Cover feature: Schoenstein & Co. Opus 182

Jack Bethards

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California; Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe,  Orlando, Florida

This modern basilica is based on the size and shape of the fourth-century Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It seats 2,000 and is a place of pilgrimage for the millions of international tourists who visit Orlando each year. The extensive music program with professional choir is directed by William F. Picher. The shrine has a busy calendar of Masses, numerous special celebrations, and regular concerts. Dr. Picher envisioned an instrument of extremely broad tonal flexibility, something like the one we built for the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

The organ had to be large enough to match the acoustic of this huge building. Its size is illustrated by the 32′ pipes in display. Behind the pipes on the left are the Great, Swell, and Choir divisions. On the right are Solo and Pedal. The console and singers are to the left of the sanctuary along with a small Positive division to provide an intimate sense of pitch and rhythm. The Gallery division is at the west end. Casework was designed in cooperation with Cameron Bird of Jackson & Ryan Architects and built by New Holland Church Furniture.

The acoustic of the Basilica maintains clarity throughout the space and is especially sensitive to subtle tonal color differences among the stops. This, along with five divisions under expression plus double expression in the Swell allows a kaleidoscopic color and dynamic range. Among the special features is a string division in the Gallery, which is designed to create a celestial atmosphere as worshippers enter for Mass. There are two powerful solo reeds, both under expression—Tuba Magna in the main organ and Grand Harmonic Trumpet in the Gallery. The Solo includes six genuine Wurlitzer stops. As in our Salt Lake City organ, these were selected to broaden the tonal palette. Each of these six stops is used in the ensemble the same way any other attractive tone would be.

This grand organ is the largest we have built for a Roman Catholic church in our 143-year history. It has very special meaning for our firm and our founding family. Surely our founder, Felix F. Schoenstein, a devout Catholic who dedicated two children and two grandchildren to Catholic religious orders and built his very first organ for a Marian church, would be pleased. Having emigrated from Germany, he would be especially honored to know the organ will be serving an international assembly from among the 75 million who visit Orlando yearly.

Four manuals, 70 voices, 86 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (II) 5′′ wind

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (TC – Sw)

16′ Double Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Phonon Diapason (Solo)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Small Open Diapason (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Gallery Diapasons (II)

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

8′ Aeoline (Choir)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

2′ Mixture mf (III) 167 pipes

2′ Mixture f (IV) 201 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

8′ Tuba Chorus †

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)

Gallery on Great

Positive on Great

† Tuba Magna at 16′, 8′, 4′

SWELL (III–enclosed) 5½′′ wind

16′ Lieblich Bourdon 12 pipes (ext Stopped Diapason)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix céleste 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

2′ Harmonic Piccolo 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Cornet (III) 176 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremulant

Stops under double expression, 10′′ wind

8′ Erzähler 61 pipes

8′ Erzähler Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

2′ Mixture ff (IV) 215 pipes

16′ Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

4′ Clarion 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana (Solo)

Swell 16′

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4′

Gallery on Swell

Positive on Swell

CHOIR (I – enclosed) 5½′′ wind

16′ Aeoline (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

8′ Aeoline 61 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Fugara 61 pipes

4′ Silver Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Blockflöte 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce 54 pipes

2′ Mixture mf (IV–V) 285 pipes

16′ Bass Horn (ext Fl Horn) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Flügel Horn 61 pipes

8′ English Horn 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Choir 16′

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4′

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

Gallery on Choir

Positive on Choir

SOLO (IV–enclosed) 10′′ wind

16′ Tibia Clausa 85 pipes (1–12 Pedal Bourdon)

8′ Phonon Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Symphonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Tibia Clausa (ext)

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes

8′ Gamba 85 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes

8′ Viol d’Orchestre 73 pipes

8′ Viol Celeste 73 pipes

8′ Gallery Strings (VIII)

4′ Octave (ext 8′ Phonon Diapason)

4′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)

4′ Flute (ext Concert Flute)

4′ Gambette (ext Gamba)

4′ Viol Celeste (II – Violes)

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (ext Tibia)

2′ Fifteenth (ext Gamba)

2′ Piccolo (ext Tibia)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (ext Tibia)

16′ Corno di Bassetto 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Horn 61 pipes

8′ French Horn 61 pipes

8′ Corno di Bassetto (ext)

8′ Vox Humana † 61 pipes

8′ Tuben (III – Swell)

Tremulant

Variable Tremulant

Solo 16′

Solo Unison Off

Solo 4′

8′ Tuba Magna (15′′ wind) 61 pipes

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet (Gallery)

Gallery on Solo

Positive on Solo

† Separate Tremulant – slow p/fast f

POSITIVE (unenclosed–floating) 4′′ wind

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes

4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Lieblich Flute (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

GALLERY (floating) 5′′ wind

Unenclosed Stops

16′ Double Diapason 12 pipes (ext Diapason No.2)

8′ Open Diapason No.1 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason No.2 61 pipes

