Cover feature: Muller Pipe Organ Company, Gay Street United Methodist, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio

Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Columbus, Ohio

Muller Pipe Organ Company has installed a new two-manual, twenty-two-rank organ at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio. The instrument utilizes select pipework from the church’s former organ—a 1935 Schantz—plus the façade and casework of an earlier Odell/Roosevelt instrument. The Schantz organ was typical for 1935 and served the parish for many years. In the 1980s, an ambitious plan of restoration and expansion commenced. A three-manual console was installed to accommodate several tonal additions that would “complete” the instrument, but the additions ultimately went unrealized.

Within the last decade, discussions about an organ project were reinitiated by Kathleen Tully, director of music of the parish. After considering a variety of options, it became apparent that, though the organ was beloved, it needed more color and the ability to support congregational singing. The favored approach was to establish a new tonal concept capable of supporting a wide variety of singing, to create a new organ mechanically, and to retain several signature sounds of the existing organ.

The new instrument is rooted in centuries of pipe organ tonal design but departs somewhat from the norm to provide maximum flexibility and color. Possessing independent principal stops in the Great division chorus and separate principal ranks in the Swell and Pedal divisions, the organ can render contrapuntal music effectively. Unification is employed to provide enhanced functionality and to encourage creativity. Both the Great and Swell are enclosed to inspire inventive use of the instrument’s resources.

The Great division boasts five 8′ flue ranks and has a dual nature. Aptly serving as a traditional Great division, it also assumes the role ordinarily assigned to a Choir division with its colorful flutes, strings, and Clarinet. The retained Open Diapason functions as both a solo stop and foundation tone.

The Swell division commands a formidable presence in the tonal scheme. Beginning with the restored Violin Diapason, a plethora of possibilities emerges as one explores the tonal palette. Two reed stops are available, including the powerful English-style Trumpet to crown the sound of full organ.

The Pedal division undergirds the entire instrument, with no fewer than five 16′ ranks on this modest instrument. A variety of unifications makes the accompaniment of any manual combination possible.

Building this instrument with a limited footprint so that all components would be readily accessible was an interesting challenge for our engineering team. Twenty-two ranks and five 16′ stops now reside where 14 ranks and one 16′ stop originally existed. Specially designed windchests were employed to take full advantage of the chamber, where horizontal space is more abundant than depth.

The 1980s console was replaced with a restored and updated two-manual preowned console. To complete the project, volunteer artisans from the parish painstakingly restored the façade pipes.

The organ was dedicated on November 22, 2019, during Solemn Vespers for the Memorial of Saint Cecilia.

—John W. Muller, president

Scott G. Hayes, tonal director

GREAT (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Open Diapason (Ped, unenclosed)

8′ Principal (new) 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 73 pipes (1–12 existing, 13–73 new)

8′ Dulciana (existing) 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (existing) 61 pipes

4′ Octave (new) 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute (ext 8′)

2′ Fifteenth (new) 61 pipes

Mixture III (new) 183 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Clarinet (new) 61 pipes

SWELL (Manual II, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (existing) 97 pipes

8′ Principal (new) 73 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (ext 16′)

8′ Salicional (vintage) 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (TC, vintage) 49 pipes

4′ Principal (ext 8′)

4′ Harmonic Flute (vintage) 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (ext 16′)

2′ Flute (ext 16′)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 49 pipes

Mixture II (new) 122 pipes

16′ Bassoon (new) 73 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext 16′)

Tremolo

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (Peterson) 12 notes

16′ Open Diapason 73 pipes (1–12 vintage, 13–73 existing)

16′ Bourdon (existing) 44 pipes

16′ Gedeckt (Sw)

8′ Octave (ext 16′)

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Gedeckt (Sw)

4′ Super Octave (ext 16′)

4′ Chimney Flute (Gt)

16′ Double Trumpet (new) 12 pipes

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

4′ Oboe (Sw)

Standard intra- and inter-divisional couplers and pistons

Peterson ICS-4000 Control System

22 ranks, 38 stops, 1,409 pipes

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Toledo, Ohio

Quite understandably, the Muller Pipe Organ Company is sometimes mistaken for the now defunct M. P. Möller Organ Company. We have answered countless emails and phone calls from across the country that begin with “We have one of your organs from . . .,” and we very politely explain that we are not the same company. It is possible the confusion may have been magnified had our ancestors decided to keep the umlaut over the “u”!

Our company has been in business in Ohio since 1919, so area organists and churches are rarely confused by the similarity in name. Certainly, Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church of Toledo, Ohio, was aware of the difference when we were asked to inspect the pipework from Möller’s Opus 10357. This small three-manual organ was originally built for Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and provided a fine foundation on which to build a new instrument for the parish in Toledo. While it might be tempting to call this instrument a “Möller-Muller” organ, it now bears little resemblance aurally, mechanically, or visually to the organ known in Wisconsin. Indeed, this instrument is a new Muller organ in every way.

