New Organs: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Columbus, OH

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Gay Street United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Gay Street United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Gay Street United Methodist Church reached out to our company for help with their failing pipe organ in 2000, shortly after I began working for Muller. Dr. David Tovey, director of music at the time, wanted ideas for a solution. The ensuing process did not occur in a straight-line manner but through directed and creative steps over the course of more than twenty years, resulting in a unique and colorful instrument with a storied history in its own right—truly a tale of Ohio organ building!

Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling’s organ for Gay Street Church

The 1927 Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling (VHS) was a modest three-manual organ of twenty-five ranks, utilizing pipework dating from the previous 1886 A. B. Felgemaker instrument, but on an entirely new mechanism. Installed in two chambers on either side of the choir at the front of the church, the VHS had a gentle presence. Tonally, it was as one might expect, with a plethora of flutes and strings but not much in the way of choruses.

Henry Holtkamp was an innovator and created a stop called “Ludwig’s Tone,” an open flute, essentially two pipes in one, tuned as a celeste. This delightful stop, copied by later builders, has been retained and incorporated into the new organ’s design.

The VHS organ served the church for decades. It was substantially enlarged and reconditioned in the 1970s and again in the 1990s by a local company. As part of that work, the Great division was brought out of the chambers on visually functional windchests and placed on the walls immediately in front of the organ.

Myriad problems became apparent after the 1990s project. Too many stopknobs had been placed in the art-deco console, and restoration of the ventil windchests was unsuccessful. The organ suffered greatly during the winter, resulting in ciphers and silent stops. Despite the incongruent tonal additions, a general sense of the VHS survived but not enough to guide a successful restoration.

Walter Holtkamp, Sr.’s organ for Christ Church, Cincinnati

In 1957 the successor firm to VHS installed Job No. 1695 in the newly constructed Christ Episcopal Church, Cincinnati. At sixty-eight ranks, five divisions, and three manuals, it was one of the later and larger instruments built by the Holtkamp Organ Company under the supervision of Walter Holtkamp, Sr.

This organ could not be more different from Gay Street Church’s 1927 instrument, although likely some of the same hands and tools produced it. The Christ Church organ possessed well-developed, clean and clear choruses and aggressive European style reeds, with all pipes visible and arranged by division in a side gallery.

The organ rose to prominence under the hands of Gerre Hancock, who began his professional career at Christ Church. It was often recorded, and for a time was the preferred instrument for recitals and masterclasses for students of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Christ Church was consecrated the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio in 1998, and the building was extensively renovated the following year.

Time had taken its toll. The organ’s unique tonal aesthetic had gone out of fashion, and its mechanism stood in need of extensive restoration. Renovations to the church had created some unfortunate acoustical issues. Although improving the sound of the choir, the organ became acoustically too far removed from choral forces to effectively provide accompaniment and support. In 2020 it was replaced by Richards, Fowkes & Co.’s Opus 24. (See cover feature, May 2021.)

A relocated Holtkamp for Gay Street Church?

Various options to improve the organ were considered when Muller assumed its care at Gay Street Church, but church leaders opted to keep the instrument working as best it could for as long as possible because of the recent renovations. As it declined, various steps were taken to improve playability.

The most important project was refurbishment of the unique VHS console. This presented a challenge since the cabinet was too small for the number of drawknobs needed. Jack Muller, then our principal cabinetmaker (currently shop foreman and project manager), carefully examined the console and suggested a creative approach to save the cabinet. To accommodate larger stopjambs, we increased the overall width of the console by constructing a new center panel with replica carvings. The cabinet was fitted with a new top, refinished, and all other components replaced.

Still, the problems eventually became untenable. Various options were explored, and finally the decision was made to use the resources of the Christ Church Holtkamp to create an entirely new tonal scheme.

One might ask why not relocate the Holtkamp as it was? As a historic instrument by an important American builder, aren’t we discarding history? The reality is that the organ as it was known at Christ Church could only exist there or in a similar space in an uncased aesthetic. Otherwise, it would not exist as a “Walter Holtkamp, Sr.” signature instrument.

An opportunity for relocating the organ did not materialize over the several years it was available for purchase. The cathedral needed it removed to begin renovations in preparation for the new organ. If a new home could not be found for the instrument, it would be discarded or broken up for parts. At the final hour, the Holtkamp was saved from destruction and donated to Gay Street Church by a longtime admirer of the instrument. Because any organ at Gay Street Church would be mostly chambered, we knew we would need to use the Holtkamp pipework carefully for the project to be successful.

A “new” Muller organ for Gay Street Church

Our new organ for Gay Street Church is three manuals and forty ranks and makes use of pipework from both the VHS and Holtkamp organs in a completely new tonal scheme. The electro-pneumatic mechanism and casework of the organ are new, and the recently updated console is retained.

Custom-built, quartersawn oak cases were designed to house the Great division and some Pedal pipework, including a façade of Great and Pedal principal pipes. The mirrored cases are placed on either side of the chancel, facing each other. Well into the project, the design of the casework had to be modified; structural analysis found that the church walls are soft clay tiles, necessitating the installation of a robust steel support structure. The casework was widened, and smaller “wings” were constructed to accommodate these changes.

The Great chorus is independent and complete from 8′ Principal to IV Mixture. An 8′ Bourdon and 4′ Spire Flute complete the division’s independent stops, while the Open Flute and Gemshorn are borrowed from the Choir division for flexibility. The Pedal Principal is located in the casework, while the 16′ Bourdon and Trombone are located in a chamber immediately behind.

The Swell division returns to the chamber of the VHS Swell organ. Tonally, the hand of Walter Holtkamp, Sr., is apparent, with the Swell division’s specification largely intact from the Christ Church organ. An independent chorus is here, a foil to the larger chorus in the Great, as is an abundance of string and flute color. Other hands are also apparent; new English-style reeds color the division, a 4′ Principal replaces Holtkamp’s 4′ Gemshorn, and the Harmonic Flute and Vox Humana of the VHS organ are retained to provide different colors.

The Choir division is in the chamber that originally housed the VHS Great, Choir, and Pedal. Using available resources in a new scheme, the design of this division is where our tonal signature becomes obvious. An Open Flute is the workhorse of the division, with a Gemshorn and Celeste as the “main strings.” The Gemshorn is extended to 16′ for use on the Great division. VHS’s “Ludwig’s Tone” returns to the division (renamed the more common Ludwigtone) as a secondary undulating stop. A tertiary principal chorus exists here, as do various mutations and flutes. A lovely vintage 8′ Clarinet rounds out the specification, and a new 8′ Festival Trumpet provides the triumphant culmination of the full organ’s sound.

Ordinarily when specifying a three-manual organ of this size, we prefer a more substantial and independent Pedal division. Indeed, I suspect that Holtkamp, Sr., would have chastised us for only providing three ranks! The reality of space precluded this, as did the wish to have as much color throughout the manual divisions as possible. Complemented by judicious use of digital 16′ and 32′ stops, these three stops are the most important in any Pedal division, and certainly provide the independence desired.

So, what kind of organ is this? Is it a Muller? Is it a VHS? Is it a Holtkamp, Sr.? I suppose it is representative of Muller, though it is not the organ we would design if built completely from scratch. The new organ is classically American and represents the work of three important Ohio organbuilders of different eras, brought into cohesiveness and harmony through intelligent and artistic voicing, traditional and well-designed mechanics, and a touch of happenstance that brought it all together.

The new organ was dedicated during worship on December 3, 2023, and an inaugural concert was presented on May 19, 2024. We are honored to be a small part of the longstanding musical heritage at Gay Street United Methodist Church and sincerely thank the many people who worked with us over the years. It is because of their persistence and uncompromising commitment to excellence that this organ will continue to sing praises for generations to come.

—Scott G. Hayes

Scott G. Hayes is the tonal director for Muller Pipe Organ Company and has been with the firm for nearly twenty-five years. He is also director of music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia.

Muller staff

John W. Muller

Jack Muller

Scott G. Hayes

Brad Ashbrook

Ryan J. Boyle

Jesse Braswell

Taylor Hendershott

Mike Hric

Ryan Jones

Jane Muller

Stan Osborn

Sol Rizzato

Assisted by: David R. Beck

Photo credits: Jesse Braswell

Builder’s website: www.mullerpipeorgan.com/

GREAT

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

8′ Open Flute (Ch)

8′ Bourdon* 61 pipes

4′ Octave* 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute* 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave* 61 pipes

IV Mixture* 244 pipes

8′ Tromba (Ped)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

Zimbelstern

Great 16, UO, 4

SWELL (expressive)

16′ Chimney Flute 73 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal* 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute (ext 16′)

8′ Gambe* 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute§ 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Quint* 61 pipes

2′ Doublette* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

16′ Bassoon 73 pipes

8′ Trumpet 73 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext 16′)

8′ Vox Humana§ 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext 8′)

Tremulant

Swell 16, UO, 4

CHOIR (expressive)

8′ Open Flute* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn* 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn Celeste* (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Ludwigtone§ 49 pipes

4′ Principal* 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute* 61 pipes

2-2/3′ Nazard* 61 pipes

2′ Flute* 61 pipes

1-3/5′ Tierce* 61 pipes

III Mixture* 183 pipes

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes

8′ Festival Trumpet 61 pipes

Chimes (digital)

Harp (digital)

Tremulant

Choir 16, UO, 4

PEDAL

32′ Bourdon (digital)

16′ Open Wood (digital)

16′ Bourdon* 44 pipes

16′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

16′ Gemshorn (Ch, 1–12 digital)

8′ Principal* 44 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′)

8′ Chimney Flute (Sw)

8′ Gemshorn (Ch)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 8′)

4′ Open Flute (Ch)

32′ Trombone (digital)

16′ Trombone 73 pipes

16′ Bassoon (Sw)

8′ Tromba (ext)

4′ Oboe (Sw)

8′ Festival Trumpet (Ch)

* Holtkamp

§ Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Pedal 8, 4

Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Swell to Great 16, 8, 4

Choir to Great 16, 8, 4

Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

 

Thumb Pistons

General 1–10

Swell 1–8

Great 1–8

Choir 1–8

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Next

Previous

Set

Cancel

 

Toe Pistons

General 1–10

Pedal 1–5

Swell to Pedal reversible

Great to Pedal reversible

Choir to Pedal reversible

Zimbelstern reversible

32′ Bourdon reversible

32′ Trombone reversible

Next

 

Wind Pressures

Great: 3.5′′

Swell: 5′′

Choir: 5′′

Pedal: 4′′

Festival Trumpet: 7′′

40 ranks

2,418 pipes

Stephen Schnurr

Stephen Schnurr is editorial director and publisher of The Diapason, director of music for Saint Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, and adjunct instructor in organ for Valparaiso University.

