diapason (Gt)

16′ Bourdon (wood)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw, temporary, digital)

8′ Principal (metal, in façade)

8′ Salicional (Sw)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ First Open, Walker)

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Sw 16′, temporary, digital)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′ Principal)

4′ Open Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

2-2⁄3′ Mixture IV (prepared)

32′ Contra Trombone (digital, prepared)

16′ Trombone (metal, in façade)

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Tromba (ext 16′ Trombone)

8′ Trompette (Sw)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext 8′ Tromba)

4′ Clarion (from Sw 16′ Bassoon)

Console has standard array of sub, unison, and super octave couplers.

Currently 25 stops, 30 ranks.

Nine stops and 15 ranks prepared for future addition in the main portion of the organ.

Space for approximately 10 stops in the future Grand Choeur. 

Three digital voices prepared for future addition.

All metal pipes are made by Killinger Pfeifen Freiberg.

Builder’s website

Church website

Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, Canandaigua, New York; Saint Benedict Cathedral, Evansville, Indiana

Given the opportunity for a major instrument in a large Catholic cathedral with superb acoustics, most builders might be forgiven for playing to type. These acoustics and this liturgy implies something French in nature, no? We know the great legacy the French have given to music and Catholicism; surely one thing follows another. And yet our Opus 52 for Saint Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, Indiana, had a different genesis and, in the end, a result well apart from the above pattern. The process, and the result, has been not merely a pleasant surprise, but—this project has proved to us—the right instrument for this place and these people.

Our first encounter with Saint Benedict’s contemplated a modest reworking of their 1930s Wicks. That first visit allowed us to be impressed by the opportunity before us. The parish of Saint Benedict was established in 1912, placed in pastoral care of the monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey (which organists know today for the fine Goulding & Wood organ there). Designed in Lombard Basilica form, the edifice is grand: 150 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 63 feet tall. When completed in 1928 the ceiling was fitted with sound-attenuating Celotex tiles. In 1934, when it became possible to afford an organ, the parish acquired a two-manual, 20-rank Wicks, Opus 2367. In the practice of many 20th-century Catholic churches, the organ was divided in cases to either side of the rear window, with choir seating in between. This arrangement was never satisfactory, as the choir was buried between the organ cases yet unable to hear it clearly or project properly. A renovation in 2019 improved the acoustics and enlarged the gallery to accommodate sizable musical forces and a significant pipe organ.

As discussions continued, the original rebuilding idea gave way to a new three-manual organ, with a nave section to accompany singers up front. Still, the stoplist remained economical in feel until the already-generous lead donors decided they could do even more. Embellishments included a second fanfare reed, a full-length 32′ Trombone to join the open 32′ Contrebasse, and strengthened manual flute and principal choruses throughout.

Certain choices formed around vintage material, reworked along our musical ideals while still disclosing their heritage. Although the 1934 Wicks was a modest instrument, its musical content was distinctive. Wicks’s tonal director at this time, Henry Vincent Willis (a grandson of Father Willis and first cousin to Henry Willis III), evolved a version of late English Romantic heroic voicing much in the vein of Richard Whitelegg at M. P. Möller in the same period. With reconditioning, re-voicing, and upperwork, these pipes form the strong unenclosed Great chorus at the organ’s core. Additionally, the parish acquired a 1937 Austin from First Unitarian Church, Oakland, California, designed by James B. Jamison. Jamison’s ideals were in line with Willis’s; the Swell chorus fuses Wicks and Austin material (again revoiced and rebalanced) to match the Great’s in similar style. Fully winded and copiously nicked, these pipes sing with bright but not overdone trebles. The Mixture, expanded to four ranks, is especially silvery without being so loud as to complicate choral accompaniment.

Sharing an enclosure, the enclosed Great/Choir takes the design in different directions. The Harmonic and Spitz flutes are the expected Great registers, with the benefit of expression and joined to the organ’s boldest strings. The Gamba fills out the Great foundations; with its celeste, the two cap the string ensemble as a Solo pair might. The Choir’s foundations—the reedy Violin Diapason and stringy Fugara, of tapered construction—find kinship with the Great and Swell. The Choir 2′ Principal and III Mixture are the organ’s leanest; the chorus here can be based just as effectively on the 8′ Bourdon in the neoclassical manner. In contrast to the liquid tones of the Swell’s, the Choir’s flutes are more pointed and focused, balanced so that any combination makes sense while remaining clear. The mild color reeds top this ensemble, particularly with the woody 16′ Clarinet Bass underneath.

Finally, we had the luxury of providing Pedal flues with the range of clarity and depth a large organ requires, from the soft, ultra-clear Gemshorn to a pervading Open Wood whose treble range offers solo potential. The narrow-scale wood 32′ Contrebasse is a flexible chameleon, purring quietly alone while growing stronger as more 16′ tone is added.

The nave section is designed on the unit principle, something we generally avoid but seemed warranted here, given limited space coupled to a purely accompanimental program at this end of the cathedral. The Diapason is the organ’s leanest; an independent Twelfth is critical to a plausible-sounding chorus “effect.” Other ranks provide support at various levels of color and dynamic. The shimmering Unda Maris leads to the organ’s other soft celestes and beyond, and is especially ravishing as it disappears to celestial near-inaudibility. Formed from both open wood and metal pipes, the Concert Flute is a room-filling voice and becomes particularly emotional with tremolo. The Flügelhorn, of Skinner pattern but with harmonic trebles, is a do-everything stop, lyrical in solo and compelling in chorus. The pointed Pontifical Trumpet lies in between the Great/Pedal Bombarde and the Tuba. Thanks to the Opus-Two system and some invisible coupling intelligence, one can readily dialogue the Tuba and Pontifical Trumpet against the tutti.

