Cover feature: Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Haymount United Methodist

Peragallo Pipe Organ Company, Patterson, New Jersey; Saint Malachy Catholic Church, Brownsburg, Indiana

From the builder

When you arrive at a church for the first look and are greeted by the entire staff, you are off to a good start! That was the case with Saint Malachy. Hector Salcedo, the music minister, was joined by the pastor, Father Sean Danda, and the associate pastor, Father Michael Clawson, the business manager, John Kiefer, and the facility manager, Doug Tapscott, and finally the technical wizard, Michael Jasiak, as we walked through the door. This collegial team listened as we discussed everything from acoustics, organ location and casework design, tonal specifications, funding the instrument, and of course—where the best Italian trattoria in the area would be found.

This parish is so welcoming, with a generous gathering space with warm greeters flanked by social areas before entering the nave. You can feel that this place is built and operates well beyond just “Sunday Mass” and provides its parishioners with a full offering of social gatherings. All throughout the installation we were surprised with community events the church would host such as the county fair and hog roast! Approaching the church from the corn fields, one is taken with the free-standing bell tower and the church leaping high into the sky.

This nave is grand, with a seating capacity of over 1,200 and a very unconventional 270-degree in-the-round floor plan. The challenge quickly became how to situate an organ that could cover the full breath of floor space. The acoustical environment was perfectly bright and semi-reverberant, with plenty of height and lots of hard surfaces.

The first order of business was the tonal design. The back and forth with Hector was great—with many late-night conversations. The resulting instrument grew to “cathedral” proportions with a French design controlled from our low-profile terraced four-manual console. The console is movable, as the parish concert series is most active. Within minutes of completion, before the tools were even packed, Hector combined forces with the Diocesan Cathedral Choir and director Andrew Motyka, and accompanied a performance of the Duruflé Requiem as part of a parish Mass.

Frank Peragallo and John Peragallo IV designed a stepped, angled casework to project the tone of the instrument around the church. This proved most effective, and the ceiling’s reflectiveness added to the success of the full tonal coverage. Finally, the addition of a Celestial division, positioned high in the center of the room, offers the organist another tool in accompanying congregational hymnody and moving the solo colors around the room.

The repurposed Reuter pipes were reworked and placed on a new chassis, with the only “new” rank of pipes being the Trompette en Chamade with flared resonator bells. Rather than it being a true commander, it tops the chorus nicely and can be pulled in smoothly for big endings. We left the “party horn” for the Celestial organ where the Walker digitally sampled Tuba Magna offers a powerful yet comfortable alternative to the pipe “chamade.”

The tonal specification provides complete divisions in typical French style. There are three expressive divisions to properly accompany choral singing. A variety of celestes, solo reeds, and percussion are available. The tonal finishing was performed by John Peragallo III with Anthony Peragallo, a fourth-generation organ builder; they were able to successfully blend the repurposed pipework into a true bouquet of sound.

The Solo division, which lives on the fourth clavier, allows the organist to access a variety of stops from various divisions—such as the Great Cornet décomposé, the Positif 8′ Cromorne, and 16′ Clarinette playing at 8′ pitch. The Trompette en Chamade is also available at 16′, 8′, and 4′ pitches non-coupling for easy access. Hector’s skills at improvisation are evident as he employs these stops without concern for the plenum of the other divisions. The Solo is also home to an additional principal chorus of large scale and fiery chorus reeds.

As mentioned, the heavenly Celestial division floats down from on high, offering a nice alternative with a full complement of flutes, strings, reeds, and an additional principal chorus and a tower carillon.

Considerable thought, design, and engineering was put into the planning of this beautiful instrument, so that three important functions of a church organ would be achieved: the leading of worship in song, satisfying the performance requirements of the major musical compositions written for “The King of Instruments,” and finally, enhancing the architectural magnificence of the building. We firmly believe these goals have been fulfilled with the new Peragallo organ at Saint Malachy Church. Since its installation the organ has supported an ambitious concert series and weekly liturgies, taking the music to a new level of inspirational praise.

Many thanks to all at Saint Malachy who assisted in this noble project including Reverend Sean Danda, pastor, Mr. Hector Salcedo, director of music, John Kiefer, business manager, Michael Jasiak, videographer, who documented the entire project; and finally, the talented staff of the Peragallo Organ Company.

—John Peragallo III

From the music director

Saint Malachy Catholic Church in Brownsburg, Indiana, has a history dating back more than 150 years. It was founded by natives of Ireland who immigrated to America in the late 1840s. In 2014 the parish relocated to a site outside town in the beautiful countryside. The parishioners insisted on building a bigger church, and after much effort, our current magnificent structure became a reality. Since the project’s inception, the possibility of having a pipe organ was considered.

In 2017 I was hired as music director of the parish, and I had the dream of fulfilling the task of seeing a pipe organ installed in our church. Of course, purchasing a pipe organ is not an easy task. I first subscribed to an email list to receive notifications of any second-hand pipe organs for sale.

In May 2019 I received an email announcing the sale, at an affordable price, of Reuter Opus 1368 (1962), three manuals, 33 ranks, at the Northminster Presbyterian Church, located in Indianapolis. What a great opportunity to be able to play the organ before buying it, and even better, to take my pastor to listen to it! He was so enthusiastic that after a month he signed the contract. Goulding & Wood removed the instrument, and we put the organ in storage until we were able to raise the necessary funds.

The organ was originally built in 1958 for the American Guild of Organists convention in Houston, Texas. It then had two manuals, 25 ranks. In 2006 Schantz built a new three-manual console; following that, Goulding & Wood added the 16′ Principal extension to the Pedal.

After making a short list of organbuilders, we interviewed three of them, and decided that Peragallo was the best option for us. Their unique approach as well as their quality workmanship were just what we were looking for. John Peragallo III is also an organist, so he knows what an organist needs. We had many conversations about the tonal palette and the best option to enlarge it. We wanted an organ to support the liturgy by accompanying the congregation, choir, and cantors, while also providing sufficient tonal resources for organ literature. We decided to expand the organ with more pipes and with digital stops from Walker Technical Company. There was no doubt that the French style would cover all our needs. We also needed a moveable console for the different activities we have in our parish, and thus decided to build a new console.

Frank Peragallo inspected the organ in storage and pointed out major defects and other concerns. After many conversations, we decided to build a completely new chassis, keeping only the pipes.

Our church has a semicircular shape where the sides open a little more at an angle. This meant that if we built an organ parallel to the wall, the sound would be projected in a direction other than the center of our church. We decided to angle the casework in such a way that near the chancel it would be narrower, and it would widen as you move away from it. Frank Peragallo created the design, and we loved it from the first sketch. He used visual elements from our own church to make the organ look like it had always been there. Even the music rack is reminiscent of the railing that surrounds the sanctuary.

This pipe organ was built in a short period of time thanks to our many generous donors and the incredible crew of the Peragallo Pipe Organ Company. It was amazing to see how many people were eager to have a pipe organ in our parish.