As one travels the John F. Kennedy Expressway on the north side of downtown Chicago, one can count the towers of five impressive church edifices that comprise the principal history of Chicago’s Polish Catholics. The heart of Chicago’s “Polonia,” the neighborhoods nearby, has been home to a large number of immigrants who came to the United States from Poland or are of Polish descent. In 1950, Chicago had the largest Polish population outside the city of Warsaw. Today, Polish is the third most frequently heard language in this city, behind English and Spanish.

This is a tale of a church founded for success with large numbers of faithful, only two generations later experiencing alarming decline. Scheduled to close, the parish managed to turn itself around and is now thriving once again, a jewel box of sacred art and architecture, a model of traditional liturgy, and a home for the performing arts, sacred and secular. While many churches have removed their organs or cannot afford to maintain them, here is a parish with no fewer than four pipe organs, all in regular use, for ritual or for concert, or both! Indeed, one could have an “organ crawl” at one address.

Saint John Cantius Catholic Church was founded in 1893 to relieve the overcrowded parish of Saint Stanislaus Kostka and other Polish parishes in this area of the city. Saint Stanislaus had become the largest parish in the world in 1892, and, thus, a division of the parish of 8,000 families had become necessary.  The mother parish was located approximately one mile away in its Patrick C. Keely-designed edifice constructed between 1877 and 1881 and housing Johnson & Son opus 553, a two-manual, thirty-three-rank organ.

The Reverend John Kasprzycki, C.R. (Congregation of the Resurrection), was appointed first pastor of Saint John Cantius, a congregation with an immediate roster of 2,000 families. In acquiring the present property on North Carpenter Street between West Fry and Chicago Avenues, some twenty residences were demolished for the new parish campus. The cornerstone of the church was laid by Archbishop Patrick A. Feehan on September 4, 1893. A crowd of an estimated 25,000 attended the event, with music provided by twenty-seven Polish singing societies. By November, the parish school was opened in the basement section of the building. The rectory, located at the corner of Carpenter and Fry, was blessed on December 20. The lower church was blessed by Feehan on Christmas Eve, and the first Mass was celebrated the following day, the traditional founding date of the parish. The upper church was completed and blessed by Archbishop Feehan on December 11, 1898. Construction cost was $130,000. The Romanesque edifice was designed by Adolphus Druiding. A German native then living in Chicago, Druiding designed Saint George and Saint Hedwig Catholic Churches in Chicago, as well. Seating 2,000 persons, Saint John Cantius Church measured 230 feet long, 107 feet wide.

Father Eugene Sedlaczek, C.R., was named second pastor of Saint John Cantius in 1899. Within two years, he oversaw the interior decoration of the church.

The Reverend Stanislaus Rogalski, C.R., was named fourth pastor in 1902. The following year, construction for the present school building commenced, completed in November. The school and the rectory were designed by Henry Schlacks of Chicago. A clock and bells were installed in the 130-foot tower and the church interior painted. Father John Kosinski, C.R., became fifth pastor in 1909. Under his leadership, magnificent stained-glass windows were installed in the church. The Reverend Stanislaus Siatka, C.R., became pastor in 1915. New concrete stairs of monumental proportions were created in front of the church, the basement was remodeled to become an auditorium, and a convent constructed. (At one point, the convent housed forty-seven School Sisters of Notre Dame.) By the parish silver jubilee on December 25, 1918, membership climbed to 23,000 persons, with 2,000 children enrolled in the school.

In the 1950s, numerous neighborhood homes were demolished to make way for what would become known as the Kennedy Expressway, a project that drastically changed the parish environs. Parish membership, which had been in decline, would drop even more drastically. The school closed in 1967. At one point, the parish itself was to be shuttered.

The decline of the parish was reversed in the late 1980s with the appointment of the Reverend C. Frank Phillips, C. R., as pastor, and the parish was soon vibrant and growing, with membership coming from great distances. The Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius, a religious community of men, was founded in the parish in 1998, and this organization now administers the parish. The church interior has been thoroughly restored and enhanced, complemented with countless religious artworks now on display throughout the entire parish campus.

The first organ of record in Saint John Cantius Church was A. B. Felgemaker & Son Opus 723, installed in the choir gallery (the upper of two balconies) in the rear of the nave in 1900.

1900 A. B. Felgemaker & Son Opus 723

GREAT (Manual I)

16′ Double Open Diapason 61 pipes (metal)

8′ Open Diapason (metal) 61 pipes

8′ Doppel Floete (wood) 61 pipes

8′ Viola da Gamba (metal) 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana (metal) 61 pipes

4′ Octave (metal) 61 pipes

4′ Flute d’Amour 61 pipes (wood & metal)

3′ Octave Quinte (metal) 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave (metal) 61 pipes

III Mixture (metal) 183 pipes

8′ Trumpet (metal) 61 pipes

SWELL (Manual II, enclosed)

16′ Bourdon 61 pipes (treble and bass, wood)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes (wood & metal)

8′ Stopped Diapason (wood) 61 pipes

8′ Salicional (metal) 61 pipes

8′ Aeolina (metal) 61 pipes

4′ Gemshorn (metal) 61 pipes

4′ Flute Harmonique 61 pipes (metal)

2′ Flageolet (metal) 61 pipes

III Dolce Cornet (metal) 183 pipes

8′ Oboe & Bassoon (metal) 61 pipes

PEDAL

16′ Double Open Diapason 30 pipes (wood)

16′ Bourdon (wood) 30 pipes

8′ Violoncello (metal) 30 pipes

8′ Floete (wood) 30 pipes

Couplers

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Great in Sub-Octave

Swell to Great

Swell to Great in Super Octave

Accessories

Forte Combination Great and Pedal Stops

Piano Combination Great and Pedal Stops

Forte Combination Swell and Pedal Stops

Piano Combination Swell and Pedal Stops

Tremolo

Great to Pedal Reversible

Balanced Swell Pedal

Balanced Crescendo Pedal

Bellows Signal

Wind Indicator

The January 1, 1919, issue of The Diapason noted that a W. W. Kimball Company organ was dedicated at Saint John Cantius in December of 1918. Further information on this instrument has not come to light, and it may not have been installed in the church. It is possible that it was placed in the lower church-auditorium or elsewhere.

In 1922, Geo. Kilgen & Son of Saint Louis, Missouri, installed a new three-manual organ in the upper balcony of the church, Opus 3118. In 1927, the builder added an Echo division, placed behind the main altar, as their Opus 3932.

1922/1927 Geo. Kilgen & Son Opus 3118/3932

GREAT (Manual II, enclosed?)

8′ First Open Diapason

8′ Second Open Diapason

8′ Gross Flute

8′ Doppel Flute

8′ Gamba

4′ Octave

4′ Harmonic Flute

2′ Octave

8′ Tuba

Great to Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great to Great 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 8

Choir to Great 4

Echo to Great 8

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Stopped Flute (ext 16′ Lieb Ged)

8′ Salicional

8′ Voix Celeste

8′ Muted Viole

4′ Violina

4′ Flute

16′ Fagotto

8′ Cornopean

8′ Fagotto (ext 16′ Fagotto)

8′ Vox Humana

Tremolo

Swell to Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell to Swell 4

Echo to Swell 8

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

16′ Quintadena

8′ Violin Diapason

8′ Melodia

8′ Quintadena (ext 16′ Quintadena)

8′ Dulciana

4′ Flute d’Amore

2′ Piccolo

8′ Clarinet

Tremolo

Choir to Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir to Choir 4

Swell to Choir 16

Swell to Choir 8

Swell to Choir 4

Echo to Choir 8

ECHO (Manual IV, enclosed)

16′ Bourdon

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ String

8′ Celeste (TC)

4′ Flute

2′ Zart Flute (ext 4′ Flute)

8′ Vox Humana

Tremolo

Chimes

PEDAL

32′ Resultant

16′ Open Diapason (wood)

16′ Open Diapason (metal)

16′ Bourdon

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw 16′ Lieb Ged)

8′ Gamba (Gt 8′ Gamba)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Dolce Flute (Sw 16′ Lieb Ged)

16′ Trombone

16′ Fagotto (Sw 16′ Fagotto)

8′ Fagotto (Sw 16′ Fagotto)

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir to Pedal 8

Choir to Pedal 4

Echo to Pedal 8

By the early 1990s, a one-manual, mechanical-action organ was relocated to the left balcony of the nave. The builder of this instrument was never ascertained, though interior evidence leads one to believe it was likely built around 1881 and perhaps in the New York City area. The organ has since been removed from the church and is now in storage at the retreat facility of the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius in Lawton, Michigan. It has a 55-note compass (C–G, no high F#) and a Pedal compass of 27 notes (C–D).

