François Couperin’s Organ Masses at the University of Michigan

Hochhalter, Inc., Salem, Oregon: First United Methodist Church, Eugene, Oregon

Hochhalter, Inc., Salem, Oregon

First United Methodist Church, Eugene, Oregon

Hochhalter, Inc. of Salem, Oregon has designed and built a low-profile console for First United Methodist Church, Eugene, Oregon. It is constructed of solid walnut, with walnut burl and wenge veneer accents. The keyboards are covered in bone and cocobolo. Drawknobs are constructed of maple, cocobolo, and ebony.

The organ is hardly all new, still containing numerous sets of pipes from the church’s original 1913 pipe organ, moved in the 1960s into a new, much larger sanctuary. Many unfortunate mechanical changes to the wind system and action were made, eventually rendering the instrument unreliable. In 1995 Hochhalter, Inc. was hired to rebuild, refurbish, replace mechanisms and pipes as necessary, and provide additions to create a tonally cohesive and mechanically reliable instrument. Finances dictated that work be done in phases over many years. Although the new console was the “final” phase, it has additional stop controls for future additions, including an Echo Organ on the west wall, additional foundational and color stops for the Swell and Choir, and two 32′ ranks of pipes, including a 32′ Contra Diapason in a new façade.

Other details regarding the organ and console, including additional photographs and audio files, are available at <A HREF="http://www.hochhalter.com">www.hochhalter.com</A&gt;. Dr. Julia Brown is music director and organist; The Rev. Debbie Pitney is pastor.

 

GREAT (unenclosed) 

16′ Double Diapason

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Geigen Diapason

8′ Harmonic Flute

8′ Hohl Flute

4′ Octave

4′ Flute

22⁄3′ Quint

2′ Fifteenth

IV Mixture

V Cornet (prepared)

16′ Contra Trumpet (prepared)

8′ Trumpet

Chimes

SWELL (expressive)    

16′ Bourdon

8′ Diapason (prepared)

8′ Chimney Flute

8′ Viola

8′ Voix Celeste (tc)

4′ Octave

4′ Harmonic Flute

22⁄3′ Nasard (harmonic)

2′ Flautino (harmonic)

13⁄5′ Tierce (tc) (harmonic)

IV Full Mixture

16′ Bassoon

8′ French Trumpet

8′ Oboe

8′ Vox Humana (prepared)

4′ Clarion

Tremulant

    

CHOIR (expressive)    

8′ Small Diapason (prepared)

8′ Stopped Diapason

8′ Traverse Flute (harmonic)

8′ Gemshorn

8′ Unda Maris (tc)

4′ Tapered Principal (prepared)

4′ Pan Flute

2′ Principal

11⁄3′ Quint

II Sesquialter  (tc)

8′ Clarinet

8′ English Horn (prepared)

Tremulant

8′ Gloria Trumpet (10″ pressure)

    

ECHO (prepared)    

8′ Principal

4′ Octave

8′ Viole *

8′ Flute *

8′ Flute Celeste *

Tremulant

8′ Gloria Trumpet

(* expressive)

    

PEDAL (unenclosed)    

32′ Contra Diapason (prepared)

16′ Open Diapason

16′ Geigen Diapason

16′ Bourdon

16′ Gedeckt

102⁄3′ Quint

8′ Octave  

8′ Geigen Octave

8′ Flute

4′ Fifteenth  

4′ Solo Flute

32′ Ophicleide (prepared)

16′ Trombone (83⁄4″ pressure)

16′ Contra Trumpet (prepared)

16′ Bassoon

8′ Trumpet

4′ Oboe

Robert August

Robert August is director of music/organist at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Texas. Before coming to Fort Worth, he held the position of assistant university organist and choirmaster at the Memorial Church at Harvard University, while pursuing his doctoral degree at the New England Conservatory of Music. In 2010 his doctoral thesis on the organ works of Robert Schumann was published in Europe and the United States, celebrating the composer’s 200th birthday. Educated in the Netherlands and the United States, August has an extensive background in organ performance, and a long history of church performance and conducting. He has served as carillonneur at Brigham Young University, and as organist and conductor at several churches in the Netherlands. In addition to collaboration with artists such as Christopher Hogwood and Simon Carrington, he has performed in Europe and the United States as a solo artist and accompanist, including tours and CD recordings with the Harvard University Choir, the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra, and the Texas Boys Choir. Robert August often collaborates with his wife Dolores, who holds a master’s degree in flute performance from the University of North Texas.

 

Peter Westerbrink’s recital on October 14, 2011, marked the beginning of the “Schnitger’s Dream” festival, celebrating Orgelmakers Reil’s restoration of the Der Aa-Kerk (Groningen, Netherlands) organ. The festival included concerts, exhibits, theater productions, and a symposium. Dr. Jan Luth presented his monograph “Wereldberoemde Klanken: Het Schnitgerorgel in de Der Aa-kerk te Groningen en zijn voorgangers” (World Famous Sounds: The Schnitger Organ in the Groningen Der Aa-Church and Its Predecessors), while titular organist Peter Westerbrink presented “Return of the Queen,” the first CD recording¹ of the newly restored instrument. 

The Der Aa-Kerk’s organ was built first for the Academiekerk (Academy Church) in 1702. In 1699 Arp Schnitger was commissioned to build a two-manual instrument with independent pedal. The organ was built two years later, with an added third manual. Schnitger’s instrument comprised three manuals: Hoofdwerk, Rugpositief, Borstwerk, and Pedaal. Approximately 10 of its 33 stops came from the Academy Church’s previous organ, built by Hendrick Harmens van Loon and Andries de Mare in 1674/78. In 1754 the instrument was cleaned and repaired by A. A. Hinsz, who also added a Rugpositief-Hoofdwerk coupler. 

