New Organs

Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders,

Montréal, Québec, Opus 42

Christ the King Catholic Church,

Dallas, Texas

During a visit to his hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Henry McDowell, director of music at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas, visited Jack Mitchener and played his two-stop Juget-Sinclair practice organ. This piqued McDowell’s interest in the organbuilders. Shortly thereafter, he visited the workshop with Jesse Eschbach, and the ensuing dialogue began the process of commissioning the largest Juget-Sinclair organ built to date. Involved in the project were Monsignor Donald Zimmerman, pastor at Christ the King, Henry McDowell, and Jesse Eschbach, as consultant.

Envisioned was an instrument of fifty-eight stops across three manuals and pedal with mechanical action and an aesthetic of French Romantic inspiration. From the outset, there were a few design challenges that needed to be addressed. The west gallery could not support the weight of the instrument and space for the choir could not be reduced. There was ample room in the chambers alongside the gallery, but it was desired that the organ sound as directly as possibly into the nave and not as though it was speaking from
the chambers.

The plan took shape along the following lines: the Grand-Orgue and Pédale divisions would be placed on the back wall on a steel frame whose weight was not supported by the gallery. Furthermore, both the Positif and Récit divisions would be enclosed symmetrically, situated partially in the chambers, on either side of the loft. These divisions, however, were extended beyond the chambers and angled to speak more directly into the nave, the space deeper inside the chambers being reserved for the lowest octaves of the 32′ ranks. The windchests are placed on one level (with the exception of the offset chests of the Grand-Orgue), promoting more stable intonation. The console would be detached with carbon-fiber trackers running to all divisions on each of the three walls under a newly built oak floor.

The tonal aesthetic is inspired by the French Romantic tradition, but adapted for modern North American liturgical requirements, for the specific culture of the parish, and for the acoustics of the building. The reeds are brilliant, yet not overwhelming. The flues are vivid and clear, with a variety of colors, yet their power on the whole is not excessive. With reeds drawn in all divisions, the instrument delivers a French symphonic sound with glorious power and richness, profoundly undergirded by a 32′ Bombarde. Yet, for choral accompaniment, the instrument has a wide palette of rich colors and dynamics.

The church requested that the project include both a continuo organ and an antiphonal division meant to accompany the cantor. The workshop proposed that these two be combined such that the continuo organ (with flutes 8′ and 4′ and a doublette) could be playable from the main console and function as the antiphonal division. The continuo organ is softer than the gallery organ, to be certain, but it provides a delightful and effective foil to the main instrument nevertheless.  

There were three further challenges to overcome for which a common solution was found: how to render the continuo instrument playable from the loft, how to lighten the key action on a rather large instrument, and how to isolate the wind supply for the bass extensions in the Pédale division. For each of these challenges electricity was the solution. The continuo organ can be connected to the Positif manual by outlets in the chancel. On the manual divisions, the lowest octaves of the 8′ and 16′ stops are winded on electro-pneumatic motors based on the nineteenth-century French Schmoll et Moll system. In the Pédale division, pipes of the extended stops are winded electro-pneumatically on individual pallets.

There was another challenge foreseen for the instrument’s installation: the sag in the steel beams that would occur once the weight of the instrument was placed on it. So, once the frame was in place, cables were anchored to the floor and the beams and brought under a tension equivalent to the weight of the instrument. Everything above the beams—casework, windchest, pipes, and wind system—was installed first, and when the beams were supporting their full weight, the cable tension was released. Once the cables were removed, everything below the beams—lower casework, trackers, and risers—was installed.

In addition to being the largest instrument built by Juget-Sinclair to date, Opus 42 is also their first instrument with three manuals, the first to have a 16′ façade, the first to use electro-pneumatic offsets in the lowest octaves, the first to be built on a steel frame, and the first new instrument to use carbon-fiber trackers. It is also the first instrument to be built with Robin Côté as a full one-third partner in the firm. Working at the shop for almost 15 years, he shared fully in the project at all levels—concept, design work, and voicing.

—David Szanto

Montréal, Québec, Canada

 

Grand-Orgue (Manual I)

16′ Montre 

16′ Bourdon 

8′ Montre 

8′ Salicional 

8′ Bourdon 

8′ Flute harmonique 

4′ Prestant 

4′ Flûte ouverte 

22⁄3′ Quinte 

2′ Doublette 

Fourniture IV

Cymballe III

Cornet V

16′ Bombarde 

8′ Trompette 

8′ Trompette en chamade 

4′ Clairon 

Positif expressif (Manual II)

8′ Principal 

8′ Bourdon 

8′ Dulciane 

8′ Unda Maris 

4′ Prestant 

4′ Flûte à cheminée 

22⁄3′ Nazard 

2′ Doublette 

13⁄5′ Tierce 

11⁄3′ Larigot 

Fourniture V

16′ Clarinette basse 

8′ Trompette 

8′ Cromorne 

4′ Clairon

Tremulant 

Récit expressif (Manual III)

16′ Bourdon 

8′ Flûte traversière 

8′ Cor de nuit 

8′ Viole de gambe 

8′ Voix céleste 

4′ Prestant 

4′ Flûte octaviante 

22⁄3′ Nazard 

2′ Octavin 

13⁄5′ Tierce 

Plein Jeu III–V

16′ Basson 

8′ Trompette 

8′ Basson-Hautbois 

8′ Voix Humaine 

4′ Clairon

Tremulant 

Pédale

32′ Bourdon 

16′ Contrebasse 

16′ Soubasse 

8′ Principal 

8′ Bourdon 

4′ Prestant 

4′ Flûte 

32′ Bombarde 

16′ Bombarde 

8′ Trompette

Couplers

II/I – III/I – III/II

I/P – II/P – III/P

 

Clochettes

58-note keyboards

30-note pedalboard

Mechanical action

Electric stop action

400 memory levels

Continuo organ

8′ Bourdon 

4′ Flûte 

2′ Doublette

Orgues Létourneau,
St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada

The Sabbatino Family Memorial Pipe Organ, St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, New York, New York

 

From the organist and director of music

For more than 187 years, the congregation of St. Joseph’s Church has worshipped and praised God in the sacred liturgy through prayer and song. Founded in 1829, St. Joseph’s Parish was the sixth to be established among those still in existence in the Archdiocese of New York. The cornerstone of the present structure was laid on June 10, 1833, “at the corner of Barrow Street and Sixth Avenue” and allows St. Joseph’s Church the distinction of being the oldest Catholic church edifice in Manhattan and perhaps the entire archdiocese.

Dedicated on Sunday, March 16, 1834, St. Joseph’s Church is today an integral part of the vibrant neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Tribeca. In 2003, the Archdiocese of New York invited the Order of Preachers (the “Dominicans”) to care for the combined ministries of both the neighborhood residents and the students and faculty of New York University. Today, four friars serve these constituents of St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village.