Given the strength of the flue choruses, the chorus reeds might be unexpected: solidly English, yet not even at the power of where chorus reeds tend to fall in actual English instruments. Here again, the pre-existence of Wicks and Austin trumpets led us away from the overt and towards a mild grandeur, a recipe that ended up being superior for vocal support. This idea lines up nicely with where our organs have headed for several years now: organs that lead without competing, focused principally on Sunday morning without forgetting the occasional Saturday recital.

And it’s important to remember where we were: a Roman Catholic cathedral not in Paris or Toulouse, but firmly in the heartland of southwest Indiana. The music here spans the gamut, and an organ must take its accompanimental role not casually but with true seriousness. Tempting as such a space might compel one to blaze away with Trompettes and Cornets, those sounds would be largely antithetical to this organ’s core role: standing by one voice or a hundred, in sanctuary or gallery, helping singers to match pitch, with a measured treble ascendancy that stays clear without overwhelming the voices any organ hopes to lead.

In that regard, these darker reeds revealed themselves as assets, and with a sheer grandeur of tone compelling in their own right. The Austin chorus, reconceived and rebuilt by Christopher Broome, follows an early-20th-century English pattern: a 16′ Fagotto rich in heavy cream; a snappier but still well-bred 8′; a 4′ in between the others. The resolutely American-type Oboe makes a logical partner to the trumpet family. How these four reeds are balanced makes possible any number of lesser full swells, together with orchestral potential in coupling the Fagotto to either of the chipper 4′ and 2′ harmonic flutes. Even the Fagotto and Mixture by themselves make a convincing ensemble. A similar ideology is at work in the enclosed Great, where the Full Mixture—a one-stop chorus that gains an 8′ at middle C—fuses with those Trumpets as an alternative full Swell on the other side of the gallery.

Approaching the tutti, however, it seemed desirable that certain reeds rise to meet the power of the fluework and the grandeur of the space. The Pedal Bombarde is primarily a bass melody stop loosely in the French manner; its availability on the Great allows for occasional climaxes beyond the other reeds. The Pontifical Trumpet augments the ensemble further, especially when introduced behind closed shutters. These stops lead up to the magnificent Choir Tuba. Built by Shires in England, voiced by Christopher Broome, and placed directly behind the shutters, it offers clang and brawn in equal measure. The 32′ Trombone, extended from the Great double, is intentionally not dominating. Enclosure augments its usefulness in accompaniment.

As the organ design evolved, the cathedral’s musical team was keen to point out the problems of the old arrangement. Our instrument is in one large case against the rear wall, exposed to frame the central stained glass window by F. X. Zettler Studios of Munich. In this arrangement, the choir can hear both organ and themselves more clearly than ever. The unenclosed Great sits in the open center, on windchests so arranged as to be concealed by the case posts. One level down are Pedal trebles; behind both levels, the 32′ Contrebasse is stacked horizontally against the rear wall. The Swell stands in a large enclosure on the right, with the enclosed Great/Choir in a similar chamber on the left. The chassis is largely traditional, with slider chests for the main departments fed by a copious wind supply with wedge bellows. Single-note actions are employed for extended registers and those of higher pressure. The nave section is in a newly formed chamber behind a non-speaking façade. Built by J. Zamberlan & Co. and finished in our shop, the identical consoles were kept as simple as possible, with seven divisions over three, not four manuals. Various transfer couplers add flexibility for the nave and enclosed Great. Storage is abundant, with a pullout drawer beneath the manuals and music cabinets built into either side.

In designing our instruments, a chief goal is to make every pipe and mechanism easily reached for tuning and maintenance. Our designer Peter Geise works closely with Travis Tones and Ric Parsons to work out, refine, alter, and finalize every pathway inside any organ. (The saddest sound from any organ comes from tuners needlessly bonking their heads.) On the tonal side, the integration of old and new remains an art unto itself, merging existing and fresh material toward a tonal and musical result of complete unity. This is the particular skill of our tonal director Duane Prill, an Eastman-trained and practicing church organist, and voicer of some 35 years. Every flue pipe here has passed through his skilled hands, reviewed at length again in site finishing with Jonathan Ambrosino.

Projects of this magnitude take years to come to fruition, requiring individuals with the character, backbone, and sense of humor to overcome inevitable twists and turns. Throughout this project’s decade-long duration, we have had the pleasure of working with numerous individuals at the cathedral. Their goal was nothing less than an extraordinary instrument, not only for this active cathedral but also as a model for liturgy and music across the diocese.

Specifically, we thank director of music Mr. Jeremy Korba. From day one, Jeremy worked endlessly to optimize the outcome by uplifting the skills and talents of those around him. His signature phrase—“It’s all good”—sums up our experience. We also thank the Very Reverend Godfrey Mullen, OSB, former rector (currently rector at Cathedral of Saint Peter, Belleville, Illinois), and Father Alex Zenthoefer, current rector and vicar general of the Diocese of Evansville. Their support has been unwavering, with a wisdom and generosity of spirit even in the face of challenges associated with the cathedral renovation and subsequent pandemic.

The quiet and substantial generosity of Deacon David Allan Cook and his wife Virginia made this organ possible. They walked into the newly renovated cathedral and asked the simple question, “What else do you need?” Not only the organ but also an endowment for its future maintenance were funded solely by Mrs. Cook, as a gift to the cathedral and the community at large. It was especially sad when Deacon Cook passed away only while the organ was being installed. Our prayers go with Deacon Cook and to the entire Cook family.