In 1814 the organ was donated to the Der Aa-Kerk, which had been without an organ since the church’s disastrous tower collapse of 1710. In 1815 J. W. Timpe moved the organ to the Der Aa-Kerk, leaving the stoplist unchanged while modifying the organ case. In 1830
Timpe replaced Schnitger’s Borstwerk with a new Bovenwerk, and the Hoofdwerk’s Vox Humana was replaced by the Rugpositief’s Dulciaan. The old Vox Humana was partly reused on the Bovenwerk. A Trompet 8′ was added to the Rugpositief, and the Quint 1½′ and Sexquialter were replaced by a Flageolet 1′ and a Terts 13⁄5′. At this time Timpe also replaced the pedalboard, removed one of the tremulants, and added a Rugpositief–Pedaal coupler. In 1858 P. van Oeckelen made some significant changes, including new windchests for the Hoofdwerk and three new pedal stops (Subbas 16′, Holpijp 8′ and Quint 102⁄3′, situated in the undercase), removal of the organ’s back wall to accommodate additional pipework, and replacement and/or modification of several stops. 

Until the 1950s several modifications and repairs were conducted by Jan and Klaas Doornbos, including replacement of the bellows, addition of a swell box, a new Bazuin 16′ (Bombarde 16′), and replacement and modification of several stops. D. A. Flentrop modified the Bazuin 16′ in 1953, and in 1959 Mense Ruiter moved the Bovenwerk Quintfluit up, changing it into a Flageolet 1′. By 1970 the church was in serious disrepair and renovations were carried out between 1976–1985. The American organ company Taylor & Boody dismantled the organ’s Schnitger components in 1977 while the rest of the organ remained in the church, carefully wrapped. 

In 1990 the organ was returned to the renovated church. Re-installation and renovations were conducted by Orgelmakerij Gebr. Reil of Heerde, under the supervision of advisors Klaas Bolt, Stef Tuinstra, and Harald Vogel. In 1992–93, organ advisor Rudi van Straten presented a plan that aimed to restore the organ to its 1858 state—with some technical improvements. After some modifications, the plan was approved, and in 1996–97 Orgelmakerij Gebr. Reil dismantled the instrument. Instability of the organ case, however, required a revision of the restoration plans, eradicating the prospect of an 1858 reconstruction. The new plans were met by resistance, resulting in lawsuits with rulings in favor of opponents. 

In 2004 a new committee was appointed with Els Swaab, Peter van Dijk, and Harald Vogel, each representing one of the parties involved. Revised reconstruction plans aimed to restore the organ back to its 1996 state, with an additional supportive back wall for the organ case. The 2010–2011 restoration was carried out by Orgelmakerij Reil in Heerde. 

 

Stoplist

 

M = De Mare/Van Loon

S = Schnitger

T = Timpe

O = Van Oeckelen

D = Doornbos

R = Reil

Hoofdwerk C-c3

16′ Praestant S/M

16′ Bourdon O

8′ Octaaf M

8′ Holpijp M

8′ Salicionaal O

4′ Octaaf M

4′ Nachthoorn O

22⁄3′ Nasard D

2′ Octaaf M/S

V Cornet (discant) O

III–V Mixtuur O/D

16′ Trompet O

8′ Trompet S

Rugpositief CDEFGA-c3

16′ Quintadena S

8′ Praestant S

8′ Gedekt S

4′ Octaaf M

4′ Roerfluit M

2′ Gemshoorn S

11⁄3′ Sifflet M/T/R

IV–V Scherp S/T/R

8′ Dulciaan M/S

8′ Trompet T

Bovenwerk C-c3

8′ Praestant T/S

8′ Holfluit T

8′ Viola di Gamba T

4′ Fluit T

4′ Octaaf T/S

2′ Fluit T

1′ Flageolet D

8′ Clarinet T/O

Pedaal CDE-d1

8′ Praestant S

16′ Bourdon M

16′ Subbas O

102⁄3′ Quint O

8′ Holpijp O/D

4′ Octaaf M

16′ Bazuin R

8′ Trompet S

4′ Trompet S

 

Afsluiting Hoofdmanuaal

Afsluiting Bovenmanuaal

Afsluiting Rugpositief

Afsluiting Pedaal

Calcant

Koppeling Hoofdmanuaal (HW-BW) – bas/discant

Koppeling Rugpositief (RW-HW) – bas/discant

Koppeling Pedaal (Ped-RW)

Tremulant (BW) – R

 

Equal temperament

Pitch a1 = 478 Hz

Wind pressure: 82 mm wk

 

Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., Roy, Washington, Opus 19 Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, Houston, Texas

 

Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., Roy, Washington, Opus 19

Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, 

Houston, Texas

 

From the organbuilder

The instrument is placed in the rear gallery on either side of the 40-foot-high Resurrection Window. This massive window necessitated a divided layout for the organ’s five divisions of pipes, and several unique design solutions were used to compensate for the lack of a traditional central organ case. During the organ’s design, construction, and voicing, this instrument developed a unique character of its own—thanks in large part to the building’s wonderfully reverberant acoustics.

The visual design of the instrument combines architectural features found in this building with elements from historic European organs. The organ is entirely encased in white oak woodwork, with decorative carvings above the façade pipes. Both the carvings and the façade pipe mouths are gilded with 23-carat gold leaf. The wooden case serves a vital tonal function by blending and focusing the sound of the 5,499 organ pipes, while also protecting them from dust.

The console’s four manual keyboards are covered with cow bone and ebony, and the pedal keyboard is made of maple and rosewood. The 111 stop knobs, controlling the organ’s five divisions of pipes, are on either side of the keyboards. The stop knobs and toe pistons are made of pau ferro. Other species of wood found in the organ include tulip poplar, redwood, sugar pine, basswood, walnut, hornbeam, and Douglas fir.