The dream of a pipe organ was first explored by parish leadership as part of a comprehensive project to modify the original 1980s-era interior decor to align with current ecclesiastical ideals. In a leap of faith and with guidance from Paul Monachino, diocesan liturgical music director, the parish purchased the Möller pipework, and it was placed in climate-controlled storage pending completion of fundraising and the planned renovations.

The pipe organ portion of the project was undertaken in two phases. To coincide with renovations to the sanctuary, which included improvements to the acoustic, the initial phase was completed in 2018 and consisted of the installation of casework. The beautiful, mirror-image cases were constructed of cherry by Muller’s woodworking team using traditional mortise and tenon joinery. The overall design has a traditional feel, while the impost and tower crown moldings are more contemporary in appearance to complement the church’s architecture. The gold-lacquered façade pipes feature polished Romanesque mouths to enhance the beauty of the room.

When funding became available for the second phase, a specification was designed using available pipework where appropriate. The plan for a two-manual, sixteen-rank organ to fill the two empty organ cases was quickly adopted.

The Great is housed in the right case and possesses five ranks. The new façade allowed for moderate rethinking of this chorus’s scales and overall concept. The resulting 8′ Principal is warm and articulate, but not particularly loud. The 4′ Octave sings beautifully over this foundation and additionally serves as the 2′ of the chorus. The 8′ Rohrflöte is of moderate scale and wonderfully colorful. Independent mutations allow for multiple effects. The obvious combination is a cornet that works either with flutes or principals. A “composed” mixture created by using the 8′ Principal, the 4′ Octave, the 2-2⁄3′ Quint, and the super coupler is particularly convincing. Borrows from the Swell division serve to provide flexibility in registration.

The Swell is home to nine ranks and is located in the left case. A contrast to the Great Rohrflöte, the Swell Gedeckt is the workhorse of the division. In unit stops such as this, we voice the different “ranges” to serve in the way each will be most used. The lowest octave features a healthy dose of “quint” partial, which is a delightful change of pace from the Pedal’s Subbass. Continuing up the compass, this “quint” effect is not particularly useful in a small instrument, so we allow the stop to bloom into a lovely and full capped flute. Near the top, the scale reduces to promote brightness. This stop also functions as the basis for a small principal chorus, capped with a three-rank Mixture at 2′ pitch. A set of beautiful vintage strings serves as the organ’s only string stops.

While part of the Swell, the organ’s two reeds are available on both manuals. The small but feisty Trompette is perhaps the one “tell” of the organ’s Hagerstown heritage. It serves best as a chorus reed and, when used with the Great Principal, can be a convincing solo stop. The Oboe is a vintage stop from the 1930s and has a hauntingly beautiful English capped sound. These stops fit well with the organ’s aesthetic and are remarkable for their consistency and stability.

The Pedal division, as in most small instruments, is but two independent stops. The Subbass resides with the Great division and benefits greatly from its placement against a solid exterior wall. In contrast with many instruments where one can never have enough 16′ tone, we found ourselves voicing this stop with restraint and care lest it overpower the entire instrument. The Principal is located in the left case, where it forms part of the façade. It is voiced to complement the Great chorus, but also acts as a wonderful Pedal solo stop. The rest of the Pedal stops are borrowed to promote registrational flexibility.

The organ layout is very compact yet fully accessible for tuning and maintenance. Pipes are placed at impost height to maximize tonal egress and maintain a consistent temperature for tuning stability. The low-profile drawknob console allows for ease of play and good sight line to the choir and was constructed of cherry by our artisans. The console and the casework are finished with a clear lacquer to allow the wood to achieve the same rich patina as the existing sanctuary furnishings. New windchests, windlines, and support structure were custom designed and constructed in-house.

The dedicatory concert was given by Todd Wilson to an enthusiastic audience on September 26, 2021. Comments from area musicians reflect upon the pleasing balance and versatility of sound of this modestly sized instrument.

We especially thank Mr. Kevin Foos, director of sacred liturgy and music, for his dedication from conception to completion. We also express our gratitude to the Reverend Adam L. Hertzfeld, pastor, for his vision, perseverance, and encouragement. And to the individual benefactors who made this dream a reality, we believe it is a truly remarkable achievement that your contributions have provided a pipe organ as a musical legacy to enhance worship at Saint Joan of Arc Parish for many generations to enjoy.

