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

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

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, Lithonia, Georgia; Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Fort Pierce, Florida

As I contemplated writing this article about the new pipe organ for Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Pierce, Florida, many things came to mind, several of them cathartic and all of them personally important. Fort Pierce is a location where, as they say, I have “roots.” I was born in the Fort Pierce area in 1967, and was baptized at the First United Methodist Church. In the ensuing years, my family would continue to come back to this community to visit, to rest, and for recreation. It was an important enough location to me that when I got married in the early 1990s, I brought my young wife to one of the barrier islands near Fort Pierce for our honeymoon. This area was special to me, and I wanted to share it.

Moving forward to 2022 and a country still in the grip of Covid, I am glad that, in light of the pandemic, the building of this instrument occurred at a time and place that is familiar, and that I was working for a congregation and clergy that are some of the finest people on this planet. One cannot have endured the last couple of years without considering the pandemic and its effects on the world, our houses of worship, and on many of us personally. This church and its people buoyed us. They have offered unyielding prayer, support, and an unbridled excitement for the completion of this project.

The commission to build this instrument started out in a world that was Covid-free. By the time we were taking out the old organ, we were in masks, with travel and work restrictions and navigating a brave new world. In the meantime, we continued our work with a myriad of social, business, and personal interaction changes.

Along with the personal challenges (and losses) that have been endured, we also have had to deal with supply chain and vendor issues. There have been several suppliers and major vendors that were not able to weather this disruptive period and ceased operations. We have been fortunate with our depth of resources, the excellence of our staff, and full order books, that we have been able to navigate this period in a way that not all have been able to do. This is and has been a very real blessing. As I write this, I am hoping that we are in the waning period of the pandemic, but we are still in masks, and there are still many in the hospital from this malady.

How it started

When we were approached to evaluate the original organ at Saint Andrew’s, we arrived to find an instrument that was in a failing condition. We made a detailed study of the entire instrument with its mechanical condition, scaling, and tonality, balanced with the church’s musical needs. We also looked at the organ layout, the chamber spaces, and the acoustics.

The former organ was an electric-action, open-toe instrument that was built in the late 1970s. The organ did have some nice moments and some good materials, but, as a whole, with its stoplist and tonal design, it was not well suited to support the choral and congregational needs of this Episcopal church. In its later years, the organ had been damaged in a hurricane and endured some unfortunate attempts by others to repair, augment, and change it. The organ had a number of older relay components along with a console that had been rebuilt by others with a used solid-state combination system of various ages of materials. Its condition had been further exacerbated by lightning strikes to its systems. The console and relays were not reliable and could not be made so without heroic work that simply could not be justified.

The layout of the original instrument caused multiple tuning and tonal issues. This was due to a Choir division that was double stacked with the main air return of the church in front of this division, the Great division located four feet above the choir loft floor, directly behind the choristers and below a stained-glass window, and the Swell division in a freestanding box in an organ chamber fronted with a fabric grille. All of this conspired to create major tuning issues inter- and intra-divisionally, as well as a lack of tonal focus.

Our plan

We proposed to work with a clean sheet in design that would fully support worship along with a new façade and case to provide visual enhancements to the chancel. With the proximity of the church to the coastline, we chose a façade design that was evocative of the billowed boat sails that one sees in the waters around the church. The center of the case includes quatrefoils and moulding details found in the stained-glass windows from the original church building. The center case features an open top to allow the central window to be seen with minimal occlusion. The façade pipes are built of polished aluminum and include 16′ and 8′ bass pipes of the Pedal and Great divisions.

The design of the new organ moved the divisions and the return ducts, placed a roof over the center division to mitigate the effects of the central stained-glass window, and generally has placed the pipework on a similar thermocline. There are openings behind the façade pipes to allow a free exchange of heat and air to the chamber spaces.

The church and its contractor must be commended for their revisioning of the chancel and renovation of the worship center of the church. Notably, this included the removal of carpet and the installation of marble in the altar area. The choir area was finished with custom tile and individual chairs replacing fixed pews. Not only is the area more functional, it is visually beautiful and aurally supportive to the organ and the choir. This church acoustic gives back to the listener, and it has gotten even better.

The new stoplist was envisioned first and foremost to support the musical needs of this church and its English choral tradition. There has always been a hope to use the music ministry for community outreach, so while focused on the choral and congregational worship needs of the organ, the stoplist is purposely eclectic in design, allowing it to support many different schools of organ and choral music.

