Cover Feature: Parsons Pipe Organ Builders Opus 52

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

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

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

Two perspectives

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

—JMB

The consultant’s role

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

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

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

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

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

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

­—Sean O’Donnell, Consultant

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

—JMB

A voicer’s vision

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

­—Timothy Fink, Schoenstein & Co.

—Jack M. Bethards, Schoenstein & Co.

Photo credit: Louis Patterson

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Double Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Grand Diapason (Ch)

8′ Open Diapason No. 1 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason No. 2 61 pipes

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

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

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Octave (ext 16′) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

2′ Mixture (III–IV) 187 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Corno di Bassetto (Ch)

Cymbelstern

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

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

8′ Horn Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Echo Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Vox Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

2′ Mixture (III–IV) 192 pipes

16′ Contra Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

8′ Posaune (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell Sub Octave

Swell Unison Off

Swell Super Octave

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda-Maris (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

4′ Dulcet (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Lieblich Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (fr Lieb Ged)

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 pipes

Tremulant

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

8′ Tuba (unenclosed) 61 pipes

8′ Tuben II (Swell)†

8′ Trumpet (Great)

Choir Sub Octave

Choir Unison Off

Choir Super Octave

† Draws Sw Cornopean and Posaune

PEDAL

32′ Double Open Wood† 12 pipes

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Open Diapason (Gt)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Open Bass (ext 16′ Open) 12 pipes

8′ Dulciana (Ch)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Sw)

4′ Harmonic Flute (Gt)

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

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

16′ Posaune (Sw)

8′ Tuba (Ch)

Gt & Ped Combinations Coupled

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

Intermanual couplers

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Choir to Great

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Pedal

Notes

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

Manual Sub Octaves do not couple to the Pedal.

Mechanicals

Solid state capture combination action:

100 memories

52 pistons and toe studs

5 reversibles

Programmable piston range

Record/playback system

TONAL ANALYSIS

PITCH SUMMARY

16′ and below 3 12%

  8′ 16 64%

  4′ and above 6 24%

25 100%

TONAL FAMILIES

Diapasons 12 48%

Open flutes 2 8%

Stopped flutes 3 12%

Strings 2 8%

Chorus reeds 4 16%

Color reeds 2 8%

25 100%

Three manuals, 25 voices, 31 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

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

Church website: www.redeemerchestnuthill.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A relocated Holtkamp for Gay Street Church?

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

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

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

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

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

A “new” Muller organ for Gay Street Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—Scott G. Hayes

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

Muller staff

John W. Muller

Jack Muller

Scott G. Hayes

Brad Ashbrook

Ryan J. Boyle

Jesse Braswell

Taylor Hendershott

Mike Hric

Ryan Jones

Jane Muller

Stan Osborn

Sol Rizzato

Assisted by: David R. Beck

Photo credits: Jesse Braswell

Builder’s website: www.mullerpipeorgan.com/

GREAT

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

8′ Open Flute (Ch)

8′ Bourdon* 61 pipes

4′ Octave* 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute* 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave* 61 pipes

IV Mixture* 244 pipes

8′ Tromba (Ped)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

Zimbelstern

Great 16, UO, 4

SWELL (expressive)

16′ Chimney Flute 73 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute (ext 16′)

8′ Gambe* 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute§ 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Quint* 61 pipes

2′ Doublette* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

16′ Bassoon 73 pipes

8′ Trumpet 73 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext 16′)

8′ Vox Humana§ 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext 8′)

Tremulant

Swell 16, UO, 4

CHOIR (expressive)

8′ Open Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Ludwigtone§ 49 pipes

4′ Principal* 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute* 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Nazard* 61 pipes

2′ Flute* 61 pipes

1-3/5′ Tierce* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

8′ Festival Trumpet 61 pipes

Chimes (digital)

Harp (digital)

Tremulant

Choir 16, UO, 4

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (digital)

