The University of Michigan Historic Organ Tour 52

Spain and France, May 1-12, 2003

Te-Min Ong is an engineer and organist. He is a student of Dr. Evelyn Lim at Methodist School of Music, Singapore, and a former student of Dr Marilyn Mason. Don Baber is parish musician at Faith Lutheran Church, Sarasota, Florida

This year's tour, number 49 led by Marilyn Mason, chair of the organ department at the University of Michigan, brought us to new and unexplored regions of Spain and France. We had the opportunity to sample the rich organ heritage of the Basque region, a place where both Spanish as well as French organ traditions melded, as evidenced by the presence of numerous Cavaillé-Coll organs.

The organists on this tour presented a total of six recitals, the first of which was in Pamplona on the splendid Spanish baroque organ in the Church of the Dominicans. The local government extended their hospitality by providing transport to the church and an English-speaking tour guide. The organ was fascinating with several en chamade ranks and a full complement of efectos including tambores (drums) and pájaros (nightingales). There were knee levers for turning on and off the reed stops as well as a cadereta, which was probably a later addition to this organ.

The group played the second recital in the village of Biarritz, France. The Church of St. Martin is home to a 32-stop organ built by Gonzalez in 1975. The next day it was on to Pau where we had our third recital at the Church of St. Jacques on another three-manual Gonzalez. Performers stayed on to practice at this church while the rest of the group proceeded to the Cathedral of St. Martin to try out the organ there.

After this we traveled back into Spain to the beach resort town of San Sebastián where we stayed for four nights. Our fourth recital was held at the organ in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro, the most well preserved Cavaillé-Coll organ outside France and subject of numerous recordings. This monumental instrument was built in 1862 and follows closely the design principles of Franck's organ at St. Clothilde in Paris. It was truly a privilege to be able to play this organ.

The next recital was at the Church of Santa María la Real in Azcoitia. This organ--as does the one at the Basilica of St. Ignatius of Loyola--features horizontal stops which are not present on any of Cavaillé-Coll's organs in France. Cavaillé-Coll used Spanish stop nomenclature and measurement units (i.e., palmos instead of feet) as an acknowledgement of his Spanish heritage. Professor Elizondo, an authority on Spanish organs, shared his expertise on the unique Basque instruments.

The final recital was held at the Church of Santa Maria in Tolosa on an 1885 Stoltz Frères organ. This was followed by a reception held in a 17th-century palace by the Friends of the Organ in Tolosa, a relatively young organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the town's organ heritage. The next night was spent at the Parador Argomaniz where we had an opportunity to go visit Vitoria before returning for the farewell dinner in the ancient dining hall of the hotel. After an additional night in Bilbao, the American and Singaporean contingents went their separate ways.

-- Te-Min Ong

On May 1, Marilyn Mason led a merry band of 32 organists and music lovers on an overnight flight to Frankfurt, where we boarded another flight for Bilbao, a city in the Pyrenees of Spain. Our plane was met by Carlos Calvente of Madrid, who had planned the locations and hotels for us, and who stayed with us throughout the trip, acting as guide and interpreter. After a rest in our hotel, we ventured out to San Jacques Cathedral where we enjoyed playing the 2-year-old classical Pellerin-Up organ of 38 stops from DAX of France.

On May 3, we visited the Guggenheim Museum with its works of modern art. Taking an elevator to the top, we worked our way down via the curving walkway. That evening the group enjoyed a welcome dinner at our hotel. The following day we drove to Pamplona on a modern tour bus and walked the street where the bulls run each July. Tour members played a wonderful Spanish baroque organ in Santo Domingo Church. Built in 1660, it was restored in 1991 by Les Franqueses del Vallies of Barcelona. It boasts a powerful horizontal trumpet, or battle trumpet, as the Spanish call it. We learned that the Spanish organbuilders, not the French, were the first to build horizontal trumpets.

The members of our group who were to play a recital on this organ that evening stayed to practice. The rest walked to the Cathedral of Santa Maria where we played the 3-manual Cavaillé-Coll style organ build by the Spanish builder Roques around 1890. It is in this Cathedral that Charles III, King of Navarre, and his wife are buried in front of the high altar.

On May 5 we crossed the border (now an open border due to the E.U. agreements) into France and on to St. Jean de Luz, where we registered at our hotel. Then we then drove to Biarritz where we played the 1973 Danion Gonzalez 3-manual romantic organ built in the style of Cavaillé-Coll. Several members played a recital here in the evening. The organ is placed to the side of the west gallery, rather than spread across the west wall.

May 6 found the group in Lescar. The Cathdral of Notre Dame, a 12th-century church, has a 3-manual, 54-rank, 32-stop organ built in 1760 by Dom Bedos. It was rebuit in 1869 by Wenner. After lunch we drove to Pau to the Church of San Jacques. Here we played the French neo-classic organ built by Merklin in 1872 and modified by Victor Gonzalez in 1971. Some stayed to practice for the recital that evening. The rest toured the Chateau de Pau, which was built in the 14th century and became the residence of the King of Navarre at the end of the 15th century. During the recital that evening, an interesting addition to the organ music was the chirping of a bird that had gotten into the building.

On the morning of May 7, we visited St. Jean Baptiste Church, a Basque church with tiers of galleries on three sides of the church, dating from the Middle Ages. All Basque churches have galleries, where the men sat during Mass; the women sat on the main floor in the pews. The original organ, built in 1740, was destroyed during the French revolution; however, the case was not destroyed and remains today. In 1875 Venner built a Cavaillé-Coll style romantic organ here. From there we drove back over the border into Spain and checked into our five-star hotel in San Sebastian, where we would stay for the next three nights.

On May 8, we visited the Basilica Santa Maria del Coro in San Sebastian, where some of the group were to play a recital that evening on the Cavaillé-Coll organ, a 3-manual with 44 stops, built in 1863, and restored in 1972. It has remained an authentic Cavaillé-Coll and is much the same as the organ Franck played at St. Clotilde in Paris, and has been featured on many recordings because of its authenticity. Those not playing in recital that evening also visited San Vicente Church near the Basilica and played a less interesting Cavaillé-Coll organ built in 1868. The city government hosted a reception for the tour group at the City Hall before the concert that evening. Wine flowed freely and we were treated to Spanish tapas (much like our hors d’oeuvres).

May 9: We left early for Bergara, where we played the Stoltz Frères of  Paris 1889 organ at the church of San Pedro. We wondered why we were visiting so many romantic organs and were told that other parts of Spain tend to have classic instruments. Cavaillé-Coll built 36 organs in Spain, and 24 of these are the Basque area, where we were. The Stoltz brothers were competitors of Cavaillé-Coll. This organ (3 manuals and 36 stops) was on the side of the west gallery, like the ones Cavaillé-Coll built, and sounded much like his.

We then drove on to Aranzazu for lunch, where we were served by the Franciscan Order in their complex isolated in the mountains. Located here are the church, monastery and retreat house, with a very large dining room. The church was built in the 1950s when Franco was in power. There was much objection to the church, as it was built in a strange modern style, and the Vatican was called in to support the plans. Our lunch consisted of several courses including wine, bread, vegetable stew, fried squid and other things. Dessert was huge slices of heavily iced cake and ice cream. There were many pilgrims making retreats there.

After lunch, we drove to the Church of Santa Maria la Real in Azkoitia, where we left the recital crew to practice for the evening concert. The rest of the group went on to Loyola and visited the Basilica of Loyola and the House of Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit Order. The Basilica has an 1899 Cavaillé-Coll organ of 3 manuals and 36 stops, which we played. The recital in the evening was on the 1898 Cavaillé-Coll in Azkoitia, which features a trompette-en-chamade and 72 stops. This was the last large organ built by Cavaillé-Coll which is still in original condition. We were treated to a reception afterward by the city government.

May 10: This morning we visited an ancient historic church sitting in splendid isolation on the very top of a mountain. Santa Maria de Zumarraga was once a Roman building, made of stone with wood ceiling. There are galleries around in the Basque style. The church is used only for special events, such as weddings. At San Martin Eliza Church in Zumarraga, we played a Spanish organ built in 1761—it was a delight. There is a wonderful horizontal trumpet and a single divided keyboard with an octave of pedal tabs. The Basque builder Arragola restored the organ to original condition, only adding a modern keyboard.

We then drove to Santa Maria Church in Tolosa to play the 3-manual 36-stop romantic organ by Stoltz Frères of Paris. For the evening concert a video screen was set up in front of the altar so the audience could see the performers as they played from the west gallery. We were again given a reception, this time by the Friends of the Organ of Santa Maria Church.

May 11: Some of us attended Mass at San Sebastian Cathedral. After lunch we drove to the Parador du Argomaniz, where we would spend the night. We spent the afternoon enjoying a nearby town, Victoria. Everyone, it seemed, was on the streets walking and visiting, and the bars were full of people socializing. We had a farewell dinner that night.

May 12: We drove to Bilbao and checked into a hotel not far from the airport for our 7 am flight to Frankfurt the next day. The hotel was in a country setting. It had been used originally as a seminary.

May 13: We were up at 4 am. At 7 am our plane departed for Frankfurt, and after a four-hour wait we began our overseas flight to the U.S. We were a very congenial group, with ages from 16 up to late 80s. We came home with many happy memories of wonderful historic organs, beautiful scenery in the Pyrenees, new friends and gratitude to Dr. Mason who made it all possible.

--Don Baber, CAGO, Mus.M

Performers in the recitals included Melissa Goh, Nicholas Leow, Evelyn Lim, Robert Luther, Marilyn Mason, Chet Wei Ng, Te-Min Ong, Julia Watson, Helga Weichselbaum, and Ellena Yeo.

Chestnut roasters selling their aromatic wares on the avenues of Lisbon and the cobbled streets of Evora, as well as the slightly guttural sounds of Portuguese, spoken all around me, signaled decisively that I was not in Texas during the third week of October 2000. Warm, sunny fall weather greeted travelers to Portugal October 24-29, the week of the fourth annual organ festival in the Alentejo region, 100 miles or so southeast of Lisbon. Organized by organist and historian João Paulo Janeiro, the programs took place in Evora, Vila Viçosa, Serpa, Alvito, Estremoz, and Arraiolos. Featured works this year were from the time of Portuguese monarch Dom João V (1706-50); four of the concerts utilized distinctive 18th-century organs.

The first events took place in the municipal museum of Evora, where eminent musicologist and Iberian music specialist Gerhard Doderer led a late-afternoon seminar on the little-known composer Jaime de la Te y Sagan (d. 1736). Being decidedly Portuguese-challenged, I decided to continue my recovery from the rigors of a long trip, and join the festival-goers later that evening for the first concert, a revelatory recital by Professor Doderer's wife, Cremilde Rosado Fernandes (Professor of Harpsichord at the Escola Superior de Musica in Lisbon). Playing a triple-fretted clavichord in a program of four sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, six by Carlos Seixas, and three by Antonio Soler, Mme. Fernandes played with grace and authority. Tastefully ornamented repeats, musical and skillful, banished any thoughts of boredom. It was especially good to hear, successively, two possible solutions to the tremulo "problem" in Scarlatti's scores: Fernandes gave us both mordent and repeated note trills in K. 208.

Concerts beyond Evora took place in smaller towns, difficult (if not impossible) to reach by public transport. Since I had no desire to drive a rental car (there were enough musical thrills without adding death-defying negotiation of tiny alleys and highway acrobatics), it was only through the good graces of Senhor Janeiro, who drove the not-inconsiderable distance from Lisbon for each program, that I was able to attend most of the programs. Wednesday's recital in Vila Viçosa was set in the chapel of the Ducal Palace, a marble building of imposing grandeur. The organ, in a side gallery, is an unsigned instrument, perhaps the work of an 18th-century German builder (Janeiro suggests Ulenkampf because of the non-Iberian Cromorne and Sesquialtera registers included in this one-manual instrument of eleven stops). Organist Jesus Martin Moro (Professor of Organ in the Conservatory at Pau) played a suitable and vigorous program of works by Cabanilles, Mestres, Casanoves, Frei Jacinto do Sacramento, Seixas, Domenico Scarlatti (the first time I had ever heard his "Cat" Fugue, K. 30 played on the organ), ending with an exhilarating Sonata de Clarines by Soler. The drive back to Evora was made memorable by the sudden appearance of four wild pigs, crossing the road very sedately directly in front of us.

I did not attend the Thursday concert for viola da gamba and organ, given by Hille Perl and Michael Behringer (Freiburg-im-Breisgau). According to reports from listeners the temperament of the organ in Igreja Matriz, Serpa, was quite astringent for the advanced modulations of the Bach Sonatas in G and D. Other works on the program were by Corelli, Poglietti, and Bononcini. On this day I was driven from Evora to Alvito (in the car of the Regional Minister of Culture), booked into a five-star pousada, the Castello of Alvito (a renovated historic building now run as a luxury hotel by the government), and introduced to the glorious 1785 organ by Pacali Caetano Oldovini, in Igreja Matriz, where I would play the next recital in the series.

Oldovini, an Italian who built organs in Evora and throughout the Alentejo, was the link which first brought me to Portugal several years ago. The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University owns the unique Oldovini organ to be found outside Europe. Our 1762 instrument, purchased in 1983 from Dutch musicologist M. A. Vente, was originally in the Cathedral of Evora. Senhor Janeiro, who has made an inventory of surviving instruments by Oldovini, had written me to ascertain details of our instrument, and since has guided me in visits to other instruments from this builder's hand.

The organ in Alvito, built in the last year of Oldovini's life, is a magnifcent single-manual instrument of nine registers (with an extended compass to D5 and bass short octave). Especially beautiful are the Flautado (8-foot Principal), stopped flute (4-foot), an Italianate Voz humana (celesting rank), and the Clarim (a brilliant en-chamade reed, from middle C-sharp up). The church interior, richly adorned with ceramic tiles and gold-inlaid altars, provides a warm, resonant space.

I divided my program into two halves: first, music of the "Iberian Heritage"--works by Valente, Pablo Bruna, an anonymous Obra de falsas cromaticas (to show the Voz humana), and three works by Cabanilles. Then, as requested, music from the time of Dom João: two sonatas by Seixas, alternating with short pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, two Scarlatti sonatas, and finally a rip-roaring Seixas Fugue in A minor, with the Clarim blaring away on the repeats of A and B sections.