—Scott G. Hayes and Mark A. Muller

Staff:

John W. Muller

Mark A. Muller

Jack Muller

Scott G. Hayes

Brad Ashbrook

Nathan Baker

Ryan J. Boyle

Jesse Braswell

Taylor Hendershott

Mike Hric

Jane Muller

Stan Osborn

Assisted by:

David R. Beck

Photography by Ryan J. Boyle and Jesse Braswell

Builder’s website: www.mullerpipeorgan.com

Church’s website: joanofarc.org

GREAT

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes

8′ Salicional (Swell)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Rohrflöte (ext 8′ Rohrfl) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes

2′ Doublette (ext 4′ Octave) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Trompette (Swell)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

Chimes 21 bells

SWELL (enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Spitz Principal 61 pipes

4′ Gedeckt (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (from 8′ Gedeckt)

2′ Flute (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

2′ Mixture III 183 pipes

16′ Contre Trompette (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremolo

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived)

16′ Subbass 32 pipes

16′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

4′ Octave (ext 8′ Principal) 12 pipes

4′ Gedeckt (Swell)

16′ Contre Trompette (Swell)

8′ Trompette (Swell)

4′ Oboe (Swell)

Couplers

Great 16 - Unison Off - 4

Swell to Great 16 - 8 -4

Swell 16 - Unison Off- 4

Great to Pedal 8 - 4

Swell to Pedal 8 - 4

 

16 ranks, 978 pipes

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

The First Church, UCC, Nashua, New Hampshire

Austin Organs, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut, Opus 1406

From the Minister of Music and Consultant

When I was appointed Minister of Music in 2008, the organ was to be on the docket for a long-anticipated restoration early in my tenure. Upon learning about the vision for this instrument that was started under Dr. Robin Dinda, FAGO, in the early 1990s, two things were clear: the Young Memorial Console built by Austin in 1996 prepared the organ for significant expansion, and a new floating Solo division was to be part of this vision.

Over the years, attempts were made to undo tonal changes from the 1970s and 1980s (primarily light upperwork in the Great), which sacrificed some of the instrument’s most beautiful original softer stops. At some point in the past two decades, the original enclosed Great 8′ Gemshorn (once stored inside the organ casework) disappeared, as well as the original 8′ Harmonic Tuba. A significant, but somewhat misguided change to the entire Great division in the early 2000s continued to take the instrument away from its original symphonic roots. The “return” to these 1926 roots ultimately became the basis for our church’s $2.3 million Capital Campaign for Ministry, Music, and Mission in 2014.

This vision would be to restore the organ to its 1926 tonal specification and nomenclature and add new upperwork, scaled and voiced in typical 1920s Austin character. The original tonal design had no mixtures or mutations and only one 2′ stop (in the Swell). The existing stewardship of our 1996 three-manual console guided us in adding the prepared floating Solo division, with an eye toward more liturgical function rather than tonal tradition. In effect, we now have a III/47 versatile main instrument, with a 13-rank Solo (with two composite stops) bringing the total rank count to 60—an instrument easily suited for four manuals, but keeping former stewardship and sightline considerations in check for a three-manual console, with many options.

The Solo was designed with double-sided nave and chancel sets of swell shades. This allows use of the Solo division not only as a powerful solo voice (or part of the greater organ ensemble) but also adds the possibility of accompanying a choir from that area of the sanctuary with closed shades and Pedal stop additions. Consequently, the new division also assists our 5-octave bell choir, through a tonal reference closer to their placement in the church.

Austin concentrated on securing Austin (or similar) pipework from the original era, and where vintage pipes could not be sourced, Austin provided new pipework made to patterns Austin used in the 1920s. As a result, we have a thrilling instrument with a 21st-century eye towards its 1926 heritage—an impressive, warm sound over six divisions, and one of the most flexible accompanying instruments in Northern New England. Four celestes (three string and one flute) add wonderful warmth. Original color stops like the Vox Humana and vintage Harp (and classic fan tremulants) deliver sounds of yesteryear. The organ features complete string, flute, and diapason ensembles, with reeds (some independent and some unit treatments), and has retained the original two full-length 16′ reeds under expression! The versatility of the instrument is astounding, especially when one utilizes sub/super-coupling and unisons off. The return of 23 ranks of extension octaves (73 notes) provides a thrilling shimmer that can compete with the best of Boston’s local craze with Skinner and Aeolian-Skinner.

Two of the organ’s returned softest stops, the Swell 8′ Echo Salicional, (1930 Midmer-Losh) and the Enclosed Great 8′ Gemshorn  (1925 Austin) have added sensitive softer dynamics, which now allow the instrument to offer every variation from ppp to ffff. Masterful tonal finishing led by Daniel Kingman, Austin’s senior voicer and associate tonal director, truly kept everything warm, lush, and never shrill. Full organ never “screams.” Additions to the instrument include the three-rank Solo Vox Seraphique (15th, 17th, 19th), a 1924-vintage harmonics stop that is designed to pair with the Major Gamba and Celeste to create a unique shimmer and color combination; this is a rare effect found in perhaps only a very small handful of instruments. The large-scaled Mounted Cornet IV in the Solo is designed to pair with the Solo’s Doppelflute, and also pairs with the new linen-lead pattern, leather-lipped Grand Diapason on the Open Great. This near-Stentorphone color alone fills the room with a sound long forgotten (and greatly misunderstood) in the days of American Classic and Neo-Baroque revival.