—Hector Salcedo

Hector Salcedo studied composition, organ, and improvisation at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. He was an assistant organist in the Vatican and a member of the Cappella Giulia and the Choir of the Vicariato della Basilica di S. Pietro.

Photo credit: Michael Harker

 

Builder’s website: www.peragallo.com

Church’s website: stmalachy.org

GRAND ORGUE  (manual I)

16′ Violone 61 wps

8′ Montre I 61 wps

8′ Montre II 61 pipes

8′ Violoncelle 61 wps

8′ Flûte Harmonique* 49 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

8′ Cor de Nuit (Récit)

8′ Cor de Chamois Celeste II (Positif)

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Fuseau 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quinte 61 wps

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

2′ Flûte à Bec (ext) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce  61 wps

III Fourniture 183 pipes

IV Cymbale 244 wps

16′ Contre Trompette 61 wps

8′ Trompette 61 wps

4′ Clairon 61 wps

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

16′ G.O.

  G.O.Unison

  4′ G.O.

Chimes

G. O. Midi 1

  G. O. Midi 2

POSITIF (expressive, manual II)

16′ Quintaton 61 wps

8′ Montre 61 wps

8′ Flûte à Cheminée 61 pipes

8′ Viola Pomposa 61 wps

8′ Viola Celéste 61 wps

8′ Cor de Chamois 61 pipes

8′ Cor de Chamois Celéste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Traversière 61 pipes

4′ Unda Maris II (composite)

2′ Octavin 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

1′ Sifflet 61 pipes

III Fourniture 183 wps

III Scharf 183 pipes

16′ Clarinette 61 wps

8′ Trompette Doux 61 wps

8′ Cromorne 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Celestial)

16′ Positif

Positif Unison

4′ Positif

Positif Midi 1

Positif Midi 2

RECIT (expressive, manual III)

16′ Bourdon Doux 61 wps

8′ Montre 61 pipes

8′ Flûte Bouchée 61 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celéste (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Flauto Celeste II 122 wps

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Ouverte 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Doublette (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Flûte à Bec 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

III–IV Plein Jeu 244 wps

16′ Basson 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Hautbois  61 wps

8′ Voix Humaine 61 wps

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

16′ Récit

Récit Unison

4′ Récit

Récit Midi 1

Récit Midi 2

SOLO (manual IV)

16′ Montre (G.O.)

8′ Montre 61 wps

8′ Flûte Majeure 61 wps

8′ Bourdon (G.O.)

4′ Octav 61 wps

4′ Flûte Octaviante (G.O.)

2-2⁄3′ Quinte (G.O.)

2′ Octavin (G.O.)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (G.O.)

V Fourniture Harmonique 305 wps

III Tierce Cymbale 183 wps

16′ Bombarde Harmonique 61 wps

8′ Trompette Harmonique 61 wps

4′ Clairon Harmonique 61 wps

8′ Cor Anglais 61 wps

8′ Cromorne (Positif)

8′ Clarinette (Positif)

16′ Trompette en Chamade (G.O.)

8′ Trompette en Chamade* 49 pipes

Tremulant

Solo Unison

Chimes

CELESITAL (floating)

8′ Principal 61 wps

8′ Flûte à Pavillon 61 wps

8′ Viole Sordone 61 wps

8′ Viole Celéste 61 wps

4′ Octav 61 wps

4′ Flûte Amabile 61 wps

2-2⁄3′ Nasat 61 wps

2′ Octavin 61 wps

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 wps

V Fourniture 305 wps

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 61 wps

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 wps

Tremulant

16′ Celestial

Celestial Unison

4′ Celestial

PÉDALE

32′ Contre Basse 32 wps

32′ Contre Bourdon 32 wps

16′ Flûte Ouverte 32 wps

16′ Montre 32 pipes

16′ Violone (G.O.)

16′ Bourdon 32 wps

16′ Bourdon Doux (Récit)

8′ Octav Basse 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 wps

8′ Flûte Doux (Récit)

8′ Cor de Chamois (Positif)

4′ Doublette 32 pipes

4′ Flûte Ouverte (G.O.)

IV Fourniture 128 pipes

32′ Contre Bombarde 32 wps

16′ Bombarde 32 wps

16′ Contre Trompette (G.O.)

16′ Basson (Récit)

8′ Trompette (G.O.)

4′ Cromorne (Positif)

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

Tower Carillon

wps = Walker pipe sampled

* 1–12 wps

 

Couplers

Grand Orgue à Pédale 8, 4

Recit à Pédale 8, 4

Positif à Pédale 8, 4

Solo à Pédale 8, 4

Celestial à Pédale, 8

Récit à Grand Orgue 16, 8, 4

Positif à Grand Orgue 16, 8, 4

Solo à Grand Orgue 8

Celestial sur Grand Orgue 8

Récit à Positif 16, 8, 4

Solo à Positif 8

Celestial sur Positif 8

Grand Orgue à Positif 8

Celestial sur Récit 8

Solo à Récit 8

Celestial sur Solo 8

Manual Transfer G.O./Positif

 

Pedal Movements

Celestial / Solo

Positif

Récit

Crescendo

 

Combination System

General 1–12 thumb and toe

Récit 1–6 thumb

G.O. 1–6 thumb

Positif 1–6 thumb

Solo 1–6 thumb

Celestial 1–4 thumb

Pédale 1–5 toe

Cancel

Grand Orgue à Pédale thumb and toe

Récit à Pédale  thumb and toe

Positif à Pédale thumb and toe

Récit à Grand Orgue thumb

Positif à Grand Orgue thumb

Solo a Grand Orgue thumb

Recit a Positif

Etoile Sonore toe

Tûtti thumb and toe

Next and Previous thumb and toe

Contre Basse 32 toe

Contre Bourdon 32 toe

Contre Bombarde 32 toe

Ipad Page Back thumb and toe

Ipad Page Forward thumb and toe

All Récit à Récit thumb

Bass Coupler thumb

G.O. Melody Coupler thumb

 

40 ranks / 50 Walker pipe sampled

Holtkamp Organ Company, Cleveland, Ohio; Central Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington sits at the heart of the Bluegrass country of Kentucky. It has many claims to fame. It is the “Horse Capital of the World,” hands down, with hundreds of horse farms throughout the region. It is adjacent to Bourbon County, Kentucky, and home to fourteen bourbon distilleries. It is also home to what is arguably the “Mother Church” of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), namely Central Christian Church.

Central Christian Church is a founding congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Its roots go back to the Cane Ridge Revival of 1804. This event took place at the Cane Ridge Meeting House, near Paris, Kentucky, which was constructed in 1791 and is still in existence. Cane Ridge revivals were legendary, at times drawing as many as 20,000 Christians from Kentucky, Western Virginia, and southern Ohio for a week of socializing, lectures, and worship. The meeting house, constructed of ash logs and measuring fifty feet by thirty feet, is believed to be the largest single-room log structure in North America. It was at one of these revivals that the Reverend Barton Stone and other men of the cloth made the decision to leave the Presbyterian Church and establish the Christian Church, a church based on the Bible alone, and not on the specific Protestant creeds or Calvinistic doctrines that were so prevalent at the time. Following this, Reverend Stone preached in the central Bluegrass region, eventually settling in Lexington in 1815 where he continued his ministry. In 1831, in conjunction with adherents of Alexander Campbell (Disciples of Christ out of West Virginia) and Lexington’s Mill Street Baptist Church, they purchased a former cotton factory, which became Hill Street Christian Church. Hill Street Christian Church grew and prospered, and in 1842 built Main Street Christian Church. Main Street Christian Church grew and prospered, and in 1894 completed the construction of Central Christian Church on the corner of Lexington’s East Short Street and Walnut Street, which remains its home to this day.

