Scott Smith Pipe Organs Opus 3: Re-creating Skinner Organ Company Opus 751

Noack Organ Company, Georgetown, Massachusetts

Richard Houghten,
Milan, Michigan
Church of the Incarnation,
Dallas, Texas

From the consultant

Church of the Incarnation has a music program any traditionalist would envy. Each Sunday has two music-rich morning services and an afternoon Evensong. Professional singers anchor the strong choir, while talented volunteers are also welcomed; the ensemble sings 52 weeks a year. Wonderful acoustics and a true reverential atmosphere complete the picture, with incense adding a final touch at Evensong. The only issue was the organ.

Scott Dettra invited me to survey the 1994 Noack in the fall of 2012, a trip that brought to mind earlier visits to the parish. The first was in 1992, to research the original 1960 Aeolian-Skinner then still in place. Like other Texas projects for the Boston company, Opus 1370 had been meticulously installed by James Williams and his wife Nora and tonally finished by Roy Perry. But the musical result was a long way from the justly famous Perry-finished Aeolian-Skinners in Kilgore, Longview, or Shreveport. This was due partly to the tonal design (more eccentric than some), but mostly to a chancel chamber of complex shape and unhelpful depth, and the manner in which the Aeolian-Skinner had been installed within it.

When I next stopped by Incarnation in March 1995, the Noack Organ Company had provided a new organ, re-using about half the Aeolian-Skinner pipes and a few mechanisms. In an adroit bit of engineering, Fritz Noack had placed his Great on two compact slider windchests within each chamber arch, fronting the whole with a handsome tin façade. He then arranged the three swell enclosures to form a wall behind the Great, ensuring its tone would reflect outward. The fact that the bold 16′ and 8′ Great Diapasons were in façade, with the chorus close behind, made an immeasurable difference in terms of clarity and impact in the nave. The increased bass and brilliance was exactly what was needed for congregational leadership, and in the room the organ had unquestionable excitement. Unfortunately, the enclosed departments were as inconsequential as the Great was effective, particularly a cramped Swell whose reeds and shutter motions barely registered behind so much as Great foundations. Two later additions, a searing gallery chamade and a hapless 32′ reed, did not help.

When Scott Dettra arrived in August 2012, his immediate concern was the chronic failure of pallets inside the slider windchests. Their glued tails detached with some frequency, causing frustrating chest-wide ciphers. Clearly some remedy would be necessary, along with a review of other items that kept the organ from reaching its full potential. New Swell reeds seemed in order, as well as some review of the leftover Aeolian-Skinner material, much of which sounded pale from under-winding. The console had its own issues, principally stemming from the unbushed keyboards; weighted and balanced to emulate the feel of tracker action, they ended up feeling merely sluggish and uncertain.

The console revision was entrusted directly to Richard Houghten, who in turn relies upon his trusty associate Vladimir Vaculik and also Joseph Zamberlan. Houghten’s work saw new keyboards from Organ Supply Industries, a revamped pedalboard area, new expression shoes, and other small refinements. As for the organ itself, the process unfolded as such things do: the rector commissioned a task force to review the situation, then invited three qualified builders to visit, draw their own conclusions, and sell a project. The church endeavored to convey that this wasn’t an ordinary sales effort, and that they took organbuilders’ time and effort seriously. Instead of a rigid Request for Proposal, each builder was encouraged to devise its own solution after hearing Scott’s concerns; a stipend was provided to defray travel expenses.

There was one obvious wrinkle: none of the bidders was Noack. A seeming indifference from that concern, coupled to the poor 32′ reed addition, caused many on the Task Force to think: why return to the source of the problems? Midway through the bidding process, I got a call from Didier Grassin, the new president of Noack. Didier, Scott, and I had worked together at Washington Cathedral, and far from a sales call, Didier’s seemed one of genuine enquiry alongside concern for his company’s good name. I laid out the picture as I saw it, that he was welcome to consider a situation unfavorably disposed to his firm.

Undaunted, Didier flew to Dallas, took stock of things, and tendered a proposal that boldly suggested the best course of action. Noack would address not merely the symptoms but the problems: moving the Solo so that the Swell could grow to its proper height and no longer bottle up its tone; increase wind pressures; fix the windchests; fit new shutter fronts on all enclosures; replace or revise those stops that had not stood the test of time, while reviewing and as necessary improving those that had. And, all of this at a price within the church’s budget, one that would save the pride of Noack while giving Incarnation an opportunity it could not refuse.

If the first job of a builder is to provide a musical work of art, the first task of the consultant is to prevent a “horse-opera.” Noack’s proposal didn’t seem like a risk so much as it seemed too good to be true, particularly as they could not point to any project like the one they were proposing. But apparently not even Texans can resist the charms of a Frenchman, and Didier presented his case with such conviction and sincerity (and one whopper of a guaranty)—backed by Fritz Noack’s own endorsement and acknowledgment of original shortcomings—that the church said yes.

Noack removed what was necessary to Massachusetts, including most of the enclosed pipework and the Pedal 32′-16′ reed. At the Noack workshop, new shutter fronts were constructed, along with those windchest elements that needed revision for tonal changes. Noack’s voicer, David Rooney, reviewed all of the Swell, Choir, and Solo flues; he also voiced a handsome new Choir Geigen. In most cases, Rooney returned the Aeolian-Skinner material to its original voicing, while taking the 1994 material to a new and richer place. He and ex-Casavant voicer Jean-Sébastien Dufour worked together on the Pedal Trombone, transforming a lazy jackhammer into something noble and appropriate. Dufour voiced a new Swell reed chorus and mild Tuba (with pipes provided by A. R. Schopp’s Sons), also reworking several other reeds.

Back on site, the windchest pallets were re-glued, the wind system reworked, and pressures adjusted higher on Swell and Solo. As a result, the slider chest actions work promptly and repeat well, without “treble burble.” The musical transformation is equally one of balance and tone. In some instances, the change has been slight; the Great and Pedal are essentially as they were, merely better regulated and tuned. The Solo, placed farther back in the chamber but now on 8-inch pressure, is more refined and about as strong, while the Choir makes a similar but more organized impact than it did previously. The greatest makeover has occurred in the Swell: the strings are vibrant, the foundations make sense, the chorus says something, and the new chorus reeds are first class—the star feature of the entire project. Most importantly, rather than a weakling swamped by the Great, the Swell now pulls its weight and provides the very soul of the ensemble. Capping the whole is the mild Tuba and revamped Pedal Trombone, with a strong 16′ region and milder 32′ octave. As a final touch, Noack reduced the wind pressure on the gallery chamade, making it if not more of a Massachusetts lady, then certainly a touch less Texan.

In organ write-ups, one often reads that “expectations were exceeded.” If that holds true here, it must be said that expectations were realistic from the outset. The bones of this organ were strong; if the weak parts could be made equally strong, a workable instrument would result. But in a rebuild, many elements are pre-determined, beyond the control of those doing the work or the available budget. Thus, while all hoped for a credible result, I suspect even Noack is surprised at just how well everything turned out. This is an unexpectedly grand organ, and in the end a thoroughly American one, however much individual aspects might hint at this or that precedent. In hindsight, we can see now that no one should have underestimated the abilities either of the Noack team or of the resolve of Didier Grassin to keep the Noack nameplate proudly on this console. As another customer of mine recently reflected, “Art rarely happens without risk.”

—Jonathan Ambrosino

From the builder

The challenge of creating a successful organ in a side chamber is always daunting. In a perfect world, an organ should be gently present in the chancel, accompanying the choir while being able to boldly support congregation singing in the nave. A chamber such as at the Church of the Incarnation puts the organ in the most unfavorable of conditions. The voicing has to be pushed to get the acoustical energy out (in this case through two narrow openings fronting the chamber), and that gentle articulation that gives life to organ sound is all but lost in the wash. There are many rabbits a skilled organbuilder can pull out of his hat, but the organ-in-chamber situation is probably the most tricky one to solve. There cannot be a better illustration of this than at the Church of the Incarnation, where organbuilders battled this challenge, bringing at each period of its history, the rabbit of their time.

While the original 1960 organ relied on higher pressures, the 1994 rebuild addressed the limitations by bringing as much pipework as possible out of the chamber. This created a successful, clear, and articulate Great, positioned at the two openings of the chamber. The three enclosed divisions were brought as close as possible to the arch, but it may ultimately have been counterproductive by creating congestion, as each swell box forms a physical barrier to any sound generated by other divisions.

Furthermore, for budgetary reasons, the 1994 Swell and Choir had retained the rather short swell shades from 1960, making the amount of opening relatively small compared to the face of those enclosures: for example, less than half of the front of the Swell enclosure had shutters. Even at its fullest, only so much sound could be forced out.

The 2015 project did not throw away previous layers of history, but rather built on them. The most notable change concerns the Swell, which gained a great deal of power thanks to an expanded and reinforced enclosure, new heavy swell shades, and a new reed chorus. Its new dynamic is such that it now wants to be used with care!

Once the basic principles were set, the rest of the work unfolded naturally. Mechanical issues were addressed, pressures were increased where necessary (e.g., the Solo now placed further back was raised to 8 inches), Aeolian-Skinner strings re-united to their original celeste ranks, reeds renewed or revoiced appropriately.

While the logistics of the work entailed certain complexities (the organ was out of commission only two Sundays during the entire project), the task was clear thanks to the way the musicians and consultant were able to articulate most precisely their musical objectives, while trusting the organbuilder to define the means to attain them. There is no doubt that the cordial communication between all the parties has been one key to the success of the work.