MANUAL

8′ Principal

8′ Gamba

8′ Melodia

4′ Flute

2′ Open

PEDAL

16′ Subbass

Manual to Pedal Coupler

About 1996, the Kilgen organ in the rear gallery of the nave was rebuilt by Daniel Bogue and Associates of Downers Grove, Illinois, which closed in 1989. Some pipework was incorporated from an organ formerly in Alvernia High School of Chicago. This organ was removed in late 2011.

1996 Daniel Bogue and Associates organ

GREAT (Manual II, enclosed with Choir, south side)

8′ Principal

8′ Flute (stopped)

4′ Octave (5 basses in façade)

4′ Flute (harmonic from middle C)

2′ Principal (ext 4′ Octave)

IV Fourniture (1′)

8′ Trompette (harmonic from B3)

4′ Clarion (ext 8′ Trompette)

2 blank tabs

Great to Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great to Great 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 8

Choir to Great 4

Echo to Great 8

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed, north side)

16′ Bourdon (wood)

8′ Principal

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gamba

8′ Gamba Celeste (TC)

4′ Principal (ext 8′ Principal)

4′ Flute (open wood, harmonic from middle C)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard

2′ Principal

1-3⁄5′ Tierce

IV Plein Jeu

16′ Fagotto (1–12 half-length)

8′ Trumpet

8′ Fagotto (ext 16′ Fagotto)

4′ Clarion (ext 8′ Trumpet)

Tremolo

Swell to Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell to Swell 4

Echo to Swell 8

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed with Great, south side)

16′ Gemshorn (12 Quintaton basses)

8′ Violin Diapason

8′ Hohl Flute (wood, 12 stopped basses, remainder open)

8′ Gemshorn (ext 16′ Gemshorn)

8′ Gemshorn Celeste (TC)

4′ Principal (ext 8′ Violin Diapason)

4′ Gedeckt (wood)

2′ Flute (harmonic from tenor C)

1-1⁄3′ Larigot (ext 4′ Gedeckt)

III Cymbel

8′ Cromorne

Tremolo

1 blank tab

Choir to Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir to Choir 4

Swell to Choir 16

Swell to Choir 8

Swell to Choir 4

Echo to Choir 8

ECHO (Enclosed, floating)

8′ Bourdon

8′ String

8′ Celeste (TC)

4′ Flute (ext 8′ Bourdon)

2′ Flute (ext 8′ Bourdon)

8′ Vox Humana

1 blank tablet

Tremolo

Chimes

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (fr 16′ Bourdon)

16′ Double Open Diapason (wood, north side)

16′ Contra Bass (E1–E4 in façade, south side)

16′ Bourdon (north side)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Octave (ext 16′ Contra Bass)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Gedeckt (Sw 16′ Bourdon)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 16′ Contra Bass)

4′ Flute (Sw 16′ Bourdon)

2′ Octavin (ext 16′ Contra Bass)

16′ Contra Trumpet (ext Great 8′ Trompette, full-length)

16′ Contra Fagotto (Sw 16′ Fagotto)

8′ Trumpet (Gt 8′ Trompette)

4′ Clarion (Gt 8′ Trompette)

Great to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 8

Choir to Pedal 8

Echo to Pedal 8

ECHO PEDAL (enclosed with Echo)

16′ Bourdon (ext Echo 8′ Bourdon)

8′ Bourdon (fr Echo 8′ Bourdon)

Accessories

10 General Pistons (thumb)

6 Great Pistons and Cancel (thumb)

6 Swell Pistons and Cancel (thumb)

6 Choir Pistons and Cancel (thumb)

6 Echo Pistons and Cancel (thumb)

6 Pedal Pistons and Cancel (thumb)

General Cancel (thumb)

Great to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Swell to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Choir to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Balanced Swell expression shoe

Balanced Great/Choir expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe (with indicator light)

Combination Lock (key)

Sforzando Reversible (thumb and toe, with indicator light)

Wind Indicator

In 2005, Saint John Cantius Church commissioned one of the last organs built by Oberlinger Orgelbau of Windesheim, Germany. The one-manual, mechanical-action instrument resides on the main floor of the nave. Manual compass is 51 notes (C–D). A lever transposes the organ one half-step down (A=415 Hz). The instrument was blessed on May 14, 2005, by the Most Reverend Basil Meeking, Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch, New Zealand.

2005 Oberlinger organ

MANUAL

8′ Traversflöte (tenor B, wood)

8′ Copula (stopped wood)

4′ Gedackt (30 basses stopped wood, remainder open metal)

2′ Principalflöte (18 capped metal basses, remainder open metal)

1-1⁄3′ Quinte (24 capped metal basses, remainder open metal)

1–2f Cymbel (1⁄2′)

Accessory

H–C (transposer)

In August 2008, a two-manual, mechanical-action organ built in 1991 by Alfred Wild of Gottenhouse, France, was installed in the sanctuary of the church. It was on loan to the parish by a nearby resident who was a friend of Father Phillips. The stopknobs are unlabeled. Temperament is Kirnberger. Manual compass is 56 notes (C–G). In October 2015, the organ was moved to the lower balcony at the rear of the church, so that it could be used with the choir or instrumentalists when a small organ is desirable. In 2017 the instrument was returned to its owner.

1991 Alfred Wild organ

MANUAL I

8′ Gedackt (wood)

4′ Chimney Flute

2′ Principal

MANUAL II

8′ Gedackt (fr Manual I 8′ Gedackt)

8′ Regal

Couplers

Manual I to Pedal

Manual II to Pedal

Manual II to Manual I

The lower balcony at the rear of the nave housed an organ installed in January 2007. The instrument was built by Allyn Hoverland for his residence and sold to the church in December 2006. Wind pressure is 21⁄2 inches. The console is recycled from an M. P. Möller organ. The organ was blessed by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki on Sunday, February 11, 2007. When the upper gallery organ was removed in preparation for the restored Casavant organ described below, this instrument was the primary organ in the church for several years. This instrument was sold to Saint Mary Catholic Church, Iron Mountain, Michigan, and moved there in late 2014 by
J. L. Weiler, Inc., of Chicago.

Specification of the Allyn Hoverland organ

MANUAL I

8′ Principal (B)

8′ Stopped Flute (A, 1–49; E, 50–61)

8′ Chimney Flute (A, 1–12; C, 13–61)

4′ Principal (B)

4′ Block Flute (A, 1–12; E, 13–61)

2-2⁄3′ Quinte (D)

2′ Block Flute (E)

III Mixture (D, F)

II Mixture (F)

MANUAL II

8′ Block Flute (A, 1–24; E, 25–61)

8′ Chimney Flute (A, 1–12; C, 13–61)

4′ Chimney Flute (C)

2′ Principal (B, 1–49; E, 50–61)

1-1⁄3′ Quinte (D)

PEDAL

16′ Bourdon (A, 1–24; C, 25–32)

10-2⁄3′ Quint Flute (A, 1–17; C, 18–32)

8′ Principal (B)

8′ Chimney Flute (A, 1–12; C, 13–32)

5-1⁄3′ Quinte (A, 1–5; C, 6–12; D, 13–32)

4′ Principal (B)

4′ Chimney Flute (C)

2-2⁄3′ Quinte (D)

2′ Block Flute (E)

Mixture III [sic] (F)

Accessories

10 General pistons (1–10, thumb; 1–5, toe)

5 Manual I pistons (thumb and toe)

5 Manual II pistons (thumb)

General Cancel (thumb)

Analysis

A=16′ Bourdon, c. 1890, builder unknown, 61 pipes

B=8′ Principal, 12 basses c. 1980 M. P. Möller, remainder 1978 Casavant, 73 pipes

C=4′ Chimney Flute, c. 1870, builder unknown, 61 pipes

D=2-2⁄3′ Quinte, builder unknown, 61 pipes

E=2′ Block Flute, 1978 Casavant, 61 pipes

F=II Mixture (1′), 1978 Casavant, 122 pipes

The lower auditorium of the church building houses a 1927 Wurlitzer organ that was installed by Century Pipe Organs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Wurlitzer was built for the Terrace Theatre of New York City and, in 1935, moved by the builder to the studios of radio station WOR of the Mutual Broadcasting System in New York City. At Saint John Cantius, the two-manual, seven-rank, electro-pneumatic-action organ (Style “E”) was placed in a special chamber built on the stage of the auditorium. Manual compass is 61 notes (C–C); Pedal compass (concave, radiating pedalboard) is 32 notes (C–G). The project was completed in 2013.

The console has stop-tongue control, with the following colors: reeds in red; strings in mottled yellow; flues in white; couplers in black. Originally, the Tibia, Vox Humana, and Trumpet ranks were in a separate expression box, though the entire organ is now in one enclosure. There are today still two expression shoes.

In 2015, J. L. Weiler, Inc., of Chicago carried out work on the console, improving its overall appearance, fine-tuning the key regulation and response, revising atypical nomenclature as it applies to console controls, and tidying the wiring in the console. The existing solid-state control system was upgraded to its latest version.