As we designed the new organ, we did look at some of the existing pipes. The pipework contained in the old organ was generally of high quality with low cut-ups and an absence of nicks and other voicing techniques that were permanent to the pipes. It was, in a way, raw media waiting to be voiced. As a company, we have never shied away from evaluation of extant pipework for consideration. Equally important is that one should never—I emphasize, never—design an organ around the pipes that are present with this being the only consideration. It was clear to us that some of the pipework, for purposes of stewardship, could and should be considered for reuse as long as it did not compromise the overall tonal design. It was also clear that some pipework would not, and indeed should not, find a home in the new instrument. Our approach was to design the specification and scaling that should be at the church, and only then did we look afresh at the existing pipework to see if it could be recast. The pipes that were reused were revoiced, rescaled, and/or repitched for their new role. Many of these allowed the fiduciary luxury of additional pedal resources and mutations.

The specification is designed around a Great division with a well-developed, leading principal chorus. The design includes a second 8′ Geigen Principal to allow a differing root structure in the chorus or doubling of the 8′ pitch line. The flutes are designed to fold hand in glove with the chorus while maintaining an individual identity and voice for melodic solo lines. The reeds of the Choir-Positiv and Swell are duplexed to the Great.

The Great division is located at the cantilevered façade level of the organ case, which allows the sound to bloom forward of the choir. To help focus the Great division, the Bourdon chest and upper walkboard act as a canopy above the Great to project this division.

The Choir-Positiv division sits in the former central location of the old Great division, and was conceived as a diminutive, dual-natured division. Its design supports text painting under the choir while also supporting the literature bias of an unenclosed Positiv division. With a secondary principal chorus rooted with the 8′ Holzgedeckt and 8′ Erzahler, it acts as a counter chorus voice to the Great and Swell divisions. The 2′ Schweigel and 1-1⁄3′ Quint allow the chorus to have “mixture texture” that is unweighted and some of the first upperwork available in building the organ to its full voice.

The 8′ Erzahler was chosen because it allows a voice that is at one time a diminutive string while at another time a soft accompanimental voice that can be broadened with the 8′ flute line. It is given an 8′ celeste of similar scale and construction, and becomes one of the voices in the ether of the church acoustics.

The flutes of the Choir-Positiv include the 8′ Holzgedeckt and 4′ Gedeckt-Pommer that are voiced to retain a degree of chiff and puckishness while still folding in with their string and principal neighbors. The Choir-Positiv mutations and 2′ Schweigel are stops that walk the line between principal and flute. As hybrid voices, the 2-2⁄3′ Nasat, 2′ Schweigel, 1-3⁄5′ Terz, and 1-1⁄3′ Quint allow for a great deal of color, building of multiple solo stops, and upperwork support for chorus registers.

The color reed in the Choir-Positiv is an 8′ Cromorne with parallel shallots and lift lids. It supports a generous vowel cavity that allows it to be a chameleon stop: it can be a piquant solo voice that easily is broadened into the woodwind timbre of a Clarinet when compounded with the Holzgedeckt or drawn into the Great as a weightless ensemble reed to add color and complexity to the principal chorus.

The Swell division is designed with a secondary principal chorus that is harmonically rich and complements the leading voices of the Great. The Swell Mixture III is pitched at 2′ to allow for the logical completion of its principal chorus. As a lower-pitch enclosed mixture, it is the first mixture that can be drawn in building a seamless crescendo. As with the Choir-Positiv, the Swell was designed with a flute chorus of differing voices that allows color and a multiplicity of compound registers.

The Swell reeds have English shallots and are unified to develop the 16′-8′-8′-4′ reed chorus. For the desired color and tuning stability, all of the reeds are on an individual winding system to allow higher pressures and tremolos separate from the flue voices.

The Pedal division is grounded with an independent 16′-8′-4′ principal chorus and independent and duplex flute registers at multiple pitches. The Pedal reed is an independent 16′ Posaune that can be combined with the duplex registers of the Swell and Choir-Positiv reeds.

To provide 32′ weight in the Pedal we included the discrete use of some custom digital voices to allow for this pitch register where there was not space to accommodate the pipes. With the “genie out of the bottle” we opted to also include the color of several additional companion strings and celestes along with the ubiquitous 8′ Vox Humana to allow the building of a string organ within the Swell division. Please note that we have allowed the physical space in the Swell chamber for these pipe additions, minimizing the compromise.