Another beautiful organ (post-Oldovini, 1791) was heard in the recital by Rui Paiva (Professor of Organ at the National Conservatory in Lisbon) on Sunday evening in Igreja San Francisco, Estremoz. His program, largely comprising galant music from Italy, proved to be exciting due to intense, energetic playing of works by Zipoli, Paganelli, Padre Martini, Galuppi, Domenico Scarlatti, and Handel (Fugue in B-flat Major, Concerto in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale").

A very late-night trip back to Lisbon, with an unforgettable approach to the city over Santiago Calatrava's Vasco da Gama Bridge (the longest in Europe), an early morning arrival at Lisbon Airport, and the shock of flight cancellations (the worst storms in a decade had hit western Europe), led to an unscheduled extra day in Lisbon. Not, however, a long enough delay to allow attendance at the final concert of the festival, a harpsichord recital by Ana Mafalda Castro (Professor of Harpsichord at the Escola Superior de Musica in Porto), on Friday November 3 in Arraiolos (music of Pedro de Araujo, Francesco Durante, Zipoli, G. B. Platti, Seixas, Scarlatti, and Soler).

The IV Jornadas de Orgão Alentejo was a festival which met its artistic goal:   the presentation of a specific Iberian keyboard repertoire on treasured instruments of the region, with enough additional music from non-Iberian composers to establish context and provide further 18th-century compositions for comparison. Funding from the Culture Ministry, the Archdiocese of Evora, and the Foundation of the Casa de Bragança supported the engaging of artists from four countries--making this truly an international effort. Although attendance was less than in former years, thanks to the artistic vision and organizational skills of festival director João Paulo Janeiro, those who attended the programs heard, once again, a rich and colorful selection of baroque music played on instruments for which it was intended. Well-restored organs in picturesque historic sites, the lure of memorable food and those outstanding local wines, as well as a reason to spend time in Portugal: what could be better? And there was the smell of chestnuts roasting . . .

Timothy Huth holds a master’s degree and doctor of musical arts in organ performance from the University of Michigan. He is currently organist at First Presbyterian Church in Dearborn, Michigan, and a nationally certified massage therapist and cranial sacral therapist.

Led by Marilyn Mason and Gale Kramer, the University of Michigan Historic Tour LVI began on the Mediterranean in sunny Barcelona, then traversed southern France to Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast via Toulouse and Carcassonne. From there we followed Conques, Poîtiers, Angers, Orléans, Chartres, the Chapelle Royale at Versailles, and finally Paris itself. Historic churches and cathedrals with organs in the Catalan, French classic, and French symphonic traditions graced our way, and frequently our host organists would improvise, lecture, and assist tour members at the console. Several visits to museums and historical sites as well as sampling the local cuisines along the way complemented much music making.

Barcelona
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a vibrant cosmopolitan port city with ancient roots, with fine museums and architecture spanning centuries. Catalan organ building flowered here in the 16th century, taking a different path from that in Castile and central Spain, where organ building reached its peak in the 17th century. Linked by trade and geography to continental Europe, Catalonian builders were influenced by the Flemish, North Germans, and French. The organs usually have several reeds, although in Catalonia reeds never became as numerous or prominent as in the rest of Spain. Trompetas and Baixons (Clarins) are powerful and bright, and the organs are rich in mutations, cornets, and mixtures (Pie, Simbalet). Often there are colorful solo reeds on secondary divisions. Catalan cases are flat, narrow, and usually tucked into a small space. Even on smaller instruments there is usually a horizontal Trompeta or two, which affords economy of wind and space. Frequently there is a smaller Cadireta or Chair Organ suspended behind the organist (sometimes behind and under the organ bench), with a small chorus, mutations, and reed (Regalia, Cromorne, sometimes Trompetas).
As in baroque France, the music determined the registration—for example: Nazardo combinations using Nazardos and Quincenas; Lleno; Flautado; Campana (bell: unisons and Cymbalet). Rossignol, tympani, and bird stops are common. Often Iberian organ registrations were incorporated into builders’ contracts. Stops were divided for maximum flexibility of solo/accompaniment registration. The Principal (Cara 8′) would usually be of wood. Unique to Catalonian and Majorcan organ building, manuals divide between b2–c3 (in Castilian organs, c3–c#3).

Santa Maria del Mar
On the first day, we walked through Barcelona’s medieval city to Santa Maria del Mar (St. Mary of the Sea), where we met Neal Cowley, parish organist and a historian of Spanish organs. This vast basilica, built by Catalonian merchants and traders in the 13th century, has a history of important organs, beginning with Bernat Pons in 1393, and later instruments of 1464 and 1691. Lost in the Spanish Civil War were the 1797 ‘large organ’ by Jean-Pierre and Dominique Cavaillé (Aristide’s father and grandfather built several large organs in Barcelona) and the ‘small organ’ (1495, 1672, for accompanying chant). The current organ, the ‘small organ’, is a 17th-century instrument by an unknown builder from the convent in Vic. There are two manuals, a large 14-stop Orgue Major (II), and a 6-stop Cadireta (I). Using casework and pipes found in an antique shop and rescuing bellows and keyboards from an old farmhouse near Vic, Gerhard Grenzing rebuilt this instrument following the tradition of the period and by studying the few remaining period instruments. Particularly notable is the powerful warmth of the Cara, the blossom of the flutes, and impressive ensemble, able to fill the large Gothic space. The parish plans for a new ‘large organ’ to replace the lost Cavaillé.

Recitals—Barcelona Cathedral
At the Barcelona Cathedral (completed in 1298), eleven of our tour prepared for a late afternoon concert of Spanish music on the 1538 Pere Flamech organ (IV/58), with its casework by Antoni Carbonel towering over the San Ivo door near the apse. One of four major organs by Flamech, it has been significantly modified over the years. The ‘Batalla’ organ (IV) of Trompeta Magna 16′, Trompeta Real and Clarins Clars 8′, Baixons and Clarins Alts 4′, and Violetes 2′ (all horizontal reeds) resonated through this vast space scented with candles and incense and alive with thousands of pilgrims and visitors.
Academia a l’Orgue Barroc
Later that week, tour members performed at the ‘Academia a l’Orgue Barroc’ at La Poble de Cérvoles, where our hosts were Maria Nacy, the Academia founder, with three of her enthusiastic young students. The Academia’s organ hangs on the mid-front right wall of the parish church. It is a stunning restoration by Wilfried Praet of a 2-manual/8′ Pedal 1752 Anton Cases organ, with a 3-stop Cadireta Interior added by Joseph Cases/Soler in 1784. Another very fine Praet reconstruction was at St. Jaume, Ulldemolins. This 2-manual instrument with full choruses, bright reeds, and lovely Cara featured painted case doors of the Annunciation by an anonymous female artist. An El Greco painting behind the altar and Catalan icons completed the space. The organ, brought to the church via an enthusiastic priest and funded by parish and town, is a source of regional pride. Back in Barcelona, Gerhard Grenzing welcomed us to his workshop, where we saw several works in progress. Grenzing’s repertoire of over 170 organs includes significant European restorations and new instruments (e.g., Brussels Cathedral IV/60).

Cathedral de Santa Maria, Castello d’ Empúries
On our last day in Catalonia we saw the great Gothic Cathedral de Santa Maria, Castello d’Empúries, originally with an 11th-century instrument by Pere Granyera. The 51-stop, 4-manual gallery instrument (Scherer circa 1600/Grenzing 2004) combines Spanish and classical French characteristics with an expanded 16′ Pedal and stops of Spanish and continental nomenclature (e.g., Alemanya IV on the Orgue Major, Oboe, but also Trompeta Batalla and Magna). This is one of the great organs of this region of Spain and France.
Following a visit to Salvador Dalî’s seaside home and his fantastical museum at Figueras, the rolling hills and meadows of France welcomed us to the Abbey of Sainte-Marie, Fontfroide. Following Cistercian tradition, this vast Romanesque abbey church never had an organ; the Offices and Mass were all chanted a cappella.

Basilica of SS. Nazarius and Celsus, Carcassonne
Many great (now former) monasteries and churches are along ancient pilgrim and trade routes. In the walled city of Carcassonne, the Basilica of SS. Nazarius and Celsus has a Romanesque nave around which, in 1269, a Gothic cathedral was built. Fourteenth-century stained glass illumines the 1522 organ case. The instrument combines a 1679 organ by Jean de Joyeuse (III/24), with renovations and an 8-stop Récit added by Jean-Pierre Cavaillé in 1775 (III/32). Fomentelli integrated the two instruments in 1985 (IV/40). Here is an example of the late French classic style, with cornets on every manual, Grand Cornet, and powerful bombardes. Unique to the Carcassonne organ are two Positif divisions (Positif Intérieur and Positif de dos), in addition to the Récit and 28-note Pédale. The upraised faces of tourists and pilgrims toward the loft attested to this captivating instrument as Marilyn Mason gave an impromptu lesson on de Grigny.
A visit to L’église Sainte Marie de Cintegabelle brought us to Moucherel’s splendid 1741 instrument, restored in 1989 by Boisseau & Cattiaux, with its sparkling Plein Jeu, voluptuous Grands Jeux, and stunning wide and shallow case topped by golden angel musicians.

Toulouse, Languedoc, Dordogne
In Toulouse, organist Jean-Claude Guidarini led us to Saint-Pierre des Chartreux, where high over the former Dominican choir area in the large apse presides the 1683 Delauney (IV/51) instrument, restored by Joseph Cavaillé-JB Micot in 1783, and Grenzing 1983. Several hours later we walked to Saint-Sernin and the towering Cavaillé-Coll organ of 1889, with pipework from Daublaine-Callinet (1845). Following Guidarini’s brilliant improvisation, our group enjoyed hours of playing in the empty basilica.
At Albi in Languedoc, Mary Prat-Molinier met us high in the loft at the red brick fortress of the Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, built at the end of the Albigensian crusade (13th century). Built in 1735 by Christophe Moucherel as a 43-stop organ, Lépine added a Bombarde manual in 1747, and Formentelli restored it in the mid 1970s, incorporating many remaining pipes. Each division has a Cornet séparé, and the Voix humaine is new, after that of Cintegabelle. Next door we enjoyed the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in the former bishop’s palace.
At Sarlat-la-Canéda in the Dordogne valley, near a lively public market in this medieval city, Henry Jullien, a former pupil of Susan Landale, improvised and shared console time on a unique 37-stop Jean-François Lépine organ of 1750, restored by Cattiaux in 2005, in the Cathedral of Saint-Sacerdos. From a family of builders, Lépine (who built for Saint-Roch in Paris) was a pupil of Dom Bedos, who inspected this instrument. The organ is 80% original, with drawings and clues in the gallery floorboard greatly aiding in the reconstruction of the action, chest layout, and winding system.

Bordeaux
The next day at Sainte-Croix Abbey in Bordeaux, we heard Daniel Tappe (a graduate of Oberlin, now at the Musik Hochschule at Hanover) in a recital of Clérambault, Froberger, Bach, and Kerll on Dom Bedos de Celles’ masterpiece. The 18th-century verdigris case with golden filigree and 16′ Montre glistened as the room filled with the sound of brilliant, powerful trompettes and cornets, full flutes, and the gravitas of the 32′ Bourdon and Grand Plein-jeu XIII of the Grand Orgue. One of the hallmarks of every great organ that we saw were the foundation stops, which, given the materials and acoustics of the churches, provided a richness and warmth supporting the tonal edifice. In the restoration, Pascal Quoirin of Carpentras followed Bedos’ 1766–78 L’Art du Facteur d’Orgues and used early inventories of the instrument as well as extant pipes, including the battered façade. With a full complement of couplers, reeds on all manuals, manual bombardes, and the ability to create terraced dynamics, the organ is capable of a more diverse repertoire and is clearly along the road toward the new symphonic style.

Poitiers
Following the Loire valley, we arrived at the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in Poitiers. A lack of money prevented Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s planned rebuild of François-Henri Clicquot and son Claude-François’ masterpiece, a 16′ ‘Grand Orgue’ of four manuals, 44 stops, and 28-note Pedale, with its original temperament including four perfect thirds. Organist Jean-Baptiste Robin pointed out that while of classical disposition, the organ carries the power and presence of later organs and is capable of a more diverse repertoire. Later in the week at St. Godard in Rouen, titular organist Nicholas Pien conversely spoke of their 1885 Cavaillé-Coll (III/38) and its ability to perform Vierne as well as French Baroque pieces. Widor, who dedicated the St. Godard organ, called it ‘Raphael’ to distinguish it from the Cavaillé-Coll in St. Ouen, which he called ‘Michelangelo’. With its piquant Swell Gambe and powerful intense reeds, it has an immediate presence in this smaller Gothic structure with wooden floor and ceiling. A Cavaillé-Coll choir organ (II/16) graces the apse.

Loire Valley
In the Loire Valley, we toured Fontevrault Abbey, a former monastic community of men and women under an abbess (later a prison where the author Jean Genet spent time), and the burial place of Eleanor of Aquitaine. That afternoon, following the Loire River, we came to the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice in Anjou province. The carved neo-Gothic staircase to the gallery matched the spired towers of the 1879 Cavaillé-Coll, containing earlier pipework, including a 1742 Positif. Restoration after World War II included electrification and additional stops.

Chapelle Royale at Versailles
Our gateway to Paris was the gilt and marble Chapelle Royale at Versailles, with its IV/37 instrument in the musicians’ gallery over the high altar. François Couperin premiered the Etienne Enocq/Robert Clicquot organ in 1711, and Gonzalez rebuilt it in 1936 (Widor wanted to keep the earlier 1873 Cavaillé-Coll rebuild). Recently, Boisseau et Cattiaux scrupulously restored the 1710 organ, keeping the 1736 (Louis-Alexandre Clicquot) and 1762 (Francois-Henri Clicquot) additions. Its console has features of the Poitiers organ, and it is also a 16′ instrument.
Paris, La Madeleine
We arrived in Paris to play the 1847 Cavaillé-Coll organ at the church of La Madeleine (IV/46). Here is Cavaillé-Coll’s first Voix Céleste and first reverse console (now electrified). Planned-for 8′ and 4′ Trompettes-en-Chamade have been added. Organiste-Titulaire François-Henri Houbart improvised à la Dupré, starting from the wide breadth of the Flûte Harmonique and colorful solo stops through waves of mixtures and reeds to full organ and powerful choruses anchored by the Bombarde. It was a thrill to play the Tournemire Te Deum in this grand space on this venerable instrument.