Complex “borrows” of stops, either as new divisional extensions, or in the Pedal, add amazing variations to registration. Cross-coupling of the Enclosed Great and Choir (to the Choir and Swell respectively) allows a flexibility unparalleled for an organ of this size. The mechanics are truly an engineering marvel, and every ounce of possibility was brought out of this instrument’s re-design, thanks to collaboration with the Austin staff.

I am privileged to sit at this console every week and was truly honored to serve as the principal consultant for this important and historic work. Thanks are due in particular to Charles Morris who acted as the church’s representative. The team at Austin was accommodating of nearly anything asked of them. The extension of the case and grillework for the new Solo division truly looks like it has always been in the sanctuary. The resulting instrument thrills congregation, recitalists, and audiences alike. By offering a minimum of seven public programs featuring the Anderson Memorial Organ annually on our First Music Concert Series, the organ’s voice is widely heard in this region and has garnered much regional attention, in print and on television—as the most significant organ project in the state of New Hampshire in a decade. It is an honor to be at the helm of this historic ministry, now with an instrument that will continue to praise God for generations to come. Soli Deo Gloria.

—Joseph R. Olefirowicz, CAGO

Minister of Music

Principal Organ Consultant

From the Builder

On our preliminary visit to the church, we were introduced to an instrument built by Austin some 90 years previous that was barely an echo of what had been installed. The contract was signed on December 19, 1925, with promised completion by September 1, 1926. By today’s standards, this timeframe would be unheard of, since a 3-manual, 42-stop instrument would surely require a minimum of 16 to 24 months. In 1925, however, the company was in the epoch of its greatest production, shipping nearly two organs per week. This contract was signed on behalf of Austin by Elisha Fowler of Boston, formerly of the Hutchings Company, but since 1919 served as New England (and later Midwest) sales representative for Austin. Also a seasoned tonal designer, Mr. Fowler likely had strong influence in drawing up the tonal specification for this organ. One interesting element in the contract stated that:

The Austin Organ Company hereby guarantees tonal satisfaction to Mrs. Frank Anderson, donor; Earl F. Nauss, minister; and Maurice Hoffman, organist; and agrees to exchange any and all pipes which do not satisfy and to continue to do so until results satisfactory to the committee named have been attained.

Perusing the files, no pipes appeared to have been returned by order of the committee; a happy circumstance that must have caused sighs of great relief in Hartford!

The organ was initially scaled rather heroically on wind pressure of seven inches water column. The Great Principal Diapason was 40 scale (nearly 6¾ inches diameter at bottom C). There was an accompanying “Small Diapason” of 46 scale, which is a scale that would be typical of instruments built in the late 1960s to 1970s. A revision in March of 1926 shows that the Principal Diapason bass was changed to 43 scale and the Small Diapason to 49 scale. This would be more in keeping with other similar instruments of the time in typical rooms. In today’s thinking, the 43 scale/17th ratio is typical of German Normalmensur, while the 49-scale Diapason (with a narrow mouth) is typical of a Violin Diapason and would be a bit more incisive. Likewise, the Swell Diapason bass was changed from 40 scale to 43. This provided the power and color in the manual range, without excessive heaviness in the pedal; it also consumed less windchest real estate.

The tonal palette of this instrument was certainly typical for the era and boasted a plethora of fundamental stops; absent were mixtures or mutations. Similar organs of the period—for example, Opus 1409 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, an instrument of 75 stops—boasted upperwork and a full set of independent mutations in the Swell, including a Nazard, Flautina, Tierce, Septieme, and Twenty Second. (An interesting side note, this organ appears to be the first instance found of an Austin with double expression—a box within a box—in the Swell department.) Mixtures were found in several instruments of the period, but usually confined to the Swell Organ. A notable exception is Austin Opus 1416, for the Sesquicentennial Exposition, built in 1926. At 162 ranks—it was for many generations the largest pipe organ built by Austin under a single contract. Each of the principal divisions has multiple ranks of mixtures; and of course, reed choruses, flute choruses, strings, mutations, etc.

Armed with this history, we surveyed the condition of this venerable instrument in Nashua. The organ had been a victim of several attempts at “tonal modernization” over the years. Diapasons had been removed and replaced with lighter-scaled pipework; a rather large mixture was added to the Great; and the Tuba was removed and replaced with a poorly recycled supply-house Trumpet. Also, the enclosed divisions had several stops removed, altered, or replaced entirely with random pipework. Many hours of discussion were spent attempting to recreate, or frankly create a new tonal specification that would echo the vision for this instrument, as if a time machine had transported us back to 1926, but with greater resources available, such as were reserved for larger instruments as mentioned above.

The result of fraternal collaboration between Joseph Olefirowicz and the Austin staff was to create a tonal design that could have been lifted from Austin’s archives. The overall limit of the “new” specification was perhaps a bit exhaustive, but the result is an extremely versatile instrument with amazing tonal variety and possibilities.