The history of organs at Central Christian Church began with a Hook & Hastings tracker instrument in 1894. This was replaced in 1915 by a tubular-pneumatic-action organ by M. P. Möller. After a worship space fire in 1933, the Möller was rebuilt by Henry Pilcher’s Sons of Louisville, Kentucky. This was followed by an organ by the Holtkamp Organ Company in 1960.

Pipe organ projects are often long affairs. Such was the case at Central Christian Church. Our first meetings with the organ committee were in 2009. This was followed by a period of discernment as the committee chose the builder of their new organ. During this time, they visited the 1970 Holtkamp organ at Knox Presbyterian Church in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati. The organ at Knox Presbyterian originally had much in common with the 1960 Holtkamp at Central Christian Church. It was very colorful and had wonderful ensemble qualities, but lacked the fullness and warmth that is a signature of our work today. In 2005 the Knox Presbyterian organ was rebuilt and expanded by Holtkamp to give it this desired fullness and warmth. The visit to Knox Presbyterian demonstrated in real time the general concepts in the proposal put forward by Holtkamp for the 1960 Central Christian Church pipe organ. Based on this visit, Holtkamp was chosen as the builder of the new organ at Central Christian Church. Time passed. Money was raised. Covid happened. And in 2021 a contract was signed.

Our work on the Central Christian project began with taking field measurements of all stops in the organ, including diameter, mouth width, cut-up, and voicing details for flue pipes, and diameter, length, and type of shallot for reed pipes. The results of this research were used to inform us as to which existing stops were most appropriate for the contract specification that we were working from. This ultimately resulted in our using twenty-two stops from the existing organ in the new organ project.  Of these twenty-two stops, all were revoiced and ten were rescaled.

At a later date, we visited Central Christian to focus on the acoustical characteristics of the worship space. The space is large, but not overly so. The volume is roughly 300,000 cubic feet, with a seating capacity of 650. The walls and ceiling are hard plaster but with many windows. The floor and pews are wood but with carpet tapers in the aisles and pew cushions. During this visit we took measurements of the room acoustics. Our findings showed the room acoustics to be very good in the middle and high frequencies, but lacking in low frequency response, particularly in the main floor worship space seating, where low frequency support is so important in leading the congregation in song. (Interestingly, the low-end response in the balcony is much better than the low-end response on the main floor seating.) With this information in hand, we drew up the scales of all stops in the organ, with the aim of creating a sound palette that is diverse in color, with excellent ensemble characteristics and a full and embracing cascade of sound.

In many organ projects, placement of divisions can be very straightforward. For example, if the organ is free standing in the front or rear of the room, the divisions can be stacked, one on top of the other, with the pedal split to the left and right. At Central Christian, this is not the case. Since the rebuilding of the worship space at Central Christian following a devastating fire in 1933, the organ chamber was placed on the right side of the nave, above the baptismal pool and behind an ornate, acoustically open plaster screen. While this is an excellent location to project the sound of the organ to the congregation, it is not so for the choir. Because of the organ chamber location, anthems for the choir were almost always accompanied on the piano. To remedy this in the new organ project, we borrowed some space from the choir vesting room, a room that was adjacent to the left side of the main organ chamber. This gave us ample space for the Swell division, which now speaks directly into the chancel area and to the choir. This change in the location of the Swell division allows the choir to perform anthems with organ accompaniments for the first time in decades.

During the planning of the Central Christian organ, we had a discussion specific to the console—whether it should be stop-tab or drawknob. The unanimous choice of all musicians on staff and the organ committee was the signature Holtkamp stop-tab console. This is because stop-tab consoles are more ergonomic in design than drawknob consoles. Playing in general is easier on stop-tab consoles because the keys, stop-tabs, and music all lie in the same plane directly in front of the organist. The architectural detailing of the console is drawn from our work in the 1940s. The width of the console is somewhat greater than our stop-tab consoles of the past so that it could comfortably accommodate the number of stop-tabs.

There are many factors that go into a successful organ project. Most important is strong congregational leadership and strong pastoral leadership. Both of these characteristics were in place at Central Christian Church from the beginning of the project to the end.

The result is a new pipe organ that is also a strong leader for the church and general community, which will provide spiritual restoration, renewal, and rejoicing to the many families and individuals who worship at Central Christian Church, now and for generations to come.

—F. Christian Holtkamp

Photo credit: Matt Peel

www.HoltkampOrgan.com

www.centralchristianlex.org/

The organ dedication series began in September 2023 and continues on Sundays at 4 p.m.: March 10, Schuyler Robinson; April 14, David Enlow; May 19, Clif Cason; June 16, Erich Balling and Lisa Hall.

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Violone 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Violone (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Rohrbourdon 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Spitzflute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Superoctave 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

2′ Mixture III–IV 232 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

Great 16

Great Unison Off

MIDI on Great

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (W.P. 10′′) 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Tuba (ext 8′) 12 pipes

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Geigen Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (F6) 56 pipes

8′ Hohlflute 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Octave Geigen 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Flautino 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Plein Jeu IV 244 pipes

16′ Oboe (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4

MIDI on Swell

16′ Bourdon Pedal

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC) Great

16′ Posaune Pedal

16′ Oboe Swell

  8′ Bourdon Pedal

  8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

  8′ Posaune Pedal

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Flute 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Waldflute 61 pipes

2′ Octave 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

8′ Bassoon 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4

MIDI on Choir

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC) Great

8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

4′ Harmonic Tuba Great

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (1–12 electronic)

16′ Open Diapason 32 pipes

16′ Violone Great

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Flauto Dolce Swell

8′ Octave 32 pipes

8′ Violone Great

8′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce Swell

4′ Choralbass (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Principal (ext) 12 pipes

32′ Contra Posaune (1–12 electronic)

16′ Posaune 32 pipes

16′ Oboe Swell

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Swell

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

MIDI on Pedal

8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

4′ Harmonic Tuba Great

INTER-DIVISIONAL COUPLERS

Great to Pedal 8′, w/reversible piston & toe stud

Swell to Pedal 8′, w/reversible piston & toe stud

Swell to Pedal 4′

Choir to Pedal 8′, w/reversible piston & toe stud

Choir to Pedal 4′

Swell to Great 16′

Swell to Great 8′, w/reversible piston & toe stud

Swell to Great 4′

Choir to Great 16′

Choir to Great 8′

Choir to Great 4′

Swell to Choir 16′

Swell to Choir 8′

Swell to Choir 4′

Choir to Swell 8′

COMBINATIONS

Generals 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

piston and toe stud

Pedal 1-2-3-4-5-6 toe stud

Great 1-2-3-4-5-6 piston

Swell 1-2-3-4-5-6 piston

Choir 1-2-3-4-5-6 piston

Set piston

General Cancel piston

Full Organ Reversible piston and toe stud

Next piston (3) and toe stud (1)

