Cover feature

Casavant Frères op. 3837 (2005)
The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York

A brief history of Brick Church’s Casavant organ
Ever since my first encounter with the Cavaillé-Coll archives at Oberlin during my student days there in the early 1980s, it has been a dream of mine to be involved in an organ project that would recreate the sounds of the French symphonic organ in a North American setting. When an anonymous donor came forward to provide funding to replace Brick Church’s long-ailing Austin organ, I knew that the time had come to act upon my dream.
In November 2001, I invited four internationally recognized organ builders from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany to bid on a new organ for the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York. I provided the builders with a preliminary specification and design for the organ. The proposed design was strongly modeled after those instruments built in the latter part of the 19th century by the renowned Parisian organ builder, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Upon reviewing the proposals from these four organ builders, it was particularly telling that three out of the four builders required the assistance of the pre-eminent Cavaillé-Coll expert Jean-Louis Coignet in order to successfully realize this organ. In July 2002, Brick Church commissioned organbuilders Casavant Frères of Ste-Hyacinthe, Québec, for a new electric slider chest organ of 88 independent stops (101 speaking stops), 118 ranks and 6288 pipes. This organ, with its dual sixteen-foot façades, was installed during the summer of 2005.
As Jean-Louis Coignet writes later in this article, tonally recreating a French symphonic organ in the 21st century is not an easy task. Even for a firm such as Casavant with its long history, the techniques of voicing in this style had long departed the firm. After thorough discussion and experimentation with the Casavant voicers, we finally decided upon Jean-Sébastien Dufour, one of the younger voicers at Casavant, to be the head voicer for this project. Mr. Dufour was the most willing and also the most skilled of Casavant’s voicers to realize Dr. Coignet’s explicit directions. Mr. Dufour was assisted in his labors by Yves Champagne, Casavant’s senior voicer. Jean-Louis Coignet, Jacquelin Rochette (when Coignet was in France), and I carefully guided the voicing process both in the factory and at Brick Church.
The Brick Church project was a very detailed and complex one. I am thankful to the trustees of Brick Church for providing the support for me to travel to Casavant on the average of once every four weeks during the construction of the organ. This hands-on oversight allowed for a most exacting and fruitful collaboration with Casavant. In any large organ project, things can develop that are not planned unless there is continuous and careful oversight. I am thankful to André Gremillet, then president of Casavant Frères, who gave me much freedom to interact with the various departments within Casavant. In essence, Mr. Gremillet allowed me to act as their project director for this project. Such collaboration is rare in the organ industry. Mr. Gremillet also allowed Jean-Louis Coignet to realize his dreams and directives in a manner that had not been afforded Coignet previously at Casavant. The scholarly and artistic interaction between Jean-Louis Coignet, Casavant, and myself on all matters involving this instrument made for as perfect a realization as possible.
The Brick Church commission enabled Jean-Louis Coignet and Casavant to realize, without any compromise, a large, new instrument fully in the French symphonic tradition. Dr. Coignet’s life-long, firsthand experience with the great Cavaillé-Coll organs as expert organier for the historic organs of Paris, along with his encyclopedic knowledge of the symphonic style of organ building, have contributed immensely to the success of the organ both mechanically and tonally. The Brick Church organ has few peers in North America in its ability to accurately reproduce the sounds of the great French organs. This organ also holds a special place in the Casavant opus list. It is the last instrument to be completed by Casavant with Jean-Louis Coignet as their tonal director. Upon completion of this organ, Coignet retired from his position at Casavant and also his position as expert organier for the City of Paris.
This organ, a gift of one anonymous donor, is called the Anderson Organ in recognition of the dedicated ministry of The Reverend Dr. Herbert B. Anderson and his wife Mrs. Mary Lou Anderson. Dr. Anderson was senior pastor of Brick Church from 1978 until 2001.
—Keith S. Toth
Minister of Music and Organist
The Brick Presbyterian Church
New York City

Notes from Jean-Louis Coignet on Casavant Frères Opus 3837
Designing an organ in the French symphonic style is by no means a difficult assignment. However, building a new organ today in that style is more challenging as it requires using techniques, particularly of winding and voicing, which have not been in customary use for a long time. Fortunately, there exist a few examples of fine French symphonic organ building that can be carefully studied in order to regain these techniques. These few examples remain, in spite of the many misguided alterations that had been perpetrated during the 20th century on many symphonic organs, especially in France.
As soon as I was consulted about the Brick Church project, I visited the sanctuary and evaluated its dimensions and acoustics as well as those of the organ chambers. At that time I remembered what Cavaillé-Coll had written concerning the location of organs (in De l’orgue et de son architecture): “It is noticeable that the effect of organs is largely lost whenever they are situated in the high parts of a building; on the contrary they profit by being installed in the lower parts. The small choir organs give a striking example of this fact.” So, far from considering it a pitfall to have to put the organ in chambers on both sides of the chancel, I took the best advantage of the situation.
After much discussion with Keith S. Toth, whose clear vision and strong determination were so important all throughout the building of Opus 3837, I realized that the best instrument for Brick Church would be an organ fairly similar to the one built by A. Cavaillé-Coll for the Albert Hall in Sheffield, England in 1873 (this organ was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1937). Another inspiration came from the organ in Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral as I heard it in the mid-1950s. It is a shame that this organ, which was Cavaillé-Coll’s favorite, was completely altered from its original tonal character in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as was César Franck’s Cavaillé-Coll organ in Sainte-Clotilde, Paris.
The Notre-Dame organ displayed a unique sound effect. In no other organ, with the exception of the Jacquot organ in Verdun Cathedral, had the “ascending voicing” typical of the best French symphonic organs been so splendidly achieved. In fact, the main features of the French symphonic organs are:
• a well-balanced proportion of foundation, mutation and reed stops
• huge dynamic possibilities made possible by many very effective enclosed divisions
• voicing of flue pipes with French slots—“entailles de timbre” (different from the Victorian slots used in some Anglo-American organs) and with nicking sufficient enough to prevent any “chiff”
• a winding system that utilizes double-rise bellows
• ascending voicing with full organ dominated by the reeds

Building process of Opus 3837
Specification: The first step consisted in establishing the final specification of the instrument. It was based upon the preliminary stoplist prepared by Keith Toth. The main change from Mr. Toth’s specification was dividing the Grand-Orgue into two parts, Grand-Orgue and Grand-Chœur, in order to gain more flexibility. This is something that Cavaillé-Coll had done in his most prestigious organs. So, the Brick Church organ has actually five manual divisions. The “chœur de clarinettes” in the Positif as well as the various “progressions harmoniques” are features that were typical of the organ in Paris’s Notre-Dame. The Grand-Orgue Bassons 16′ and 8′ were also inspired by that organ, as well as the independent mutations of the 32′ series in the Pédale.
Apart from the stops peculiar to the French symphonic organ, the Brick Church organ offers a few special effects that were not known in France in the 19th century. Three ranks of pipes (Flutes douce and céleste, Cor français) made for the 1917 Brick Church organ by the esteemed American organ builder Ernest M. Skinner, an admirer of Cavaillé-Coll, were placed in the Solo division. We also retained an interesting Cor anglais (free reed stop) made in Paris by Zimmermann in the late 19th century and imported by the Casavant brothers for one of their early organs. The late Guy Thérien, who built the chapel organ at Brick Church, installed this stop in the previous Austin organ. The Récit’s Voix éolienne is another unique stop that only appeared in Cavaillé-Coll’s large organ at St-Ouen in Rouen. This undulating stop is of chimney flute construction for the most part. Its companion stop is the Cor de nuit. With both stops drawn, a slow undulation is heard. This flute celeste has a haunting beauty not found in the flute celestes of the Anglo-American organ.
Pipework: All the pipework was made according to Cavaillé-Coll scalings; metal pipes are made either of “etain fin” for principals, strings, harmonic part of the flutes, and reeds, or “etoffe” (30% tin) for the bourdons. Wood was used for the bourdons up to B 8′. Wood was also used for the large Pédale stops and for the Contre-Bombarde 32′. For reed stops we used Cavaillé-Coll’s typical parallel closed shallots and also tear drop shallots for the Bassons and Clarinettes 16′ and 8′.
Voicing: Much research on the various voicing parameters was done in order to achieve the desired tone: flue width, toe openings, and nicks were measured on a few carefully preserved French symphonic organs. The slotting was particularly well studied. Thanks to documents from the Cavaillé-Coll workshop in my possession, it was possible to recreate the exact tone of the French symphonic “fonds d’orgue.” In his studies on pipes, Cavaillé-Coll documented this matter quite well: the “entaille de timbre” has to be opened one diameter from the top of the pipe. Its width should be either 1/4 of the pipe diameter for most principals, 1/3 of the pipe diameter for strings and some principals, or 1/5 of the pipe diameter for flutes. It should be noted that the harmonic part of Flûtes harmoniques has to be cut dead length and without slotting (though some organ builders used to make slots even on harmonic pipes). As Jean Fellot very correctly wrote: “Slotting had enormous consequences on voicing. It is not exaggerated to claim that this small detail triggered a real revolution.”
Of particular importance in the formation of our voicing goals for Opus 3837 was a visit by Keith Toth, Dr. John B. Herrington III, and me to the unaltered 1898 Cavaillé-Coll organ of Santa María la Real in Azkoitia in the Spanish Basque territory. This three-manual organ with two enclosed divisions was the last instrument completed under the direction of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and was voiced by Ferdinand Prince. Immediately upon hearing and inspecting this organ, Mr. Toth and I knew that our voicing goals were well founded and attainable. Moreover, at the same time, I was supervising the restoration of two little-known Parisian organs built in the symphonic style: the Cavaillé-Coll-Mutin (1903) organ in Saint-Honoré-d’Eylau and the Merklin (1905) organ in Saint-Dominique. This enabled me to handle pipes that had not been altered (both organs had escaped the neo-classic furia!), to note their exact parameters and compare their sound to new pipes being voiced.
Winding: Large reservoirs were used throughout, some with double-rise bellows, in order to ensure ample wind supply. The overall wind system is remarkably stable, even when the “octaves graves” are used, but with a subtle flexibility that enhances the instrument’s intrinsic musical qualities. Wind pressures are moderate (from 80mm on the Positif to 135mm for the Solo Tuba), which accounts for the unforced tone of the instrument.
Windchests: Slider chests with electric pull-downs were used for the manual and upper Pédale divisions. The large basses were placed on electro-pneumatic windchests.
Console: Lively discussions and visits with Keith Toth resulted in an elegant console with all controls readily accessible. The console, with its terraced stop jambs of mahogany and oblique stopknobs of rosewood and pao ferro, is patterned after those built by Casavant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The highly carved console shell is of American red oak and is patterned after the communion table in the chancel of Brick Church. The manuals have naturals of bone with sharps of ebony. The pedalboard has naturals of maple and sharps of rosewood.
Expression: The enclosures are built with double walls of thick wood with a void between the walls. The shades are of extremely thick dimension. These elements allow for the performance of huge crescendos and diminuendos.
Conclusion: Such a complex undertaking would have never been successful without the collaborative spirit that prevailed throughout the process and certainly not without Keith Toth’s determination and involvement. In fact, on many points, he acted as a “maître d’oeuvre”—during the phase of preparation, we had nearly daily phone conversations that were most enlightening. His numerous visits in the workshop as the organ was being built proved extremely useful. It was a great privilege to collaborate with an organist who has such a deep understanding of the French symphonic organ. His absolute resolve for only the very best was most inspiring. It is our hope that this new organ will serve and uplift the congregation of the Brick Presbyterian Church and that, together with the magnificently renovated sanctuary, it will enrich New York City’s grand musical heritage.
—Jean-Louis Coignet
Châteauneuf-Val-de-Bargis, France