Saint-Gervais
Our last few days in Paris saw visits to still more instruments. The final Sunday of the tour found some of our group in the loft with Jean-Paul Leguay at Notre-Dame Cathedral, some at Saint-Eustache, and others at Mass at Saint-Sulpice with the sublime improvisations and service playing of Daniel Roth. That afternoon at Saint-Gervais where eight generations of Couperins worked, Elise Frist, an assistant organist, ably demonstrated the organ (V/41, 1628 Thierry, 1768 FH Clicquot, 1843 LP Dallery, 1974 Gonzalez, 2003 Muhlrisen). Indeed, the Couperins’ music fitted the organ well, with its balanced ensembles and clarity of voicing evoking that of Lépine, Delauney or Clicquot. Much original pipework remains, and the console has the oldest keyboards in Paris. The original pedalboard is mounted on the rear case, which is also embellished with etchings and photos of the many organists who have played and worked there.

Sainte-Marguerite and
Notre-Dame de Chartres
Sunday evening found us again in recital, this time featuring music of Widor, Tournemire, Dupré, and improvisations at the church of Sainte-Marguerite, built in 1624, and where the young Dauphin Louis XVII is buried. The organ is an 1878 installation by Stoltz Frères of Alsace.
A side trip to Notre-Dame de Chartres found us in the gallery with headphones on to be able to properly hear the instrument (IV/68, Relevage Jean-Marc Cicchero 1996). Without them we were surrounded by sounds of the Pédalier.

L’Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze Vingts
At l’Église Saint-Antoine des Quinze Vingts we found a unique 1894, 48-stop Cavaillé-Coll originally built for the Baron de l’Espée, who wished to play Wagner in his personal hotel on the Champs-Élysées. A purely symphonic instrument, it was moved to the church and enlarged in 1907.

Notre-Dame d’Auteuil and
Sainte-Clothilde
The Grand-Orgue of Notre-Dame d’Auteuil (Cavaillé-Coll 1884, Gloton-Debierre 1937–38) is a shining example of Cavaillé-Coll’s mature work. Dedicated by Widor in 1884, its sound evoked that of Saint-Sulpice. It is one of the most glorious instruments this organist has ever experienced. The 1938 renovation, under the auspices of a committee with Tournemire, Vierne, Duruflé, and Dupré, preserved the entire organ (III/52), enlarged and enclosed the Positif, and added pedal and manual mixtures. Josef Franck, the brother of César, was organist here, and in 1884 Widor and Dellier played the dedication. Its full flutes, generous fonds, and bombardes of great gravitas are well balanced and perfectly blended in the room. This was a favorite organ of the Duruflés and much of Paris; Marie-Madeleine Duruflé attended Mass here in her later years. Titular organist Frédéric Blanc told us that the original instrument intended for the church was loaned to the French government, whereupon Cavaillé-Coll enlarged it and installed it in the Trocadéro, which opened in 1878. At Sainte-Clothilde, assistant organist Olivier Penin improvised on the 1859 Cavaillé-Coll, renovated by Dargassies in 2004. It was a thrill to also play the instrument of Langlais, Pierné, Franck and Tournemire.

La Trinité
The La Trinité organ was built by Cavaillé-Coll in 1869 and reconstructed after the Paris Commune in 1871. Merklin rebuilt it in 1901, and in 1934 Pleyel-Cavaillé added combination action, batteries of reeds and mutations, and mixtures. It was again rebuilt in 1965 by Beuchet-Debierre, with further alterations and additions in 1984 and 1992. Messiaen referred to the remaining older pipework as the most admirable sounds on the instrument and considered the instrument a masterpiece.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont and
Saint-Roch
Our final afternoon found us at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, with organist titulaire Vincent Warnier improvising in the style of Duruflé, after which we spent several hours at the console. In 1930 when Maurice Duruflé was appointed here, the ailing 1873 Cavaillé-Coll (a rebuild of a 17th-century organ with original case) was renovated in consultation with Tournemire and Dupré. Work resumed after World War II (Marilyn Mason recalled her lessons on the front choir organ shortly after the war). Now electrified and enlarged, the main organ has been transformed and still possesses many pipes from all of its incarnations. Its brightness and color complement the wonderful late flamboyant Gothic sunlit nave of the church and indeed the music of Maurice Duruflé.
The last church we visited was Église Saint-Roch and its III/54 Cavaillé-Coll (1840, 1862), restored by Renaud in 1992, including the mechanical action with Barker levers on the Grand Orgue. At Saint-Roch, Cavaillé-Coll used pipework from previous organs dating to 1751. That evening, the group celebrated our final dinner near Sacré-Coeur Basilica on Montmartre.
Historic Organ Tour LVI showed us many treasures of the organ world from Catalonia and France. These instruments and the music written for them become vibrantly alive when yet again the organist places hands on those historic keys. From the camaraderie of our tour group to the magnificent organs of the Catalonian Renaissance and French classical and symphonic traditions, to the food and wine enjoyed on terraces in the warm evenings, our venture was a fun and enlightening two weeks.

Tour members
Betsy Cavnar
Jeffrey Chase
Christine Chun
Joanne Vollendorf Clark
John Clark
Ronald DeBlaey
Richard Ditewig
Bela Feher
Janice Feher
Esther Goh
Steven Hoffman
Timothy Huth
Jerry Jelsema
Gale Kramer
Evelyn Lim
Rose Lim
Marilyn Mason
Enid Merritt
Paul Merritt
Mary Morse
Winnifred Pierce
Jean Savage
John Savage

Almar Otjes (tour guide)

Marilyn Mason led a group of aficionados on the University of Michigan Historic Organ Tour XXXII of the Iberian Peninsula June 12-23. The tour gave everyone an opportunity to hear and play many unusual organs. We had been invited to present concerts in four of the cities; seven organists played: Rick Berg, Marilyn Mason, Karen Phipps, Michael Price, Dorothy Scott, Dale Shoemaker, and Hugh Young. One of the tour members, Rick Berg, a former student of Montserrat Torrent, graciously shared his knowledge of registration and ornamentation in early Spanish organ literature.

The first concert was presented on the two-manual organ of the Augustinian monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. The instrument was built by Joao Fontanes de Maqueisa in 1765; its most recent restoration was in 1994.The tonal variety offered by the fifty-nine stops was amazing.

We continued to the village of Obidos to hear two organs. The organ in the Sancta Maria Church was in good condition. The other, in Sao Petrus, was hand pumped and in need of restoration. We found six organs in the Convent/Palace in Mafra. Although all were not playable, one could imagine how six organs would sound all at once. The six cases were similar as they had been built in 1807 by the same builder. Further treasures in Portugal were in Coimbra where we played the organ in the University Chapel. The chapel, richly decorated with azulejo tiles, was beautifully colorful. It was a perfect setting for the highly decorated organ.

At Braga, we found two beautifully restored and maintained organs in the Cathedral. They offered an opportunity for the organists to play two-organ works of Soler and Blanco. The horizontal trumpet ranks of these organs, located on opposite walls of the choir, came within several feet of touching each other.

Continuing into Spain, we visited Santiago de Compostela, the destination of millions of pilgrims through the centuries. Organists had the opportunity of playing the organ in the Cathedral: here, two organs are now combined into one console. On Sunday, the nuns at the nearby convent had invited tour members to play and listen to the organ in the choir, where clouds of incense from the morning service were still hanging in the air. Our two nights in the Parador Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos were enjoyed--the oldest hotel in the world, built by Ferdinand and Isabel for pilgrims to Santiago.

In Medina de Rioseco, at the church of Santa Maria, the organists presented a concert on the colorful 17th-century instrument which is decorated with gold leaf and red faux-maubre. In Valladolid the same program was heard again in concert at the Convent of Las Huelgas Real. Visually, the organ and its surroundings provide a sharp contrast from the other colorfully decorated churches, with an almost stark background of white plastered walls for the organ in its case of natural wood. The overall effect is striking, and the acoustics of the room were perfect for this vibrant instrument.

We arrived in Segovia, where we were impressed by its ancient aqueduct and imposing cathedral. The two organs in the Cathedral were available to us for the entire day so that we could prepare for the evening concert. The larger of the two instruments has horizontal trumpets, which open into the ambulatory of the Cathedral. The dialogue effects created by alternating the en Chamade reeds is dramatic.

In Madrid, the tour had a special opportunity: we had been invited to see and play the restored organ in the Chapel of the Royal Palace. To actually see the organ close up is a privilege, since it is not visible below. The balcony where the organ is housed gives, in turn, a choice spot from which to view the magnificent chapel.

The final organ of the tour was a modern, four-manual installation by Gerhard Grenzing in the Auditorio Nacional, Madrid. The instrument is designed to play music of all periods; there are also divided registers needed for the authentic performance of early Spanish music. We were allowed unlimited time at this impressive  instrument.

During the 10-day tour we played 21 instruments, and enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the organs and organ music of the Iberian Peninsula.

Oberlin’s Organ Tour de France

Despite the best efforts of Winter Storm Hercules, all but one of our group of seventeen made it to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport as scheduled on Friday, January 3. Once we had gathered our luggage, we headed off to our first point of interest: a cemetery . . . where else!?

The cemetery at Montparnasse is the final resting place of a number of notable figures from French history and culture. Among the graves we visited were those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Louis Vierne, César Franck, and the tombs of the Cavaillé-Coll, Saint-Saëns, and Guilmant families. Interestingly enough, while the map at the entrance to the cemetery (marking the burial locations of those considered worthy of listing) includes Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, César Franck, and Camille Saint-Saëns, Louis Vierne and Alexandre Guilmant were not listed. Fortunately, Professor James David Christie knew where they were and many a photograph was taken!

We then took the wonderful Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV)—France’s high-speed rail service—for a three-and-a-half-hour trip to Bordeaux where, after a glass (or two!) of wine, we rested in preparation for what would be a life-changing two weeks for all involved.

Bordeaux

The next morning, we rose early and made our way to the eleventh-century abbey of Sainte-Croix, home to the only remaining instrument of Dom Bedos, a monk and secretary of the abbey as well as a mathematician, clock builder, and author of the monumental treatise The Organ-Maker’s Art. We gathered in the large church as Professor Christie demonstrated the instrument with Louis Marchand’s Grand Dialogue in C. It was clear from the first few notes on the mighty reed chorus, the Grand Jeu, that this organ was to set the tone (no pun intended!) for our entire visit. It is impossible to describe just how powerful this instrument is—it must be heard to be believed. The entire space was filled with a raw brilliance supported by one of the finest acoustics I have ever experienced. Next we heard the instrument’s other “big” chorus—the Grand Plein Jeu—made up of foundations and mixtures. On this instrument the Grand Plein Jeu is built on a 32′ foundation and its 23 ranks of mixtures produce thrilling and rich sound.

The original instrument was constructed in 1748; during the nineteenth century it was moved to the cathedral in Bordeaux and tonally romanticized, while the organ’s case remained in the abbey church, now fitted with the former cathedral organ. Thankfully, the organ was saved in the second half of the twentieth century and restored and returned to the abbey church, with Dom Bedos’s aforementioned treatise acting as an incredibly detailed guide as to what should be done. As part of this restoration, the red paint that then covered the case was stripped, initially so that the case could be repainted. In the process, the instrument’s original green was revealed along with the beautiful stop labeling at the console. As a result, we have today one of the finest and most aurally and visually beautiful organs in all of Europe, if not the world.

After hearing the instrument in the church, we made our way up to the large organ gallery, walking through the enormous blower room (where, before electricity, the instrument required seven people to pump it!), eventually arriving at the exquisite five-manual console: Positif de dos; Grand-Orgue; Bombarde; Récit; Echo. The Positif de dos and Grand-Orgue contain the majority of stops. The Bomdarde contains only two large reed stops—this was for practical reasons concerning the winding of the instrument. Nevertheless, the Bombarde can be coupled down to the Grand-Orgue to create an astonishing Grand Jeu chorus built on the 16′ reed. This is neither common nor necessarily appropriate for a majority of the so-called French Classical repertoire, but used judiciously and in the right pieces, this registration creates one of the greatest sounds in all organ music.

Perhaps the most “alien” aspect of the French Classical organ is the Pédale division. Unlike its German or Dutch counterparts, the pedalboard and stops of a French Classical instrument are not designed for counterpoint, but to provide a bass part centered around an 8′ flute pitch (with occasional 16′ pitch added by use of manual couplers) or to play the cantus firmus on the 8′ Trompette, accompanied by the Plein Jeu of the manuals. In the case of the Sainte-Croix Dom Bedos, the Pédale division has both flue and reed stops at 16′ pitch as well, but this was by no means common. We all had some challenges negotiating the odd pedalboard at Sainte-Croix: not only was its design different from anything else we had ever encountered, its compass stretched down to F below the C where modern pedalboards stop. This meant that no note was where we thought it should be! That being said, the mighty 16′ Pédale Bombarde extended down to low A, allowing Bach’s French-inspired Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, with the usually unplayable low B in the middle section, to be played on this instrument. As with everything on this organ, the sound of these low reed notes was something to experience!

We were incredibly fortunate to spend the entire day and much of the evening with this wonderful instrument and were soon to discover that the organ’s uncompromising mechanical action and the church’s glorious acoustic could teach us a great deal about how to play—certainly something that would be a recurring theme throughout the trip. I should also mention that the food and wine in Bordeaux were exquisite, and I could not help but think of Julia Child—it was easy to see why she fell in love with French cuisine!

The next morning, a number of the group attended Sunday Mass at Sainte-Croix. Titular organist Paul Goussot, a winner of the improvisation prize at St. Albans in 2011, and the winner of the Haarlem International Organ Improvisation Competition in 2012, improvised brilliantly during the Mass. 

Then we took the train to the city of Toulouse, in southwest France, near the Spanish border. Toulouse is, without a doubt, one of the great organ “capitals” of the world, and we had four days to explore some of its treasures.

Toulouse

Following a wonderful supper of bread, cheese, foie gras, and “king’s cakes” (in honor of the Epiphany) at the home of Michel Bouvard, as well as a private fortepiano performance by Madame Yasuko Bouvard, we made our way to the stunning Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Sernin, where Professor Bouvard is titulaire. The organ, built in 1889, was among the last instruments of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and, for many of us, the first Cavaillé-Coll we had ever encountered “in the flesh.” Although based in Paris for most of his professional career, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was originally from Toulouse and came from a family of organ builders. From the age of twenty, he worked with his father; this included restoring a number of instruments in Spain. The Spanish influence can be seen in a number of Cavaillé-Coll’s instruments that make use of en chamade reeds, and Saint-Sernin is no exception.