Previous piston (3) and toe stud (1)

Manual Transfer piston

Zimbelstern Reversible piston

CONSOLE DETAILS

New Signature Holtkamp stop-tab console on moveable dolly for portability

Existing keyboards restored

Manual natural keys – ivory

Manual sharp keys – ebony

Existing pedalboard renovated

Pedal natural keys – maple

Pedal sharp keys – ebony

Stop tabs – ivory plastic

Organ bench with adjusting crank mechanism

Music rack light

Pedalboard light

Swell Expression Pedal

Choir Expression Pedal

Crescendo Pedal

Full Organ indicator light

Crescendo indicator light

MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL DETAILS

Electrical control system by SSOS with 100 levels of memory, internal Record/Playback, and MIDI capability

New 3 H.P. blower

New .5 H.P. booster blower

Zimbelstern

Swell expression motors: two 8-stage Peterson expression motors

Choir expression motor: one 16-stage Peterson expression motor

Three solid state rectifiers

Start/Stop switch located on console

Wind pressures:

Great 3.5′′

Swell 4′′

Choir 3.25′′

Pedal 4.5′′

35 stops, 42 ranks, 2,445 pipes

Patrick J. Murphy & Associates Organbuilders, Stowe, Pennsylvania; Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Johnson City, Tennessee

 

From the builder

As is often stated by the Organ Clearing House, with the closing of many churches, pipe organs become available for purchase and relocation. Such is the situation that befell M. P. Möller Opus 7435R.

But first, a little background. M. P. Möller Opus 7435 was built for the First Presbyterian Church in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1946. Installed in divided chambers located high within the chancel, the organ contained three manuals and approximately 22 stops. In 1965 the instrument was rebuilt and enlarged by Möller to 25 stops. The rebuilding was typical for the time, along with refreshment of the windchest actions, a Scharf and extensive Bombarde unit (32′, 16′, 8′, 4′) were added.

By 2004 the instrument was once again showing signs of mechanical wear and tear as well as a need for tonal rebalancing. Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, located in Stowe, Pennsylvania (just ten miles away), was engaged to perform a comprehensive overhaul (to become our Opus 47) that included new electric slider windchests, new winding, additional foundational flues and reeds, as well as comprehensive revoicing. The majority of the Great was relocated outside of the cramped chambers to allow greater tonal development within the acoustically challenged space. Digital 32′ stops and percussions from Walker Technical Company were added as well as one of our very first signature low-profile drawknob consoles.

Unfortunately, no sooner had the instrument been dedicated than the First Presbyterian Church had a schism that resulted in several key leadership persons departing, including the organist and organ financial donor. The position of organist remained mostly vacant, filled primarily by a string of supply musicians, except for the last person to hold the post. Finally, after facing mounting debt and declining membership, the downtown building was sold in 2018, and the congregation relocated to a dramatically smaller facility outside of the city, leaving the building and most of its contents behind, including the organ. A new owner for the organ was sought.

In January of 2021 Patrick J. Murphy & Associates purchased, removed, and stored the organ at its own expense until a suitable new owner could be located. As is often the case, locating a similar situation that supplied chambers limited the number of opportunities to find a home.

Fortunately, in the spring of 2021, Nick Andrews, director of music at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, who had learned of our work through word of mouth, inquired with us about either a new or rebuilt instrument. While my first visit to Johnson City was to discuss a new free-standing instrument that “might” utilize material from the existing 1960s Möller already installed second hand, the distinguished architecture of the room provided me with a vision of incorporating our Opus 47 into a new, free-standing instrument. Early on we engaged the superlative talents of Frank Friemel to produce an inspired design and rendering, after which he informed us that this was to be his swan song. Our staff performed all the remaining design and construction work except for the all-new case, which was entrusted to R. A. Colby Inc., located just 1.8 miles (and one turn) away from the church. Construction began in the fall of 2022, and installation started in the spring of 2023.

The new installation, now Opus 47R, incorporates our 2004 updates of new slider windchests, console, and pipework additions along with most of the pipes retained from Möller Opus 7435R, with all pipework regulated for the new space. The thoroughly revised interior layout sits atop all new and quite substantial framing and is supplied by a new winding system. This new structure is capped by our all-new two-inch-thick expression enclosures and shades. The façade pipes are a combination of formerly interior Moller 16′ Diapason pipes and façade pipes added in 2004, all professionally modified and painted by Organ Supply Industries to an exceptional result.

The pipe voicing, unfortunately partially entombed in its former location in Reading, came into full blossom within this acoustically friendly space. My first service hearing the instrument under Nick’s superlative playing gave me the closure of feeling like this could have been where this instrument was meant to be all along.

We wish to thank director of music Nick Andrews for his easy, straightforward manner and support, and also all the leadership members and congregation of Saint John’s for their support and for the opportunity to provide Opus 47R with a good home. We also wish to thank Frank Friemel, the staff at R. A. Colby, and Organ Supply Industries for their excellent work. And finally, I wish to thank everyone on my staff who worked tirelessly and diligently on this installation.

—Patrick J. Murphy

From the director of music

Saint John’s Episcopal Church is located in scenic Northeast Tennessee in the heart of downtown Johnson City. Known locally as “The Rock Church,” the original building was constructed of native river rock from the Nolichucky River in 1905. For many decades leading up to the late 1990s, the seating capacity of the 1905 nave restricted the rapidly growing parish, resulting in the use of overflow seating in the narthex of the church for multiple services on Sunday morning. In 2000, the congregation broke ground for a new nave with a seating capacity of up to 400 people. The new nave was completed and consecrated in November of 2001. Like the original 1905 structure, river rock was also incorporated into the new building. Designed by Memphis, Tennessee architect Jim Williamson, the nave is featured in the book Architecture for the Gods (Book II) by Michael Crosbie.

A 1960 Möller of 28 ranks was relocated to Saint John’s from an Episcopal church in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, in the fall of 2001 and was completed in early 2002. For the next twenty years, the aging Möller suffered ongoing mechanical and tonal issues. In January 2020, two years after I was hired as director of music, the organ mechanically failed from ciphers and wind leaks and was unusable for services. After submitting a written report to the church vestry, an organ committee was formed to investigate our next steps for the instrument. After initially meeting with several builders, the covid pandemic halted the progress of the organ committee until January 2021. In early 2021, I contacted Patrick Murphy to see if he would be willing to assess our instrument and make a proposal. While visiting onsite, I inquired about his Opus 47 (formerly of First Presbyterian Church, Reading, Pennsylvania, which had been listed on the Organ Clearing House website for some time) as a candidate for relocation. After examining the measurements of the room, it was deemed that Opus 47 would indeed fit within the footprint of the former instrument.