1927 Wurlitzer Opus 1818

Analysis

8′ Tibia Clausa 85 pipes

16′ Bourdon/Concert Flute 97 pipes

16′ Diaphone/Diaphonic Diapason 85 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes

8′ Violin 73 pipes

8′ Violin Celeste 73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

ACCOMPANIMENT (Manual I)

8′ Trumpet

8′ Diaphonic Diapason

8′ Tibia Clausa

8′ Violin (Violin and Celeste)

8′ Concert Flute

8′ Vox Humana

4′ Octave

4′ Piccolo (Tibia Clausa)

4′ Viol (Violin and Celeste)

4′ Flute

4′ Vox Humana

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (Bourdon)

2′ Piccolo (Bourdon)

Accompaniment Octave

Chrysoglott (G1–G5)

Snare Drum (reiterates)

Tambourine (reiterates)

Castanets (reiterates)

Chinese Block

Tom Tom

Jazz Cymbal

Triangle

Sleigh Bells

Accompaniment Second Touch

8′ Trumpet

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Tibia Clausa

4′ Piccolo (Tibia)

Chrysoglott

Glockenspiel

Cathedral Chimes

Accomp Traps

SOLO (Manual II)

16′ Trumpet (TC)

16′ Diaphone

16′ Tibia Clausa (TC)

16′ Violone (TC, two ranks)

16′ Bourdon

16′ Vox Humana (TC)

8′ Trumpet

8′ Diaphonic Diapason

8′ Tibia Clausa

8′ Violin (Violin and Celeste)

8′ Concert Flute

8′ Vox Humana

5-1⁄3′ Fifth (Tibia Clausa)

4′ Octave

4′ Piccolo (Tibia Clausa)

4′ Viol (Violin and Celeste)

4′ Flute

2-2⁄3′ Twelfth (Tibia Clausa)

2′ Piccolo (Tibia Clausa)

2′ Fifteenth (Violin)

2′ Piccolo (Bourdon)

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (Tibia Clausa)

1′ Fife (Bourdon)

Solo Sub Octave

Solo Octave

Xylophone (C2–C5)

Glockenspiel (G2–C5)

Chrysoglott (G1–G5)

Sleigh Bells (C2–C4, tuned, reiterates)

Chimes (G2–C4) 18 tubes

PEDAL

16′ Diaphone

16′ Bourdon

8′ Trumpet

8′ Diaphonic Diapason

8′ Tibia Clausa

8′ Cello

8′ Flute

Accomp to Pedal

Bass Drum

Kettle Drum (reiterates)

Tap Cymbal

Crash Cymbal

Tremulants

Tibia Clausa Trem

Solo Tremulant

Main Tremulant

Vox Humana Trem

Accessories

5 Accompaniment pistons (thumb), usable as divisionals or generals

5 Solo pistons (thumb), usable as divisionals or generals

Celestes Off

Accomp Perc/Pedal

Bell (right Accompaniment keycheeck)

Balanced Main expression shoe

Balanced Solo expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe

Range

Set

Unlabeled toe studs for effects: Bird, Auto Horn, Train Whistle, Horses Hooves, Fire Gong

The former convent, now known as the Canonry, has a chapel named for Saint Joseph housing a two-manual, three-rank, electro-pneumatic-action Casavant organ, built for the chapel of the Servantes de Jesus Marie, Rimouski, Québec, Canada. This instrument was installed at Saint John Cantius in Autumn 2010 by Jeff Weiler and Associates of Chicago. The console of the organ is located in a balcony, while the pipework is in a free-standing case on the floor. Manual compass is 61 notes (C–C); Pedal compass (concave, radiating pedalboard) is 32 notes (C–G). The entire organ is enclosed.

1957 Casavant Opus 2403

GRAND ORGUE (Manual I)

16′ Bourdon 85 pipes

8′ Principal (TC, 12 basses 61 pipes from 8′ Flute at 8′ and 4′ pitches)

8′ Bourdon (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Dulciane (TC, 12 basses 73 pipes from 8′ Flute)

4′ Violina (ext 8′ Principal)

4′ Dulcet (ext 8′ Dulciane)

4′ Flute d’Amour (ext 16′ Bourdon)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (ext 8′ Dulciane)

2′ Doublette (ext 8′ Dulciane)

Recit au Grand Orgue

RECIT (Manual II)

8′ Principal (G.O. 8′ Principal)

8′ Bourdon (G.O. 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Quintaton (synthetic, Flute at 8′, Dulciane at 2-2⁄3′)

8′ Dulciane (G.O. 8′ Dulciane)

4′ Violina (G.O. 8′ Principal)

4′ Flute (G.O. 16′ Bourdon)

4′ Dulcet (G.O. 8′ Dulciane)

8′ Hautbois (synthetic, Principal at 8′, Flute at 2-2⁄3′, 12 basses from Flute at 8′ and 4′)

Tremolo

PEDALE

16′ Bourdon (G.O. 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Bourdon (G.O. 16′ Bourdon)

4′ Principal (G.O. 8′ Principal)

4′ Flute (G.O. 16′ Bourdon)

4′ Dulcet (G.O. 8′ Dulciane)

Gr. Orgue a la Pedale

Recit a la Pedale

Accessories

3 Grand Orgue and Pedale pistons (thumb)

3 Recit pistons (thumb)

Balanced expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe (with rotating indicator dial)

On Sunday, October 20, 2013, a historic pipe organ that has been part of Chicago’s history for more than three-quarters of a century was dedicated in its new home, Saint John Cantius Church. The afternoon and evening activities commenced with a blessing of the organ by His Eminence, the late Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago, followed by a Pontifical Latin High Mass, celebrated by the Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago. Choral and organ works by Louis Vierne, Healey Willan, Charles-Marie Widor, and Marcel Dupré filled the nave with sound. An over-capacity crowd filled the church, including its side balconies, with additional faithful standing in the aisles. Following a dinner catered in the church’s lower level, the evening was capped with a dedicatory recital.

The event was the conclusion of a three-year restoration and relocation project for Casavant Frères opus 1130, built for Saint James Methodist Episcopal Church of the Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Saint James, founded in 1896, was once attended by several of Chicago’s great commerce giants, including the Swift and Harris families of meatpacking and banking fame. In 1915, Gustavus F. Swift donated a four-manual Casavant organ built in the company’s South Haven, Michigan, plant. The Victorian Gothic church and its organ burned in 1924. The congregation commissioned Chicago’s Tallmadge & Watson to design an expansive new building, again in the Gothic style, completed in 1926. For this edifice, Tina Mae Haines, arguably Chicago’s finest female organist, lobbied the church’s leaders for a new, four-manual Casavant organ, despite pressure to purchase a Skinner organ, like many other wealthy churches. Miss Haines won her argument, and Opus 1130 was built to her specification, the funds again donated by the Swift family, $28,890. (M. P. Möller installed its Opus 4605, a two-manual, ten-rank organ costing $5,100 in the chapel.) The Casavant would be one of the South Side’s finest church and concert organs. Marcel Dupré gave a memorable program at Saint James in 1937 to a capacity crowd.

Sadly, Saint James United Methodist Church closed Sunday, December 26, 2010. The author was honored to be the last person to play the Casavant organ publicly in its original home, for an impromptu hymn festival at the conclusion of the church’s final service. Andrew Szymanski, a friend who had informed me of the church’s impending closure, joined church members as we all sang, concluding with “Abide with Me” and George Frederick Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” It was the first time the organ had been used in many years. Several congregants present at Saint James’s closing were present for the rededication of their organ at Saint John Cantius.

That fateful phone call from my friend informing me the church was closing made the relocation of the organ possible. If not for that, the church would have silently ended its existence; instead, I was able to make phone calls that made the connections happen for the organ to be removed.

Then followed a restoration project for Opus 1130, carried out by J. L. Weiler, Inc., of Chicago, and the organ’s builder, Casavant, in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada. The console of the organ is located in the lower west balcony, while the remainder of the main organ is in the upper west balcony with the Echo division in the north balcony (in a transept). Nearly ninety years after its initial installation, the organ began a new era of promise. It is fondly known as “Tina Mae.”

1926 Casavant FrПres, Limitée, Opus 1130

GREAT (Manual II, 4-inch wind pressure)

16′ Double Open (metal) 73 pipes

8′ I Open Diapason (metal) 73 pipes

8′ II Open Diapason (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Doppelflöte 73 pipes (wood and metal)

8′ Gemshorn (metal) 73 pipes

4′ Octave (metal) 73 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute (metal) 73 pipes

Mixture IV (metal) 244 pipes

8′ Trumpet (metal) 73 pipes

Chimes (from Echo)

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed, 41Џ2-inch and 7-inch wind
pressures)

16′ Bourdon (wood) 73 pipes

8′ Open Diapason (metal)* 73 pipes

8′ Violin Diapason (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Stopped Diapason 73 pipes (wood and metal)

8′ Salicional (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Viola di Gamba (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Aeoline (metal) 73 pipes

8′ II Voix Celeste (metal) 134 pipes

4′ Violina (metal) 73 pipes

4′ Flauto Trav. 73 pipes (wood and metal)*

2′ Piccolo (metal) 61 pipes

Dolce Cornet III (metal) 183 pipes

16′ Double Trumpet (metal)* 73 pipes

8′ Cornopean (metal)* 73 pipes

8′ Oboe (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana (metal) 73 pipes

4′ Clarion (metal)* 73 pipes

Tremulant

Chimes (from Echo)

* 7-inch wind pressure

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed, 6-inch wind pressure)

16′ Gamba (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Open Diapason (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes (wood and metal)

8′ Dulciana (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (metal) 73 pipes

4′ Flute d’Amour 73 pipes (wood and metal)

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (metal) 73 pipes

2′ Flageolet (metal) 61 pipes

8′ Clarinet (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Cor Anglais (metal) 73 pipes

Tremulant

Celesta 61 bars

Celesta Sub (from Celesta)