The organ at St. Joseph’s has always been an important element of the music program. Earlier instruments by Henry Erben (1836) and Aeolian-Skinner (1952) had been in use prior to the installation of Létourneau’s Opus 128. This new organ, built in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada, has mechanical key action as well as electric stop action and contains 31 stops and 39 ranks over the three manuals and pedal.

Known as the Sabbatino Family Memorial Organ, the instrument and its installation were made possible through a bequest from Clare C. Sabbatino, a lifelong resident of Greenwich Village and faithful parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church. Clare had a deep appreciation for music—her father and uncle were both musicians with the New York Philharmonic—and her gift in honor and memory of her entire family is a permanent reminder of her extraordinary generosity to her beloved parish. The Sabbatino Family Memorial Organ was blessed by the Reverend John P. McGuire, O.P., nineteenth pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, and dedicated by Kyler Brown, organist, on April 10, 2015. As director of music ministries and organist, I am thrilled to have such an instrument for worship and concerts in Greenwich Village.

The organ has enriched the musical life of this area greatly with its perfectly voiced stops whose individual colors combine so flawlessly. Each flute stop is different in color and weight, making possible endless solo possibilities as well as exquisite combinations, while the reeds have both power and an ability to sing as solo stops. The mechanical key action weds with the vocal nature of the stops, and this combination opens the path for great expressivity. In sum, the organ is grand and delicate at once, a perfect instrument for the environment at St. Joseph’s Church.

—Kyler Brown

 

From the builder

We remember fondly our first visit with Father John McGuire at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village to talk about a new Létourneau pipe organ for the parish. The church is a handsome space, tucked away in a busy block on the Avenue of the Americas and boasts gracious acoustics. This historic building appears skewed, an impression that is confirmed visually where the barrel vault ceiling’s coffers intersect awkwardly with the back wall. The nave seats approximately 700 people but perhaps this risks overstating its size; the deep side galleries account for perhaps a third of this number.

Replacing an 11-rank Aeolian-Skinner, our Opus 128 resides in the rear gallery and projects sound easily throughout the church. Given the size of the nave and its kind acoustic, we set out to create an instrument that charms with the elegance of its colors and the fluidity with which its stops can be combined. Indeed, the organ impresses with its warmth and calm demeanor rather than trying to dazzling with muscle. With this patrician bearing, the organ truly excels in all its roles as the music ministry’s primary instrument.

The instrument is arrayed within a wide wooden case made from painted solid maple with walnut highlights. Taken from the Great 8′ Principal, Pedal 16′ Principal, and Pedal 8′ Octave stops, the façade pipes are made from 70% hand-polished tin and sport Roman mouths gilded with 23k gold leaf. A large Swell division sits immediately behind the console, while the Great is divided into C and C# wind chests on either side. The Pedal is located at the extremities of the organ case, again on divided wind chests. The horizontal trumpet projecting from the casework—the 8′ Festival Trumpet—was a relatively late addition to the project and has its own dedicated manual; the chest pallets are actuated electrically due to the spread-out arrangement of pipes across the top of the organ case.

The organ is played from a three-manual terraced console attached to the organ case. The combination action offers 256 levels of memory with 12 general pistons and a general piston sequencer. The interior of the console is finished in a dark walnut, while the three manuals have bone overlays and solid ebony accidentals. The drawknobs are likewise made from turned ebony. A short tracker action and pallet box were provided for the console’s third manual (controlling the 8′ Festival Trumpet) despite its electric action so as to preserve a consistent mechanical pluck when moving from manual to manual.

We were given a largely free hand to develop the organ’s stop list, and it reflects the space available, the acoustic, and the musical roles the organ fills. The Great and Swell offer generous foundations; scalings in the principal ranks tend towards the modest for good harmonic development within the individual stops. The Great Cornet, a compound stop of three wide-scale tapered flutes, pairs handsomely with the 8′ Chimney Flute and 4′ Open Flute for this characteristically French sonority. The organ’s chorus reeds feature tapered English shallots with long triangular openings to achieve a balance between snap and body while the 8′ Festival Trumpet features domed shallots in the style of Bertounèche.

The organ has proved itself at ease in concert with music from all periods and nationalities, beginning with the inaugural recital played by Kyler Brown. Maurice Clerc, organiste titulare at Dijon Cathedral in France, wrote the following after his concert at St. Joseph’s during the summer of 2015:

 

I was greatly impressed by the quality of your pipe organ. As an instrument, the stops are properly balanced and their voicing permits them to sound beautifully in the church. I specifically enjoyed the 8′ Festival Trumpet which, in partnership with the superb Cornet of the Great, permits an excellent French grand jeu. Also noteworthy are the Swell stops, which offer numerous possibilities for honoring the romantic and modern repertoire. The console and the piston sequencer further multiply the possibilities in terms of interpretation, making this overall a very comfortable organ to play . . . This is a pipe organ of rich potential on which one can present a great deal of repertoire with exceptional ease and authenticity . . . I already knew firsthand the quality of Létourneau’s instruments but in New York, my impressions were confirmed. Bravo!

—Andrew Forrest, Artistic Director

—Fernand Létourneau, President

 

GREAT (3″ wind)

16′ Bourdon (c¹–g²⁰ wood) 58 pipes

8′ Principal 58 pipes

8′ Flûte harmonique 58 pipes

8′ Salicional 58 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 58 pipes

  (c¹–b¹² wood)

4′ Octave 58 pipes

4′ Open Flute 58 pipes

2′ Super Octave 58 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture IV 232 pipes

22⁄3′ Cornet III 174 pipes

8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

  (harmonic resonators from f#⁴³)

Tremulant

8′ Festival Trumpet Solo

 

SWELL (expressive, 3¼″ wind)

8′ Geigen Diapason 58 pipes

8′ Gamba 58 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (from g⁸) 51 pipes

8′ Bourdon (c¹–to b¹² wood) 58 pipes

4′ Octave 58 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 58 pipes

2′ Flageolet 58 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 58 pipes

2′ Mixture III–IV 215 pipes

16′ Fagotto (full length) 58 pipes

8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

  (harmonic resonators from f#⁴³)

8′ Oboe (capped resonators) 58 pipes

Tremulant

SOLO (3¼″ wind)

8′ Festival Trumpet 58 pipes

PEDAL (3¼″ wind)

32′ Resultant (derived from Subbass and Bourdon)

16′ Principal 32 pipes

16′ Subbass (wood) 32 pipes

16′ Bourdon Great

8′ Octave 32 pipes

8′ Bass Flute 32 pipes

4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes

16′ Trombone (full length) 32 pipes

16′ Fagotto Swell

8′ Trumpet 32 pipes

8′ Festival Trumpet Solo

 

Usual unison intermanual couplers.

Pallet and slider wind chests with mechanical key actions.

31 independent stops; 39 ranks; 2,056 pipes

Peragallo Pipe Organ Company, Paterson, New Jersey

Cathedral of Ss. Simon and Jude, Phoenix, Arizona

 

From the Builder

 

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.