For our firm, blessed with supportive clients over now decades, Saint Benedict’s has stood out for its sheer support, hospitality, and friendliness. They traveled the path with us from minor to major project and were gracious with the shift in schedule that change presented. When the three 53-foot tractor trailers showed up, scores of volunteers were ready to unload. When we needed to shift materials around the building, these same good people magically reappeared. Every midday we were fed plentifully, whether for a crew of two or fourteen. It’s easy to do one’s best work for such good people. To all the people of Saint Benedict’s, and to the glory of God, we dedicate our Opus 52.

Parsons Opus 52 will be dedicated by Nathan Laube on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 7 p.m.

—Parsons Organ Builders

Cover photo: Mark Murry (Evansville Aerial)

GALLERY

Key action: electric-slider, with electric unit action. Stop action: electric

GREAT (Manual II, unenclosed) (* enclosed with Choir)

16′ Sub Principal (on façade) 61 pipes

16′ Gemshorn* (Choir)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Principal (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Gamba* 61 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste* 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Principal (ext 16′) 12 pipes 4′ Spitz Flute* 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

1-3/5′ Seventeenth 54 pipes

Mixture IV 244 pipes

Full Mixture IV* 244 pipes

16′ Trombone* 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

4′ Clarion* (ext 16′) 24 pipes

8′ Tuba* (Choir)

8′ Bombarde (ext Ped Bomb) 17 pipes

Chimes (digital)

SWELL (Manual III,  expressive)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Open Flute 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Traverse Flute 61 pipes

2′ Piccolo 61 pipes

Mixture III–IV 221 pipes

16′ Contra Fagotto 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

CHOIR (Manual I, expressive)

16′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

8′ Violin Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Fugara 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Principal 61 pipes

2′ Block Flute 61 pipes

1-3/5′ Tierce 54 pipes

1-1/3′ Larigot 61 pipes

1′ Sifflöte 61 pipes

Mixture III 183 Pipes

16′ Bass Clarinet (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Tromba (Great)

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

8′ Tuba 61 pipes

8′ Concert Flute (Nave)

8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Nave)

Cymbelstern (bells)

Harp (digital)

Celesta (digital)

Orchestral Bells (digital)

PEDAL (unenclosed)

32′ Contrebasse 32 pipes

32′ Bourdon (digital)

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Principal (Great)

16′ Contrebasse (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Gemshorn (Choir)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Octave (façade) 32 pipes

8′ Flûte (ext Open Wood) 12 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Flûte (ext. Open Wood) 12 pipes

32′ Contra Trombone 12 pipes (ext Great 16′)

16′ Bombarde 32 pipes

16′ Trombone (Great)

16′ Fagotto (Swell)

16′ Clarinet (Choir)

8′ Bombarde (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Tromba (Great)

8′ Fagotto (Swell)

4′ Clarion (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Tuba (Choir)

Chimes (digital)

NAVE

Key action: electric unit action.

Stop action: electric

 

Voice Analysis (all voices enclosed)

8 voices, 8 ranks, 560 pipes

16′ Bourdon 97 pipes

16′ Dulciana 85 pipes

8′ Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

8′ Flügelhorn 61 pipes

8′ Pontifical Trumpet 61 pipes

NAVE GREAT(Manual II)

8′ Diapason

8′ Concert Flute

8′ Chimney Flute

4′ Octave

4′ Chimney Flute

2′ Fifteenth

Mixture II

8′ Flügelhorn

8′ Pontifical Trumpet

NAVE SWELL (Manual III)

16′ Dulciana

8′ Chimney Flute

8′ Dulciana

8′ Unda Maris (TC)

4′ Octave

4′ Chimney Flute

4′ Dulciana

2-2/3′ Nazard

2′ Piccolo

8′ Flügelhorn

8′ Pontifical Trumpet

NAVE PEDAL

16′ Bourdon

16′ Dulciana

8′ Diapason

8′ Chimney Flute

4′ Octave

8′ Pontifical Trumpet

Accessories

General Tremulant

Nave Tremulant

Flexible Wind

Pedal Divide

All Swells to Swell

Crescendo On Nave Expression

Pedal Stops on Manual Combinations

Couplers

Intra-Manual

Gt to Gt 16

Gt Unison Off

Gt to Gt 4

Sw to Sw 16

Sw Unison Off

Sw to Sw 4

Ch to Ch 16

Ch Unison Off

Ch to Ch 4

Sw Nave Unison Off

Inter-Manual – Rocker tabs on nameboard

Sw to Gt 16

Sw to Gt 8

Sw to Gt 4

Ch to Gt 16

Ch to Gt 8

Ch to Gt 4

Nave Sw to Gt

Sw to Ch 16

Sw to Ch 8

Sw to Ch 4

Gt to Ch 8

Enc. Gt on Ch

Nave Sw on Ch

Ped to Ch

Ch to Sw 8

Sw to Ped 8

Sw to Ped 4

Gt to Ped 8

Ch to Ped 8

Ch to Ped 4

Nave Gt to Ped 8

Nave Sw to Ped 8

Ped Unison Off

Manual I-II Transfer

 

Manual compass: C–c 61 notes

Pedal compass: C–g 32 notes

 

Builder’s website: parsonsorgans.com

Cathedral website: www.saintbenedictcathedral.org

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, Hartville,

Ohio, 30th anniversary

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders began building new pipe organs in 1990, and 2020 marks thirty years with project opera 64, 65, and 66 presently under construction. Opus 64 is a new 47-rank four-manual instrument for Christ the King Chapel at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Opus 65 is a new console and restoration of the California Organ Company/Reuter organ in the St. Francis Auditorium at the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe. Opus 66 is a new organ for Little Flower Church in St. Louis, Missouri. 

