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J.H. & C.S. Odell Opus 645

United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston,

Westport, Connecticut

From the builder

I first looked over the 1968 Angell pipe organ at the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston in the winter of 2005, having been recommended to the church by our friend K. Bryan Kirk. What we found in Westport was an organ with many pipes that were well made, but in some cases unusually constructed and, by our standards, only roughly voiced. The flue pipes were made mostly with a high content of tin. We suspect Tim Koelewijn was the original pipemaker. Just about everything else in the organ had been made by domestic and foreign supply houses. Overall, quality varied widely. Some things were very neatly done.

Though by our standards not altogether under-scaled, the organ did suffer in just about every other way from the prevailing trends of the era when it was built. Wind pressures were low: less than two inches in the Great and three in the Swell. Looking at the original stoplist, we noted that none of the choruses in the organ were complete, though the organ did boast two Célestes and a triple-overblowing Zauberflöte. The reed complement for the organ consisted of a double-blocked French style 8’ Trompette (extended to 16’ in the Pedal) and a 4’ Rohr Shalmei.

The windchest mechanism was a problematic plunger-type solenoid system that had been giving trouble for years. The console was a veneered plywood supply house unit already years beyond its life expectancy. The open contact switching system was dispersed throughout the organ; some of its components had already failed. The wind supply for the entire Great division was provided by a single 18≤ by 24≤ reservoir whose internal volume was largely dedicated to its curtain valve.
After an initial tuning of the organ, the church’s new music director and organist, Todd Simmons, pressed me as to what could be done to make the organ better. I pointed out that the organ had mechanical and tonal issues, to be sure, but there was something to work with here, some raw material, which with proper attention could be the basis for a good pipe organ. In my wife Holly’s words, the existing pipework possessed “unrealized potential.”

Weeks later we met with the trustees to present our findings, expecting that at some point in the future funds could be raised to finance the organ project. One can imagine my surprise when Mr. Simmons called me a few weeks later to say that a single anonymous donor had stepped forward. How soon could we start? Thus we found ourselves sweating in the summer heat on a stretch of days the following July, packing and removing the pipes that would become the basis for our Opus 645.
In the design process we developed a new specification with input from K. Bryan Kirk. We instinctively sought first to meet the essential requirements of a liturgical instrument, something we believe to be utterly crucial, especially in the case of smaller pipe organs. Given the limited space for the organ, we felt a two-manual scheme with few frills would be best. We resisted a request for digital augmentation, instead focusing on a design that would be pipe only.

Certain early decisions seemed obvious. Given the dry acoustic of the church, the baseline scale of the Great chorus needed to be increased. This chorus was also completed with the addition of appropriately scaled new pipework from 22⁄3’ pitch upward. The cutup schedule of the existing Great capped flute was raised, arched, and the stop entirely revoiced. A new independent 4’ Harmonic Flute (based on the unique and very successful scale found in our historic Opus 178 at St. Charles Borromeo in Brooklyn) was constructed and voiced. Over the course of the project nearly every zinc pipe in the organ made its way through our pipe shop: frozen metal caps were freed, tuning inserts and toes replaced, seams and scrolls repaired. Being left in a raw state, many of the zinc pipes had an unsightly powdery white oxidation. We removed this, and gave all zinc basses a sealing coat of varnish to protect them.
The wind pressure of all manual divisions was raised to a more moderate four inches. Holly, then pregnant with our son Caleb, did her usual superb job of revoicing all the other existing and new flue pipework, managing to do so before reaching her final trimester. During this past winter we joked more than once: which would be given birth first, our son Caleb or the organ for Westport?

Where, before, the Great division of the organ had seven ranks, it had now eleven. To provide for this expanded division adequately, we built a new, larger reservoir. The rest of the organ’s wind system was rebuilt and reengineered as the new design required.

In dealing with the Swell division, again certain decisions seemed obvious. The 4’ Rohr Shalmei, only marginally useful, was replaced with an 8’ Oboe, expertly voiced by Sam Hughes. Proceeding as she did in the Great, Holly revoiced all of the existing Swell flues and voiced the new pipework for the Swell flute chorus, which was completed to 13⁄5’ pitch. The existing Trompette was kept, though carefully cleaned up and regulated in a cooperative effort between Sam and Holly.

In our recently expanded East Hampton shop I concentrated on the construction of the console, while our shop foreman John Williams constructed new windchests whose design was first developed for our organ at St. Ann’s in Bridgehampton. The unusually short feet of the 8’ old flute basses made for some interesting pipesetting. New offset chests were provided for everything save the original Pedal Subbass, a mammoth mahogany affair that only needed rebuilding.

The new console was based on our current terrace-jamb design with several embellishments. Improvements on the existing design include a slightly deeper cabinet with an added horizontal stile, raised panel work, additional applied moldings, hand-carved brackets, a two-piece knee panel and solid walnut music desk, the latter being picture-framed with the same quarter-sawn white oak used for the carcass and façade.

The console features an integrated solid-state capture and control system with fully programmable features, MIDI interface, and our standard complement of rear-fulcrum keyboards with basswood levers. The oblique drawknob heads are a reproduction of our 19th-century design. Respected organists who have played it have described our console at Westport as “elegant and comfortable.”
My design of the façade was in part born of necessity. Since both the manual and pedal principal stops were being rescaled, new bass pipes would be required. We naturally needed to make the most of the existing chamber space, and one of the simplest ways to do that was by moving the basses of these stops out into a façade.