The organ is laid out vertically in order to take advantage of the given space. The pipes of the Great division are placed on windchests above the impost on the east side of the window. The Swell division is placed above the Great, hidden behind the façade pipes and gilded carvings. The Positive division is located above the Swell, almost hugging the building’s 72-foot-high ceiling. The Grand Choir and Pedal divisions are located on the west side of the window, with the Spanish Trumpets (Trompeta) speaking from the very top above the Pedal division. They are placed horizontally, just behind the façade, in order to sound in the most assertive manner possible.

Two electric blowers supply wind to the organ via six bellows measuring approximately 4 feet by 8 feet. The bellows and blowers are located behind and inside the organ’s two cases. This wind system imparts a gentle flexibility to the organ’s sound, allowing the pipes to sound more like a choir of human voices rather than an inexpressive machine.

The organ’s tonal scheme draws most of its inspiration from the great North German and French organs of the 17th and 18th centuries. Its resources are further leavened with many stops inspired by 19th- and 20th-century models. This enhances its flexibility in playing choral accompaniments and interpreting the monumental solo organ literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. The organ is tuned in “Mark Brombaugh Mild,” an unequal temperament that favors the keys nearest to C major while still remaining harmonious in the most distant keys.

With the exception of the free-reed Clarinette 8′ stop, all of the metal pipes were made in the Pasi shop—from the casting and rolling of the metal through to the completed pipes. They are made of various alloys of tin and lead, with trace impurities of copper, bismuth, and antimony to help stiffen the metal. To enhance the intensity of the lead pipes’ sound, the metal is hammered following casting in order to tighten its molecular structure. The three 32′ stops, as well as the large pipes of several other stops, are made of tulip poplar wood.

The three traditional manual divisions—Great, Positive, and Swell—are placed above the console on the east side of the window, and have normal suspended mechanical key action and mechanical couplers. The Grand Choir and Pedal divisions on the west side of the window are modeled after the
Résonance division in the famous 1775 Jean-Esprit Isnard organ at St. Maximin, Provence. Most of the Grand Choir pipes are shared between the two divisions, but have independent stop knobs and actions for each division. 

This divided layout of the organ, combined with the comprehensive tonal scheme necessitated by the cathedral’s vast interior space, posed a special challenge in the design of the key action. Running a horizontal mechanical key action from the console to the west case 30 feet away would have been impractical. Our solution was to use the electric proportional key action developed by NovelOrg of Longueuil (Montreal), Quebec. 

The NovelOrg proportional key action is an all-electric action with sophisticated electronic control that allows the valves in the windchests to follow exactly the motion of the key. Applying this action to the remote Grand Choir and Pedal divisions makes it possible to retain the sensitive control of pipe speech found in a traditional mechanical key action. In addition to the regular mechanical couplers, the Great, Positive, and Swell keyboards are coupled to the Grand Choir through the NovelOrg proportional action. The stop action is electric, and the solid-state combination action allows up to 20 organists to each have 55 levels of memory, providing for the storage and recall of thousands of stop combinations.

The staff of Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., constructed, installed, and voiced the organ over a period of three years. The Pasi staff and other artisans who contributed to this project are as follows:

Markus Morscher: design, casework, windchests, wood pipes, bellows, pipe racking, and installation

Michael Spieler: casework, windchests, wood pipes, bellows, console key action, pipe racking, and installation

Rochus van Rumpt: metal flue pipes (including fabrication of the largest façade pipes on-site), reed pipes, installation, and voicing

Mark Brombaugh: design, installation, and voicing

Arpad Magyar: metal flue and reed pipes

Maurine Pasi: pipe shade carving and gilding

Jennifer Von Holstein: carving design and administration

Robert Wech: design

Raphi Giangiulio: metal flue and reed pipes, design

Gyöngyi Czimbor: assistant in the Pasi wood and pipe shops

Douglas Brewer: installation

Bruce Shull: voicing

Dominik Maetzler: combination action wiring

Martin Pasi: design, flue and reed pipes, installation, voicing, and administration.

—Martin Pasi

 

From the consultant

What a joy it has been to work with the clergy and musicians of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, with the architects and building contractor, and especially with Martin Pasi and his entire team. I remember very well the first meeting of the organ selection committee in 2006, when Cardinal DiNardo spelled out his vision for the project. The task of the committee, under the leadership of Crista Miller, was to find the right company to build an organ that would accompany, complement, and even augment the most perfect musical instrument—the human voice. In addition, the committee needed to be certain that the organ would function first and foremost for the Catholic liturgy. I remember how enthusiastic the cardinal was about the idea of installing a tracker-action organ that would draw from the great traditions of the past while also offering something special for our time. 

The overall concept of the organ is unique, but also firmly rooted in tradition. The left side (when looking at the large Resurrection Window) is played from the upper three manuals with traditional mechanical key action. This side has an especially large and expressive Swell division, useful for choral accompanying and organ music of the 19th and 20th centuries. The principal choruses of the Great and Positive are Germanic, while the many individual stops and small combinations make possible the performance of a wide range of organ music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including French classical repertoire. The right side of the instrument, played from the bottom manual and pedals, uses the electric proportional key action. The right side of the instrument contains the largest pipes, including three 32′ stops. This side also includes a massive principal chorus (with a large progressive mixture), impressive reed choruses, and full foundations appropriate for the French symphonic organ repertoire and festive congregational accompaniments.

I shall mention here only a few of the individual stops. The undulating Suavial (Voce umana) on the Positive is of great historical significance, although it is infrequently heard on this continent today. The two brilliant battle Trompetas on the Grand Choir are drawn from the Spanish and Latin American traditions. And the free-reed Clarinette, also on the Grand Choir, produces a very rare and exotic sound. From the quietest stops to the massive principal and reed choruses, the instrument produces a marvelous effect in the clear but reverberant acoustics of the co-cathedral. The residents of Houston owe Martin and all his associates at Pasi Organ Builders a debt of gratitude for this wonderful addition to the growing list of impressive new organs in our city.