I discovered the pipe organ at age eleven and by age thirteen, I had a playing pipe organ of nine ranks in my basement. I had very tolerant parents. After graduating high school, I began working at the Schantz Organ Company in the console department. After a year there, I went back to school to study architecture and mechanical engineering, after which I returned to the Schantz company to train as a reed voicer. I spent five years with Schantz as a production reed voicer and tonal finisher. I then joined Casavant Frères, Limitée where I was a sales representative. I also installed and voiced a number of Casavant organs during my five years with them. I then went to A. R. Schopp’s Sons, a fourth-generation pipe making company and a leader in the United States pipe organ supply industry, where I was general manager. After an enjoyable time there and with three different churches asking me to do work for them, which I took as a sign, I left my friends at Schopp to found Kegg Pipe Organ Builders. 

Wanting to start small and build the business carefully, I began in a 1,500-square-foot shop and built my first three instruments by myself, gradually adding employees as business demand grew. In 1994, the company moved into a 5,000-square-foot building with three employees where we built many instruments including the landmark 78-rank instrument for the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio. After ten years in that location, the company with five employees received a commission to build another landmark 70-rank instrument for the new concert hall at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. This instrument demanded a larger space, and in 2004 the company moved into its present shop enjoying 16,000 square feet of space. The company employs eight at this writing, three of whom are under the age of 35.

Early on in my career, I felt that instruments designed and built in a more Romantic style than was popular in the 1970s and ’80s would better suit traditional American church music. It also appealed to me more with my interest in warmer sounds. This was first demonstrated in my third organ built for the First Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio, which was the Kegg family church. This organ, completed in 1990, comprises two manuals and 25 ranks, with the Great under expression, save for the 8′ Principal. In 1990, an enclosed Great was most unusual and considered heretical by many. The organ caused quite a stir in 1990 with its large scales, warm sound, and Swell Vox Humana. A new Vox Humana was, again, highly unusual at that time. 

Another point of departure for me was my interest in all-electric chest action. This style of action had long been vilified due to its usual poor construction. All-electric action offers many advantages including ultra simplicity, ease of repair from water damage, and the ability to offer judicious borrowing of stops at different pitches and/or manuals. Its primary disadvantage is the poor pipe speech that is associated with it. I worked at developing chest construction with the goal of making this action indistinguishable from a pneumatic pouch windchest. My successful result has met that goal. While not inexpensive to build, it is reasonable at scale and offers our clients all the advantages with none of the disadvantages. Our instruments only employ pneumatic chests for large basses and high-pressure stops. This reduces or eliminates the leather wear found in pneumatic instruments. 

We employ schwimmer air regulator control. These air regulators that are built into the chests regulate pressure more efficiently than standard reservoirs and are easier and less expensive to maintain. While you will find standard reservoirs in our instruments for large pipes and occasional other use, you will find very few in our instruments compared to other engineering traditions. All this is done with the goal of making the Kegg instrument one that is musically responsive, colorful, interesting for the musician and listener, cost effective to purchase, and inexpensive to maintain. 

I spent a great deal of time working with the American Organ Institute in Norman, Oklahoma, when it was operating, encouraging young people who were interested in the pipe organ craft, understanding that new generations must be brought into our craft. Two AOI graduates presently work for the Kegg company. We look for those interested in a career in the pipe organ craft and have had several summer interns over the years. 

With thirty-plus years in business, our work can be found in homes, concert halls, churches, and synagogues. With a new generation in house, we look forward to the next thirty years of serving our clients. 

—Charles Kegg

The Kegg team

Philip Brown

Michael Carden

Cameron Couch

Joyce Harper

Philip Laakso

Bruce Schutrum

Paul Watkins

Website: http://www.keggorgan.com/

Photo: Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, Canton, Ohio (photo courtesy: Kegg Pipe Organ Builders)

Opus 3, First Baptist Church, Canton, Ohio

GREAT

16′ Bourdon TC (Chimney Flute)

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Flute (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes 

Sesquialtera II TC 98 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

Tremulant

Chimes (Deagan 25 notes)

SWELL

16′ Bourdon 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Viole 61 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste TC 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Koppelflute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Flute (ext) 12 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot (Nazard)

1′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

Tremulant

PEDAL

16′ Principal 32 pipes

16′ Subbass 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon (Swell)

8′ Principal (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Subbass (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes

32′ Harmonics (derived)

16′ Trumpet (Swell)

4′ Oboe (Swell)

Full complement of couplers

Opus 28, Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Canton, Ohio

GREAT

16′ Violone 61 pipes

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Hohlflute 49 pipes (bass from Pd 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Bourdon (Pd 16′ Bourdon) 17 pipes

8′ Violoncello (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

5-1⁄3′ Rohrquinte 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Koppelflute 61 pipes 

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

IV Fourniture 244 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ French Horn (Solo)

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

Tremulant

Chimes (Deagan 25 notes)

Zimbelstern

SWELL

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Clarabella 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 61 pipes

8′ Aeoline 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris TC 49 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes 

2′ Flautino 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes 

IV Plein Jeu 244 pipes

IV Scharf (PJ 8va)

16′ Double Trumpet 61 pipes

16′ Oboe TC (Oboe)

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Flute 61 pipes

8′ Spitzflute 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste TC 49 pipes

8′ Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Dolce Celeste TC 49 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Flute 61 pipes

2′ Piccolo 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes 

1′ Sifflute 61 pipes 

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

SOLO

8′ Doppelflute 61 pipes

8′ Gross Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Gross Gamba Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Hohlpfeife 61 pipes

8′ Orchestral Oboe 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

16′ Contra Trumpet TC (Great)

8′ Neumann Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 61 pipes (high pressure)

8′ French Horn

8′ Blair Trumpet II (draws Tuba and Antiphonal Trumpet Magna)

8′ Trumpet (Great)

8′ Cornopean (Choir)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

8′ Clarinet (Choir)

4′ Clarion (Great)

Chimes (Great)