4′ Octave (ext Diap No.2) 12 pipes

Enclosed Stops 

16′ Bass Viol (ext Viola Pomp) 12 pipes

8′ Viola Pomposa 73 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste 73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste (II) † 129 pipes

8′ Violin 73 pipes

8′ Violin Celeste 68 pipes

8′ Voix Serénissime (II) † 129 pipes

4′ Violina (ext Viola Pomposa)

8′ Grand Harmonic Trumpet †† 61 pipes

  † Unison 73, Celeste (TC) 56

†† 10′′ wind

PEDAL (enclosed) 5′′–15′′ wind

32′ Open Metal (unenclosed) 32 pipes

32′ Resultant

16′ Open Wood 32 pipes

16′ Open Metal (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Double Open Diapason (Great)

16′ Diaphone (Solo) 12 pipes (ext Phonon Diapason)

16′ Diapason (Gallery)

16′ Violone 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Aeoline (Choir)

16′ Bass Viol (Gallery)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (Sw)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Tibia Clausa (Solo)

8′ Violone (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Flute (Great)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Swell)

4′ Fifteenth 32 pipes

4′ Flute (Great)

2′ Mixture mf (IV–V Choir)

32′ Cornet (derived)

32′ Contra Trombone (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Trombone 32 pipes

16′ Posaune (Swell)

16′ Bass Horn (Choir)

8′ Tuba Magna (Solo)

8′ Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Posaune (Swell)

4′ Octave Tromba (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Corno di Bassetto (Solo)

8′ Pizzicato Bass 

Gallery on Pedal

Positive on Pedal

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

Schoenstein & Co. Pipe Organ Builders, Benicia, California; Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, Charleston, South Carolina

The masked organ man

After installing more than seventy new pipe organs and dozens of rebuilds and renovations in almost every condition and environment I could think of, a new challenge was thrown into the mix, Covid! Installing a pipe organ at its best is a logistics challenge. Finding a time when we can take over a church six days a week for a month or more, being sure the organ (in a huge 18-wheeler), our crew, and hoisting equipment all arrive at the same hour, arranging for transportation and good lodging of our men who work a 63-1⁄2-hour week can be a coordination nightmare.

We were supposed to begin the installation of Opus 179 in the chapel of Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community in May 2020, but with Covid’s emergence and the fact we were working with an obviously vulnerable population, we were forced to postpone the installation to give the client and us time to prepare for the new Covid challenges. Finally all agreed we could begin in August 2020, and we set out to take every precaution we could to protect ourselves and the Bishop Gadsden community. We had facemasks, hand sanitizer, and implemented our own temperature monitoring system each morning before even departing the hotel.

Bishop Gadsden also instituted many layers of safety, beginning with mandatory masking and daily temperature checks at the parking lot gate. We would have to return to the hotel if we failed to pass. We were given color-coded stickers for our name badges to let others know we had been cleared to work. Management installed an electronic automated temperature station inside the chapel that we could use to monitor ourselves during the day. We were even not allowed to use the existing restrooms and instead had a porta-potty and a garden hose with dish soap. The portable restroom outside in the summer was one of the most unpleasant parts of the job for obvious reasons, but in addition to the hot and humid conditions, each time we would go out, we would come back in with dozens of mosquito bites! The hotel had its own set of policies in place, such as masking in common areas, the gym was closed, and even the complimentary breakfast was changed to just a simple paper bag with an apple, a muffin, and a carton of milk. Hard to imagine but I sure did miss the mystery meat and reconstituted eggs that we regularly get.

Just traveling from California to Charleston was challenging with Covid screening and facemask mandates in the airport and on the plane. In some ways, however, travel was a bit easier as there was almost no one traveling! There is a silver lining in everything if you look for it.

Even with the logistical challenges and the inconveniences that Covid thrust upon us, the installation was a total success. However, Covid still wasn’t done with Opus 179. The dedication of the organ was put off indefinitely! Nigel Potts kindly offered to give a preview concert on October 22, 2020, for those who could safely attend. The formal dedication and blessing of the Fei Family Organ took place on November 18, 2021. On the next day Jeffrey Smith, music director of St. Paul’s Parish K Street in Washington, D.C., played a recital covering a wide range of repertoire plus exuberant hymn singing by the happy audience.

—Chris Hansford

Schoenstein Installation Foreman

Design for versatility

When one thinks of a chapel at a retirement community, even a very nice one, what first comes to mind is a small, heavily carpeted room on the first floor with a piano and, possibly, a digital instrument played by a local keyboardist. The chapel at Bishop Gadsden in Charleston, South Carolina, could not be any more different. On the other end of the spectrum, their Southern-Colonial-style chapel is of generous size (approximately 50 by 70 feet and 25 feet tall), with tile floor, traditional padded pews, tall windows, an elevated pulpit, gold leaf engravings of The Lord’s Prayer, Credo, and Ten Commandments, and a painting of “The Presentation in the Temple” behind the altar. In the back of the room, an elevated gallery serves as the home for a free-standing instrument.