Similarly, the project would not have happened without a team of skilled and dedicated organbuilders: Mary Beth DiGenova, Brett Greene, Eric Kenney, Dean Smith, Aaron Tellers, helped by Amory Atkins, Dean Conry, Alex Gilson, David Preston, and Graham Schultz, and of course the talented voicers David Rooney and Jean-Sébastien Dufour.

—Didier Grassin

President, Noack Organ Company

Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Opus 1370, 1960. New organ in new church; 43 voices, 54 ranks, 3,203 pipes.

Noack Organ Company, Opus 127, 1994. New organ, incorporating many Aeolian-Skinner pipes; 58 voices, 72 ranks, 4,087 pipes.

1998 Festival Trumpet, rear gallery, 61 pipes

2007 32′ Trombone extension, 12 pipes

2015 Renovation, re-engineering, revoicing, six new ranks; 59 voices, 74 ranks, 4,110 pipes

Richard Houghten, 2014. New keyboards, balanced swell shoes, other console modifications.

GREAT – 61 notes, unenclosed, 31Џ4″ wind pressure

16′ Diapason 1–7 A-S Pedal 16′ Kontra Bass, 8–61 Noack 1994, partly in façade

8′ Diapason 1–61 Noack 1994, partly in façade

8′ Second Diapason 1–61 A-S Great 8′ Principal

8′ Spielflöte 1–12 Noack 1994, 13–61 A-S Positiv 4′ Gemshorn

8′ Bourdon 1–61 Noack

4′ Octave 1–61 A-S Great 4′ Octave

4′ Harmonic Flute 1–61 A-S Swell 4′ Flute Harmonique

22⁄3′ Twelfth 1–61 A-S Great 22⁄3′ Grossnasat

2′ Fifteenth 1–61 A-S Positiv 2′ Oktav

13⁄5′ Seventeenth 1–61 A-S Positiv 13⁄5′ Tierce

Mixture IV 1–61 A-S Great Mixtur IV–VI, reworked

Sharp III 1–61 Noack 1994

16′ Trumpet 1–61 A-S Swell 16′ Bombarde (1–12 half-length)

8′ Trumpet 1–61 Noack 1994

4′ Clarion 1–61 Noack 1994

SWELL – 61 notes, enclosed, 5″ wind pressure

16′ Bourdon 1–12 Noack 1994, 13–61 A-S Swell 8′ Gedeckt

8′ Diapason 1–8 A-S Choir 16′ Gamba EEE–BBB, rescaled 8 notes, 9–61 Noack 1994, revoiced 2015

8′ Gamba 1–61 A-S Choir 8′ Gamba

8′ Celeste 1–61 A-S Choir 8′ Gamba Celeste

8′ Chimney Flute 1–19 Noack 1994, 20–61 A-S Positiv 22⁄3′ Quintflöte, revoiced 2015

4′ Octave 1–61 A-S Swell 4′ Prestant, revoiced 2015

4′ Koppelflöte 1–61 A-S Positiv 4′ Koppelflöte

2′ Principal 1–61 Noack 2015

Mixture IV 1–61 Noack 1994, revoiced 2015

Cornet III, g20–d51 22⁄3′: Noack 1994, revoiced 2015

2′: A-S Great 2′ Hellflöte, revoiced 2015

13⁄5′: Noack 1994, revoiced 2015

8′ Oboe 1–61 Noack 1994, recycled early 20th-C. American

16′ Bassoon 1–61 Noack 2015

8′ Trumpet 1–61 Noack 2015 (A-S 8′ Fanfare Trumpet shallots)

4′ Clarion 1–61 Noack 2015

Tremolo

CHOIR – 61 notes, enclosed, 4″ wind pressure

16′ Gemshorn 1–12 A-S Great 16′ Spitzflöte, 13–61 Noack 1994 8′ Flute Dolce, exchanged and revoiced 2015

8′ Geigen 1–61 Noack 2015

8′ Gedackt 1–61 A-S Positiv 8′ Holzgedeckt (all metal pipes)

8′ Flute Douce 1–61 A-S Swell 8′ Flute Celeste II, rank 1

8′ Flute Celeste FF 6–61 A-S Swell 8′ Flute Celeste II, rank 2

4′ Principal 1–61 Noack 1994, revoiced 2015

4′ Rohrflöte 1–61 A-S Great 4′ Rohrflöte

2′ Blockflöte 1–61 A-S Choir 2′ Blockflöte

11⁄3′ Larigot 1–61 A-S Great 16–8′ Spitzflöte + random A-S trebles

Mixture III 1–61 A-S Choir Mixture III

8′ Trompette 1–61 A-S Swell 8′ Trompette

8′ Clarinet 1–49 1994 Noack Swell 16′ Bassoon, revoiced 2015, 50–61 A-S Choir 8′ Krummhorn flue trebles

8′ Vox Humana 1–49 A-S Swell 8′ Vox Humana, 50–61 A-S Great Mixture IV–VI, doubled trebles

  Tremolo

SOLO – 61 notes, 8″ wind pressure

enclosed

8′ Harmonic Flute 1–12 A-S Choir 8′ Wald Flute (stopped wood), 13–61 Noack 1994, revoiced 2015 (harmonic 31–61)

8′ Salicional 1–61 A-S Swell 8′ Viola Celeste, revoiced 2015

8′ Celeste 1–61 A-S Swell 8′ Viola Pomposa, revoiced 2015

4′ Open Flute 1–61 1994 Noack, revoiced 2015

8′ French Horn 1–61 1994 Noack (recycled early 20th-C.); revoiced 2015

8′ English Horn 1–61 A-S Swell 8′ English Horn, revoiced 2015

Tremolo

unenclosed

8′ Tuba 1–56 Noack 2015

57–73 A-S Great 8′ Fanfare Trumpet

8′ Festival Trumpet 1–61 Noack 1998, gallery, pressure lowered 2015

PEDAL – 32 notes, unenclosed, 4″ wind pressure

32′ Bourdon (ext) 1–4 Noack 1994, 102⁄3′ (these notes also play 16′ Stopt Bass), 5–12 A-S 32′ Bourdon

16′ Open Wood 1–32 Noack 1994 (recycled early 20th-C.)

16′ Diapason Great

16′ Stopt Bass 1–32 A-S

16′ Gemshorn 1–12 Choir, 13–32 A-S Great 16-8′ Spitzflöte

8′ Diapason 1–32 A-S Pedal 8′ Principal

8′ Gedackt 1–32 A-S Great 8′ Bourdon

4′ Octave 1–32 A-S Pedal 4′ Choralbass

Mixture IV Ranks 1 and 2: A-S Pedal Mixture II

Ranks 3 and 4: from A-S Swell Plein Jeu IV

32′ Trombone (ext) 1–12 Noack 2007; revoiced 2015, 6″ wind pressure

16′ Trombone 1–32 Noack 1994; revoiced 2015, 6″ wind pressure

8′ Trumpet 1–32 A-S Pedal reed unit, revoiced 2015

4′ Clairon (ext) 1–12 A-S Pedal reed unit, revoiced 2015

Austin Organs, 

Hartford, Connecticut

Opus 2344 (1961 and 2014)

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church,

New Canaan, Connecticut

In New Canaan, Connecticut, just north of a town landmark known as “God’s Acre,” an imposing edifice rises from the staid landscape. St. Mark’s Church was erected in 1961. Approaching from the south, the church beckons your creative spirit as it heralds the artistry that pervades its sacred space. The entrance of the church, facing an elegant, grassy commons to the south, is easily accessed from the street. Entering the two large, intricately carved doors one finds oneself inside an impressive sanctuary that evokes the feeling of a Gothic cathedral. Triangular vaults rise up majestically from towering concrete columns. The altar is clearly the focal point of the room, but behind the altar stands an equally impressive reredos approximately 35 feet wide, standing some 40 feet in the air, displaying 184 intricately carved figures. It was designed by sculptor Clark Fitz-Gerald, whose works can be found in Columbia University, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall, and Coventry Cathedral in England. 

Behind this acoustically transparent screen stands Austin Organs’ Opus 2344, dedicated by John Weaver in a concert on January 7, 1962. In 2014, Austin installed several new stops and completed an extensive tonal redesign of the instrument.

From the musician

In 2000, we started discussion about completing some major work on the organ. We thought it important to return to the company that gave birth to the instrument, so we called Austin Organs in Hartford for an evaluation and recommendations. Unfortunately the church was not ready to proceed with the project at that point, so the plan was placed on hold. When we revisited the project in 2008, I was surprised and pleased to reconnect with my former schoolmate from Westminster Choir College, Mike Fazio, who was now president and tonal director of the Austin company. 

As fate would have it, the company, now reborn under the auspices of the new owners, has revisited some of the original Austin organbuilding and voicing practices—their mindset moving beyond the so-common trend of “what’s happening now” and going back to some of the venerable earlier ideals. This philosophy is happily right in line with my own personal vision for this organ. I think that this key point in our collaboration helped lead to the successful rebirth of this instrument. Further, I believe that the combination of the talents of the outstanding Austin craftspeople, some who have been with the company for many years, along with the new administration, who respect the past but also embrace the future, to be a winning combination without equal. Working on this project, I was always confident in our conversations about the direction of the instrument, and I was pleased with the outcome, because we were consistently in sync. They always listened to my vision, and it felt like we were always on the same page with the ultimate goal.