Grand-Orgue (I)
1. Bourdon (1–12 common with No. 78; 13–61 from No. 3) 32′ —
2. Montre (70% tin, 1–18 in façade) 16′ 61
3. Bourdon (1–24 wood, 25–61 30% tin) 16′ 61
4. Montre (70% tin, 2–6 in façade) 8′ 61
5. Salicional (70% tin) 8′ 61
6. Bourdon (1–12 wood, 13–61 30% tin) 8′ 61
7. Prestant (70% tin) 4′ 61
8. Quinte (70% tin) 22⁄3′ 61
9. Doublette (70% tin) 2′ 61
10. Grande Fourniture III–VII (70% tin) 22⁄3′ 326
11. Fourniture II–V (70% tin) 11⁄3′ 224
12. Cymbale III–IV (70% tin) 1′ 232
13. Basson (70% tin, full-length, extension of No. 14) 16′ 12
14. Baryton (70% tin) 8′ 61
Grand-Orgue Grave
Grand-Orgue Muet

Grand-Chœur (I)
15. Violonbasse (Open wood, extension of No. 17) 16′ 12
16. Flûte harmonique (70% tin) 8′ 61
17. Violon (1–12 open wood, 13–61 70% tin) 8′ 61
18. Flûte octaviante (70% tin) 4′ 61
19. Grand Cornet V (From No. 20) 16′ —
20. Cornet V (30%/70% tin, from Tenor C) 8′ 245
21. Bombarde (70% tin; full-length) 16′ 61
22. Trompette (70% tin) 8′ 61
23. Clairon (70% tin, breaks back to 8′ at F#4) 4′ 61
Grand-Chœur Grave
Grand-Chœur Muet

Positif (II)
24. Quintaton (1–24 wood, 25–61 30% tin) 16′ 61
25. Principal (70% tin) 8′ 61
26. Dulciane (70% tin) 8′ 61
27. Unda maris (From GG, 70% tin) 8′ 54
28. Flûte harmonique (70% tin) 8′ 61
29. Bourdon (1–12 wood, 13–61 30% tin) 8′ 61
30. Prestant (70% tin) 4′ 61
31. Flûte douce (30% tin, with chimneys) 4′ 61
32. Nasard (30% tin) 22⁄3′ 61
33. Flageolet (30% tin) 2′ 61
34. Tierce (30% tin) 13⁄5′ 61
35. Larigot (30% tin) 11⁄3′ 61
36. Septième (30% tin) 11⁄7′ 61
37. Piccolo (30% tin) 1′ 61
38. Plein Jeu II–V (70% tin) 11⁄3′ 233
39. Clarinette basse (70% tin) 16′ 61
40. Trompette (70% tin) 8′ 61
41. Cromorne (70% tin) 8′ 61
42. Clarinette soprano (70% tin) 4′ 61
Tremolo (Tremblant doux)
Positif Grave
Positif Muet

Récit (III)
43. Bourdon (1–24 wood, 25–61 30% tin) 16′ 61
44. Diapason (70% tin) 8′ 61
45. Flûte traversière (70% tin) 8′ 61
46. Viole de gambe (70% tin) 8′ 61
47. Voix céleste (From CC, 70% tin) 8′ 61
48. Cor de nuit (1–12 wood, 13–61 30% tin) 8′ 61
49. Voix éolienne (From Tenor C, 30% tin, stopped pipes with chimneys) 8′ 49
50. Fugara (70% tin) 4′ 61
51. Flûte octaviante (70% tin) 4′ 61
52. Nasard (30% tin) 22⁄3′ 61
53. Octavin (70% tin) 2′ 61
54. Cornet harmonique II–V (30%/70% tin) 8′ 245
55. Plein Jeu harmonique II–V (70% tin) 2′ 228
56. Bombarde (70% tin; full-length) 16′ 61
57. Trompette harmonique (70% tin) 8′ 61
58. Basson-Hautbois (70% tin) 8′ 61
59. Voix humaine (70% tin) 8′ 61
60. Clarinette (70% tin) 8′ 61
61. Clairon harmonique (70% tin) 4′ 61
Tremolo (À vent perdu)
Récit Grave
Récit Muet
Récit Octave
Sostenuto

Solo (IV)
62. Flûte majeure (1–24 open wood, 25–61 30% tin) 8′ 61
63. Flûtes célestes II (Existing Skinner pipework) 8′ 110
64. Violoncelle (70% tin) 8′ 61
65. Céleste (70% tin) 8′ 61
66. Viole d’amour (70% tin) 4′ 61
67. Flûte de concert (70% tin) 4′ 61
68. Nasard harmonique (70% tin) 22⁄3′ 61
69. Octavin (70% tin) 2′ 61
70. Tierce harmonique (70% tin) 13⁄5′ 61
71. Piccolo harmonique (70% tin) 1′ 61
72. Clochette harmonique (70% tin) 1⁄3′ 61
73. Tuba magna (Tenor C, from No. 75) 16′ —
74. Cor de basset (70% tin, hooded) 16′ 61
75. Tuba mirabilis (70% tin, hooded from CC) 8′ 61
76. Cor français (Existing, revoiced; on separate chest) 8′ 61
77. Cor anglais (Existing, revoiced) 8′ 61
Tremolo (À vent perdu)
Solo Grave
Solo Muet
Solo Octave
Sostenuto

Pédale
78, Soubasse (Stopped wood, extension of No. 82) 32′ 12
79. Flûte (Open wood) 16′ 32
80. Contrebasse (70% tin, 1–18 in façade) 16′ 32
81. Violonbasse (Grand-Chœur) 16′ —
82. Soubasse (Stopped wood) 16′ 32
83. Montre (Grand-Orgue) 16′ —
84. Bourdon (Récit) 16′ —
85. Grande Quinte (Open wood) 102⁄3′ 32
86. Flûte (Open wood) 8′ 32
87. Violoncelle (70% tin, 2–6 in façade) 8′ 32
88. Bourdon (1–12 stopped wood, 13–32 30% tin) 8′ 32
89. Grande Tierce (70% tin) 62⁄5′ 32
90. Quinte (70% tin) 51⁄3′ 32
91. Grande Septième (70% tin) 44⁄7′ 32
92. Octave (70% tin) 4′ 32
93. Flûte (Open wood) 4′ 32
94. Cor de nuit (70% tin) 2′ 32
95. Contre-Bombarde (Wood, full-length, hooded, extension of No. 96) 32′ 12
96. Bombarde (1–6 wood, 6–32 70% tin) 16′ 32
97. Basson (Grand-Orgue) 16′ —
98. Bombarde (Récit) 16′ —
99. Trompette (70% tin) 8′ 32
100. Baryton (Grand-Orgue) 8′ —
101. Clairon (70% tin) 4′ 32

Analysis
Stops Ranks Pipes
Grand-Orgue 12 25 1343
Grand-Chœur 7 11 623
Positif 19 23 1324
Récit 19 27 1498
Solo 15 16 964
Pédale 16 16 536
TOTAL 88 118 6288

Couplers
(Multiplex)
Grand-Orgue à la Pédale
Grand-Chœur à la Pédale
Récit à la Pédale
Récit Octave à la Pédale
Positif à la Pédale
Positif Octave à la Pédale
Solo à la Pédale
Solo Octave à la Pédale

Récit Grave au Grand-Orgue
Récit au Grand-Orgue
Récit Octave au Grand-Orgue
Positif Grave au Grand-Orgue
Positif au Grand-Orgue
Solo Grave au Grand-Orgue
Solo au Grand-Orgue
Solo Octave au Grand-Orgue
Pédale au Grand-Orgue

Grand-Orgue au Positif
Grand-Chœur au Positif
Récit Grave au Positif
Récit au Positif
Récit Octave au Positif
Solo au Positif

Solo au Récit
Solo Octave au Récit

Grand-Chœur au Solo

* Grand-Orgue – Grand-Chœur / Positif Reverse (including divisional combinations)
* This control is not affected by the combination action, crescendo or full organ.
Union des Expressions
Coupure de Pédalier

Casavant Frères, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada

Principia College, Cox Auditorium, Elsah, Illinois, Opus 3838

The history of Principia dates from 1897 when Mary Kimball Morgan began home schooling her two sons in order to give them a “fuller” education than what she found in the public schools in St. Louis. Mrs. Morgan, a Christian Scientist, based her educational philosophy on the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. Soon, when other parents began to observe the difference between her sons and their children, she was asked to take them as students. In 1898 the name Principia was chosen, and by 1906 the first high school graduation was held. A junior college—one of the first in the United States—was added in 1912, and in 1934 the first graduates of the senior college emerged to begin their careers. Today, although it is not an official institution of the Christian Science Church, Principia is staffed by Christian Scientists to serve Christian Science students from infants through adults. Principia maintains two campuses. The college itself is magnificently located on limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Elsah, Illinois.

The architect for the college campus, Bernard Ralph Maybeck (1862–1957) of San Francisco, California, was retained in 1923 to prepare a master plan. He decided to use an English village as the inspiration for his creation, to which he referred as his “favorite child.” Construction began in 1931 during the Great Depression, and by 1935 the college moved to the new location in Elsah. In 1993 the Principia College campus was granted National Historic Landmark status by the United States Department of the Interior for its unique plan and distinctive original buildings.

A large auditorium was constructed in 1964, primarily for the annual Principia Public Affairs Conferences. It was soon realized that a much wider variety of activities were using the building and that a pipe organ would be a valued asset. Detlef Kleuker Orgelbau of Brackwede/Westfallen, Germany, installed a two-manual, 32-rank instrument with electric-slider action in 1967. The organ was mounted on a platform hung from a sidewall, the console being positioned in front of stage center. Virgil Fox performed the inaugural concert. Various mechanical problems developed within a short period, and the tonal quality of the instrument proved to be inadequate for the size of the auditorium. Principia decided in 1983 to have the organ rebuilt and enlarged. The result was unfortunately even less successful, both tonally and mechanically, than the original Kleuker. With two failures, the school administration was understandably hesitant to consider another organ project for Cox Auditorium. Yet, a reliable and highly versatile instrument continued to be a demonstrated need for the building. The Music Department, led by college organist Dr. John Near, initiated discussions with the administration in 2000 to have several organ builders visit the campus and provide proposals for a mechanical action organ that would reflect many of the tenets found in the organs of Cavaillé-Coll. Casavant Frères was awarded the contract in August 2002 after several individual donors and the college classes of 1952 and 1953 generously provided funding as their 50th reunion gift to Principia.

When the Casavant team of Jacquelin Rochette (tonal director), Didier Grassin (tracker workshop director), and Carroll Hanson (Casavant representative) visited the site for the first time, we clearly realized the challenges that Cox Auditorium would bring. The 1100-seat auditorium is a shoebox-shaped room 180¢ long and 72¢ wide with a rising seating floor and a large stage. Despite the concrete floor and brick sidewalls, the acoustics are fairly unforgiving. This is mostly due to the thin suspended ceiling, heavy stage curtains and padded seats. The proposed placement of the organ at the back of the stage was enough to depress any weathered organbuilder. The instrument would have to share the space with an active ballet and theater program; it would be allowed a strictly limited footprint that could not interfere with the stage lighting; and it would be subject to potential damage due to the maneuvering of backdrops and decors required by various performances. In addition, a thick proscenium dropped about 8¢ from the ceiling at the front of the stage. Seen from the back of the auditorium, the top portion of the organ would have been hidden. Budget and other administrative practicalities did not allow us much leeway.

We walked away scratching our heads, wondering what layout would minimize the effect of this unfortunate placement. We investigated the possibility of moving the organ forward for musical events, studied the floor strength, and researched the feasibility of air cushions. We were ready to try anything in order to get the sound out of the stage.

That is when the ballet program came to the rescue. After a particularly successful ballet evening, the dance group effectively argued that the loss of precious stage floor would drastically restrict the breadth of their shows. The organ had to go elsewhere.