The challenge ahead of us lay in designing an instrument within limited space and height while also providing an array of color that will fulfill the needs of this community chapel and occasional visiting recitalists. The room, while sizable for the typical retirement home, has the quality of intimacy without feeling claustrophobic. The organ needs to fit the same bill: colorful intimacy without overpowering the space.

The result is Schoenstein & Co. Opus 179, a three-manual, fourteen-voice instrument. On paper, one may notice similarities to the color palette of Opus 153 at Christ & Saint Stephen’s in New York City (See Nigel Potts’s tonal demonstration on YouTube @ tinyurl.com/4eumtt3c). However, Opus 179 stands apart in how it is adapted to the room’s acoustic and tonal properties. The Bishop Gadsden Chapel accentuates the high-middle frequencies above 1⁄2′ (think page turns, clapping, and human speech), with an adequate distribution of bass tone; reverberation time around 1-1⁄2–2 seconds. Christ & Saint Stephen’s is a wide, low ceiling room with very little reverberation.

Were Opus 153 transplanted to the home of Opus 179, it would not be successful. After all, the room is as much the instrument as the pipes. Especially with the chapel at Bishop Gadsden, care was taken when pre-voicing this organ in the shop. A conservative approach allowed us to more easily bring the ranks up to their final mark instead of having to reign them in.

Another aspect of Opus 179 that we have found successful in previous instruments is the use of a third keyboard as, in essence, a coupling manual. Instead of relying on a plethora of couplers, however, they have dedicated drawknobs. Here one will find solo, accompaniment, and ensemble voices. Employing this technique makes the organ more versatile and enables the organist’s registrational creativity to shine. The third manual paired with double expression stops also gives the aural illusion of a third division! Sixteen ranks become that much more flexible.

Limited vertical height dictated a single-level instrument with a greater length than height. With the main chests lowered as much as possible into the mechanical level, the remaining space is not much more than six feet. The expressive Great division on the left houses the expected principal chorus of 8′, 4′, and 2′ Mixture III in addition to a softer 8′/4′ Corno Dolce/8′ Flute Celeste pairing, 8′ Harmonic Flute (Corno Dolce bass to tenor G), and Clarinet. Other than being hyper-conscious of Harmonic Flute windiness accentuation in the room, these ranks are consistent with previous instruments.

The Swell division, on the right side of the organ, has most of the instrument’s unification. The Bourdon serves as the Pedal Bourdon at 16′ (available in the Swell also) and continues as a Chimney Flute at 4′ C. The 8′/4′/2′ Salicional is the division’s unit echo diapason with a slight string edge as ample counterparts to both the Great chorus and Swell Gamba. The Oboe Horn serves as another color reed, a counterpart to the Great Clarinet, and also represents the softer 16′ reed available in the Pedal adding support without too much power. Inner shades regulate the 8′ Gamba, its Celeste (full compass), and the 16′/8′ Tuba Minor. Rounding out the instrument is an independent Pedal Violoncello and Contrabass unit sitting in front of the Great shades. Metal down to 16′ C, it provides independent foundational support for the entire instrument.

Typically, with instruments of a modest size of sixteen ranks, organists are often “stuck” with ordinary combinations of a principal here, a flute there, and maybe a couple of reeds. They may resort to hand acrobatics to achieve a different sound or color they want. Flutes may sound the same—the reeds too close in character. At Bishop Gadsden, each of the fourteen voices is unique. They evolve as they move from low C to high C. No two ranks sound the same. The Solo (third) manual opens the door for organists to more easily achieve the sound they are looking for, and double expression adds another dimension of creativity for the organist. The result is an organ that sounds as though it has ten more ranks than it actually has. Each one plays a vital and equal role in its success.

—David H. Anderson

Schoenstein Service Manager & Voicer

Success = People who get things done!

In 2006 Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community celebrated completion of its beautiful chapel modeled in the traditions customary to eighteenth-century South Carolina Anglican churches. The architect was Dan Beaman of the firm Cummings & McCrady. An organist with a custom digital instrument in his home, he would not leave the project without provision for a future pipe organ. The stout foundations for an organ gallery were key points on the first day of construction.

In fall of 2017, the dynamic and much beloved President/CEO of Bishop Gadsden, Bill Trawick, set about completing the chapel with the long-awaited pipe organ. He asked Nigel Potts, then canon organist and director of music at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston, to work along with Dan Beaman as consultants on musical and architectural matters. Bishop Gadsden resident Patty Fei stepped forward to make the dream a reality by funding what was to become known as the Fei Family Organ in memory of her husband James and their daughter Christina.

While the organ was being built in California, Bill Trawick retired, and vice president, Sarah E. H. Tipton, became president/CEO. She and a fine staff supervised all the preparation for the organ’s installation. The architect in charge of designing the organ gallery and the organ casework was Ben Whitener of Cummings & McCrady. Our design director Glen Brasel worked closely with Ben and with Brett Gerbracht of JMO Woodworks, Charleston, in merging the organ’s inner works with the case. For steadfast support during the installation and continuing, we are ever grateful for the excellent help of Mike Anderson, facilities, and Catie Murphy, administration.