—Daniel Burnham

As organbuilders, we are uniquely privileged to experience many rewarding moments in the process of seeing a new pipe organ come to life. Those moments are all the more amplified when this process includes a vibrant ministry that will realize the full potential of the new instrument. From our first interactions with the staff and organ committee at the Cathedral of Ss. Simon and Jude, we sensed that the pipe organ was going to serve as the cornerstone of sacred music within the Diocese of Phoenix. The instrument would need to musically support and visually complement a refreshingly unapologetic traditional ministry of sacred music. The organ’s timbres would need to function in both humble and glorifying ways to illuminate to the congregant the power through which chant, hymnody, and improvisation can reveal the sacred mystery to us all.

We were immediately in awe of the unwavering faith of this congregation. The extended lines wrapping around the church of people of all ages waiting to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the sight of people crawling on hands and knees down the middle aisle to beg forgiveness, the perpetual procession of groups gathering to recite the Rosary—all attest to the tremendous faith of this special place. The large cross that adorned the altar of Sun Devil Stadium during the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987 is now a familiar beacon as you approach the cathedral. With this steadfast faith and this prominent cross as a starting point, we set out to design an organ to complement this parish.

The tonal design of the instrument is the collaborative effort of John Peragallo, III; Mark Husey, consultant for the project; and Matthew Meloche, the director of sacred music at Ss. Simon and Jude. The specification is in keeping with the tonal concepts and philosophies one can expect of a Peragallo instrument. Each division is tonally complete and features a wealth of foundation stops. The gallery casework showcases an unenclosed Grand Orgue, expressive Positif and Récit divisions, and a substantial Pédale. An Antiphonale organ provides pitch and accompaniment for the song leader and serves as a counterpoint to the Grand Orgue. The Solo provides easy keyboard access to the chamades and a plethora of solo color. Each division possesses not only the requisite tools one would expect to see but several noteworthy perks.

At the urging of the consultant, we included a manual 32′ Flûte Conique. The overall effect of adding this subtle flue to the chorus is most favorable in executing French music from both the Classical and Romantic schools. The Grand Orgue is also equipped with softer accompanimental stops from the expressive divisions to offer a seamless crescendo and versatility in registration.

The Positif Expressif houses the powerful Tromba Magna. This high-pressure reed, fitted with German tapered shallots that are modified with a straight bore, benefits from the extremely effective expression of the Positif chamber. When adding the Tromba to the chorus with the box closed, it can serve as a bigger chorus reed. With the box fully open, the Tromba broadens the Grand Jeu while not overpowering the balance of the ensemble. 

Another notable inclusion is the large-scaled 8′ Cor di Bassetto in the Récit division. Sitting alongside the traditional Hautbois and Trompette, this throaty color is available at 16′ pitch on the Solo. The Récit also includes a Sept/Neuf (11⁄7′ and 8⁄9′) that imparts a reedy shimmer to the full chorus and also serves as part of the collective VIII Cornet à la Neuvieme.

The versatile nature of the organ’s mechanism afforded the ability to create composite stops for the Solo division, such as the III Grande Montre that is drawn from the three largest-scaled Montre stops. Likewise, the II Flûte Majeure, II Flauto Veneziano Celeste, and VII Cor de Violes go one step in depth and volume beyond their divisional counterparts. The Solo provides access to two collective Cornets, as well as the Tromba Magna, at a variety of pitches.

Finally, the Solo offers access to several colorful reeds at pitches other than those found in their respective divisions. For example, the Chalumeau à Cheminée sits well in the Positif chorus at 4′ pitch along with the 8′ Cromorne and the 16′ Cor Anglais. The Chalumeau and the Cor Anglais are both available at 8′ pitch on the Solo.

The Pédale division holds four independent 32′ pitches of varying color and power, and the façade pipework includes both the 16′ Violone and 16′ Montre. The 16′ Bombarde reeds are fitted with special bored German shallots. 

The Trompette en Chamade features English shallots with flared resonators in polished zinc splayed in a spectacular arrangement high in the casework.

The digital makeup of the floating Antiphonal organ ensures that it will always be in tune with the gallery organ when called upon.

The design and fabrication of the organ’s casework was carried out under the direction of Frank Peragallo. The design follows cues of the cathedral’s unique arches reflected in the doubly curving towers. The sightlines and hierarchies seek to elevate the eye upward.

The organ also features chamber wall designs borrowing from concepts developed for structurally insulated panels that are used in green building systems. These walls perform a double function of keeping the chamber temperatures even in the Arizona heat and creating a stark pianissimo effect when the expression shades are closed. New techniques for racking were developed for the double curves within the towers and the Trompette en Chamade.  

The organ’s console design features curving details gleaned from the organ casework and the cathedral’s ecclesiastical appointments. The music desk incorporates a Southwest motif with inlay of three wood species: maple, oak, and cherry.

At the pinnacle of the casework, a hand-carved cherry Étoile Sonora (spinning star zimbelstern) adorns the case and rotates when activated. The star’s design represents the five charisms of Mary Ward, the five Loreto Sisters who founded the school, and the founding pastor, Father Paul Smith. The Loreto Sisters have faithfully served the Diocese of Phoenix since 1954.

After four months of engineering and planning and six months of fabrication, the organ was fully assembled at the factory in Paterson, New Jersey. An open house was held for the community before it was disassembled and loaded onto the truck for the four-day journey to Arizona.

Ten Peragallo employees flew to Phoenix for six weeks of installation of the new organ. Each morning the crew drove from their outpost in northern Phoenix to the cathedral, passing dozens of hot air balloons and witnessing the priceless morning sunrises of the greater Phoenix valley. It took only one week to rebuild the massive organ casework and chambers in the balcony. The console was placed on display on the main floor of the cathedral so parishioners could have a chance to view it before it was raised up to the balcony.

One week later, the initial sounds were heard and the four-week voicing process began. This culminated with the blessing of the organ by Bishop Thomas Olmsted, shepherd of the Diocese of Phoenix, on November 21, 2016.  

This installation in Phoenix is our family’s first instrument west of the Mississippi River since John Peragallo, Sr., took the American Master Organ Company Opus 3 by rail to the Rialto Theatre in Butte, Montana, in 1917. One hundred years and 743 organs later, four members of the Peragallo family and ten craftsmen on our dedicated staff headed out across the country once more. We are proud to extend our tradition and look forward to building more instruments and reaching more parishes across the country in the years to come.

We are grateful for the support of the Most Reverend Thomas James Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix; the Very Reverend John Lankeit, Cathedral Rector; Matthew J. Meloche, director of sacred music; Mark Husey, consultant; Pam Lambros, parish stewardship and communications coordinator; the Cathedral Organ Committee; and all those that supported the cathedral music initiatives and this project.

