Cover feature: Rieger Orgelbau, Saint Mary’s Basilica, Kraków, Poland

Taylor & Boody Organbuilders, Staunton, Virginia, Opus 83; Ancilla Domini Chapel, Plymouth, Indiana

 

From the director of liturgy and music and the organ project advisor

On August 15, 1851, Katharina Kasper and four companions pronounced their vows as a new religious community, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (Ancillae Domini), and began their ministry to the poor, the sick, and those most in need. Under the shadow of a linden tree beside Heilborn Chapel in Dernbach, Germany, the congregation grew, and was called to minister all around the world. Today, Saint Katharina’s community serves in nine countries, including the United States, where the first motherhouse was established in 1868. The present motherhouse of the United States Province was dedicated in 1923 and is a thriving ministry center focused on serving the most vulnerable in society, a place of openness and welcome where people of all faiths and spiritual expressions can find a home.

At the center of life in the motherhouse is Ancilla Domini Chapel, a majestic building constructed to last for the ages and inspire countless searching souls. The chapel’s gallery first held the final organ by Louis Van Dinter, a Dutch-born organ builder who settled in Mishawaka, Indiana. The instrument was typical of those built for Catholic churches in the 1920s. It was relatively small, almost entirely composed of 8′ and 4′ stops voiced very smoothly, and designed to accompany the choir of sisters and play music during the Mass. It was never intended to lead the congregational singing that became common after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Like many such instruments, the Van Dinter was altered to suit the changing needs of the liturgy, but these renovations sapped the instrument of its original character and were made using low-quality materials. When the instrument began rapidly failing in the 2010s the need for a change became clear.

Respecting its history in the chapel, and recognizing its still-extant lovely core, we first considered renovating and expanding the Van Dinter organ. However, after considering several proposals, we ruled out this option. The necessary work was simply too extensive and making such an investment to yield a relatively unsatisfying result would not have been prudent. We also considered re-homing an existing instrument, but none were available that suited the needs of the project. A new pipe organ was the most economical and musically promising option.

Any new organ project requires assessing priorities. No one organ can play all literature compellingly or serve all needs equally. In Ancilla Chapel, the organ’s primary function is to accompany congregational singing. Particularly given the German heritage of the Poor Handmaids, our primary inspiration came from the great instruments of northern Europe, which were designed and built to accompany robust congregational singing. We desired a totally mechanical instrument of the highest quality, the kind of instrument that will stand the test of time and last as long as the breathtaking building housing it. This is in line with the Poor Handmaids’ commitment to integral ecology, sustainability, and true economy (which considers the timespan of generations, not simply the present moment). The new instrument also had to meet practical considerations: occupy a minimal footprint in the gallery, include modern playing aids (combination action, etc.), and fit within budgetary constraints. Given limitations of space and budget, a complete two-manual and pedal instrument was the best option to fulfill this vision. Finally, we desired a true musical instrument with its own integrity and identity, the kind of instrument that speaks to the soul and is more than an acoustical synthesizer of amalgamated tone colors.

After considering four proposals, in March 2019, the Provincial Council of the Poor Handmaids selected Taylor & Boody Organbuilders to build the new instrument. It was a difficult decision, since all the proposals were excellent and could have yielded wonderful instruments. Taylor & Boody’s proposal stood out for its attention to detail and spiritual connection to the Poor Handmaids. From the hand-drawn case design incorporating elements from the chapel architecture to the stoplist and specification, the proposal showed great care and commitment to the vision of the project.

Now that Taylor & Boody Opus 83 is installed and playing, we are proud to report that the vision has been fulfilled beyond expectations. When Saint Katharina sat praying under the linden tree by Heilborn chapel 150 years ago, could she have imagined that the linden wood from a tree by the motherhouse of her sisters an ocean away would adorn the case of a magnificent pipe organ? Perhaps she could, because, guided by the Holy Spirit, Saint Katharina’s faith and charism were rooted in something larger than herself: the God who surpasses all understanding, from whom untold graces can flow through those open to following the call to serve.

New pipe organs can never be about one person, or even one institution. These grand instruments are of and for the whole community, for all who encounter them. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ are proud to offer Taylor & Boody Opus 83 for the glory of God and as an oblation to present and future generations. All are welcome to visit Ancilla Domini Chapel and play, hear, and pray with this splendid instrument.

­—Andrew Jennings

Director of Liturgy and Music

United States Province, Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ

—Dr. Benjamin A. Stone

Organ Project Advisor

 

From the organbuilders

George Taylor and Robbie Lawson first visited the Ancilla Domini chapel in February of 2019 while delivering our Opus 75, a continuo organ, to the University of Notre Dame. Their reaction was one of great surprise, to find such an imposing structure in so remote a location. They were struck by the quality of the building, the level of detail in the neo-Gothic architecture, and most of all, the room’s enveloping and generous acoustic. George recalls of their visit: “I asked Ben [Stone, the organ project advisor] to play a hymn on the 8′ Diapason. The turgid sound brought to mind E. Power Biggs’s put down (in his inimitable British accent) of a similar stop as ‘wooly.’ Then I went downstairs and asked Ben to repeat the verse. Thanks to the building those tubby old pipes now sounded lovely. Clearly, here we would be blessed with arguably the best room we had ever worked in.”