The continuing program of the chapel is under the direction of the Rev. Charles Jenkins. The chapel organist is Clara Godsell.

—Jack M. Bethards

Schoenstein & Co.

Builder’s website: schoenstein.com

Retirement community website: www.bishopgadsden.org

Photo credits: Louis Patterson and Bishop Gadsden Archive

GREAT (II - Expressive)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute  42 pipes (Corno Dolce bass)

8′ Corno Dolce 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Vox Celeste II (Swell)

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Corno Dolce (ext) 12 pipes

2′ Mixture III† 166 pipes

8′ Tuba Minor (Swell)

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Tremulant

Great Unison Off

Great 4′

†Mixture does not octave couple

SWELL (III - Expressive)

16′ Bourdon (wood, ext) 12 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gamba† 61 pipes

8′ Vox Celeste† 61 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste II (Great)

4′ Salicet (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Flute Celeste II (Great)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (from Chimney Flute)

2′ Fifteenth (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Bass Tuba† (ext) 12 pipes

16′ Contra Oboe (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Tuba Minor† 61 pipes

8′ Oboe Horn 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell 16′

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4′

†In separate box inside Swell

SOLO (I)

SOLO STOPS

8′ Open Diapason (Great)

8′ Harmonic Flute (Great)

8′ Oboe Horn (Swell)

8′ Clarinet (Great)

16′ Bass Tuba (Swell)

8′ Tuba Minor (Swell)

ACCOMPANIMENT STOPS

8′ Corno Dolce (Great)

8′ Flute Celeste (Great)

8′ Gamba (Swell)

8′ Vox Celeste (Swell)

ENSEMBLE STOPS

8′ Salicional (Swell)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Salicet (Swell)

4′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (Swell)

2′ Fifteenth (Swell)

Solo 16′

Solo Unison Off

Solo 4′

PEDAL

32′ Resultant

16′ Contrabass 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon (Swell)

8′ Open Diapason (Great)

8′ Violoncello (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Salicional (Swell)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Octave (Great Open Diapason)

4′ Flute (Great Harmonic Flute)

16′ Bass Tuba (Swell)

16′ Contra Oboe (Swell)

8′ Tuba Minor (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Great)

COUPLERS

Great to Pedal

Great to Pedal 4′

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Pedal 4′

Solo to Pedal

Solo to Pedal 4′

Swell to Great 16′

Swell to Great

Swell to Great 4′

Solo to Great

Great to Solo

Swell to Solo

MECHANICALS

Solid State Capture Combination Action:

5,000 memories

48 pistons and toe studs

3 reversibles

Programmable piston range

Piston sequencer

Record/Playback system

 

14 voices, 16 ranks, 995 pipes

Electric-pneumatic action

Schoenstein & Co., Benicia, California

Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church, Waco, Texas

Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church in Waco, Texas, is a healthy, growing parish with three choral services every Sunday. Eugene Lavery, organist and director of music, leads a semi-professional parish choir and a chorister program in the Anglican tradition. When the time came to build a new organ for Saint Alban’s, the church entrusted us with creating an organ that would support a full-scale Anglican music program—a church organ in the symphonic style.

As with any organ project, decisions about where to focus resources were important to achieving our goal. Saint Alban’s is not a very large church, and so the organ needed to be modest in size and focused squarely on the accompaniment of the Anglican service. This meant an emphasis on 8′ tone and building a diapason chorus fit to lead congregational singing. It also meant putting the power of the organ where it is needed most: in the Swell.

When we sing a hymn, the diapasons are leading us. Like the string section of an orchestra, the diapasons make up the core and most critical part of the symphonic organ’s sound. The Saint Alban’s organ has several 8′ diapasons, three of which are in the Great/Gallery. Just as the congregation loves singing to the sound of beautiful diapasons, so too does the choir feel secure when supported by their tone. For this we have in the Swell our Horn Diapason and 4′ Gemshorn (a tapered diapason in the English tradition, not a whisper stop).

One of the most thrilling effects in organ playing is the power of the Swell behind a closed box. More than just an effect, though, the value of a powerful, versatile Swell is critical to accompanying and organ playing in general. For Saint Alban’s, we designed this division to have everything needed to carry the choir from pp to ff. There is a particular focus on various reed colors, with four 8′ reeds in this department.

The third manual, usually called the Choir, is instead called the Solo because, in addition to Choir and Gallery stops, it contains both accompaniment and solo voices from the Great and Swell. Of special note here is the small yet vital Choir division. The church did not have room for what most would call a “complete” division, yet here again we found just two stops under expression can accomplish a lot of the Choir division’s work. The set of Dulcianas (again, small diapasons) offer numerous possibilities in accompaniment and solo playing as support and contrast. The Clarinet gives the organist another color reed in a different swell box for dynamic control and flexibility. The Gallery division is used with the main organ to add support for hymn singing. It has its own one-manual console for accompaniment of occasional singing from the gallery.