Saint-Sernin is a vast church with an incredibly long nave extending into a choir that certainly had an influence on Cavaillé-Coll’s concept for the organ. There is one word to describe the tutti of the Saint-Sernin Cavaillé-Coll: TERRIFYING! The huge wall of sound produced was definitely intended to travel from the organ gallery to the high altar, and it does so with ease. That being said, Professor Bouvard treated us to a spectacular performance of César Franck’s Grand Pièce Symphonique in which we also heard the more lyrical side of this outstanding organ.

Every evening during our time in Toulouse, we had unfettered access to the organ in Saint-Sernin, which, while very different from the Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, also had a great deal to teach. Much of the time was spent adjusting to the large space, Barker-lever action, and a very heavy swell shoe! As was the case with nearly all the organs we played, “inflicting one’s self” was not an option—you had to listen, feel, and respond to what the instrument and room were telling you in order to achieve the most satisfying musical results. It was also huge fun to “let rip” on full organ, although after 11 p.m. the tutti had to be used sparingly owing to its audibility throughout most of the surrounding area.

While the name of Cavaillé-Coll is well known among organists throughout the world, the name of Théodore Puget is perhaps not quite so well known. . . but it should be! We encountered two instruments by the Toulouse-based organ builder in his native city: Notre Dame du Taur—Puget’s first large instrument in the city, inaugurated by Guilmant in 1880; and Notre Dame de la Dalbade, inaugurated by Widor in 1888. We were all in awe of these exceptionally fine instruments placed in churches with glorious acoustics. In contrast to the fiery directness of the Cavaillé-Coll in Saint-Sernin that bellows “I’m here,” the two Puget instruments enveloped the listener with a far warmer sound. While perfect for the music of the great French Romantic composers, it was unfortunate that none of us had brought along any Howells or Whitlock, which would work equally well. Sadly, Puget never built a major instrument in Paris owing to Cavaillé-Coll’s monopoly in that city.

We also spent time at the church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux, home to a four-manual French Classical instrument dating from 1683, with rebuilds in 1783 and 1983. While more modest in scale than the instrument at Sainte-Croix, it was perfectly suited to the ornate Baroque church and gave us another chance to work on our French-Classical pedaling!

On the evening of Wednesday, January 8, four students—Nicholas Capozzoli, Mitchell Miller, Alcee Chris, and I—performed a short concert at the Musée des Augustins. This former monastery, which was used to store horses during the French Revolution, became a museum in the nineteenth century and is home to a North-German influenced organ built in 1981 by Jürgen Ahrend. It was here that we probably encountered the largest acoustic of our entire visit—nine seconds, which would have been closer to twelve were it not for an exhibition at the back of the space.

This was followed by a visit and reception held at Toulouse les Orgues, headquarters for the annual organ festival that brings countless organ enthusiasts to visit the numerous musical masterpieces of this city. The festival staff, headed by Yves Rechsteiner, is housed in the former Church of the Gesu, a stunning Victorian Gothic edifice. The rear gallery of the nave houses a modest two-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ in absolutely original condition.

The next day we took the train to Albi, whose cathedral dedicated to St. Cecilia—claimed to be the largest brick building in the world—is home to one of the most impressive organ cases in Europe. At the neighboring (and considerably smaller) church of Saint-Salvy, parts of which date back to the eighth century, we heard the 1930 Maurice (grandson of Théodore) Puget organ. While containing some seventeenth-century pipework and being housed in the original case (which had once been in the cathedral) this was certainly a twentieth-century instrument in the French-Romantic style.

We then returned to Toulouse; a small group of us visited the church of Saint- Nicholas, home to an 1844 organ by Callinet. This was certainly one of the hidden gems of the trip—an instrument indebted to its French-Classical predecessors, but also looking forward to the larger romantic instruments that would follow it, particularly in its foundation and solo voices.

We then took the TGV to the city of Poitiers—the birthplace of Louis Vierne. We made our way to the beautiful cathedral, home to the 1791 François-Henri Clicquot organ—one of the crown jewels of all the organs in France. Compared with the “rustic” and almost bombastic Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, this instrument was incredibly refined, with a sweet, singing tone, even in the Grand Jeu. It was therefore not surprising to learn that this is the same Clicquot family who make the famous Veuve Clicquot champagne—everything about the instrument suggested elegance and class. Our gracious host was the cathedral organist, Olivier Houette. A couple of hours later we arrived in Paris, where we were to spend the remainder of our visit. 

The next morning we took a train to the small town of Houdan, about 40 miles west of Paris, to visit the church of Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques and play the church’s Louis-Alexandre Clicquot (father of François-Henri) organ. This was certainly an unexpected highlight of the whole trip: the instrument has remained almost completely untouched since it was built in 1734, with some of the pipework dating from as far back as 1667, making it one of the most ancient instruments in France. Sadly, this is only one of a handful of such instruments in the Paris area that survived the French Revolution. The sound of the instrument was absolutely exquisite and it was a joy to play; the pitch (ca. A=390) and meantone temperament added additional spice and color. Its modest size also made it particularly suited to playing the works of earlier French Classical composers such as Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, François Couperin, and Nicolas de Grigny (to name but a few), despite having been constructed relatively late in the period. The organ was demonstrated by its titulaire, Régis Allard. In addition to its delightful organ, Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques also had the distinction of being the coldest church we had visited to date, making all that French ornamentation a little tricky!

On our return to Paris, we stopped in Versailles. After a private tour of the King’s and Queen’s Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, our host and organist of the Royal Chapel at Versailles, Jean-Baptiste Robin, gave us a wonderful demonstration of the 1994 Bertrand Cattiaux organ, which is housed in the original and lavish 1709 case. Although a modern instrument, it is a faithful reconstruction of what would have reigned supreme in the early eighteenth century. Sadly, the original Robert Clicquot of 1711 was subjected to a number of changes over the centuries eventually being replaced by a Cavaillé-Coll which was, in turn, rebuilt by Gonzales. 

The chapel itself is a fascinating space, and it would be impossible to describe in words just how beautiful and ornate it is. For one, there are no “hard” edges—everything, including the organ case, is curved—quite a contrast to the more conservative cases in Houdan and Poitiers. Unusually, the organ is above the altar, but it is customary in French churches for the organ to be behind the congregation, and in the Royal Chapel, the congregation faced the King, who would be seated in a gallery at the back of the chapel, facing the altar and the organ. Jean-Baptiste also informed us that the Holy Trinity is very important to French Roman Catholics and drew our attention to a number of allusions to the Holy Trinity in the Royal Chapel. He went onto say that it is perhaps not coincidental that the French-inspired organ works of J. S. Bach, namely Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, and the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat, BWV 552, can also be viewed in a Trinitarian light.

Paris

On our only Sunday in Paris, we were encouraged to attend Mass at one of the city’s many churches. While some opted to go to Notre Dame or Saint-Sulpice, a few of us went to the church of Saint-Gervais, perhaps most famous for its association with the Couperin family who served as organists of the church for almost 200 years. The church was full for this celebration of the Mass in French. One of the most pleasant surprises was the music: although the organ provided a number of interludes at certain points of the liturgy in a variety of styles, a majority of the service was sung without accompaniment. While the singing was led by a large chorus of nuns, it was wonderful to hear the congregation joining in enthusiastically. Perhaps the most unusual, yet incredibly effective and beautiful moment of the service was during the Eucharistic prayer, when the clergy around the altar started singing in three-part harmony, accompanied by slow moving chords hummed by the nuns. It was nice to be involved in a real French parish Mass and to see that, although very different to what the Couperins would have known, music still plays an important part in the life of the parish.

Later that afternoon we made our way to La Madeleine for an organ recital performed by Vincent Grappy. It was quite a welcome surprise to see the church almost full—several even likened the audience size to an AGO convention recital. This magnificent church is perhaps most famous for hosting the premiere of Fauré’s Requiem, and we even had a chance to briefly glance at the intact Cavaillé-Coll choir organ which was used at that performance. 

Following the recital, it was time to make our pilgrimage to perhaps one of the most famous and important (especially for organists) Parisian churches—Saint- Sulpice. We received a warm welcome from the present titulaire, Daniel Roth, one of a line of distinguished musicians who have held this important and coveted post. Both Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers and Louis-Nicolas Clérambault were organists there, although neither knew the present building that was commenced in the middle of the 17th century and finally completed 100 years later. The great five-manual, 64-stop organ by François-Henri Clicquot was dedicated in 1781. It was reported that Clicquot was so happy with the results that he danced for joy during the dedication, and the organ became very famous throughout Europe. The organ survived the French Revolution in 1789 thanks to a blind organ pumper who, wishing to save the instrument, cleverly stamped the official seal of the government on the door to the gallery, making it seem as though that part of the church had already been inspected and approved.

Mendelssohn visited the church in 1833, and it was clear that the organ was in desperate need of restoration, with the renowned composer likening its sound to a choir of old women! In 1835, the builder Callinet began a restoration project that took ten years; it was ultimately unsuccessful and left him bankrupt. In 1854, one of the priests at Saint-Sulpice, a great admirer and friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, declared that such a beautiful church needed two beautiful organs. And so it was that Cavaillé-Coll began work on the instrument in 1857. When it was completed five years later it was one of the three largest organs in the world. By retaining all of the Clicquot stops—which account for about 40 percent of the instrument—Cavaillé-Coll not only demonstrated his respect for the craft of his predecessors but also created an instrument that successfully melds old and new styles into a coherent whole.

If there was one thing we learned about Cavaillé-Coll, it was that he was a consummate artist whose concept was perfectly suited to the space for which it was intended. While he had very little to do with the actual building of his instruments, the concepts were his and he knew just whom to employ to get the results he wanted. This project was clearly very important to Cavaillé-Coll: following the aborted Callinet project that had cost the church a fortune, with nothing to show for it, Cavaillé-Coll’s initial proposal was for a four-manual, 74-stop instrument. Over time, the instrument grew larger with the addition of a fifth manual and 26 more stops—none of which had been contracted or paid for. It is no surprise that Cavaillé-Coll was often close to bankruptcy with many of his projects, but if he had not cared so much, we probably would not have some of the great instruments we have today.

After Saint-Sernin, we were all rather surprised at how elegant and soft-spoken the Saint-Sulpice Cavaillé-Coll was in comparison, even the tutti. The overall tone was darker and more rounded than Saint-Sernin, and this seemed totally in tune with the majestic building, creating a wash of sound that filled the room rather than launching a battery of sound directly to the other end of it. Another contributing factor to the sound is the enormous case, with its huge 32′ façade pipes and colossal statues, keeping the sound contained to a certain extent.

Finally, a lucky few had the opportunity to play the instrument, and it was such a privilege to be able to hear the sounds Widor and Dupré knew and worked with. I played Dupré’s exquisite Prelude and Fugue in F minor, op. 7, no. 2. I had been warned that after playing this piece at Saint-Sulpice it would be difficult to play it anywhere else, and after hearing the first few sixteenth notes of the Prelude, on the 8′ Gamba and 2′ Octavin of the distant Récit, I understood—the eerie sound combined with the building’s acoustic was like nothing I had ever encountered before.

The vast five-manual console required some getting used to; the Récit is the fourth manual—it used to be the fifth (!)—and therefore presented the more vertically challenged among us with quite an extensive reach. At one point, Monsieur Roth kindly held on to my shoulders to prevent me falling off the bench while both hands were playing on the Récit! He was also gracious enough to operate the hitch-down swell pedal which, being located to the far right of the console, would have required my left foot to be considerably busier than it wanted to be. Cavaillé-Coll used these until 1870, when he introduced the more convenient but certainly less expressive balanced swell pedal. 

Upon playing a wrong note, I apologized, but was told by Monsieur Roth, “Don’t worry, he [Dupré] is not here, but with Widor, we have to be far more careful . . .” Yes, Widor’s tomb is down in the crypt and we were taken down to pay homage, following our evening with Professor Roth.

The next morning we made our way to the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile to hear and play the church’s Bernard Aubertin organ, in North-German Baroque style. This is one of the finest of its kind in Paris and somewhat of a rarity. It was a welcome palate cleanser at this point of the trip to hear the sound of baroque-inspired principals and a particularly beautiful double-flute stop.

Having never been inside Notre Dame, a number of us stopped in briefly to gaze in awe at the gorgeous stained glass of one of the most famous buildings in the world. Unfortunately, the main organ was then undergoing restoration work and was unplayable. We then headed up to La Trinité, the church of Guilmant and, more recently, Olivier Messiaen.

This was somewhat of a pilgrimage for me personally, being particularly devoted to the music of Messiaen, and upon arrival at the church, I was greeted with a deeply moving vision: it had been raining, but as I approached the church, the sun came out, and a perfect rainbow appeared over the church—it could not have been more appropriate with Messiaen’s love of nature and the importance of color in his music.

The organ’s curator, Olivier Glandaz, was our host and had been a close friend of Messiaen. The organ has been well cared for and is in excellent condition. It was incredibly special to be able to hear Messiaen’s music on his organ, the combination of instrument and room creating what I can only describe as a glorious “shimmer.”

Day 12 was spent in the old French town of Rouen, perhaps most famous for being the place of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom. It is also home to Cavaillé-Coll’s last organ—the mighty four-manual instrument in the former Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen, which knocked the church in Houdan to second place as the coldest building of the entire trip! While in need of thorough restoration, it was wonderful to hear (and play) this “Grand Old Lady,” and yes, that 32′ reed really is as earth shattering as it sounds on recordings! Our hosts were the titular organist Marie-Andrée Morisset-Balier and her husband, trumpet virtuoso Michel Morisset.

Upon our return to Paris, we visited the van der Heuvel organ at Saint-Eustache, beautifully demonstrated for us by Vincent Crosnier, Jean Guillou’s assistant. 

Our penultimate day in France began at the Paris Regional Conservatory where those students who didn’t perform in Toulouse played a concert on the school’s Grenzing organ—the same instrument used for the preliminary rounds of the Chartres International Organ Competition. The performers were Richard Gray, Rees Roberts, Abraham Ross, Jillian Gardner, Albert Bellefeuille, Matthew Buller, Donald VerKuilen, and Jay Yau. Following the concert, Sylvie Mallet, the current professor of organ, and Marie-Louise Langlais, professor emerita of organ, were our hosts and joined us for lunch at a small restaurant that was once frequented by the likes of Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc.