When I arrived in 1998, it was already an organ to be proud of, and I was very happy to be playing this Austin, because it essentially worked well in this space. But today, with the tonal work and expansion, it has become much more versatile. While the organ certainly could have been defined as “American Classic,” I would now say that, while that character remains, we now have the impression of an “English Town Hall” instrument. The organ can handle a broader spectrum of literature, and I find that I can accompany the service in a much more exciting way. When I use the term “exciting,” I am not just talking about louder sounds, I am talking about the inclusion of some softer voices imparting more interesting nuance than there was previously. Utilizing the new timbres available in the pedal organ, the organ has developed a new undergirding that has truly helped its effectiveness in hymn accompaniment, among other things. The inventiveness of the Austin company in finding a creative way to add real pipes (installing a full-length 16′ reed in the Swell, and a full-length 32′ reed in the Pedal, and of course, the 32′/16′ Pedal Bourdon) was amazing! The 16′ Bourdon is also an excellent addition, as it helps support the lower voices in the choir and congregation. I am so proud to be able to boast that all of our additions are real pipes, real chimes, and a real harp, without having to resort to the digital versions. I am convinced that these real voices do add significant richness and quite amazing harmonic underpinning. I am therefore able to play the organ in a much fuller way than I could previously. This has improved both my musical creativity and the choir and congregation’s singing in response. 

—Brian-Paul Thomas

Organist and Choirmaster

From the builder

The organ has excellent tonal projection from its lofty position on the central axis of the church. Its tonal disposition is somewhat reminiscent of the late work of Austin’s most famous tonal designer, James Blaine Jamison (1882–1957). He began with the Austin Company in 1933, and his impact was rather dramatic. Early in his relationship with the company, he redefined the Austin Diapason scaling system and introduced his concepts for ensemble structure and voicing, which were quickly adopted and became common practice for a generation. Richard Piper (tonal director from 1952–1978,) continued the same trend, but imparted his own stamp on the company’s work. Piper had apprenticed for nearly a decade under Henry Willis III, working on many of England’s monumental instruments, his final work being the Dome Organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. Coming to Austin, he was able to impart a bit of English nuance to the Austin version of the American Classic tonal ensemble, but that nuance did not seem to be present in this instrument. My predecessor at Austin Organs, Bruce Buchanan, visited the organ in September 2000. His impression was congruous with my own, in that he proclaimed, “St. Mark’s organ is a version of American Classic with North-European leanings. This means brightness has been preferred to brilliance, and clarity to body.” It was interesting to find his notes some months after I had submitted my own assessment to the church with similar findings.

The St. Mark’s organ had been an interesting platform for Richard Piper’s tonal experimentation. The Great and Positiv were voiced on low pressure (2¾′′ wind). It would appear that the Great Organ had the strongest North-German influence: light Prinzipal scaling, heavy mixture scaling, and the foundation apparently based on the 16′ Quintaton. Overall, the division exhibited bright ensemble tone and the Positiv was much like it. The Swell was designed with somewhat stronger English influence. It, like the Choir, was voiced on 4′′ of wind presure. It was built with colorful flutes, and lush string tone; it also had a full reed chorus, yet not a proper Oboe; there was a high-pitched Plein Jeu, yet the department lacked a full principal chorus. The Choir flue chorus is made up of flutes, independent cornet mutations, and a Gemshorn and Celeste. The Choir reeds included a rather thin Krummhorn (3/4′′ scale) and an 8′ Trumpet, voiced on 6′′ of wind pressure. In the style of many fine Austin instruments of the period, this organ’s Pedal division had nine independent ranks of pipes, beginning with a generous 16′ Open Wood Contra Bass, through a Pedal Mixture and reed chorus. At some point in history, an electronic 32′ Bourdon extension was added, but had failed and was disconnected several years ago.

Approaching the organ’s tonal redesign, we had some specific goals in mind: improve the Diapason chorus, revoice/replace some existing reeds, and supplement the Pedal department. Other enhancements became possible as the project developed. For example, while we would have liked to build a new, movable, drawknob console for the instrument, a decision was made for the present time to maintain the existing console. It was certainly showing its age, but we decided to add new stopkeys in situ for the new voices. This approach would allow us to use more available funds for tonal work as a first step. It would seem that God had other thoughts. Within a month of signing the contract for the tonal work, the church was hit by an electrical storm that disabled the console, along with the church’s sound system. We removed the console to the factory, and installed a new multiplexed console and organ control system, featuring a fiber-optic connection between the console and the organ’s Universal Air Chest. While back “home” in the factory, the manual and pedal claviers were refurbished, all new wiring and stop controls were installed, and the elegant black walnut casework finish was also restored. 

Tonal matters

The first matter to address was the wind pressure. To achieve the aural presence we collectively desired, we recognized that the pressure needed to be increased. To that end, we chose to increase the wind pressure to 4′′ water column for the entire instrument. Next, we needed to make a decision regarding the disposition of the Great Organ’s 16′ Quintaton, which had been partly replaced (from 8′ C) several years earlier with Bourdon pipes. The breakpoint from the 8′ to the 16′ octave was abominable, and the effect of the Quintaton in general was counterproductive to our desired ensemble. The Great Mixture was overwhelming and the rest of the chorus was anemic. Our sweeping decision was to remove the entire Quintaton from the specification, and to achieve a manual 16′ voice, install a new Austin Internal Borrow action in the chest that would play the Pedal 16′ Spitz Flute as a Great stop. Previously, this stop was only available in the manual at 8′ pitch, and 16′ in the Pedal. Austin’s voicer Dan Kingman revoiced these pipes to create an excellent Viole de Gamba. Being mildly conical (1/2 taper), we adjusted the nomenclature to reflect that construction, calling it a Spitz Viole. As a manual 16′ and 8′ borrow, it has proven to be extremely successful. While we were sweeping through the organ, we chose to “wash” the 1960s voicing out of the Great Bourdon, which resulted in a flute with more warmth and fundamental. The Diapason and Principal were rescaled, and the Spitz Fifteenth replaced with a new set of Principal pipes that work well with this new chorus. The existing Fourniture was also replaced with new pipes, scaled and voiced to fit perfectly with the new scheme. The final element was the inclusion of a new reed stop for the Great. After much discussion, the choice was made to install an English Horn. Rather than yet another Trumpet, or something from the Clarinet family, we concluded that an English Horn would serve equally well as either a gentle solo or ensemble voice. 

In the Swell, we regret that we were unable to add a new Diapason, as space would not allow it. However, the large scale Viola and Flute are rather successful, evoking “synthetic Diapason” tone, to quote the late G. Donald Harrison. A vintage 4′ Wald Flute was installed to replace the original, which was removed several years ago, having been replaced with the Koppelflute from the Positiv, where it was subsequently returned. The 8′ octave of the Rohrflute was moved off the main chest, and in its place we located the 12 lowest pipes of the 16′ Waldhorn (full-length). The rather pleasant 8′ (French) Trumpet was revoiced to blend well in the ensemble, and a new 8′ (English) Oboe was installed. As a compromise to allow the installation of the Oboe, we removed the 4′ Clarion, (which was rather thin) and extended the Waldhorn to 4′ pitch to complete the chorus. Also added to the organ was a vintage Austin Vox Humana. This particular type is affectionately known as a “Vox-in-a-Box,” as the pipes are entirely placed within an encased chest that hangs directly in front of the Swell expression shades and can be adjusted for dynamic by opening or closing the top cover of said box. The effect of the Vox Humana in this church is extremely successful—it shimmers like a “chorus of voices in the distance!” Finally, the high-pitched mixture was removed and replaced with a new IV–V Plein Jeu, starting at 22⁄3′ pitch. It provides a measure of gravitas to the ensemble, whether flues or reeds. 

In the Choir, we removed the thin, baroque Krummhorn, and replaced it with an 8′ Cremona, which is a hybrid stop that is constructed as a Clarinet in the lower registers, then it morphs into our Cromorne scale in the treble. This treatment delivers the color of a rich Clarinet in the tenor range and the brightness of a French Cromorne in the right hand. As a matter of course, the existing high-pressure Trumpet was reconstructed (new tuning inserts, etc.) and revoiced.

The changes to the Pedal division were rather dramatic. We were able to redesign the offset chests at the sides of the main organ to allow the installation of a 32′ and 16′ Bourdon. More dramatic yet, we chose to extend the Swell 16′ Waldhorn (a time-honored tradition) to become the 32′ Pedal reed. Organist Brian-Paul Thomas was very clear in his vision for this voice: he did not want a jackhammer or clatter, but smooth dark tone. Using this thought as a guideline, we scaled this stop moderately, and consequently, the 12 full-length resonators fit nicely in the space occupied by the former Quintaton, located in a split arrangement on either side of the Great chest.

The other two voices added to the organ were a set of Deagan Class A chimes, and a vintage Austin Harp. These two percussions also work very nicely in this space.

Conclusion

We find the new instrument is exciting, rich, and versatile. It has a delicious, smooth crescendo from pianissimo to fortissimo, never missing a step! These changes were made possible because of the amazing flexibility of the Austin Universal Airchest design. Having been at the helm of Austin since 2005, I am still constantly in awe of the versatility of the Austin system. 

In a future article, we would like to discuss the transformation of a few Austin organs. These instruments were built in the same time period (the mid-1960s). The tonal disposition of each organ was very similar, and they were stereotypical of the period, and desperate for change! The study of the resulting specifications will serve as empirical evidence for any church with an organ, especially an Austin, thinking that there is no hope for a rather bland tonal ensemble. The transformation of each organ was completed with remarkable success—each one unique. We are also embarking on a plan to make a collective recording of these instruments.

While history furnishes a wealth of motivation, we are confident that new avenues and designs are only just around the corner that may enhance earlier efforts. As surely as we are inspired by the triumphs of the past, we face the challenges of today by building organs that will continue to inspire interest beyond today, beyond tomorrow, and into the next generation. Art is only art when it represents the best efforts of the Creator, with both eyes open to even greater possibilities. We aim to create something significant for worship and the performance of great music, and in the greater sphere, to offer our own illumination of how music might be made.