The new organ at Saint Alban’s is an example of an instrument of modest proportion yet robust divisions. Much like the growing congregation, it is full of potential and possibility continuing to be discovered. We were lucky to work with a professional, hardworking team at Saint Alban’s. The Rev. Aaron M. G. Zimmerman, Eugene Lavery, and Florence Scattergood each helped guide the project to fruition. The organ was dedicated in a recital by Bradley Hunter Welch, organist for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Organist and Director of Music Eugene Lavery’s command of the instrument’s musical resources offers a chance to hear the organ played to its full potential every week. We hope this new organ will inspire the people of Saint Alban’s with newfound possibilities as they grow into the future.

­—Bryan Dunnewald
Schoenstein & Co.
Benicia, California

Photo credit: Louis Patterson

 

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Double Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Grand Open Diapason 17 pipes (ext Pedal Principal)

8′ Gallery Open Diapason (Solo)

8′ First Open Diapason 61 pipes

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

8′ Harmonic Flute 42 pipes (1–17 fr Sw Horn Diapason)

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Octave (ext 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 61 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Seventeenth 54 pipes

2′ Mixture III–IV 187 pipes

8′ Solo Trumpet (Solo)

SWELL (Manual III)

16′ Lieblich Bourdon (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Horn Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (fr 8′ Chimney Flute)

2′ Fifteenth (ext 4′ Gems) 12 pipes

2′ Mixture III 166 pipes

16′ Contra Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Cornopean 61 pipes

8′ Posaune (ext 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Oboe Horn 61 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

Tremulant

SOLO (Manual I)

8′ Solo Trumpet 61 pipes

Choir stops

8′ Dulciana 61 pipes

4′ Dulcet (ext 8′) 12 pipes

2′ Fifteenth (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

Gallery stops

8′ Gallery Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 49 pipes (1–12 fr Flauto Continuo)

8′ Flauto Continuo 61 pipes

4′ Salicet (ext 8′) 7 pipes

4′ Flute (ext 8′) 7 pipes

Solo stops from Great

8′ Grand Open Diapason

8′ First Open Diapason

8′ Harmonic Flute

Solo stops from Swell

8′ Horn Diapason

8′ Gamba

8′ Gamba Celeste

8′ Tuben†

8′ Oboe Horn

8′ Vox Humana

Cymbelstern

†8′ Cornopean and 8′ Posaune (does not couple)

PEDAL

32′ Resultant† 12 pipes

16′ Open Bass 32 pipes

16′ Double Diapason (Great)

16′ Bourdon (Swell)

8′ Principal (ext 16′ Open) 12 pipes

8′ Open Diapason (Great 8′ 2nd Open)

8′ Stopped Diapason (Swell)

4′ Fifteenth (ext 16′ Open) 12 pipes

4′ Flute (Great 8′ Harmonic Flute)

32′ Cornet (derived)

16′ Trombone 12 pipes (ext Solo 8′ Solo Trumpet)

16′ Contra Posaune (Swell)

8′ Cornopean (Swell)

4′ Clarinet (Choir)

†Stopped 102⁄3′ Quint pipes with 16′ Open Bass 1–12

 

Usual couplers and accessories

27 voices, 32 ranks, 1,986 pipes

Electric-pneumatic action

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois; Saint George’s Episcopal Church, Nashville, Tennessee

From the builder

Saint George’s Episcopal Church is a vibrant, multi-generational Christian community. The parish ministers to 4,000 members, approximately 1,000 of whom attend one of the five worship services offered every Sunday. It boasts the largest Episcopal kindergarten in the United States, a phenomenal staff of dedicated clergy and laity, and a growth pattern which is a shining light of hope to the wider Church.

The new organ is the final component of a comprehensive visual and acoustical renovation of the primary worship space, which was the capstone of a multi-million-dollar general construction project to serve their growing congregation. The church’s formerly harsh top-heavy acoustics were masterfully transformed by Riedel & Associates to become a beautiful tonal environment: buoyant, lively, clear, and evenly responsive, with a warmth that embraces the most delicate musical nuances. Sound originating in the chancel projects effortlessly to the entire nave. 

The chancel’s former configuration forced the choir to sing from a position behind and below a centrally located baldachin. The result was that the choir could neither be heard clearly nor seen by the congregation, and the organist was challenged to find stops soft enough to accompany them. The parish knew something had to be done, and the leadership realized a new organ would be required because of the planned new physical configuration and projected acoustical improvement. The building committee included an organ committee, which auditioned the work of North American and English builders. The Buzard team was selected to build the new instrument because of our well-known passion for sensitive musical expression in the liturgy and how successfully our instruments fulfill both accompanimental and soloistic roles. 