—Robert Bates

Professor of Organ

Moores School of Music

University of Houston

 

From the director of music

When I came to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in October 2004, one of my first duties was to provide music for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 1800-seat church, to be completed in April 2008. There was discussion of moving the church’s small Pilcher organ into the new church, but I knew from my graduate assistantship under Hans Davidsson’s Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative that there are many bright stars in contemporary American organbuilding. Martin Pasi gave an intriguing presentatation on a new dual-temperament organ in the Omaha Cathedral at the first annual EROI Festival in Rochester. I had arranged for a demonstration on pipe making to the Eastman organ studio and vividly remember Martin as being incapable of allowing even a throwaway demo pipe to sound anything less than beautiful.

In January 2006, I was happy to lead an archdiocesan organ committee charged with procuring a new world-class instrument for the Co-Cathedral. We began by reviewing the fine organs in sister cathedrals in larger cities—New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago—and U.S. cathedrals where great pipe organs have emerged, and with them, a tradition of fine sacred music.

Our situation was somewhat challenging, in that the Resurrection Window, planned long before the instrument, is placed in the middle of the organ. This could have eliminated the possibility of a mechanical-action instrument. Enter the extraordinary Martin Pasi and his firm, Pasi Organ Builders, Inc. To accommodate the window, they implemented a dual-action system, mechanical and electro-mechanical. This success speaks for itself, in a thrill for both the player and numerous audience members. 

The firm’s nineteenth instrument is their largest to date and their first four-manual organ. It contains such luxuries as a free-reed Clarinette and a set of horizontal trumpets in a tribute to the Hispanic heritage of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. This organ accompanies the liturgy in a modern way, inspired by historic traditions of 17th-century north and south Germany, Italy, Spain, and 17th- to 19th-century France. Moreover, this versatile instrument, eclectic without compromise, has proven to blend beautifully with orchestral instruments and to render well choral accompaniments of the English tradition.   

Many people deserve thanks. Hearty congratulations to Martin Pasi and his  associates at Pasi Organ Builders. His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, and Auxiliary Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto were all key, as well as Fayez Sarofim and the Brown Foundation and their gift to Houston. Zeigler Cooper Architects and Linbeck Construction were invaluable. As consultant, Robert Bates contributed at all phases, continuing with the ongoing lunchtime recital series, and national conferences. Pastor and rector, The Very Reverend Lawrence W. Jozwiak has been immensely helpful, as was the organ dedication committee chaired by John Burchfield, and the many who contributed program funds.  

—Crista Miller 

Chair, Organ Selection Committee

Director of Music and Organist

 

Letter from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo in the dedication program booklet

From my days as a child, hearing the great von Beckerath organ at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh, to hearing today the opus XIX organ hand-crafted by Martin Pasi and Associates for the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, I have recognized and appreciated the importance of a good pipe organ to serve the liturgical music needs of the Church. But, this is not merely a personal observation. The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy attests: 

 

In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument that adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up the spirit to God and higher things. (Sacrosanctum concilium, 120) 

 

In 2006 our organ committee was reviewing and approving plans for the new pipe organ in Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. At that time, I specifically requested that the organ be capable of serving three essential purposes: 1) Accompany the people’s singing at the Mass and rites of the church; 2) Provide choral accompaniment; and 3) Play traditional and classical organ repertoire. These purposes are recapitulated by the Bishops of the United States in their recent instruction on sacred music highlighting the use of the organ: 

 

Among all other instruments which are suitable for divine worship, the organ is “accorded pride of place” because of its capacity to sustain the singing of a large gathered assembly, due to both its size and its ability to give “resonance to the fullness of human sentiments, from joy to sadness, from praise to lamentation . . .” In addition to its ability to lead and sustain congregational singing, the sound of the pipe organ is most suited for solo playing of sacred music in the Liturgy at appropriate moments. Pipe organs also play an important evangelical role in the Church’s outreach to the wider community in sacred concerts, music series, and other musical and cultural programs. For all of these reasons, the place of the organ should be taken into account from the outset in the planning process for the building or renovation of churches. (Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, 87–88).

For all of these reasons, the opus XIX pipe organ was commissioned. And, now, we celebrate its completion and inaugurate it on its profound mission. It is my sincere hope and prayer that this pipe organ will, indeed, lift all of our minds to God and higher things: through sustained congregational singing; through the accompaniment of our choirs; and through the concerts, which invite members of our wider community into the Church to experience the immensity and magnificence of God through the mysterious and powerful musical sentiments expressed by this organ. 

I want to sincerely thank Rev. Lawrence W. Jozwiak, the rector of the co-cathedral, the organ committee, and all who have made this magnificent instrument a reality. And I thank all of you for your continued prayers and blessings upon the Church in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

—Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

 

Pasi Organ Builders, Opus 19

Four manuals, 76 stops

GREAT II

16′ Principal

8′ Praestant

8′ Spitzfloete

8′ Harmonic Flute

8′ Gamba

6′ Quinte

4′ Octave

4′ Nachthorn

3′ Quinte

2′ Octave

13⁄5′ Terz

8′ Cornet V (c1)

2′ Mixture V

22⁄3′ Rauschpfeife IV

16′ Trumpet

8′ Trumpet

8′ Trompette

4′ Clairon

POSITIVE III

16′ Quintadena

8′ Praestant

8′ Gedeckt

8′ Salicional

8′ Suavial (g)