—Michael B. Fazio

Austin Organs, Inc.

President and Tonal Director

Part 3: Cossitt Avenue Elementary School and First Baptist Church

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

This article is a continuation of a feature in the August 2015 and June 2016 issues of The Diapason. This essay 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.

Cossitt Avenue Elementary School

Named for Franklin Cossitt, a founder of La Grange, the first school building was constructed in 1883 of native stone on the present property. The present edifice of brick with stone trim with Gothic influence dates from 1921. This building featured a tiled swimming pool and a kindergarten with a fountain, fireplace, and birds in cages. An auditorium was equipped with opera seating chairs, stage lighting, a projector and screen, elaborate decorative ceiling tiles, and, of course, a pipe organ.

The Skinner Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts, was commissioned to install its Opus 405, a three-manual, 24-rank organ in chambers in the auditorium in 1923. This was an era when there was a nationwide effort to install pipe organs in public school auditoriums.

The organ was sold and removed in the 1980s and was eventually installed in Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Whiting, Indiana. There, the organ was doubled in size with pipework of various sources.

The contract for Opus 405 was signed on March 7, 1923, by the donor, Mrs. Ross H. (May B.) Kidston of La Grange, at a cost of $15,765. An addendum to the contract provided for installation of the Chimes and Harp at a cost of $1,760 ($800 for the Harp, $960 for the Chimes). Construction of the organ commenced on May 7, and pipework was completed on May 11. Of eight Skinner organs installed in public schools, this was the only one in an elementary school.

1923 Skinner Organ Company Opus 405

Great (Manual II)

8′ Diapason (scale 42, leathered, metal—73 pipes)

8′ Clarabella (73 pipes)

8′ Erzähler (“usual,” metal—73 pipes)

4′ Octave (“medium,” scale 58, metal—73 pipes)

8′ French Horn (“#2,” in Swell, metal—61 pipes)

Chimes (in Swell, 20 tubes)

Swell (Manual III, Enclosed)

16′ Bourdon (“common,” wood—73 pipes)

8′ Diapason (“big,” scale 43, metal—73 pipes)

8′ Gedeckt (“common,” wood—73 pipes)

8′ Salicional (“common,” scale 64, metal—73 pipes)

8′ Voix Celeste (“common,” scale 64, metal—73 pipes)

8′ Aeoline (scale 60, metal—73 pipes)

4′ Flute (“common,” harmonic from tenor C, metal—73 pipes)

III Mixture (mounted, metal, 15-19-22—183 pipes) 

8′ Cornopean (5″ scale, metal—73 pipes)

8′ Flügel Horn (“common,” metal—73 pipes)

8′ Vox Humana (“common,” mounted, metal—61 pipes)

Tremolo

Choir (Manual I, Enclosed)

8′ Concert Flute (“#1,” wood and metal—61 pipes)

8′ Dulciana (“little more stringy in treble,” scale 56, metal—61 pipes)

4′ Flute Harmonique (“common,” metal—61 pipes)

8′ Clarinet (“common,” metal—61 pipes)

Tremolo

Harp (TC—61 tubes)

Celesta (Harp)

Pedal

16′ Diapason (wood—44 pipes)

16′ Bourdon (“common,” wood—44 pipes)

16′ Echo Bourdon (Swell, 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Octave (extension, 16′ Diapason)

8′ Bourdon (extension, 16′ Bourdon)

8′ Still Gedeckt (Swell, 16′ Bourdon)

Chimes (Great, Chimes)

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir 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

Choir to Choir 16

Choir to Choir 4

Swell to Choir 8

Swell to Swell 16

Swell to Swell 4

Accessories

4 Great pistons (thumb)

6 Swell pistons (thumb)

3 Choir pistons (thumb)

4 Pedal pistons (toe)

General Cancel (thumb)

Pedal to Great Manual Combination on/off (thumb)

Pedal to Swell Manual Combination on/off (thumb)

Pedal to Choir Manual Combination on/off (thumb)

Great to Pedal reversible (toe)

Balanced Swell expression shoe

Balanced Choir expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe (with indicator light)

Sforzando reversible (toe, with indicator light)

First Baptist Church

The First Baptist Church of La Grange was founded in 1884 during a meeting in the residence of Myron T. Baldwin. The first pastor was the Reverend Joshua E. Ambrose. The cornerstone of the first frame church was laid in 1886. Additions were made to the building in 1893 and 1906.

The congregation laid the cornerstone for its present edifice in 1924. The building is of Greendale brick with Bedford stone trim of English Gothic influence. Construction cost was about $60,000. In 1947, a stained glass window was installed above the chancel, called the “Laborers with Christ” window. It is now framed by sections of the present pipe organ.

The original church was outfitted for other uses and retained until it was demolished in 1948 to make way for a 1950 addition that featured a chapel, fellowship hall, classrooms, and kitchen, at a cost of $125,000. The present education and administration building was dedicated in 1964.

The origins of the first pipe organ for this congregation are not known. It may have been a second-hand instrument by M. P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland. At some point, likely in the 1960s, some alterations were made to the instrument, including addition of a Positiv division. By 1973, the instrument, cobbled together of many disparate parts, was practically unplayable.

The present instrument was built by the Berghaus Organ Company of Bellwood, Illinois, between 1976 and 1978, retaining the Möller console, the Positiv division, two ranks in the Pedal division, the blower, and a few other parts. New slider chests were provided for the Swell, Great, and Pedal divisions. The Great, Positiv, and Pedal divisions are visible above the chancel floor, with the Great to the left, the Positiv in the center, and the Pedal to the right. The Swell division is in a chamber to the right. Wind pressure is 21⁄4 inches. The completed organ was dedicated in service on Sunday, November 19, 1978. In 2006, the combination action was replaced by a Peterson ICS-4000 system.

Berghaus Organ Company

Great (Manual II)

8′ Principal (5 zinc basses, remainder 50% tin—61 pipes)

8′ Gedackt (wood—61 pipes)

4′ Octave (5 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

4′ Waldflöte (5 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

2′ Spitzflöte (spotted metal—61 pipes)

IV Mixture (spotted metal—244 pipes)

8′ Trumpet (spotted metal—61 pipes)

Great 16

Great Unison Off

Great 4

8′ Solo Trumpet (prepared)

Chimes (from tenor A—21 tubes)

Positiv (Manual I)

8′ Holz Gedackt (wood—61 pipes)

4′ Koppelflöte (spotted metal—61 pipes)

2′ Klein Principal (spotted metal—61 pipes)

11⁄3′ Quinte (from 2′ Klein Principal)

1′ Octave (from 2′ Klein Principal)

8′ Holzregal (mahogany—61 pipes)

Tremolo

Positiv 16

Positiv Unison Off

Positiv 4

8′ Solo Trumpet (prepared)

Zimbelstern

Swell (Manual III, enclosed)

8′ Rohrflöte (12 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

8′ Gemshorn (12 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

8′ Celeste (from tenor C, spotted metal—49 pipes)

4′ Principal (5 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

4′ Spillflöte (5 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—61 pipes)

22⁄3′ Nasat (spotted metal—61 pipes)

2′ Blockflöte (spotted metal—61 pipes)

13⁄5′ Terz (breaks at C#5, spotted metal—61 pipes)

IV Scharf (spotted metal—244 pipes)

16′ Holzdulzian (mahogany—61 pipes)

8′ Schalmei (spotted metal—61 pipes)

Tremolo

Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4

8′ Solo Trumpet (prepared)

Choir (Manual I, prepared)

8′ Holzflöte

8′ Viole

8′ Viole Celeste

4′ Fugara

4′ Traversflöte

2′ Zauberflöte

II Sesquialtera

8′ Trumpet

8′ Vox Humana

Tremolo

Echo (prepared)

8′ Metalgedackt

4′ Flachflöte

2′ Klein Principal

II Rauschquinte

Pedal

32′ Resultant (from 16′ Subbass)

16′ Principal (prepared)

16′ Subbass (wood—32 pipes)

8′ Octave (12 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—32 pipes)

8′ Gedackt (wood—32 pipes)

4′ Choralbass (5 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—32 pipes)

III Mixture (spotted metal—96 pipes)

16′ Fagott (7 zinc basses, remainder spotted metal—32 pipes)

4′ Rohrschalmei (brass and spotted metal—32 pipes)

Inter-divisional Couplers

Great to Pedal 8

Great to Pedal 4

Swell to Pedal 8

Swell to Pedal 4

Positiv to Pedal 8

Choir to Pedal 8

Choir to Pedal 4

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 8

Swell to Great 4

Positiv to Great 16

Positiv to Great 8

Positiv to Great 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 8

Choir to Great 4

Echo to Great 8

Swell to Positiv 16

Swell to Positiv 8

Swell to Positiv 4

Echo to Positiv 8

Echo to Swell 8

Accessories

12 General pistons (thumb and toe)

6 Great pistons (thumb)

6 Swell pistons (thumb)

6 Positiv and Choir pistons (thumb)

3 Echo pistons (thumb)

4 Pedal pistons (thumb)

Great to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Swell to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Choir to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Cancel (thumb)

Set (thumb)

Chimes dial (5 volumes and off)

Zimbelstern dials: Delay, Speed, Volume

Auto Pedal (thumb)

Auto Solo (thumb)

Balanced Swell expression shoe

Balanced Choir expression shoe

Balanced Echo expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe (green indicator light)

Sfz. Reversible (thumb and toe, with red indicator light)

Wind indicator (yellow light)

Bigelow & Co. Organ Builders, American Fork, Utah

First United Methodist Church, Salt Lake City, Utah

From the builder

Bigelow & Co. specializes in mechanical action instruments that are both historically informed and innovative. It was, therefore, a bit of a reach to tackle the rebuild of what had once been a tubular pneumatic instrument. In retrospect, it has been a fascinating experience, made all the more enjoyable by the enthusiasm and support of the organist and many others at First United Methodist Church, Salt Lake City.