String FF Ensemble (collective)

String PP Ensemble (collective)

Unison Ensemble (collective)

Reed Ensemble (collective)

ANTIPHONAL (Floating)

8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste TC 49 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste II 110 pipes

8′ Unda Maris II 98 pipes (bass from Flute Celeste)

4′ Fugara 61 pipes

4′ Flute (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Unda Maris II (ext) 24 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet Magna 61 pipes

Tremulant

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived) 

32′ Bourdon (1–12 electronic)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (1–12 electronic)

16′ Open Diapason (wood) 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Violone (Great)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

16′ Dulciana 32 pipes

8′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Diapason (Swell)

8′ Diapason (Choir)

8′ Violoncello (Great)

8′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Dulciana (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Super Octave (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Still Flute (ext) 12 pipes

32′ Contra Trombone 32 pipes

32′ Harmonics (derived)

16′ Trombone (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Tromba (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

4′ Oboe (Swell)

Full complement of couplers

Opus 64, Christendom College, Front Royal, Virginia

GREAT

16′ Violone 61 pipes

8′ Solo Diapason IV (from Gt Prin, Gt Octave, Pd Prin, Pd C. Bass)

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Violone (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Rohrflute 61 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute 49 pipes (1–12 from Rohrflute)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Flute (ext) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes 

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

16′ Tromba 61 pipes

8′ Tuba (Choir)

8′ Tromba (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Tromba Clarion 61 pipes

Tremulant

SWELL

16′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Spitzflute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Flute 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

2′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

16′ Bassoon 61 pipes

8′ French Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR

8′ Geigen Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Voce Humana 61 pipes

8′ Melodia 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste TC 49 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Open Flute 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Tuba (high pressure) 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Chimes

SOLO

8′ Solo Diapason IV (from Gt Prin, Gt Octave, Pd Prin, Pd C. Bass)

8′ Flauto Dolce (Choir)

8′ Flute Celeste (Choir)

8′ Doppelflute 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Magna (high pressure) 61 pipes

8′ Tuba (Choir)

8′ French Horn 61 pipes

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Open Diapason (wood) 32 pipes

16′ Subbass (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Violone (Great)

16′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Subbass (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Violone (Great)

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes 

2′ Cantus Flute (Gt Harmonic Flute)

32′ Trombone 32 pipes

32′ Harmonics (derived)

16′ Trombone (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Tromba (Great)

16′ Bassoon (Swell)

8′ Trumpet 32 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

Pedal Divide

Full complement of couplers

Virtuoso control system

Opus 66, Little Flower Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri

GREAT

16′ Gemshorn (ext, Choir) 12 pipes

8′ Solo Diapason III (from Gt Prin, Gt Octave, Pd Prin)

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute (Choir)

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute (Choir)

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Mixture IV (cancels 15th) 244 pipes 

8′ Tuba 61 pipes (high pressure, separate enclosure)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Clarinet (Choir)

Chimes (Deagan, 25 notes)

SWELL

16′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Geigen Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Open Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Piccolo (ext) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce TC 37 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot (Nazard)

16′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris TC 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flute (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes

V Cornet (Swell)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

8′ Tuba (Great)

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes 

Tremulant

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived)

16′ Open Diapason (wood) 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Gemshorn (Choir)

16′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Bass Flute (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

4′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Flute (Choir)

32′ Harmonics (derived)

16′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

Full complement of couplers

Jack Bethards

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California; Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe,  Orlando, Florida

This modern basilica is based on the size and shape of the fourth-century Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It seats 2,000 and is a place of pilgrimage for the millions of international tourists who visit Orlando each year. The extensive music program with professional choir is directed by William F. Picher. The shrine has a busy calendar of Masses, numerous special celebrations, and regular concerts. Dr. Picher envisioned an instrument of extremely broad tonal flexibility, something like the one we built for the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

The organ had to be large enough to match the acoustic of this huge building. Its size is illustrated by the 32′ pipes in display. Behind the pipes on the left are the Great, Swell, and Choir divisions. On the right are Solo and Pedal. The console and singers are to the left of the sanctuary along with a small Positive division to provide an intimate sense of pitch and rhythm. The Gallery division is at the west end. Casework was designed in cooperation with Cameron Bird of Jackson & Ryan Architects and built by New Holland Church Furniture.

The acoustic of the Basilica maintains clarity throughout the space and is especially sensitive to subtle tonal color differences among the stops. This, along with five divisions under expression plus double expression in the Swell allows a kaleidoscopic color and dynamic range. Among the special features is a string division in the Gallery, which is designed to create a celestial atmosphere as worshippers enter for Mass. There are two powerful solo reeds, both under expression—Tuba Magna in the main organ and Grand Harmonic Trumpet in the Gallery. The Solo includes six genuine Wurlitzer stops. As in our Salt Lake City organ, these were selected to broaden the tonal palette. Each of these six stops is used in the ensemble the same way any other attractive tone would be.

This grand organ is the largest we have built for a Roman Catholic church in our 143-year history. It has very special meaning for our firm and our founding family. Surely our founder, Felix F. Schoenstein, a devout Catholic who dedicated two children and two grandchildren to Catholic religious orders and built his very first organ for a Marian church, would be pleased. Having emigrated from Germany, he would be especially honored to know the organ will be serving an international assembly from among the 75 million who visit Orlando yearly.