SOLO (Manual IV, enclosed, 12-inch wind pressure)

8′ Stentorphone (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Gross Flute 73 pipes (wood and metal)

8′ Viole d’Orchestre (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Tuba (metal) 73 pipes

Tremulant

ECHO (Floating, enclosed, 3-1/2-inch wind pressure)

8′ Echo Diapason (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Cor de Nuit 73 pipes (wood and metal)

4′ Fern Flöte (metal) 73 pipes

8′ Musette (metal) 73 pipes

Tremulant

Chimes (from tenor G) 25 tubes

PEDAL

32′ Double Open 12 pipes (resultant, 16′ Open Diapason, with independent quints)

16′ Open Diapason (wood) 44 pipes

16′ Bourdon (wood) 44 pipes

16′ Contra Gamba (Ch 16′ Con Gamba)

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Flute (ext 16′ Open Diapason)

8′ Stopped Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Cello (metal) 32 pipes

16′ Trombone (metal) 32 pipes

Chimes (from Echo)

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir to Pedal 8

Solo to Pedal 8

Solo to Pedal 4

Echo to Pedal 8

Great to Great 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 8

Choir to Great 4

Solo to Great 16

Solo to Great 8

Solo to Great 4

Echo to Great 16

Echo to Great 8

Echo to Great 4

Echo On/Great Off

Choir to Choir 16

Choir to Choir 4

Swell to Choir 16

Swell to Choir 8

Swell to Choir 4

Solo to Choir 16

Solo to Choir 8

Solo to Choir 4

Swell to Swell 16

Swell to Swell 4

Solo to Swell 8

Solo to Solo 16

Solo to Solo 4

Great to Solo 8

Swell to Solo 8

Echo to Solo 16

Echo to Solo 8

Echo to Solo 4

Echo On/Solo Off

All Swells to Swell Pedal

Accessories

10 General pistons (thumb and toe, originally 5, toe)

5 Great pistons (thumb)

7 Swell pistons (thumb)

5 Choir pistons (thumb)

3 Solo pistons (thumb)

3 Echo pistons (thumb)

5 Pedal pistons (thumb)

Sequencer Up (4 thumb, 1 toe)/Down (1 thumb)

300 memory levels

Memory + Up/ - Down (thumb, under Manual IV)

Great to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Swell to Pedal reversible (toe)

Choir to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Solo to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Echo to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Swell to Great reversible (thumb)

Choir to Great reversible (thumb)

Solo to Great reversible (thumb)

Swell to Choir reversible (thumb)

Manual 16′ On/Off (thumb, with indicator)

Manual 2′ On/Off (thumb, with indicator)

General Cancellor (thumb)

Combination Adjustor (thumb)

Balanced Swell Expression Shoe

Balanced Choir Expression Shoe

Balanced Solo and Echo Expression Shoe

Balanced Crescendo Shoe (with indicator dial)

Full Organ Reversible (toe, with indicator)

Generator Indicator

Wind Indicator

The Casavant organ can be heard on a compact disc recorded by Andrew Schaeffer, St. John Cantius Presents The Nutcracker, available from Amazon and other resources. The disc includes movements from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, along with selections of music appropriate for Christmas. Also available is St. John Cantius Presents Jonathan Rudy: Epic Music for Organ, similarly available from Amazon and other resources.

This year, a 32′ Contra Trombone extension of twelve full-length pipes will be added to the Pedal 16′ Trombone. A 16′ Bourdon of thirty-two pipes will be added to the Echo division to function as a pedal stop. The Bourdon pipes come from the Casavant organ that was built for Saint Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Park Ridge, Illinois. Casavant will build the new components, and J. L. Weiler, Inc., will install everything onsite. Work is expected to be completed by August.

§

Saint John Cantius Catholic Church is once again the spiritual home to many Catholic families, most of whom drive a considerable distance on the same expressway that enticed so many parishioners to leave the parish a generation ago. The regenerated parish’s investment in music is exemplary, with multiple choirs presenting an auspicious schedule of selections. A full calendar of concert performances provides quality music to the community. Concert and theater organ programs are frequently presented. With over a century of record, the parish is poised for many more years serving the spiritual and cultural needs of the Chicago metropolitan community.

Sources

Koenig, Rev. Msgr. Harry C., STD, ed. A History of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Archdiocese of Chicago, 1980, volume 1, pp. 487–491.

Lindberg, William Edward. The Pipe Organs of A. B. Felgemaker, Late Nineteenth Century American Organ Builder, dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1976, p. 262.

McNamara, Denis R. Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Liturgical Training Publications, 2005, pp. 50–52.

Saint John Cantius: 1893–1993, Chicago, Illinois, Saint John Cantius Catholic Church, 1993.

Schnurr, Stephen J., and Dennis E. Northway. Pipe Organs of Chicago, Oak Park, Illinois, Chauncey Park Press, 2005, volume 1, pp. 116–118.

For further information: cantius.org/sacredmusic

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Toledo, Ohio

Quite understandably, the Muller Pipe Organ Company is sometimes mistaken for the now defunct M. P. Möller Organ Company. We have answered countless emails and phone calls from across the country that begin with “We have one of your organs from . . .,” and we very politely explain that we are not the same company. It is possible the confusion may have been magnified had our ancestors decided to keep the umlaut over the “u”!

Our company has been in business in Ohio since 1919, so area organists and churches are rarely confused by the similarity in name. Certainly, Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church of Toledo, Ohio, was aware of the difference when we were asked to inspect the pipework from Möller’s Opus 10357. This small three-manual organ was originally built for Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and provided a fine foundation on which to build a new instrument for the parish in Toledo. While it might be tempting to call this instrument a “Möller-Muller” organ, it now bears little resemblance aurally, mechanically, or visually to the organ known in Wisconsin. Indeed, this instrument is a new Muller organ in every way.

The dream of a pipe organ was first explored by parish leadership as part of a comprehensive project to modify the original 1980s-era interior decor to align with current ecclesiastical ideals. In a leap of faith and with guidance from Paul Monachino, diocesan liturgical music director, the parish purchased the Möller pipework, and it was placed in climate-controlled storage pending completion of fundraising and the planned renovations.

The pipe organ portion of the project was undertaken in two phases. To coincide with renovations to the sanctuary, which included improvements to the acoustic, the initial phase was completed in 2018 and consisted of the installation of casework. The beautiful, mirror-image cases were constructed of cherry by Muller’s woodworking team using traditional mortise and tenon joinery. The overall design has a traditional feel, while the impost and tower crown moldings are more contemporary in appearance to complement the church’s architecture. The gold-lacquered façade pipes feature polished Romanesque mouths to enhance the beauty of the room.

When funding became available for the second phase, a specification was designed using available pipework where appropriate. The plan for a two-manual, sixteen-rank organ to fill the two empty organ cases was quickly adopted.

The Great is housed in the right case and possesses five ranks. The new façade allowed for moderate rethinking of this chorus’s scales and overall concept. The resulting 8′ Principal is warm and articulate, but not particularly loud. The 4′ Octave sings beautifully over this foundation and additionally serves as the 2′ of the chorus. The 8′ Rohrflöte is of moderate scale and wonderfully colorful. Independent mutations allow for multiple effects. The obvious combination is a cornet that works either with flutes or principals. A “composed” mixture created by using the 8′ Principal, the 4′ Octave, the 2-2⁄3′ Quint, and the super coupler is particularly convincing. Borrows from the Swell division serve to provide flexibility in registration.

The Swell is home to nine ranks and is located in the left case. A contrast to the Great Rohrflöte, the Swell Gedeckt is the workhorse of the division. In unit stops such as this, we voice the different “ranges” to serve in the way each will be most used. The lowest octave features a healthy dose of “quint” partial, which is a delightful change of pace from the Pedal’s Subbass. Continuing up the compass, this “quint” effect is not particularly useful in a small instrument, so we allow the stop to bloom into a lovely and full capped flute. Near the top, the scale reduces to promote brightness. This stop also functions as the basis for a small principal chorus, capped with a three-rank Mixture at 2′ pitch. A set of beautiful vintage strings serves as the organ’s only string stops.

While part of the Swell, the organ’s two reeds are available on both manuals. The small but feisty Trompette is perhaps the one “tell” of the organ’s Hagerstown heritage. It serves best as a chorus reed and, when used with the Great Principal, can be a convincing solo stop. The Oboe is a vintage stop from the 1930s and has a hauntingly beautiful English capped sound. These stops fit well with the organ’s aesthetic and are remarkable for their consistency and stability.

The Pedal division, as in most small instruments, is but two independent stops. The Subbass resides with the Great division and benefits greatly from its placement against a solid exterior wall. In contrast with many instruments where one can never have enough 16′ tone, we found ourselves voicing this stop with restraint and care lest it overpower the entire instrument. The Principal is located in the left case, where it forms part of the façade. It is voiced to complement the Great chorus, but also acts as a wonderful Pedal solo stop. The rest of the Pedal stops are borrowed to promote registrational flexibility.

The organ layout is very compact yet fully accessible for tuning and maintenance. Pipes are placed at impost height to maximize tonal egress and maintain a consistent temperature for tuning stability. The low-profile drawknob console allows for ease of play and good sight line to the choir and was constructed of cherry by our artisans. The console and the casework are finished with a clear lacquer to allow the wood to achieve the same rich patina as the existing sanctuary furnishings. New windchests, windlines, and support structure were custom designed and constructed in-house.

The dedicatory concert was given by Todd Wilson to an enthusiastic audience on September 26, 2021. Comments from area musicians reflect upon the pleasing balance and versatility of sound of this modestly sized instrument.