The towering case of the organ is modeled after 17th- and 18th-century Dutch instruments. It is constructed of white oak, much of which came from our sawmill, and stands at an imposing 34 feet tall to the top of the center spire. An aging and precariously leaning linden (basswood) tree that had to be removed from the Ancilla Domini campus was sent to our sawmill, and supplied the lumber for the carvings, providing a very special connection between the organ and its home. All of the case decoration is reflective of the sanctuary, and especially its beautiful and ornate high altar.

The façade contains pipes from the Hauptwerk 16′ Principal, down to low F-sharp, as well as the Oberwerk 8′ Principal. Behind it, at impost level, sit the two large windchests of the Hauptwerk division. Located above that, in the center, are the Oberwerk windchests. The Pedal is housed in a separate, two-tiered open case that stands behind the main case. The vaulted ceiling above the organ is the perfect reflector not only for the encased manual divisions, but likewise allows for the Pedal to stand behind the case without any loss of tonal presence.

Though the focus of many of our recent instruments has been toward the accompaniment of choirs and congregations in an Anglo-American style, with complete Swell divisions behind foundational Great choruses, we were asked for this project to return to a more pure form of the idiom in which we have worked for many decades, that of the high North German Baroque organ. This perfectly suits their primary requirement of robust congregational accompaniment in a large, reverberant room.

Far from being a collection of screeching mixtures, the opulent specification provides a variety of 16- and 8-foot stops in each division, as well as complete choruses and a plethora of flutes and mutations. The Oberwerk’s high-tin 8′ Principal in façade is modeled after 18th-century examples, and its instrumental speech is the perfect foil to the Hauptwerk’s hammered lead 8′ Octave, whose dark, vocale sounds recall an earlier era. The Hauptwerk is lent gravitas by its full-compass 16′ Principal. The high bass response of the room allows the largest pipes to speak naturally and gently, completely unforced. The 8′ Holzflöte of the Oberwerk is a tapered wooden stop that sings with an ethereal charm from its position high atop the organ. The 8′ Salicional of the Hauptwerk has more refined speech characteristics than some of its Baroque cousins, but there is still plenty of rosin on the bow.

Perhaps more so than the brilliant choruses, it is the variety of reeds that distinguish the North German Baroque organ, and Opus 83 is no exception. The German-faced shallots help relate the sound of the dark and covered Trompets of the Hauptwerk to the brash and noisy 8′ Trompet that cries from the Oberwerk. The room demands a 32-foot pedal reed, and our Pedal Fagott can be heard under full organ, or used under just 8-foot stops. The woody and clarinet-like Dulcian, the strident Vox Humana, and the piquant Cornett provide an array of accompanimental and solo possibilities.

The key and stop action of the organ are completely mechanical, though the utility of the organ has been augmented by a combination action and sequencer by Solid State Organ Systems. Carbon fiber trackers are used throughout the instrument. The wind for the organ is provided by three large wedge bellows, located in a room behind the back wall of the gallery. The entire organ plays on 80mm (31⁄8 inches) wind pressure. Though normally blower-winded, the organ can also be foot-pumped. The tremulant affects the entire organ, and wind stabilizers can be engaged to calm the lively wind.

The first truck of organ parts arrived the week before Thanksgiving of 2022, and the last tuning cone was packed up three months later near the end of February. Tonal finishing was completed by Aaron Reichert and the author, assisted by Sean Dye. I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful hospitality extended to us during installation and voicing. The organ was dedicated in a service of blessing on March 25, 2023, followed by a recital played by organ project advisor Dr. Benjamin A. Stone. The sisters have truly fostered a friendly and welcoming community, and it was a true joy to work with them, Ben Stone, and Andrew Jennings in bringing this instrument to life!

—Joel A. VanderZee

Taylor & Boody Organbuilders

 

HAUPTWERK (manual I)

16′ Principal  

16′ Quintadena  

8′ Octave  

8′ Rohrflöte  

8′ Salicional  

4′ Octave  

4′ Spitzflöte 

2-2⁄3′ Quinte

2′ Superoctave

Mixture IV–VI

Cornet IV (mounted, gº–d′′′)

16′ Trompet  

8′ Trompet  

OBERWERK (manual II)

8′ Principal  

8′ Gedackt  

8′ Holzflöte  

4′ Octave  

4′ Rohrflöte  

2-2⁄3′ Nasat

2′ Octave

2′ Waldflöte

Sesquialtera II

Scharff  IV–VI

16′ Dulcian

8′ Trompet

8′ Vox Humana

PEDAL

16′ Principal (HW)

16′ Subbass

8′ Octave

4′ Octave

Mixture V

32′ Fagott

16′ Posaune

16′ Trompet (HW)

8′ Trompet

2′ Cornett

 

Couplers:  OW to HW, HW to PD, OW to PD

Tremulant, Zimbelstern, Wind Stabilizer

 

Metal pipes of hammered lead-tin alloys

Natural keys of polished cow bone

Sharps and stop knobs of ebony

Mechanical key action

Mechanical stop action with combination capture system and piston sequencer

Manual compass:  C–a′′′, 58 notes; Pedal compass: C–f′, 30 notes

Case of solid white oak

Three wedge bellows with foot pumping levers and blower

Temperament: T&B’s “Ancilla”

Pitch: A=440hz at 70ºF

36 stops, 52 ranks, 2,486 pipes

 

T&B’s “Ancilla” Temperament offsets from Equal in cents:

C +5.87 C-G -1/6 PC

Cs -1.30 G-D -1/6 PC

D +1.96 D-A -1/6 PC

Ds +2.61 A-E -1/9 PC

E -0.65 E-B -1/6 PC

F +6.52 B-Fs -1/9 PC

Fs -3.26 Fs-Cs 0

G +3.91 Cs-Gs 0

Gs +0.65 Gs-Ds 0

A 0.00 Ds-As 0

As +4.56 As-F 0

B -2.61 F-C -1/9 PC

 

www.taylorandboody.com

 

thecenteratdonaldson.org

Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Mocksville, North Carolina; Haymount United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, North Carolina

In our previous cover features in The Diapason and The American Organist, we exclusively showcased our own work. However, this time, we aim to spotlight another crucial aspect of our business endeavors—high-quality organ renovations and additions to existing instruments. These projects constitute nearly half of our workload and are just as essential to us as our new builds.