The move off the stage was certainly good news, visually and tonally. We gave a sigh of relief, although the placement question was still not solved. The previous defunct organ was set against the left wall on a small platform, but such a position would not have been adequate for the large three-manual scheme that was envisioned. The college was ready to explore all options. The possibility of adding a side extension to the building opened the door to a viable solution. It was felt that the organ should not speak entirely sideways to the audience, and sketches were prepared to study the feasibility of an angled case whose platform would link with the main stage. It quickly transpired that steel columns supporting the building could be neither suppressed nor moved. This added another layer of technical difficulties, as we would have to build the organ either beside or around the immovable pillars. Any viable solution encompassing a steel column would have to give good access to the windchests and pipework for maintenance and tuning. After many careful studies, we were able to propose a solution in which the organ would be angled by 20 degrees, with the Récit key action trackers brushing past a steel column. The success of the placement would have to rely on the precision of the new building extension and our own manufacturing, as both organ and building would have to fit like hand and glove. It turned out that the construction of the new chamber was superbly crafted under the college’s supervision, and 30' tall walls were impeccably vertical and placed within a quarter of an inch of the required dimensions.

The internal parts of the instrument are organized in two layers: the Grand Orgue, the Positif, and the Pédale upperwork occupy the front section in the protruding casework, while the Récit Expressif and the large pedal pipework stand behind in the new chamber. The organ is set on symmetrical windchests laid out in major thirds from tenor C for the manual divisions. Since the case follows a strict Werkprinzip, one can read the placement of the main divisions on the façade: the Positif, just above the console, is crowned by the Grand Orgue and its Montre 8'; the Pédale is on either side behind the 16' Montre. The Récit division has been split in two sections: the flues, Hautbois, and Voix humaine are at the front, and the battery of 16', 8' and 4' reeds are at the back. The key action has been realized with traditional wooden trackers, wooden squares, and steel rollers. The electric drawstop action is complemented with a generous capture system. The winding is done through large single rise reservoirs and wooden trunks.

The case design itself is a reflection of the very successful Maybeck architecture that graces the college buildings. We tried to emulate the elegant Arts & Crafts feel by mixing strict main lines with gently curved pipeshades. Great care has been given to enhance the verticality of the overall composition by breaking any potential horizontal lines. The case is made of stained solid American walnut throughout, with highlights of natural maple in the pipeshades. The polished tin façade provides a strong contrast with the soft grain of the walnut. The ensemble warmly glows in the auditorium.

Despite its curved drawstop terraces and porcelain stop nameplates, the console is not trying to copy any Cavaillé-Coll examples. The various elements and their arrangement have been chosen for their elegance and feel. It is a play of simplicity and richness with the walnut highlighted by thin strips of ebony. All the electronic controls, with the exception of a small readout, are discreetly hidden behind small doors.

The tonal architecture of the instrument is thoroughly grounded in the 19th-century French tradition. Dr. Near’s passion for French organ literature, especially that of Charles-Marie Widor, had to find a good vehicle through a full and noble sound. Jacquelin Rochette shaped a tonal structure that continues the musical principles set in the highly successful organ of Brick Church in New York City and which serves effectively the immense corpus of the French repertoire. The organ is articulated around a traditional 16¢ Grand Orgue. The Récit Expressif is typical of the large Récit found in late grand Cavaillé-Coll organs, with the exception of the 16¢ Bourdon that Dr. Near preferred to have in the Positif. The Positif is treated more classically with its series of mutations and a large-scale Cromorne. The Pédale is richly endowed from 32' upwards, although it is the division with the most compromises, as the large reeds and stopped flutes have been obtained through extensions.

Thanks to the wealth of foundation stops, many built with “entaille de timbre,” the organ is solidly grounded, and the generous basses contribute a wonderful gravitas to the instrument. Given the musical goals of retaining clarity throughout the entire compass and achieving nice initiation of speech, the mixtures have been purposely kept under control to avoid any aggressiveness. At the same time, though, the large number of reed stops—twenty percent of the ensemble, built with full-length resonators and designed with Cavaillé-Coll shallots—provides a thrilling tutti of great richness without ever being shrill.

This instrument was not without technical difficulties, and we have been fortunate to work alongside a college whose search for excellence has encouraged us to challenge ourselves. This exhilarating experience was greatly facilitated by their continuing support and assistance. A special thanks goes to Dr. John Near for his valuable guidance and his deep involvement during the entire project. Dr. Near will inaugurate the organ on May 11.

Didier Grassin

Jacquelin Rochette

Casavant Frères

A note from the college organist

Principia is thrilled to have this magnificent new organ in Cox Auditorium. It brings a much-needed new dimension to the performance opportunities at the college, and it is a wonderful addition to the musical landscape of the greater St. Louis community. I want to express my gratitude to the many generous donors who made the project possible, and to all the Casavant personnel who worked so tirelessly to make the instrument such a fine success.

John R. Near

Professor of Music

Casavant Opus 3838

3 manuals, 42 stops


Grand Orgue

16' Montre

8' Montre

8' Violoncelle

8' Bourdon

8' Flûte harmonique

4' Prestant

4' Flûte ouverte

4' Doublette

22?3'Cornet III

11?3' Fourniture IV–V

16' Bombarde

8' Trompette

4' Clairon

Récit Expressif

8' Diapason

8' Bourdon

8' Viole de gambe

8' Voix céleste (TC)

4' Octave

4' Flûte octaviante

2' Octavin

2' Plein jeu V

16' Basson

8' Trompette harmonique

8' Hautbois

8' Voix humaine

4'' Clairon harmonique

Tremblant

Positif

16' Bourdon doux

8' Principal

8' Cor de nuit

4' Prestant

4' Flûte à fuseau

22?3' Nazard

2' Quarte de nazard

13?5' Tierce

11?3' Larigot

1' Mixture IV

8' Trompette

8' Cromorne

Tremblant

Pédale

32v Soubasse

16' Montre (G.O.)

16' Contrebasse (prepared)

16' Soubasse

16' Bourdon doux (Pos.)

8' Octavebasse

8' Contrebasse (prepared)

8' Bourdon

4' Octave

4' Flute (prepared)

32'Contre Trombone

16' Trombone

8' Trompette

4' Clairon



Pos/G.O.

Réc./G.O.

Réc./Pos.

Tirasse G.O.

Tirasse Pos.

Tirasse Réc.

Ronald Ebrecht, an international performer for more than three decades, has been heard in concert on four continents. His articles have been published on three continents, including two forthcoming in Russian and the present article, which was requested for the Bulletin de l’Association Maurice et Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, where it appeared in a French version in December 2008. He continues work on his next book on the Cavaillé-Coll project for Saint Peter’s, Rome, to be published in 2011. As University Organist at Wesleyan University, he has taught for more than twenty years. Ebrecht has commissioned works from composers such as William Albright, Xiaoyong Chen, Raul de Zaldo Fabila, David Hurd, Christian Wolff and Wesleyan composers Anthony Braxton, Neely Bruce, Jay Hoggard, Ron Kuivila and Alvin Lucier. Many are available from major publishers. His latest performances of the Poulenc Concerto were at Minsk Philharmonic Hall on November 5.

Maurice Duruflé altered his organ works many times from when he composed them in his youth to the end of his life. My intent to know the original led me to strip away these layers.1 I now perform from my restored early versions in which I include Duruflé’s later note corrections. Duruflé’s changes to the Scherzo, opus 2 and Prélude, Adagio et choral varié sur le thème du “Veni Creator,” opus 4 are quite extensive. Informed listeners are often surprised to hear the original published scores.

The Polignac organ
In the process of researching these first editions and my book, I studied the earliest version of the Poulenc Organ Concerto and the instrument where it was premiered by Maurice Duruflé, the Cavaillé-Coll house organ of the Princesse de Polignac, who commissioned the work—the last in her distinguished collection of commissions.2 She was a capable organist and patroness of the arts, who also commissioned Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Poulenc, with no skills as an organist, sought advice from the Princesse’s house concert director, Nadia Boulanger, regarding the solo part. Her interest in early music is revealed in the concerto’s reminiscence of two German Baroque pieces: Buxtehude’s and Bach’s Fantasias in G Minor.
From manuscript sources, I have reconstructed the specification of the Cavaillé-Coll as it was for the premiere, December 16, 1938. Most performers reference the sound of the organ in the 1961 recording of the concerto as performed by Duruflé on the newly restored organ of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont; however, there was no west-end organ in this church when the concerto was premiered, nor when Poulenc consulted with him for the registrations in the published score, because it was removed in spring 1939. Two newspaper articles, one with a photo showing the pipes being removed, chronicle this planned rebuild: Anonymous, “Les Orgues de St-Étienne-du-Mont,” Le Petit Journal, Paris (28 April 1939), and Stephane Faugier, “On transforme les orgues de Saint-Étienne du Mont,” Le Journal, Paris (3 March 1939).
During the previous summer, with Felix Raugel and Marcel Dupré, Duruflé prepared a proposed specification to rebuild the organ.3 The neo-Classic sounds he imagined from the 1938 specification (or those of the quite different 1956 specification of the organ once restored after the war), were not available to the performer on the Polignac organ at the time of the private premiere, nor the Mutin of the public one (see below). The Polignac concert room allowed only a small orchestra, which, combined with its Romantic Cavaillé-Coll organ, certainly produced a melded ensemble quite apart from the ‘oil and water’ effects of Duruflé’s famous recording.
Unfortunately the manuscript does not give the registrations initially used, leaving the problem that the published registrations would not have been possible on the two organs where it was first played. On these the effect was certainly more blended with the orchestra, and more importantly, the timbre of these instruments was decidedly Romantic.
Winnaretta Singer originally commissioned her Cavaillé-Coll in 1892 for the balcony of the atelier of her residence on the corner of what was then the Avenue Henri Martin and is now the Avenue Georges Mandel and the rue Cortambert. After her divorce from her first husband, the Prince de Scey-Montbéliard, she married the Prince Edmond de Polignac, thirty years her senior, in 1893. When Polignac died in 1901, she took down the house leaving the atelier, and built a grand mansion with a separate music room incorporated into the main house on her property. The two-story atelier was also reconstructed, with an apartment on the upper level and a large music room with the rebuilt organ provided on the ground floor. In these two spaces many concerts were given, and the musical and artistic elite of the age gathered: Cocteau, Colbert, Dupré, Fauré, Proust, Stravinsky, etc. Prominent organists often gave recitals, but Duruflé seems not to have been among them, and only had access to the instrument to practice the day before the premiere of the concerto.
Jesse Eschbach in “A Compendium of Known Stoplists by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll 1838–1898” (Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, Vol. 1; Paderborn: Verlag Peter Ewars, 2003, p. 557) omits the Grand orgue Bourdon 16. However, as Eschbach remarks in a footnote, it is included in René Desplat, “L’Orgue de salon dans la région parisienne depuis un siècle,” L’Orgue 83 (April-September 1957): 79–90.4 Similarly, Carolyn Shuster-Fournier in “Les Orgues de Salon d’Aristide Cavaillé-Coll Paris,” L’Orgue: Cahiers et Mémoires, 1997, p. 95, omits it in the specification but mentions it in a footnote. I will prove Desplat correct. The Bourdon 16 was present in all versions of the organ.