We especially thank Mr. Kevin Foos, director of sacred liturgy and music, for his dedication from conception to completion. We also express our gratitude to the Reverend Adam L. Hertzfeld, pastor, for his vision, perseverance, and encouragement. And to the individual benefactors who made this dream a reality, we believe it is a truly remarkable achievement that your contributions have provided a pipe organ as a musical legacy to enhance worship at Saint Joan of Arc Parish for many generations to enjoy.

—Scott G. Hayes and Mark A. Muller

Staff:

John W. Muller

Mark A. Muller

Jack Muller

Scott G. Hayes

Brad Ashbrook

Nathan Baker

Ryan J. Boyle

Jesse Braswell

Taylor Hendershott

Mike Hric

Jane Muller

Stan Osborn

Assisted by:

David R. Beck

Photography by Ryan J. Boyle and Jesse Braswell

Builder’s website: www.mullerpipeorgan.com

Church’s website: joanofarc.org

GREAT

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes

8′ Salicional (Swell)

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Rohrflöte (ext 8′ Rohrfl) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes

2′ Doublette (ext 4′ Octave) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 49 pipes

8′ Trompette (Swell)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

Chimes 21 bells

SWELL (enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste (TC) 49 pipes

4′ Spitz Principal 61 pipes

4′ Gedeckt (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (from 8′ Gedeckt)

2′ Flute (ext 8′ Gedeckt) 12 pipes

2′ Mixture III 183 pipes

16′ Contre Trompette (ext 8′) 12 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Oboe 61 pipes

Tremolo

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (derived)

16′ Subbass 32 pipes

16′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Principal 32 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

4′ Octave (ext 8′ Principal) 12 pipes

4′ Gedeckt (Swell)

16′ Contre Trompette (Swell)

8′ Trompette (Swell)

4′ Oboe (Swell)

Couplers

Great 16 - Unison Off - 4

Swell to Great 16 - 8 -4

Swell 16 - Unison Off- 4

Great to Pedal 8 - 4

Swell to Pedal 8 - 4

 

16 ranks, 978 pipes

The First Church, UCC, Nashua, New Hampshire

Austin Organs, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut, Opus 1406

From the Minister of Music and Consultant

When I was appointed Minister of Music in 2008, the organ was to be on the docket for a long-anticipated restoration early in my tenure. Upon learning about the vision for this instrument that was started under Dr. Robin Dinda, FAGO, in the early 1990s, two things were clear: the Young Memorial Console built by Austin in 1996 prepared the organ for significant expansion, and a new floating Solo division was to be part of this vision.

Over the years, attempts were made to undo tonal changes from the 1970s and 1980s (primarily light upperwork in the Great), which sacrificed some of the instrument’s most beautiful original softer stops. At some point in the past two decades, the original enclosed Great 8′ Gemshorn (once stored inside the organ casework) disappeared, as well as the original 8′ Harmonic Tuba. A significant, but somewhat misguided change to the entire Great division in the early 2000s continued to take the instrument away from its original symphonic roots. The “return” to these 1926 roots ultimately became the basis for our church’s $2.3 million Capital Campaign for Ministry, Music, and Mission in 2014.

This vision would be to restore the organ to its 1926 tonal specification and nomenclature and add new upperwork, scaled and voiced in typical 1920s Austin character. The original tonal design had no mixtures or mutations and only one 2′ stop (in the Swell). The existing stewardship of our 1996 three-manual console guided us in adding the prepared floating Solo division, with an eye toward more liturgical function rather than tonal tradition. In effect, we now have a III/47 versatile main instrument, with a 13-rank Solo (with two composite stops) bringing the total rank count to 60—an instrument easily suited for four manuals, but keeping former stewardship and sightline considerations in check for a three-manual console, with many options.

The Solo was designed with double-sided nave and chancel sets of swell shades. This allows use of the Solo division not only as a powerful solo voice (or part of the greater organ ensemble) but also adds the possibility of accompanying a choir from that area of the sanctuary with closed shades and Pedal stop additions. Consequently, the new division also assists our 5-octave bell choir, through a tonal reference closer to their placement in the church.

Austin concentrated on securing Austin (or similar) pipework from the original era, and where vintage pipes could not be sourced, Austin provided new pipework made to patterns Austin used in the 1920s. As a result, we have a thrilling instrument with a 21st-century eye towards its 1926 heritage—an impressive, warm sound over six divisions, and one of the most flexible accompanying instruments in Northern New England. Four celestes (three string and one flute) add wonderful warmth. Original color stops like the Vox Humana and vintage Harp (and classic fan tremulants) deliver sounds of yesteryear. The organ features complete string, flute, and diapason ensembles, with reeds (some independent and some unit treatments), and has retained the original two full-length 16′ reeds under expression! The versatility of the instrument is astounding, especially when one utilizes sub/super-coupling and unisons off. The return of 23 ranks of extension octaves (73 notes) provides a thrilling shimmer that can compete with the best of Boston’s local craze with Skinner and Aeolian-Skinner.

Two of the organ’s returned softest stops, the Swell 8′ Echo Salicional, (1930 Midmer-Losh) and the Enclosed Great 8′ Gemshorn  (1925 Austin) have added sensitive softer dynamics, which now allow the instrument to offer every variation from ppp to ffff. Masterful tonal finishing led by Daniel Kingman, Austin’s senior voicer and associate tonal director, truly kept everything warm, lush, and never shrill. Full organ never “screams.” Additions to the instrument include the three-rank Solo Vox Seraphique (15th, 17th, 19th), a 1924-vintage harmonics stop that is designed to pair with the Major Gamba and Celeste to create a unique shimmer and color combination; this is a rare effect found in perhaps only a very small handful of instruments. The large-scaled Mounted Cornet IV in the Solo is designed to pair with the Solo’s Doppelflute, and also pairs with the new linen-lead pattern, leather-lipped Grand Diapason on the Open Great. This near-Stentorphone color alone fills the room with a sound long forgotten (and greatly misunderstood) in the days of American Classic and Neo-Baroque revival.

Complex “borrows” of stops, either as new divisional extensions, or in the Pedal, add amazing variations to registration. Cross-coupling of the Enclosed Great and Choir (to the Choir and Swell respectively) allows a flexibility unparalleled for an organ of this size. The mechanics are truly an engineering marvel, and every ounce of possibility was brought out of this instrument’s re-design, thanks to collaboration with the Austin staff.

I am privileged to sit at this console every week and was truly honored to serve as the principal consultant for this important and historic work. Thanks are due in particular to Charles Morris who acted as the church’s representative. The team at Austin was accommodating of nearly anything asked of them. The extension of the case and grillework for the new Solo division truly looks like it has always been in the sanctuary. The resulting instrument thrills congregation, recitalists, and audiences alike. By offering a minimum of seven public programs featuring the Anderson Memorial Organ annually on our First Music Concert Series, the organ’s voice is widely heard in this region and has garnered much regional attention, in print and on television—as the most significant organ project in the state of New Hampshire in a decade. It is an honor to be at the helm of this historic ministry, now with an instrument that will continue to praise God for generations to come. Soli Deo Gloria.

—Joseph R. Olefirowicz, CAGO

Minister of Music

Principal Organ Consultant

From the Builder

On our preliminary visit to the church, we were introduced to an instrument built by Austin some 90 years previous that was barely an echo of what had been installed. The contract was signed on December 19, 1925, with promised completion by September 1, 1926. By today’s standards, this timeframe would be unheard of, since a 3-manual, 42-stop instrument would surely require a minimum of 16 to 24 months. In 1925, however, the company was in the epoch of its greatest production, shipping nearly two organs per week. This contract was signed on behalf of Austin by Elisha Fowler of Boston, formerly of the Hutchings Company, but since 1919 served as New England (and later Midwest) sales representative for Austin. Also a seasoned tonal designer, Mr. Fowler likely had strong influence in drawing up the tonal specification for this organ. One interesting element in the contract stated that:

The Austin Organ Company hereby guarantees tonal satisfaction to Mrs. Frank Anderson, donor; Earl F. Nauss, minister; and Maurice Hoffman, organist; and agrees to exchange any and all pipes which do not satisfy and to continue to do so until results satisfactory to the committee named have been attained.

Perusing the files, no pipes appeared to have been returned by order of the committee; a happy circumstance that must have caused sighs of great relief in Hartford!

The organ was initially scaled rather heroically on wind pressure of seven inches water column. The Great Principal Diapason was 40 scale (nearly 6¾ inches diameter at bottom C). There was an accompanying “Small Diapason” of 46 scale, which is a scale that would be typical of instruments built in the late 1960s to 1970s. A revision in March of 1926 shows that the Principal Diapason bass was changed to 43 scale and the Small Diapason to 49 scale. This would be more in keeping with other similar instruments of the time in typical rooms. In today’s thinking, the 43 scale/17th ratio is typical of German Normalmensur, while the 49-scale Diapason (with a narrow mouth) is typical of a Violin Diapason and would be a bit more incisive. Likewise, the Swell Diapason bass was changed from 40 scale to 43. This provided the power and color in the manual range, without excessive heaviness in the pedal; it also consumed less windchest real estate.

The tonal palette of this instrument was certainly typical for the era and boasted a plethora of fundamental stops; absent were mixtures or mutations. Similar organs of the period—for example, Opus 1409 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, an instrument of 75 stops—boasted upperwork and a full set of independent mutations in the Swell, including a Nazard, Flautina, Tierce, Septieme, and Twenty Second. (An interesting side note, this organ appears to be the first instance found of an Austin with double expression—a box within a box—in the Swell department.) Mixtures were found in several instruments of the period, but usually confined to the Swell Organ. A notable exception is Austin Opus 1416, for the Sesquicentennial Exposition, built in 1926. At 162 ranks—it was for many generations the largest pipe organ built by Austin under a single contract. Each of the principal divisions has multiple ranks of mixtures; and of course, reed choruses, flute choruses, strings, mutations, etc.