The 8′ Festival Trumpet is one of several stops gifted from the Schlueter family to the church. This particular stop is given in honor of my wife, Stephanie Schlueter, whom I brought to Florida for our honeymoon so many years ago and who has personally supported me in the building of instruments for over thirty years. It is located in the Choir-Positiv expression box and includes console controls to allow it to independently float to all manual divisions and the Pedal. Being enclosed in the box provides for wide dynamic control that allows this reed to be used as an ensemble voice with the expression box closed. It is my hope that this signature stop is used often in the coming years to support weddings and festive occasions with church worship.

Much of the emotive quality of an instrument is not only the quality of the voices but also how they project from the organ chamber and their reaction to enclosure in an expression box. The expression boxes were carefully designed to be as sonically transparent as possible when open and to fully contain the divisions when closed. We also functionally use the expression shades to direct sound when they are open. In the Choir-Positiv we used horizontal expression shades on the front and on top of the expression box to direct the pipe speech up and forward of the choristers and, importantly, out to the congregation. In a like but disparate fashion, the Swell division with its off-axis location was designed with a very large two-story shade front that opens bi-directionally. This evenly focuses the voices of the Swell to the choir and congregation along the center core of the church.

The windchests on the organ are electro-pneumatic slider and electro-pneumatic unit action. The winding system is our normal combination of spring and weighted reservoirs with independent concussion bellows on the windchests. This church’s generous acoustic allowed us to use moderate wind pressures on the organ ranging from 2½ to 4 inches.

To control the instrument, we built a three-manual console with terraced drawknobs. It was constructed of sapele mahogany with drawknobs custom turned from African blackwood. With its low profile, it allows excellent sightlines to the choristers, and the inbuilt castors permit it to be moved as needed. For a control system, the console features the Syndyne 8400 system, which supports a large number of functions.

As I started this article, I mentioned that building this instrument was a cathartic exercise. One year prior to this, I was at Saint Simons Island Presbyterian Church finishing an instrument and received the imposition of ashes on my forehead for Ash Wednesday. At that time, I was still recovering from a bout of Covid that saw me hospitalized just prior to that installation. I was well reminded about my mortality. One year later, I was in Fort Pierce working on the completion of this instrument—again, on Ash Wednesday. When one is an organ builder, it is invariable that the church becomes the worksite. It was therefore my good fortune to have an opportunity for worship where I entered the church as a congregant. I was able to sit contemplatively in the church and see an image of Christ in the center window framed and focused by the new organ façade. I heard the music of the church. I heard the recitations of the members of the church mixed with my own voice. Again, I received the imposition of ashes on my forehead from a congregation that has adopted me as their own. This was followed by the communion and the bounty of grace it represents. On this day the instrument’s voice began to come alive to support the worship of this ministry. As pipe organ builders, the work that all of us do is to design and build instruments that will outlive us as they support worship and praise in the church. On this particular Ash Wednesday, it was personally brought home to me how welcome it is to see the sign of the Cross on my forehead and realize how truly fortunate I am as a father, husband, organ builder, and a Christian.

As always there are too many people to thank with a project like this one. First and foremost I would like to thank the Reverend Canon Ellis E. Brust, rector; Mr. Peter Charles and Mr. Andrew Hemmer, senior wardens; Mrs. Karen Kozac and Mr. Chris Kasten, organ committee chairs; Mr. Larry Clancey and Mr. Richard Stable, treasurers; Dr. Jerry Davidson, organist/choir director; and Kirk Carlson, general contractor.

I would also like to extend a thank you to our staff: Arthur E. Schlueter, Jr., Arthur E. Schlueter III, John Tanner, Marc Conley, Patrick Hodges, Jeremiah Hodges, Marshall Foxworthy, Peter Duys, Kerry Bunn, Shan Dalton-Bowen, Michael DeSimone, Al Schroer, Dallas Wood, Josse Davis, Bob Weaver, Preston Wilson, Clifton Frierson, Kelvin Cheatham, Ruth Lopez, Elio Lopez, Chad Sartin, Sara Cruz, Ruth Gomez, Yolanda Sandoval, Kymoni Colbourne, Juan Hardin, Demitrius Hardin, Rico Hardin, and Angie Lindsey.