After a trip in May of 2021 to listen to and play several fantastic instruments of Patrick’s in Baltimore, Maryland, I made a recommendation to the organ committee to pursue the proposal for relocating Opus 47 to Saint John’s. In December of 2021, the vestry of the church voted to accept the proposal from Murphy and signed the contract. The installation for Opus 47-R began in June of 2023 and was completed a few months later in early September. The new casework has transformed the room, and it truly looks like it was always meant to be there! The instrument is full of rich 8′ tone on each division and houses a plethora of 16′ tone in the pedal division—as every instrument should! I am grateful to the entire team at Patrick J. Murphy & Associates who helped rebirth this amazing instrument! Opus 47-R has a very bright future for many decades to come!

—Nick Andrews

Director of Music

Builder’s website: www.pjmorgans.com

Church’s website: stjohnstn.org/

Photo credits: Patrick J. Murphy

GREAT (manual II)

16′ Lieblich Gedackt (Swell)

16′ Gemshorn (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute (1966) 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon* 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (1966) 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV (encl w/Choir)* 244 pipes

8′ Trumpet (encl w/Choir)* 61 pipes

8′ Tromba (prepared for)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

Great 16

Swell to Great 16-8-4

Choir to Great 16-8-4

Chimes (digital – 37 notes)

Great MIDI

Great/Choir Transfer

SWELL (manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedackt (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Diapason* 61 pipes

8′ Gedackt 61 pipes

8′ Viole 61 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Flautino 61 pipes

2′ Plein Jeu III–IV* 232 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet (ext)* 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

8′ Oboe* 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana (2023) 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell-16-UO-4

Swell MIDI

CHOIR (manual I,  enclosed)

8′ Geigen (1966) 61 pipes

8′ Viola 61 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Fugara 61 pipes

4′ Nachthorn 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard* 61 pipes

2′ Blockflute* 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce* 61 pipes

1′ Scharff III (1966) 183 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trumpet (Great)

8′ Tromba (prepared for)

Choir to Choir 16-UO-4

Swell to Choir 16-8-4

Harp (digital)

Celesta (digital)

Choir MIDI

PEDAL

32′ Double Open Diapason (digital)

32′ Contra Bourdon (digital)

16′ Open Diapason (digital)

16′ Principal (1946/2023) 56 pipes

16′ Gemshorn (Great)

16′ Violone (digital)

16′ Bourdon 44 pipes

16′ Lieblich Gedackt (Swell)

8′ Octave (ext)

8′ Bourdon (ext)

8′ Gedackt (Swell)

4′ Choralbass (ext)

III Mixture*  96 pipes

32′ Contra Trombone (digital, w/Choir)

16′ Trombone (ext, 2023) 12 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Great)

4′ Clarion (Great)

Great to Pedal 8-4

Swell to Pedal 8-4

Choir to Pedal 8-4

 

46 ranks (47 when completed), 2,709 pipes

* = 2004

Rosales Organ Builders, Los Angeles, California, Opus 42; Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, Canandaigua, New York, Opus 51; St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, La Jolla, California

 

In any artistic endeavor, the goals of the artist guide every step of the process to achieve his desired result. When multiple artists collaborate, the result can be a wonderful synergy of goals, something that a single artist would not have created on his own. The new organ at Saint James by-the-Sea in La Jolla, California, is a wonderful synergy of multiple artists working together to create something quite special and unique.

Church building and history

The current sanctuary of Saint James by-the-Sea seats about 450 and was finished in 1930. It is built in the Spanish Colonial style with walls of poured concrete and a wooden ceiling 33 feet above the floor at the peak. This provides a pleasant acoustic, especially for small ensembles and choirs, although the ceiling height and material limit reverberation. The building was finished during the Great Depression, when money was tight limiting the size of the organ installed by Henry Pilcher’s Sons. At three manuals and 33 stops, it is unlikely that the Pilcher filled the two large organ chambers on either side of the chancel. The four-manual Austin that replaced it in 1975 filled only three-quarters of the chamber space. Austin Organs, Inc., Opus 2585 was a major pendulum swing away from the Pilcher in terms of style, and it shared many characteristics with other organs of that era. Although the stoplist was not as top heavy as some other instruments of the day (each division had at least one 8′ open flue stop), the scaling provided weak bass tones, and the voicing style emphasized the upper harmonics. The room acoustics were a major contributor to the weak bass, small-scaled bass pipes did nothing to counteract this. The Great and Positiv divisions were placed in four flower box displays, two on either side of the chancel. These displays were located in front of four chamber openings that limited how much sound could escape the chambers behind. A sizable Antiphonal division hung on the back wall below a round window.

Project history

Our participation in the project in La Jolla began in early 2018 when director of music Alex Benestelli contacted Manuel Rosales about rebuilding the existing organ at Saint James. Thomas Sheehan, who currently serves as organist and associate director of music at Washington National Cathedral, had been hired by Saint James as organ consultant. Parsons was invited to collaborate with Rosales in presenting a proposal. Through many discussions, it was decided that rather than rebuild the failing Austin mechanisms, we would provide a new mechanical chassis along with new casework and many new pipes. Some pipes from the Austin would be retained as they would provide useful voices in our new tonal scheme.

A letter of intent was signed in October 2018, and following presentation of a façade rendering, the contract was signed in September 2019. Because of electrical issues with the Austin, it was decided to remove the organ sooner rather than later, and this was done in January 2020. With the organ removed, the church could prepare the chambers to receive the new instrument. The four new cases that hang on the chancel walls are taller and heavier than the previous flower box cases, requiring new steel structure to be engineered and installed. The Antiphonal could occupy the existing steel structure, although this would need to be stiffened to meet current codes even though the division was being reduced to a solo reed and a unit Principal.

We collaborated with MDEP of La Jolla, who engineered steel frames that would hold the organ and allow maximum access for service. MDEP received the 2023 Award for Historic Preservation from the Structural Engineers Association of San Diego for their work on the Saint James organ project. The existing chancel concrete openings were enlarged to improve tonal egress and service access to the mechanisms located in the cases. The ceilings of the organ chambers were also thickened with added material to promote tonal projection.

Organ case

The four chancel cases and Antiphonal case are constructed of quarter-sawn white oak and stained to complement the church furnishings. Multiple elements from the church architecture are echoed and tied together in the cases. These include the seashell and sword that are symbols of Saint James. These elements along with the wooden grillework and columns were all fabricated on our CNC router. Façade pipes from the 16′ and 8′ Diapasons on the Great and Pedal and the 8′ Principal in the Antiphonal are of 80% tin and are polished with a fine abrasive to mute the reflectiveness of the pipes. Pipe mouths and some case elements are covered with gold leaf to help warm the color palette of the organ.