Armed with this history, we surveyed the condition of this venerable instrument in Nashua. The organ had been a victim of several attempts at “tonal modernization” over the years. Diapasons had been removed and replaced with lighter-scaled pipework; a rather large mixture was added to the Great; and the Tuba was removed and replaced with a poorly recycled supply-house Trumpet. Also, the enclosed divisions had several stops removed, altered, or replaced entirely with random pipework. Many hours of discussion were spent attempting to recreate, or frankly create a new tonal specification that would echo the vision for this instrument, as if a time machine had transported us back to 1926, but with greater resources available, such as were reserved for larger instruments as mentioned above.

The result of fraternal collaboration between Joseph Olefirowicz and the Austin staff was to create a tonal design that could have been lifted from Austin’s archives. The overall limit of the “new” specification was perhaps a bit exhaustive, but the result is an extremely versatile instrument with amazing tonal variety and possibilities.

In our grand scheme, a significant addition was the inclusion of a new Solo division. There was space allowed on the 1996 console, and we were offered the possibility of utilizing a pass-through storage area located on the far right of the organ case. To transform this space into an organ chamber would require the construction of some new casework with additional tone openings. The existing organ has some unique carving that resembles vines within its openings. We scanned images of this casework and created a CAD file that was turned into magnificent scaled panels identical to the original. The Solo was voiced to speak on 10 inches wind pressure, typical of the era, which required the installation of an additional blower. To accommodate this requirement, we pulled a vintage Spencer blower from our inventory and sent it back to the factory for refurbishment and a new motor equipped with a variable frequency drive controller.

Upon completing the design phase, reality struck a severe chord when the actual challenge of building this instrument necessitated sourcing the required pipes to achieve the desired result. In some cases, it was as simple as making (or finding) an octave or a few pipes to restore scaling; many of the 73-note extension octaves had been lost to time, but happily we were able to source replacements for all of those lost from vintage inventory. In other cases we required complete stops; many were procured from Austin’s inventory. Some stops were new manufactured pipes made to vintage Austin patterns. An example is the 8′ Bassoon in the Great.  While perhaps not typical of the time, there was a desire and need for a lighter chorus reed in the exposed division. This particular pattern was originally used in Opus 1010 (c. 1921 in the Eastman Theatre, Rochester New York) and also in Opus 1109 (1922, at the Cincinnati Music Hall). The original patterns were located in our archive and used for this instrument. Likewise, vintage patterns likely used for the original pipes in 1926 were used for the replacement Tuba in the Great. Conversely, we chose a vintage E. M. Skinner pattern for the Solo Tuba—for variety of dynamic and color. The Solo English Horn was sourced from vintage inventory, a 1924 Austin instrument.

We feel that this instrument embodies not only the 1920s tonal concepts, as detailed herein, but Austin’s design paradigm—a concept we refer to as Symphonic-Liturgical Tonal Design

It is arguable that the most advanced form of musical expression we celebrate today is the symphony orchestra. It is a comprehensive and versatile entity. Evidence of this fact is provided by reviewing any concert program. On any given evening, one can encounter a most sublime movement from Ravel; just a moment later, the terrific thunder crash of a powerful Wagnerian overture! These variations in repertoire, dynamic, and emotion are all delivered by the same performers and the same instruments. In much the same way, a well-designed tonal palette in an organ capable of supporting these timbres and styles gives an organist the ability to perform with similar flexibility.

Why do we consider this ability to be important?

The pipe organ in church today must bridge the gap between traditional solo organ literature, liturgical accompaniment, choral support, and yet have the ability to perform contemporary accompaniment and literature. One can only imagine where the next trend might lead! The tone of the instrument must be pleasing—but not that alone—for the instrument must be capable of fulfilling its role in the liturgy. In summation: the organ must be extremely versatile and able to be play almost any literature, and the organ’s tonality also has to be outstanding in its conceptualization, voicing, and disposition.

We feel that the Austin organ is built of the most solid construction to support the extra demands placed on a symphonic organ. Our design (the famed Austin Universal Airchest System) assures the church of steady wind, ease of maintenance, and maximum utilization of available space. We strive to build the most comfortable organ consoles with the finest control systems available.

The sound of an Austin organ plenum (tonal ensemble) is unique. To achieve our desired level of warmth and simultaneous transparency requires not only our specific style of voicing, but very close attention to pipe scaling, regulation, and of great importance, explicit confidence in our Austin Universal Airchest System.

Celebrating 125 years of pipe organ building experience, and our dedicated staff comprising one of the oldest pipe organ factories in the country; we are ready to build one of the finest instruments possible, and then provide ongoing support and service.

—Michael Fazio

President & Tonal Director

Austin Organs, Inc.

Austin team members involved with Opus 1406 renovation:

Raymond Albright

Michael Chiradia

Bruce Coderre

Colin Coderre

Jacob Dowgewicz

Michael Hart

Curt Hawkes

Victor Hoyt

Dan Kingman

Rafael Ramos

David Secour

Stewart Skates +

Richard Taylor

Tony Valdez

Anne Wysocki

Mike Fazio

GREAT ORGAN (* = enclosed Great)

16′ Major Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Grand Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Principal Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Small Diapason (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Major (Ped 16′ Dia) 41 pipes

8′ Violoncello * 73 pipes

8′ Gemshorn * 73 pipes

8′ Bourdon * 73 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (Ch)

8′ Unda Maris (Ch)

4′ Octave 73 pipes

4′ Principal * 73 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute * 73 pipes

22⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

IV Fourniture (19-22-26-29) 244 pipes

16′ Tuba * (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Harmonic Tuba * 61 pipes

8′ Bassoon 73 pipes

4′ Clarion * (ext) 12 pipes

Harp (Ch)

Chimes 25 tubes

Tremulant *

SWELL ORGAN

16′ Bourdon 73 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 73 pipes

8′ Rohr Flute 73 pipes

8′ Viole D’Orchestre 73 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Echo Salicional 73 pipes

4′ Fugara 73 pipes

4′ Flauto Traverso 73 pipes

4′ Violina (ext)

22⁄3′ Nasard 61 pipes

2′ Flageolet 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

III Mixture (15-19-22) 183 pipes

16′ Contra Posaune 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Cornopean 73 pipes

8′ Oboe 73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes

Tremulant

CHOIR ORGAN

16′ Quintade (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Geigen Principal 73 pipes

8′ Concert Flute 73 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Dulciana 73 pipes

8′ Unda Maris (TC) 61 pipes

8′ Quintadena 73 pipes

4′ Geigen Octave (ext)

4′ Flute D’Amour 73 pipes

2′ Piccolo 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

16′ Tuba (Gt)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (Gt)

8′ Clarinet 73 pipes

4′ Tuba Clarion (Gt)

Harp (Austin) 61 bars

Chimes (Gt)

Tremulant

SOLO ORGAN

8′ Doppelflute 73 pipes

8′ Major Gamba 73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste 73 pipes

4′ Flute Ouverte 73 pipes

4′ Gambette (ext) 12 pipes

4′ Gambette Celeste (ext) 12 pipes

III Vox Seraphique (15-17-19) 183 pipes

IV Mounted Cornet (TC) (8-12-15-17) 196 pipes

8′ Cor Anglais 73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 73 pipes

Tremulant

Nave Shades Off

Chancel Shades Off

PEDAL ORGAN

32′ Diapason (Resultant)

32′ Bourdon (Resultant)

32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Resultant, Sw)

16′ Open Diapason 32 pipes

16′ Violone (Gt)

16′ Bourdon 32 pipes

16′ Flute Bass (ext, Solo) 12 pipes

16′ Quintaten (Ch)

16′ Lieblich (Sw)

8′ Octave (Gt)

8′ Major Flute (Solo)

8′ Gross Flute (ext 16′ Diap) 12 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce (ext 16′ Bdn) 12 pipes

4′ Super Octave (Gt)

4′ Flute (Sw)

32′ Grand Cornet (Resultant)

16′ Tuba (Gt)

16′ Posaune (Sw)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Harmonic Tuba (Gt)

4′ Clarion (Gt)

Chimes (Gt)

Pedal to Pedal 4

EXPRESSION PEDALS

Choir/Enclosed Great

Swell

Solo

Register Crescendo

CONTROLS

999-levels of memory

Bridal signal (HCTB)

Clock

Continuo

“Go-to” function

Manual Transfer

Piston sequencer

Playback

Transposer

Ventil (mixtures)

Ventil (reeds)

Builder’s website: http://austinorgans.com

Church’s website: tfcucc.org

Photo credit: Len Levasseur

Russell Meyer & Associates, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Opus 14

First Presbyterian Church, Clarkesville, Georgia

Historic First Presbyterian Church of Clarkesville, Georgia, was built in 1848 by Jarvis Van Buren, a first cousin of President Martin Van Buren. The first pipe organ in the building was installed in the rear gallery by the Greenwood Pipe Organ Company in 1983.