That afternoon, we visited the church of Saint-Roch where Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely, and Pierre Cochereau are among its most notable titulaires. The instrument, built by Cavaillé-Coll but retaining all the reeds from the previous Clicquot organ, is equally suited to French Classical music as it is to French Romantic music. The magnificent oak case also dates from the original Clicquot organ and contained the only clock we had seen which actually worked! While the music of Lefébure-Wely may not be all that sophisticated, hearing it on this thrilling instrument, in the highly-ornate Baroque church only a short walk from the Paris Opera certainly helped to put the music in context. Our host was the present titulaire, Françoise Levéchin-Gangloff.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis was our final stop for the day. This former Benedictine Abbey—the first gothic building in the world—was incredibly powerful in its day and is particularly famous for being the final resting place of the French Kings. This association with French royalty, however, meant that it suffered greatly during the Revolution. One of the most damaging occurrences was the removal of the abbey’s roof (almost certainly so it could be melted down and made into other things), leaving the large and fine eighteenth-century organ open to the elements for twenty years. This organ was eventually removed in the hope that it would be restored one day, but it ended up being poorly stored and was entirely lost. It is quite likely that much of the instrument still exists in pieces throughout the organs of Paris, but we shall never know for certain.

In 1833, the French State decided to have a new organ built for this important church, and the 22-year-old Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who had just moved from Toulouse to Paris (at the suggestion of Rossini), submitted a proposal that won the contract. The organ was eventually completed in 1841, having been delayed due to the lack of an organ case, which was the responsibility of the church’s architect. The delay, however, worked in Cavaillé-Coll’s favor because it was during this time that he met Charles Barker. Owing to the size of the instrument, the mechanical action was incredibly stiff and heavy, but the new “machine” of Charles Barker changed all this.

The Saint-Denis Cavaillé-Coll, while by no means perfect, was revolutionary in organ building and was the prototype for everything that followed, especially in Cavaillé-Coll’s own work. Not only was it the first instrument to make use of the new Barker machine, it also had the first harmonic flute and trumpet stops. That being said, Cavaillé-Coll never cited the instrument as one of which he was particularly proud.

Pierre Pincemaille has been titulaire at Saint-Denis since 1987 and is one of the greatest improvisers in the world, having studied with the legendary Pierre Cochereau. He improvised for us on the hymn tune Down Ampney, enabling us to hear the many colors of this important instrument.

Our final day in Paris began at Saint-Gervais, where everyone had the opportunity to see and play the 1768 François-Henri Clicquot organ, which retains much pipework from the c. 1680 organ of François Thierry. Here again, while several of us had the opportunity to listen to the organ during Sunday liturgy, now we all had the unique opportunity to experience the masterpiece firsthand.

That afternoon, we reconvened at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde—set back almost out of sight except for its two spires, which can be glimpsed on the Paris skyline. A number of great organists have been associated with this famous church: César Franck, Charles Tournemire, and Jean Langlais. Sadly, very little of the organ Franck knew remains, the instrument having been electrified and, beginning with Tournemire, altered tonally to embrace the aesthetics of the new neo-classical movement. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear the music of Tournemire and Langlais on the instrument for which it was conceived. The original Franck console is now in a museum in Belgium, having been bequeathed by Tournemire to his friend, Flor Peeters. The organ was rebuilt in 1999–2005 by former titulaire, the late Jacques Taddei, with the addition of two new consoles, a 32′ Contra Bombarde, and a Trompette-en-chamade, placed on the floor of the second gallery at the location of the old console.

And so, as our two weeks drew to a close, we arrived at the final church of our visit, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, where Monsieur and Madame Maurice Duruflé had spent many years working and living in a small apartment just across the street. It felt especially humbling to be so “close” to these two towering figures in the world of organ music, and while we all have our favorites, I’m not sure I can think of anyone who doesn’t adore the music of Monsieur and the playing of Madame.

The church itself is very elegant—not unlike Duruflé’s music—and is home to the only rood screen (a beautiful, stone structure) and the oldest organ case in Paris, dating from 1633. Duruflé was also influenced by the neo-classical movement and this can be heard in the clear and bright sound of the instrument, making it especially good for counterpoint. After a stunning improvisation by Thierry Escaich on “Happy Birthday” (performed in honor of Donald VerKuilen’s 19th birthday), Alcee Chris performed Duruflé’s Toccata from Suite, op. 5, and Nicholas Capozzoli performed Escaich’s Évocation II for the composer.

I shall confess that writing this report has been incredibly difficult. It is almost impossible to express in words all that we experienced and learned on this amazing trip. One could easily write an entire article on just one of these churches and its rich musical and cultural heritage—we visited 31 organs in 13 days! Nevertheless, it is my hope that this overview will inspire further research—the Internet has a wealth of information and recordings of almost all the instruments we visited—and if you are able, go to France to see these masterpieces for yourself. We could not have been more warmly welcomed and it was clear that all those whom we met were very proud of their history and delighted to share it with others. Just be prepared to do LOTS of walking! 

Frank Rippl is a graduate of Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Miriam Clapp Duncan and Wolfgang Rübsam. He is co-founder of The Appleton Boychoir, coordinator of the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series in the Appleton, Wisconsin area, and has been organist/choirmaster at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Appleton since 1971.

When an organist thinks of Indiana, many things come to mind: the long history of fine organ teaching at Indiana University; the famous Fort Wayne Competition; the large Schlicker/Dobson organ in the Chapel at Valparaiso University; the three modern tracker organs in Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Indianapolis; plus two new organs at Goshen College (Taylor & Boody) and at Notre Dame University (Fritts); and the list goes on.
So it was with that abundance of riches in mind that the Organ Historical Society gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in Indianapolis for its 52nd annual convention to seek out the historical roots of such a strong heritage and affection for the pipe organ. It was a “Hoosier Holiday” on the banks of the Wabash with a wealth of music, organs, beautiful venues, corn and soybean fields, and gracious hospitality!

This year’s pre-convention event was a festive concert at Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis with the Broadway Festival Chorus and Orchestra led by Jack L. Fox, minister of music at the church, and organist Christopher Schroeder, who presided over the 2001 Reynolds Associates Inc. organ. The evening began with Mr. Schroeder’s fine arrangement of the hymn O God Beyond All Praising, sung to the tune thaxted by Gustav Holst (from: The Planets—“Jupiter”). The church is a very attractive English Gothic building completed in 1927 with a high ceiling and resonant acoustics. The combined forces performed Rheinberger’s Mass in C Major, op. 169, and Widor’s Symphonie pour orgue et orchestre, op. 42. The choir and orchestra were adequate to the task and Fox led with sure command. The music is lovely, and it was a real treat to hear it live. Mr. Schroeder played the many fast passages of the Widor with great confidence.

Thursday, July 12
The actual start of the convention was Thursday July 12 with an ambitious program by Marko Petricic, who teaches organ at the University of Indianapolis. The venue was the elegant Second Presbyterian Church, founded in 1838 in Indianapolis. The present building, completed in 1959 in French Gothic style complete with an intricate flèche, has very fine windows including, above the altar, a Tiffany window brought from their previous building showing the Ascension of Christ. The organ is a large 4-manual, 80-rank Aeolian-Skinner from 1968, renovated in 2002 by the Schantz Organ Company.
Petricic began with the second movement of Messiaen’s L’Ascension, “Alléluias sereins.” The effect was pure magic as we all silently enjoyed the serene beauty of the gorgeous Tiffany window rising in front of us into the bright clear sunshine during Petricic’s beautiful playing. An OHS tradition is to sing a hymn or song at each concert facing the organ. So we rose, turned round and were bathed in the pastel light of the high clerestory windows as we sang Lobe den Herren to Petricic’s masterful accompaniment.
Then Soliloquy by David Conte gave us a good tour of this fine organ, while a video projection of the performer provided a helpful visual image. Petricic is a brilliant player with a great sense of color. He next played Petr Eben’s “Moto ostinato” from Nedělní hudba, and then ended his recital with the Prélude et fugue sur le nom d’Alain, op. 7, by Maurice Duruflé. It was electrifying. I hope we can have him do a full evening recital some year!

Our next concert was on the famous 1987 Holtkamp tracker organ (3m, 44rks) at Sweeney Chapel of the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. We were to have heard Marilyn Keiser, of Indiana University and the consultant for this instrument. She, sadly, had been in an automobile accident ten days earlier, and while not seriously injured, was unable to play. Edie Johnson, organist at the chapel, filled in with an interesting and well-played program. The visually stunning chapel, designed by Edward Barnes, was completed in 1987. It is essentially a concrete cube with five seconds of reverberation when empty, and 2.8 seconds when full. The organ rises along the wall to the right of the altar.
Johnson opened with Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537. She gently unfolded the Fantasy on the beautiful Principal stops, and used the fine plenum on the Fugue. We next heard the organ’s Cornet in Buxtehude’s chorale prelude on Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Then came the second movement of Pamela Decker’s Río abajo Río (1999), “Diferencias,” showing us the strings and what I think was the Krumhorn. This is gorgeous music that I highly recommend.
The hymn was the rousing Torah Song, introduced on the fine Trumpet stop. Ms. Johnson closed her program with a superb performance of Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor. The audience gave loud and sustained applause to this talented performer! Following a tasty boxed lunch from Wolfgang Puck, we had the opportunity to tour the Indiana Museum of Art and its extensive collection.

OHS favorite MaryAnn Crugher Balduf gave the first recital of the afternoon, playing the 1905 Felgemaker organ (2m, 16rks) at Bethel A. M. E. Church in Indianapolis. Steven Schnurr, chair of the Historic Organ Citations Committee, presented the church with an OHS citation in recognition of the historic merit of their organ. The altar table stands at the center of a long wall of this rectangular-shaped room, and the organ is in a balcony above the altar. MaryAnn began with “Allegro Agitato” from Fifteen Inventions, op. 1, by Joseph Callaerts (1838–1901), and followed with Offertoire by Theodore Dubois. She was then joined by her daughter, Sara Balduf Adams, soprano, in five beautiful early art songs by Alban Berg. We heard several combinations of the softer sounds of the organ as MaryAnn demonstrated her strong accompaniment skills. Sara has a lovely voice, and it was a treat to hear something besides just the organ at one of our recitals. Next up was Arietta by Horatio Parker. I love Felgemaker flutes: their sweet, round, ringing quality is unique. Next, in Frederick Newell Shackley’s Prelude in F, the variety of registrations gave us a good aural tour of the organ. MaryAnn ended with a charming March by John S. Camp, which she played in memory of a recently departed friend who was to have played a duet with her on this recital.
Stepping outside we had the chance to admire Indianapolis’s beautiful Venetian-style canal that flows past this church and through downtown. It must be seen to be truly appreciated—gondolas and all! We next paid a visit to the shop of organbuilders Goulding & Wood, who gave us an opportunity to view a large Aeolian-Skinner they were in the process of rebuilding for East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh—a fascinating operation.
The afternoon’s last concert was at Old Centrum, formerly the Central Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, a grand old 1892 auditorium plan building. It ceased being a church in 2000, and is called today The Old Centrum. Sixteen nonprofit organizations are housed there or offer services there. The organ stands front and center behind the altar table. This had been the home church of Senator Richard Lugar. Thaddeus B. Reynolds, Indiana organbuilder, did restoration work on this historic 1892 instrument and discovered that it was built by 19th-century Indiana organbuilder Thomas Prentice Sanborn & Son. There being no proper identification on the organ case, Reynolds ceremoniously attached a Sanborn nameplate to the organ case before the concert began. Sanborn had studied with the Hook brothers. This organ shows that influence with its bold, powerful and rich tone.
Our recitalist, Charles Manning, began with Louis Couperin’s Chaconne in G Minor demonstrating the organ’s full plenum. By way of contrast, he followed with Brahms’s Schmücke dich on a perfectly lovely flute that sang out with uncommon sweetness. He followed with the always-welcome Berceuse of Louis Vierne, a haunting evocative work. We then took a leap into the late 20th century with a piece by Arvo Pärt, Trivium for Organ: II (1988). I always love to hear new music on an old instrument. Quality organ building is a timeless art. I’ve become a big fan of Pärt’s music and was so glad to hear this piece. The old organ held its own against the mighty blast of OHS hymn singing with the hymn Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven (Lauda Anima). Manning ended his concert with Intrada in E-flat Major by Grayston Ives, b. 1948. He played very well for us, and gave us an interesting and varied program!

The afternoon ended with the only lecture of the convention, Michael D. Friesen on 19th-century Indiana organbuilders William Horatio Clarke and Thomas P. Sanborn, held at Roberts Park United Methodist Church. This was a perfect example of Friesen’s detailed research complete with photographs of the two men’s boyhood homes, early shops, and the ways in which they connected with the organ building world in the Midwest of the late 19th century. In addition to Michael’s fine commentary, we had the added pleasure of gazing upon a glorious black walnut organ case built by W. H. Clarke topped by two carved angels blowing on horns. The instrument was rebuilt by E. M. Skinner and then by Reuter, but the Clarke case remains.

The big evening event was a concert by Carol Williams, civic organist and artistic director of the Spreckels Organ Society, Balboa Park, San Diego—the first female ever to hold that position or any other similar position in the country. It was held at North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, on the church’s large 4m Kimball organ from 1931, enlarged and rebuilt by E. H. Holloway Corp., Reynolds Associates, and Goulding & Wood. There are many beautiful and ravishing sounds on this big organ, most of which is at the front of the church in chambers on opposing sides of the altar area, and Dr. Williams made good use of them. I’m sure most of us showed up that night expecting to be entertained, and we certainly were. She presented a varied program that included Louis Marchand, Purcell, and a very romantic interpretation of Bach’s Fantasia in c, Lefébure-Wély, Rachmaninoff (!), and Mozart Changes by Zsolt Gárdonyi, with sections that sounded like Hammond organ jazz. She also played her own arrangement of Roller Coaster. The hymn was Amazing Grace, which she played from an arrangement by George Shearing. The final selection was her arrangement of Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian. Williams has good rapport with the audience and I’m sure her audiences at Balboa Park are very entertained as we were. However, her playing that night had a number of rhythmic instabilities that lessened the impact of what she had hoped to present. The organ has a thrilling set of horizontal fanfare trumpets in the rear gallery, and she fell prey to the temptation of using them too often. Another case of less is more.