16′ Open Wood (digital)

16′ Bourdon* 44 pipes

16′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 44 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′)

4′ Open Flute (Ch)

32′ Trombone (digital)

16′ Trombone 73 pipes

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Tromba (ext)

4′ Oboe (Sw)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

* Holtkamp

§ Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Pedal 8, 4

Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4

Choir to Great 16, 8, 4

Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

Thumb Pistons

General 1–10

Swell 1–8

Great 1–8

Choir 1–8

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Next

Previous

Set

Cancel

Toe Pistons

General 1–10

Pedal 1–5

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Zimbelstern reversible

32′ Bourdon reversible

32′ Trombone reversible

Next

Wind Pressures

Great: 3.5′′

Swell: 5′′

Choir: 5′′

Pedal: 4′′

Festival Trumpet: 7′′

40 ranks

2,418 pipes

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

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California

Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California

Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Selling the idea

A new pipe organ is, aside from the church building itself, often the most significant investment a congregation can make. When I knew I had the opportunity to see the commissioning of a new instrument for Saint John’s Episcopal Church, it was important for me that this project be a transformational experience for the parishioners. I wanted them to have an understanding of how a pipe organ works and become experienced enough listeners so that they would “know the difference” in the sound. I also believed a pipe organ project, when done right, could unite a parish community in a powerful way.

In the summer of 2015, I offered several organ demonstrations in which parishioners came to the console and had a glance into the organ chamber. They saw me “pull out all the stops,” open the swell shades, and I demonstrated different types of sound colors. In the ensuing months I would share with them some of the serious mechanical problems that made playing the 1966 M. P. Möller organ a constant challenge.

When the project took off, some lead donors and I first talked of rebuilding the existing organ. After fundraising was proving very successful, we believed a new instrument was the best use of funds. The Vestry ultimately approved a proposal from Schoenstein & Co. for a new instrument specifically designed to render music for a traditional Anglican service. Parish-wide enthusiasm culminated with a large crowd of more than 150 people on the day the new organ was delivered in July 2018. I will never forget people of all ages coming to help carry pipes and parts into the church. It was a very hot day, so the Schoenstein crew was relieved that with all the help, the truck was completely unloaded in just a few hours!

The new Schoenstein organ played for worship the first time on September 9, 2018, with a large congregation in attendance. It is no understatement to say that this instrument has completely changed the choral and congregational singing of the parish. Parishioners can clearly tell the difference, with descriptions of “pleasing sound,” “warmth,” and “clear bass.” As for me, I am falling in love with many anthems all over again. The possibilities for choral repertoire seem limitless, as my colleague Adam Pajan demonstrates every time he plays an accompaniment.

Beautiful, rich 8′ tone is essential for playing an Anglican service, and this new organ delivers. There are twelve separate 8′ foundation stops in the manuals. While each one has a distinct quality, they blend to form a sound that invites everyone to sing. Gone are the days when the 4′ Fugara, played down an octave, was the best “diapason!”

The new organ has much more solid bass that is powerful but never “tubby.” The 16′ Open Wood does much to support the congregation’s singing, and the soft 16′s, the Swell Bourdon and Choir Dulciana, still have clear fundamental tone. The upper work (2′ stops and mixtures) is restrained and adds brilliance to full ensembles.

There is so much variety in every tonal family, but I believe the biggest success is in the reed voicing. In the Swell, the 16′ Contra Fagotto has an 8′ extension that is a darker contrast to the brighter 8′ Cornopean. The Flügel Horn, sort of like a muted trumpet, makes a compelling addition to the 8′ foundations. This stop has been put to good use in “Hills of the North,” an anthem for women’s voices by Herbert Howells. Howells specifically calls for “darker” sounds in some places.

It is easy to forget that this new Schoenstein organ has merely thirty-eight ranks. The inner swell box, when closed, gives a restrained and darker sound to the Mixture, Cornopean, and Contra Fagotto. It also means that a huge crescendo can be achieved by simply opening both sets of swell shades. A comparable effect on other instruments would usually require adding a sequence of many other stops.