In our grand scheme, a significant addition was the inclusion of a new Solo division. There was space allowed on the 1996 console, and we were offered the possibility of utilizing a pass-through storage area located on the far right of the organ case. To transform this space into an organ chamber would require the construction of some new casework with additional tone openings. The existing organ has some unique carving that resembles vines within its openings. We scanned images of this casework and created a CAD file that was turned into magnificent scaled panels identical to the original. The Solo was voiced to speak on 10 inches wind pressure, typical of the era, which required the installation of an additional blower. To accommodate this requirement, we pulled a vintage Spencer blower from our inventory and sent it back to the factory for refurbishment and a new motor equipped with a variable frequency drive controller.

Upon completing the design phase, reality struck a severe chord when the actual challenge of building this instrument necessitated sourcing the required pipes to achieve the desired result. In some cases, it was as simple as making (or finding) an octave or a few pipes to restore scaling; many of the 73-note extension octaves had been lost to time, but happily we were able to source replacements for all of those lost from vintage inventory. In other cases we required complete stops; many were procured from Austin’s inventory. Some stops were new manufactured pipes made to vintage Austin patterns. An example is the 8′ Bassoon in the Great.  While perhaps not typical of the time, there was a desire and need for a lighter chorus reed in the exposed division. This particular pattern was originally used in Opus 1010 (c. 1921 in the Eastman Theatre, Rochester New York) and also in Opus 1109 (1922, at the Cincinnati Music Hall). The original patterns were located in our archive and used for this instrument. Likewise, vintage patterns likely used for the original pipes in 1926 were used for the replacement Tuba in the Great. Conversely, we chose a vintage E. M. Skinner pattern for the Solo Tuba—for variety of dynamic and color. The Solo English Horn was sourced from vintage inventory, a 1924 Austin instrument.

We feel that this instrument embodies not only the 1920s tonal concepts, as detailed herein, but Austin’s design paradigm—a concept we refer to as Symphonic-Liturgical Tonal Design

It is arguable that the most advanced form of musical expression we celebrate today is the symphony orchestra. It is a comprehensive and versatile entity. Evidence of this fact is provided by reviewing any concert program. On any given evening, one can encounter a most sublime movement from Ravel; just a moment later, the terrific thunder crash of a powerful Wagnerian overture! These variations in repertoire, dynamic, and emotion are all delivered by the same performers and the same instruments. In much the same way, a well-designed tonal palette in an organ capable of supporting these timbres and styles gives an organist the ability to perform with similar flexibility.

Why do we consider this ability to be important?

The pipe organ in church today must bridge the gap between traditional solo organ literature, liturgical accompaniment, choral support, and yet have the ability to perform contemporary accompaniment and literature. One can only imagine where the next trend might lead! The tone of the instrument must be pleasing—but not that alone—for the instrument must be capable of fulfilling its role in the liturgy. In summation: the organ must be extremely versatile and able to be play almost any literature, and the organ’s tonality also has to be outstanding in its conceptualization, voicing, and disposition.

We feel that the Austin organ is built of the most solid construction to support the extra demands placed on a symphonic organ. Our design (the famed Austin Universal Airchest System) assures the church of steady wind, ease of maintenance, and maximum utilization of available space. We strive to build the most comfortable organ consoles with the finest control systems available.

The sound of an Austin organ plenum (tonal ensemble) is unique. To achieve our desired level of warmth and simultaneous transparency requires not only our specific style of voicing, but very close attention to pipe scaling, regulation, and of great importance, explicit confidence in our Austin Universal Airchest System.

Celebrating 125 years of pipe organ building experience, and our dedicated staff comprising one of the oldest pipe organ factories in the country; we are ready to build one of the finest instruments possible, and then provide ongoing support and service.

—Michael Fazio

President & Tonal Director

Austin Organs, Inc.

Austin team members involved with Opus 1406 renovation:

Raymond Albright

Michael Chiradia

Bruce Coderre

Colin Coderre

Jacob Dowgewicz

Michael Hart

Curt Hawkes

Victor Hoyt

Dan Kingman

Rafael Ramos

David Secour

Stewart Skates +

Richard Taylor

Tony Valdez

Anne Wysocki

Mike Fazio

GREAT ORGAN (* = enclosed Great)

16′ Major Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Grand Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Principal Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Small Diapason (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Major (Ped 16′ Dia) 41 pipes

8′ Violoncello * 73 pipes

8′ Gemshorn * 73 pipes

8′ Bourdon * 73 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (Ch)

8′ Unda Maris (Ch)

4′ Octave 73 pipes

4′ Principal * 73 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute * 73 pipes

22⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

IV Fourniture (19-22-26-29) 244 pipes

16′ Tuba * (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Harmonic Tuba * 61 pipes

8′ Bassoon 73 pipes

4′ Clarion * (ext) 12 pipes

Harp (Ch)

Chimes 25 tubes

Tremulant *

SWELL ORGAN

16′ Bourdon 73 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Rohr Flute 73 pipes

8′ Viole D’Orchestre 73 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Echo Salicional 73 pipes

4′ Fugara 73 pipes

4′ Flauto Traverso 73 pipes

4′ Violina (ext)

22⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

III Mixture (15-19-22) 183 pipes

16′ Contra Posaune 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Cornopean 73 pipes

8′ Oboe 73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR ORGAN

16′ Quintade (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal 73 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 73 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Quintadena 73 pipes

4′ Geigen Octave (ext)

4′ Flute D’Amour 73 pipes

2′ Piccolo 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

16′ Tuba (Gt)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (Gt)

8′ Clarinet 73 pipes

4′ Tuba Clarion (Gt)

Harp (Austin) 61 bars

Chimes (Gt)

Tremulant

SOLO ORGAN

8′ Doppelflute 73 pipes

8′ Major Gamba 73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 73 pipes

4′ Flute Ouverte 73 pipes

4′ Gambette (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Gambette Celeste (ext) 12 pipes

III Vox Seraphique (15-17-19) 183 pipes

IV Mounted Cornet (TC) (8-12-15-17) 196 pipes

8′ Cor Anglais 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 73 pipes

Tremulant

Nave Shades Off

Chancel Shades Off

PEDAL ORGAN

32′ Diapason (Resultant)

32′ Bourdon (Resultant)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Resultant, Sw)

16′ Open Diapason 32 pipes

16′ Violone (Gt)

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Flute Bass (ext, Solo) 12 pipes

16′ Quintaten (Ch)

16′ Lieblich (Sw)

8′ Octave (Gt)

8′ Major Flute (Solo)

8′ Gross Flute (ext 16′ Diap) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce (ext 16′ Bdn) 12 pipes

4′ Super Octave (Gt)

4′ Flute (Sw)

32′ Grand Cornet (Resultant)

16′ Tuba (Gt)

16′ Posaune (Sw)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (Gt)

4′ Clarion (Gt)

Chimes (Gt)

Pedal to Pedal 4

EXPRESSION PEDALS

Choir/Enclosed Great

Swell

Solo

Register Crescendo

CONTROLS

999-levels of memory

Bridal signal (HCTB)

Clock

Continuo

“Go-to” function

Manual Transfer

Piston sequencer

Playback

Transposer

Ventil (mixtures)

Ventil (reeds)

Builder’s website: http://austinorgans.com

Church’s website: tfcucc.org

Photo credit: Len Levasseur

Emery Brothers, Allentown, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Adam F. Dieffenbach

Our installation of this organ was scheduled to commence on March 16, 2020. As stay-at-home orders and other government measures came into effect, these plans changed. However, this was hardly the first detour for the mighty Möller on its path to Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.

Opus 6425 was installed in Schwab Auditorium at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania, in 1936. Designed by Möller’s illustrious, imported tonal director Richard Whitelegg, the organ’s thirty-three ranks are replete with warm, bold diapasons, evocative flutes, colorful and varied strings, and four iconic reeds, all at eight-foot pitch: Trumpet, Oboe, Clarinet, and Vox Humana. The organ was fully enclosed, including all three open 16′ flue ranks—Wood Diapason, Metal Diapason, and Gemshorn. It also included, and retains today, a set of Deagan Class-A chimes and a forty-nine-note harp. When the stylistic demands of the organ world changed, this broad-shouldered organ fell into disuse, the console cable was eventually severed, and benign neglect allowed it to survive the ravages of mid-century revisions and replacements. It was in this pristine—although inoperable—condition that we first came to know Möller Opus 6425.

Our relationship with the instrument began in 2013 when we were invited to collect its constituent parts, already dismantled by another firm, with a view to restoring the organ and installing it in a church in Philadelphia. In fact, my first day as an employee at Emery Brothers was spent unloading the last truckload of parts from State College. It took some time for restoration and relocation plans to come into focus, but we eventually entered into a contract for just that: restoring the organ to like-new condition, with no tonal changes, but with an updated solid-state control system, and a redesigned layout to fit the new space.

However, plans to install the organ in this first location were discontinued, and with roughly three-quarters of the restoration work done, Möller Opus 6425 went back into storage, its future uncertain. Then, over the next few years we continued to keep our eyes open for a new home for the organ while we continued to work through our existing backlog of projects.

At the same time, we were caring for an ailing, heavily modified and digitally hybridized 1903 Austin organ at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral. Wind leaks from the Universal windchests, now over 110 years old, were so loud that the blower had to be turned off during the service to allow the spoken word to be heard in the church. When discussions around a long-term plan for the organ began, we immediately thought of Möller Opus 6425. All the windchests and reservoirs had been releathered, the reed pipes restored by Sam Hughes, and all the flue pipes cleaned and ready for voicing.