Friday, July 13
This very lucky Friday the 13th saw us take our longest bus ride of the convention—two hours through the beautiful countryside of Indiana to our first stop: the sweet little town of Lagro, and St. Patrick’s Church, dedicated in 1873. Today it exists as an oratory, or place of prayer, as it lost its status as a parish in 1997. Mass is celebrated once a month by a priest from a nearby town.
The organ is a beauty, believed to be an Erben from 1845. The 1m, 5-stop organ with pull-down pedal was in two other Indiana churches before it arrived at St. Patrick’s between 1884–1888. It was restored by Hal Gober of Elora, Ontario, Canada, in 2004. It was one of my favorite organs at the convention!
Our recitalist was Gregory Crowell, director of publications for the OHS, and university organist of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, who played a sprightly program for us on this tiny organ. One could easily discern his pedigree: Heiller students Yuko Hayashi, Bernard and Mireille Lagacé, and Harald Vogel. His playing was clear, clean and very musical. He opened with Handel’s Overture to Ottone. We then heard the lovely 8′ Principal play a Voluntarie from My Ladye Neville’s Booke, by William Byrd. A charming 4′ flute was used for Krebs’s Praeludium: Jesu, meine Freude. Other small pieces followed, giving us a fine tour. We sang the hymn Hail Glorious St. Patrick to the tune Hemy.
Three little Mozart pieces followed including Adagio for Glass Harmonica, K. 356, which again featured the extraordinary flutes on this organ. Crowell closed with C. P. E. Bach’s Organ Sonata in F Major, Wq 70, 3. I loved this organ. The pride the people who worship at St. Patrick’s have in their organ and lovely church was evident at every turn. We then had the treat of a tasty hog roast at the nearby Methodist church.
Our buses then took us to Peru, Indiana (hometown of Cole Porter!) and the wedding cake-like Catholic Church of St. Charles Borromeo (1863) and its commanding 183-foot steeple, for an outstanding recital by the young and very talented Karen Schneider Kirner, assistant organist for the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. The organ is an 1893 Louis H. Van Dinter with 2m and 19rks, and was given an OHS Historic Merit plaque before the program began.
Kirner began with the stately Processional by César Franck, and then played Praeambulum Festivum, op. 64, by Sigfrid Karg-Elert, another fine demonstration. Next up was Liszt’s arrangement of Arcadelt’s Ave Maria, which took me back to my youth. It was followed by Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, which worked quite well on this organ as a demonstration. Kirner is a very fine player. Her sure and nimble fingers carried us along in the final Gigue such that one wanted to dance! Her final selection on this historic instrument was the Passacaglia from Rheinberger’s Sonata 8 in E Minor, op. 132, which she played with effortless expertise!

On we went to Logansport, Indiana, to hear the 1883 Barckhoff organ at St. James Lutheran Church. The church was dedicated in 1868, but was largely destroyed by fire in 1883. It was rebuilt that same year along with the new Barckhoff organ. Various things were done to it over the years as the result of water damage. John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders restored it to its original condition as much as possible, adding an 8′ Great Trumpet, which had been prepared for but never added. Buzard copied a Barckhoff Trumpet from an organ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 2m, 23-stop organ stands in the rear gallery.
Following a mayoral proclamation by the mayor of Logansport, and a peal of the three tower bells, we heard a fine recital by organist John Gouwens, organist and carillonneur of the Culver Academies. He began with Allegretto grazioso by Frank Bridge, demonstrating a range of sounds from mf to pp—lovely quality to those sounds! He next played Pachelbel’s Chaconne in D Minor starting on the Dulciana and building from there. He continued with Three Chorale Improvisations by Karg-Elert—nice pieces. I especially enjoyed hearing the very beautiful 8′ Oboe & Bassoon with tremolo. The hymn was “A mighty fortress”—the last verse was sung a cappella, which was fun for us! There followed the only improvisation of the convention—on Ein’ feste Burg. We finally got to hear the new Buzard Trumpet, but only coupled to the Pedal. The improvisation started with strong sounds, and then drifted nicely into quietness at the end. I had hoped to hear more of the Trumpet, but Gouwens may have wished only to show the Barckhoff bits.
The final recital of the afternoon was in Frankfort at the First Presbyterian Church (est. 1831). Mary Gifford, director of music at St. Mary Catholic Church in Des Plaines, Illinois, performed for us on the 1959 E. H. Holloway Corporation rebuild of a 1901 Lancashire-Marshall opus 131: 3m, 36rks. It now has electric key and stop action. She played several character studies from the early 20th century beginning with “Sunrise” from A Pastoral Suite (1913) by Clifford Demarest, which built up a healthy crescendo. Then Bells in the Distance by Camil Van Hulse, which featured the chimes. (If you have chimes on your organ, this is not a bad piece.) Next came The Tragedy of a Tin Soldier by Gordon Balch Nevin, which induced many a smile with its melodramatic four movements. I love these old gems. When she finished, she stepped away from the console drying her “tears” with a white hanky. Following that was a chorale prelude on What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Van Denman Thompson, which featured the lovely Doppel Flute in an obbligato section and the Clarinet in the tenor at the end. Nice sounds all around! The hymn that followed was, of course, “What a friend.” Gifford had the tenors sing the soprano part and the sopranos sing the tenor line in their own range. It was a nice touch and just the thing to keep us on our toes at the end of a long day.
Gifford closed her very entertaining concert with two movements from Edward Shippen Barnes’s Symphony No. 2: III. Intermezzo, and V. Final. The Final used several devices Vierne used in the famous Final to his First Symphony. It was a real rouser, and she played it straight, giving it integrity.

Following dinner at our hotel, we bused to the relatively nearby St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for our grand evening recital by Thomas Murray, university organist and professor of music at Yale University. He of course is widely known as a concert organist and recording artist specializing in the Romantic repertoire and his own astonishing orchestral transcriptions. St. Luke’s is a huge new church with a narthex bigger than most of the churches we would visit at this convention. The choir room alone seats 130 people. The organ is a large 4m, 80rk Goulding & Wood from 1999.
Murray began with his own transcription of a piano work by Mendelssohn: Prelude and Fugue in E Minor (no opus no., 1841). We all marveled at Murray’s seamless transitions between keyboards and effective use of the expression pedals. The work has a fascinating fugue subject that begins with a descending major 7th. Next we heard Summer Sketches, op. 73, by Edwin H. Lemare: “Dawn,” “The Bee,” “The Cuckoo,” “Twilight,” and “Evening”—charming pieces. Murray used all the resources of this large organ to lift these pieces off the page. I especially enjoyed the bee buzzing away on the Vox Humana! The Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal divisions are spread out horizontally across the front of the church, while the Antiphonal is on the side wall to the left of the congregation. High overhead, and I do mean high (!), is the very powerful Trompette en Chamade, which is available on all manuals. The surround sound was magic with birds and bees twittering and buzzing away all over the place.
Murray then played one of Seth Bingham’s most famous pieces, Roulade. It does indeed roll over the place, and this was a masterful performance. Between numbers, he spoke to the audience in a direct, humorous, and engaging manner. He crowned the first half with Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H, with all of his spectacular skill of orchestration, pacing, musical architecture, color and nuance in full play! The organ was ablaze with drama! The hymn preceding the intermission was, I blush to admit, new to me: Ken Naylor’s marvelous setting (Coe Fen) of John Mason’s hymn How shall I sing that majesty. Murray accompanied it in grand Anglican style. After intermission we returned to our seats to hear him play an astonishing piece by Jean Berveiller (1904–1976), Mouvement, which has a virtuoso pedal part punctuated by syncopated rhythms in the hands. After working up all that steam, it then ends rather gently.
Murray closed his recital with the Suite, op. 5, by Maurice Duruflé. The very fine Goulding & Wood organ was a good match for his program and style of playing. The Prelude was replete with dark foreboding sounds, while the Sicilienne was all flowing liquid grace that poured out of this fine and colorful pipe organ. The formidable Toccata was played with pure fire and splendid energy. Thomas Murray’s approach to the organ is like that of a composer or conductor leading an orchestra. Melodic lines come in and out and are given uncommon shadings and nuance. Whenever I hear him play, I am reminded that he gets to preside over the huge, magnificent E. M. Skinner organ in Woolsey Hall at Yale. I wonder to what degree that instrument informs his playing when he is on the road. What does his inner ear hear? His playing takes us on journeys filled with wonder and astonishment!

Saturday, July 14
Another bright sunny morning took us to Acton, Indiana, not far from Indianapolis, to Acton United Methodist Church and Robert Schilling’s demonstration of a relocated 1895 Hook & Hastings organ, 2m, 11rks, Opus 1671. It came from Fletcher United Methodist Church in Indianapolis after that church closed. The Acton church is a simple modern structure along the highway. This organ has its original stenciling and looked right at home in its new surroundings. The church had banners and pulpit hangings that matched the colors of the pipes. The organ has a bold, room-filling sound that Schilling used very well. Its commanding presence at the front of the church allows it to speak clearly into the nave.
Schilling had played the rededication recital on this organ after it was moved to Acton, so he was quite familiar with it. He opened with Brahms’s Mein Jesu, der du mich, op. 122, no. 1. It was very well played and allowed us to hear many shadings of color. The hymn was by Charles Wesley: And Can It Be That I Should Gain (Sagina). His next piece was S. S. Wesley’s An Air Composed for Holsworthy Church Bells, which demonstrated the lovely Stopped Diapason with tremolo. He then played Theme, Arabesques [7 variations] and Fughetta by Van Denman Thompson, giving us a fine sampling of what can be done with eleven good ranks! The program closed with Postludium in C by Helmut Walcha, a former teacher of Mr. Schilling’s.

Our bright green buses took us to Rushville and Trinity Presbyterian Church located in a very attractive neighborhood of 19th-century brick Italianate houses. Yun Kyong Kim demonstrated another great Felgemaker organ: Opus 908, 2m, 10rks. The church is a charming old Akron-plan building with large, colorful windows. This sweet, mint-condition Felgemaker still has its original leathers. Kim began her recital with the organ’s gentle sounds playing Vierne’s “Méditation” from Trois improvisations pour grand orgue (1929), which she played very well with great sensitivity. The hymn was We Thank you, Lord of Heaven (Shining Day). It was followed by Sarabanda con Partite, BWV 990, parts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 12, by J. S. Bach. I especially enjoyed her use of the 4′ Harmonic Flute. Yun Kyong Kim performs with great élan.
She followed that with a piece I’d not heard in years and was sure I’d never hear again: Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s “Jagged Peaks in the Starlight” from Mountain Sketches. But times have changed and what was once corny, darn it, sounded rather pretty! Perhaps it was the Felgemaker’s warm Dulciana that got to me! This led us to Horatio Parker’s Festival Prelude, op. 66, no. 1. The Diapasons had their day to shine surrounding a middle section on the flute stops. But she saved a fun surprise for last. Indiana native Wendell Willkie ran his 1940 election campaign for president from Rushville, Indiana. So, led by the organ, we sang his campaign song: “We Want Willkie.” It was loads of fun and a real period piece.
After a fine fried chicken luncheon, we continued on down the road to East Germantown and Zion Lutheran Church, where longtime OHSer Karl Moyer demonstrated an 1898 M. P. Möller tracker, Opus 188, 2m, 16rks. It stands in the front of the church on the right side. He opened with a Beethoven Scherzo (no opus no.), using the Doppel Flute with echoes on the swell Stopped Diapason—nice sounds; I’m a real sucker for Doppel Flutes! Then came a chorale prelude by Parry on the tune Martyrdom, for which he managed the buildup of sounds nicely!
The hymn was Valet will ich dir geben (“All Glory Laud and Honor”). We sang the first two verses in German (When in Germantown . . . ). There followed three chorale preludes on that tune by Drischner, Guilmant, and Reger. The Aeoline stop on the Swell was especially nice—barely a whisper it seemed. The Manz Chorale Improvisation on “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” used the 4′ Harmonic Flute in the hands with the Great 15th coupled to the Pedal, producing a very agreeable sound. His final selection was Bach’s well known Fugue in G (“a la Gigue”). In spite of a few dead notes, he was able to give us a fine, controlled and cheerful performance of this tricky work.
David Kevin Lamb performed for us at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Indiana. We completely filled this smallish church, which has a Tiffany style window that I liked. The organ is a 1966 Holloway, Opus 12, 3m, 31rks, E-P action. Ernest White was working with Holloway, and this organ bears his imprint at the time (heavy on the top, light on the bottom).
Dr. Lamb began with Guilmant’s Marche Réligieuse in F, op. 15, no. 2. The bright mixtures were a bit of an aural shock after a day of more restrained sounds. He moved next to four pieces by Denis Bédard. First was Andantino (1993), parts of which reminded me of Vierne’s Berceuse. It is a surprisingly tonal work that Lamb played quite nicely. Next were Variations on Sine Nomine (1998), which, among other things, featured a lovely Gemshorn Celeste. The next Bédard pieces were “Ode” (2001) and “Grand Jeu” from Suite du premier ton (1993), all in a neo-romantic style that worked quite well on this organ, which is spread horizontally, wall to wall across the rear balcony. It is quite a loud sound. The hymn was O Praise Ye the Lord (Laudate Dominum) in an arrangement by Michael Burkhardt.
Lamb closed with an old favorite of mine, Dubois’ Grand choeur in B-flat. He seemed to use full organ a bit more than necessary. Organists would do well, sometimes, to parcel out those fff sounds more conservatively. Otherwise they lose their effectiveness.
A short stroll down the street in Richmond took us to Reid Memorial United Presbyterian Church. As we made the two and a half block trek, we were treated to Reid’s tower chimes playing a series of hymn tunes. And that was just the start of the treasures to be found here. The building is a very attractive Gothic structure made of Indiana limestone. We entered a large stone porch with two mighty gothic arches and a mosaic tile floor. The interior was filled with light from 62 Tiffany windows. The somewhat fan-vaulted white ceiling gave a wonderful lightness to the space, which was dominated by the gorgeous Hook organ standing in two matching, solid mahogany cases on either side of the altar area, “plus,” in the immortal words of Madame Arnfeldt, “a tiny Titian” (!) that hangs in the back of this remarkable church. The 1906 Hook organ comprises three manuals and 66 stops. It was rebuilt by the Henry Pilcher company in 1937, and in 1958 the Wicks company did further work. Most of what remains is Hook, however. It has my favorite stop name of the convention, however, that would appear to have been added by Wicks to the pedal: “Voce de Tomba” a 32′ resultant (“Voice of the Tomb”).
Bruce Stevens, a longtime favorite of OHS conventions, was our recitalist. He began with a brief chorale prelude by Max Reger, Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade, op. 135a, no. 1, which was also the hymn that followed, after which we heard another setting, this one by Karg-Elert, which featured the celestes and the beautiful Clarinet stop, now named Krumhorn. Stevens always plays with the musical line carefully in mind, fingers and toes. The composer, the music and the instrument all shine through him, and not the other way around. I highly recommend his recording on the large Hook organ in St. Mary’s Church, New Haven, Connecticut! He thanked the women of the church who carefully dusted and polished all the tall gorgeous and elaborate casework—no small feat!
The next selection was Buxtehude’s: (“Jig”), BuxWV 174, in which the strong pulse was tossed to and fro with ease and style. Then came a perfectly splendid performance of Bach’s great Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544, in which his Anton Heiller pedigree showed through with every note! Then we visited with the flutes of this organ in Mozart’s Adagio and Allegro in F Minor, K. 594, in which he displayed a marvelous poetic delicacy. His final selection was the great Sonata 7 in F Minor, op. 127, by Josef Rheinberger. It was a first-rate performance with broad and spacious sounds.
After a delicious and bountiful dinner at Guy Welliver’s Smorgasbord in Hagerstown, Indiana, we returned to Indianapolis for a most entertaining event: a theatre organ concert! It was held in the Warren Center for the Performing Arts, which is part of Warren Central High School. The organ came from the huge 3200-seat Indiana Theatre; it has 3m, 17rks on 19″ of wind pressure, and a 15-horsepower blower! I feel a real affinity for Barton organs as they were made in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, just 15 miles from where I live.
Our soloist on this fine instrument was young Mark Herman, who at age 19 is well known in ATOS circles. He gave us a wonderful evening of music from “The Great American Song Book”: Gershwin, Cole Porter, and the like. He plays with an infectious, enthusiastic style and has a fine understanding of jazz harmonies. I especially liked his version of Cole Porter’s My Heart Belongs to Daddy. It was saucy and sassy—full of humor punctuated by the kettledrums and the huge English Post Horn. He also played pieces he wrote that displayed that same playfulness, charm and humor.
Herman possess a great color sense—using all the resources of this very elegant instrument mounted in chambers on either side of the auditorium, the console rose out of the pit on the orchestra lift. Lighting effects were used with colorful projections on the chambers. His “If I Loved You” from Carousel was drop-dead gorgeous: lush colors and harmonies that belied his youth. Throughout the evening, he was witty and engaging in his remarks. He ended with a riotous performance of Roller Coaster. We were happy folk as we filed out to our buses.