4′ Octave

4′ Rohrfloete

3′ Nazard

3′ Sesquialtera II

2′ Octave

2′ Gemshorn

13⁄5′ Tierce

11⁄3′ Larigot

1′ Scharff IV

16′ Dulzian

8′ Cromorne

8′ Trumpet

8′ Trechterregal

SWELL IV

16′ Bourdon

8′ Praestant

8′ Viola

8′ Celeste

8′ Rohrfloete

4′ Octave

4′ Harm. Flute

4′ Violetta

31⁄5′ Gross Tierce

22⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Octave

2′ Octavin

13⁄5′ Tierce

1′ Flageolet

2′ Mixture V 

16′ Bassoon

8′ Trompette

8′ Oboe

4′ Clairon

8′ Voix Humaine

GRAND CHOIR I

32′ Principal

16′ Praestant

16′ Violone

16′ Bourdon

8′ Octave

8′ Flute

4′ Octave

3′ Plein Jeu Harmonique III–V+

16′ Posaune 

16′ Bombarde 

8′ Trompette 

8′ Trumpet 

8′ Clarinette 

4′ Schalmay 

8′ Trompeta

4–16′ Trompeta

+Grand Choir only

PEDAL

32′ Principal 

16′ Praestant

16′ Violone

16′ Bourdon

8′ Octave

8′ Flute

4′ Octave

4′ Mixtur VI*

32′ Bombarde* 

32′ Trombone* 

16′ Posaune 

16′ Bombarde 

8′ Trompette 

8′ Trumpet 

8′ Clarinette 

4′ Schalmay 

2′ Cornet*

8′ Trompeta

* Pedal only

Zimbelstern (seven rotating bells)

Separate tremulants for the Great and Positive divisions, one normal and one Voix Humaine tremulant for the Swell division.

Normal mechanical-action unison couplers.

Optional electric-assist couplers to the Great, Positive, and Pedal.

Electric-assist couplers to the Grand Choir, and for all Octave Graves.

Electric stop action; 18 general and 38 divisional pistons on 2,750 levels of memory.

Wind system: twin blowers producing pressures ranging between 80 and 120 mm.

Three double-rise bellows for the Swell, Grand Choir and Pedal divisions. Two Baroque wedge bellows for the Great and Positive divisions.

P.J. Swartz Organ Company, Eatonton, Georgia: Christ Church, United Church of Christ, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

P.J. Swartz Organ Company, 

Eatonton, Georgia

Christ Church, United Church of Christ, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The P.J. Swartz Organ Company of Eatonton, Georgia has recently completed the rebuilding of the 1969 Verlinden organ at Christ Church UCC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Technical, mechanical, and tonal revisions and updates were carried out. These include the replacement of the aging electro-pneumatic switches with a new Syndyne solid-state control system that offers an expanded combination action as well as MIDI capability. Trumpet pipes were replaced with a new rank for improved scaling and tonal blend, along with a 16′ extension into the Pedal. The original Vox Humana was also replaced with an historic Wangerin Oboe to expand the organ’s tonal palette and functional use. Finally, a 4′ Swell Principal rank was added, particularly so that the unification of the Great Diapason stop could be reduced. 

When originally installed, the main windchests of this instrument were mounted within the chamber, higher than the top level of the tone opening. From this position, no tone from pipes could project directly through the grille opening to the nave of the church. It is speculated that this “too high” mounting of windchests by the original builder above the tone opening was caused by the tall pneumatic switch stacks that were located beneath the windchests. With the introduction of the solid-state switching system, the tall pneumatic switch stacks were removed, and the windchests lowered to bring pipes even to the tone opening level. The result is a renewed tonal vitality, presence, and projection. The repositioning of the organ pipes for good tonal egress, along with the replacement of carpeted worship space flooring with polished granite, has resulted in an excellent musical and liturgical functional space. Scott R. Riedel & Associates Ltd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provided consultation service to the project. The dedication recital was performed by Donald VerKuilen on November 13, 2011 to a capacity crowd. 

 

14 ranks

GREAT

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Melodia

8′ Dulciana

4′ Octave 

4′ Wald Flute (ext 8′ Melodia)

2′ Fifteenth (ext 4′ Octave)

Mixture III

8′ Trumpet

4′ Clarion (ext 8′ Trumpet)

Chimes

MIDI

SWELL

16′ Bourdon

8′ Stopped Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste

4′ Principal

4′ Flute D’amour (ext 16′ Bourdon)

4′ Salicet (ext 8′ Salicional)

22⁄3′ Nazard (ext 16′ Bourdon)

2′ Principal (ext 4′ Principal)

2′ Piccolo (ext 16′ Bourdon)

11⁄3′ Larigot (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Trumpet (Great)

8′ Oboe

Tremulant

MIDI

PEDAL

32′ Resultant

16′ Subbass

16′ Bourdon (Swell)

8′ Octave (Great Diapason)

8′ Bass Flute (ext Subbass)

8′ Bourdon (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass (Great Diapason)

16′ Trumpet (ext)

8′ Trumpet (Great)

4′ Clarion (Great)

MIDI

 

Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn, Germany, Opus 1881

First Church Congregational, Fairfield, Connecticut

 

From the Director of Music

Serving at First Church as interim director of music and organist, I soon discovered some of the shortcomings of the almost forty-year-old electronic organ. Played for weekly worship services, weddings, funerals, and a variety of other events, it became apparent that this instrument was nearing its final days. The organ committee, having been expertly guided by Justin Bischof as organ consultant, in addition to the considerations for the instrument, also addressed their concern for the acoustics and the importance of the spoken word, and the musical sound of the choirs and the organ.  

The organ will fill several roles. Most importantly, it will provide musical leadership for worship through congregational singing and will be used to accompany choirs and soloists. It can also produce a glorious sound that has the power to move the souls of the faithful. Additionally, it will serve as a concert instrument capable of hosting a wide variety of organ literature from all periods.