In the end, it is no surprise to me that parishioners love both the sound and façade of the new organ. A most welcome surprise was the way in which this project rallied us all together. May this new organ offer praise to God and lift the hearts of worshippers for many generations to come.

—Joseph Arndt, Music Director

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

The organ’s inner beauty

When most people think about an organ, the first thing that comes to mind is the console or the organ case with display pipes. This would certainly be true of our latest organ at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With a handsome console and vibrantly stenciled display pipes, these visual portions certainly stand out. The casework and its display pipes offer an opportunity to utilize elements inspired by the room’s architecture to create a memorable and cohesive design. If done well, this often results in the phrase, “it looks like it’s always been there,” a compliment the builder always appreciates.

Many also believe the visible display pipes encompass the entire sound-producing portion of the organ. There is no compelling reason for them to think that forty display pipes would not suffice to produce all the beautiful tones they hear each Sunday at worship. And since organ chambers are usually off limits (for good reason), any secrets held within are kept safely guarded. After all, the display pipes are meant to conceal what is behind.

But what happens inside the organ? Although not thought of as beautiful in the traditional sense, the interior of the pipe organ is attractive in many ways. The supporting framework or chassis, the expression shades, wind lines, regulators and electrical cables all create a different kind of beauty—that of organized engineering. The care that goes into this process, starting with the design on the drawing board and following through to the end of the installation, is attended to by skilled craftsmen and artists whose work may never be seen or appreciated except by the very few.

The chassis—made up of wooden legs, bearers, and other supporting structure—are all made from the highest quality materials and finished as if they were to be viewed by the public. Tubing that conveys the wind to the display pipes is arranged not only along the most efficient path but is bundled neatly and secured, imitating exhaust tubes of a classic Duesenberg SJ. The cabling that transmits the desires of the organist to the appropriate pipes can be found meandering its way throughout the instrument in the neatest manner.

Why are all these things done with such care and pride, when no one except the organ technician will see them? The main reason is an organ that exhibits careful design and thoughtfulness for the placement of each component demonstrates the commitment and pride of the builder and wins the respect of organ technicians. An organ whose workings are accessible for easy service will be maintained well over the years because it is a joy to work on. The occasional issue that arises will be easy to resolve due to the wisely considered layout of the systems. Accessible components allow everything to be maintained at the highest level.

How does the congregation come to appreciate this unseen portion of the organ? One way is to start with the unloading of the organ on delivery day. The response will vary by church, but at Saint John’s the one-hundred-fifty-some members who assisted in that task certainly have a good idea of what makes up the total pipe organ. Helping to carry in the thousands of organ pipes and parts, they gained a hands-on knowledge. Throughout the installation, members would stop by to observe the progress and ask questions. Any naysayers to the acquisition of a new organ are often converted to strong supporters during this interval.

Another way to involve the church members is through education sessions during the installation. Music Director Joseph Arndt offered these directly after worship during the installation period to demonstrate certain aspects of the organ before the case and display pipes were put in place. Easily observed at this point is the working of the inner and outer expression shades of the Swell. A visual demonstration of an aural effect is a tremendous teaching device. Interested members also posted short videos to Facebook and other social media. The reaction to such postings continues to generate interest.

The local news media is another venue that should not be overlooked. Two crews from local news channels visited the church during the installation, first for unloading day and then later in the process when the first pipes started to play. A local viewer saw the installation on the news broadcast and came by the church for a personal visit. It turns out she was a friend of a Schoenstein family member she had been out of touch with for many years. Because we still have close ties with the Schoenstein family, we were able assist her in reuniting with her friend.

While the external portions of the pipe organ are often a work of art, there is just as much, if not more, to see behind the façade. The expert skills of the artisans who built the instrument are on full display and remain a testament to those who bring their talent to the task. As with other endeavors built for the ages, future generations will appreciate the “inner beauty” of their pipe organ.