The importance of preserving our cultural heritage is undisputable. The pipe organ plays a particularly prominent role in the modern history of human civilization. For centuries, its majestic sound has inspired us, its external beauty has dazzled, and its technical complexity has astonished all who have had the chance to explore its inner workings. There is a good reason why the organ bears the title of the King of Instruments—no other instrument has the ability to fill vast interiors of even the largest buildings with sound that can transition from a shimmer to thunder with ease and grace. The pipe organ is truly an awe-inspiring instrument!

For these reasons, we undertake renovation projects with great joy and reverence. It is both a duty and a privilege. Naturally, it is our responsibility to care for instruments built by others, with the hope that someday someone else, younger and more capable, will care for the ones we built. But renovating is also a treat in a way that only technical buffs can understand—there is always so much to learn and explore. Human ingenuity never fails to inspire, and in the process of discovering someone else’s work, we benefit from their wisdom and creativity. Through many years of working on different organs, we can say with absolute certainty that each time is a humbling experience. Repairing these complex instruments requires a labor of love and dedication.

But the same requirement is placed upon the owners of these instruments. It takes love and dedication to commit to the renovation process, one that very often carries a significant price tag and necessitates sacrifices from the entire faith community. It takes vision, determination, and great organizational skills to carry out a project that, let’s face it, is rarely at the top of the list of priorities. These exact traits were evident at Haymount United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where the strong-willed members of the congregation made it possible to breathe new life into a magnificent organ from the now-extinct M. P. Möller organ factory.

The organ at Haymount United Methodist Church was built as Möller’s Opus 11011, completed in late June of 1975. During its nearly fifty years of service to this church, the instrument underwent several planned additions and necessary updates. Among the most significant changes was the installation of an electronic organ control system, which replaced the outdated and cumbersome original electro-pneumatic equipment inside the console. However, this update did not stand the test of time. Rapid advancements in the electronic industry rendered the old system obsolete and incapable of meeting the requirements of modern performance. Additionally, the leather components were reaching the end of their lifespan and began to show signs of trouble, manifesting in dead notes, ciphers, and unresponsive ranks. It became evident that a comprehensive solution was needed—a total renovation and overhaul of the entire organ.

During the planning stages of the renovation, a surprising idea emerged—the addition of a horizontal trumpet. Not just any trumpet, but a high-pressure en chamade trumpet requested by the client, positioned on the opposite side of the church to effectively project its sound through the full volume of the chancel organ. The only logical placement for this feature was at the back of the nave, between the stained-glass windows, necessitating an unusual configuration of the en chamade in two vertical rows. Nonetheless, we welcomed these challenges with enthusiasm.

By the end of 2019, the contract was signed, and we were preparing to commence work sometime in the middle of 2020. However, unforeseen circumstances arose—the pandemic disrupted our plans entirely. Life as we knew it ground to a halt across the United States and beyond. Our workshop was mandated to close for several months as a “non-essential business,” and our suppliers halted the provision of necessary parts due to the same circumstances and shortages. Despite these formidable obstacles, we resolved to press ahead with the renovation, buoyed by the unwavering support of the church in making this decision.

The renovation at Haymount United Methodist Church was truly comprehensive, leaving no detail overlooked. Every aspect of the organ received scrupulous attention, ensuring its restoration to peak performance. Bellows were carefully removed and underwent complete refurbishment at our state-of-the-art workshop. Approximately 2,000 leather pouches in the windchests were replaced with new pneumatics. All pipes underwent cleaning, repair, voicing correction, and precise reinstallation.

The console underwent a thorough transformation in our workshop, being stripped down, refinished, and outfitted with new electronics, drawknobs, pistons, LED lights, and an updated electronic system interface. The existing keyboards, crafted with ivory and ebony, along with the pedalboard, were restored to mint condition. We upgraded the entire switching system from analog to digital, implementing optical sensors for all keyboards and the pedalboard, and transitioning communication between the console and organ chamber to a fiber-optic network.

Reed pipes received meticulous attention, undergoing cleaning of the reeds and shallots, while wooden pipe stoppers were repacked with fresh leather. Existing swell shade motors were re-placed with new electronic operators by Peterson. Alongside numerous repairs, we introduced several new components, including a brand-new adjustable-height bench for the console and a redesigned music rack made from tempered glass.

Two new high-pressure blowers were installed, one for the Trompette de Gabriel (en chamade) and another for the Festival Trumpet. Additionally, we constructed a new Zimbelstern, featuring sixteen bells with adjustable speed.

Crucially, we replaced the existing organ control system with a new one from Matters Inc., which offers an array of features tailored to the organist’s needs, such as record/playback, transpose, MIDI capability, unlimited memory levels, and programmable crescendos. This system is characterized by its robustness, speed, reliability, and ease of installation and future servicing.