Some additions would be needed, including a new console and an organ in the rear gallery to support congregational and choral singing from that location. The decision was made early on to call this part of the instrument the “Nave Organ” because it has an important role as a standalone organ to support singers in the nave of the church. The decision was also made to add a few select ranks to Opus 6425 to fill out its specifications towards use in the cathedral. These were:

• 16′/8′ Tromba/Trombone (Great/Pedal)

• 32′ Harmonics (12 notes extending Trombone, 36 pipes, Pedal)

• 32′ Bourdon (12 pipes, extending existing 16′ Bourdon, Pedal)

• 16′ Double Trumpet (Swell)

• 8′ Tuba (Choir)

Around this time, we also learned of Möller Opus 6512, a two-manual Whitelegg Möller organ in a church building that was up for sale. This donor instrument provided the Tromba/Trombone pipes we added to Opus 6425 in the Great/Pedal chamber, and also allowed us to populate the Nave Organ with voices sympathetic to Opus 6425. Most of the other ranks added to Opus 6425 to create the Nave Organ came from the existing cathedral Austin. For instance, cathedral organist Wesley Parrott cleverly pointed out that the Austin Swell 4′ Traverse Flute, sub-coupled and matched to the Austin Choir 8′ Melodia, created a beautiful flute celeste effect, which we placed in the Nave Great.

In addition to its role in supporting congregational and choral singing from the rear gallery, the Nave Organ houses many of the organ’s solo voices, such as the Flugelhorn, Cromorne, Doppelflute, and Cornet (decomposé). The Nave Organ was installed first, and while assembly of the Chancel Organ was still underway, was the only organ in the cathedral for several months. Its sixteen ranks do a remarkable job of filling the room. Its design is perhaps the only real departure from a true Whitelegg installation, as the diminutive organ chambers would likely have housed an Echo or Celestial division. As it stands, several of the boldest flue voices in the organ reside in the Nave Great, including the largest diapason in the organ (42 scale, linen lead).

In its new arrangement, Opus 6425 surrounds the chancel, referred to in the cathedral as the presbyterium. the Great and Pedal divisions share an elevated chamber on the north side of the presbyterium. The Swell and Choir are stacked in the south chamber, with the Choir below and the Swell above. Each of these three divisions has two shade fronts—one facing the nave and one facing the presbyterium. The Nave Organ is split between two matching cases eleven feet above the gallery floor, with the Great in the north case and the Swell in the south case. Basses of both the 16′ Diapason and 16′ Gedeckt are mounted along the back wall, framing the rose window.

With five expressive divisions, eight shade fronts, and a total of 145 individual shades, expression control is an important aspect of our design for this installation. This is accomplished by way of an expression matrix, with a default setting and four settable expression pistons. While this isn’t the first time a church organ has had an expression matrix, to our knowledge this is the first range- and direction-settable expression matrix. In other words, any of the organ’s eight shade fronts can be set to function in either direction, for any range of travel on any of the four expression shoes in the console. This has led to a lot of experimentation and will provide endless flexibility in expression control for this deeply expressive organ. For instance, one of the settings currently in use has all shades assigned to one swell shoe, with all shades closed at the midpoint of its travel. As it is pushed forward, the Chancel Organ shades all open. Push the heel down, and the Nave Organ shades all open.

Having recently completed our relocation of Aeolian-Skinner Opus 878 into Stoneleigh, headquarters of the Organ Historical Society in Villanova, Pennsylvania [featured on the cover of the December 2019 issue of The Diapason], we elected to work with a partner to do some of the “heavy lifting” for the much larger cathedral installation. JR Neutel and the staff of Reuter Organ Company proved an excellent choice for this role, providing the new four-manual console, as well as the engineering and the lion’s share of the onsite installation labor for the project, and any new windchests and reservoirs required for added stops. As Pennsylvania and other states began reopening, we rescheduled and then commenced installation in September of 2020. The organ was dedicated in an inaugural recital featuring Tyrone Whiting, Jeff Brillhart, and Clara Gerdes-Bartz on October 24, 2021.

This project was made possible by generous funding from the Wyncote Foundation as recommended by Fred Haas and Rafael Gomez. We are also deeply grateful for the support of the cathedral community, including The Right Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, Bishop; The Very Rev. Judith A. Sullivan, Dean; Canon for Music and the Arts Thomas Lloyd; Cathedral Organist Wesley Parrott; Canon for Administration Lynn Buggage; and Sexton Lamont Murray. Our network of suppliers and subcontractors for this project included Sam Hughes, Reuter Organ Company, Opus Two Instrument Control Systems, Organ Supply Industries, Rudewicz & Associates, and COE Percussion.