Tonal design

The goal of the tonal design of the new instrument is to accompany choral anthems and congregational singing. This encouraged a design including many color stops, a large majority of which are under expression. In the end a total of 59 ranks are under expression in three enclosures. Thirty-three stops are of 8′ pitch, and sixteen of the ranks are reed pipes. Only one reed, the nautically themed Tromba Marina, is located outside of an expression box above the west door in the Antiphonal. Voicing of all flue pipework was completed by Duane Prill, and reeds were voiced by Chris Broome and David Schopp. In turn these pipes were tonal finished in the church by Manuel Rosales with assistance from the Parsons staff.

The chamber on the south side of the chancel contains the three principal manual divisions: Great, Swell, and Choir. The Great is divided into two sections: the first Principal chorus based on 16′ pitch is unenclosed in one of the four new chancel cases. The remainder of the Great is enclosed with the Choir including the independent Tromba chorus on ten inches of wind. The Choir contains many color stops including a full complement of mutation stops. The large Swell division is located behind the Unenclosed Great and contains all of the expected stops for accompanying choral literature.

The north side of the chancel contains the Pedal and Solo divisions. In part, this was due to the fact that the floor was eighteen inches lower on this side, so there was more ceiling height available for the taller bass pipes. In spite of this, the longest wooden pipes of the 16′ Open Diapason and the Haskelled 32′ Contrebasse had to be laid down along the back wall of the chamber. All of the wood pipes of these two stops as well as the bass octaves of the Swell and Great flutes were built in our shop. The 32′ Contra Bombarde is located in the Solo expression chamber and is a commanding voice on 17.5 inches of wind. However, the expression shades allow it to be closed down and used with a much wider variety of manual stops.

Mechanical design

Because this was a collaboration, the mechanical design required careful management of the process in terms of pipe materials, scales, winding, chest designs, and even racking methods. The majority of the pipework stands on slider and tone channel windchests. The pallets are provided with pneumatic assists (balanciers) to improve action speed and repetition. The remainder of the stops play from all-electric or electro-pneumatic chests. In order to create the wide variety of colors in the tonal design, a wide range of wind pressures were necessary, ranging from 2.75 inches for the Antiphonal Principal to 17.5 inches for the Tuba and 32′ Contra Bombarde. Wind is provided by five blowers in three locations totalling 13.5 HP. The blowers feed sixteen reservoirs of different constructions including bag bellows and single-rise regulators with both cone and curtain valves to serve specific purposes throughout the organ. Numerous concussion bellows smooth out unwanted ripples in the wind and are disengaged when the tremulants are active.

Whenever we design a new instrument, we always strive to make the design as serviceable as possible. Our philosophy is simple: if an organ is easy to service, it is more likely that it will be maintained and indeed serve the church for hundreds of years. This drives every layout decision and suggests where we might add additional ladders or make a part more easily removable if there is something behind it that might need service. We have encountered many organs where this was not given consideration, and major sections of the organ need to be removed in order to make small adjustments or repairs. This was an extraordinary challenge at Saint James because the organ we were installing was larger and contained more 16′, 8′ (and even 32′) stops than existed in the previous instruments. The scales of the pipes we were installing were also larger, which consumed a significant amount of space. Through careful layout, it is possible to navigate through the organ and adjust the mechanism as needed. Many hinged walkboards and ladders provide service access to mechanisms. Extra ladders and perchboards are provided to reach pipes that are tall or hanging from the ceiling or just simply harder to access.

Console

The new movable four-manual console is built of quarter-sawn white oak and stained to match the new cases. The interior wood is cherry with accents in African padauk. It was designed to be as low-profile as possible with a drop-sill keydesk. Manual naturals are covered in bleached bone with sharps of African blackwood as are the custom drawknobs. The side panels on both ends of the console are doors that open to reveal storage cabinets for the organist and organ technician. Two music racks are provided: a decorative wood rack with book-matched madrone burl, and a clear scratch-resistant polycarbonate rack for improved visibility. The control system by Opus-Two handles the myriad of complex functions available to control the instrument, including Sostenuto, melody coupling, through-coupling, transposer, and record/playback. The system includes 1,000 assignable folders, each with 250 levels of memory.

The initial installation began in June 2022. Components from the five cases, the Antiphonal and the north side organ chamber containing Pedal and Solo stops completely covered the nave and parish hall. Two more phases of installation followed, with tonal finishing beginning in February 2023. Staggering the installation process allowed the three tractor-trailer loads of organ to be safely and efficiently unloaded and organized in the church’s small sanctuary. Much of the organ was complete and playing in time for Easter, and the organ was officially accepted on July 23, the Feast of Saint James. The organ will be dedicated October 1, 2023, with a concert by Ken Cowan, which will kick off a year of festivities to celebrate the new organ. It now begins its life in service to the church of Saint James by-the-Sea, truly a unique instrument and the fruit of the labors of many artists.

—Peter Geise, Technical Director

Parsons Pipe Organ Builders

 

Parsons Pipe Organ Builders website: parsonsorgans.com

Rosales Organ Builders website: rosales.com

Saint James by-the-Sea Church website: sjbts.org

Photo credit: Ron Belanger

 

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

16′ Double Diapason 56 pipes (low F, façade)

16′ Violone (Austin) * 61 pipes

8′ First Diapason (façade) 61 pipes

8′ Second Diapason * 61 pipes

8′ Flûte harmonique * 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon * 61 pipes

8′ Violoncello (ext 16′) * 12 pipes 4′ First Octave 61 pipes

4′ Second Octave * 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute * 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Octave Quint 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 54 pipes

Fourniture IV–V 281 pipes

16′ Contra Tromba * 61 pipes (high pressure)

8′ Tromba (high pressure) * 61 pipes

4′ Tromba Clarion* 61 pipes (high pressure)

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

Chimes (Walker)

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Austin) 61 pipes 8′ Geigen Principal 61 pipes

8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix céleste 61 pipes

8′ Flûte douce 61 pipes (Aeolian-Skinner)

8′ Flûte céleste (TC) 49 pipes (Aeolian-Skinner)

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flûte traversière 61 pipes

2′ Octavin 61 pipes

Plein Jeu IV–V 281 pipes

16′ Contra Bassoon 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Bassoon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana (Gottfried) 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

16′ Erzähler (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (Austin) 61 pipes

8′ Erzähler (Austin) 61 pipes

8′ Erzähler Celeste 49 pipes (TC, Austin)

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Koppelflöte (M. P. Möller) 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (Austin) 61 pipes

2′ Octave 61 pipes

2′ Blockflöte (Austin) 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (Austin) 54 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot (Austin) 61 pipes

Mixture III 183 pipes

16′ Bass Clarinet (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Corno d’Amore 61 pipes (E. M. Skinner & Son)

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Tromba Marina (Antiphonal)

Great Reeds on Choir

SOLO (Manual IV, enclosed)

8′ Doppelflöte (Wicks) 61 pipes

8′ Concert Flute (vintage) 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Hohlpfeife (Austin) 61 pipes

Cornet V (TF, mounted) 195 pipes

8′ French Horn (Casavant) 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 73 pipes

8′ Tromba Marina (Antiphonal)

Great Reeds on Solo

8′ Harp (Walker)