—John Peragallo, IV 

Architectural Designer

 

From the Consultant

Environments of congregations that support professional musical excellence in America seem as rare and delicately balanced as ecosystems of planets that can support intelligent life in the known universe. The alchemical blend of visionary leadership, talent pool, and patronage all need to be in alignment for music of a professional standard to be the norm, and typically manifest after many years of careful cultivation. The Cathedral of Ss. Simon and Jude in Phoenix was built as a parish church in 1965 and elevated to a cathedral in 1969. While an exhaustive history of the cathedral’s sacred music program is mercurial and fascinating, that is not my story to tell; Matthew Meloche’s appointment as director of music in November of 2013 has produced an exceptionally well-trained professional choir that sings unaccompanied chants and polyphony for a weekly Solemn Choral Mass broadcast on television and archived on YouTube. At his initiative and through the support of cathedral clergy and an exceptionally generous donor, Peragallo Opus 743 was built as this cathedral’s first pipe organ, replacing two electronic instruments in various stages of decay.  

While the cathedral’s richly celebrated choral Masses include a wealth of unaccompanied choral music, the liturgy’s psalm, hymns, voluntaries, and improvisations demand an instrument with a diverse tonal palette capable of dramatic dynamic flexibility, attributes that undoubtedly come into play should the instrument find itself exploring the breadth of accompanied choral repertory. The three independent principal choruses (two of them enclosed) on the main organ contrast brilliantly in terraced dynamics when played alone and when coupled form a sumptuous plenum.

The addition of the 32′ on the Grand Orgue provides for a most unusual, subtle gravitas that makes for a spectacular Grand Plein Jeu for French Classic repertory. A most colorful battery of reed stops is available, complete with a powerful enclosed Solo Tromba in an “air-tight” swell box, which goes from a comfortable forte when played against a modest combination of stops, to a thrilling stentorian tone that rivals the glory of Peragallo’s signature chamades. The duplexing and unification that form the instrument’s Solo division might elicit an arched eyebrow from some purists (as it did from me, who am anything but). I would extend some of the liberties afforded to Isnard’s 1772 Resonance division at St. Maximin-en-Var in Provence, though I realize this is a stretch. While the Solo division has only one rank to call its own, its Grand Montre, Flauto Venezia, and Cornet stops are laudable composites that yield breathtaking results and must be heard to be fully appreciated. The judicious use of digital voices also should be mentioned: the expanded repertory that can be explored through their use, and the versatility afforded to their voicing and balance, is considerable. In summary, this instrument is what it is and does what it does without apology: brilliantly.

I played Peragallo Opus 643 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Columbia, South Carolina, for ten years, and the success of that instrument in leading sung worship is documented on over 700 videos with nearly four million views as of this writing. I am proud to have introduced the Peragallo family to the good people of Ss. Simon and Jude. I applaud Matthew Meloche, his clergy, and their patrons for blazing new trails in organ building while upholding the best of Catholic musical orthodoxy, providing a broken world with beauty and hope when we need it most. I predict that Peragallo Opus 743 will likewise inspire subsequent renewal in sacred music on a local as well as global scale. Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

—Mark Husey

 

From the Director of Sacred Music

It has been a great pleasure of mine, since 2013, to continue the good work of my predecessor Adam Bartlett in promoting legitimate Catholic sacred music at the Cathedral of Ss. Simon and Jude, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona. Perhaps the most quoted liturgy document of the past 50 years has been Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy promulgated by the Second Vatican Council. In that rather broad document a few specific musical items are mentioned: chant, polyphony, and the pipe organ.

Though the cathedral’s history with Gregorian chant long predates myself and my immediate predecessor (the 11:00 a.m. Solemn Mass has had the authentic Gregorian Introit sung at it for a decade or more), it was under Bartlett and then my watch that polyphony—especially that of Palestrina, Byrd, and even of modern composers—began being promoted and used extensively. The final piece of the puzzle for the cathedral was to move the choir from the north transept where they were relocated several decades back to the choir loft and the installation of a pipe organ.

The pipe organ design put forth by the Peragallo’s and the tonal specifications put together over many months pushed beyond the cathedral’s initial vision.  With time and the advice of great musicians (Mark Husey, Dr. Daniel Page, Ryan Dingess, Bruce Ludwick, among others), a wonderful instrument came forth. The many tonal colors of the organ make it an ideal instrument for creative improvisations on Gregorian chant themes, and many of its ranks seem to be made to accompany congregational settings of the chanted Ordinary of the Mass.

The dedication series of six concerts (played by Dr. Paul Weber, Dr. Skye Hart, Dr. Emma Whitten, Dr. Meaghan King, Mr. Mark Husey, and Mr. Jonathan Ryan) was eye opening to many cathedral parishioners and visitors from around the diocese. The pipe organ is used to accompany congregational music regularly at the Diocese of Phoenix televised Mass, which is viewed by over 60,000 people each Sunday. His Excellency, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, in his homily during the Vespers service at which he blessed the pipe organ, joyfully celebrated this instrument and the inspiration it would bring to parishioners and Catholics from around Arizona. It is my hope that this instrument will begin a resurgence in the Diocese of Phoenix and be the first of many pipe organs to find its way into Catholic parishes here that may have never had one.

—Matthew J. Meloche

 

See time lapse video of week one of the organ being built at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=579Rc0svbbg.  

 

Grand Orgue – Manual I 

32′ Flûte conique Positif and Pédale 

16′ Contre Violone 61 pipes

8′ Montre 61 pipes

8′ Flûte harmonique 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon à cheminée 61 pipes

8′ Gambe 61 pipes

8′ Cor de nuit (ext Bd Dx 16′)  Récit 

8′ Cor de chamois Positif 

8′ Cor de chamois Céleste Positif  

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte ouverte 61 pipes

4′ Cor de chamois Céleste II Positif

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

2′ Flûte à bec (ext 4′ Fl) 12 pipes 

II Cornet (c2–c6) 98 pipes

III/IV Grande Fourniture composite

IV Fourniture  244 pipes

III Cymbale  183 pipes 

16′ Contre Trompette  61 wps

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

4′ Clairon (ext 8′ Tr) 12 pipes 

Tremulant

8′ Trompette en Chamade Solo

Positif Expressif – Manual II 

16′ Flûte conique 61 wps

8′ Montre 61 pipes 

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes 

8′ Cor de chamois 61 pipes

8′ Cor de chamois Céleste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal italien (ext 8′ Mt) 12 pipes 

4′ Flûte à fuseau 61 pipes

2′ Octavin 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

1′ Piccolo (ext 4′ Fl) 12 pipes 

II Cymbale 122 pipes 

16′ Cor anglais 61 wps  8′ Cromorne 61 pipes

4′ Chalumeau à cheminée 61 pipes

8′ Tromba magna 61 pipes 

4′ Clairon magna (ext 8′ Tr)

Tremulant

Positif 16′

Positif Muet

Positif 4′

Harp 49 wps 

Celesta 12 wps 

8′ Trompette en Chamade Solo  

Récit – Manual III

16′ Bourdon doux 61 wps  

8′ Montre 61 pipes

8′ Flûte à cheminée 61 pipes

8′ Viole de gambe 61 pipes

8′ Voix Céleste (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce Céleste II 122 wps  

4′ Prestant 61 pipes

4′ Flûte traversière 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nasard (TC) 30 pipes