Following a period of fine-tuning and adjustments, the organ resumed serving the faith community of Haymount United Methodist Church in June of 2021, embodying a renewed spirit and enhanced capabilities.

The entire team at Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders extends our heartfelt gratitude to the members of Haymount United Methodist Church for their steadfast support and confidence in our craftsmanship. This project has been challenging, but the outcomes are sure to instill pride in the community for years to come.

—Tom Lewtak

www.lewtak.com/

www.haymountumc.com/

Photo credit: Kacper Lewtak

 

M. P. Möller Opus 11011 (1975)

GREAT (Manual II, exposed)

16′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

8′ Principal  61 pipes

8′ Bourdon  61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes

Fourniture III–IV 220 pipes

8′ Trompete 61 pipes

8′ Festival Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Trompette de Gabriel 49 pipes (new, en chamade, 50–61 repeat)

Great Unison Off

Great 4′

Chimes 21 tubes

POSITIV (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Geigen Principal (TC) 49 pipes (1–12 Gemshorn 8′)

8′ Holzgedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Spitzflöte 61 pipes

2′ Prinzipal 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes

Zimbel III 183 pipes

16′ Dulzian 61 pipes

8′ Krummhorn 61 pipes

Tremolo

8′ Festival Trumpet (Great)

8′ Trompette de Gabriel (Great)

Positiv 16′

Positiv Unison Off

Positiv 4′

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Flûte à cheminée  61 pipes

8′ Flûte à cheminée (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes

8′ Viole celeste 61 pipes

4′ Prestant  61 pipes

4′ Flûte à fuseau 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Flûte à bec 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce  61 pipes

Plein Jeu III–IV 220 pipes

16′ Basson  61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Basson (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Voix Humaine 61 pipes

4′ Clairon 61 pipes

Tremolo

8′ Trompette de Gabriel (Great)

Swell 16′

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4′

PEDAL

32′ Violone (digital)

16′ Contrebasse  32 pipes

16′ Subbass  32 pipes

16′ Gemshorn (Great)

16′ Flûte à cheminée (Swell)

8′ Octave (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Great)

8′ Flûte à cheminée (Swell)

4′ Choralbass 32 pipes

4′ Flûte à cheminée (Swell)

Mixture III 96 pipes

32′ Basson (digital)

16′ Posaune  32 pipes

16′ Basson (Swell)

16′ Dulzian (Positiv)

8′ Trompette (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette de Gabriel (Great)

4′ Basson (Swell)

Inter-divisional couplers

Great to Pedal 8′

Swell to Pedal 8′

Swell to Pedal 4′

Positiv to Pedal 8′

Swell to Great 16′

Swell to Great 8′

Swell to Great 4′

Positiv to Great 16′

Positiv to Great 8′

Positiv to Great 4′

Great to Positiv 8′

Swell to Positiv 16′

Swell to Positiv 8′

Swell to Positiv 4′

Combinations

Great-Positiv Transfer

General pistons 1–10

Divisional pistons 1–5, all manuals and pedal

Set, Cancel, Tutti, Next, Previous, Zimbelstern, Sequencer On/Off

Console

Existing console shell completely restored to mint condition

Existing keyboards with ivory/ebony tops completely restored

Existing pedalboard completely restored

New organ bench with adjustable height

New music rack, tempered glass with laser etched Möller and Lewtak logo

New music rack, coupler rail and pedalboard LED dimmable lights

Swell and Positiv expression shades LED indicators

Mechanical and electrical

Electronic organ control system by Matters Inc. with unlimited memory levels, internal Record/Playback, and MIDI capability

Fiber-optic communication connection between console and organ chamber/en chamade

New high-pressure blower and winding system for the en chamade 8′ Trompette de Gabriel

New high-pressure blower and bellow for the 8′ Festival Trumpet

New custom-built Zimbelstern with 16 bells

New swell expression motors, 8-stage, by Peterson

New power switching system for the entire organ

New internal power supply for Walker Paradox System

Tuning, temperament, wind

Equal temperament

A=440 HZ at 19 degrees Celsius

Thirteen single-rise bellows, various sizes, all completely refurbished or manufactured new

Wind pressure:

Great, Positiv and Pedal at 2.75 inches

Swell at 3 inches

 

55 stops

46 pipe ranks + 2 electronic

2,579 pipes

Klais–Fisk organ, Saint Peter’s Church, New York City

In Midtown Manhattan, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 54th Street, stands a comparatively humble yet eye-catching edifice. Dwarfed by the iconic tower soaring overhead, Saint Peter’s Church appears grounded and approachable. From street level, the sanctuary, clad in Caledonia granite, rises to sixty feet, but the sanctuary floor lies twenty-five feet below, making for an impressive interior height of eighty-five feet. A skylight bisects the building diagonally from southwest to northeast, providing dynamic natural light and giving passersby the opportunity to see into the sanctuary. Completed in 1977, both church and skyscraper were conceived by architects Hugh Stubbins and W. Easley Hamner as a single redevelopment project, Citicorp Center.

Saint Peter’s interior, designed by Lella and Massimo Vignelli, is said to be one of the finest examples of late mid-century modernism. For the Vignellis, it was important that the space be flexible in order to serve the established purposes of Lutheran liturgy and much more. Their vision allows the sanctuary to serve as a house of worship as naturally as a place for concerts, lectures, performances, meetings, and community gatherings. Johannes Klais Orgelbau in Bonn, Germany, was commissioned to build a two-manual, 32-stop mechanical-action organ for the new sanctuary. Klais worked in tandem with the Vignellis on the case and console designs, resulting in an organ uniquely integrated into its architectural setting.