First United Methodist Church dedicated its new building on May 22, 1906, and the organ was dedicated six months later on December 7. The oldest document in the church’s archives pertaining to the organ is a contract with the firm of “Geo. Kilgen and Son,” dated January 29, 1924, in which the first item reads: “To electrify the organ now located in their church using the most modern type action with silver contacts, brass encased magnets and paraffine [sic] cables.” That contract included several tonal changes as well, such as replacing the Great Mixture with a Flute Celeste, replacing the Dolce Cornet with a Vox Humana, and so on.

From the 1924 contract stoplist and other physical clues we made an educated guess as to the 1906 stoplist:

GREAT

16′ Dbl. Open Diapason*

8′ Open Diapason*

8′ Viol d’Gamba*

8′ Dulciana

8′ Melodia

8′ Dopple Flute [sic]*

4′ Octave*

4′ Flute d’Amour*

22⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth*

III Mixture

8′ Trumpet*

SWELL

16′ Bourdon (TC)*

8′ Open Diapason*

8′ Salicional

8′ Aeoline

8′ Stop Diapason*

8′ Quintadena

4′ Fugara*

4′ Flute Harmonic*

2′ Flageolet*

III Dolce Cornet

8′ Cornopean*

8′ Oboe*

PEDAL

16′ Open Diapason*

16′ Bourdon*

8′ Violincello [sic]*

*Ranks that survive with all or most of
their pipes

A photograph from 1915 reveals a handsome case with stenciled façade pipes (all speaking) covering an opening sixteen feet wide and twenty feet high.  Unfortunately, in conjunction with a 1960 “Sanctuary and Chancel Beautification Project,” the beautiful oak casework was discarded and the façade pipes hidden from view. The organ was re-leathered and modified at that time. But, alas, by the 1980s the old ventil chests and actions were failing again. A hybrid electronic instrument provided a quick and economical solution. After Scott R. Mills was hired as organist, the congregation moved toward a more comprehensive restoration of their historic instrument, including a faithful reconstruction of the original oak casework and stenciled façade.

Realizing that many of the original pipes had been discarded or seriously altered, the church purchased nearly forty ranks of Kimball and Austin pipework, including harp and chimes, from the nearby Masonic temple, where that organ had been sitting idle for over twenty years. After examining what was left of the original Kilgen organ and additions, listening to whatever was playable, reviewing the inventory acquired from the Masonic temple, and perusing old photographs, we contracted with the church to “restore” and enlarge their historic organ. Adding only two new stops (four ranks of small pipes), the current three-manual specification was developed.

Most pipes of the Great, Swell, and Pedal divisions stand on their original ventil or unit chests, re-leathered and re-electrified by Bigelow. It is interesting that the ventil chests are in the style of Roosevelt, and may have come from an earlier Farrand & Votey instrument. That firm had been active in Utah in the 1890s, when they had recently acquired Roosevelt’s patents. One wonders: did the previous Methodist church, located about a block away, have a Farrand & Votey organ that Kilgen subsequently moved and adapted to the new space? The discovery of very old modifications to those chests and to the swell box make such a scenario seem likely.

The main Choir chest is a new Blackington-style slider chest by Organ Supply Industries. That firm also supplied electro-pneumatic unit and offset chests used variously throughout the organ and several single-rise regulators.

A 1930s “Style A” console was acquired from the Austin factory, and Jack Nelson of Nelson Woodworking re-surfaced the old worn-out ivory keys with new unbleached bone. The new stop-action magnets and control system are from Syndyne.

With the completion of this instrument, Bigelow is pleased and proud to claim responsibility for all three of Salt Lake City’s most recent three-manual organs, all very different from each other, and each one uniquely beautiful.

—Michael Bigelow

From the organist and 

choir director

The vital ministry of First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of Salt Lake City, Utah, began just a few short months after the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were finally joined at Promontory Point on the north shore of the Great Salt Lake. Methodist missionaries began arriving in Utah to organize churches and schools. 

The first Methodist worship services were held in downtown Salt Lake City in an unfinished hay loft over a livery stable in May 1870. A year and a half later, the cornerstone was laid, and by December our congregation was holding services on the opposite block in the basement of our first new building. By 1905, it was determined to build a larger building (about a block away) to house the growing congregation. Frederick A. Hale, a prominent architect in the Mountain West, designed the building in the Victorian Eclectic architectural style. Although he was responsible for several church buildings in Colorado, this was his only one in Utah.

The FUMC organ has been in its original location since 1906, thus known as one of the oldest organs in the area. There are two older organs in Utah. First Congregational Church actually touts the oldest organ in the region (Farrand & Votey, 1892; renovated in 1992 by H. Ronald Poll & Assoc.), and First United Methodist Church of Ogden, Utah, possesses an organ which has been in storage for some time.

The earliest photo we have of our sanctuary is dated “Easter 1915.” The pipes were stenciled and were various shades of green in color. The organ console sat near the pipes so that the organist had a view of the congregation. The stage area was open. To get to the choir loft below the stained glass windows, members had to pass through the organ chamber—the door can be seen in the middle of the photo. We have members who have recalled as little children “running through the pipes” to get to the choir loft.

In the 1930s, the front façade pipes received the first of three paint-overs that occurred over the years with a dull gold color. The organ console was moved down to the main floor of the sanctuary during the tenure of organist and music director Dr. Frank W. Asper, who served from 1924–1939. He conducted a 30-voice choir and gave weekly organ recitals before worship. Dr. Asper was also a Mormon Tabernacle organist, serving from 1924–1965.  

In 1960, at the time of the sanctuary and chancel beautification project, the organ façade pipes were moved back and a translucent screen placed behind a wooden grille. A set of crosses were placed in front of the screen and lights installed behind the screen. The pipes were no longer visible. Permanent pulpits were added with flower boxes and a new seating arrangement with benches for the choir loft. Since then, there have been several remodeling and renovation efforts, the last major one in 1989. The organist at the time requested that the church have the organ fixed so that it would be reliable. One can be grateful that they did not discard the historic pipes or chests. Due to financial restraints at the time, the church augmented the working components of the organ with an electronic Rodgers organ. The façade pipes were brought back out to be seen in the sanctuary with new woodwork framing the pipes. The inaugural concert was given by American concert organist and principal organist of the Wanamaker Organ, Keith Chapman, about three months before his untimely death.

When I was hired as the organist in 2008, I could tell that the organ was in need of significant repair. So we embarked on that possibility. The pipes were tuned and amid the ciphers, we could hear the potential warmth and beauty that the organ had to offer.

In November 2009, we launched a fundraising campaign to raise money to restore the organ and sanctuary back as close as possible to its original roots, keeping with its integrity, period, and design. The organ project included re-establishing the organ’s unique 1900s tonal style, its organ case from the 1915 photo, a vintage console, and augmenting its character with other vintage components. After looking around the country for vintage components, we found what we needed in our own backyard at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. The organ at the Masonic Temple was originally in the American Theatre, a 3,000-seat silent movie theatre and the largest in Utah at the time, which was located on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City. The instrument was originally built by the W. W. Kimball Company. The Austin Organ Company enlarged the organ in 1915 (Opus 609). In 1917, Alexander Schreiner, later a Mormon Tabernacle organist for 53 years, was playing on this organ as a high school student purportedly making more money than his teachers. Near the end of the silent movie era, local organists had the vision to preserve the organ and move it from the American Theatre to the new Masonic Temple building that had been finished in 1927.

By 2014, with donors attending and supporting organ recitals by community organists, grant writing, and a very successful crowd-funding campaign, we had raised sufficient funds to hire Bigelow & Co. of American Fork, Utah. We removed the Rodgers console and purchased a console that had been built in about 1930 that had previously been part Austin Opus 1702 in the Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Cincinnati, Ohio. Bigelow restored the original finish of the console and replaced the insides with state-of-the-art controls. We hired Tony Devroude of Artisan Organ to stencil the pipes. With his experience and expertise, Tony was able to recreate the original paint colors and stenciling designs, returning the original façade pipes back to their majestic beauty. He established the colors and designs by carefully peeling away layers of paint. Tony also turned the beautiful round middle tower base, crafted much of the case ornament including the four pineapples on top and the wooden dummy “stubby” pipes in the two arched openings. Finally, we removed the carpet in the front of the sanctuary and the 1960s paneling and opened up the chancel area. Thus, we have brought back the “look and feel” of the original sanctuary space with the tremendous sound of the organ now known as the Wesleyan Heritage Organ, Bigelow Opus 38 (2015).

“Methodism was born in song.” The music and liturgy of the worship at First United Methodist Church of SLC will return to its former glory. This was a true church and community effort. We are grateful to the members of FUMC, the many, many donors in the community, to the many workers with the remodeling of the sanctuary, and especially to the remarkable craftsmanship of Bigelow & Co. and for their meticulous care and expertise in preserving this historical organ. Our hearts are full of gratitude for their tireless efforts in making our dream become a reality.

Preserving these instruments (First Methodist and the Masonic Temple) with their treasured history provides a significant connection with our past and provides a sustaining commitment to who we are as a people in our worship to God.