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

2′ Quarte de nasard (ext 4′ Fl) 12 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 30 pipes

III/IV Plein jeu 220 pipes 

IV Cymbale composite 

II Sept/Neuf 122 wps  

16′ Basson 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Cor di bassetto 61 pipes

8′ Hautbois 61 pipes

8′ Voix humaine 61 wps

4′ Clarion (ext 8′ Tr) 12 pipes

Tremulant

Recit 16′

Recit Muet

Recit 4′

8′ Trompette en Chamade Solo

Solo – Manual IV

8′ Grande Montre III G.O. composite   

8′ Flûte majeure II G.O. composite 

8′ Cor de Violes VII Récit composite 

8′ Flauto Veneziano Céleste II 

Récit composite 

4′ Flûte magique G.O. fr. 8′ Fl har

V Grande Cornet G.O. composite  

VIII Cornet à la neuvieme Réc composite 

16′ Cor di bassetto Récit

8′ Cromorne Positif  

8′ Trompette en chamade 49 pipes 

8′ Chalumeau à cheminée Positif 

8′ Cor anglais Positif 

16′ Tuba magna (1–12 wps) Positif 

8′ Tromba magna Positif 

4′ Clairon magna Positif 

Tremulant

Clochettes 37 wps  

Solo 16′

Solo Muet

Solo 4′

Antiphonale – Floating 

8′ Montre 61 wps

8′ Flûte angelique 61 wps

8′ Viole angelorum 61 wps

8′ Voix seraphique 61 wps

8′ Unda maris II 122 wps

4′ Prestant 61 wps

4′ Flûte bouchée 61 wps

2′ Doublette 61 wps

8′ Cor d’orchestre 61 wps

Tremulant

Antiphonal Octave Célestes

Antiphonale Pédale 

16′ Contrebasse 32 wps

16′ Bourdon 32 wps

8′ Octavbasse 12 wps

8′ Bourdon 12 wps

4′ Flûte couverte 32 wps

8′ Cor d’orchestre Ant.

4′ Cor d’orchestre Ant.

Pédale Tremulant

Pédale

32′ Flûte ouverte 32 wps 

32′ Contre bourdon 32 wps 

32′ Flûte conique 32 wps 

16′ Contrebasse 32 wps 

16′ Montre 32 pipes

16′ Violone Grand Orgue 

16′ Flûte conique Positif 

16′ Bourdon 32 wps  

16′ Bourdon doux Récit 

8′ Octavbasse 32 pipes

8′ Bourdon 12 wps

8′ Flute doux Récit

4′ Doublette (ext 8′ Oct) 12 pipes 

4′ Flûte octaviante Grand Orgue

IV Fourniture composite

32′ Contre Bombarde 32 wps 

16′ Bombarde 32 pipes

16′ Contre Trompette Grand Orgue 

16′ Basson Récit

8′ Bombarde (ext 16′) 12 pipes 

8′ Trompette en chamade Solo 

8′ Tromba magna Positif 

4′ Cromorne  Positif 

Campanile Cathédrale Solo

Étoile Sonora

 

wps  = Walker pipe sample 

 

Four manuals and pedal, 51 ranks

John-Paul Buzard

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois, Opus 44 

Grace Episcopal Church, 

Sandusky, Ohio

Buzard Pipe Organ Builders Opus 44, a three-manual and pedal instrument, contains 47 independent registers and 61 ranks of pipes, retaining many ranks from the parish’s former instruments.

Grace Church’s culture is one of intense concern for stewardship and sustainability. They waste nothing; they cherish items of value from the past whenever possible. The need for a new organ therefore posed both a challenge and an opportunity. They asked us to save everything that was good about the previous instrument, but not at the expense of mechanical reliability or tonal cohesion. The previous organ had been rebuilt and substantially altered three times, and everyone acknowledged that it was time for the instrument to speak consistently with a single artistic voice.

The organ started its life in 1893 as Oåpus 793 of Johnson & Son of Westfield, Massachusetts. It was well-made and typical of late 19th-century mechanical-action instruments. The original façade of stenciled pipes wrapped around the case front to the side facing the congregation. In the 1960s, the Schlicker Organ Company rebuilt the organ under the guidance of Robert Noehren, retaining some of the Johnson’s pipes and the mechanical key action. However, string pipes were cut down to play at higher pitches, mixtures were added, some new reeds appeared, others were retained and made to play on significantly lower wind pressures, and the character of the organ was changed forever. In the early 1970s, the organ was rebuilt again, this time by Daniel Pilzecker. The wrap-around stenciled façade pipes were replaced with polished zinc and dark brown flamed copper Pedal Principal pipes, and the façade was given its current contemporary look utilizing simple rectangular frames. The central portion of the Pilzecker façade sported a narrow-scaled Trumpet stop. The Pilzecker rebuild also retained the organ’s mechanical key actions.

This was not a happy organ. Its thin and bright sounds did not carry into the church. Pipes originally voiced on 5″ of wind pressure were tasked to play on pressures less than half of that. The mechanical action was clumsy, heavy, and the cause of increasing frustration. In the 1980s the congregation addressed the musical deficiencies by building a ten-stop Antiphonal organ in twin C-and-C# cases on either side of a window in the rear gallery. Although this assisted in musically supporting congregational singing, its electrical connection to a failing mechanical system spelled further doom for the Johnson/Schlicker/Pilzecker organ in the chancel.

Grace Church’s organist, Randall Ruthsatz, a long-standing veteran of the old instrument, knew that the only real way for an organ to succeed at Grace was to start over. But, the parish’s culture of placing high value on its past efforts posed a potential problem. Several current parishioners were part of the 1970s rebuilding project; the parish had just said good-bye to a much-loved priest; the interim rector was both holding the church together and finding ways to widen the parish’s ministry to the people of Sandusky. This would be a difficult time to undertake a large project.

In order to determine what could be possible, we thoroughly researched the existing instrument. Chief engineer Charles Eames and tonal director Brian Davis found ways to re-use as much as possible from the three iterations of previous organs—and yet be able to create a Buzard organ. The instrument had to be considered new; but the parishioners needed to be able to take comfort in that a great amount of their old instrument would be represented in it, and that by doing so they would be extraordinarily better stewards of the church’s history and finances than if they had rebuilt the organ yet again. Keith Williams and I met with then interim rector Jan Smith Wood (who later became Grace Church’s permanent rector) and communicated the most important benefit that a properly designed, scaled, voiced, and built organ could provide: inspired worship and deepened connection with God. 

Knowing that this was likely the last opportunity that Grace Church would have to undertake an organ project, we recommended that they retain consultant Scott Riedel to guide them through the process and provide them with a comfort factor in view of the project’s cost. He confirmed the wisdom of our approach and communicated to the vestry our high reputation for respect of original builders’ work in other projects in which we had previously collaborated —and our reasonable pricing. 