Visit www.pipe-organ.com for more information or to contact A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company.

—Arthur E. Schlueter III, Visual and Tonal Direction, A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Co.

 

GREAT (manual II)

16′ Sub Principal (1–12 Ped 16′ Sub Princ, 13–61 Gt 8′ Geigen Princ)

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal 49 pipes (1–12 Ped 8′ Octave)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Hohlflöte 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes

V Cornet TC*

1-1⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

16′ Contra Oboe (Sw)

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Oboe (Sw)

8′ Cromorne (Ch)

CHOIR-POSITIV (manual I, enclosed)

8′ Holzgedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Erzahler 61 pipes

8′ Erzahler Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Schwebung II*

4′ Prinzipal 61 pipes

4′ Gedeckt Pommer 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nasat (from G1) 54 pipes

2′ Schweigel 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Terz (from G1) 54 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes

8′ Cromorne 61 pipes

Tremolo

Zimbelstern (multiple bells)

Chimes

SWELL (manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 12 pipes (ext 8′ Rohr Flute)

16′ Flauto Dolce*

8′ Viola Pomposa 61 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste II 49 pipes (draws Viola Pomposa)

8′ Muted Violes II*

8′ Aeoline Celeste II*

8′ Rohr Flute 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Spindle Flute 61 pipes

4′ Unda Maris II*

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (TC) 49 pipes

2′ Flageolet (ext 8′ Rohr Fl) 24 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 49 pipes

2′ Mixture III 183 pipes

16′ Contra Oboe (TC, from 8′)

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

4′ Oboe (ext 8′ Oboe) 12 pipes

8′ Vox Humana*

Tremolo (Vox)

Tremolo (Main)

FANFARE (floating division)

16′ Festival Trumpet (TC) 49 notes

8′ Festival Trumpet 61 pipes

4′ Festival Trumpet 49 notes

Fanfare On Pedal

Fanfare On Great

Fanfare On Swell

Fanfare Off Choir-Positiv

PEDAL

32′ Untersatz*

16′ Sub Principal 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

8′ Octave 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon 32 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (Sw)

4′ Choral Bass (Gt)

4′ Gedeckt (Sw)

2′ Gedeckt (Sw)

32′ Bombarde*

16′ Posaune 32 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

4′ Oboe Clarion (Sw)

* Digital stop/prepared for pipe additions

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir-Positiv to Pedal 8

Choir-Positiv to Pedal 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Choir-Positiv to Great 16

Choir-Positiv to Great 8

Choir-Positiv to Great 4

Choir-Positiv to Choir-Positiv 16

Choir-Positiv Unison Off

Choir-Positiv to Choir-Positiv 4

Swell to Choir-Positiv 16

Swell to Choir-Positiv 8

Swell to Choir-Positiv 4

Swell to Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell to Swell 4

MIDI (as preset stops)

MIDI on Pedal

MIDI on Great

MIDI on Swell

MIDI on Choir-Positiv

60 stops, 38 ranks, 2,147 pipes

Builder’s website: www.pipe-organ.com

Church’s website: www.mystandrews.org/

 

Cover photo: Arthur E. Schlueter III; article photos contributed by the Reverend Canon Ellis E. Brust and the staff of A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company

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

Orgues Létourneau, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec; Christ Episcopal Church, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

From the Builder

It is unusual for an organbuilder to finish two instruments for churches a few blocks apart within two calendar years. Nonetheless, this is what happened in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and we consider ourselves fortunate to say so. The first of these was our Opus 129 for First Presbyterian Church, which we completed in January 2016 (see the May 2017 issue of The Diapason for more details). This 75-rank instrument’s warmth and array of color piqued the interest of the organ committee at the nearby Christ Episcopal Church. Led by Mr. Wilson Green, this committee was already studying what to do with the church’s ailing pipe organ. Having been serially rebuilt without success, its indifferent placement in Christ Church’s organ chamber was its biggest challenge. The instrument’s monochromatic tonal scheme and obsolete windchests were contributing factors in the decision to start from scratch and commission an all-new pipe organ.

An organ chamber like that at Christ Church does require a change in mindset from, say, a freestanding instrument like Opus 129. Here, there is a wide floor-to-ceiling opening across the chancel’s south sidewall into the chamber. A smaller arch-shaped opening on the chamber’s west wall leads to the nave. The chamber’s wooden roof slopes downward moving west (away from the chancel), which dictated some aspects of the organ’s layout, but the side and back walls in brick do reflect sound out of the chamber nicely.