—Scott R. Mills, Principal Organist/Music Coordinator

Bigelow & Co., Opus 38

Quimby Pipe Organs, 

Warrensburg, Missouri

Two organs in North Carolina

In 2017, Quimby Pipe Organs (QPO) completed the installation of two small-to-medium sized instruments in North Carolina. Both projects incorporated pipework or mechanics from the churches’ preceding instruments, as the work would not have been feasible in either case given all-new construction. However, both projects resulted in organs that function mechanically as if they are all new, and both have entirely new tonal identities that align with modern QPO practice. Accordingly, both have been given QPO opus numbers, and each is, in its own way, an exploration of what should constitute a modern-day American multum in parvo organ, where comparatively few ranks of pipes yield surprising results: instruments that are flexible, musical, and artistically satisfying. Each organ plays with the authority of a much larger instrument than its size would suggest.

Opus 73

All Saints Episcopal Church

Southern Shores, North Carolina

We were invited to visit All Saints Episcopal Church by Organist and Director of Music Steve Blackstock because we had previously worked with him to relocate an 1878 Marshall Brothers organ, which was electrified and rebuilt by Ernest M. Skinner in 1912 and is now situated in a new case on QPO electro-pneumatic slider windchests at Holy Redeemer-by-the-Sea in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Blackstock asked us to assess All Saints’ 1948 M. P. Möller organ, Opus 7721. Originally five unified ranks, the organ had grown to nine, enclosed in a freestanding case in the rear corner of the room. There were some pleasant sounds in the instrument—particularly the stopped wood flute—but the disposition of these voices at various pitches over two manuals and pedal was not entirely successful; there was a lack of flexible, contrasting ensembles.

Several options were investigated, including either the relocation of a mid-nineteenth-century Hook tracker or a mid-twentieth-century Austin. But the ideas that resonated most with Steve were those which Michael Quimby and I developed for the expansion and radical rebuilding of the existing Möller.  

The approach was straightforward: the existing enclosed mechanical chassis would become the Swell, and a new unenclosed Great division would be added on a new Quimby-Blackinton electro-pneumatic slider chest. The best of the existing pipework would be retained, and after careful restoration, rescaling, and revoicing, would find a place in the new tonal concept, though not always at the same pitches or divisions as before. One independent Pedal rank was added—a Pedal Octave that plays at 8′ and 4′.

Although the existing Möller unit windchests were retained in the new Swell, having been releathered recently, efforts were made to provide more of a “straight” ensemble in the Swell, with unification judiciously used for added color and flexibility, rather than to create ensemble.

Not one new pipe was constructed for the project. Rather, ranks were carefully selected from our extensive inventory of nineteenth- and twentieth-century American pipework for integration into the ensemble. The end result is not a patchwork of individual voices, as one might expect, but rather, a cohesive, flexible ensemble. This is not only due to the quality of the vintage pipework, but also to the unique facility of Michael Quimby to identify which ranks will work to achieve the intended result, and also to the ability of Head Voicer Eric Johnson and staff voicers Samantha Koch and Christopher Soer to carry out the work. Also essential is our fully functional pipe shop, where cleaning, restoration, modification, and repair can happen as required alongside construction of new pipes.

Several church members participated in passing pipes into the organ. One couple, key donors to the project, also assisted, and knowing that there were no new pipes in the organ, inquired as to the provenance of the pipes. In response, I told her that the pipe she had in her hand came from an organ formerly at a church in St. Louis, Missouri. She was stunned. She had attended there as a young lady, and it was, in fact, where she had met her husband, who was also helping to pass pipes. We quickly figured out that we were installing pipes that had played at the time that she would have heard the organ—a happy coincidence that added dramatically to the significance of the instrument for these two.

New casework was designed by QPO and constructed by members of the church to expand and complement the existing enclosure. The new casework is intentionally somewhat transparent, and the pipes of the Great division are visible at different times during the day when overhead light passes down from skylights overhead. The façade pipes are vintage zinc basses, here painted with pearlescent white bodies and rose gold mouths, which complement the open, light-filled character of the church. The existing console was rebuilt and placed on a moveable platform dolly.  

The existing 8′ Trumpet was extensively revoiced and extended to play at 16′ and 4′. It is at once brilliant and foundational and forms a grand underpinning for the full ensemble. A pair of early-twentieth-century strings yield characteristic, lush string tone in the Swell, and the unison rank extends down to 16′. The 16′ Contra Viola is surprisingly versatile: in addition to making an effective double to the new Great Diapason chorus, it is soft enough to serve as a whisper bass (with the Swell box closed) under the 8′ Dulciana, yet harmonically intense enough to combine with the 16′ Gedeckt and synthesize a 16′ Diapason.

The organ was completed in September 2017 and was dedicated on Sunday, October 1. On Sunday, October 15, Dorothy Papadakos accompanied the 1920 silent film, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Opus 74

Central United Methodist Church

Concord, North Carolina

Susan Renz Theodos, director of music at Central United Methodist Church in Concord, North Carolina, contacted us regarding a project for a possible new organ because of her previous experience playing our Opus 34, of three manuals and thirty-three ranks at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Litchfield, Connecticut (1992). Developed in tandem with then organist Thomas Brown, Opus 34 is a QPO multum in parvo instrument dating from before our work had shifted into the mature Quimby tonal style.  

In working together with Susan after her visit to a more recent project at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia (Opus 66, 2010), we developed a proposal for an equally effective three-manual organ, slightly expanded, which would have the same versatility and nuance as Opus 34, but expressed according to a more Romantic approach: with heroically scaled chorus work and characteristic, harmonically developed individual voices that lock together into seamless, coherent ensembles.

The resulting instrument makes use of select existing pipework from the church’s former 1973 Casavant (Opus 3179), new pipework constructed by Quimby, and select vintage ranks from QPO inventory. New electro-pneumatic slider windchests were constructed for all straight manual ranks and electro-pneumatic unit ranks for all pedal and extended ranks. The winding system and interior structure of the organ are all new. In order to help make the project more cost-effective, we refurbished and rebuilt a three-manual console, constructed by another builder in 2000, for an organ that is now redundant. With new mahogany interior, console lid, and bench top, the refinished console is a splendid match for the church’s neo-Classical interior.

The use of existing Casavant pipework in combination with our own inventory was attractive to the church, not only because it was fiscally responsible, but because they understood it to be environmentally responsible when compared with new construction, and therefore, good stewardship in several senses. The transformation to the carefully selected principals, flutes, strings, and mutations is stunning; none of the reused ranks bears any resemblance to what existed before. The previous instrument was weak in the unison range, and top-heavy with piercing upperwork. Individual foundation voices were bland and blended poorly, with little support for choral accompaniment or even congregational song. The transformed ranks, having been recomposed, rescaled, and radically revoiced, now form colorful, expressive Diapason ensembles at a wide range of dynamic levels.  

Our approach to rescaling and revoicing old ranks of pipes that came from the church’s previous organ is conceptually similar to the practice of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in nineteenth-century France. His organs at Notre Dame de Paris and Saint-Sulpice incorporate significant percentages of eighteenth-century Clicquot pipework, but those old ranks of pipes were successfully transformed to contribute to a new tonal aesthetic by Cavaillé-Coll.  

New and vintage reeds were provided, custom voiced in-house; these range from the throaty Cromorne in the Solo-Choir, to the lyrical Oboe and fiery Trumpet in the Swell, to the brilliant Harmonic Trumpet in the Solo-Choir, and finally, the dominating, spectacular Tuba in the Great. The Harmonic Trumpet, available at 16′, 8′, and 4′ on manuals and pedal, can serve in the Great as chorus reeds with the box closed, as a soft or loud 16′ reed in the Pedal, and with the box open as an exciting climax to full organ at all three pitches. The Tuba is intended strictly for solo use and is voiced on 12 inches wind pressure so that individual notes can be heard over full organ.

Also of note are the variety of 8′ and 4′ flutes, several of which are vintage, and which contrast and combine with each other effectively. The Swell strings are revoiced Casavant pipework and contrast a more broadly voiced Viola Pomposa and Celeste in the Solo-Choir.  Together with the Swell Spitzflute and Celeste, a wide range of undulants is provided, which can be combined in surprising ways.

The organ was completed in November 2017 and was dedicated by Bradley Hunter Welch on Sunday morning, April 15, 2018, with a recital following the same afternoon.

—T. Daniel Hancock, A.I.A., President

Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc.

Quimby Pipe Organs, Opus 73

GREAT (unenclosed)

16′ Contra Viola (Swell)

8′ Open Diapason, 49 pipes, 1–12 common with Pedal 8′ Octave

8′ Hohl Flute, 55 pipes, 1–6 common with Swell 8′ Gedeckt

8′ Gedeckt (Swell)

8′ Viola (Swell)

8′ Dulciana, 61 pipes

4′ Octave, 61 pipes

4′ Spitzflute (Swell), 1–12 Swell 8' Gedeckt; 13–61 2′ Flageolet

2′ Fifteenth, 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Mixture III, 183 pipes

16′ Contra Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell)

8′ Oboe (Swell)

Zimbelstern

SWELL (enclosed)

16′ Gedeckt, 97 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (ext)

8′ Viola, 85 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste, TC, 49 pipes

4′ Principal, 73 pipes

4′ Stopped Flute (ext)

4′ Viola (ext)

22⁄3′ Nazard, 49 pipes, 1–12 common with Swell 8′ Gedeckt

2′ Octave (ext)

2′ Flageolet, 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce, TC, 37 pipes, top octave repeats

16′ Contra Oboe, TC, 61 pipes

8′ Trumpet, 85 pipes

8′ Oboe (ext)

4′ Clarion (ext)

Tremulant

PEDAL

32′ Resultant (fr 16′ Bourdon)

16′ Bourdon (Swell) 

16′ Contra Viola (ext Swell 8′ Viola) 

8′ Octave, 44 pipes, 1–17 in façade

8′ Gedeckt (Swell) 

8′ Viola (Swell)

4′ Super Octave (ext)

16′ Trombone (Swell)

8′ Trumpet (Swell) 

8′ Oboe (Swell)

4′ Clarion (Swell) 

4′ Oboe Clarion (Swell)

Two manuals, 18 ranks, 1,111 pipes

Builder’s website: 

https://quimbypipeorgans.com

Church website: http://allsaintsobx.org

Quimby Pipe Organs, Opus 74

Paul Monachino serves as director of music and organist at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio, and also director of liturgical music for the Diocese of Toledo. He completed a Bachelor of Music degree at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, and a Master of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and the Conference of Roman Catholic Cathedral Musicians.  