We kept the beautiful Johnson wooden flutes, although Brian rescaled them a few notes larger; the Great and Positiv mixtures from the 1960s were re-composed and revoiced for the new context and to be compatible with our style; the dark flamed copper 16′ Pedal Open Diapason pipes were cut up higher and winded properly; the Pedal Principal and Mixture using original Johnson pipes were retained, as was the original Vox Humana. The Vox was most unhappy, having been originally voiced on 5″ wind, but being made to play on 2¼″. Brian re-tongued the pipes, shortened their resonators, and modified the caps to produce a colorful, more Continental sound. It can be as Romantic as you like, but without the tremulant it colors the Swell flues quite convincingly for Baroque literature.

Because so much of the original pipework was previously altered to appeal to an “Organ Reform” sensibility, we felt the need to keep the tonal leaning of the organ to the classic side. However, we created our signature warmth and tonal vitality with both the revoicing techniques Brian employed on the old pipes and the new flues and colorful reeds we added. Since we retained the 16′ Pedal Diapason pipes in the façade, we also reused the façade’s toeboards and their pipe spacing to provide an overall appearance similar to the previous organ. But where the 8′ Trumpet formerly stood (or sagged!), we installed a new wooden 8′ Dulzian, which plays on the Choir. Its warm, round, and mildly throaty tone is magic with Renaissance music, but it blends and balances with any flue stop in the enclosed portion of the Choir located in the expression box behind and above it. I had fun enameling and decorating its maple resonators.

The result is a dynamic liturgical instrument, which, because of careful and informed scaling and rescaling, voicing and revoicing, will play anything thrown at it musically and energetically. Just like on the HGTV show “Fixer-Uppers,” we encountered some unexpected flaws in quality of one of the previous rebuilds, completely inconsistent with the high level of the original Johnson workmanship. This is where our commitment to excellence in the finished product was not only put to the test but confirmed by the end result.

 

 

Part 2: First United Methodist Church & First Congregational Church

Stephen Schnurr is director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, and editor-at-large for The Diapason. His most recent book, Organs of Oberlin, was published in 2013 by Chauncey Park Press (www.organsofoberlin.com). He has authored several other books and journal articles, principally on pipe organ history in the Great Lakes states.

This article is the continuation of a feature in the August 2015 issue of The Diapason. This article was delivered as a lecture for the Midwinter Pipe Organ Conclave on January 19, 2015, in La Grange, Illinois. The research for this project provides a history of a number of pipe organs in the village, but not all. For instance, organs in residences and theaters are not surveyed. 

 

First United Methodist Church

The Methodists were first organized in La Grange in 1872, served by clergy who also shepherded congregations at Cass and Lyonsville. Franklin Cossitt, founder of La Grange, donated land for the church. Before construction began, several active persons in the congregation moved away, and the property reverted back to Cossitt. This land was eventually the site of the First Congregational Church.

The Methodists reorganized in 1884. In the first year, church expenses were $216 for the pastor, $52 for hall rental for services, and $10 for missions. A frame school, used by the earlier Methodists, was purchased for $2,000, located on the present site, along with two lots. The renovated structure was dedicated for worship on November 28, 1886. Electric lighting was installed at a cost of $75 in 1892.

Plans for a new church were begun in 1890. In 1892, E. R. Turnock was retained as architect. The earlier church was demolished and work commenced on a new edifice in May of 1893. A portion of the stone Romanesque building was completed for use in November.

The completed sanctuary was dedicated in three services on Sunday, January 6, 1895. The congregation begins its pipe organ history in 1907 with acquisition of Henry Pilcher’s Sons Opus 577, a two-manual, thirteen-rank, nineteen-stop instrument completed in March of that year at a cost of $2,300. Pilcher took the church’s Vocalion organ in partial trade. An addition was made to the building the following year, and another in 1917.

Planning for the present church building began in 1948. The cornerstone of the church of Gothic influence in stone was laid in 1950. Dedication occurred on September 25, 1952. With membership at over 1,550 persons, the congregation added a second Sunday service. A new education building was erected between 1961 and 1963, including a chapel. The sanctuary was renovated to its present configuration in 2012.

For the church’s present edifice,
M. P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland, supplied its Opus 8261, a three-manual, electro-pneumatic action organ. The contract was dated August 7, 1950, with completion set for eleven months, at a cost of $20,096. Henry Beard was the representative for the builder. The organ was dedicated with the church in 1952. Beard’s wife, Maud, sang soprano during the church consecration service. The pipework is installed in a chamber above and to the left of the chancel. Around 1960, the Möller firm added the exposed Positiv division, divided on either side of the chancel. (See First Methodist Church stoplist, page 21.)

 

First Congregational Church

The First Congregational Church was organized on March 18, 1881. A frame church was erected the following year. Franklin Cossitt, a founder of La Grange, was active in this church as well as Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

The cornerstone of the present building was laid September 10, 1892, for a stone edifice of Romanesque influence. Dedication occurred May 1893. This portion of the building is now known as the Founders’ Room and is the oldest church building in the village. The present sanctuary adjoining the 1893 church was built in 1907. In 1937, this sanctuary was remodeled with the addition of a chancel and a new organ. In 1951, the education building was constructed, which includes the Chapel of the Beatitudes.

The first organ in the church was built by the Verney Organ Company of Mason City, Iowa, and was likely installed around 1907. A contract dated April 24, 1937, was signed by the church for a new organ from
the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Job number 1600 for the builder was to cost $10,000, and parts of the Verney organ were to be reused in the new instrument. The Great and part of the Pedal divisions were located on the right side of the chancel in chambers, the Swell and remainder of the Pedal divisions were located on the left side. The Positiv division was positioned on the rear wall of the chancel, some fifteen feet from the floor. The organ was to be completed by October 1. On July 1 $2,500 was due, and another $2,500 on October 1.

The June 1937 issue of The Diapason had this to say about the unique and forward-thinking planning for this organ:

 

According to the builders, the design of the organ will do much to solve the problem of divided organs. The chambers are to be located on both sides and above the choir. Both chambers are to be opened up to the nave as well as to the chancel, and to such an extent that the chambers as such will cease to exist. A positiv of eight stops will be placed on the back wall of the chancel, midway between the two chambers. This will take the place of the choir. The pipework of the positiv is to be unenclosed, although it will be hidden from sight of the congregation.

The organ is to be entirely “straight” except for the great quintaton 16 ft., and Posaune, 16’ ft., which are also to be used in the pedal. Four stops of the great and the harp and chimes are to be in a swell-box. The typical great stops will be unenclosed. To augment the regular adjustable combination action, a ventil system is included. This consists of ventil pedals 1-2-3, stop release and cancel. The specification was developed by Cecil Smith, organist and director.

The importance of this organ in the Chicago area may never have been realized. This was one of very few organs by Walter Holtkamp, Sr., in the metropolitan area, perhaps his largest, and an early statement of his forward-thinking work. (See Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling stoplist, page 21.)