—Louis Patterson,

Vice President and Plant Superintendent

Schoenstein & Co.

Collaboration

I had the privilege of meeting Joseph Arndt and becoming involved in the music ministry at Saint John’s Episcopal Church once the contract for the new instrument had already been signed. While some details of the specification were still open for discussion, the overall concept for the organ was clear: it needed to be a servant to the liturgy and the music that adorns it.

In the following months, Joseph and I spent many hours in discussion about which components really needed to be in place and which ones, while beneficial and meritorious in their own right, might acquiesce to those that could potentially better fulfill the vision. Our conversation continued to evolve following a visit to a recent Schoenstein organ, which helped inform what would become the final specification.

The Choir division saw the most dramatic transformation toward a division with diverse 8′ color, intended primarily for accompanying and solo effects. Mutations moved to the Great, where they now play a role as members of the principal chorus. Double expression in the Swell division allows it to function like an additional manual. The amount of color and power that can be controlled to a dynamic level appropriate for choral accompaniment makes the Schoenstein an overwhelming success. Each voice is individually beautiful, making the collective all the more so. It is an honor to support Joseph as Artist in Residence and to have acted as a kind of advisor and friend in the planning process. Making music at Saint John’s is more fulfilling than ever, and the future is bright indeed.

—­Adam Pajan, Artist in Residence

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Double Diapason 61 pipes

8′ First Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Second Diapason (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Silver Flute 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Twelfth (TC) 42 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Seventeenth (TC) 42 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV 187 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

SWELL (Manual III, expressive)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Horn Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gamba † 61 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste † 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

2′ Mixture III–V † 236 pipes

16′ Contra Fagotto † 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean † 61 pipes

8′ Fagotto (ext 16′) † 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

† Stops under double expression

CHOIR (Manual I, expressive)

16′ Double Dulciana (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda-Maris (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 49 pipes (Concert Flute Bass)

4′ Concert Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Lieblich Gedeckt (ext 8′) 12 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard (fr Lieb Ged)

16′ Ophicleide (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Tuba 61 pipes

8′ Flügel Horn 61 pipes

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 pipes

Tremulant

PEDAL

32′ Resultant

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Double Diapason (Gt)

16′ Double Dulciana (Ch)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Horn Diapason (Sw)

8′ Dulciana (Ch)

8′ Flute (Gt Harmonic)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Sw)

4′ Fifteenth (ext 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Flute (Gt Harmonic)

2′ Twentysecond (ext 8′) 12 pipes

16′ Ophicleide (Ch)

16′ Contra Fagotto (Sw)

8′ Tuba (Ch)

8′ Fagotto (Sw)

4′ Corno di Bassetto (Ch)

Normal couplers and accessories

Three manuals, 31 voices, 38 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

Great 771 pipes

Swell 870 pipes

Choir 451 pipes

Pedal 88 pipes

Total 2,180 pipes

TONAL ANALYSIS

PITCH SUMMARY

16′ and below 5 16%

  8′ 16 52%

  4′ 4 13%

Above 4′ 6 19%

31 100%

TONAL FAMILIES

Diapasons 14 45%

Open Flutes 5 16%

Stopped Flutes 3 10%

Strings 2 6%

Chorus Reeds 4 13%

Color Reeds 3 10%

31 100%

Photo credit: Louis Patterson

Builder’s website: www.schoenstein.com

Church website: www.sjtulsa.org

Létourneau Pipe Organs, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

From the builder

New pipe organs are certainly cause for celebration, and a new pipe organ in a concert hall setting is especially worthy. Its visual presence reminds concert goers of the organ’s existence outside the church walls and acknowledges the instrument’s pride of place when it comes to acoustic music. The concert hall also presents unique opportunities for organists to add magic to almost any kind of musical presentation. With their new 81-rank Létourneau instrument, Brigham Young University is poised to reap the benefits that only a pipe organ can provide.