Sunday, July 15
We were given a blessed free morning. Many people chose to worship at some the churches we’d visited. I slept in and enjoyed my pleasant room, with newspaper and coffee, and Sunday talk shows: an indulgence I can never enjoy back home—church musician that I am. A fine luncheon was served at the hotel, followed by the annual meeting of the OHS.
At 2:10 pm we boarded our buses and went to the rather spectacular 1929 R.C. church of St. Joan of Arc, a grand Italianate building made of Indiana limestone. It is striking for its 140-foot campanile and a 90-feet wide portico with five huge arches. The monumental interior has a flat ceiling. The side aisles are separated from the nave by 22 single-piece stone Corinthian columns that support the clerestory windows. Six marble columns support the baldacchino over the altar. Mosaics abound, especially St. Joan of Arc in the baldacchino, and St. Mary and St. Joseph above their respective side altars.
The organ, a 1929 Kilgen, Opus 4367, 3m, 33 stops, sits in a balcony to the left side of the altar, and speaks through a carved wooden screen. It enjoys a sumptuous acoustic! Basic repairs were made over the years and the Great Tuba was changed to a Trumpet, but otherwise it is as it was in 1929.
Rosalind Mohnsen, director of music and organist at Immaculate Conception Church in Malden/Medford, Massachusetts, and another OHS favorite, played a very fine concert. Organ, acoustics, player, and program all fit together perfectly. She began with the great “Choral varié” from Duruflé’s Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur le thème du “Veni creator,” op. 4, which swept over us like a warm blanket. Her own arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ “O Salutaris” from his Messe, op. 4, was next, with the huge Doppel Flute gurgling away beneath the melody on the Vox Humana, Stopped Diapason and Flute with tremolo. It was a wonderful effect. It was followed by the “Prelude” from Charpentier’s Te Deum and her own arrangement of Verdi’s “Marcia funebre” from his opera Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc), a nod to this parish and its glorious building. The piece is quite good and very idiomatic for the organ.
The hymn she chose was also appropriate for the setting, The Maid of France, with Visioned Eyes (Noël Provençal), which came out of the old St. Gregory Hymnal. Nice touch, Rosalind! There followed a Krebs Trio, which nicely featured the Choir Corno di Bassetto. Next came a quiet bit of whimsy: Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s “The Wind in the Chimney” from Fireside Fancies, op. 29, a charming display of the soft sides of this organ. She closed her exceptional recital with “Canticle of the Sun” by Richard Purvis from his Saint Francis Suite. The warm and powerful sounds of this fine organ were a joy to listen to on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The only other musical event of the day was a glorious one: Choral Evensong sung by the Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) Choir of Men and Boys. Many of us would have liked to have heard them in their home setting, but the cathedral was having renovation work done. Therefore we did not get to hear any of the fine organs they have there. However, all was not lost because they relocated the event to the Church of St. John the Evangelist a few blocks away. St. John’s is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in Indianapolis (founded in 1837), and their building boasts very fine acoustics. The organ is a hybrid of sorts. It started out as a 1894 J. G. Pfeffer & Son with a Gothic case standing 26 feet high in the rear gallery. (Anyone who had the good fortune to be at the Iowa convention back in the 1980s will remember those wonderful Pfeffer organs we heard.) In 1923 a hailstorm damaged the organ and rose window. The Wicks company rebuilt the old organ in 1935 retaining many of the old Pfeffer pipes and adding four new ranks. Goulding & Wood rebuilt the Wicks organ as its opus 14 in 1989, retaining eight old ranks and the case. It now has 2m, 36rks of pipes plus nine digital ranks.
Choirmaster Frederick Burgomaster led the men and boys with all that marvelously understated yet dynamic style of the English Cathedral choir. All was in exquisite taste and control. The literature was first-rate: Stanford, Near, Josquin Desprez, Gibbons, Stainer, Bruckner, Sowerby, Grayston Ives, and Jonathan Dove. The Preces and Responses were by Philip Moore. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were by Herbert Howells (St. John’s Service).
The choir was very well prepared and sang with clarity, conviction, and all the appropriate drama and color. Organist David Sinden provided masterful accompaniment for the choir—shading all the crevices, plumbing the depths, and exalting the peaks. The hymn singing in that exceptional space was among our best. My only complaint was that at times the organ and the men slightly overpowered the boys. But, it being summer, I expect that the boys may not have been able to gather their full number. Kudos to those young men who gave of their summer time in order that we might have such an inspiring, spiritual, and musically uplifting experience. Mr. Sinden sent us out with his postlude: Kyrie, Gott, heiliger Geist, BWV 671 by J. S. Bach. It was an afternoon of indescribable beauty and stimulation for all the senses!
We then enjoyed a free evening in downtown Indianapolis. Many of us ganged up to find some of the many fine eating establishments in that most attractive city, and had a grand time talking of what we had just heard!

Monday, July 16
Monday morning our buses took us to the First Presbyterian Church, Franklin, Indiana, where we attended a hymn-sing. The Akron-style building has large side windows through which the morning light poured in. They helped enhance the title of the service: “Christ, the Light of the World: Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” It was led by organist Robert Hobby, director of music at Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Rev. Robert A. Schilling, AAGO, a distinguished clergyman and organist who performed at this convention in Acton, Indiana. The nicely designed service featured reflections, hymns and organ voluntaries all focusing on God’s light. The reflections were well chosen, and the hymns were all beloved tunes and texts. Mr. Hobby played with a fine energetic style but was often louder than necessary—I believe it was Tom Murray who, at his own recital, referred to that kind of hymn playing as being in “attack mode.” We OHSers love to sing hymns and are pretty loud. When WE are drowned out, then the organ is too loud. The organ is a 1912 Steere, 3m 38rks, rebuilt in 1988 by Goulding & Wood. Rev. Schilling delivered the non-scriptural readings, tracing the concept of light as it is manifested throughout the church year. Hobby played several of his own compositions, which I thought were very effective. His improvisation teacher was the legendary Paul Manz.
We then drove down to Columbus, Indiana, a city renowned for its stunning collection of buildings designed by some of the finest architects of the 20th century. Our concert was at the First (Tabernacle) Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, to hear Daniel Jay McKinley, who had been organist at this church from 1978–1998, but who now is organist/choirmaster of Christ Church, Hamilton and Wenham, Hamilton, Massachusetts. The building was designed by Eliel Saarinen, and ground was broken in 1940. The tapestry that hangs to the right of the altar that Saarinen designed was woven by his wife, Loja. It is thought to be the largest tapestry with a religious theme woven in the United States. Lighting fixtures and some of the liturgical furnishings were designed by Charles Eames and Eliel’s son, Eero Saarinen. One could easily discern how this building, essentially a long rectangular box, has influenced mid 20th-century church architecture all across America.
The organ was built by Aeolian-Skinner (4m, 80rks) as their opus 993. It would be the last, large A/S completed before WWII shut down organ building in America. There were problems and some criticism of the instrument as being too shrill, so it was softened a bit, but by 1969 it had deteriorated and was in need of an updated electrical system. To the rescue in 1980 came Goulding & Wood, who had done some tonal improvements on the instrument in the 1970s. It sounds quite grand today, and is admired throughout Indiana—a blending of the best of English, German and American organ building.
A projected image allowed us to watch Mr. McKinley play, as he was not visible to us. The organ is in the front of the church with the pipes in a chamber to the left of the altar. The acoustics are excellent. He opened with Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, a marvelous and entertaining exploration of this large and colorful instrument. It was brilliantly played, inspiring awe! Following was a series of 16th-century dances by Tielman Susato and Pierre Phalèse. The first showed us the fine chorus reeds, while the second used the various 8′ principals ending with the chimes (!). Flutes, salicional, harp, soft reeds, even strings were used. Not correct stylistically, but fun to hear. Fine sounds all around.
Bach’s great Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542, came next. I felt that the louder portions of the fantasy seemed a bit hurried, but he made it work. The fugue was well played with lots of dash and energy. The hymn, O God who brought the light to birth, by Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926), was commissioned for this church in memory of an infant daughter of choir members (husband and wife), and was sung to Sussex Carol. It was quite touching.
McKinley closed his program with Franck’s Grande pièce symphonique, op. 17. He made the most out of this church’s generous acoustics. In the fifth section (Andante) he used all the string stops to great effect. It was a first-rate performance of this difficult-to-hold-together piece. The church’s elegant simplicity is almost startling. It should be a place of pilgrimage for anyone interested in church architecture and in fine organs.
After lunch our caravan of buses took us west to the outskirts of Bloomington and a large A-frame church, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, to hear the very talented Christopher Young, assistant professor of music at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. He performed on the church’s 1883 Thomas Sanborn organ, 2m, 14rks, which came from the Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church of Indianapolis. St. Mark’s is its fourth home. Interestingly enough, it is owned by the UI School of Music and placed in St. Mark’s with the agreement that it is to be shared by the church and the university students and faculty. The Convention Atlas states that the organ “is believed to be the only virtually tonally and mechanically intact example of this builder.” It is a beauty, sitting all shiny and buffed to the right side of the altar and pulpit.
This concert was unique in its use of visual media. As we entered, a PowerPoint presentation was giving information and photos about the organ’s restoration and installation. When the concert began the presentation went further, showing us pictures of each composer and the registration being used—changing as the performer changed them. It was a really helpful and riveting feature!
Dr. Young played very well, opening with S. S. Wesley’s “Choral Song” from Three Pieces for a Chamber Organ. It was followed with a Horatio Parker Scherzo, and then two Hoosier composers: Ned Rorem’s There Is a Spirit That Delights to Do No Evil . . . and William Albright’s charming “The Flues Blues” from The King of Instruments. The Albright piece was played with clever winks, nudges and wit. The hymn by William Albrecht, Father, We Thank Thee (Albrecht), was very effectively played, with loads of sonority. Next up was Vierne’s virtuosic “Impromptu” from Pièces de fantaisie, 3rd suite, op. 55, which he tossed off with great ease, grace and élan. The Oboe blended very well as a chorus reed. He closed his stimulating concert with Dudley Buck’s Variations for Organ on Foster’s Melody “Old Folks at Home.” The Oboe with tremolo was sweet and sentimental, accompanied by the Dulciana, which had a warm presence. The third variation featured some brilliant pedal solos. Hearty congratulations to Michael Rathke, organbuilder of Greens Fork, Indiana, for his superb job in restoring this fine instrument.