Christ Church’s organ committee was unambiguous; they wanted an instrument that would excel in accompanying the Episcopal liturgy. This fit, in many ways, with the organ’s placement in a chamber. The emphasis here would be a profusion of smooth foundation color, elegant solo voices, and choruses in all families of organ tone, all backed by exceptional dynamic control. The organ’s repertoire was kept in mind of course, but this instrument’s raison d’être was always going to be the choral anthems of Howells, Parry, and Stanford.

Carefully studying the chamber, we determined there was enough space for a three-manual instrument; two of the three manual divisions would be under expression at the back of the chamber, with space to spare in front for lean Great and Pedal divisions. Working with the church’s then-organist and assistant director of music, Tyler Canonico, Opus 132’s stoplist soon took shape.

The Swell forms the core of the instrument with foundations including a pungent 8′ Viole de gambe, a matching 8′ Voix Celeste, a gentle 16′ Lieblich, and a velvety 8′ Dolce Flute and Celeste combination. Building on this is a solitary 4′ stop, the Gemshorn; its scale transitions from a principal-like bass for definition towards a fluty treble to blend with the mutations. A refined 8′ Hautboy with capped resonators can add a reedy tang to this ensemble or sing as a mezzo solo voice. One dynamic higher is the Swell’s 8′ cornet décomposé, whose wide-scaled tapered ranks fuse together richly. With choral accompaniment in mind, the Swell’s III–V Full Mixture is harmonic in composition, meaning its uppermost pitch is constant through most of the compass while the fourth and fifth ranks add lower pitches to fill in the chorus. The Swell is crowned by a grand reed chorus that begins, crucially, with a full-length 16′ Double Trumpet through an 8′ Cornopean to a 4′ Clarion. On five inches of wind pressure, these stops feature thick spotted metal resonators, harmonic trebles, and Willis-style shallots. This powerful, golden-toned chorus can also be transferred as a group from the Swell to the other divisions via stopknobs to facilitate dynamic effects.

The second expressive division, the Choir-Solo, is something of a partner to the Great with additional foundation stops and distinctive solo voices. The 8′ Flûte harmonique isn’t a thoroughgoing solo stop so much as it is a building block in a traditional fonds ensemble when coupled to the Great. Building on this 8′, the vibrant 4′ and 2′ harmonic flutes provide a lighter chorus to their equivalent Great combination. The 8′ Geigen brings a keen edge to the fonds, while its 16′ extension provides depth and richness without getting muddy. The 16′ Geigen’s clean pitch and responsiveness in the bass octaves is especially welcome when deployed as a pedal stop. Meanwhile, the 8′ Unda maris pairs with the 8′ Geigen to provide the organ’s third and boldest celeste effect. The Choir-Solo has two high-pressure reed stops. The 8′ French Horn was a request from Christ Church’s rector, the Rev. David Meginniss, and given its rare appearances in choral accompaniments or the organ repertoire—as well as the limited tessitura called for—we built it as a short-compass stop from c13 to f42. On high-pressure wind at the back of the Choir-Solo enclosure, the French Horn projects its fist-in-the-bell sound easily, evoking its orchestral ancestor. Its thick, smooth tone can be used to bulk up ensemble registrations, but it pairs especially well with the 8′ Flûte harmonique with the treble-ascendant flute picking up smoothly where the French Horn’s compass runs out.

The Choir-Solo’s 16′-8′ Tuba rank’s harmonic-length resonators begin at 4′ g, and the pipes are equipped with tapered Willis shallots for proper tuba tone. The overall dynamic, however, is kept in check. On 12¾ inches wind like the French Horn, the Tuba rank serves as solo stop or the ultimate chorus reed: it will peal out a melody against Full Swell—especially when played in octaves as asked for in much of the literature—but can be thrown in to otherwise Full Organ without a colossal dynamic jump. The 16′ Contra Tuba extension in the Pedal has a big, round bass tone that ensures the instrument never sounds untethered.