The Atlanta Pipe Organ Sales & Service Company rebuilt and enlarged the Greenwood organ to seven ranks in 1989, retaining a set of twelve old 16′ Bourdon pipes, a 4′ Principal, a tenor-C Dulciana, a set of swell shades, a set of Maas-Rowe chimes, and a rebuilt two-manual drawknob console originally made by the Skinner Organ Company in 1926 for First Methodist Church of Hendersonville, North Carolina. The 1989 organ included a new organ case, five ranks of new pipes manufactured by the Wicks Organ Company, and entirely new electro-mechanical windchests with schwimmers. The Great division consisted of two unenclosed ranks—an 8′ Principal and a 4′/2′ unit Octave—plus numerous borrowed stops from the Swell division. The Swell comprised an 85-note unit Rohr Flute, a 4′ Principal, a 37-note, tenor-C Tierce, and a pair of 49-note, tenor-C dulcianas without common bass. Because the organ had only one flute rank of 8′ pitch with a 16′ extension, the soft 16′ pedal stop (activated by means of dual valves) differed from the loud 16′ stop only in its lowest octave. The organ possessed no reed tone.

Russell Meyer & Associates were contracted to rebuild and enlarge the organ in 2020. We added six ranks of pipes from M. P. Möller Opus 9739 (1962), originally installed in Saint Mary-in-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, Cold Spring, New York. To make the Great division more independent from the Swell, we added a III–IV rank mixture with its quints derived from a 49-note 1-1⁄3′ rank and its unisons from a 49-note 1′ rank. We also added a delightful 73-note wooden Gedeckt and moved the former 49-note Dulciana Celeste from the Swell along with twelve Haskell bass pipes added from our inventory. We also included a borrowed 16′ voice in the Great that produces a balanced level of gentle 16′ manual tone not achievable by the clumsier means of a suboctave coupler.

In the Swell division we replaced the previous dulcianas with a pair of moderately scaled violes. Because the unison Viole is full-compass, we were able to employ it as a common bass for a warmly singing 8′ extension of the existing 4′ Principal, a very useful stop indeed. Perhaps most significant in terms of tonal variety was our addition of an 85-note unit 16′ Trumpet conveniently playable in every division. This Trumpet performs beautifully as both a chorus reed and a solo stop.

Improvements to the Pedal division include a 32′ resultant and a gentle 16′ stop that retains a different character and softer volume from its louder sister throughout the entire compass of the pedalboard. The provision of cantus stops also adds to the versatility of the instrument. It is quite surprising how effectively the revised Pedal division undergirds the full ensemble, yet is able to do almost anything the organist asks of it, be it a quiet bass, a sweet melody, or a bold pedal solo.

To accommodate the added ranks, we expanded the organ case in matching appearance to double its previous size. We retained the existing console shell, bench, keyboards, and pedalboard but supplied all new thumb pistons, toe studs, drawknobs, tilting tablets, and a digital console clock. We manufactured new key slips, stop jambs, coupler rail, and music rack, and provided LED console lighting. We reconfigured the winding system and built new electro-mechanical windchests for five ranks, two additional schwimmers, and a seven-bell Zimbelstern of our own design. A new Opus-Two control system provides a 250-level combination action, piston sequencer, transposer, and built-in record/playback that operates totally on internal memory. We also installed a new 64-stage electric swell motor, as well as LED work lights inside the organ case.

I acknowledge and thank my colleagues and friends who worked with me on the construction, installation, and tonal finishing of this organ: Allen Colson, Joshua Crook, Tommy McCook, Michael Proscia, Corley Easterling, Bud Taylor, and Tom Wigley. John Thomas and Stephen McCarthy assisted with the removal of the Cold Spring instrument.

We are grateful to the church Session, the congregation, and the staff for entrusting us with this project. Reverend Matthew Henderson is the pastor, Areatha Ketch is music director, and Sandra Altman is organist.

—Russell Meyer, president

Builder’s website: rmeyerpipeorgans.com

Church website: fpccga.org

GREAT (Manual I, unenclosed)

16′ Dolce Bass (ext, common bass)

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes   

8′ Gedeckt (wood) * 61 pipes   

8′ Dulciana (1–12 added *) 61 pipes   

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Gedeckt Flute (ext 8′) * 12 pipes

2′ Super Octave  (ext 4′) 12 pipes   

III–IV Mixture (1-1⁄3′, derived) * 98 pipes   

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

4′ Clarion (Sw)

Chimes 21 tubes   

Zimbelstern * 7 bells

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great

Swell to Great 4

SWELL (Manual II, enclosed)

8′ Violin Diapason (ext, common bass)

8′ Rohr Bourdon 61 pipes

8′ Viole * 61 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste (TC) * 49 pipes

4′ Principal 61 pipes

4′ Rohr Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

2-2⁄3′ Nazard (ext 8′ Rohr Flute)

2′ Block Flute (ext 8′) 12 pipes

1-3⁄5′ Tierce (TC) 37 pipes

1-1⁄3′ Larigot (ext 8′ Rohr Flute)

16′ Double Trumpet (ext 8′) * 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet * 61 pipes

4′ Clarion (ext 8′) * 12 pipes

Tremulant

Swell to Swell 16

Swell to Swell 4

PEDAL (unenclosed)

32′ Harmonic Bass (1–12 resultant)

16′ Subbass (wood, ext Sw) 12 pipes

16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (ext Gt, soft wind)

8′ Open Diapason (1–12 fr Gt Open Diapason; 13–32 fr Gt Octave)

8′ Gedeckt Bass (Gt)

4′ Choral Bass (Gt 4′ Octave)

4′ Gedeckt Flute (Gt 8′)

16′ Double Trumpet (Sw)

8′ Trumpet (Sw)

4′ Clarion (Sw)

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Pedal 4

* added pipes

12 ranks, 756 pipes

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Bellwood, Illinois

Saint Paul’s Memorial United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana

Every organ project is unique, but the unusual circumstances surrounding our introduction to the project at Saint Paul’s Memorial United Methodist Church make it stand out. The opportunity came to our attention after a friend of the firm took an architectural tour of the church, and Saint Paul’s was kind enough to allow us to assess the organ and provide several options for consideration.

When we inspected the 1902 Bennett Organ Co. instrument, the original leathers were deteriorating and the organ was unreliable at best. The process of converting the electro-pneumatic action to an electric-valve action had already begun, and the church was looking for a bid to continue that process and rebuild the rest of the organ in its original configuration.

In addition to furnishing the requested bid, Berghaus gave the option to convert the main chestwork to slider chests, reconfigure the chamber, build a new steel structure, new enclosures, new wind system, and new console in a much more comprehensive approach to rebuilding the instrument.

The slider chest approach appealed to Saint Paul’s Memorial, providing a multitude of benefits. The simplicity of a slider chest reduces the number of moving parts from the thousands to the hundreds, lowers the maintenance costs as a result, creates less chance of malfunction or failure, and provides a common wind channel for excellent tuning stability and blend.

Reconfiguration of the chamber allows for easier access and serviceability of the instrument. The new steel structure provides sturdy support for the 13-1⁄4-inch tongue-and-groove expression chamber walls and shades. New reservoirs and wooden windlines reduce noise and turbulence, providing a steady wind supply to the chests. New electro-pneumatic offset chests support the largest bass pipes. A new custom cherry console, built to AGO standards, provides the organist with a comfortable setting from which to play the instrument.

As the stoplist shows, many ranks of the original Bennett instrument still remain; however, some of the pipework was so badly damaged that Berghaus elected to replace it with vintage sources from our inventory. Our pipe specialists repaired all ranks and revoiced them to give the organ its signature sound with the new elements providing more color possibilities. The crowning of the organ is the 23-karat gold gilding of the original façade pipes, which makes the organ look as sumptuous as it sounds.

The organ was completed in November 2017. Over 200 people attended the dedicatory concert given by former Berghaus tonal director Jonathan Oblander on April 6, 2018.

—Brian Berghaus, President

GREAT (Manual II, unenclosed)

8′ Open Diapason (façade, existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Doppelflöte (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Gemshorn (from inventory, Ruffatti, 61 pipes)

4′ Principal (existing, 61 pipes)

22⁄3′ Nasard (existing, 61 pipes)

2′ Super Octave (existing, 61 pipes)

11⁄3′ Plein Jeu III (existing and Berghaus inventory, 183 pipes)

Tremolo

Chimes (new action, 25 bars)

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Open Diapason (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Chimney Flute (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Salicional (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Voix Celeste (TC, from inventory, Wangerin, 49 pipes)

8′ Aeoline (from inventory, Estey, 61 pipes)

4′ Harmonic Flute (from inventory, Casavant, 61 pipes)

2′ Flageolet (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Trumpet (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Oboe (from inventory, Wicks, 61 pipes)

8′ Vox Humana (from inventory, Wangerin, 61 pipes)

4′ Clarion (existing, 61 pipes)

Tremolo

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)

8′ Geigen Principal (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Melodia (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Flute Celeste (TC, new, 49 pipes)

8′ Dulciana (existing and from inventory, Casavant, 61 pipes)

8′ Unda Maris (TC, from inventory, Casavant, 49 pipes)

4′ Flute Octaviante (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Orchestral Oboe (existing, 61 pipes)

8′ Clarinet (existing, 61 pipes)

Tremolo

PEDAL (unenclosed)

16′ Open Diapason (existing and from inventory, Casavant, 56 pipes)

16′ Violone (façade, existing, 32 pipes)

16′ Bourdon (existing, 44 pipes)

16′ Gedeckt (fr Sw)

8′ Octave (ext 16′)

8′ Bass Flute (ext 16′)

8′ Still Gedeckt (Sw 16′)

4′ Choral Bass (ext 16′)

16′ Contra Fagotto (existing, 44 pipes)

8′ Fagotto (ext 16′)

 

Full complement of couplers

Peterson ICS-4000 combination action system

Record/Playback feature

Programmable crescendo and Tutti functions

Three manuals, 33 ranks, 1,909 pipes