In 1957, Frank J. Sauter of Alsip, Illinois, replaced the console with a new one from the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas. In 1977, the organ was sold for $12,500 to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Chicago, for relocation there. There have been some tonal alterations to the organ. Also, it is possible that some slight changes were made to the organ’s specification when under construction at Holtkamp. Perhaps the Pedal 4′ Clarion may have been installed as a Clarinet. The Swell 4′ Oboe Clarion may have always been an 8′ Oboe. Further records are not available in the builder’s archives.

In 1965, the Reuter Organ Company installed an organ in the Chapel of the Beatitudes. The contract for Opus 1477 was dated September 12, 1963, for a two-manual, eight-rank, electro-pneumatic action organ, enclosed except for the Principal and Mixture ranks. The chapel organ was dedicated in recital by Clyde Holloway on March 1, 1965. (See Reuter Opus 1477 stoplist, page 22.)

In August of 1978, The Diapason announced that the church had contracted for a new, two-manual, 32-stop, 47-rank mechanical-action organ from Jan Van Daalen of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organ was to be installed at the front of the church in a free-standing case and to be completed by December. The console is detached and reversed. After the organ was finished, the Brustwerk 8′ Musette was replaced with an 8′ Celeste. (See Van Daalen stoplist, page 22.)

 

 

Ortloff Organ Company, LLC, Brookline, Massachusetts

Opus 1 – 2016

In collaboration with Russell & Company Organ Builders

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,

Penfield, New York

 

From the builder

Organbuilders will likely say how their first contract was the hardest, or certainly one of the hardest, to procure. And why not? Spending a great deal of money on a product built by somebody with no previous track record is, in a word, insanity. But churches are necessarily in the faith business, and it was certainly an act of faith by St. Joseph’s Church to entrust my company to build this instrument, our Opus 1.

The road to Opus 1 began long before St. Joseph’s contacted me, long before I could even reach the pedals the first time I played a pipe organ at age four—a single chord on the 1933 Kimball at Trinity Episcopal Church in Plattsburgh, New York, after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. That one chord began a fascination with the pipe organ that led to the decision in my teenage years, while working for Stephen Russell, to devote my life to this craft. Nine years of training at Russell & Company, further work for C. B. Fisk, Inc., and Spencer Organ Company, and six years at the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester provided a broad range of experience that has informed how I play and how I wish to build. By 2014, I saw an opportunity to fulfill a dream of running my own shop and founded Ortloff Organ Company, LLC. Within just a few weeks, I was surveying St. Joseph’s Church in Penfield, preparing to draft my first proposal for a new pipe organ.

In 2013, St. Joseph’s received a generous bequest specifically to enrich the musical life of the parish. This happy event led to a decision to commission a new pipe organ, which would replace a failing 30-year-old electronic. Nathan Davy, the director of music and a fellow Eastman alum, approached me about the project, and from there he championed my firm, expressing faith in my ability to produce a high-quality instrument of distinction.

This abundance of faith was, however, fully sighted, and St. Joseph’s requested that the contract be co-signed by an established organbuilder to provide a level of security in the project’s success. It was only logical that I should collaborate with my mentor Steve Russell, to which Steve enthusiastically agreed, and we began discussing the instrument’s mechanical and tonal design shortly after my initial visit. This particular show of faith was perhaps the most important. Knowing my training and ability better than anyone, Steve’s tacit “You can do this. You’re ready. It’s time,” propelled me forward with confidence and excitement.

Distilling many musical requirements into 18 stops, particularly within a fixed budget and limited space, is naturally a challenge. Moreover, working in the shadow of our alma mater, Nathan and I were all too aware of the scrutiny the organ would receive, adding pressure to how the stoplist, scaling, and tonal approach were developed. But a suburban Catholic parish is not the academy, and my vision for the instrument was that it need make no apology for serving its liturgical requirements first and last. In the broad picture, the organ should subscribe to certain guiding principles. As much as possible, slider chests are used, for simplicity of mechanism, the benefits of tone-channel chests, and the honesty they enforce in design. Chorus work should be silvery and bright but not shrill, made of a high-lead alloy, and supported by amply scaled, warm 8′ tone. Reeds are ideally placed on higher pressure for improved speech, better tuning stability, and noble power. Applying these principles to St. Joseph’s, seating about 600, we strove to create an ensemble that would have plenty of energy and clarity without being unduly powerful. It should lead without overwhelming, not only a largely volunteer choir, but also occasionally reluctant congregational singing. The color palette should tend unapologetically toward the romantic, but be based firmly in sparkling classical choruses.

While organs of this size are often treated essentially as giant one-manuals spread over two keyboards, the architecture of St. Joseph’s necessitated the two manual divisions being too physically divided for that kind of approach. Furthermore, the ultimate design felt more honest; a few Swell stops are duplexed to the Great for accompanimental variety, but otherwise each division is independent, with its own chorus. While the organ’s original design included an independent Swell 8′ Diapason, a funding shortfall necessitated its elimination, as well as independent Pedal registers, a Clarinet on the Great, and mutation bass octaves. In turn, we modified the design of the Chimney Flute and Viola, and repitched the Swell mixture lower, introducing 8′ tone by treble C.

In these and many other details throughout the design process, Nathan, Steve, and I found ourselves largely on the same page. Thus it was a jolt when, shortly after signing the contract in November 2014, Nathan accepted the position of assistant organist at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D. C. Happily, Nathan’s successor, Jacob Fuhrman, picked right up where Nathan left off and has proven to be just as collaborative as his predecessor.

Built in 1967, St. Joseph’s wasn’t designed with a pipe organ in mind. Its low ceilings, quirky acoustics, and lack of obvious location for an instrument all contributed to the challenge of layout and visual design. Fortunately, the church was amenable to placing the organ front and center, giving it the best possible advantage. My older brother, Buffalo architect Chris Ortloff, Jr. developed a striking multi-tiered design of flamed and polished copper, with gentle curves and multiple layers. The façade also creates a useful arcade between sacristy and church, integrating into the room in an organic way. Great care was taken to maintain focus on the altar and to complement, not compete with, the gold mosaic surrounding the crucifix.

Behind the façade, the organ proper is arranged on a new, single-level, 37′-wide platform. The wind system lives in the center, with Great and Pedal to the congregation’s left and Swell on the right. Two fields of shutters direct tone both down the nave and into the south transept, where the choir sits. Electric-slider chests form the basis of the chassis, with electric and electro-pneumatic chests serving bass pipes and unit registers.

Of the organ’s 18 voices, six are vintage ranks, including reeds, wood flutes, and strings. All have been restored and revoiced. New flue pipes, built in the Russell & Co. shop, are made from a 94% lead alloy to promote warm, singing tone. Reed renovation and voicing was carried out by the Trivo Company, who also built a new 16′ Trombone of generous scale. A somewhat higher pressure is employed for the reeds, allowing a warm, rich voicing style.