Visually, the organ case is a beautiful architectural element in the worship space. Klais Orgelbau, the pipe organ committee, and their consultant have designed, built, and installed a magnificent instrument that will not only fill these roles but far surpass them.  

—Dr. Paul Knox

 

From the Architect 

A renovation project such as this one, involving an historic building with a strongly defined character, is always challenging. People tend to resist any change to a space with which they are so familiar. Therefore, I was extremely aware of the need to be sensitive in my approach, and my goal was to accomplish the necessary changes in such a way that they respected the original design without being constricted by it.  

The major thrust of the project involved a reconfiguration of the chancel and nave spaces to allow for the installation of the Klais pipe organ. The new instrument was placed in the area formerly occupied by the pulpit, the choir, and the old electronic instrument. As a result, the pulpit and choir were pushed forward into the nave space. Our mandate was to accomplish this while removing as few pews as possible in the process.  

The design concept incorporates a gently curving raised platform for the pulpit, the choir, a piano, and the new organ console. This platform was designed to be used as a stage for weekly worship services, as well as for non-religious events such as concerts and plays. To accomplish the design, it was necessary to remove an existing proscenium arch at the front of the nave, which presented major acoustical and visual impediments for the new instrument. In addition, it was necessary to remove and relocate three stained glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. These windows would otherwise have been buried within the confines of the pipe chamber. They will be moved to the rear of the nave, where they will replace three of the original “catalog” glass windows. 

The project was accomplished in two phases. Phase one, completed in the summer of 2009, involved modifying the physical layout of the sanctuary to accommodate the new organ, as well as some necessary rehabilitation of the venerable nave space. Phase two, completed in the summer of 2010, involved the installation of the instrument itself—and it was indeed a marvelous thing to watch.

—Neil Hauck

 

From the Organ Consultant

Every pipe organ installation is a unique journey. Countless considerations contribute to a very complex process that includes aesthetic, liturgical, financial, and technical components.  The First Church Fairfield ten-year journey has been exciting, at times daunting, and ultimately, fulfilling beyond what any of us could have imagined. The Burr gift enabled the church to explore the dream of having a world-class pipe organ in their historic church, thereby forever changing the worship fabric in so many wonderful and meaningful ways.

The new Klais organ has been a source of joy and inspiration since the first notes were sounded last October, and will be for literally hundreds of years to come. The instrument is a joy to play and experience, as it feels as if it has “always been there” in the room. It is an ideal instrument for hymn playing and accompanying, with its warm and rich principal choruses. As a concert instrument, it is versatile and very exciting in the room, in playing repertoire of all periods.  

So many fine people had the vision, passion, and love that saw this project through to its glorious conclusion: David Spollett, pastor, who was tireless in his support and guidance; Charlotte Dyslin and Margaret Gettig, committee chairs, who ensured with their exceptional leadership that the project came to fruition; Neil Hauck, architect, who was a sympathetic and inspired aesthetic leader;  Heather Hamilton, the former director of music, who helped get the project off the ground and brought me into the process; and finally, Philipp Klais, whose world-class expertise in the ancient art of organbuilding and generosity of spirit was an inspiration to all of us throughout our journey.

It has been an honor to be a part of this historic and joyous process, as it has allowed me to become a part of the First Church family. I will always be eternally grateful for our time together and look forward to watching their music program grow over the years as a result of this fine instrument.

—Justin Bischof, D.M.A.

 

From the Organ Builder

Our intention for the new pipe organ in First Church Congregational, Fairfield, was to design and build a pipe organ that would become an integral part of the church as well as a singing church member. Positioned in the front of the church, right behind the altar, it was very important for us to create an instrument that would be an independent sculpture but at the same time an integral part of the church—an instrument designed in a way that the church would look incomplete without the pipe organ. 

The instrument consists of 36 stops on three manuals and pedal (two stops have been prepared), slider windchests, mechanical key action, and electric stop action. It has a very clear layout following historic traditions. From the free-standing console, trackers run straight into the lower part of the instrument. On the level of the front pipes, one finds the Great in the center, surrounded on both sides by the Pedal divided into C and C-sharp sides. On the level above, the two enclosed divisions, Swell and Choir, are placed side by side to each other. The blower with the big main reservoir is placed in the basement of the church, below the organ.

The organ does have a generous staircase in order to guarantee optimal tuning and maintenance access to every part of the instrument. Our intention was to build a pipe organ based on the traditions of the past with a vision for the future, a singing servant to the liturgy.

—Philipp C. A. Klais

 

From the Pipe Organ Committee

The installation of our new Klais pipe organ represents the culmination of ten years of study, discussion, decision-making, and prayer. The pipe organ committee, formed in the fall of 2000, with a generous gift from Lewis and Alice Burr, was charged with the task of finding a pipe organ to replace our failing electronic organ. Surrounded by the beauty of our church, we were reminded during our deliberation of everything we owed to those who have gone before us. Decisions were made by previous generations to expand, improve, and maintain what has been given us, and our decisions, in turn, needed to serve the generations that will follow us.  

With this in mind, along with the wishes of the Burr family, our first major determination was to recommend to the congregation that the existing electronic organ be replaced with a tracker pipe organ, an instrument that produces superior sound and one that will be more cost effective in the long run, as its life expectancy is over 200 years. The mechanical action of the tracker organ provides the most sensitive touch for the organist and requires less expenditure in maintenance. We also concluded that we needed a versatile organ with a warm sound that would provide enough flexibility for congregational singing, anthem accompaniments, and a broad range of solo organ repertoire.

By the end of the summer of 2001, after considerable discussion, we had narrowed the field of potential organ builders to two companies, both with the recommendation for placement of the organ along the center axis of the church. Because one person serves as both organist and choir director, it was necessary that the choir and organ be placed together, centrally located at the front of the sanctuary.  