Princesse de Polignac, Cavaillé-Coll, 1892, 56-note manuals, 30-note pedal

Grand orgue expressif
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Flûte harmonique 8
Bourdon 8
Prestant 4
Flûte douce 4
Basson 16
Trompette 8
Clairon 4

Récit expressif
Flûte traversière 8
Gambe 8
Voix céleste 8
Flûte octaviante 4
Octavin 2
Plein jeu
Basson-Hautbois 8
Clarinette 8

Pédale
Soubasse 16
Flûte 8

Orage
Tirasse GO
Tirasse Récit
Anches Récit
Anches GO
Copula
Trémolo
Nadia Boulanger, known in the USA as “the famous French organist,” gave the premiere of the Copland Organ Symphony, written for her, with the New York Philharmonic on January 11, 1925. The Princesse was also quite an accomplished organist, and continued to play and study major works of Bach in her London exile during World War II. The Poulenc Organ Concerto was originally intended to be performed by the Princesse. Duruflé was Mlle. Boulanger’s very natural suggestion: she knew him from having judged him in the organ contests he won in 1929 and 1930, and from his teaching of harmony at the Conservatoire Americain at Fontaine-
bleau, which she directed.
The organ was again rebuilt in 1933 before Duruflé played for the premiere of the concerto under the baton of Nadia Boulanger.5 The Princesse wrote to Nadia Boulanger from Italy October 23, 1933, authorizing the work to be done to her organ to cost 11,500 francs.6 These alterations made by Victor Gonzalez, when Rudolf von Beckerath was in his employ, are as follows: make the expression boxes open more fully, repair the pedal mechanism, and most importantly, add a Plein jeu 4 ranks to the Grand orgue in the place of the Basson 16, which is transferred to the Pédale.7 Also enumerated at a cost of 500 francs is removal of the 32′ stop. Though it is possible that one may have been added in 1904, given the size and reduced height of the space where the organ was re-installed and the fact that no one who saw the organ remarked upon such an addition, I think it most unlikely. This expense was probably for the removal of the Orage mechanism.
The Princesse encloses the typed estimate from Gonzalez:

WORK TO BE DONE
I—The most urgent
1. Take the pipes out, clean them, repair them and clean the organ: 11,000 frs
2. Take apart the bass windchests and modify them to have more wind for the pipes: 4,000 frs
X 3. Do away with the 32 foot stop and take it out of the organ: 500 frs X
4. Move the Bourdon 16′ wood pipes to permit the placement of a three-rank cornet on the main chest: 1,500 frs
5. Redo the lead windlines that are oxidized: 4,000 frs
X X 6. Give the expression boxes maximum opening—redo the mechanism: 1,000 frs X
X X 7. Move the Basson 16′ of manual I to the Pédale: 4,000 frs X
X 8. Replace the Basson 16′ on G.O. with a Plein jeu of 4 ranks, which will brighten the main manual: 4,500 frs X
9. Redo the voicing of the organ to make stops more distinct: 7,000 frs
X 10. Repair the mechanism of the Pédale, which has frequent ciphers: 1,500 frs X
11. Modify the Bourdon 8′ and Flûte douce stops of the G.O. which must serve as bass for the Cornet, by giving them chimneys: 800 frs
12. Make new pipes for: Nasard 22⁄3′, Doublette 2′, Tierce 13⁄5′: 6,000 frs
13. Make a new chest for these three stops (Nasard, Doublette, Tierce): 2,800 frs
= 48,600 frs X

On it she makes annotations mentioned in her letter and marked X.8 The total for the work to be done equals the 11,500 francs she agrees to pay for those items on the invoice she accepts. This offers much to consider, as much by what she decides to do as by what she declines—changes that would have given the organ a neo-Classic sound. How fortunate that the efficient person who typed the estimate provides precisions that allow one to establish the original and modified specifications. The estimate references the addition of a 3-rank Cornet (by moving the Bourdon 16′ pipes and modifying the Bourdon 8′ and Flûte douce), and completing it with pipes and a new chest.
We thus know that originally there were both 16′ and 8′ Bourdons on the Grand orgue and that there was no Cornet, even though Duruflé suggests Cornets on both the Récit and Positif in his concerto registrations. It is clear that it was the Baroque-minded Mlle. Boulanger who wanted the Cornet, not the Princesse herself.9 More importantly, we can establish what the balance was between this organ and the small orchestra. Some have thought of the work as a chamber piece, but the Princesse’s instrument was certainly very powerful relative to the smaller cubic volume of the space where it was re-installed in 1904. Thus, the Organ Concerto is not like the Concert Champêtre where the orchestra overwhelms the harpsichord, but rather the reverse. Duruflé had to exercise care in registration not to swamp the orchestra. Performers with large orchestras in large halls can therefore use more organ to achieve the appropriate balance.

Princesse de Polignac, Cavaillé-Coll, 56-note manuals, 30-note pedal, as modified in 1933

Grand orgue expressif
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Flûte harmonique 8
Bourdon 8
Prestant 4
Flûte douce 4
Plein jeu IV
Trompette 8
Clairon 4

Récit expressif
Flûte traversière 8
Gambe 8
Voix céleste 8
Flûte octaviante 4
Octavin 2
Plein jeu III
Basson-Hautbois 8
Clarinette 8

Pédale
Soubasse 16
Flûte 8
Basson 16

Tirasse GO
Tirasse Récit
Anches Récit
Anches GO
Copula
Trémolo

Six months after the private premiere was the first public performance, June 21, 1939 on the Mutin in the Salle Gaveau.

Salle Gaveau, Mutin, III/36, 56/3010
Grand orgue
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Gambe 8
Flûte harmonique 8
Bourdon 8
Praestant 4
Nasard 22⁄3
Doublette 2
Fourniture III
Basson 16
Trompette 8
Clairon 4

Positif expressif
Principal 8
Salicional 8
Cor de nuit 8
Flûte douce 4
Flageolet 2
Carillon III
Cromorne 8

Récit expressif
Diapason 8
Flûte traversière 8
Viola de gambe 8
Voix céleste 8
Flûte octaviante 4
Octavin 2
Plein jeu IV
Trompette harmonique 8
Basson-Hautbois 8
Soprano 4

Pédale
Contrebasse 16
Soubasse 16
Basse 8
Violoncelle 8
Bourdon 8
Flûte 4
Tuba Magna 16

Tirasse GO
Tirasse P
Tirasse R
Forte Péd
FF Péd
Positif/Récit
Machine GO
P/GO
R/GO
Anches GO
Anches R
Récit/R 16

Poulenc dedicates his score to the “Princesse Edmond de Polignac” and credits Duruflé for the registrations: “La registration a été établie avec le concours de Monsieur Maurice Duruflé.” (The registration was established with the assistance of Maurice Duruflé.) The following specification is derived from Duruflé’s suggested registrations for the Concerto. It produces an organ that is interesting to compare with those at his disposal for the first two performances, as well as that of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont at the time of the first recording: the specification as below concurs with none of these three. Normal type is used for stops inferred from generic suggestions, viz: fonds. Italics indicates specific stop names.

Grand orgue expressif
Montre 16
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Flûte 8
Bourdon 8
Gambe 8
Octave 4
Flûte 4
Mixture
Trompette 8
Clairon 4
Positif/G.O. 8
Récit/G.O. 8
Positif/G.O. 4
Récit/G.O. 4

Positif expressif
Montre 8
Flûte 8
Bourdon 8
Gambe 8
Dulciane 8
Octave 4
Flûte 4
Nazard
Mixture
Cornet
Clarinette 8
Trompette 8
Clairon 4
Récit/P.

Récit expressif
Quintaton 16
Montre 8
Gambe 8
Flûte 8
Cor de nuit 8
Voix céleste
Octave 4
Flûte 4
Octavin 2
Cornet
Mixture
Hautbois 8
Trompette 8
Clairon 4

Pédale
Bourdon 32
Montre 16
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Flûte 8
Bourdon 8
Octave 4
Bombarde 16
Trompette 8
Clairon 4
Grand orgue/Péd.
Positif/Péd.
Récit/Péd.

Since these Poulenc Concerto registration suggestions follow those of Duruflé for his own works so closely, readers seeking more background are referred to my discussion of the organs he knew at this time.11 Of note, there is no request for sixteen-foot manual reeds. The suggestions of mixtures on secondary and tertiary divisions and for super-couplers to the main division are curious, as these were normally not commonly available in France at that time. Also of particular interest is the Dulciane in the Positif, which he did not have on any organ he knew or designed, but he also suggested in the “Sicilienne” of Suite, opus 5.
The Princesse wished to perpetuate her artistic and philanthropic activities by establishing the Fondation Singer-Polignac in 1928. The first president was Raymond Poincaré, former President of France. After the Princesse’s death in London during the war (November 26, 1943), she left her organ to the singer Marie-Blanche, la comtesse Jean de Polignac, niece of Edmond. Marie-Blanche was not an organist, and the organ remained in the house until she donated it to the Séminaire du Merville, where it was reinstalled by Victor Gonzalez with a revised specification and electric pedal chest. Carolyn Shuster-Fournier publishes its present disposition in her excellent book.12 Though the organ is no longer extant in the Paris house, the spaces are still used regularly for performances sponsored by the foundation.

The Woolsey Hall performance
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1894, is the fourth oldest in America. Since the completion of Yale’s splendid Woolsey Hall in 1901, the NHSO has performed on that stage, beneath one of the grandest of all organ façades in an ample, embracing acoustic. The orchestra programs an occasional organ concerto, featuring the 200-rank E. M. Skinner organ. When I was asked to perform, nothing seemed more appropriate than the Poulenc with my new registrations, which I premiered two years before at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Given the Poulenc/Duruflé connection, some of Duruflé’s music was de rigueur. I invited the Yale Camerata, directed by Marguerite Brooks, to perform the Requiem, opus 9, and I arranged with the Association Duruflé to include the American premiere of the orchestrated “Sicilienne.”
As far as we know, Duruflé orchestrated only two of his organ works: the Scherzo, opus 2, published as Andante and Scherzo, opus 8, and the “Sicilienne,” from Suite opus 5 (b), which is unpublished. Duruflé’s adaptation of these scores is quite similar in approach. I have long theorized that harmonic and stylistic links join the Scherzo and “Sicilienne.” I add to that argument another: Duruflé orchestrated them alike.
The Andante and Scherzo, and “Sicilienne” together with the Trois Danses, opus 3, comprise the entire solo orchestral oeuvre of Duruflé. William Boughton, the new conductor of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, shares my passion for them. Eventually the NHSO will present the complete orchestral pieces over the next few seasons, but in Boughton’s October 18, 2007 début concert with the orchestra it seemed appropriate to begin with a premiere of the unpublished “Sicilienne.” Though presented several years ago at the American Cathedral in Paris, it has not been programmed by a regular orchestra. Though his instrumentation of the largest version of the Requiem and of his Trois Danses for orchestra has the punch and verve of the most energetic orchestral compositions of Dukas or Ravel, the gentle, intimate and lilting “Sicilienne” required a quite different approach.
Maestro Boughton began the program with Fauré’s orchestral suite Pelleas et Melisande. Much of Fauré’s music gained a hearing only in the salons of cultivated aristocrats like the Princesse Edmond de Polignac, to whom this piece is dedicated. Fauré’s haunting “Sicilienne” set the scene for that of Duruflé—not just in genre and atmosphere, but it also prepared the audience with the familiar Fauré work to appreciate the unknown one that followed. Organists in the audience were given much to think about from hearing the orchestrated version of the second movement of the Suite. For instance, a clarinet plays the triplets in the accompaniment in the final da capo of the A theme. At the organ, this is often played faster than is possible for a clarinet. One also could note solo lines given to a single stop on the organ that are shared between instruments quite different in timbre in the orchestrated version. Closing the first half of the program, I played the Poulenc.
Readers may be interested in a synopsis of what is unique about my re-edition of the registrations and how I adapted it to this large symphonic organ. As an example, phrases in the concerto pass from first violins to second violins when they are repeated. Since this organ has multiple possibilities—with two clarinets, several solo flutes, two French horns, etc.—I followed the orchestration and registered repeated phrases on similar solo stops in alternate locations. Since the timbres suggested by Duruflé in the score were not available to him in the first two performances nor to me on this instrument, I applied the pattern of Duruflé’s revisions of registrations in his organ works. In these, as an example, Flûte harmonique later becomes Flûte, then even later in some cases Cornet. Neither the Princesse’s Cavaillé-Coll nor the Salle Gaveau Mutin had a Cornet. The Princesse had a solo flute, a Clarinette, a Basson-Hautbois, and a Trompette. In the Poulenc, I therefore used a few beautiful solo flute registrations rather than synthesizing a poor cornet with the available stops where it was suggested, except in the left-hand entry at measure 142, where I used alternating French horns instead of a cornet. Similarly, I used the two exquisite orchestral clarinets for the clarinet lines and did not try to produce a buzzy Baroque-sounding one. For some other solo lines, I used various oboe stops.
In general the effect made the organ more blended into the orchestra because the Woolsey solo stops are more orchestral in timbre than neo-Classic ones, and the foundations are smoother. The solo lines therefore arose from the organ-plus-orchestra texture sounding like orchestral instruments. Even informed audience listeners thought they were hearing orchestral wind instrument solos. At other points, to bring out the organ more, I made other adjustments. For instance, the multiple mixture plenums suggested in the score are not as snappy as reed choruses, and Duruflé did not have access to them. In Woolsey at measure 325 I used the Great mixtures, but answered with the Swell chorus reeds.
After intermission, to accompany the procession of the choir onto the stage, a select group of Yale Camerata men sang the Gregorian Introit. Thus began a marvelous rendition of the Requiem, opus 9. I am very grateful to the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (Martin Jean, director) for their substantial support of this concert. To introduce the audience to the program, musicologist and Polignac biographer Sylvia Kahan gave a pre-concert lecture.13 All were gratified to read the review by David J. Baker in the New Haven Register, which appeared on October 21. 