Discussions began in 2019 between BYU and Létourneau Pipe Organs about a new pipe organ for their forthcoming concert hall. The design was largely complete at that time, and the hall today is the core of BYU’s new music building. Compared with the classic shoebox-shaped concert hall, this venue’s vineyard-style architecture places the stage closer to the center of the hall such that no seat is more than fifteen rows from the stage. Behind and above the stage is the organ chamber, within which now resides Létourneau’s Opus 100. Its 45-foot-wide wooden façade was made from rift-sawn oak and walnut with vertical maple accents. Nestled into the casework are 93 speaking tin pipes taken from the bass octaves of the Great 16′ Double Open Diapason, the Great 8′ First Open Diapason, the Pedal 16′ First Open Diapason, and the Pedal 8′ Principal stops.

The university’s organists, Don Cook and Neil Harmon, expressed a desire for an instrument in English Town Hall style. To explain, it became customary from the mid-nineteenth century into the early-twentieth century for cities and towns in the United Kingdom to install significant pipe organs in their civic auditoriums, as well as to engage civic organists to perform on them. These instruments—along with the technological advancements they ushered in—facilitated the development of complex orchestral transcriptions by organists W. T. Best, G. D. Cunningham, and Edwin H. Lemare, among others.

Many of these instruments still exist in places like Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Rochdale, Reading, Sheffield, and Ulster, not to mention London’s Royal Albert Hall. While each reflects its builder’s distinct tonal approach, they are broadly similar in style and can comfortably present the organ’s core repertoire on their own terms. They are just as adept at presenting colorful orchestral transcriptions or at standing in for an orchestra to accompany massed choirs. With due care when registering, these instruments are at ease with a Bach fugue, a Mendelssohn sonata, a Franck chorale, a Vierne symphony, a transcription of a Wagner overture, or fulfilling the organ part in Holst’s The Planets.

Our tonal plan for Opus 100 follows an established recipe: The organ features two distinct open diapasons on the Great, as well as open diapasons in the Swell and Choir divisions. The Great principal chorus is based on a 16′ Double Open Diapason with multiple mixtures to suit the desired effect; the Great is completed by a battery of trumpets on eight inches of wind. The Swell duplicates the Great in many ways but on a smaller scale, while the instrument’s more delicate effects are found in the Choir. The Solo division offers a powerful wooden flute stop, a briny pair of narrow-scale violes d’orchestre, and two orchestrally inspired reed stops. Brawny might be a good adjective for the Pedal division, with its two 32′ flue stops, a 16′-8′ Open Wood rank, and a compelling reed chorus from 32′ through 4′.

With the certainty that the organ would be heard alongside one of BYU’s many symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, or choral ensembles, additional fortifications are present in the form of two high-pressure tuba ranks. The first, the 16′-8′-4′ Tuba unit stop in Solo division, is voiced at just under fifteen inches of pressure and, with its smooth golden tone, can serve as the ultimate chorus reed for the manuals and pedal to bulk up the instrument’s sonic presence. The other, the 8′ Tuba mirabilis in the Choir, speaks on nineteen inches of wind and contrasts with more “point” in its timbre.

One of the parameters established from the outset was that the instrument would feature a console attached to the façade with mechanical key actions, as well as another console at stage level playing the instrument through entirely electric actions. Because of the substantial wind pressures required to fill the auditorium and concerns about the weight of the key actions, the attached console has been provided with Kowalyshyn Servo Pneumatic Levers to ensure the key actions remain responsive and proportional. Ensuring flexibility, both consoles offer a full complement of sub octave, unison, and octave couplers and a comprehensive system of pistons for up to 99 users with 64 memory levels each.