During the following years, a number of essential repairs and improvements to the church buildings were identified, along with the necessary sanctuary renovations to prepare for a pipe organ, which necessitated a three-year capital campaign. Finally, in February 2008, near the end of the campaign, the congregation voted to enter into an agreement with Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn, Germany. The enthusiasm of the Klais team for the project, the creativity of the design team, and Philipp’s true understanding of the part that a pipe organ plays in worship and his genuine interest in our church led us to this decision. 

All of our subsequent dealings with Klais have reinforced our initial decision. They have designed, constructed, installed, and voiced a magnificent instrument that has exceeded our expectations. We are grateful to the entire Klais team of organbuilders, whose superb workmanship has produced an instrument that will inspire singing and enable our church to continue an exemplary ministry of music in our community for many years to come.

—Charlotte Dyslin and Margaret Gettig

 

From the Pastor

First Church Congregational of Fairfield, Connecticut, an Open and Affirming member of the United Church of Christ, was called together by God in 1639 to live in covenant, repair a broken world, and build a society founded on justice and peace.  

Everything in that life begins with the worship of God, which fills us with joy, lifts our spirits, informs our minds, and empowers us to go forth as Christ’s servants in the service of others. Music plays a key role in our worship, inspiring our souls, warming our hearts, and moving us to action.  

The Klais pipe organ has greatly enriched our worship of God and strengthened our service to the community. Its beautiful sound, created by the rushing wind moving in our midst like the Holy Spirit, motivates and encourages us in our ministries. Its power, beauty, and versatility have greatly deepened the spiritual experience of all who join us in worship, inspiring us to deeper faith as followers of Christ. The Klais pipe organ has also enriched the community of metropolitan Bridgeport and Fairfield County and will be an asset for the congregation and community for generations to come.  

We note with the deepest gratitude the gifts and bequest of Lewis W. Burr and his wife Alice Bulkley Burr. Lewis and Alice were dedicated to our church and community, and their generosity has borne great fruit in so many areas, not least this pipe organ. Their commitment has inspired hundreds of others to join them in supporting this project, and we honor their memory and give thanks to God for their faithful and loving generosity.

We also express our deepest thanks to the pipe organ committee, co-chaired by Margaret Gettig and Charlotte Dyslin. The committee members diligently labored for almost eleven years to bring the dream of a pipe organ to reality. Their dedication, creativity, indefatigable spirits, and complete faith in God inspired me throughout this process. We owe them our heartfelt thanks. We are also profoundly grateful to our consultant Justin Bischof and to Philipp Klais and his entire team from Klais Orgelbau. It was a joy to work with Philipp throughout the process. 

We are delighted and thrilled to be the recipients of this remarkable instrument and honored to be entrusted with its care, a gift for the ages. Our prayer is that the rushing winds of the organ will fill our hearts and spirits as a holy inspiration for greater living.

—The Reverend David W. Spollett

 

Photo credit: H. Durston Saylor (unless indicated otherwise)

 

Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn

Opus 1881, 2010 

I. CHOIR   C-c4

8′ Burrdon (sic!)*

8′ Dulciana

4′ Flötenprincipal

22⁄3′ Quinte

2′ Waldflöte

13⁄5′ Terz

8′ Coreinette (sic!)*

Tremolo

* original names Bourdon and Clarinette have been modified

II. GREAT   C-c4

16′ Violon

8′ Principal

8′ Flute harmonique

8′ Gamba

4′ Octave

2′ Superoctave

2′ Mixtur IV

8′ Trompete

8′ Tuba (prepared for)

III. SWELL   C-c4

16′ Burrdon

8′ Geigenprincipal

8′ Rohrflöte

8′ Aeoline

8′ Vox coelestis

4′ Traversflöte

4′ Violine

22⁄3′ Harmonia aetheria IV

16′ Basson

8′ Trompette

8′ Basson Hautbois

Tremolo

PEDAL   C-g1

32′ Flute (prepared for)

16′ Open Wood

16′ Subbass

16′ Burrdon (from Swell)

8′ Principal

8′ Burrdon

4′ Octave

16′ Posaune

16′ Basson (from Swell)

 

Couplers

Choir to Great

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Swell Suboctave

Swell Superoctave

Choir Suboctave

Choir Superoctave

Choir to Pedal

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Swell Superoctave to Pedal

 

36 stops on three manuals and pedal

Slider windchests

Mechanical key action (electric coupling action)

Electric stop action

Setter combination system with 1,000,000 combinations, divided into 1,000 levels with 100 groups each featuring 10 Generals and 6 Divisionals for each division

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd., Lake City, Iowa, Op. 89 Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, The University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd., Lake City, Iowa, Op. 89

Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, the University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida 

Set in distinctly urban surroundings, the University of Tampa has grown tremendously since its founding in 1933. Tampa’s first institution of higher learning, the UT was founded in the former Tampa Bay Hotel, an exotic landmark with flamboyant Moorish domes and minarets set on the Hillsborough River. The rooms that once hosted Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, Sarah Bernhardt, Babe Ruth (who hit his longest home run ever—587 feet—at nearby Plant Field), Clara Barton, Stephen Crane, Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, the Queen of England, and many other celebrities, are today’s classrooms, laboratories, public rooms, and academic and administrative offices— the heart of a 6,500-student university that now fans out in 50 buildings on 100 acres around Plant Hall.

Located a shorter distance from Plant Hall than Ruth’s record homer is Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, the latest addition to the campus. A gift of local entrepreneur John H. Sykes, the facility includes the 250-seat Main Hall and meditation and meeting rooms, as well as outdoor plazas and gardens. The Main Hall is furnished with flexible seating and serves for worship and assembly of various student religious groups at UT, as well as concerts, lectures, and ceremonial events. The space has an airiness that comes from its 65-foot arched ceiling and the flood of light entering through a skylight that runs the entire length of the building. Large side windows and a rear wall made entirely of glass add even more light. The floors are honed granite, with walls paneled in American black cherry. Fabric curtains hidden in ceiling pockets may be deployed according to the acoustical needs of a given event. The building’s HVAC system is as quiet as possible and the building is well insulated from exterior noise.