8′ Orchestral bells (Walker)

4′ Celesta (Walker)

Tower Chimes (existing Deagan)

PEDAL (Unenclosed; * enclosed with Solo)

32′ Contrebasse 32 pipes

32′ Bourdon (Walker)

16′ Open Diapason (façade) 32 pipes

16′ Contrebasse (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Bourdon (Austin) 32 pipes

16′ Violone (Great)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

16′ Erzähler (Choir)

10-2⁄3′ Quint (Smart Quint)

8′ Flute (ext 32′) 12 pipes

8′ Octave (façade) 32 pipes

8′ Open Diapason (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Violoncello (Great)

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes

4′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

32′ Contra Bombarde * 32 pipes (full length)

16′ Bombarde * (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Tromba (Great)

16′ Bassoon (Swell)

8′ Trumpet* (ext 32′) 12 pipes

8′ Tromba (Great)

8′ Bassoon (Swell)

4′ Clarion * (ext 32′) 12 pipes

4′ Tromba Clarion (Great)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Tromba Marina (Antiphonal)

4′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

Chimes (Walker)

ANTIPHONAL (Floating, unenclosed)

8′ Principal (façade) 61 pipes

4′ Octave (façade, ext 8′) 23 pipes

8′ Tromba Marina (hooded) 61 pipes

ACCESSORIES

Cymbelstern (7 bells)

Pajaritos (small Spanish birds)

All Swells to Swell

GR/CH Manual Transfer

COUPLERS

Great to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 8-4

Choir to Pedal 8-4

Solo to Pedal 8-4

Antiphonal to Pedal

Great Unison Off

Swell to Great 16-8-4

Choir to Great 16-8-4

Solo to Great 16-8-4

Antiphonal to Great

Choir 16-UO-4

Swell to Choir 16-8-4

Solo to Choir 16-8-4

Great to Choir 8

Great Enclosed Flues on Choir

Pedal on Choir

Swell 16-UO-4

Choir to Swell

Solo to Swell 16-8-4

Solo 16-UO-4

Antiphonal on Solo

Great Enclosed Flues on Solo

CONSOLE

Custom-built four-manual drawknob console designed and finished to complement existing church furnishings. Includes the following features:

• built-in casters for mobility within the chancel

• adjustable organist bench by rotary 
handle

• inlaid music rack and polycarbonate music rack that are interchangeable

• manual keyboards furnished with bleached bone key coverings and blackwood sharps

• pedalboard furnished with maple naturals and ebony sharps

• stops and intra-manual couplers controlled by drawknobs

• inter-manual couplers controlled by rocker tablets located above top manual

• three balanced expression pedals and programmable Crescendo pedal

• LED lighting for music, pedal, and nameboard with dimmer control

• convenience receptacles–120vac, USB (device charger), and MIDI

• standard indicator lamps (Wind, Sforzando, etc.)

• multi-level combination action with minimum 2,000 levels of memory

PISTONS

30 General (some duplicated, thumb and toe)

8 Great

8 Swell

8 Choir

8 Solo

5 Pedal

General Cancel

Memory Set

Great to Pedal reversible

Swell to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Solo to Pedal reversible

Reversible (settable)

32′ Bourdon reversible

Cymbelstern reversible, with LED indicator

Pajaritos

Sforzando reversible, with LED indicator

Great Sostenuto, with LED indicator

Swell Sostenuto, with LED indicator

Choir Sostenuto, with LED indicator

Solo Sostenuto, with LED indicator

Pedal Sostenuto, with LED indicator

Sostenuto

Memory Up and Down

All Pistons Next reversible, with LED indicator

Sequencer (Next and Previous)

Go To (memory level)

Library

DISPLAYS

Main

Last General Pressed

Memory Level: Lock and Clear

Crescendo

Drawer Display

Crescendo Std.

Transposer display

Record/Playback display

PIPE SUMMARY

Great 1,196

Swell 1,196

Choir 1,042

Solo 695

Antiphonal 145

Pedal 288

Total 4,562

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Gay Street United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Gay Street United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Gay Street United Methodist Church reached out to our company for help with their failing pipe organ in 2000, shortly after I began working for Muller. Dr. David Tovey, director of music at the time, wanted ideas for a solution. The ensuing process did not occur in a straight-line manner but through directed and creative steps over the course of more than twenty years, resulting in a unique and colorful instrument with a storied history in its own right—truly a tale of Ohio organ building!

Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling’s organ for Gay Street Church

The 1927 Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling (VHS) was a modest three-manual organ of twenty-five ranks, utilizing pipework dating from the previous 1886 A. B. Felgemaker instrument, but on an entirely new mechanism. Installed in two chambers on either side of the choir at the front of the church, the VHS had a gentle presence. Tonally, it was as one might expect, with a plethora of flutes and strings but not much in the way of choruses.

Henry Holtkamp was an innovator and created a stop called “Ludwig’s Tone,” an open flute, essentially two pipes in one, tuned as a celeste. This delightful stop, copied by later builders, has been retained and incorporated into the new organ’s design.

The VHS organ served the church for decades. It was substantially enlarged and reconditioned in the 1970s and again in the 1990s by a local company. As part of that work, the Great division was brought out of the chambers on visually functional windchests and placed on the walls immediately in front of the organ.

Myriad problems became apparent after the 1990s project. Too many stopknobs had been placed in the art-deco console, and restoration of the ventil windchests was unsuccessful. The organ suffered greatly during the winter, resulting in ciphers and silent stops. Despite the incongruent tonal additions, a general sense of the VHS survived but not enough to guide a successful restoration.

Walter Holtkamp, Sr.’s organ for Christ Church, Cincinnati

In 1957 the successor firm to VHS installed Job No. 1695 in the newly constructed Christ Episcopal Church, Cincinnati. At sixty-eight ranks, five divisions, and three manuals, it was one of the later and larger instruments built by the Holtkamp Organ Company under the supervision of Walter Holtkamp, Sr.

This organ could not be more different from Gay Street Church’s 1927 instrument, although likely some of the same hands and tools produced it. The Christ Church organ possessed well-developed, clean and clear choruses and aggressive European style reeds, with all pipes visible and arranged by division in a side gallery.

The organ rose to prominence under the hands of Gerre Hancock, who began his professional career at Christ Church. It was often recorded, and for a time was the preferred instrument for recitals and masterclasses for students of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Christ Church was consecrated the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio in 1998, and the building was extensively renovated the following year.

Time had taken its toll. The organ’s unique tonal aesthetic had gone out of fashion, and its mechanism stood in need of extensive restoration. Renovations to the church had created some unfortunate acoustical issues. Although improving the sound of the choir, the organ became acoustically too far removed from choral forces to effectively provide accompaniment and support. In 2020 it was replaced by Richards, Fowkes & Co.’s Opus 24. (See cover feature, May 2021.)

A relocated Holtkamp for Gay Street Church?

Various options to improve the organ were considered when Muller assumed its care at Gay Street Church, but church leaders opted to keep the instrument working as best it could for as long as possible because of the recent renovations. As it declined, various steps were taken to improve playability.