The designation of this instrument as Létourneau’s Opus 100 merits explanation as it continues a company practice wherein significant opus numbers are reserved for grand instruments that represent something of a tour de force. The first such instrument was the company’s Opus 50 completed at the Francis Winspear Centre of Music in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 2002. There are similarities between Opus 50 and Opus 100: Both are large instruments that amply fill their respective concert hall with sound. In both cases, the pipe organ can be played from two consoles, with one attached to the instrument’s casework and the other moveable at stage level.

A pipe organ was always an integral part of BYU’s vision for its new concert hall, and we trust that this new and significant instrument will fulfill the university’s aspirations. It is humbling to think of the music that will come forth from Opus 100 from countless students, from BYU’s faculty, and from guest artists. Outside of solo presentations, there are also the many choirs that will be accompanied, or the orchestras and other ensembles that will be enriched, by the pipe organ’s unmistakable presence.

The entire Létourneau team is honored to have been selected to build this instrument and for our work to be associated with Brigham Young University into the future. It has been our pleasure to have worked with many fine people from BYU over the last five years, including Dean Ed Adams, Ray Bernier, Don Cook, Travis Dance, Jeremy Grimshaw, and Neil Harmon. We are grateful for their trust, for their patience, and for their unwavering support in our pursuit of artistic excellence.

—Andrew Forrest

From the musicians

Over many decades, the Brigham Young University organ program has enjoyed excellent practice facilities for organ majors and an organ lab for non-major organ study. However, access to a good concert organ has been difficult.

Moving to a new music building in 2023 created an opportunity to equip a 1,000-seat concert hall with a new pipe organ. The directors of our ensembles wanted an excellent instrument, and of course the organ faculty was poised to help bring a first-class organ to BYU.

A university organ committee was involved in the early stages of the new building’s design. We proposed an organ with two consoles—a tracker console in the façade and a movable console on the stage. An organ leaning in an English Romantic direction was proposed, to complement the French Romantic, Germanic, and American Classic organs in Salt Lake City.

Visits to several organs crafted by Létourneau in 2011 and 2019 led to a contract for a new four-manual, 81-rank instrument based on an English town hall scheme. The façade, designed by Létourneau with input from a BYU design committee, was to reflect the jagged-mountaintop theme echoed throughout the building. The terraced stage console allows easy view of the ensemble directors. The vineyard-style hall produces about two seconds of reverberation.

Organ alumni attended a conference underwritten by Marjorie Volkel following the organ dedicatory recital by Durham Cathedral organist Daniel Cook on October 25, 2024. One can imagine the joy they feel over their alma mater finally acquiring a concert organ that measures up to our active educational programs.

Current students are ecstatic over the new arrival and can access it regularly for practice, lessons, and performances. Although the new organ is located in a multi-use hall, administrators provide as much access as possible.

The inaugural season of performances includes solo recitals by faculty, alumni, and Salt Lake Tabernacle organists. Several choral and orchestral performances are scheduled, including the premiere of a new major work for women’s chorus and organ by Daniel Gawthrop. A community hymn sing is also scheduled.

The BYU community is set to enjoy the warmth, beauty, and power of this world-class organ for generations. We appreciate the university, the College of Fine Arts and Communications, the School of Music, and Létourneau Organs with Andrew Forrest for working together so nicely in the creation of this beautiful concert organ.

—Neil Harmon and Don Cook

Brigham Young University organ faculty

Builder’s website: www.letourneauorgans.com/

University website: http://cfac.byu.edu/organ

Inaugural season of events: organ.byu.edu/concert-hall-series/

Cover photo: Nate Edwards / BYU Photo

GREAT – Manual II – 130mm pressure

16′ Double Open Diapason, 61 pipes, 70% tin

8′ First Open Diapason, 61 pipes, 70% tin

8′ Second Open Diapason, 61 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Harmonic Flute, 61 pipes, wood and 56% tin, harmonic @ g32