In contrast to these two colorful expressive divisions, the Great has been stripped down to the essentials. There is a warm principal chorus built around a 42-scale 8′ Open Diapason, with the Great windchest situated to face the nave’s tone opening. The 8′ Chimney Flute is a cheery, chameleon-like voice that does light solo duty or plumps up the ensemble. For flexibility, a number of stops from the Choir-Solo have also been made available on the Great manual.

The Pedal division is like the Great: minimalist but effective. The 16′ Contrabass pipes are made from spotted metal and, voiced with slots and beards, give the pedal line a well-defined point.  The 16′ Subbass, with its pipes in yellow poplar, is dynamically a notch lower with a correspondingly unobtrusive tone. Larger in scale than the Great 8′ Open, the 8′ Principal was also voiced with slots and on higher wind pressure; it has a bold, driven sound that fits with the Contrabass to give the pedal line a great deal of weight. Comparatively, the 4′ Choral Bass is less powerful with a sweeter, more transparent sound in cantus firmus roles.

When the contract was signed for the new instrument, the organ project at Christ Church had a fixed budget that precluded any façades. Likewise, some of the stops in the specification were initially console preparations, meaning they were part of the instrument’s technical designs but would not be provided with the instrument. The contract between the church and Létourneau was written such that if we were given the green light by a certain date, the façades and/or the prepared-for stops could be built and installed at the same time as the organ itself. The organ committee went to work raising the organ project’s profile and explaining the opportunity at hand to the parish. They were tremendously successful; the gifts they raised came from many sources and enabled the complete instrument to be installed. Once our visual designs had been enthusiastically approved, our cabinetmakers began construction on the instrument’s two façades made from solid mahogany. The display pipes are made from a 70% polished tin alloy from the Great 8′ Open Diapason and the Pedal 8′ Principal ranks.

The three-manual console shell was built from solid red oak while the interior puts swathes of dark walnut to good use. From the outset, the layout of the various console controls was a particular point of interest for Tyler Canonico and Wilson Green; many enjoyable discussions were had about the best practices from around the globe, and several different layouts were evaluated. The result is compact, logical, and comfortable. In a nod to the British tradition, the stop knobs for each division are arrayed in two columns and set within individual walnut jambs. The console’s expression shoes also mark the debut of a new style for Létourneau, featuring a pedal made from maple for durability and deeply stained to match the surrounding walnut. A chromed stainless-steel surface discreetly displaying the Létourneau logo is then overlaid on this base with rubber cleats for grip above and below. Opus 132’s switching system and combination action were provided by Solid State Organ Systems, with the console having 300 levels of memory, an adjustable crescendo pedal, and a generous number of divisional and general pistons (with a sequencer) to facilitate colorful accompanying.

The instrument was installed in January of 2018, and the voicing process carried through to the end of the following month. The instrument was dedicated at a choral evensong service on April 15, 2018, featuring the choir of Christ Church under music director Doff Procter, skillfully accompanied by Scott Roberts, organist and assistant music director. Before and after the service, several voluntaries were played by Tyler Canonico, who had returned to Tuscaloosa for the event; his selections included music by Bédard, Locklair, Howells, Bednall, Dupré, and Langlais.

Our Opus 132 is a sophisticated response to the host of physical, acoustic, and musical parameters this project presented. Importantly, the instrument contrasts significantly with the nearby Opus 129 at First Presbyterian Church, from placement to windchest design to tonal effect. For those who might be curious to see what Létourneau is doing these days, Tuscaloosa is a destination well worth visiting.

To conclude, we are grateful to Christ Church for having given us the opportunity to build Opus 132; we expect their new Létourneau will serve their church and the Tuscaloosa community faithfully for several future generations. Our work has given us the opportunity to come to know several fine people as well. We have a deep appreciation for the tireless leadership of Wilson Green throughout the entire project. It has also been a pleasure to work closely with the church’s two organists through the instrument’s gestation, Tyler Canonico and Scott Roberts, as well as the church’s director of music, Doff Procter. We are appreciative of the consistently generous support for the pipe organ project from Rev. David Meginniss. Christ Church’s communications director, Barbara Steimle, was also a tremendous supporter in countless ways. Finally, a sincere thank you to Hubert Guthrie, both the church’s contractor and a parishioner. His tenacious efforts to improve the organ chamber were crucial to the project’s success, resulting in the best possible acoustic conditions for the new instrument.