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., Bellwood, Illinois
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, Bethesda,
Chevy Chase, Maryland

From the organbuilder
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, is located just minutes away from Washington National Cathedral on the border between Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland. St. John’s began in 1873 as a small mission congregation in what was then rural Bethesda. By 1895, the church had been elevated to parish status within the newly formed Diocese of Washington. Throughout its history, St. John’s has been dedicated to “building community at the crossroads of faith and life.” Today, the parish continues to honor this tradition by offering beautiful, liturgically oriented worship services and by providing a wide variety of programs that minister to the diverse needs of the congregation and community.
Prior to the renovation of St. John’s 500-seat Georgian-style sanctuary, the nave presented a feeling of light-filled openness, while the deep and narrow chancel appeared both dark and restrictive. In typical fashion, choir stalls were divided on both sides of the chancel, with the high altar placed against the front wall. The existing organ consisted of three manual divisions with the Great, Swell, and Pedal installed in chambers along the east wall, and the Choir placed on the west wall. Throughout its history and despite the best intentions of the parish, the organ suffered several major incidents involving water damage. With the east wall of the chancel positioned directly beneath the bell tower, it was determined that the tower was, in fact, the root of the problem. Although the tower had previously undergone extensive renovation, water was continuing to find its way into the chambers. At the urging of then director of music Douglas Beck, an organ committee was formed and charged with the task of identifying possible solutions. The committee was also asked to investigate and recommend several organ builders. The committee also felt that it would be wise to engage an organ consultant and did so by involving Donald Sutherland from the Peabody Institute. The initial findings of the committee can be summed up in the following two recommendations. First, the repair of the existing organ would not represent a sound artistic or economic option. Second, a new instrument should not be returned to the existing chambers. Based on these parameters, the committee proceeded to identify a select group of organ builders and to ask each builder to submit their vision for an instrument that would not only meet the liturgical requirements of the parish, but allow the parish to further expand its role in offering artistic expressions of faith to the greater community.
As discussions continued relative to the placement of the organ, it became increasingly clear that installing the organ in any other area of the sanctuary would require changes to the structure of the building. It was also at this point that the clergy and many of the parishioners suggested that the parish consider a comprehensive renovation of the chancel. Given this suggestion, a second committee, called the Architectural Review Committee, was formed to oversee the process and to investigate potential architects and contractors. With the selection of Kerns Group Architects and Forrester Construction, the “ARC” noted that a final decision regarding an organ builder should be made so that all parties could work in a collaborative fashion. On the recommendation of the organ committee, Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. was selected to build the new instrument. Recognizing that the combined project including renovations to the building and the construction of a new pipe organ would require a significant financial commitment, St. John’s vestry authorized the formation of a third committee to oversee the fund raising process. The combined efforts of the Organ Committee, Architectural Review Committee, and the Capital Campaign Committee were incorporated under the theme “Enhance, Renew, Rejoice!”
Early in the process of examining the space, it was determined that placing the organ in the gallery would be difficult and limiting. The lack of height and depth would require that the entire rear portion of the church be rebuilt. There was also a great deal of concern expressed about the necessity of moving the choir to the gallery. Although some members of the parish had initially favored this approach, they quickly grasped the complexities involved and shifted their support to the possibilities represented by the chancel. Above and beyond the issue of the organ, enhancing the worship space was an important ingredient in St. John’s view that worship should involve a greater sense of community. One option was to open and enlarge the chancel, creating an inviting space for various forms of worship. Another was to bring the altar forward and install a new communion rail such that it would bring the communion experience closer to the congregation and enable more of those present to take communion at the rail. The ARC was also hopeful that natural light could find its way into the chancel so that the space would have the same warm, inviting feel currently attributed to the nave. This eventually led the architect to modify two of the former organ chambers and add skylights so that the chancel is bathed in soft, natural light. Another transforming suggestion involved moving the choir out of its traditional split arrangement and facing them towards the congregation. With the adoption of these suggestions, it was decided that the ideal placement of the new pipe organ was along the central axis of the building. The new organ would thereby occupy approximately 12 feet of the existing depth at the front of the chancel. This effectively moved the chancel forward placing parishioners, clergy, musicians, etc. in closer proximity. Obviously this change also provided the means for both music and the spoken word to be heard in a clear and full fashion.
St. John’s began its journey to rejuvenate the life of the congregation not only by overhauling the chancel and replacing the organ, but also by enhancing and renewing their relationship with the Creator. Staying close to its roots as a mission congregation, the early parish embraced a low-church form of worship. In the 1970s, under rector William A. Beal, the congregation experimented with a variety of new worship styles, including the Episcopal Church’s trial liturgies. This “new tradition” included the use of the 1979 Prayer Book. The move towards higher church expression continued into the 1980s and 1990s under Rev. Duane Stuart Alvord, and continues today under the leadership of the current rector, Rev. Susan M. Flanders, and the associate rector, Rev. Harrison West. The beautiful construction of the current worship form and the growing excellence of the music program as initially developed under the auspices of former director of music, Douglas Beck, and built upon by the current director of music, Anne Timpane, made it apparent that the new instrument would be required to provide ample support for congregational singing, but must also be an instrument that supports the Anglican choral repertoire. The organ committee’s visits to a wide variety of instruments across the full spectrum of builders pointed to the fact that the parish desired an instrument of great breadth of tone and timbre, with a sound that would fill the space, but not entirely overpower it. It was also important that the organ contain the subtle stops necessary to accompany children’s choirs while having the ability to uphold the congregation with a sense of majesty and power. However, it was also the desire of the former director of music that the instrument should be French-inspired, both in its specification and in its appearance. Given the design of the building, we chose to represent the visual aspect of this request in the design of the console.
The new Berghaus pipe organ at St. John’s Episcopal Church contains 58 speaking stops and 63 ranks over three manuals and pedal. The placement of the instrument along the central axis of the nave allows for optimal sound projection while enhancing the visual impact of the chancel space, most notably as natural light from the skylights reflects off the polished zinc façade. The painted, incised hardwood case is accented with solid walnut trim and gold-leafed pipe mouths. The case also features columns that emulate the columns found throughout the nave. The layout of the organ was intended to give each division its proper musical placement while providing easy access for tuning and service. The Grand-Orgue and Pédale are situated just behind and at the top of the façade, while the expressive Récit and Positif divisions are at the mid or impost levels. This arrangement establishes a leadership role for the Grand-Orgue and Pédale in accompanying congregational singing, while the Récit and Positif, placed at a lower level, are suitable for accompanying choral literature. Set at the very top of the case is a large semicircular arch that continues the barrel vault design of the nave, and allows for full projection of the Grand-Orgue chorus. While not strictly adhering to a particular historical period, the organ, both in terms of its stoplist and tonal approach, is a synthesis of the classical and romantic styles. This synthesis emphasizes a clear, singing quality in the individual stops, while providing depth and warmth when stops are used in combination. Each division contains a complete principal chorus, characteristic flute stops and a full battery of reeds that range from the very subdued to the fiery. Those who have experienced this instrument firsthand remark on how the organ increases in fullness as more stops are drawn. The favorable, but not overly reverberant acoustic is obviously helpful in this instance. The use of Berghaus custom slider and pallet windchests for the majority of the fluework and for certain reeds allows for a natural, unforced sound that ensures favorable blending qualities and excellent tuning stability. Much of the pipework in the organ is scroll and cone tuned. Stops on slider windchests are voiced on 3¼? of wind, while the majority of the reeds are voiced on pressures that range between 3½? and 4?.
The Grand-Orgue is based on a large-scaled 8? Montre constructed from 75% tin. This stop has a rich, full, singing quality, while at the same time providing articulation and clarity to the rest of the chorus. The 8? Gambe is a soft string with moderate sizzle. When combined with the full-bodied 8? Bourdon, it creates a secondary principal-like timbre. The 8? Flute Harmonique is an open flute throughout the compass and becomes harmonic at g32. It is well suited as a blending stop in the jeux de fonds combination, or as a solo stop when required by the Romantic repertoire. The 4? Flute Octaviante is a lighter and softer alternative to the 8? Flute Harmonique. Mutations in this division are based on principal scales and constructed from 52% tin. These stops are voiced to enhance the harmonic series present in the plenum. When used in combination with the flutes, the mutations provide a lighter, brighter cornet in contrast to the Mounted Cornet. The 8? Trompette is constructed from 52% tin, and contains English tapered shallots. Since the organ has a strong solo trumpet, this Trompette was voiced to blend with the flue stops within the division. The Mounted Cornet is scaled and constructed based on the French classical school. The 8? rank is a bourdon, with subsequent ranks being open. The 13?5? rank is proportionally the largest in scale. This stop, with its compass from c13 to g56, is musically successful in literature ranging from Byrd and Buxtehude, to Couperin and DuMage. The Trompette Royale is the organ’s crowning solo reed. Voiced on 10? of wind, the stop contains resonators that are hooded for maximum projection. Overall, the Grand-Orgue sets the tone of the entire instrument. Its placement at the center of the long axis provides an ideal vantage point for strong musical leadership, particularly in accompanying congregational singing. One stop from the former instrument was used in the new instrument. A 16? mahogany Quintaton was extensively rebuilt and revoiced to add a light 16? timbre to the Grand-Orgue.
The musical demands of the Anglican service require that an instrument have a wide variety of voices and dynamic possibilities, particularly in music for choir and organ. Given this situation, entire tonal divisions were designed to work as a unified whole. The Positif Expressif is also based on an 8? Principal of 75% tin and is designed to function as a secondary chorus to the Grand-Orgue. The gentle and singing nature of these principals provides ideal color for Baroque and Renaissance literature. Because of its enclosed placement, the chorus is extremely useful in accompanying choirs and instrumental ensembles. Flute stops include an 8? Bourdon (wood) and a 4? Flûte à Fuseau. In contrast to the Grand-Orgue, the mutations of the Positif are scaled to blend well with flutes versus principals. The 22?3? Nasard relies on Koppelgedackts in its bass octave. The 2? Quarte de Nasard is essentially a hybrid stop, beginning as a light principal, than taking on a bright flute tone in the treble range. The four-rank 1? Cymbale is useful as a chorus mixture, as well as offering a bell-like timbre to lighter textures. The two reeds include a narrow-scale 8? Trompette designed to blend with the principal chorus and an 8? Cromorne, which can be used successfully in either classical or romantic repertoire.
The Récit contains a wide variety of stops, each with its own unique construction. The Salicional and Voix Celeste are small in scale and slotted to give the pair a decidedly French sound. The 8? Flûte à Cheminée features long, wide chimneys for optimal harmonic development. The 4? Flûte Conique is of the Spitzflöte variety and is made of 40% tin. Perhaps one of the most unique stops is the 2? Flûte à Bec, or Block Flute, which incorporates large-scale pipework. Another unique feature of the Récit is the ability to combine the 8? Flûte à Cheminée with the 8? Voix Celeste. The separation that exists between the two ranks provides the slow undulating pattern typically heard in flute celestes. Since an 8? Principal does not exist in this division, the five-rank, 2? Plein Jeu is designed to reinforce the 8? and 4? pitches at earlier points than generally found in typical mixture compositions. The 8? Trompette and 4? Clairon are fiery reeds in the Cavaillé-Coll style, featuring ring and nut construction and resonators of 70% tin. The 8? Hautbois is reminiscent of the English variety. The 16? Basson is voiced to add gravity to the Swell reed chorus while introducing a lighter reed character in the Pédale. The entire reed chorus is placed at the back of the expression chamber with reeds voiced on 4? of wind.
The Pédale is based on the 16? Montre located in the façade. Given the variety of independent stops of varying dynamics and timbre, the Pédale division provides unusually full support for the demands of the manual divisions. The 32? Basse Acoustique is derived from the 16? Montre (unison) and the 16? Soubasse (quint). As an alternative to the 8? Pedal Octave, the 8? Cor de Chamois (Gemshorn) is suitable for giving the 8? line a more pointed emphasis, especially in Baroque combinations. The 32? and 16? Bombarde have wood resonators for maximum fundamental.
All aspects of the organ console, including the bench and music rack, were specifically designed for this instrument. The detail associated with the console complements not only the casework but many of the features that exist within the worship space. Since the director of music at St. John’s is both organist and choirmaster, the profile of the console needed to be low enough to allow the organist to direct the choir from the console. The low-profile French terraced design is constructed from solid walnut with added walnut veneers to insure the consistency of the grain pattern. Curved terraces are made from book-matched, burled walnut and are home to the oblique-face, pau ferro drawknobs. Stops are logically laid out with plenum and major reeds to the organist’s right; flutes, strings, mutations, and minor reeds to the left. Keyboards with maple naturals and walnut sharps feature top-resistant touch for maximum responsiveness. To keep the console free of electronic clutter, the memory level, record/playback and clochette controls are contained in a swivel drawer located on the right-hand side of the console.
The blessing of the new Berghaus organ and the newly renovated chancel was presided over by Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Diocese of Washington. In attendance were representatives from the Lift High the Cross Capital Campaign, the Organ and Architectural Review committees, Kerns Group Architects, Forrester Construction, and Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders. The organ itself was dedicated on Saturday, May 10, and featured nine prominent organists from the greater Washington area.
The completion of the organ is the culmination of many years of planning, preparation, and hard work by the individuals and committees at St. John’s, as well as the organ builder, architect, and general contractor. The result of this work is a grand worship space that uniquely fits the needs of the parish, and an instrument that will serve and inspire the congregation as well as the larger community for generations to come. Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders wishes to thank all those who helped make this project possible. We wish to thank The Reverend Susan Flanders, rector; The Reverend Harrison West, associate rector; Christine Walz-Dallaire, senior warden 2006–07; Ken Lee, senior warden 2007–08; Cynthia Stroman, organ committee chair; Suzanne Welch, architectural review committee chair and project manager; Bill Fry and Richard Saltsman, co-chairs of the Lift High the Cross capital campaign committee; Mike McConihe, chancellor; Douglas Beck, former director of music ministries; Anne Timpane, director of music ministries; Brian Briggs, parish administrator; and the many parishioners who gave of their time, talent, and treasure. Berghaus also wishes to thank Tom Kerns and Koji Hirota of Kerns Group Architects and Bassem Melham, Bill Morrissette, and Will Durham of Forrester Construction.
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders also wishes to thank members of its staff for their countless hours and dedication to this project:
Brian Berghaus, president
David McCleary, director of sales and marketing
Tonal design: Jonathan Oblander, Kelly Monette
Visual design and layout: Steven Protzman
Voicing and tonal finishing: Kelly Monette, Jonathan Oblander, Mitch Blum
Construction: Stan Bujak, Chris Czopek, Steve Drexler, Jeff Hubbard, Trevor Kahlbaugh, Kurt Linstead, David Mueller, Daniel Roberts, Tim Roney, Paul Serresseque, Ron Skibbe, Jordan Smoots, Paul Symkowski, Mark Ber, Randy Watkins, Andy Schach.
—Jonathan Oblander
Tonal director
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders

From the director of music ministries
In January 2007, St. John’s signed a contract with Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders to build a new instrument that would fulfill and expand the music ministry’s mission and vision:

to explore the journey of faith and life through music; unite parishioners . . . by embracing and cultivating talents and gifts . . . enliven liturgy and community, nourish the musical and creative spirit . . .; inspire the people of St. John’s . . . strengthening relationships with God and one another.

St. John’s has had a pipe organ for more than 80 years. Organ music has enhanced important events in the life of the parish, from weekly worship services, to special holiday music, to baptisms, weddings, funerals and other occasions. However, progressive structural deterioration of the existing organ had caused significant wear and damage to the instrument’s infrastructure. The organ became increasingly unreliable, and so the decision was made not only to replace the instrument but also to think creatively about the chancel’s architectural design. Taking into consideration the size of the room, the number of people that the room will accommodate, and the desired uses of the instrument, it was decided to place the new organ on the central axis of the church for optimal sound projection and flexibility within the space. Berghaus worked in conjunction with our architectural review committee to find a harmonious blend of the advantages and challenges associated with the organ placement and chancel reconfiguration. The result is our stunning new three-manual custom-made work of art.
Berghaus was chosen by our organ builder selection committee after extensive information gathering and evaluation of the proposals submitted by several prominent organ builders. Berghaus’s excellent reputation, design philosophy, and character made them the stand out choice for St. John’s. Their attention to detail, dedication to craftsmanship, and ability to work within our timeframe and cost considerations resulted in an instrument that is not a reflection of me, or Berghaus, but of St. John’s and its parishioners.
Through the generosity of our donors, the work of Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, and the talents of the guest organists who helped dedicate the instrument, we have built an instrument that will enrich our worship and give music to lift our spirits for year to come.
—Anne Timpane
Director of music ministries

_________________________________________________________________________________

GRAND-ORGUE – Unenclosed – Manual I. 31?4? wind pressure
16? Quintaton 61 pipes existing, mahogany, revoiced
8? Montre 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Gambe 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin
8? Flûte Harmonique 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, harmonic @ g32
8? Bourdon 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte Octaviante 61 pipes 75% tin, harmonic @ c25
22?3? Quinte 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Doublette 61 pipes 75% tin
13?5? Tierce 61 pipes 75% tin
8? Cornet V 220 pipes 52% tin, c13–g56
11?3? Fourniture IV 244 pipes 75% tin (19-22-26-29)
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
16? Trompette Royale 1–12 from Ped 16? Bombarde; 13–61 from 8? Trompette Royale
8? Trompette Royale 61 pipes hooded resonators, voiced on 10? wind
Clochettes 5 bells (with adjustable delay, speed, and volume)

RÉCIT EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual III. 31?4? (flues) and 4? (reeds) w.p.
8? Salicional 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8? Voix Céleste FF 56 pipes 6–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8? Flûte à Cheminée 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte Conique 61 pipes 40% tin
2? Flûte à Bec 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Plein Jeu V 305 pipes 75% tin (15-19-22-26-29)
16? Basson 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin, 1–18 L/2
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
8? Hautbois 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8? Voix Humaine 61 pipes resonators of 52% tin
4? Clairon 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
Tremblant
8? Cornet V — (G.O.)
8? Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

POSITIF EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual II. 31?4? wind pressure
8? Principal 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Bourdon 61 pipes poplar
8? Flûte Celestes II (console preparation)
4? Octave 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte à Fuseau 61 pipes 52% tin
22?3? Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Quarte de Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
13?5? Tierce 61 pipes 52% tin
11?3? Larigot 61 pipes 52% tin
1? Cymbale IV 244 pipes 75% tin (26-29-33-36)
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8? Cromorne 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
8? Cornet V — (G.O.)
8? Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

PÉDALE – Unenclosed. Wind pressure 31?4? except Bombarde (4?)
32? Basse Acoustique — derived from 16? Montre and 16? Soubasse
16? Contrebasse (console preparation)
16? Montre (façade) 32 pipes 1–25 polished zinc, 26–32 75% tin
16? Soubasse 32 pipes poplar
16? Quintaton — (G.O.)
8? Octave 32 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Cor de Chamois 32 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–32 52% tin
8? Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16? Soubasse)
4? Basse de Choral 32 pipes 75% tin
4? Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16? Soubasse)
22?3? Fourniture IV 128 pipes 75% tin (12-15-19-22)
32? Contre Bombarde 12 pipes L/2 resonators of pine (extension of 16? Bombarde)
16? Bombarde 32 pipes L/1 resonators of pine
16? Basson — (Récit)
8? Trompette 32 pipes
4? Clairon 32 pipes
8? Trompette Royal — (G.O.)

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., Bellwood, Illinois
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, Bethesda,
Chevy Chase, Maryland