8′ Viola di gamba, 61 pipes, zinc and 56% tin

8′ Stopped Diapason, 61 pipes, wood and 40% tin

4′ Principal, 61 pipes, 56% tin

4′ Open Flute, 68 pipes, 40% tin

2 2⁄3′ Twelfth, 61 pipes, 56% tin

2′ Fifteenth, 61 pipes, 56% tin

1 3⁄5′ Seventeenth, 61 pipes, 56% tin

2 2⁄3′ Grand Mixture II–III, 159 pipes, 12-15, 56% tin

1 1⁄3′ Mixture IV, 244 pipes, 19-22-26-29, 56% tin

1⁄2′ Sharp Mixture 183 pipes, 29-33-36, 56% tin

16′ Contra Posaune 61 pipes 56% tin, harmonic @ f#43, 205mm pressure

8′ Trumpet 68 pipes 56% tin, harmonic @ f#31, 205mm pressure

4′ Clarion 68 pipes 56% tin, harmonic @ f#19, 205mm pressure

Great 16, Great Unison Off, Great 4

8′ Tuba mirabilis (Choir)

Cymbelstern

Nachtigall

SWELL (enclosed) – Manual III – 140mm pressure

16′ Contra Gamba, 61 pipes, zinc and 56% tin

8′ Open Diapason, 61 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Concert Flute, 61 pipes, wood and 56% tin

8′ Gamba, 61 pipes, zinc and 56% tin

8′ Voix Celeste, 54 pipes from g8, zinc and 56% tin

8′ Bourdon, 61 pipes, wood and 40% tin

4′ Principal, 61 pipes, 56% tin

4′ Flauto Traverso, 61 pipes, 40% tin

2′ Fifteenth, 61 pipes, 56% tin

2′ Piccolo Harmonique, 61 pipes, 40% tin

11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV, 232 pipes, 19-22-26, 56% tin

16′ Double Trumpet, 61 pipes, 56% tin, harmonic @ c49

8′ Trumpet, 66 pipes, 56% tin, harmonic @ c37

8′ Oboe, 61 pipes, 56% tin, capped resonators

8′ Vox Humana, 61 pipes, 56% tin, capped resonators

4′ Clairon, 78 pipes, 56% tin, harmonic @ c25

Tremulant

Swell 16, Swell Unison Off, Swell 4

CHOIR (enclosed) – Manual I – 115mm pressure

16′ Lieblich Gedact, 61 pipes, wood and 40% tin

8′ Geigen Diapason, 61 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Rohr Flute, 61 pipes, wood and 40% tin

8′ Dulciana, 61 pipes, zinc and 56% tin

8′ Vox Angelica, 54 pipes from g8, zinc and 56% tin

4′ Fugara, 61 pipes, 56% tin

4′ Koppel Flute, 61 pipes, 40% tin

2 2⁄3′ Nazard, 61 pipes, 40% tin

2′ Gemshorn, 61 pipes, 56% tin

1 3⁄5′ Tierce, 61 pipes, 40% tin

1 1⁄3′ Larigot, 61 pipes, 40% tin

1′ Mixture III, 183 pipes, 22-26-29, 56% tin

16′ Contra Fagotto, 61 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Trumpet, 66 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Cremona, 61 pipes, new, zinc and 56% tin

Tremulant

Choir 16, Choir Unison Off, Choir 4

8′ Tuba mirabilis, 61 pipes, 56% tin, harmonic @ f#19, 495mm pressure

Great Reeds on Choir

SOLO (enclosed) – Manual IV – 280mm pressure

8′ Flauto mirabilis, 61 pipes, wood

8′ Viole d’orchestre, 61 pipes, zinc and 70% tin

8′ Viole Celeste, 54 pipes from g8, zinc and 70% tin

8′ Clarinet, 61 pipes, 56% tin

8′ English Horn, 61 pipes, zinc and 56% tin

Tremulant

16′ Contra Tuba, 12 pipes ext of 8′ Tuba, 56% tin, 400mm pressure

8′ Tuba, 61 pipes, 56% tin, 400mm pressure

4′ Tuba Clarion, 24 pipes ext of 8′ Tuba, 56% tin, 400mm pressure

Choir 16, Choir Unison Off, Choir 4

8′ Tuba mirabilis (Choir)

