Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio
Saint Paul the Apostle Parish, Westerville, Ohio
The highlight of Muller Pipe Organ Company’s ninety-fifth anniversary year was the completion of the new pipe organ for Saint Paul the Apostle Parish of Westerville, Ohio, the largest congregation in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. Our relationship with the parish began as the new building was being designed, and we enjoyed working collaboratively to create a space that would be effective for both worship and music. The result is a handsome brick edifice seating approximately 1,500 parishioners in an acoustically reverberant and visually arresting space.
John Bryan, music director at St. Paul, and Paul Thornock, then diocesan organ consultant, worked with us as tonal ideas were developed. These conversations produced an eclectic instrument that supports the diverse liturgies of the parish, boldly leads major diocesan events, and accommodates a wide variety of organ repertoire.
Saint Paul boasts an active choral program to match the size of the parish and space. To ensure ample room for these singers, we placed the Positive on the railing, where it is reminiscent of a Rückpositv both in location and sound. The other divisions are in the large main case at the back of the spacious gallery.
Our tonal philosophy dictates a broad, warm sound for the Great division; this was readily accomplished at Saint Paul by a location in the main case. This division’s broadly scaled and boldly voiced principal chorus is the cornerstone of the entire instrument. The smaller-scaled Violone was designed primarily as a 16′ stop, but plays at 8′ pitch and functions as the secondary principal, being both brighter and more articulate. The Tromba is the darkest of the manual trumpets and employs English shallots and harmonic resonators beginning in the middle octave. Because the division is expressive, the Great includes ranks that would be expected in a Choir division: a throaty Clarinet and a pair of tapered Gemshorns.
The Swell is the workhorse of the organ and balances the Great division. A secondary principal chorus with a low-pitched mixture, an independent flute chorus, and broadly scaled Viole strings provide a solid platform for choral accompaniment. The Trompette and Clairon create a fiery French effect. The Hautbois, with its open shallots, also has a bright French quality or nasality.
The Positive contains the most articulate and colorful stops of the organ. Its location on the gallery rail allowed us to contrast its voice with the Great by means of smaller scaling, lower wind pressure, and gentler voicing. The somewhat unconventional Quintadena provides a lovely solo voice and offers an alternative to the eloquent Gedeckt. The Positive Trompet is a median between the Great and Swell trumpets. These shallots were designed for effective tone on light wind pressure, providing plenty of power with ample fundamental tone.
The pipes of the Pedal division are divided into C and C-sharp sections on either side of the main case. It boasts a powerful Trombone as well as a reclaimed 16′ Open Wood Diapason. Like each manual division, the Pedal has a complete and independent principal chorus, culminating with a four-rank mixture. To provide flexibility, the Pedal division includes judicious borrowing from the manual divisions.
The visually and aurally commanding Pontifical Trumpet is mounted horizontally on the main case and is constructed of brass with flared resonators. This stop is powerful enough to speak over fuller combinations, yet does so with a refined, even tone.
The cases were conceived to visually harmonize with the Romanesque features of the building. From the choir seating in the balcony, the outline of the Positive pipework mirrors the architecture of the ceiling and mural while drawing one’s focus directly to the liturgy at the front of the church. The casework and the console were fabricated by craftsmen at the Muller shop. The cases of quarter-sawn red oak were handcrafted using traditional joinery, as was the raised panel console. The console is movable and features interior accents of solid walnut with inlays of ebony and maple.
We are especially grateful for the support of A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc., David R. Beck, Paul Thornock, and countless others in the industry for their counsel and wisdom. However, the instrument would not exist without the heroic efforts of John Bryan, the Reverend Charles Klinger, pastor, and the parishioners of Saint Paul the Apostle. We thank them all for honoring us with the opportunity to build this lasting testimony to their faithfulness.
—Luke Tegtmeier, Tonal Associate
Muller Pipe Organ Company
GREAT - Main case, enclosed
16′ Violone 73
8′ Principal 61
8′ Violone (ext 16′)
8′ Rohrflöte 61
8′ Gemshorn 61
8′ Gemshorn Celeste (TC) 49
4′ Octave 61
4′ Koppelflöte 61
2′ Super Octave 61
11⁄3′ Fourniture IV 244
16′ Bass Clarinet (ext 8 ′)
8′ Trompet (Pos)
8′ Tromba 61
8′ Clarinet 73
8′ Pontifical Trumpet 61
Tremolo
SWELL – Main case, enclosed
16′ Bourdon 73
8′ Principal 61
8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)
8′ Viole 61
8′ Viole Celéste 61
4′ Octave 61
4′ Harmonic Flute 61
22⁄3′ Nazard 61
2′ Blockflöte 61
13⁄5′ Tierce 61
2′ Plein Jeu IV 244
16′ Basson-Hautbois 73
8′ Trompette 61
8′ Hautbois (ext 16′)
4′ Clairon 61
Tremolo
8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)
POSITIVE – Railing, unenclosed
8′ Principal 61
8′ Holz Gedeckt 61
8′ Quintadena 61
4′ Octave 61
4′ Waldflöte 61
22⁄3′ Quint 61
2′ Super Octave 61
2′ Flautina 61
13⁄5′ Tierce 61
11⁄3′ Larigot 61
1′ Mixture III 183
8′ Trompet 61
Tremolo
8′ Clarinet (Gt)
8′ Tromba (Gt)
8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)
PEDAL – Main case, unenclosed
32′ Diapason (resultant, 16′ Open)
32′ Bourdon (resultant, 16′ Subbass)
16′ Open Wood Diapason 32
16′ Violone (Gt)
16′ Subbass 56
16′ Bourdon (Sw)
8′ Octave 32
8′ Subbass (ext 16′)
8′ Bourdon (Sw)
4′ Choral Bass 32
4′ Subbass (ext 16′)
22⁄3′ Mixture IV 128
32′ Trombone 56
16′ Trombone (ext 32′)
16′ Basson-Hautbois (Sw)
16′ Bass Clarinet (Gt)
8′ Trombone (ext 32′)
8′ Hautbois (Sw)
4′ Clarinet (Gt)
8′ Pontifical Trumpet (Gt)
Wind pressures
Great – 51⁄2″
Swell and Pedal – 5″
Swell reeds – 41⁄2″
Positive – 3″
Pontifical Trumpet – 6″
32′ Trombone (1–24) – 8″
Full complement of couplers
Electro-pneumatic pitman chest action
Peterson ICS 4000
Three manuals, 54 ranks, 3,117 pipes