It was a joy to develop the unique specification, which includes a great degree of expression. The instrument currently consists of 55 stops/65 ranks. Preparations for planned future additions include six stops in the main organ, and a ten-stop Antiphonal/Ethereal division. Architecturally, the façade was designed in conjunction with architect Baird Dixon, who had envisioned a curved colonnade to outline the apse. The organ’s façade incorporates elements of this concept.

Former rector, the Reverend Dr. Leigh Spruill, commented: 

Saint George’s is honored and excited to contract with John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders for the construction of a magnificent new instrument. The decision for a new organ . . . flows from a strong ongoing commitment to our traditional Anglican liturgical and musical heritage. We are confident a new organ in this space will enhance our experience of worship and are grateful for the privilege of working with Buzard on this project. Worship is our highest priority as Christians, and I give thanks to God again for the generosity of our parishioners who have made possible these dramatic improvements to Saint George’s liturgical life for the future.

In closing, I gratefully acknowledge and thank my team from the bottom of my heart for their tireless efforts, enthusiasm, and beautiful work. This organ’s installation was prolonged by many challenges. Our entire staff (and their spouses back home) accepted and met them with grace and extraordinary patience and effort. I am extremely proud of their outstanding accomplishments in every aspect of this instrument: from the planning and engineering, through the construction, installation, and voicing.

The instrument was first used in worship on Christmas Eve 2022 and first heard in public at a hymn festival led by Robert McCormick on January 27, 2023. The final dedicatory event featuring the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra was presented on May 9. 

—John-Paul Buzard

From the tonal director

The Buzard team always welcomes the opportunity to design and build an organ for institutions that lean heavily toward the performance of English cathedral/collegiate chapel repertoire. In reality, it is perhaps far more accurate to alter that term to “the American interpretation of English Cathedral repertoire.” When some United States choirs are generously welcomed to the UK for week-long residencies in those hallowed spaces that inspired the repertoire, they fall ever more deeply in love with it and strive to bring the mountain-top experience back to their home church completely intact.

The integrity of the repertoire remains constant, but nothing else is the same! The shapes, construction methods, and acoustics of the rooms are vastly different. Worship styles, though always being adapted on both sides of the Atlantic, are fed by very different traditions and heritage. Organbuilders apply their art in a variety of ways to help bridge the gap and let the music live in the new environment. Sometimes it is a virtual reproduction of a much-admired stoplist. Sometimes it is a detailed documentation and copy of the scaling of a particular stop, or even incorporating one or more ranks from an historic organ that has been removed from service.

The Buzard approach, particularly in this organ for Saint George’s, takes some of those techniques into account, but does not stop there. In multiple discussions with Woosug Kang and Gerry Senechal, the outstanding directors of music, we studied specific examples of pieces that highlight their choices of music on a regular basis. Rather than identifying individual stops that would be needed, we concentrated on issues of balance, tone color, composition of critically important accompaniment ensembles, blending, and above all, flexibility. 

It has been a rare treat to voice an organ in a revised acoustic environment like Saint George’s. Scott Riedel’s recommendations have provided a room that, without excessive reverberation time, responds with extraordinary evenness throughout the frequency range. This has allowed us to voice the organ with clarity at its softest, building smoothly to a thrilling full-organ sound, without ever needing to exaggerate anything in order to fill the room. We have deliberately concentrated our efforts in shaping the blending characteristics of stops in the mezzo-piano to mezzo-forte range, making choral accompaniment a real joy. Having three separate divisions enclosed and expressive enhances the experience!

The sound of any organ is always the result of many people who have contributed to its design, construction, installation, voicing, and ongoing maintenance. I have often said that our ears are able to detect sounds that have been loved into existence. Along with my colleagues of the Buzard team, we are honored and proud to offer you this gift. Come and hear it for yourself!

—Fredrick Bahr

From the director of music ministries

“Sing ye to the Lord,” from one of the most beloved Easter anthems by the English composer, Edward Bairstow, was the theme of our organ dedication series in the spring of 2023. It reflects our vision of creating an instrument that sings and encourages our choir and congregation to sing whole-heartedly. When Saint George’s Episcopal Church launched its capital campaign several years ago, there was an emphasis on the renovation of the acoustics inside the church and the placement of the choir, because the previous setup presented visual difficulties as well as unbalanced choral sound throughout the room. It also made it difficult for the choir to lead congregational singing. We learned quickly through research that it was in the best interest for the church and the Nashville community to invest in a brand-new organ—it would lead to the most artistically assuring and satisfying result, and it was the most fiscally responsible action for the long-term future.

The organ search committee was quickly formed, with our consultant Scott Riedel supporting us along the way. This was one of the most exhilarating, challenging, and joyful tasks, as we played numerous organs around the country, giving fair evaluations while seeking what we desired. Our mission was to find an organ that would give us the outstanding quality and vast range of expression that would inspire us for generations. I enjoyed working with our search committee, and I am thrilled we chose Buzard Pipe Organ Builders. We have been fulfilling the vision of “Sing ye to the Lord” since our first dedication concert, a hymn festival with guest organist Robert McCormick, and guest speaker Jeremy Begbie. Opus 48 by Buzard, combined with our newly enhanced acoustic, is encouraging our congregation to sing more, and our choir is connected to our congregation while the organ supports them with colorful expressions. We hear the reaction of our congregation, even some who were skeptical of the need for a new organ, vocally responding to us positively about the impact it is making even before the full completion of the organ. 