Four manuals, 70 voices, 86 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (II) 5′′ wind

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (TC – Sw)

16′ Double Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Phonon Diapason (Solo)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Small Open Diapason (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Gallery Diapasons (II)

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

8′ Aeoline (Choir)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

2′ Mixture mf (III) 167 pipes

2′ Mixture f (IV) 201 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

8′ Tuba Chorus †

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)

Gallery on Great

Positive on Great

† Tuba Magna at 16′, 8′, 4′

SWELL (III–enclosed) 5½′′ wind

16′ Lieblich Bourdon 12 pipes (ext Stopped Diapason)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix céleste 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Harmonic Piccolo 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Cornet (III) 176 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremulant

Stops under double expression, 10′′ wind

8′ Erzähler 61 pipes

8′ Erzähler Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

2′ Mixture ff (IV) 215 pipes

16′ Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana (Solo)

Swell 16′

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4′

Gallery on Swell

Positive on Swell

CHOIR (I – enclosed) 5½′′ wind

16′ Aeoline (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

8′ Aeoline 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Fugara 61 pipes

4′ Silver Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Blockflöte 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 54 pipes

2′ Mixture mf (IV–V) 285 pipes

16′ Bass Horn (ext Fl Horn) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Flügel Horn 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Choir 16′

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4′

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

Gallery on Choir

Positive on Choir

SOLO (IV–enclosed) 10′′ wind

16′ Tibia Clausa 85 pipes (1–12 Pedal Bourdon)

8′ Phonon Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Symphonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Tibia Clausa (ext)

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes

8′ Gamba 85 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes

8′ Viol d’Orchestre 73 pipes

8′ Viol Celeste 73 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

4′ Octave (ext 8′ Phonon Diapason)

4′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)

4′ Flute (ext Concert Flute)

4′ Gambette (ext Gamba)

4′ Viol Celeste (II – Violes)

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (ext Tibia)

2′ Fifteenth (ext Gamba)

2′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (ext Tibia)

16′ Corno di Bassetto 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Horn 61 pipes

8′ French Horn 61 pipes

8′ Corno di Bassetto (ext)

8′ Vox Humana † 61 pipes

8′ Tuben (III – Swell)

Tremulant

Variable Tremulant

Solo 16′

Solo Unison Off

Solo 4′

8′ Tuba Magna (15′′ wind) 61 pipes

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)

Gallery on Solo

Positive on Solo

† Separate Tremulant – slow p/fast f

POSITIVE (unenclosed–floating) 4′′ wind

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Lieblich Flute (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

GALLERY (floating) 5′′ wind

Unenclosed Stops

16′ Double Diapason 12 pipes (ext Diapason No.2)

8′ Open Diapason No.1 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason No.2 61 pipes

4′ Octave (ext Diap No.2) 12 pipes

Enclosed Stops 

16′ Bass Viol (ext Viola Pomp) 12 pipes

8′ Viola Pomposa 73 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste 73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste (II) † 129 pipes

8′ Violin 73 pipes

8′ Violin Celeste 68 pipes

8′ Voix Serénissime (II) † 129 pipes

4′ Violina (ext Viola Pomposa)

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet †† 61 pipes

  † Unison 73, Celeste (TC) 56

†† 10′′ wind

PEDAL (enclosed) 5′′–15′′ wind

32′ Open Metal (unenclosed) 32 pipes

32′ Resultant

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Open Metal (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Double Open Diapason (Great)

16′ Diaphone (Solo) 12 pipes (ext Phonon Diapason)

16′ Diapason (Gallery)

16′ Violone 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Aeoline (Choir)

16′ Bass Viol (Gallery)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Tibia Clausa (Solo)

8′ Violone (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Flute (Great)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Swell)

4′ Fifteenth 32 pipes

4′ Flute (Great)

2′ Mixture mf (IV–V Choir)

32′ Cornet (derived)

32′ Contra Trombone (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Trombone 32 pipes

16′ Posaune (Swell)

16′ Bass Horn (Choir)

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

8′ Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Posaune (Swell)

4′ Octave Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Corno di Bassetto (Solo)

8′ Pizzicato Bass 

Gallery on Pedal

Positive on Pedal

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California; The Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Two perspectives

Sterling Anglican music program, perfect acoustics, an engaged parish—heaven-on-earth for an organbuilder, but only if the right people are on board to help. Many of our projects have been aided by excellent professional consultants, but this one might not have happened at all without the steady hand of Sean O’Donnell. He was mentor, organizer, and problem solver. In addition to all the usual issues such as navigating the changing of the fabric of a beloved architectural gem to accommodate the organ, his diplomatic skill was an immense help to the rector in convincing the parish of the need for change even though the existing instrument was relatively new. We were very pleased when the parish extended Sean’s engagement to supervise all of the architectural, electrical, and mechanical preparations for our installation. A highly experienced and skilled organ technician, he knew exactly what we needed. He also followed the time-honored practice of the best organ consultants—leaving the musical decisions entirely to musician and builder.

—JMB

The consultant’s role

Next to the church building itself, a pipe organ is usually the most valuable and longest-lived asset a church will have. Acquiring or restoring one is a daunting task that has not likely been undertaken in recent memory, or even within living memory. There are a great many goals to discern, details to attend, and challenges to meet—to help with this process, the community will often hire a consultant. The consultant’s role is not to do this work for the community, but to provide the education, information, and tools the community needs to create an instrument that will serve their needs far into the future. The overall process is iterative: defining project goals will be followed by exploring instruments that meet those goals, but that exploration will inform, refine, and even change those goals.

As the project comes into tighter focus, the consultant recruits qualified firms to submit proposals, ensuring that the firms understand the unique needs and goals of the church. As the proposals are evaluated, the consultant guides the committee by providing resources to clarify concepts that may be unfamiliar, and by making sure that all aspects of the project have been clearly addressed. There are many musical options available, and many talented organbuilders. With the right information and a little guidance, a community can easily acquire a fine pipe organ well suited to their current and future needs, and even enjoy the process.