Chimes 37 notes Walker digital voice

Harp 61 notes Walker digital voice

Glockenspiel 61 notes Walker digital voice

Great Reeds on Solo

PEDAL – 150mm pressure

32′ Double Open Diapason, 12 pipes ext of 16′ Open Diapason, wood, Haskell construction

32′ Contra Bourdon, 12 pipes ext of 16′ Bourdon, wood

16′ Open Wood, 32 pipes, wood

16′ First Open Diapason, 32 pipes, 70% tin

16′ Second Open Diapason (Great)

16′ Bourdon, 32 pipes, wood

16′ Gamba (Swell)

16′ Lieblich Gedact (Choir)

10 2⁄3′ Grand Quint, 32 pipes, 56% tin

8′ Open Wood, 12 pipes ext of 16′ Open Wood, wood

8′ Principal, 32 pipes, 70% tin

8′ Spitz Flute, 32 pipes, 56% tin

4′ Choral Bass, 32 pipes, 56% tin

2 2⁄3′ Mixture IV, 128 pipes, 19-22-26-29, 56% tin

32′ Contra Posaune, 12 pipes ext of Gt 16′ Contra Posaune, zinc and 56% tin, 225mm pressure

16′ Tuba (Solo)

16′ Trombone, 32 pipes, 56% tin, 205mm pressure

16′ Fagotto (Choir)

8′ Tuba (Solo)

8′ Trumpet, 32 pipes, 56% tin, 205mm pressure

4′ Tuba Clarion (Solo)

4′ Clarion, 32 pipes, 56% tin, 205mm pressure

8′ Tuba mirabilis (Choir)

Great Reeds on Choir

Pedal Divide

82 stops; 81 ranks; 4,608 pipes

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Pedal 8, 4

Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Solo to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4

Choir to Great 16, 8, 4

Solo to Great 16, 8, 4

Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

Solo to Choir 16, 8, 4

Solo to Swell

Great to Solo

Swell to Solo

Choir to Solo

Consoles

• One four-manual and pedal console in the en fenêtre position with mechanical key actions and Kowalyshyn Servo Pneumatic Lever machines.

• One four-manual and pedal moveable console at stage level with electric actions.

• Common combination action between consoles for up to 100 users and 64 levels of memory per user. 8 Great pistons, 8 Swell pistons, 8 Choir pistons, 6 Solo pistons, 8 Pedal pistons and 16 General pistons, as well as multiple Next and Previous pistons.

Mixture Compositions

Great Grand Mixture II–III

c1 to b12 12 15

c13 to b24 8 12

c25 to b36 1 5 8

c37 to f#43 -5 1 5

g44 to c61 -8 -5 1

Great Mixture IV

c1 to b12 19 22 26 29

c13 to f#19 15 19 22 26

g20 to f#31 12 15 19 22

g32 to f#43 8 12 15 19

g44 to c61 1 8 12 15

Great Sharp Mixture III

c1 to g#9 29 33 36

a10 to f18 26 29 33

f#19 to d27 22 26 29

e28 to b36 19 22 26

c37 to g#45 15 19 22

a46 to e53 12 15 19

f54 to c61 8 12 15

Swell Mixture III

c1 to b12 19 22 26

c13 to b24 15 19 22 26

c25 to e41 12 15 19 22

f42 to d51 8 12 15 19

d#52 to c61 1 8 12 15

Choir Mixture III

c1 to a10 22 26 29

a#11 to g20 19 22 26

g#21 to f30 15 19 22

f#31 to d#40 12 15 19

e41 to c61 8 12 15

Pedal Mixture IV

c1 to g32 19 22 26 29