From the organbuilder
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, is located just minutes away from Washington National Cathedral on the border between Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland. St. John’s began in 1873 as a small mission congregation in what was then rural Bethesda. By 1895, the church had been elevated to parish status within the newly formed Diocese of Washington. Throughout its history, St. John’s has been dedicated to “building community at the crossroads of faith and life.” Today, the parish continues to honor this tradition by offering beautiful, liturgically oriented worship services and by providing a wide variety of programs that minister to the diverse needs of the congregation and community.
Prior to the renovation of St. John’s 500-seat Georgian-style sanctuary, the nave presented a feeling of light-filled openness, while the deep and narrow chancel appeared both dark and restrictive. In typical fashion, choir stalls were divided on both sides of the chancel, with the high altar placed against the front wall. The existing organ consisted of three manual divisions with the Great, Swell, and Pedal installed in chambers along the east wall, and the Choir placed on the west wall. Throughout its history and despite the best intentions of the parish, the organ suffered several major incidents involving water damage. With the east wall of the chancel positioned directly beneath the bell tower, it was determined that the tower was, in fact, the root of the problem. Although the tower had previously undergone extensive renovation, water was continuing to find its way into the chambers. At the urging of then director of music Douglas Beck, an organ committee was formed and charged with the task of identifying possible solutions. The committee was also asked to investigate and recommend several organ builders. The committee also felt that it would be wise to engage an organ consultant and did so by involving Donald Sutherland from the Peabody Institute. The initial findings of the committee can be summed up in the following two recommendations. First, the repair of the existing organ would not represent a sound artistic or economic option. Second, a new instrument should not be returned to the existing chambers. Based on these parameters, the committee proceeded to identify a select group of organ builders and to ask each builder to submit their vision for an instrument that would not only meet the liturgical requirements of the parish, but allow the parish to further expand its role in offering artistic expressions of faith to the greater community.
As discussions continued relative to the placement of the organ, it became increasingly clear that installing the organ in any other area of the sanctuary would require changes to the structure of the building. It was also at this point that the clergy and many of the parishioners suggested that the parish consider a comprehensive renovation of the chancel. Given this suggestion, a second committee, called the Architectural Review Committee, was formed to oversee the process and to investigate potential architects and contractors. With the selection of Kerns Group Architects and Forrester Construction, the “ARC” noted that a final decision regarding an organ builder should be made so that all parties could work in a collaborative fashion. On the recommendation of the organ committee, Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. was selected to build the new instrument. Recognizing that the combined project including renovations to the building and the construction of a new pipe organ would require a significant financial commitment, St. John’s vestry authorized the formation of a third committee to oversee the fund raising process. The combined efforts of the Organ Committee, Architectural Review Committee, and the Capital Campaign Committee were incorporated under the theme “Enhance, Renew, Rejoice!”
Early in the process of examining the space, it was determined that placing the organ in the gallery would be difficult and limiting. The lack of height and depth would require that the entire rear portion of the church be rebuilt. There was also a great deal of concern expressed about the necessity of moving the choir to the gallery. Although some members of the parish had initially favored this approach, they quickly grasped the complexities involved and shifted their support to the possibilities represented by the chancel. Above and beyond the issue of the organ, enhancing the worship space was an important ingredient in St. John’s view that worship should involve a greater sense of community. One option was to open and enlarge the chancel, creating an inviting space for various forms of worship. Another was to bring the altar forward and install a new communion rail such that it would bring the communion experience closer to the congregation and enable more of those present to take communion at the rail. The ARC was also hopeful that natural light could find its way into the chancel so that the space would have the same warm, inviting feel currently attributed to the nave. This eventually led the architect to modify two of the former organ chambers and add skylights so that the chancel is bathed in soft, natural light. Another transforming suggestion involved moving the choir out of its traditional split arrangement and facing them towards the congregation. With the adoption of these suggestions, it was decided that the ideal placement of the new pipe organ was along the central axis of the building. The new organ would thereby occupy approximately 12 feet of the existing depth at the front of the chancel. This effectively moved the chancel forward placing parishioners, clergy, musicians, etc. in closer proximity. Obviously this change also provided the means for both music and the spoken word to be heard in a clear and full fashion.
St. John’s began its journey to rejuvenate the life of the congregation not only by overhauling the chancel and replacing the organ, but also by enhancing and renewing their relationship with the Creator. Staying close to its roots as a mission congregation, the early parish embraced a low-church form of worship. In the 1970s, under rector William A. Beal, the congregation experimented with a variety of new worship styles, including the Episcopal Church’s trial liturgies. This “new tradition” included the use of the 1979 Prayer Book. The move towards higher church expression continued into the 1980s and 1990s under Rev. Duane Stuart Alvord, and continues today under the leadership of the current rector, Rev. Susan M. Flanders, and the associate rector, Rev. Harrison West. The beautiful construction of the current worship form and the growing excellence of the music program as initially developed under the auspices of former director of music, Douglas Beck, and built upon by the current director of music, Anne Timpane, made it apparent that the new instrument would be required to provide ample support for congregational singing, but must also be an instrument that supports the Anglican choral repertoire. The organ committee’s visits to a wide variety of instruments across the full spectrum of builders pointed to the fact that the parish desired an instrument of great breadth of tone and timbre, with a sound that would fill the space, but not entirely overpower it. It was also important that the organ contain the subtle stops necessary to accompany children’s choirs while having the ability to uphold the congregation with a sense of majesty and power. However, it was also the desire of the former director of music that the instrument should be French-inspired, both in its specification and in its appearance. Given the design of the building, we chose to represent the visual aspect of this request in the design of the console.
The new Berghaus pipe organ at St. John’s Episcopal Church contains 58 speaking stops and 63 ranks over three manuals and pedal. The placement of the instrument along the central axis of the nave allows for optimal sound projection while enhancing the visual impact of the chancel space, most notably as natural light from the skylights reflects off the polished zinc façade. The painted, incised hardwood case is accented with solid walnut trim and gold-leafed pipe mouths. The case also features columns that emulate the columns found throughout the nave. The layout of the organ was intended to give each division its proper musical placement while providing easy access for tuning and service. The Grand-Orgue and Pédale are situated just behind and at the top of the façade, while the expressive Récit and Positif divisions are at the mid or impost levels. This arrangement establishes a leadership role for the Grand-Orgue and Pédale in accompanying congregational singing, while the Récit and Positif, placed at a lower level, are suitable for accompanying choral literature. Set at the very top of the case is a large semicircular arch that continues the barrel vault design of the nave, and allows for full projection of the Grand-Orgue chorus. While not strictly adhering to a particular historical period, the organ, both in terms of its stoplist and tonal approach, is a synthesis of the classical and romantic styles. This synthesis emphasizes a clear, singing quality in the individual stops, while providing depth and warmth when stops are used in combination. Each division contains a complete principal chorus, characteristic flute stops and a full battery of reeds that range from the very subdued to the fiery. Those who have experienced this instrument firsthand remark on how the organ increases in fullness as more stops are drawn. The favorable, but not overly reverberant acoustic is obviously helpful in this instance. The use of Berghaus custom slider and pallet windchests for the majority of the fluework and for certain reeds allows for a natural, unforced sound that ensures favorable blending qualities and excellent tuning stability. Much of the pipework in the organ is scroll and cone tuned. Stops on slider windchests are voiced on 3¼' of wind, while the majority of the reeds are voiced on pressures that range between 3½' and 4'.
The Grand-Orgue is based on a large-scaled 8' Montre constructed from 75% tin. This stop has a rich, full, singing quality, while at the same time providing articulation and clarity to the rest of the chorus. The 8' Gambe is a soft string with moderate sizzle. When combined with the full-bodied 8' Bourdon, it creates a secondary principal-like timbre. The 8' Flute Harmonique is an open flute throughout the compass and becomes harmonic at g32. It is well suited as a blending stop in the jeux de fonds combination, or as a solo stop when required by the Romantic repertoire. The 4' Flute Octaviante is a lighter and softer alternative to the 8' Flute Harmonique. Mutations in this division are based on principal scales and constructed from 52% tin. These stops are voiced to enhance the harmonic series present in the plenum. When used in combination with the flutes, the mutations provide a lighter, brighter cornet in contrast to the Mounted Cornet. The 8' Trompette is constructed from 52% tin, and contains English tapered shallots. Since the organ has a strong solo trumpet, this Trompette was voiced to blend with the flue stops within the division. The Mounted Cornet is scaled and constructed based on the French classical school. The 8' rank is a bourdon, with subsequent ranks being open. The 13'5' rank is proportionally the largest in scale. This stop, with its compass from c13 to g56, is musically successful in literature ranging from Byrd and Buxtehude, to Couperin and DuMage. The Trompette Royale is the organ’s crowning solo reed. Voiced on 10' of wind, the stop contains resonators that are hooded for maximum projection. Overall, the Grand-Orgue sets the tone of the entire instrument. Its placement at the center of the long axis provides an ideal vantage point for strong musical leadership, particularly in accompanying congregational singing. One stop from the former instrument was used in the new instrument. A 16' mahogany Quintaton was extensively rebuilt and revoiced to add a light 16' timbre to the Grand-Orgue.
The musical demands of the Anglican service require that an instrument have a wide variety of voices and dynamic possibilities, particularly in music for choir and organ. Given this situation, entire tonal divisions were designed to work as a unified whole. The Positif Expressif is also based on an 8' Principal of 75% tin and is designed to function as a secondary chorus to the Grand-Orgue. The gentle and singing nature of these principals provides ideal color for Baroque and Renaissance literature. Because of its enclosed placement, the chorus is extremely useful in accompanying choirs and instrumental ensembles. Flute stops include an 8' Bourdon (wood) and a 4' Flûte à Fuseau. In contrast to the Grand-Orgue, the mutations of the Positif are scaled to blend well with flutes versus principals. The 22'3' Nasard relies on Koppelgedackts in its bass octave. The 2' Quarte de Nasard is essentially a hybrid stop, beginning as a light principal, than taking on a bright flute tone in the treble range. The four-rank 1' Cymbale is useful as a chorus mixture, as well as offering a bell-like timbre to lighter textures. The two reeds include a narrow-scale 8' Trompette designed to blend with the principal chorus and an 8' Cromorne, which can be used successfully in either classical or romantic repertoire.
The Récit contains a wide variety of stops, each with its own unique construction. The Salicional and Voix Celeste are small in scale and slotted to give the pair a decidedly French sound. The 8' Flûte à Cheminée features long, wide chimneys for optimal harmonic development. The 4' Flûte Conique is of the Spitzflöte variety and is made of 40% tin. Perhaps one of the most unique stops is the 2' Flûte à Bec, or Block Flute, which incorporates large-scale pipework. Another unique feature of the Récit is the ability to combine the 8' Flûte à Cheminée with the 8' Voix Celeste. The separation that exists between the two ranks provides the slow undulating pattern typically heard in flute celestes. Since an 8' Principal does not exist in this division, the five-rank, 2' Plein Jeu is designed to reinforce the 8' and 4' pitches at earlier points than generally found in typical mixture compositions. The 8' Trompette and 4' Clairon are fiery reeds in the Cavaillé-Coll style, featuring ring and nut construction and resonators of 70% tin. The 8' Hautbois is reminiscent of the English variety. The 16' Basson is voiced to add gravity to the Swell reed chorus while introducing a lighter reed character in the Pédale. The entire reed chorus is placed at the back of the expression chamber with reeds voiced on 4' of wind.
The Pédale is based on the 16' Montre located in the façade. Given the variety of independent stops of varying dynamics and timbre, the Pédale division provides unusually full support for the demands of the manual divisions. The 32' Basse Acoustique is derived from the 16' Montre (unison) and the 16' Soubasse (quint). As an alternative to the 8' Pedal Octave, the 8' Cor de Chamois (Gemshorn) is suitable for giving the 8' line a more pointed emphasis, especially in Baroque combinations. The 32' and 16' Bombarde have wood resonators for maximum fundamental.
All aspects of the organ console, including the bench and music rack, were specifically designed for this instrument. The detail associated with the console complements not only the casework but many of the features that exist within the worship space. Since the director of music at St. John’s is both organist and choirmaster, the profile of the console needed to be low enough to allow the organist to direct the choir from the console. The low-profile French terraced design is constructed from solid walnut with added walnut veneers to insure the consistency of the grain pattern. Curved terraces are made from book-matched, burled walnut and are home to the oblique-face, pau ferro drawknobs. Stops are logically laid out with plenum and major reeds to the organist’s right; flutes, strings, mutations, and minor reeds to the left. Keyboards with maple naturals and walnut sharps feature top-resistant touch for maximum responsiveness. To keep the console free of electronic clutter, the memory level, record/playback and clochette controls are contained in a swivel drawer located on the right-hand side of the console.
The blessing of the new Berghaus organ and the newly renovated chancel was presided over by Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Diocese of Washington. In attendance were representatives from the Lift High the Cross Capital Campaign, the Organ and Architectural Review committees, Kerns Group Architects, Forrester Construction, and Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders. The organ itself was dedicated on Saturday, May 10, and featured nine prominent organists from the greater Washington area.
The completion of the organ is the culmination of many years of planning, preparation, and hard work by the individuals and committees at St. John’s, as well as the organ builder, architect, and general contractor. The result of this work is a grand worship space that uniquely fits the needs of the parish, and an instrument that will serve and inspire the congregation as well as the larger community for generations to come. Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders wishes to thank all those who helped make this project possible. We wish to thank The Reverend Susan Flanders, rector; The Reverend Harrison West, associate rector; Christine Walz-Dallaire, senior warden 2006–07; Ken Lee, senior warden 2007–08; Cynthia Stroman, organ committee chair; Suzanne Welch, architectural review committee chair and project manager; Bill Fry and Richard Saltsman, co-chairs of the Lift High the Cross capital campaign committee; Mike McConihe, chancellor; Douglas Beck, former director of music ministries; Anne Timpane, director of music ministries; Brian Briggs, parish administrator; and the many parishioners who gave of their time, talent, and treasure. Berghaus also wishes to thank Tom Kerns and Koji Hirota of Kerns Group Architects and Bassem Melham, Bill Morrissette, and Will Durham of Forrester Construction.
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders also wishes to thank members of its staff for their countless hours and dedication to this project:
Brian Berghaus, president
David McCleary, director of sales and marketing
Tonal design: Jonathan Oblander, Kelly Monette
Visual design and layout: Steven Protzman
Voicing and tonal finishing: Kelly Monette, Jonathan Oblander, Mitch Blum
Construction: Stan Bujak, Chris Czopek, Steve Drexler, Jeff Hubbard, Trevor Kahlbaugh, Kurt Linstead, David Mueller, Daniel Roberts, Tim Roney, Paul Serresseque, Ron Skibbe, Jordan Smoots, Paul Symkowski, Mark Ber, Randy Watkins, Andy Schach.
—Jonathan Oblander
Tonal director
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders

From the director of music ministries
In January 2007, St. John’s signed a contract with Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders to build a new instrument that would fulfill and expand the music ministry’s mission and vision:

to explore the journey of faith and life through music; unite parishioners . . . by embracing and cultivating talents and gifts . . . enliven liturgy and community, nourish the musical and creative spirit . . .; inspire the people of St. John’s . . . strengthening relationships with God and one another.