On January 4, 2021, Saint Peter’s suffered a severe trauma in the form of flood damage from the rupture of a municipal water main. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water surged into the building, causing major damage to the below-ground sanctuary and the basement-level black box theater, community spaces, and administrative offices underneath. A layer of fine muddy silt covered every surface. Mitigation efforts, including rapid dehumidification to prevent a mold outbreak, stressed all wooden furnishings, in particular the pipe organ.

Pastor Jared R. Stahler and Cantor Bálint Karosi received expert guidance with regard to their predicament, and on January 26, twenty-two days after the flood, a crew from the Organ Clearing House arrived to begin dismantling and packing the Klais for shipping. On February 5, the organ parts arrived at the Gloucester workshop of C. B. Fisk, Inc., for evaluation and, eventually, reassembly. The initial plan called for a thorough restoration of the instrument, and a strategy was developed to accomplish that. But after the organ had been standing in the Fisk erecting room for some months, giving all parties opportunity to inspect and fully grasp the organ’s condition, creative minds got to pondering. A gradual evolution in the collective mindset followed­—from that of simple restoration to one of reimagination.

At its installation in 1977, the Klais instrument was an important addition to the emergent mechanical-action organ scene in the United States. A mere sixteen years had passed since the 1961 debut of Charles Fisk’s landmark tracker at Mount Calvary Church in Baltimore. Historically informed musical instrument building and attention to early performance practice were leading edge. Now, nearly a half-century later, the tracker movement has matured; instrument builders are more and more conscious of ways to be inclusive of multiple traditions without sacrificing the central attributes of the historically informed philosophy. The Saint Peter’s flood, though unexpected and deeply disruptive, offered a compelling opportunity for artistic renascence of the Klais.

Keen to authentically perform the sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries in a worship setting, Dr. Karosi founded the Bach Collegium at Saint Peter’s in 2017. As a professional vocal and instrumental ensemble, it offers worshippers faithful re-creations of eighteenth-century Lutheran church music. Bach spent his professional career in the central German region of Thuringia, which, together with neighboring Saxony, were home to some exceptional organbuilding in the eighteenth century. Dr. Karosi, who knows these organs well, proposed adding some authentic Thuringian voices to the Klais, and he put forth a detailed plan. To accomplish his objectives, selected stops would need to be repurposed, others relocated, and a few removed. At the Fisk workshop, studies were made to determine what would be feasible in terms of windchest modifications, and pipe scaling practices of the eighteenth-century central German builders were examined in detail.

Acoustician Dana Kirkegaard advised on acoustical matters, including updates to the sanctuary’s amplification and recording systems. Preservation architect Angela Wolf Scott joined the team to guide all aspects of the sanctuary restoration, ensuring that the Vignellis’ original designs would be respected in every detail, including all visual aspects of the organ console, bench, and case. Given the integrated design of every element of the sanctuary, a new audio-visual control board as well as speaker cabinets made to look like the originals but containing state-of-the-art interior components and electronics were constructed at the Fisk shop of wood and finish to match the organ.

By June 2022, a revamped organ stoplist had been generated. Three entirely new 8′ registers—Principal, Grossgedackt, and Quintadehn—all in eighteenth-century Thuringian style, were added to the Great division. The Klais façade 8′ Principal was retained and renamed 8′ Prestant. The original Great 8′ Rohrgedackt was moved to the Pedal and rechristened 8′ Gedackt. A new 8′ Rohrflöte, scaled and voiced in nineteenth-century style, replaced the original 8′ Gedackt in the Swell. The two 4′ flutes traded places, with the Rohrflöte relocating to the Great and the wooden Traversflöte moving to the Swell. The latter, in order to fit on the Swell chest, received new metal pipes from CC–F0. Other space-management revisions included saying farewell to the Great 11⁄3′ Larigot and the Swell 2′ Principal. In the Pedal, the wooden 16′ Subbass received a new CC pipe, increasing its scale by one note, and higher cut-ups.

Due to the fact that the Klais 8′ and 4′ principals had been previously revoiced (work that included raising the wind pressure in the Great from 2.75 inches to 3.35 inches, and raising cut-ups), overarching decisions with regard to pitch and wind pressures were necessary. Having had the opportunity to hear the Klais in situ before the flood, our remembered impressions, together with Dr. Karosi’s input, guided our decision making. With regard to wind pressures, the Great was left as we found it, the Swell was increased from 2.55 inches to 3 inches, and the upper Pedal chest pressure was raised from 2.95 inches to 3.35 inches to match that of the lower Pedal. The temperament was changed from equal to Kellner. The pitch of the organ as we received it was curiously high, with pipes on the voicing jack registering between A 446–447. In order to lower it to something within reason, we were obliged to fit slide tuners to all cone-tuned flue pipes. Reed remedies were more complicated.

In contrast to the tonal breadth of the renamed 8′ Prestant, the new Thuringian Principal, of high tin content and with delicate nicking, offers an array of concentrated overtones, suitably prompt speech, and a pleasing textural quality. The Grossgedackt, constructed of hammered lead, exhibits purity, roundness, transparency, and calm. The Quintadehn, a fine example of the colorful Thuringian models, is replete with subtle harmonics, articulate speech, and an attractive buoyancy. Together, these recreated antique voices show an ability to blend with ease in various combinations. What’s more, while offering the listener a fascinating window into the organ soundscape familiar to J. S. Bach, these stops integrate well within the instrument’s overall tonal design. Without question, they enhance the organ’s potential for musical expression.