It was a great joy to work with Church of the Redeemer. They embraced the challenges and myriad details with enthusiasm and dedication as they worked through whether to restore or rebuild their existing instrument, acquire a vintage instrument, or, as they ultimately decided, commission a new instrument.

There was much to learn, and the first part of the process was a series of listening exercises, starting in their own church so that folks who sit in the same seats every Sunday (like so many of us) could listen from the organist’s perspective, from the choir’s perspective, and from various places in the nave. We even had a set of test pipes that we were able to install in two different instruments to hear how much the room affected their sound. From there we branched out, listening to organs in a variety of styles by current and historic builders. After each listening session, the organist and the committee spent a few minutes listing words or short phrases describing the instrument: words like clarity, mystery, clean, flexible, warm, etc. As they developed a vocabulary, we began to discuss which of those attributes they wanted in their pipe organ, and focused on those options. Through all of this the organs were demonstrated by the same organist, using the same set of pieces drawn from Redeemer’s repertoire.

Choosing from among the organbuilders who so eagerly shared their knowledge and creativity was the next challenge, and the committee ultimately commissioned the instrument from Schoenstein & Co. From start to finish it was important to ensure that potential builders understood both the possibilities and the limitations of the project, and that the organ committee had mastered the architectural and structural issues, scheduling and budgets, subcontracts and side jobs, and the many, many other details comprising a project of this magnitude.

With the solid support of the rector, Fr. Michael Dangelo, organist Michael Murray, and the church staff, and with the hard work and dedication of the organ committee chaired by the indefatigable Leslie Horst, The Church of the Redeemer has acquired a beautiful new pipe organ, supremely well suited to their style of worship. More importantly, it was a project they entered into with confidence and excitement and completed with pride, looking forward to generations of worship enhancing music.

­—Sean O’Donnell, Consultant

A great voicer is very much in the same musical plane as a first chair member of the woodwind section in one of the Big Five symphony orchestras. A great conductor in a great concert hall is nothing without great players. Just like artistic musicianship, voicing requires skill, practice, experience, and, most of all, good musical taste. Timothy Fink, an all-round skilled organbuilder, heads our pipe shop and shares voicing duties with Mark Hotsenpiller, our head voicer.

—JMB

A voicer’s vision

The Church of the Redeemer possesses a fabulous room for church music. The nave’s acoustic properties enhance sound in a way that leaves the listener overwhelmed, overjoyed, and ultimately sonically satisfied. What a treat for an organbuilder’s commission.

The room into which any organ sounds is its resonator. A guitar has a body, a piano has a soundboard, but the organ needs a room. The qualities that make this one so lovely are: cubic volume, proportions, materials of construction, and shape of reflecting surfaces. The room is of modest size allowing an organ of modest size to fill it with sound. The proportions are classic (the architecture is based on English Gothic), meaning they are not exaggerated in one dimension. Heavy masonry construction assures that the entire frequency spectrum is reflected and the variability of the reflecting surfaces breaks up these reflections, delighting our ears.

The result of these properties is a room with an ideal reverberation period—not a long reverberation period. The musical magic happens in the milliseconds immediately after the sound is produced. The length of time the high energy lingers is Early Decay Time. This is the portion of the reflected sound to which our musical minds respond. The nave at Church of the Redeemer reflects sound at nearly the full frequency spectrum for a generous portion of the total reverberation time.

The projection of sound into the room is important, too. The organ chamber is a modestly proportioned room in an elevated position at the nave’s crossing. The short side of its rectangular shape is open to the chancel with the long side open to the nave. It too is constructed of substantial masonry materials assuring all sound frequencies are reflected out of the chamber. Here we located the Great, Swell, and some of the Pedal organs. Below the chamber and in a space between the chancel and a side chapel, we located the Choir organ. The console resides on the opposite side of this arrangement giving the organist some hearing distance from the organ. Between these two the choir’s singers are arranged in the traditional academic style. Finally, 32′ and 16′ octaves of the Pedal Open Wood are located at the back wall of the nave and the south transept. This was done out of necessity since there was no room in the chamber for these large pipes. Much care was taken to harmonize these beauties with their surroundings. Sonically, they provide a thrilling musical “push” to the organ’s ensemble.

Tonally, the organ was commissioned to function in the Anglican tradition. Mr. Murray’s love of English Victorian and Edwardian tone provided focus to this scheme. It is in our tradition to provide new organs with plenty of foundation, but the multiple diapasons in the scheme might appear to be excessive. The idea here was to use a variety of Diapason tone for musical subtlety, not power. The acoustical environment highlights the subtle difference in timbres.

To make sense of this list of Diapasons consider the following: the Great Open Diapason No. 1 is the tonal center of the organ. It possesses the largest scale and mouth width and easily supports the chorus set above. Numbers 2 and 3 progress smaller in scale and mouth width providing subtlety of musical variation. This gives the musician exacting control over the tonal center of the organ. Choruses can be thinned or fattened, stop combinations adjusted for power, or the Diapasons can simply be appreciated for their sublime solo qualities. The No. 3 is also available at 16′ and 4′, further extending the possible combinations. Sitting above these stops is a proper Principal 4′ and Mixture 2′. These reduce in scale as the pitch rises assuring that these higher pitches are suggestions of the fundamental.

The Swell Horn Diapason “No. 4” is similar in scale to the Great No. 2, but with narrow tuning slots and higher wind pressure. These attributes give it a distinct quality that bends musically to the closing of the Swell shades. It supports a Gemshorn 4′, a tapered principal. Its hybrid tone quality allows chameleon-like abilities when combined with other Swell stops. Finishing the chorus is a Mixture 2′, small in scale and carefully pitched such that it will be properly subdued with the shades closed.