St. John’s has had a pipe organ for more than 80 years. Organ music has enhanced important events in the life of the parish, from weekly worship services, to special holiday music, to baptisms, weddings, funerals and other occasions. However, progressive structural deterioration of the existing organ had caused significant wear and damage to the instrument’s infrastructure. The organ became increasingly unreliable, and so the decision was made not only to replace the instrument but also to think creatively about the chancel’s architectural design. Taking into consideration the size of the room, the number of people that the room will accommodate, and the desired uses of the instrument, it was decided to place the new organ on the central axis of the church for optimal sound projection and flexibility within the space. Berghaus worked in conjunction with our architectural review committee to find a harmonious blend of the advantages and challenges associated with the organ placement and chancel reconfiguration. The result is our stunning new three-manual custom-made work of art.
Berghaus was chosen by our organ builder selection committee after extensive information gathering and evaluation of the proposals submitted by several prominent organ builders. Berghaus’s excellent reputation, design philosophy, and character made them the stand out choice for St. John’s. Their attention to detail, dedication to craftsmanship, and ability to work within our timeframe and cost considerations resulted in an instrument that is not a reflection of me, or Berghaus, but of St. John’s and its parishioners.
Through the generosity of our donors, the work of Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, and the talents of the guest organists who helped dedicate the instrument, we have built an instrument that will enrich our worship and give music to lift our spirits for year to come.
—Anne Timpane
Director of music ministries

GRAND-ORGUE – Unenclosed – Manual I. 31'4' wind pressure
16' Quintaton 61 pipes existing, mahogany, revoiced
8' Montre 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8' Gambe 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin
8' Flûte Harmonique 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, harmonic @ g32
8' Bourdon 61 pipes 52% tin
4' Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4' Flûte Octaviante 61 pipes 75% tin, harmonic @ c25
22'3' Quinte 61 pipes 52% tin
2' Doublette 61 pipes 75% tin
13'5' Tierce 61 pipes 75% tin
8' Cornet V 220 pipes 52% tin, c13–g56
11'3' Fourniture IV 244 pipes 75% tin (19-22-26-29)
8' Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
16' Trompette Royale 1–12 from Ped 16' Bombarde; 13–61 from 8' Trompette Royale
8' Trompette Royale 61 pipes hooded resonators, voiced on 10' wind
Clochettes 5 bells (with adjustable delay, speed, and volume)

RÉCIT EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual III. 31'4' (flues) and 4' (reeds) w.p.
8' Salicional 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8' Voix Céleste FF 56 pipes 6–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8' Flûte à Cheminée 61 pipes 52% tin
4' Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4' Flûte Conique 61 pipes 40% tin
2' Flûte à Bec 61 pipes 52% tin
2' Plein Jeu V 305 pipes 75% tin (15-19-22-26-29)
16' Basson 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin, 1–18 L/2
8' Trompette 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
8' Hautbois 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8' Voix Humaine 61 pipes resonators of 52% tin
4' Clairon 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
Tremblant
8' Cornet V — (G.O.)
8' Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

POSITIF EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual II. 31'4' wind pressure
8' Principal 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8' Bourdon 61 pipes poplar
8' Flûte Celestes II (console preparation)
4' Octave 61 pipes 52% tin
4' Flûte à Fuseau 61 pipes 52% tin
22'3' Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
2' Quarte de Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
13'5' Tierce 61 pipes 52% tin
11'3' Larigot 61 pipes 52% tin
1' Cymbale IV 244 pipes 75% tin (26-29-33-36)
8' Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8' Cromorne 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
8' Cornet V — (G.O.)
8' Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

PÉDALE – Unenclosed. Wind pressure 31'4' except Bombarde (4')
32' Basse Acoustique — derived from 16' Montre and 16' Soubasse
16' Contrebasse (console preparation)
16' Montre (façade) 32 pipes 1–25 polished zinc, 26–32 75% tin
16' Soubasse 32 pipes poplar
16' Quintaton — (G.O.)
8' Octave 32 pipes 75% tin throughout
8' Cor de Chamois 32 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–32 52% tin
8' Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16' Soubasse)
4' Basse de Choral 32 pipes 75% tin
4' Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16' Soubasse)
22'3' Fourniture IV 128 pipes 75% tin (12-15-19-22)
32' Contre Bombarde 12 pipes L/2 resonators of pine (extension of 16' Bombarde)
16' Bombarde 32 pipes L/1 resonators of pine
16' Basson — (Récit)
8' Trompette 32 pipes
4' Clairon 32 pipes
8' Trompette Royal — (G.O.)

Glück New York,
New York, New York
Leon Lowenstein Memorial Auditorium, Congregation Emanu-El, New York, New York
The Fox Memorial Pipe Organ began its career as M. P. Möller’s Opus 9718 of 1962, designed by Dr. Robert S. Baker in collaboration with John H. Hose, tonal director of the Möller firm. The instrument was installed behind draperies in the amphitheatre choir loft of the 1,100-seat auditorium, which is designed to transform from a concert and lecture venue into a fully equipped summer sanctuary. Only the 16' Contrebasse and 16' Hélicon are partially visible from the auditorium. The placement of the instrument near the choir’s microphones (also used for radio broadcasts) forced an unhappy situation of under-scaled and feebly winded pipes, with closed toe holes and mouth heights as low as 1/6 cut-ups.
After 45 years, the temple contracted with Glück New York to tonally redesign the instrument and replace its mechanical systems. The solid-state drawknob console retains the original ivory keyboards and tiger maple pedalboard. The organ’s remote pneumatic relays and combination stacks were replaced with solid-state equipment.
The new tonal design moved from a typical American church organ of the period toward a warmer, fuller, rounder sound. Some of the mid-century tonal concepts that were of no use in the synagogue service (such as the two pseudo-baroque 4' reeds) were replaced by voices more essential to the liturgy. Many of the flue pipes had been left with untreated languids and were cut up only high enough to get them to speak. Furthermore, they had not had their toe holes opened, and could be considered essentially new and unvoiced, an added bonus in the context of the project. The unusual Shofar stop was designed by W. Adolph Zajic (1909–1987) and built with only six pipes; the organ’s new relay is prepared to fill out the stop in the future.
The new specifications were drawn up by Sebastian M. Glück, artistic and tonal director of the firm, who also carried out the voicing and tonal finishing. Albert Jensen-Moulton, general manager, was responsible for all technical aspects of the project. The three other pipe organs in the temple complex include a IV/135 in the sanctuary and a III/35 in Beth-El Chapel, both by the Glück firm. A fourth pipe organ, a II/7 Wilfred Lavalée in Greenwald Hall, was removed in the 1990s.
—Sebastian M. Glück

Fox Memorial Pipe Organ
Leon Lowenstein Memorial Auditorium, Congregation Emanu-El, New York, New York

GRAND-ORGUE
Manual II, unenclosed, 31'4' wind
16' Bourdon
8' Montre
8' Bois ouverte
8' Violon sourdine
4' Prestant
2' Doublette
Plein jeu IV
8' Shofar
Tremblant
Jeux empruntés:
8' Bourdon (Pos)
8' Voix angélique (Pos)
8' Voix mystique (Pos)
4' Flûte (Pos)
8' Hautbois (Réc)

RÉCIT-EXPRESSIF
Manual III, enclosed, 4' wind
8' Viole de gambe
8' Voix céleste
8' Flûte à cheminée
4' Prestant
4' Flûte harmonique
2' Flûte à bec
Fourniture III
16' Basson
8' Trompette
8' Hautbois
Tremblant
8' Trompette de fête (Pos)

POSITIF-EXPRESSIF
Manual I, enclosed, 4' & 6' wind
8' Violon sourdine (G-O)
8' Voix angélique
8' Voix mystique
8' Bourdon
4' Prestant (prep)
4' Flûte
22'3' Nazard
2' Quart de nazard
13'5' Tierce
8' Clarinette
Tremblant
8' Trompette de fête

PÉDALE
Unenclosed, 4' wind
16' Contrebasse
16' Sous basse
16' Violoncelle sourdine (ext G-O)
16' Bourdon (G-O)
8' Octavebasse
8' Flûte
8' Bourdon (Pos)
8' Violon sourdine (G-O)
4' Quinzième
4' Cor de nuit
Mixture II
32' Aliquots graves
16' Hélicon
16' Basson (Réc)
8' Trombone
8' Basson (Réc)

Fabry, Inc., Antioch, Illinois
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Milwaukee, Immanuel Presbyterian Church has held a place of honor on Yankee Hill, overlooking Lake Michigan. In 1881 the church purchased what is now the core of the present instrument. Nearly all of the unison voices and lower are from the original instrument, including the 16' Double Open Diapason and 16' Principal, both of which are wood. During the next 120 years, additions and rebuilds occurred, bringing the instrument to its current state, still preserving over 75% of the original instrument. In 1965, the organ was fitted with a used Austin three-manual console. While the console worked well for a time, it was clear a new console was needed. When Fabry, Inc. was contacted to do the work, the previous curator had left many parts, tools and pipes in the organ area. Among these items was an 8' French Horn, purchased by the church and awaiting installation.
Fabry, Inc. undertook the following to improve the usability and tonal palette of the organ. An all-new three-manual drawknob console was custom crafted by David G. Fabry to control the 67-rank, 71-stop instrument. Utilizing the ICS-4000 combination action and relay system, this console and interface brings the 1881 Hook & Hastings into the 21st century. The aforementioned French Horn received a new chest built by David G. Fabry, and was installed in the String division with its own dedicated electric tremolo. A new electric extension of the 16' Bassoon in the Swell was installed, fully utilizing this rescaled 8' stop to a greater degree. Other smaller jobs, such as bracing and reworking the ventilation system were also completed at this time. While one half of the organ had been re-wired with PVC-coated wiring, the other half was brought up to standard.
Fabry, Inc. would like to thank the Rev. Deborah A. Block, pastor; Steven J. Jensen, organist; and John S. Komasa, director of music.
—Phil Spressart

GREAT
16' Open Diapason
16' Bourdon
8' Open Diapason
8' Chimney Flute
8' Doppel Flute
8' Aeoline (TC)
8' Gamba
8' Gemshorn
4' Octave
4' Harmonic Flute
22'3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
2' Waldflöte
2' Mixture IV
16' Double Trumpet
8' Trumpet
8' Tuba Mirabilis (Ped)
4' Clarion
Cathedral Chimes
Great 4
Great Unison Off
Great 16

SWELL
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Open Diapason
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Viole d’Gambe
8' Viole Celeste
4' Octave
4' Flute Traverso
22'3' Nazard
2' Flautino
13'5' Tierce
11'3' Plein Jeu III
16' Bassoon (1–12 elec.)
8' Hautbois
8' Trumpet
8' Vox Humana
4' Clarion
Tremolo
Swell 4
Swell Unison Off
Swell 16

CHOIR
8' Geigen Principal
8' Melodia
8' Viol d’Amour
8' Viol Celeste
4' Octave
4' Stopped Flute
2' Piccolo
11'3' Larigot
22'3' Mixture II
8' Clarinet
8' Tuba Mirabilis (Ped)
8' Harp Celeste
Mockingbird
Cymbelstern
Tremolo
Choir 4
Choir Unison Off
Choir 16

STRING
8' Dulciana
8' Violon Cello
8' Cello Celeste
8' Violin Sordo
8' Violin Celeste
8' French Horn
Tremolo

PEDAL
32' Violone (1–12 elec.)
32' Contra Bourdon (1–12 elec.)
16' Double Open Diapason
16' Principal
16' Bourdon
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)
16' Violone (Gt)
8' Octave
8' Bass Flute
8' Holzgedeckt
8' Violin Cello
4' Fifteenth
2' Mixture III
32' Bombarde (1–12 elec.)
32' Contra Trombone
16' Bassoon (Sw)
16' Double Trumpet (Gt)
16' Trombone
8' Tromba
4' Tromba