Our involvement came in 2007 through organ consultant Scott Riedel of Milwaukee. Our first meeting with university representatives took place at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Wayne, Pennsylvania, where our Op. 84 (III/47, 2007) is installed. After hearing and seeing the organ, the Tampa delegation made it clear that they intended to select us as the builder of their new instrument. A contract for the organ was signed in summer 2008; installation commenced two years later.

The visual design for Op. 89 was created especially for the unique architectural setting of the new space. It responds to the sheltering shape of the ceiling with great arcs that give the organ case a dynamic appearance. By having the tops of the organ case reflect the shape of the building’s arches, there is an immediate recognition of the dominant feature of the room, but in reverse. The space gives the sense of enclosing or enveloping, while the organ gives the sense of rising up and pushing the room open. The strong curving lines of the case tops are softened by the plane of the façade’s graceful transition from concave at either side to convex in the center. As a result, the strong curving shapes that define the tops of the case become like ribbons in the third dimension, first receding, then flowing forward around the pipes.

The organ case is made of American black cherry and stands nearly 50 feet tall; it is 21 feet wide at its greatest and just over eight feet deep. The console is placed about six feet in front of the organ case to permit two rows of singers to stand in between. The Great is located at the level of the impost, with the Swell above it. The Choir is below the Great, in the base of the case. The largest pipes of the Pedal stand behind the main case, while the Pedal upperwork shares windchest space with the Great. The façade pipes are made of burnished 90% tin and include pipes of the Great 8′ Principal (notes 1–27, at the top of the case), Great/Pedal 16′ Principal (notes 1–45, at impost level), and the Pedal 8′ Octave (9–32, mounted upside down in front of the Choir division). The 8′ Horizontal Trumpet, also made of tin, takes its commanding position in the center of the façade.

Op. 89 employs mechanical key action for the manuals and pedal upperwork; the Horizontal Trumpet and the largest pipes of the Pedal have electric action. All coupling is mechanical. The electric stop and combination action includes the usual complement of pistons and 256 memory levels. The manual divisions and Pedal upperwork are voiced on 3 inches wind pressure while the Pedal basses and solo reed are voiced on 5 inches. The organ is tuned in equal temperament.

The new building was dedicated on December 10, 2010, at which time the organ was first heard by the public. Dedication recitals in early 2011 included January 30, David Isele; February 12 and 13, Haig Mardirosian; March 12 and 13, Carole Terry; April 9 and 10, Kurt Knecht. Pictures of the construction and installation may be found at 

www.dobsonorgan.com.

 

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

William Ayers

Abraham Batten

Kent Brown

Lynn A. Dobson

Lyndon Evans

Randy Hausman

Dean Heim

Scott Hicks

Donny Hobbs

Pat Lowry

Arthur Middleton

John Ourensma

John A. Panning

Kirk P. Russell

Robert Savage

Jim Streufert

John A. Streufert

Jon H. Thieszen

Pat Thieszen

Sally J. Winter

Dean C. Zenor

 

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders 

Op. 89, 2011 

56 ranks, 58 stops

GREAT (II)

16′ Principal 90% tin

8′ Principal 90% tin

8′ Gamba 75% tin

8′ Harmonic Flute 30% tin

8′ Chimney Flute 30% tin 

  1–12 stopped wood

4′ Octave 52% tin

4′ Spire Flute 30% tin

22⁄3′ Twelfth 52% tin

2′ Fifteenth 52% tin

13⁄5′ Seventeenth 52% tin

2′ Mixture IV 52% tin

16′ Posaune 52% tin

8′ Trumpet 52% tin

4′ Clarion 52% tin

8′ Horizontal Trumpet 90% tin 

  en chamade

Swell to Great

Choir to Great

SWELL (III, enclosed)

8′ Diapason 75% tin

8′ Bourdon wood & 30% tin

8′ Viola 75%

8′ Voix Celeste CC 75% tin

4′ Octave 75% tin

4′ Harmonic Flute 30% tin

22⁄3′ Nasard 30% tin

2′ Piccolo 30% tin

13⁄5′ Tierce 30% tin

2′ Mixture III 75% tin

16′ Bassoon 75% tin

8′ Trumpet 75% tin

8′ Oboe 75% tin

4′ Clarion 75% tin

Tremulant 

CHOIR (I, enclosed)

16′ Bourdon wood

8′ Salicional 75% tin

8′ Gemshorn 52% tin

8′ Unda Maris GG 52% tin

8′ Lieblich Gedeckt wood & 52% tin

4′ Fugara 75%

4′ Recorder        open wood & 30% tin

2′ Flageolet 30% tin

1′ Mixture II 75% tin

8′ Trumpet 52% tin

8′ Clarinet 30% tin

8′ Vox Humana 30% tin

Tremulant

8’ Horizontal Trumpet (Great)

Swell to Choir

 

PEDAL

32′ Contra Bourdon wood

16′ Open Diapason wood

16′ Principal (Great)

16′ Subbass  (ext)

16′ Bourdon (Choir)

8′ Octave 90% tin

8′ Flute (ext Open Diapason)

8′ Gedeckt (ext)

4′ Super Octave 52% tin

22⁄3 Mixture IV 52% tin

32′ Contra Trombone 

                  aluminum & 52% tin

16′ Trombone (ext)

16′ Posaune (Great)

8′ Trumpet (Great)

4′ Clarion (Great)

8′ Horizontal Trumpet (Great)

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Pedal