The Choir Dulciana 8′ “No. 5” is the smallest of the Diapasons but with a wider mouth. Its subdued yet singing quality coupled with its expressive location next to the singers begs them to sing along. Add the 4′ Dulcet and a mini chorus is formed.

The Pedal Open Wood 32′ serves as two stops. The 8′ portion is named Grand Open Diapason 8′ “No. 6” and is comparable in scale to the Great No. 1 but on higher wind pressure. Its noble solo demeanor demands independent appearance on the Great and Choir manuals. The 32′ and 16′ portions form the Pedal Open Wood producing a stunningly solid foundation for the entire organ.

With space diminishing, the organ’s flute stops are at a minimum but still well represented. Two harmonic flutes are provided. The Great Harmonic Flute 8′ soars down the nave to listener’s delight. The Swell Flageolet 2′ has harmonic trebles imparting its sound with both blending and power qualities expected of English full Swell effects. Three stopped flutes are available: one on the Great at 8′, one on the Swell at 16′ and 8′, and one on the Choir at 8′, 4′, and 22⁄3′. They find their distinction by varying the scale and construction. The Great Bourdon 8′ is the largest scale but made of metal. The next smaller scale is in the Swell and is made of wood with pierced stoppers. The Choir Leiblich Gedeckt is smallest in scale and made of metal with narrow chimneys.

Of course, space was left for the very necessary strings and celestes. The bite and warmth of the Swell Gamba 8′ combines seamlessly its neighbor stops. Add the complementary full compass Celeste 8′ (maybe a coupler or two), and heaven is in sight. Just for contrast, the expressive Choir Unda-Maris 8′ gives an added sonic dimension to the organ’s palate. While bringing the organ to a decrescendo another color can be receded to delighting the listener with unexpected beauty.

Six ranks of reeds were somehow incorporated into this organ. Three types of trumpets, a tuba, and two color reeds provide an extensive color palate. The Great Trumpet 8′ leans toward a French quality, assuring it will stand up with all those Diapasons. The Swell Posaune and Cornopean represent a time-tested Schoenstein combination. This uses a bright, larger Cornopean at 8′ with the smaller, darker Posaune at 16′ and 8′. (The 16′ octave and a 32′ extension, all under expression, are available in the Pedal.) The musical possibilities with this arrangement are endless. The final bit to sweeten the organist’s orchestrations, both stops can be drawn together on the Choir manual as the Tuben 8′. Countering this effect is a proper Tuba 8′—unenclosed. Its 16′ extension in the Pedal employs wood resonators of powerful full and dark character.

The Oboe and Corno di Bassetto are the color reeds. The Swell Oboe Horn 8′ combines with the flue stops yet retains the piquant treble quality necessary for solo passages. The Corno di Bassetto 8′ features well in its ability to render chordal effects along with piano solo melodies.

Rounding out the tonal palate is the Schoenstein action system. Each pipe is controlled by its own valve. This allows the transmission of entire ranks to another division without the use of couplers. Each division is designed to stand for its purpose. However, by carefully selecting stops to be playable on another division or extending beyond their assigned range opens a huge door to new tonal possibilities. It unlocks the musical value already built into the organ.

­—Timothy Fink, Schoenstein & Co.

—Jack M. Bethards, Schoenstein & Co.

Photo credit: Louis Patterson

 

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Double Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Grand Diapason (Ch)

8′ Open Diapason No. 1 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason No. 2 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason No. 3 12 pipes (ext 16′)

8′ Harmonic Flute 49 pipes (Sw Horn Diapason bass)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Octave (ext 16′) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

2′ Mixture (III–IV) 187 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Corno di Bassetto (Ch)

Cymbelstern

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (ext 8′) 12 pipes (unenclosed)

8′ Horn Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Echo Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Vox Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

2′ Mixture (III–IV) 192 pipes

16′ Contra Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

8′ Posaune (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell Sub Octave

Swell Unison Off

Swell Super Octave

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda-Maris (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

4′ Dulcet (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Lieblich Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (fr Lieb Ged)

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Grand Diapason 29 pipes (unenclosed, ext Ped 16′ Open)

8′ Tuba (unenclosed) 61 pipes

8′ Tuben II (Swell)†

8′ Trumpet (Great)

Choir Sub Octave

Choir Unison Off

Choir Super Octave

† Draws Sw Cornopean and Posaune

PEDAL

32′ Double Open Wood† 12 pipes

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Open Diapason (Gt)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Open Bass (ext 16′ Open) 12 pipes

8′ Dulciana (Ch)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Sw)

4′ Harmonic Flute (Gt)

32′ Contra Posaune 12 pipes (ext Sw 16′)

16′ Ophicleide 12 pipes (ext Ch 8′ Tuba)

16′ Posaune (Sw)

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Gt & Ped Combinations Coupled

†Stopped quint pipes 1–5, open pipes 6–12. Resultant 1–5

Intermanual couplers

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Choir to Great

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Pedal

Notes

Intramanual couplers read through Intermanual couplers; for example thus: when the Swell Super Octave coupler is drawn, Swell stops will sound at Unison and Super Octave pitch on the Great if Swell to Great is drawn.

Manual Sub Octaves do not couple to the Pedal.

Mechanicals

Solid state capture combination action:

100 memories

52 pistons and toe studs

5 reversibles

Programmable piston range

Record/playback system

TONAL ANALYSIS

PITCH SUMMARY

16′ and below 3 12%

  8′ 16 64%

  4′ and above 6 24%

25 100%

TONAL FAMILIES

Diapasons 12 48%

Open flutes 2 8%

Stopped flutes 3 12%

Strings 2 8%

Chorus reeds 4 16%

Color reeds 2 8%

25 100%

Three manuals, 25 voices, 31 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

Builder’s website: https://schoenstein.com

Church website: www.redeemerchestnuthill.org