Opus 48 is capable of a wide range of colors and vast range of expression, and I enjoyed showing that in my solo recital in our dedication series in March. The soft and varied flue stops, the fiery reeds that brought music of French Romantic repertoire alive, and the incredible build-up of the organ in music of Herbert Howells all excited me. The softer stops are my favorites on this organ, as the acoustical adjustments now allow the sounds to be distributed evenly, and the individual delicate stops of Opus 48 share many different colors that are unique to their own. I find myself registering for hymns differently Sunday to Sunday as I learn and grow with this new organ, which is a wonderful teacher.

My role here at Saint George’s is to continue to develop the musical legacy I inherited and build an even stronger foundation that future generations of musicians can continue to build on. I believe Buzard Opus 48 is one of the crowning realizations of that vision, along with the acoustical enhancement and the new place for the choir, and I am deeply humbled by this process. I know this organ will serve Saint George’s, its community, and our region with its outstanding craftmanship and artistry for future generations. As I told my choristers, “Some of you will get married with this organ!,” and their smiles as they sing with our new Opus 48 prove that the future is bright. 

—Woosug Kang

From the organist

As long as I live, I will never forget the first Sunday we were permitted to use the new organ in worship; though only half the pipework of Opus 48 was installed and voiced at the time, the good people of Buzard correctly judged that there would be enough to support worship. That morning I not only had the opportunity to play but also to sing a bit, and as Woosug concluded the hymn introduction, I became keenly aware that the organ’s sound had involuntarily drawn me toward it in such a way that I absolutely had no choice but to burst into the first stanza. The warmth and support of the organ was like gravity; if I didn’t begin to sing, the rocks themselves may well have! What an incredible, unprecedented feeling.  

I was not alone. I immediately noticed that the entire congregation was indeed singing; the contrast from the previous Sunday was night and day! I had expected there to be a great, though surely gradual, increase in congregational song, but I could never have imagined that it would happen in the space of a single hymn introduction. The organ has transformed every hymn it has accompanied since; I have never had a more supported, enabling, and satisfying hymn-singing experience in my life.

In that glorious first moment that morning, the organ fulfilled the aspirations of its design; from the very beginning, the chief purpose of the instrument has been to support Anglican musical worship. The measure of success of any Anglican organ lies in its ability to accompany both the choir and congregation; Opus 48 not only does both beautifully but brings to bear an astonishing array of color—and at any volume. The Swell division features strings at 16′, 8′, and 4′, the Great includes three 8′ Open Diapasons (as the 8′ Dulciana is of Willis disposition, essentially serving as a Third Open), and even the 8′ Clarinet and 16′ English Horn of the Enclosed Great work beautifully in chorus roles. The Pedal 32′ Contra Trombone is both full-length and fully enclosed, allowing it to tastefully reinforce the final chord of a Gloria at Evensong, but can also thunder at full voice at the end of a closing voluntary.

The organ accompanies splendidly but is no retiring wallflower; in addition to the 8′ Cornopean in the Swell, there is also an 8′ Trompette Harmonique that gives white-hot fire to French literature and allows for powerful text-painting in hymns. The splendid Solo Tuba Mirabilis becomes the Ophicleide 16′ in the Pedal, ensuring that there is never a lack of foundation. The Pedal Trombone is playable on the Great as Trombas 16′, 8′, and 4′, all under very effective expression. There are seven 16′ ranks in the manuals alone. The 16′ First Open Diapason in the Pedal lies on its side beneath the rose window, and to quote Fred Bahr, it “owns the real estate.” Even full organ becomes noticeably fuller and more grounded when the Pedal First Open is added! The sound of full organ fills every corner of the room; even in the back pew, one’s entire body senses the pervading warmth and embrace of the organ.

Opus 48 has fundamentally changed how we are able to worship at Saint George’s. I could never adequately express my gratitude for the genius, skill, and love of John-Paul Buzard, Fred Bahr, Felix Franken, Shane Rhoades, Scott Riedel, and Clay Jackson, among many others.

We are happy to welcome any visitors to come play this glorious instrument; please don’t hesitate to be in touch when you are next in Nashville!

—Gerry Senechal

 

Builder’s website: buzardorgans.com

Church website: www.stgeorgesnashville.org

Photo credit: John-Paul Buzard, except as noted otherwise

MANUAL I – Coupling Manual

GREAT – Manual II

* Enclosed stops

Enclosed Great couples to Manual I at all pitches.