The most important project was refurbishment of the unique VHS console. This presented a challenge since the cabinet was too small for the number of drawknobs needed. Jack Muller, then our principal cabinetmaker (currently shop foreman and project manager), carefully examined the console and suggested a creative approach to save the cabinet. To accommodate larger stopjambs, we increased the overall width of the console by constructing a new center panel with replica carvings. The cabinet was fitted with a new top, refinished, and all other components replaced.

Still, the problems eventually became untenable. Various options were explored, and finally the decision was made to use the resources of the Christ Church Holtkamp to create an entirely new tonal scheme.

One might ask why not relocate the Holtkamp as it was? As a historic instrument by an important American builder, aren’t we discarding history? The reality is that the organ as it was known at Christ Church could only exist there or in a similar space in an uncased aesthetic. Otherwise, it would not exist as a “Walter Holtkamp, Sr.” signature instrument.

An opportunity for relocating the organ did not materialize over the several years it was available for purchase. The cathedral needed it removed to begin renovations in preparation for the new organ. If a new home could not be found for the instrument, it would be discarded or broken up for parts. At the final hour, the Holtkamp was saved from destruction and donated to Gay Street Church by a longtime admirer of the instrument. Because any organ at Gay Street Church would be mostly chambered, we knew we would need to use the Holtkamp pipework carefully for the project to be successful.

A “new” Muller organ for Gay Street Church

Our new organ for Gay Street Church is three manuals and forty ranks and makes use of pipework from both the VHS and Holtkamp organs in a completely new tonal scheme. The electro-pneumatic mechanism and casework of the organ are new, and the recently updated console is retained.

Custom-built, quartersawn oak cases were designed to house the Great division and some Pedal pipework, including a façade of Great and Pedal principal pipes. The mirrored cases are placed on either side of the chancel, facing each other. Well into the project, the design of the casework had to be modified; structural analysis found that the church walls are soft clay tiles, necessitating the installation of a robust steel support structure. The casework was widened, and smaller “wings” were constructed to accommodate these changes.

The Great chorus is independent and complete from 8′ Principal to IV Mixture. An 8′ Bourdon and 4′ Spire Flute complete the division’s independent stops, while the Open Flute and Gemshorn are borrowed from the Choir division for flexibility. The Pedal Principal is located in the casework, while the 16′ Bourdon and Trombone are located in a chamber immediately behind.

The Swell division returns to the chamber of the VHS Swell organ. Tonally, the hand of Walter Holtkamp, Sr., is apparent, with the Swell division’s specification largely intact from the Christ Church organ. An independent chorus is here, a foil to the larger chorus in the Great, as is an abundance of string and flute color. Other hands are also apparent; new English-style reeds color the division, a 4′ Principal replaces Holtkamp’s 4′ Gemshorn, and the Harmonic Flute and Vox Humana of the VHS organ are retained to provide different colors.

The Choir division is in the chamber that originally housed the VHS Great, Choir, and Pedal. Using available resources in a new scheme, the design of this division is where our tonal signature becomes obvious. An Open Flute is the workhorse of the division, with a Gemshorn and Celeste as the “main strings.” The Gemshorn is extended to 16′ for use on the Great division. VHS’s “Ludwig’s Tone” returns to the division (renamed the more common Ludwigtone) as a secondary undulating stop. A tertiary principal chorus exists here, as do various mutations and flutes. A lovely vintage 8′ Clarinet rounds out the specification, and a new 8′ Festival Trumpet provides the triumphant culmination of the full organ’s sound.

Ordinarily when specifying a three-manual organ of this size, we prefer a more substantial and independent Pedal division. Indeed, I suspect that Holtkamp, Sr., would have chastised us for only providing three ranks! The reality of space precluded this, as did the wish to have as much color throughout the manual divisions as possible. Complemented by judicious use of digital 16′ and 32′ stops, these three stops are the most important in any Pedal division, and certainly provide the independence desired.

So, what kind of organ is this? Is it a Muller? Is it a VHS? Is it a Holtkamp, Sr.? I suppose it is representative of Muller, though it is not the organ we would design if built completely from scratch. The new organ is classically American and represents the work of three important Ohio organbuilders of different eras, brought into cohesiveness and harmony through intelligent and artistic voicing, traditional and well-designed mechanics, and a touch of happenstance that brought it all together.

The new organ was dedicated during worship on December 3, 2023, and an inaugural concert was presented on May 19, 2024. We are honored to be a small part of the longstanding musical heritage at Gay Street United Methodist Church and sincerely thank the many people who worked with us over the years. It is because of their persistence and uncompromising commitment to excellence that this organ will continue to sing praises for generations to come.

—Scott G. Hayes

Scott G. Hayes is the tonal director for Muller Pipe Organ Company and has been with the firm for nearly twenty-five years. He is also director of music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia.

Muller staff

John W. Muller

Jack Muller

Scott G. Hayes

Brad Ashbrook

Ryan J. Boyle

Jesse Braswell

Taylor Hendershott

Mike Hric

Ryan Jones

Jane Muller

Stan Osborn

Sol Rizzato

Assisted by: David R. Beck

Photo credits: Jesse Braswell

Builder’s website: www.mullerpipeorgan.com/

GREAT

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

8′ Open Flute (Ch)

8′ Bourdon* 61 pipes

4′ Octave* 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute* 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave* 61 pipes

IV Mixture* 244 pipes

8′ Tromba (Ped)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

Zimbelstern

Great 16, UO, 4

SWELL (expressive)

16′ Chimney Flute 73 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute (ext 16′)

8′ Gambe* 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute§ 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Quint* 61 pipes

2′ Doublette* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

16′ Bassoon 73 pipes

8′ Trumpet 73 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext 16′)

8′ Vox Humana§ 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext 8′)

Tremulant

Swell 16, UO, 4

CHOIR (expressive)

8′ Open Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Ludwigtone§ 49 pipes

4′ Principal* 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute* 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Nazard* 61 pipes

2′ Flute* 61 pipes

1-3/5′ Tierce* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

8′ Festival Trumpet 61 pipes

Chimes (digital)

Harp (digital)

Tremulant

Choir 16, UO, 4

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (digital)

16′ Open Wood (digital)

16′ Bourdon* 44 pipes

16′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 44 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′)

4′ Open Flute (Ch)

32′ Trombone (digital)

16′ Trombone 73 pipes

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Tromba (ext)

4′ Oboe (Sw)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

* Holtkamp

§ Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Pedal 8, 4

Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4

Choir to Great 16, 8, 4

Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

 

Thumb Pistons

General 1–10

Swell 1–8

Great 1–8

Choir 1–8

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

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Toe Pistons

General 1–10

Pedal 1–5

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Zimbelstern reversible

32′ Bourdon reversible

32′ Trombone reversible

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Wind Pressures

Great: 3.5′′

Swell: 5′′

Choir: 5′′

Pedal: 4′′

Festival Trumpet: 7′′

40 ranks

2,418 pipes