GREAT

16′ Double Open Diapason 12 pipes (ext Second Open Diapason)

8′ First Open Diapason  73 pipes

8′ Second Open Diapason   73 pipes

8′ Claribel Flute 73 pipes

8′ Gemshorn 73 pipes

4′ Octave 73 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 73 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

III Mixture 183 pipes

16′ Trombone¹ (ext Tromba) 12 pipes

8′ Tromba¹ 73 pipes

Tremolo

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Chimes (G–g) (25 tubes)

Great 16 - Unison Off - 4

Nave Swell on Great

Nave Great on Great

Nave on Great Pistons

Pedal Combinations on Great

SWELL

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 73 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal 73 pipes

8′ Rohr Flute 73 pipes

8′ Salicional 73 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

4′ Principal 73 pipes

4′ Triangular Flute 73 pipes

IV Mixture 244 pipes

16′ Double Trumpet² 73 pipes

8′ Trumpet 73 pipes

8′ Oboe 73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 73 pipes

Tremolo

Swell 16 - Unison Off - 4

Nave Swell on Swell

Nave Great on Swell

Nave on Swell Pistons

Pedal Combinations on Swell

CHOIR

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes

8′ Viola 73 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 97 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 61 pipes

4′ Flute d’Amour 73 pipes

4′ Dulcet (ext Dulciana)

2-2⁄3′ Dolce Twelfth (ext Dulciana)

2′ Dolce Fifteenth (ext Dulciana)

8′ Clarinet 73 pipes

Tremolo

16′ Trombone (Gt)

8′ Tromba (Gt)

8′ Tuba (by F. J. Rogers, 15 inches pressure) 73 pipes

8′ Harp (TC) (49 bars)

Chimes (Gt)

Choir 16 - Unison Off - 4 - 22⁄3

Nave Swell on Choir

Nave Great on Choir

Pedal Combinations on Choir

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon 12 pipes

32′ Resultant

16′ Diapason 32 pipes

16′ Double Diapason (Gt)

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

16′ Gemshorn (Gt) 12 pipes

8′ Octave (ext Diapason) 12 pipes

8′ Major Flute (ext Bourdon) 12 pipes

8′ Claribel Flute (Gt)

8′ Gemshorn (Gt)

4′ Triangular Flute (Sw)

32′ Trombone (ext 16′ Trombone, 1–12 III Harmonics) 36 pipes

16′ Trombone (Gt)

16′ Double Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Tromba (Gt)

8′ Double Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Tuba (Ch)

4′ Double Trumpet (Sw)

Chimes (Gt)

NAVE GREAT

8′ Open Diapason1 61 pipes

8′ Doppleflute 49 pipes (Roosevelt, 1–12 from Melodia)

8′ Melodia² 61 pipes

8′ Bois Celeste² (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Octave¹  73 pipes

2′ Super Octave¹ (ext 4′ Octave)

II Grave Mixture¹ 122 pipes

8′ Flugelhorn 61 pipes (from Reuter, revoiced)

8′ Cromorne³ 61 pipes

Tremolo

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Tower Bells (13 bells)

Chimes (Gt)

Great on Nave

Nave Great 16 - Unison Off - 4

NAVE SWELL

16′ Gedeckt¹ (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

8′ Viole² 73 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste² (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt¹ 73 pipes

4′ Open Flute³ 73 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Piccolo¹ (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

16′ Fagotto⁴ (ext 8′ Fagotto) 12 pipes

8′ Fagotto⁴ 73 pipes

Tremolo

Zimbelstern

Nave Swell 16 - Unison Off - 4

NAVE PEDAL

32′ Resultant

16′ Open Diapason (Nave Gt) 12 pipes

16′ Gedeckt (Nave Sw)

8′ Open Diapason (Nave Gt)

8′ Gedeckt (Nave Sw)

4′ Open Diapason (Nave Gt)

4′ Gedeckt (Nave Sw)

16′ Fagotto (Nave Sw)

8′ Fagotto (Nave Sw)

4′ Cromorne (Nave Gt)

COUPLERS

Great to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Pedal 8, 4

Choir to Pedal 8, 51⁄3, 4

Nave Great to Pedal 8, 4

Nave Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4

Choir to Great 16, 8, 5-1⁄3, 4, 2-2⁄3

Nave Great to Great 8, 4

Nave Swell to Great 8, 4

Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

Nave Great to Choir 8, 4

Nave Swell to Choir 8, 4

Choir to Swell 8, 4, 2-2⁄3

Nave Great to Swell 8

Nave Swell to Swell 8

Great/Choir Transfer

Notes

1. From 1937 M. P. Möller Op. 6512

2. From 1903 Austin Organ Company Opus 73

3. From inventory

4. From 1960 M. P. Möller Op. 9453

 

53 ranks, 86 stops, 3,606 pipes

 

Photo credit: Adam F. Dieffenbach

 

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio, has built a new organ for Gay Street United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio: three manuals and pedal, 40 ranks, 2,418 pipes. The organ includes some pipework from the church’s 1927 Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling organ (three manuals and pedal, 25 ranks; which in turn utilized some pipework from the previous 1886 A. B. Felgemaker organ) and from the 1957 Holtkamp Job No. 1695 at Christ Episcopal Church, Cincinnati (three manuals, five divitions, 68 ranks), 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. 

The new organ was dedicated during worship on December 3, 2023, and an inaugural concert was presented on May 19, 2024. 

The organ is featured on the cover of the November 2024 issue of The Diapason:
https://www.thediapason.com/content/cover-feature-muller-pipe-organ-company-gay-street-united-methodist-mount-vernon-ohio

For information: https://www.mullerpipeorgan.com/