16′ Double Open Diapason (polished tin in façade towers)

16′ Double Dulciana (polished tin in nave-facing façade flats)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (wood) *

8′ Open Diapason No. 1 (polished tin in façade)

8′ Open Diapason No. 2 (polished tin in façade)

8′ Dulciana (polished tin in façade) 

8′ Bourdon *

8′ Gedeckt Flute (ext Lieblich 16′) *

8′ Flûte Harmonique *

8′ Viola da Gamba *

8′ Viola Celeste (CC) *

4′ Principal

4′ Open Flute *

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth *

2′ Fifteenth

2′ Flauto *

1-3⁄5′ Seventeenth *

1-1⁄3′ Larigot *

1′ Twenty-second *

2′ Fourniture V

1′ Sharp Mixture III *

16′ English Horn *

8′ Trumpet *

8′ Clarinet *

Tremulant *

Tremulant

Cymbalstern

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpets (horizontal, copper) (preparation)

SWELL – Manual III – Enclosed  

16′ Violone (Haskelled)

8′ English Open Diapason

8′ Flauto Traverso (open and harmonic length)

8′ Stopped Diapason (wood and metal)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste (CC)

4′ Principal

4′ Harmonic Flute

4′ Violina (ext 16′ Violone)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Fifteenth

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

2-2⁄3′ Grave Mixture II

1′ Plein Jeu III

16′ Bassoon (full length)

8′ Trompette Harmonique (Haskelled basses, harmonic at C 25)

8′ Cornopean (English construction)

8′ Oboe (English style, scrolls and lift-lids)

8′ Vox Humana

4′ Clarion (ext 16′ Bassoon)

Tremulant

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

SOLO – Manual IV – Enclosed  

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Great)

8′ Grand Open Diapason (double mouths in treble)

8′ Claribel Flute (wood and metal)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Great)

8′ Viola Pomposa (inverted taper, E. M. Skinner style)

8′ Viola Celeste (CC)

8′ Flûte Cœlestis II (double pipes, single bodies)

8′ Corno di Bassetto (prepared)

8′ Orchestral Oboe (prepared)

8′ Flügel Horn (prepared)

8′ French Horn (prep, high pressure)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (high pressure)

Tremulant

16′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba (ext, Pedal)

4′ Tromba Clarion (ext, Pedal)

8′ Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

PEDAL

Partially enclosed; in façade and their respective divisions’ boxes

32′ Double Open Diapason (Walker Digital)

32′ Subbass (Walker Digital)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Walker Digital)

32′ Contra Violone (Walker Digital)

16′ Open Diapason No. 1 (wood, large scale)

16′ Open Diapason No. 2 (polished tin, in façade towers) (Great)

16′ Dulciana (Great)

16′ Bourdon (wood)

16′ Violone (Swell)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Great)

8′ Principal (polished tin in façade)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gedeckt Flute (Great)

8′ Salicional (Swell)

8′ Dulcet (Great)

4′ Choral Bass (ext Principal 8′)

4′ Open Flute (ext Bass Flute 8′)

4′ Claribel Flute (Solo)

32′ Contra Trombone (wood and metal, in Great box)

16′ Ophicleide (Solo)

16 Trombone (ext 32′, in Great box)

16 Bassoon (Swell)

16 English Horn (Great)

8 Tromba (ext Trombone 16′)

8 Trumpet

4 Tromba Clarion (ext Trombone 16′)

8 Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8 Festival Trumpets (Great, prep)

4 Festival Clarions (Great, prep)

ANTIPHONAL – Floating Enclosed in gallery (prepared) 

ANTIPHONAL PEDAL Enclosed (prepared)

(The tonal personality of the Antiphonal is currently under discussion. Ten stops are prepared for, and blank drawknobs have been provided for the speaking stops and couplers.)

Couplers as drawknobs in their respective divisions:

Great to Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great to Great 4

Swell to Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell to Swell 4

Great to Great 16  *

Great Unison Off *

Great to Great 4 *

Solo to Solo 16

Solo Unison Off

Solo to Solo 4

Couplers as tilting tablets, centered in the nameboard, from left to right:

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 8 *

Swell to Pedal 8

Solo to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Great to Pedal 4 *

Swell to Pedal 4

Solo to Pedal 4

Swell to Great 8

Solo to Great 8

Solo to Swell 8

Great to Man I 8 *

Swell to Man I 8

Solo to Man I 8

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 4

Solo to Great 16

Solo to Great 4

Great to Man I 16 *

Great to Man I 4 *

Swell to Man I 16

Swell to Man I 4

* Couplers for Enclosed Great

Divisional Pistons to Pedal Stops (This tab allows divisional pistons to also operate Pedal stops)

Great as Choir 8. This coupler would transfer the Enclosed Great to Manual I and leave it there to act like a Choir division.  It would also turn on the Great Unison Off coupler in the stop jamb so the Enclosed Great does not play on the Great keyboard, creating the semblance of a straight four-manual organ.

Couplers as drawknobs with Antiphonal Speaking Stops

Antiphonal on Man I

Antiphonal on Great

Antiphonal on Swell

Antiphonal on Solo

Antiphonal on Pedal