With the reeds, there were three intertwining factors to be addressed: wind pressure, pitch, and tongue curvature. The Great 8′ Trompete was given new heavier tongues throughout; from CC–B0 resonator slots were soldered shut; and from c1 up resonators were lengthened. The Swell 16′ Dulcian (small scale wood) required a new longer C0 resonator and the moving up of resonators by one note from that point. The Pedal 8′ Holztrompete (conical wood) needed a new longer CC resonator and the bumping up of the remainder by one note. The Swell 8′ Cromorne was the beneficiary of extra-long slide tuners and tongue weighting. The Pedal 4′ Schalmey, a stop with a troubled history, was replaced with a mid-1970s era Fisk Cremona at 8′ pitch. All tongue curvatures were revised to accommodate the higher wind pressures; the utterly transformative nature of this tongue work cannot be overstated. The once excessively bright Great Trompete became rounder and more foundational thanks to its heavier tongues and proper curvature. The Swell Dulcian filled out and became milder, and, though still endowed with a measure of characteristic quirkiness, is now an effective underpinning for a 16′ chorus registration. The Cromorne, once bold and sassy, now speaks as a controlled yet charming clarinet, offering versatility as both a solo and chorus register. The Pedal Posaune and Holztrompete, the only reeds on their original pressure, with tongue refinements took on more of an old-style Germanic character. The “new” Pedal Cremona is an effective 8′ solo stop, very useful for cantus firmi in the feet.

Substantial upgrades were made to the organ’s key action. The ravages of time and of the flooding/drying cycle had taken their toll. Also, there was a desire to bring the key action up to modern Fisk standards of performance, reliability, and serviceability. The original Klais wooden trackers, which had become brittle and warped, were replaced with impervious carbon fiber trackers. The manual rollerboards were rebuilt using current standard Fisk materials, including replacement of the worn felt-bushed bearings with precise, self-lubricating UHMW (Ultra-High Molecular Weight) polyethylene bearings. The coupler mechanisms were removed from inside the console, where they were nearly impossible to service and maintain. A newly designed CNC-machined aluminum coupler stack was built and placed inside the base of the organ. In this new location, the couplers are more direct, stable, and efficient, plus they are much easier to adjust and maintain. The keyboards were replaced—with motion ratios engineered to complement the new coupler mechanism—and a new Fisk pedalboard was built.

The Saint Peter’s organ stands as a shining example of how a deeply considered, disciplined, and sympathetic approach to restoration can yield a musical instrument of the highest artistic integrity. In this particular case, an opportunity resulting from truly unfortunate circumstances gave rise to a transformational effort on the part of the organbuilders at C. B. Fisk. We are grateful to Pastor Stahler and Dr. Karosi for approaching us to do this work. And finally, to the parishioners of Saint Peter’s and to the greater New York City audiences, we wish you “good listening.”

­—David Pike,

Executive Vice President, C. B. Fisk

A note of gratitude from Saint Peter’s Church

With the entire Saint Peter’s community, we are immensely thankful for all who responded in the wake of the January 4, 2021, flood, particularly C. B. Fisk, Inc. Extraordinary skill, dedication, and sensitivity helped us turn an unexpected tragedy into an opportunity most congregations spend years planning.

David Pike’s thoughtful collaboration with Bálint Karosi on the instrument’s tonal reimagination brought a level of creativity—two 8′ principals on a medium-sized instrument!—few builders would even consider. Nami Hamada’s voicing of new and old flue pipes is extraordinary. Michael Kraft and Carl Klein magically transformed Klais’s neo-Baroque reeds. The entire team worked tirelessly: from installing new piston arrangements and Bluetooth page-turning capability, to replacing electronic couplers with mechanical couplers, to addressing fissures on windchests, to constructing a new windline for the Great—all while preserving the architectural details of the instrument so deeply integral to Saint Peter’s iconic sanctuary.

We are also thankful to the performers, participants, sponsors, and donors committed to our ongoing inauguration. The events of November 4–5, 2023, included Guy Bovet’s Peep the Piper, an organ half-marathon featuring four celebrated young organists (Amelie Held, Mi Zhou, Daniel Jacky, and Jonghee Yoon), a masterful solo recital by Nathan Laube, Nicole Keller’s inspired playing of three organ concerti—including a new organ concerto by Bálint Karosi, In Memoriam György Ligeti—with Saint Peter’s Chamber Orchestra, and a presentation of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem featuring Colin Fowler and Saint Peter’s Choir and Chamber Ensemble. February 13, 2024, features Felix Hell in what is very much a homecoming performance, and on June 4, 2024, Cantor Karosi plays a solo recital. These programs aim to showcase the tonal changes carried out by C. B. Fisk, both individually and as a whole, as well as the instrument’s versatility in a variety of contexts and pairings, including as one of the only remaining places in New York City where organ and orchestra can perform in a concert hall setting.

To learn more about the instrument and celebratory events, visit 
future.saintpeters.org/organ.