On January 24, 1931, the first boxcar containing Skinner Organ Company Opus 820 left Boston en route to the new cathedral in Toledo, Ohio—Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. After many months of planning and developing the stoplist, the dream of installing an organ from the finest American builder of the early 20th century was soon to be a reality. Norbert Fox, the cathedral organist, kept a copy of the stoplist on a side table in his home and perused it daily, anticipating with great delight the beautiful and majestic sounds that would soon fill the cathedral.

Ground was broken for the unique Spanish Plateresque-style cathedral in 1924. In early 1929, with construction nearing completion, final negotiations with Ernest Skinner were in the works. The contract was prepared on June 13, 1929. An interesting change to the contract was requested by Skinner. He wished to move the English Horn from the Choir to the Solo division. It was to be replaced in the Choir by an Orchestral Oboe (changed to a Flügel Horn in 1933 at the request of Norbert Fox). In a letter dated January 30, 1930, Skinner writes, “The English Horn was commonly placed on the Choir organ until a short time ago where I greatly improved its quality by a modification of design, and the new form works better on the Solo (wind) pressure than on the Choir. . . .”¹ In concluding the letter Skinner writes, “I look your scheme over every day with renewed satisfaction. It gives me every opportunity to fulfill the confidence you have given me in according the Skinner organization a perfect opportunity to build a great work of art.”² And in a letter of September 27, 1930, Mr. Skinner states, “I honestly believe this organ is going to be one of the greatest in America.”³ History has confirmed his belief as Opus 820, located in an outstanding acoustical environment, has come to be regarded as one of his finest efforts.

Three days of musical events marked completion of the organ’s installation. The first of these was a solo organ recital on June 2, 1931, by Palmer Christian of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The following day witnessed a choral and organ program presented by the Cathedral Chapel Choir, Reverend Ignatius Kelly, choirmaster, accompanied at the organ by Norbert Fox and John Gordon Seely of Toledo’s Trinity Episcopal Church. The events concluded on June 4 with a performance of Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. The organ had been in the cathedral for nine years when the edifice was finally dedicated in 1940.

The Muller Pipe Organ Company of Toledo cared for the organ after it was installed. Family patriarch Joseph Muller and his son Henry previously worked for Skinner in Boston. After rising to the position of principal installation foreman in the Skinner company, in 1919 Henry established his own organ maintenance shop in Toledo, Ohio. The Skinner organ in Rosary Cathedral was integral to a lively liturgical music program: ordinations, weddings, funerals, and other festive celebrations. It regularly accompanied the 80-voice men and boys choir for Sunday Mass. It was also heard daily at Mass by the students of the Cathedral School. The Gregorian Institute of America, established in Toledo (now GIA Publications, Chicago), held weeklong summer workshops at neighboring Mary Manse College, and participants attended daily Mass at the cathedral. Private recordings of the organ were made in the 1950s by Claude Legacé (organist-choirmaster from 1954 until 1961) and Valerian Fox, son of Norbert Fox. In 1966, Maurice Duruflé and his wife Marie-Madeleine performed on the organ; the concert’s first half featured selected movements of the Requiem conducted by the composer. The Muller family was always on hand for major occasions to ensure that the organ was functioning at its best. But after over 40 years of daily use, the organ was beginning to show its age through various mechanical failures.

In September 1979, following the renovation of the cathedral to conform to liturgical directives of the Second Vatican Council, organist-choirmaster Dr. Hugh Murray requested that attention now be given to restoring the organ. The Standing Committee on Sacred Music was charged with preparing a recommendation for the restoration of the Skinner organ. After study, consultation, and consideration of several proposals submitted to the committee, the diocese awarded a contract to K & D Pipe Organ Service Co. (Ken and Dorothy Holden) of Ferndale (Detroit), Michigan. The concept of the restoration was conservative, with no proposal to alter the tonal or mechanical systems of the organ. In 1980 the console was moved to the chancel floor from the former choir gallery in keeping with the renovated liturgical space that called for the choir to be in a more accessible position. The console was thoroughly restored during the move. Following this project, a phased restoration began with the removal of the Choir division to the K & D shop.

The Holdens ran a modest shop, performing much of the restoration work themselves. Work progressed slowly and at times came to a standstill due to unforeseen personal circumstances. The cathedral authorities became impatient with the slow progress, and in 1983 a mutual release agreement was issued, bringing the restoration project to a halt. This led to years of debate about how to proceed that nearly imperiled the existence of this important pipe organ.

In the spring of 1983 all the components of the Choir division that had been in the K & D shop were returned, but not reinstalled. The pipework of this division was stored throughout the triforium walkway of the cathedral. Overall, a number of critical stops, such as the Great 4′ Octave, were completely unplayable, and numerous dead notes riddled almost every stop of the organ. The organ was in a nearly useless condition.

In a desire to preserve momentum for the restoration project, Hugh Murray and the cathedral authorities engaged local organ builder Daniel Pilzecker as a consultant. He recommended a rather conservative scope of work that included a new console and some minor tonal alterations and additions, some of which had been already considered in the 1979 proposals. Among the many recommendations in those years, there was considerable agreement that a new console should be provided and that the chorus reeds should be brightened. A request for proposal based on Pilzecker’s observations was sent to five organ companies. Two responded with a bid: the Muller company and the Williams-Stevens Organ Company of Cincinnati, Ohio (Mark Lively).  

In August 1983, Fr. Robert Donnelly, diocesan chancellor (and soon to be auxiliary bishop of Toledo), requested that the Diocesan Liturgical Commission form an ad hoc “Cathedral Committee” to recommend action to the bishop concerning the restoration of the organ and a new sound system. The first meeting was held in August 1983. Soon afterward the committee retained Dr. Robert Noehren as organ consultant and arranged for him to visit Toledo in January 1984. 

During this visit, Noehren met with the committee, surveyed the Skinner organ, and visited several other pipe organs in the Toledo area. A committee meeting including Noehren was arranged with Bishop James Hoffman. From the archival notes of these meetings it becomes clear that the committee was now wrestling with the decision of whether to restore the Skinner or replace it. One of the recorded comments (all anonymous) from the meeting is quite startling: “The Cathedral Skinner organ is not a great instrument and it never was one. It is not famous, and it never was.”⁴ The Organ Historical Society thought differently in awarding Opus 820 a Historic Organ Citation in 2006! A great deal of credit for the fame of this organ must go to Joseph Vitacco and his project to record landmark Skinner and Aeolian-Skinner organs throughout the United States. Four recordings of the Rosary Cathedral organ were produced by JAV Recordings, disseminating its artistic merit throughout the world.

Three proposals were recommended by Robert Noehren in a letter dated January 16, 1984. The first, and preferred, was to provide two new organs: a small choir organ in the sanctuary and a large “Great Organ” in the gallery. The Skinner organ would be sold, as a whole or parted out. If the cathedral were sentimentally attached to the Skinner organ a restoration could be accomplished but conversion to a direct-electric action was encouraged along with a new or rebuilt console and some tonal alterations. Noehren did note that the Skinner would be worthy of preservation as was the Hill Auditorium Skinner at the University of Michigan where he taught for many years. A third proposal for one free-standing organ in the apse was included although considered less than ideal. The committee had much to consider.

On January 30, 1984, a message was received from Sam Koontz of the Tellers Organ Company, stating that he would be passing through Toledo and would like to assess the cathedral organ. At a committee meeting the next day, Hugh Murray reported concerning Koontz that, “this item . . . is of no validity and need concern us no longer.” But time would bear out that this initial contact from Sam Koontz might very well be what preserved Opus 820. Koontz would follow up with a proposal to complete all unfinished releathering in the currently dismantled Choir division and reinstallation, address some console issues, repair dead stops in the Great and Solo divisions, and tune the organ. 

On February 11, 1984, Hugh Murray wrote a letter of memorandum to the cathedral committee concerning his reaction to Noehren’s recommendations that would become his guiding vision for the project. Murray reflected on the many years of study and discussion concerning the organ. He concludes, “I would love to hear and play again the fully restored Skinner Organ with all of its voices resounding throughout our magnificent, acoustically alive Toledo Cathedral.”

In March, the cathedral committee drafted a proposal for the bishop to “mothball” the Skinner organ and construct a new, freestanding organ in the apse. One must appreciate the perspective of the committee concerning Opus 820. Restored components and pipes lay scattered about the triforium, and most of the organ did not play. By some it was viewed as beyond revival. But for those who were able to see beyond its current condition, the vision of a completely restored instrument remained strong. As consultant, Noehren continued to be updated on the discussions and had undertaken more research on the various options. In light of the committee’s proposal to locate one new organ in the apse, rather than a new organ at either end of the cathedral, Noehren writes, “Since you have decided to have the organ in the sanctuary, I suggest you re-consider the possibility of restoring your present organ.”⁵ He mentions that he has identified several firms that could carry out this work, and that “for now it seems that the costs for doing so may be far below our earlier estimates.”⁶ And further, “The present organ is indeed a very good instrument.”⁷ Despite this suggestion, by a vote of six to one, the committee’s proposal to mothball the Skinner and construct a new organ in the apse was sent to the bishop on June 4, 1984. The bishop approved the proposal as a working document to be shared with various leadership groups in the diocese. 