We then headed east to Indianapolis and Sacred Heart Church for a recital by Tom Nichols, music director at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Indianapolis (where we attended Choral Evensong the night before). The 19th-century gothic church is a feast for the eyes, with a nave and two side aisles.There are five beautifully carved altars across the front, a communion rail and a pulpit complete with winding staircase, and elaborate canopy. Imagine our surprise when we read our atlas carefully and learned that the interior had been destroyed by fire on April 27, 2001, and had been completely restored to its former appearance! Amazing dedication of numerous artisans, and a wisely chosen diocesan insurance policy, plus a great deal of love and dedication of the parishioners made it possible. The organ was built in 1899 by Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s William Schuelke, Opus 146. It was also worked on by Pilcher and Wicks. The fire destroyed all but seven ranks, and caused partial destruction of a few others. Wicks has rebuilt the instrument salvaging what they could. The sound in that resonant acoustic is very good.
Nichols began with the hymn The King of Love My Shepherd Is (St. Columba), which soared and rang through this gorgeous church with its wall-to-wall terrazzo floor. He then played two movements from Dupré’s Fifteen Pieces for Organ Founded on Antiphons, op. 18, nos. 5 and 7. That was followed by the G-major Prelude from “Bach’s” Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. Eight little gems!
Next came a great demo of the flutes in Dan Locklair’s beautiful “Silence may be kept” from Rubrics, which he played with great sensitivity. Then came an old favorite of mine, Cantilène by Gabriel Pierné. The Cornopean and Doppel Flute were quite wonderful, as were the lush strings. Emma Lou Diemer’s setting of the Battle Hymn of the Republic gave us another chance to enjoy the strings and Doppel Flute. Nichols performed his own set of variations on the tune Slane (Make Us True Servants) that was quite a good piece. His final selection was by Matthew Dickerson, a lively, dance-like setting of Lasst uns erfreuen that showed the organ well. As we left we enjoyed looking again at the twin 165-foot steeples of this venerable building.
But the day was not done. More wonders awaited us at one of Indianapolis’s most magnificent buildings: the Scottish Rite Cathedral, an immense Gothic structure built with Indiana limestone and looking, for all the world, like Riverside Church in New York City. It is believed to be the largest building in the world dedicated to Freemasonry. We stepped out of the buses into the late afternoon sunshine and took up benches in a huge park across the street and listened to a concert played for us on the cathedral’s 63-bell carillon housed in the 212-foot central tower. The carillon was cast by the Taylor Bell Foundry, Loughborough, England. The concert was expertly played for us by John Gouwens, whom we had heard in an organ recital on Friday—a man of many talents, he. His program included Pealing Fire by Libby Larsen, Impromptu by Léon Henry, Stephen Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer, a piano piece, Charmes by Federico Mompou, which Gouwens transcribed, and his own Sicilienne ronde. It was a very agreeable change of pace for us to sit in that beautiful park, which is an urban mall, containing numerous huge monuments to honor war dead. If you’ve never been to Indianapolis, I highly recommend a visit!
We then entered the cathedral, passing through one stunning room after another, finally making our way to the large ballroom where we enjoyed a bountiful buffet. We then went upstairs to the 1300-seat auditorium, where we heard a great recital by Martin Ellis playing the glorious 1929 Skinner organ (5m, 71rks), Opus 696. The auditorium is a step back in time to an opulent world of deep reds and a forest of dark and gleaming walnut. Huge carved angels act as brackets supporting the ceiling. The seating is horseshoe shaped around a platform that leads to a stage. The organ console is placed in and among the seats at the opposite side of the room from the stage. The pipes are all in the ceiling and speak through a grille. There are Antiphonal and Stage divisions in a separate locations. Originally the organ had a four-manual console. The Reisner company provided a new five-manual console in 1969. The sound is powerful and has an amazing presence in the room.
Ellis opened with the hymn God of Grace and God of Glory (Cwm Rhondda), which was followed by a grandiose arrangement by Richard Ellsasser of a Frescobaldi Introduction and Toccata. Bach’s Toccata in F Major, BWV 540, worked surprisingly well on this very orchestral organ. He followed that with Seven Sketches of Utrillo by Robert Hebble, in which we could hear many of the beautiful solo stops on this huge instrument as it evokes Parisian scenes. Next up was his own arrangement of Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance; coming out the ceiling as it was made the colors and rhythms very intoxicating. Mr. Ellis is a very youthful, energetic performer, who is organist and assistant director of music for North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.
After intermission we again heard Vierne’s Berceuse, a piece I never tire of hearing, followed by Ellis’s arrangement of Louis Adler’s novelty tune High Hat. He played it in pure theatre organ style, which was delightfully refreshing. His talented fingers and musicianship ruled the day! He also played a piece by Indiana composer Janet Louise Mauzi entitled Momento. As it happened, the composer (b. 1916) was present at this recital. The ever gallant Mr. Ellis paid tribute to her. The work was a sweet-cup-of-tea sort of piece—utterly beguiling. Ellis closed with Elgar’s famous Pomp and Circumstance in D Major, which he tore into with bold, muscular energy, performing it with great style, spaciousness and nobility. His encore was the late Welsh composer William Mathias’s Recessional—a strong and lively piece that made a nice aperitif. It was an altogether thrilling concert—a perfect ending to a long but pleasant day.

Tuesday, July 17
The convention, on its final day, was joined by the first rainfall we’d seen all week. It was most welcome as grass everywhere was going dormant from lack of rain. Our first stop was Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg, Indiana, a suburban area of Indianapolis. The congregation was begun in 1828, but the building we entered was built in 2006. From their previous building, they brought with them their organ built by Charles Ruggles in 1994: three manuals, although the Rückpositif is prepared for. It has a commanding position on a platform behind and about eight feet above the altar, and has a fine North German tonal palette. The handsome stop knobs are of brass.
Our soloist was Carla Edwards, professor of organ and associate dean of the School of Music at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She began with Brahms’s Praeludium in G Major. It was well played and, among other things, gave us a good hearing of the elegantly voiced 8′ Principal. The mixtures are quite good. I especially enjoyed the pedal’s full-length, deep-throated 16′ Trombone. She next gave us Daniel Pinkham’s Variations on Wondrous Love, followed by Gerald Near’s A Triptych of Fugues. The second fugue, marked “Slowly, expressively,” nicely demonstrated the rich, full flutes of this fine organ. The hymn was another Wesley hymn, Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above (Amsterdam). We sounded grand singing in the resonant acoustics of this attractive worship space.

The next stop was a unique experience for most of us: a visit to a Quaker Yearly Meetinghouse. Upon entering we were immediately struck by the peaceful simplicity of the place. Smooth wooden floors and pews stretched out along the width of this rectangular structure with simple tables at the front. On the left side stood an attractive 1899 August Prante organ, 2m, 16rks, which had been relocated by the Organ Clearing House in 1999 from the former Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Indianapolis. It was restored and installed by Goulding & Wood. The case has honey-colored wood and the façade pipes are in shades of cream and maroon.
William Aylesworth, distinguished organist from Chicago, and longtime OHSer, was the performer. We began with the singing of My Country, ’tis of Thee, but from then on all the music was by Chicago composers. His first selection was by Robert John Lind (b. 1940), Festludium in C, a fine contrapuntal piece. The next pieces, also by Lind, were a smart set of variations on Nun danket alle Gott, newly composed for Mr. Aylesworth to use at this concert.
Next came a sweet and gentle piece, In Summer by Charles Albert Stebbins (1874–1958). After a pp beginning, it grew into a larger, expansive sound, coming back down to an Oboe solo with tremolo and to the softest sounds again. Meditation by Rosseter G. Cole (1866–1952) was one of those dreamy, wandering little pieces that I found to be charming. He closed this program of good music unknown to most of us with another Cole piece, A Song of Gratitude, a joyous work. We were then served cookies and lemonade at which time we could enjoy the beauty of the grounds with large, lush, well-shaped trees. It was a refreshing pause for all of us.
After lunch at DePauw University in Greencastle, we gathered at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, a small building with a lively acoustic, that is adjacent to the campus. Kirby Koriath performed on the 2002 Zamberlan organ (2m, 23rk), Opus 1. Mr. Koriath is coordinator of graduate programs and professor of organ, church music and harpsichord at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. The organ stands in a rear balcony in a modern case. Nearly all the pipework was vintage pipework obtained from the Organ Clearing House. Some of the old pipes came from the 1870 E. & G. G. Hook Opus 555 built for the Methodist Episcopal Church of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and from a ca. 1855 George Stevens or Stevens & Jewett organ.
Koriath began with Simon Preston’s Alleluyas. It was clear that this is not a shy organ and a bit on the strong side for such a small room. Next he played Pachelbel’s Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in which we heard the beautiful Stopped Diapason (Hook) with the cantus in the Pedal on the Hautboy. Then more Pachelbel, his Toccata in D Minor. The loudness of this organ was particularly apparent in this piece and the hymn Es sungen drei Engel, a carol I fondly remember from my study of Orff-Schulwerk many years ago. He ended with a three-movement work on the hymn we had just sung: Orgelkonzert über die Weise “Es sungen drei Engel” by Hans Friedrich Micheelsen (1902–1973). I enjoyed the second movement’s use of the flute stops. Mr. Koriath played very well, and I enjoyed the pieces he chose. More variety and restraint in dynamics would have left a better impression.
Our next event was back on the DePauw campus in a large room on the second floor of the oldest building on campus, Meharry Hall. The rectangular room has a horseshoe balcony. Large portraits of past presidents line the walls above and below the balcony. The organ was at the rear in the balcony—an Aeolian-Skinner that was originally built as an antiphonal division for a large Kimball and was probably one of the last instruments Aeolian-Skinner built before the Second World War. All the pipework for the 2m, 13rk instrument was exposed.
The organist was Kristi Koriath (wife of Kirby Koriath whom we had just heard!), organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Muncie, Indiana. She began her program with a Partita on “Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden” by Flor Peeters, in which we could hear the fine voicing of this Aeolian-Skinner: it was clear, refined, and never forced. Next we heard a fine performance of Vierne’s “Scherzetto” from 24 Pièces en style libre, op. 31, which worked very well on this attractive little organ.
Ms. Koriath introduced our hymn Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott (rhythmic) with a chorale prelude by Buxtehude. Verse three was an organ solo: a chorale prelude by Jan Bender that used a 4′ reed in the Pedal. On verse four we joined her, but her accompaniment did not work so well as it had in the other verses. I’m not sure what happened, but we never got back on track. Hymns are funny things. Next came a Bach chorale prelude, Mit Fried’ und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin, BWV 616, which was very enjoyable. She closed with a lively reading of Bach’s Prelude in G Major, BWV 541. We left with happy faces—not the easiest thing to summon up on the last day.
We then bused to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, one of the few remaining all-male undergraduate colleges in the country (850 students), to hear the 3m Aeolian-Skinner organ in the college’s chapel. Our soloist was the tireless Stephen Schnurr, director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, secretary of the OHS National Council, and chair of the Historic Organ Citations Committee, and who, with Dennis Northway, is author/publisher of the book Pipe Organs of Chicago. As if that weren’t enough, Dr. Schnurr also wrote all the convention venue histories for the 300-page Organ Atlas 2007, which is an extraordinary and invaluable resource. Oh, and he is an excellent organist and teacher!
He opened with the hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Beecher) because of Henry Beecher’s connections to this chapel. The chapel is in New England Meeting House style with horseshoe balcony and clear Palladian windows. The colors blue and white predominate. The barrel-vaulted ceiling gave our singing much resonance. The console, rebuilt by Goulding & Wood, was moved front and center on the stage. The pipes are in chambers on either side of the stage. The auditorium’s walls are lined with portraits of past presidents. Schnurr continued with Mendelssohn’s Sonata in B-flat Major, op. 65, no. 4, which he played with great energy. He generously shared the program with his student, Micah Raebel, who will be a senior at Kankakee Valley High School, Wheatfield, Indiana. Micah performed the second and third movements of the Mendelssohn with great clarity—a talented young man, he! He used the Oboe stop to great effect. Dr. Schnurr played the final movement.
Next up was Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s Jagged Peaks in the Starlight, which sounded very well on this organ—the Clarinet is a dream of purity. That was followed by another Indiana composer, H. Leroy Baumgartner (1891–1969), with his Prelude and Fugue on the Tune “Laudes Domine,” op. 42, no. 7. Dr. Schnurr and young Mr. Raebel sat down together on the bench for a 4-hand, 4-foot piece by Gustav Merkel (1827–1885), Sonata in D Minor, op. 30: Allegro moderato. This is a good duet if you are looking for such a thing. They played it very well. A fine and interesting recital with which to end the afternoon!
Back in Indianapolis, we all looked forward to dinner at The Rathskeller, a great old building that looked like a German Rathaus, with an interior decked out in all things Germanic. The food, served buffet style, was very good, but alas, none of it was German! Nevertheless, no one went away hungry. We then walked two blocks, passing a huge Shriner temple, to Zion Evangelical UCC Church for the closing recital of the convention by Ken Cowan on the church’s 1933, 4m, 63rk Kimball, with an antiphonal division added by Casavant in 1955. The organ stands in a chamber to the left side of the front of the church, speaking into the church at an angle. Renovated by Reynolds Associates in 1999, it is quite a beautiful-sounding instrument and a favorite of Indianapolis area organists.
It is difficult to find enough adjectives to describe Ken Cowan’s playing. He is simply one of the best anywhere! He began with Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor, op. 65, no. 1. I especially enjoyed the soft whispering sounds of the sweet Erzähler and Swell strings. In the third movement he used the fine Clarinet, and the final movement moved along with great momentum with its arpeggios and chromatic passages. The hymn was All Things Bright and Beautiful (Royal Oak), which bubbled along merrily under his care. He spoke before each piece he played; his charming, boyish manner belied the blazing musicianship that streams out of the pipes at every turn.
His next piece was Fugue, Canzone, and Epilog by Karg-Elert. Now, Cowan is a master colorist, but he had a surprise for us when suddenly we heard a real violin begin to play from within the organ chamber. It was soon joined by a trio of women’s voices. The magical effect was enchanting. When it was over, he brought out the trio, and the violinist, Lisa Shihoten, whom he introduced as his wife. We cheered. Before intermission, Ken and his wife played a great violin/organ duet, Chaconne in G Minor for Violin and Organ by Tommaso Antonio Vitali (1663–1745) in an arrangement by Leopold Auer. This is a very good piece and Mr. Cowan gave it the full romantic orchestral treatment. Ms. Shihoten is a superb player who brought great passion to the music.
Following intermission, Mr. Cowan and Ms. Shihoten returned for two more pieces together: Caprice for Violin and Organ by Naji Hakim, and the second movement of Violin Concerto in D Minor, op. 47, by Jan Sables. The Hakim piece was commissioned by the AGO, and Cowan described it as being “light hearted.” It is that in spades, sounding like an audience of laughing people. In places it reminded me of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, with the occasional Cuban or Latin American rhythm. The organ part seems not for the faint of heart, but it sure sounds like fun. The music sparkles. I don’t think the audience stopped smiling once from beginning to end. The Sibelius movement was quite a contrast—all warm and low in the violin with luscious string tone in a bit more movement supporting, building to a climactic forte then pulling back for the violin entrance. The Kimball’s gorgeous tone embraced the violin and all of us. It is a marvelous instrument.
For the next item on the program, Ken came out alone to play Vierne’s Naïades. But, before he could start he had to fetch his wife who he had “engaged as a page turner.” They came back out and she had her violin bow in hand because she could not reach all the way across the wide pages on the wide music rack. She demonstrated her technique much to the merriment of all of us. Naïades, a difficult work, was played effortlessly. Cowan closed with his arrangement of Franz Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1. Needless to say it was utterly fantastic! I’ve heard him play many times and each time I come away wondering how he could ever “top this,” and every time he manages to do it! We leapt to our feet amid shouts of “Bravo!” He came back and gave us a charming bonbon of an encore, Gigue by Bossi.
It was a stunning end to a convention that was well run, on time, gracious, and friendly. Many of us come each year, finding that it is always a pleasure to be among our own kind—people who love the organ, instruments old and new. People who love history, love to get a feel for a particular area of the country and to learn about how pipe organs, and the buildings in which they stand, are a part of the fabric of communities large and small. Being fans of architecture plays a key role as does curiosity about local cuisine. On the bus rides, we like to sit with different people each time we board. It is fascinating to discover all their backgrounds. We find professors, cathedral organists, parish organists, organ builders, organ historians, and some who don’t play at all, but just like to listen to organ music. With 25 concerts one certainly has an opportunity for that! We come from all over the world to experience the American organ. There is much to be proud of here, and it was on fine display in the long history of superb organs in the Central Indiana region at this summer’s convention. Bravo to the committee and to the Organ Historical Society!■