—Andrew Forrest, Artistic Director

Fernand Létourneau, President

Dudley Oakes, Project Consultant

From the Chair of the Organ Committee

We asked Létourneau to deliver an instrument that emphasized the organ’s central liturgical role in Episcopal worship, and they delivered beautifully. The organ is exceptional in enhancing and supplementing liturgical action, as well as in service and congregational accompaniment. Having two celeste effects in the Swell, for example, was motivated by a desire to communicate the transcendent, and they accomplish this exceptionally. Putting most of the organ under expression, with a relatively small Great, was a decision largely driven by the church’s acoustics, which we altered before the organ’s installation began with changes to the nave floor and the chamber itself. The result is an instrument refined in tonal breadth and uniquely appropriate to the room.

The organ’s solo stops are not to be missed. The Choir-Solo 8′ Flûte harmonique has a body and smoothness that fill the room. The 8′ French Horn is one of my favorites, with a robust nobility and depth of tone with the box open, but which is quite mellow when enclosed. And the 8′ Tuba is powerful as a solo reed but it’s also capable of singing with the rest of the instrument—a rare combination, and one that was needed given the instrument’s size.

Létourneau was a wonderful partner for our church. Andrew Forrest and Dudley Oakes were particularly effective in listening to our concerns and making tonal recommendations tailored to those concerns. They explained their design choices and how they were intended both to enhance the listening experience in the room and to mitigate the lack of direct linearity with the listener. Communication was always clear and timely, and their sense of proportion and design afforded us an instrument that is musically and visually in tune with our historic space. The best compliment I receive is, “It looks like it was always there!” But honestly, it sounds even better. And perhaps most of all, the Létourneau installation and tonal finishing teams were magnificent. The church staff was sad to see them leave us when they finished!

—Wilson Green

GREAT – Manual II, 80 mm wind pressure

16′ Contra Geigen (Ch)

8′ Open Diapason (façade) 61 pipes

8′ Geigen (Ch)

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

Tremulant

8′ French Horn (Ch)

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Swell Reeds on Great

Great 16–Unison Off–Great 4

Chimes (Ch)

Cymbelstern (8 tuned bells)

SWELL (expressive), Manual III – 85 mm w.p.

16′ Lieblich Gedackt 73 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (G8) 54 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedackt (ext)

8′ Dolce Flute 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (C13) 49 pipes

4′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

2′ Full Mixture III–V 259 pipes

8′ Hautboy 61 pipes

Tremulant

16′ Double Trumpet* 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean* 66 pipes

4′ Clarion* 78 pipes

Swell 16–Unison Off–Swell 4

* 125 mm wind pressure

CHOIR-SOLO (expressive) Manual I – 125 mm w.p.

16′ Contra Geigen 73 pipes

8′ Flûte harmonique 61 pipes

8′ Geigen (ext)

8′ Unda maris (G8) 54 pipes

4′ Flûte octaviante 61 pipes

2′ Octavin 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ French Horn (c13–f42)§ 30 pipes

8′ Tuba§ 66 pipes

Swell Reeds on Choir

Choir 16–Unison Off–Choir 4

Chimes (37 notes)†

Harp (61 notes)†

Glockenspiel (37 notes)†

§ 325 mm wind pressure

† Walker Technical Company

PEDAL – 110 mm w.p.

32′ Resultant (derived)

16′ Contrabass 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Geigen (Ch)

16′ Lieblich Gedackt (Sw)

8′ Principal (façade) 32 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedackt (Sw)

4′ Choral Bass (85mm) 32 pipes

16′ Contra Tuba (ext, Ch) 12 pipes

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Swell Reeds on Pedal

All usual sub, unison, and octave inter-manual couplers plus Great to Choir, Choir to Swell, and a GR-CH Manual Transfer.

6 divisional pistons for each division and 12 General pistons with a General piston sequencer.

Console prepared for the future installation of a 5-stop Antiphonal division.

Three manuals, 43 stops, 38 ranks, 2,162 pipes

Great Mixture IV

c1 to b12 19 22 26 29

c13 to b24 15 19 22 26

c25 to b36 12 15 19 22

c37 to b48 8 12 15 19

c49 to c61 5 8 12 15

Swell Full Mixture III–V

c1 to e17 15 19 22

f18 to e29 12 15 19 22

f30 to e41 8 12 15 19 22

f42 to e53 1 8 12 15 19

f54 to c61 1 5 8 12 15

Photo credits: Barbara Steimle