—Pastor Jared R. Stahler and

Cantor Bálint Karosi

 

Builder’s website: cbfisk.com

Church website: saintpeters.org

Cover photo: Marco Anelli

 

GREAT (manual I)

16′ Pommer 58 pipes

8′ Prestant 58 pipes

8′ Principal*** 58 pipes

8′ Grossgedackt*** 58 pipes

8′ Quintadehn*** 58 pipes

4′ Octave 58 pipes

4 Rohrflöte† 58 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quinte 58 pipes

2′ Superoctave 58 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Terz 58 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Mixtur V 290 pipes

8′ Trompete** 58 pipes

Tremulant

SWELL (manual II)

8′ Gamba 58 pipes

8′ Schwebung (G# on) 50 pipes

8′ Rohrflöte* 58 pipes

4′ Principal 58 pipes

4′ Traversflöte*‡ 58 pipes

2′ Waldflöte 58 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Cornet II‡ 116 pipes

1′ Scharff IV 232 pipes

16′ Dulcian 58 pipes

8′ Cromorne 58 pipes

Tremulant

PEDAL

16′ Principal 32 pipes

16′ Subbass 32 pipes

8′ Octave 32 pipes

8′ Gedackt 32 pipes

4′ Superoctave 32 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Hintersatz IV 128 pipes

16′ Posaune 32 pipes

8′ Holztrompete** 32 pipes

8′ Cremona§ 32 pipes

MECHANICALS & ACCESSORIES

300 levels Solid State Organ Systems***

Mechanical balanced Swell Pedal

 

by thumb and toe

Sw/Gt, Gt/Ped, Sw/Ped

Generals 1–12

Divisionals 1–6

Sequencer Next***

Sequencer Prev***

Page turning reversible pistons with Bluetooth capability ***

 

by toe

Cymbelstern: 8 tuned brass bells in memory of Katherine and Harry Busch

Birdsong: reservoir and 7 pipes

 

2023

Console and keyboards

Carbon-fiber action

Kellner Temperament A=440

Wind (in mm) raised to 85/Gt, 75/Sw, 85/Ped

 

*** new

** new tongues

* bottom new

† previously on Swell

‡ previously on Great

§ from Fisk Opus 68

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

From the builder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—John Peragallo III

From the music director

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—Hector Salcedo

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

Photo credit: Michael Harker

 

Builder’s website: www.peragallo.com

Church’s website: stmalachy.org

GRAND ORGUE  (manual I)

16′ Violone 61 wps

8′ Montre I 61 wps

8′ Montre II 61 pipes

8′ Violoncelle 61 wps

8′ Flûte Harmonique* 49 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

8′ Cor de Nuit (Récit)

8′ Cor de Chamois Celeste II (Positif)

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Fuseau 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quinte 61 wps

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

2′ Flûte à Bec (ext) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce  61 wps

III Fourniture 183 pipes

IV Cymbale 244 wps

16′ Contre Trompette 61 wps

8′ Trompette 61 wps

4′ Clairon 61 wps

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

16′ G.O.

  G.O.Unison

  4′ G.O.

Chimes

G. O. Midi 1

  G. O. Midi 2

POSITIF (expressive, manual II)

16′ Quintaton 61 wps

8′ Montre 61 wps

8′ Flûte à Cheminée 61 pipes

8′ Viola Pomposa 61 wps

8′ Viola Celéste 61 wps

8′ Cor de Chamois 61 pipes

8′ Cor de Chamois Celéste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Traversière 61 pipes

4′ Unda Maris II (composite)

2′ Octavin 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

1′ Sifflet 61 pipes

III Fourniture 183 wps

III Scharf 183 pipes

16′ Clarinette 61 wps

8′ Trompette Doux 61 wps

8′ Cromorne 61 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Celestial)

16′ Positif

Positif Unison

4′ Positif

Positif Midi 1

Positif Midi 2

RECIT (expressive, manual III)

16′ Bourdon Doux 61 wps

8′ Montre 61 pipes

8′ Flûte Bouchée 61 pipes

8′ Viole de Gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celéste (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Flauto Celeste II 122 wps

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte Ouverte 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Doublette (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Flûte à Bec 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

III–IV Plein Jeu 244 wps

16′ Basson 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Hautbois  61 wps

8′ Voix Humaine 61 wps

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

Tremulant

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

16′ Récit

Récit Unison

4′ Récit

Récit Midi 1

Récit Midi 2

SOLO (manual IV)

16′ Montre (G.O.)

8′ Montre 61 wps

8′ Flûte Majeure 61 wps

8′ Bourdon (G.O.)

4′ Octav 61 wps

4′ Flûte Octaviante (G.O.)

2-2⁄3′ Quinte (G.O.)

2′ Octavin (G.O.)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (G.O.)

V Fourniture Harmonique 305 wps

III Tierce Cymbale 183 wps

16′ Bombarde Harmonique 61 wps

8′ Trompette Harmonique 61 wps

4′ Clairon Harmonique 61 wps

8′ Cor Anglais 61 wps

8′ Cromorne (Positif)

8′ Clarinette (Positif)

16′ Trompette en Chamade (G.O.)

8′ Trompette en Chamade* 49 pipes

Tremulant

Solo Unison

Chimes

CELESITAL (floating)

8′ Principal 61 wps

8′ Flûte à Pavillon 61 wps

8′ Viole Sordone 61 wps

8′ Viole Celéste 61 wps

4′ Octav 61 wps

4′ Flûte Amabile 61 wps

2-2⁄3′ Nasat 61 wps

2′ Octavin 61 wps

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 wps

V Fourniture 305 wps

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 61 wps

8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 wps

Tremulant

16′ Celestial

Celestial Unison

4′ Celestial

PÉDALE

32′ Contre Basse 32 wps

32′ Contre Bourdon 32 wps

16′ Flûte Ouverte 32 wps

16′ Montre 32 pipes

16′ Violone (G.O.)