In September 1984, Sam Koontz wrote a four-page letter to the cathedral committee responding to the proposal sent to the bishop. While he feared the die had been cast to abandon the Skinner organ, he felt compelled to rectify what he felt was “gross inaccuracy in factual information presented to the Committee by the consultant”⁸ and contained in the proposal. He deemed the work done by K & D to be of the highest quality and regretted the health issues that plagued the Holdens at that time. Concerning the “large parts of the organ that are disconnected” he mentions that the restoration work on the Choir division was complete and only in need of reassembly. The console restoration that was labeled “botched” was far from it and required final adjustments that were not carried out due to the termination agreement. He also questions the committee’s choice of Noehren as a consultant for a restoration of the Skinner organ, which was the original intent of the cathedral committee. It was well known that Noehren’s ideals of organbuilding were very far from those of Ernest Skinner. Koontz also debunks the fears of continued maintenance of the leather actions and a number of other issues. Relative to a new organ, he writes, “The Skinner organ possesses a quantity and quality of material which would not be possible to reproduce today, at any cost. No more refined reed tones have ever been produced, than those of the Skinner Organ Company.”⁹ Koontz proposed that he would complete the restoration of the organ for a price not to exceed $90,000.00 within three years.

Koontz concludes by urging the restoration of the organ: “If restoration of the Skinner organ does indeed prove to be prophetic, this is the greatest legacy the Committee could hope to leave to future generations in the Diocese of Toledo.”¹⁰  On October 25, 1984, after reviewing the letter, the committee invited Sam Koontz to attend a meeting and speak in more detail about his proposal.

Convinced of his abilities to revive the Skinner organ, the diocese initially awarded a contract to Koontz to re-install the Choir division and carry out some other work to complete the work the Holdens had begun. Subsequently, an additional contract was signed that culminated in thorough repairs and releathering of the organ by 1992. A celebratory rededication recital was presented by Todd Wilson on March 31, 1993. In the recital program Hugh Murray wrote, “(The late Sam Koontz) was a talented craftsman with strong convictions about restoring versus rebuilding/enlarging old organs. The Cathedral Skinner is a monument to his principles and dedication to his art as a restorer.” Opus 820 was now completely functional after over a decade of virtual silence. 

The work of Sam Koontz was admirable in preserving this magnificent instrument.  Since the work authorized by the diocese did not constitute a thorough restoration, in the years immediately following, numerous dead notes and other malfunctions continued to plague the organ. At the time it was decided to retain all of the original mechanisms with little intervention. Significant mechanicals—swell engines, tremolos, combination action—were not restored at all since they were functioning well at the time. Many of these unrestored items are now beginning to show signs of wear. The pipework is still in excellent shape, but many of the reed stops are in need of restoration of tuning scrolls and brass tongues. 

In 2009–2010 a survey of the organ was carried out by Jeff Weiler confirming that a thorough restoration of the organ was in order. 

To the casual listener, the  Cathedral  Skinner retains its general majesty and suave elegance. Upon closer inspection—certainly to organists and other musicians—the organ will sound tired. Beautiful tone is still unquestionably present, but not a single stop is even in tone or volume throughout its compass.

Fully restored, the organ would handily address any task that might be put before it. It has the potential to lead an assembly with great delicacy and sophistication. Still, it will be a revelation to even its most dedicated admirers just how much more polished, alive, and beautiful the sound will be once the pipes are fully cleaned and reconditioned.¹¹

Requests for proposals were sent out to a select number of organ companies. In 2012 the proposal of the J. W. Muller Co. of Croton, Ohio, was accepted. Now the challenging work of funding the project begins. While there has been interest from several charitable foundations, neither the Diocese of Toledo nor the cathedral parish can financially contribute a significant amount to the project at this time. If the reader is interested in showing support for this project through a donation of any amount, visit the parish website at: http://rosarycathedral.org/donate/.

The goal is to provide a thorough restoration of the organ. This would include preservation of the original console while providing a new console with the latest technological controls for the organist.  As originally envisioned for the cathedral, a small antiphonal division created from vintage pipework will be installed to support congregational singing at the back of the nave. The successful completion of this project will allow the organ to function reliably for many years and preserve this pristine example of early twentieth century American organ building.

Notes

1. Letter from Ernest Skinner to Msgr. Anthony J. Dean, cathedral rector, January 30, 1930.

2. Ibid. 

3. Letter from Skinner to Msgr. Dean, September 27, 1930.

4. Minutes of the cathedral committee meeting, January 10, 1984, page 5, item 20.

5. Letter from Robert Noehren to Rev. Robert Doppler, chairman/director of the Toledo Diocesan Liturgical Committee, March 13, 1984.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Letter from Samuel Koontz to the cathedral committee, September 17, 1984, page 1.

9. Ibid, page 3.

10. Ibid, page 4.

11. Survey of Skinner Opus 820, Jeff Weiler & Associates, LLC, March 24, 2011, page 25.

Skinner Organ Company

Opus 820

GREAT (Manual II, 6″ wind pressure)

16′ Double Diapason 61

8′ First Diapason 61

8′ Second Diapason 61

8′ Third Diapason* 61

8′ Viola* 61

8′ Harmonic Flute 61

8′ Gedeckt* 61

8′ Erzähler 61

4′ Octave 61

4′ Flute* 61

22⁄3′ Twelfth 61

2′ Fifteenth** 61

IV′ Chorus Mixture (15-19-22-26)** 244

IV′ Harmonics (17-19-flat 21-22)** 244

16′ Trumpet** 61

8′ Tromba** 61

4′ Clarion** 61

Solo Reeds to Great

* Enclosed

** 10″  wind pressure

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed,
6″ wind pressure)

16′ Melodia (open to low G) 73

8′ Diapason** 73

8′ Rohrflöte 73

8′ Flute Celeste II 134

8′ Salicional 73

8′ Voix Celeste 73

8′ Echo Gamba 73

4′ Octave** 73

4′ Flute Triangulaire 73

2′ Flautino** 61

V Mixture (15-19-22-26-29)** 305

16′ Waldhorn** 73

8′ Trumpet** 73

8′ Oboe d’Amore 73

8′ Vox Humana 73

4′ Clarion** 73

Tremolo

Swell 16

Swell 4

Harp (Choir)

Celeste (Choir)

**10″  wind pressure

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed,
6″ wind pressure)

16′ Gamba 73

8′ Diapason 73

8′ Concert Flute 73

8′ Gamba 73

8′ Kleine Erzähler 73

8′ Kleine Celeste (TC) 61

4′ Gemshorn 73

4′ Flute 73

22⁄3′ Nazard 61

2′ Piccolo 61

III Carillon (12-17-22) 183

16′ Fagotto 73

8′ Flügel Horn 73

8′ Clarinet 73

Tremolo

Harp (TC, from Celesta)

Celesta 61 bars

Choir 16

Choir 4

SOLO (Manual IV, enclosed,
10″ wind pressure)

8′ Flauto Mirabilis 73

8′ Gamba 73

8′ Gamba Celeste 73

4′ Orchestral Flute 73

16′ Corno di Bassetto 85

8′ Corno di Bassetto (ext)

8′ English Horn 73

Tremolo

8′ French Horn*** 73

8′ Tuba Mirabilis*** 73

Solo 16

Solo 4

*** 20″ wind pressure

PEDAL (6″ wind pressure)

32′ Major Bass 56

16′ Diapason 44

16′ Contra Bass 56

16′ Metal Diapason (Great)

16′ Bourdon (ext, 32′ Major Bass)

16′ Melodia (Swell)

16′ Gamba (Choir)

16′ Dulciana 32

8′ Octave (ext, 16′ Diapason)

8′ ‘Cello (ext., 16′ Contra Bass)

8′ Gedeckt (ext, 32′ Major Bass)

8′ Still Gedeckt (Swell, 16′ Melodia)

4′ Super Octave (ext, 16′ Contra Bass)

IV Mixture 128

32′ Fagotto (ext Ch, 16′ Fagotto)**** 12

16′ Trombone**** 44

16′ Waldhorn (Swell)

16′ Fagotto (Choir)

8′ Tromba (ext, 16′ Trombone)****

**** 15″ wind pressure

Couplers

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Swell to Pedal 4

Choir to Pedal

Choir to Pedal 4

Solo to Pedal

Solo to Pedal 4

Swell to Great

Choir to Great

Solo to Great

Swell to Choir

Solo to Choir

Solo to Swell

Great to Solo

Swell to Great 16

Swell to Great 4

Swell to Choir 16

Swell to Choir 4

Choir to Great 16

Choir to Great 4

Solo to Great 16

Solo to Great 4

Accessories

6 General pistons (thumb and toe)

10 Great pistons and Cancel (thumb)

10 Swell pistons and Cancel (thumb)

10 Choir pistons and Cancel (thumb)

5 Solo pistons and Cancel (thumb)

8 Pedal pistons and Cancel (toe)

General Cancel (thumb)

Set (thumb)

Great to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Swell to Pedal reversible (thumb and toe)

Choir to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Solo to Pedal reversible (thumb)

Choir to Great reversible (thumb)

Solo to Great reversible (thumb)

Swell to Choir reversible (thumb)

Solo to Choir reversible (thumb)

Manual Stops 16 on/off (thumb)

Pedal Stops 32 on/off (thumb)

All Couplers on Cresc. on/off (thumb)

All Swells to Swell on/off (thumb)

Balanced Swell expression shoe

Balanced Choir expression shoe

Balanced Solo expression shoe

Balanced Crescendo shoe (with indicators)

Sforz. reversible (thumb and toe, with indicator)