Construction began in August 2015, with a deadline to have at least part of the new organ playing by Easter 2016. To ensure an installation process as free as possible from complication, everything was pre-erected and tested in our shop. On a twenty-below-zero Valentine’s Day, 2016, a truck left Waltham, Massachusetts, bound for Penfield with the Great and Pedal. Amory Atkins, Terence Atkin, and Dean Conry brought their signature steam-shovel efficiency to the installation, accomplishing in 10 days what I thought would take three weeks. By Holy Week, five stops of the Great and the Pedal divisions were playing, and much of the Swell mechanism was in place. Over the next few months, the remainder came together in the shop, with final installation in May and tonal finishing completed by early August. Much beloved by his former parish, Nathan Davy returned to dedicate the organ on September 9. His careful thinking about repertoire demands during the design phase paid off in a colorful, varied program that made the instrument seem far larger than its actual size.

This project brought together both the seasoned and the newcomer. Bart Dahlstrom, Ortloff Organ Company’s first employee, flunked retirement at age 62 when he decided to join his woodworking skills to his organ-playing talents and become an organbuilder. His steady hand, impeccable work, and unfailing cheer have been a blessing throughout the project. Andrew Gray, a precocious 16-year-old son of an organist and a singer, had expressed interest in organbuilding for a few years; he came on as a summer employee in 2015. His meticulous wiring and pipe racking speak to his quiet diligence. Kade Phillips, an MIT student, lent help when not busy studying computer science 80 hours a week. Robert Poovey, organist-choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, and someone with not a little of the organbuilding bug himself, provided generous local assistance for installation and some of the tonal finishing. And Jonathan Ambrosino helped in scratch-tuning the organ on Labor Day, four days before its dedication.

Finally, the support from Steve Russell’s shop has been vital, principally in the construction of the console and 971 of the organ’s 1,390 pipes—each meticulously handcrafted. An organ’s soul lies in its pipes, and these are gorgeous indeed. Steve himself provided the sober foundation of over 40 years’ experience in all aspects of design and construction and was invaluable in helping me to shape the instrument’s final sound, both in shop and site voicing.

On behalf of the 14 people who had a hand in crafting this instrument, my thanks go to St. Joseph’s Church, and especially to its pastor, Fr. Jim Schwartz, for the vision not only to commission a pipe organ, but for putting faith in untried quarters. He and members of St. Joseph’s offered generous support and hospitality at every turn. It is my hope that the faith this parish demonstrated in all of us will be repaid by generations of faithful service from this instrument, our proud Opus 1.

—Jonathan Ortloff

 

Personnel

Ortloff Organ Company:

Bart Dahlstrom

Andrew Gray

Jonathan Ortloff

Kade Phillips

 

Russell & Company:

Mayu Hashigaya Allen

Paul Elliott

Erik Johansson

Carole Russell

Stephen Russell

 

From the former director of music

I remember the beginning of the organ project at St. Joseph’s very clearly. I was in the church office kitchen, making tea, when Father Jim Schwartz walked in and said, “We need a new pipe organ. You should go talk to some organ builders.” How often does it happen that the pastor approaches the organist about a new instrument?! Though not entirely without context—the church’s electronic instrument was old and ailing (a few months later it caught fire during a funeral)—I was still dreaming wistfully of a pipe organ and considering how to broach the issue persuasively.

Among those from whom we sought a proposal was Jonathan Ortloff. Jon and I had been at Eastman together, and I had been his assistant when he was one of the organ department’s staff technicians. I knew his work ethic, and I knew his preferences and values in organ sound. Upon receiving his proposal, we were taken with both the tonal and physical design. Each voice would be able both to stand on its own and to contribute uniquely to the united chorus. The façade would adorn the front of the church, catching the eye, but directing attention to the altar.

Now, Jon would be among the first to grant that to sign a contract with an unproven organ builder is not without a certain amount of risk. The parish was mindful of that risk, but two factors allayed our concern. The first was my above-mentioned firsthand knowledge of Jon and his work. The second was that Stephen Russell, with whom Jon had apprenticed, and whom I knew by reputation, had agreed to work alongside of Jon throughout the project. It was Jon and Steve’s combined presentation to the Parish Pastoral Council on a memorable night in the summer of 2014 that won over the hearts of the parish and persuaded us that we would be in good hands.

I could not have been more pleased with the completed instrument when I first played it in September. Never have I seen flamed copper so well integrated into a church’s interior architecture. The broad richness of the foundations fills the room, the mixtures add clarity and brilliance without stridency, and the reeds balance smoothness of tone with a prevailing warm effulgence. This is an instrument perfectly suited to congregational and choral accompaniment, but also fully capable of realizing a wide variety of organ repertoire in a thoroughly satisfying way. It is my sincere hope that it is the first of many.

—Nathan Davy

 

From the current director of music

Our organ’s arrival over the past six months has fulfilled my hopes and expectations of almost two years. When I began my work at St. Joseph’s in March 2015, the contract had already been signed, the stoplist was finalized, and design had begun. I am as fortunate as an organist can be, enjoying a world-class new organ without having had to do any of the groundwork—convincing committees, raising funds, and the like. 

It was exciting for me, as a relatively early-career musician, to work with an organbuilder who is at a similar point in his own career. The entire church staff enjoyed Jonathan’s sincere, energetic love for the organ. His combination of youth, expertise, and passion helped give St. Joseph’s parishioners confidence that our art has a future.

Those of our parishioners who were at the dedicatory recital had an epiphany singing a hymn with a large audience of organists and choristers—this organ really sings, and it supports full, vibrant congregational singing. The choruses are bright without ever losing gravity. The reeds are penetrating, yet admirably vocal. The console is extremely comfortable and manageable, and it is light enough that one person can move it easily in just a few minutes: I can play from the middle of the church whenever I want to, which helps tremendously for preparing performances. The physical design of the organ, with its outward-radiating flamed copper façade, draws the eye to the altar, complementing both the shape of the building and the color profile of its stained-glass windows. I couldn’t be more pleased with this instrument.

—Jacob Fuhrman

 

GREAT

16′ Bourdon (Pedal/Swell)

8′ Diapason (1–12 façade) 61 pipes 

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Viola (Swell)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth  61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV 204 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

Great 16

Great Off

Great 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great

Swell to Great 4

SWELL

16′ Bourdon (tc) (from 8′)

8′ Chimney Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Viola* 61 pipes

8′ Viola Celeste (tc) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Flute* 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard (tc) 49 pipes

2′ Flute* (ext 4′) 12 pipes 

13⁄5′ Tierce (tc) 49 pipes

2′ Mixture IV 244 pipes

8′ Trumpet* 61 pipes

8′ Oboe* 61 pipes

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Off

Swell 4 

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (Bourdon)

16′ Principal (1–34 façade) 56 pipes

16′ Bourdon* 44 pipes

8′ Octave (ext 16′)

8′ Bourdon* (ext 16′)

8′ Chimney Flute (Swell)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 16′)

32′ Harmonics (Trombone/derived)

16′ Trombone* (ext Great) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet (Great)

Great to Pedal

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Pedal 4

 

 

18 stops, 24 ranks, 1,390 pipes

 

3½″ wind pressure throughout

*5″ wind pressure

8 general pistons

8 divisional pistons per division

300 memory levels