16′ Bourdon 32 wps

16′ Bourdon Doux (Récit)

8′ Octav Basse 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 wps

8′ Flûte Doux (Récit)

8′ Cor de Chamois (Positif)

4′ Doublette 32 pipes

4′ Flûte Ouverte (G.O.)

IV Fourniture 128 pipes

32′ Contre Bombarde 32 wps

16′ Bombarde 32 wps

16′ Contre Trompette (G.O.)

16′ Basson (Récit)

8′ Trompette (G.O.)

4′ Cromorne (Positif)

8′ Trompette en Chamade (Solo)

Tower Carillon

wps = Walker pipe sampled

* 1–12 wps

 

Couplers

Grand Orgue à Pédale 8, 4

Recit à Pédale 8, 4

Positif à Pédale 8, 4

Solo à Pédale 8, 4

Celestial à Pédale, 8

Récit à Grand Orgue 16, 8, 4

Positif à Grand Orgue 16, 8, 4

Solo à Grand Orgue 8

Celestial sur Grand Orgue 8

Récit à Positif 16, 8, 4

Solo à Positif 8

Celestial sur Positif 8

Grand Orgue à Positif 8

Celestial sur Récit 8

Solo à Récit 8

Celestial sur Solo 8

Manual Transfer G.O./Positif

 

Pedal Movements

Celestial / Solo

Positif

Récit

Crescendo

 

Combination System

General 1–12 thumb and toe

Récit 1–6 thumb

G.O. 1–6 thumb

Positif 1–6 thumb

Solo 1–6 thumb

Celestial 1–4 thumb

Pédale 1–5 toe

Cancel

Grand Orgue à Pédale thumb and toe

Récit à Pédale  thumb and toe

Positif à Pédale thumb and toe

Récit à Grand Orgue thumb

Positif à Grand Orgue thumb

Solo a Grand Orgue thumb

Recit a Positif

Etoile Sonore toe

Tûtti thumb and toe

Next and Previous thumb and toe

Contre Basse 32 toe

Contre Bourdon 32 toe

Contre Bombarde 32 toe

Ipad Page Back thumb and toe

Ipad Page Forward thumb and toe

All Récit à Récit thumb

Bass Coupler thumb

G.O. Melody Coupler thumb

 

40 ranks / 50 Walker pipe sampled

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—F. Christian Holtkamp

Photo credit: Matt Peel

www.HoltkampOrgan.com

www.centralchristianlex.org/

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

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Violone 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Violone (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Rohrbourdon 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Spitzflute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Superoctave 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

2′ Mixture III–IV 232 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

Great 16

Great Unison Off

MIDI on Great

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (W.P. 10′′) 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Tuba (ext 8′) 12 pipes

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Geigen Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (F6) 56 pipes

8′ Hohlflute 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Octave Geigen 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Flautino 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Plein Jeu IV 244 pipes

16′ Oboe (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4

MIDI on Swell

16′ Bourdon Pedal

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC) Great

16′ Posaune Pedal

16′ Oboe Swell

  8′ Bourdon Pedal

  8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

  8′ Posaune Pedal

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Concert Flute 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Flute 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Waldflute 61 pipes

2′ Octave 61 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

8′ Bassoon 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4

MIDI on Choir

16′ Harmonic Tuba (TC) Great

8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

4′ Harmonic Tuba Great

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (1–12 electronic)

16′ Open Diapason 32 pipes

16′ Violone Great

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Flauto Dolce Swell

8′ Octave 32 pipes

8′ Violone Great

8′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce Swell

4′ Choralbass (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Principal (ext) 12 pipes

32′ Contra Posaune (1–12 electronic)

16′ Posaune 32 pipes

16′ Oboe Swell

8′ Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Swell

4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes

MIDI on Pedal

8′ Harmonic Tuba Great

4′ Harmonic Tuba Great

INTER-DIVISIONAL COUPLERS

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

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

Swell to Pedal 4′

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

Choir to Pedal 4′

Swell to Great 16′

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

Swell to Great 4′

Choir to Great 16′

Choir to Great 8′

Choir to Great 4′

Swell to Choir 16′

Swell to Choir 8′

Swell to Choir 4′

Choir to Swell 8′

COMBINATIONS

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

piston and toe stud

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

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

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

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

Set piston

General Cancel piston

Full Organ Reversible piston and toe stud

Next piston (3) and toe stud (1)

Previous piston (3) and toe stud (1)

Manual Transfer piston

Zimbelstern Reversible piston

CONSOLE DETAILS

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

Existing keyboards restored

Manual natural keys – ivory

Manual sharp keys – ebony

Existing pedalboard renovated

Pedal natural keys – maple

Pedal sharp keys – ebony

Stop tabs – ivory plastic

Organ bench with adjusting crank mechanism

Music rack light

Pedalboard light

Swell Expression Pedal

Choir Expression Pedal

Crescendo Pedal

Full Organ indicator light

Crescendo indicator light

MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL DETAILS

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

New 3 H.P. blower

New .5 H.P. booster blower

Zimbelstern

Swell expression motors: two 8-stage Peterson expression motors

Choir expression motor: one 16-stage Peterson expression motor

Three solid state rectifiers

Start/Stop switch located on console

Wind pressures:

Great 3.5′′

Swell 4′′

Choir 3.25′′

Pedal 4.5′′

35 stops, 42 ranks, 2,445 pipes