Every pipe in the façade is functional. The bass notes of the Great and Pedal principals are polished aluminum, made to our specifications by Matters, Inc. of Hermosa, South Dakota. The pipes are arranged in three towers and two flats and the overall height of the case tops out at 15 feet, mounted roughly 10 feet above the sanctuary floor. The style of the casework is deliberately simple, so as to be in harmony with the appointments of the church sanctuary.

The façade performs a very important function in giving one a visual focal point. It declares the organ present, and urges one to consider it rather than wonder from where behind the grille cloth the organ might be. Its cruciform arrangement also reflects elements of sacred numerology: three towers with three pipes each for the Trinity, ten pipes located within the inner flats for the Commandments.

The sanctuary space in Westport could be described as a postwar-modernist take on the “Akron Plan,” less the adjoining Fellowship Hall. Four sets of pews radiate from the altar and pulpit up front, with organ and choir off to the left. The space over the altar is open with a ceiling height of approximately 35 feet. This intersects with a lower A-frame suspended transversely over the pews. From there the ceiling slopes downward to the rear of the pews to meet a northeasterly facing wall that is mostly glass. The floor is a simple concrete aggregate. Thankfully, carpet was absent. More simply described, it is a space with a great deal of cubic volume, but not overly reverberant.

Throughout the process we gave a great deal of thought to what levels of power would be appropriate for the various tonal resources of the organ. Our concerns about sufficient tonal egress from the chambers were put to rest when we experienced how well the organ spoke into the room. In the tonal finishing process we were pleased to discover how our scaling and voicing decisions suited the space. With a well-balanced variety of 8’ tone available, the organ easily leads congregational singing in a variety of settings.

Overall, we are very happy with what we have achieved in Westport. I would be remiss not to mention others who have contributed to this project: my wife and business partner Holly Odell was responsible for revoicing all existing pipework and voicing of new pipework. John Williams built nearly all the windchests and was responsible for all pipesetting. John and I collaborated on the wind reservoirs and organ case elements. In addition to overall mechanical design and layout, I milled, built and finished the console and casework as well as handling most other finishing duties. Working out of our pipe shop, Stewart Skates handled all pipe repairs. Luc Ladurantaye of Lac Saguay, Quebec, built the new metal pipes to our specifications. Gordon Auchincloss assisted in the wiring and final assembly of the console, and Thomas White assisted in windchest construction and wiring. John Williams, Thomas White, and myself handled the installation. Tonal finishing duties were divided between Holly and myself, with occasional assistance from Richard Hamar and Fred Heffner.

—Edward Odell



From the music director

In my third year as choir director and first year as organist of the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, I was introduced to Edward Odell by K. Bryan Kirk, as we were in search of someone local to assume the maintenance of our Angell pipe organ. While I was not dissatisfied with the firm maintaining our organ at that time, I knew it was only a matter of time before a major overhaul was needed, and no one had ever made a complete inspection and report on our instrument. Given the current condition of our organ, I felt comforted in knowing someone local could resuscitate it at a moment’s notice.

After a thorough tuning and evaluation of the organ, I was encouraged by Mr. Odell’s report that although there were serious electrical and tonal issues present, the pipes themselves were well made and could be repaired and voiced (apparently for the first time ever) if we had the means to fund an organ project. Having just completed a fund-raising campaign for a new grand piano, our church did not have extra money to start an organ building fund-raiser, and we felt uncomfortable asking the congregation to dig into their wallets again so soon. This was discouraging as we knew that time was close at hand; in recent years our organ had become increasingly undependable.

Not long after we began exploring these issues, it happened one Sunday morning that the entire organ pedalboard suddenly made itself unusable. Having little alternative, I decided to play that morning’s service on the piano. This coming just a few weeks after Mr. Odell’s presentation to our trustees, there was (understandably) a certain degree of panic, since we were totally unprepared financially to fund an organ project this soon. Even though our organ was one of the longest surviving Angell pipe organs in the area, we had hoped (and expected) it to last longer. It was more and more apparent that something had to be done soon. Before we even had a chance to strategize, I received a call the next day from the pastor informing me that a donor wishing to remain anonymous had left a very large check on his desk with the intention of funding the organ project.

As has been elsewhere stated, our previous instrument suffered from a lack of tonal finishing and the pipes themselves had never been voiced properly. The pipes being of relatively small scale, we were used to a thin, shallow sound that did not possess enough power to adequately fill our worship space, even when I registered full organ. At the start of the project, I had doubts as to whether any new organ would be strong enough, given the room’s difficult acoustics and the location of the organ chambers. Mr. Odell assured us that once the new organ was installed, we would be amazed at the difference.
One of the most impressive enhancements with the new organ, aside from the exquisite façade, is the quality of sound as well as the power behind it. We now have an instrument that adequately leads our congregation in singing, as well as providing full, but subtle, accompaniment for the choir anthems. I can honestly say that at every step of the way, Mr. Odell and his firm have not only met but exceeded my expectations with our new organ and have gone above and beyond the call of duty to deliver an instrument that is even better than the original proposal stated.

It is a testament to his excellent work that not only do the trained musicians in the congregation appreciate this new pipe organ, even the untrained listeners have noticed a huge improvement over the previous instrument. One member (who at one time happened to be unsupportive of the project) admits that now she could not imagine our service without a pipe organ. The church is well pleased, as am I, and we celebrate at every Sunday service this work of art courtesy of the firm of J.H. & C.S. Odell.

—Todd Simmons, organist and music director, United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston



From the consultant

When I began teaching in 1988 at a music school in Westport, Connecticut, I was naturally curious about local pipe organs. Over the years, I became more familiar with the organ at a nearby church: the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston. The instrument was in poor mechanical condition: it exhibited a failing combination action, frequent ciphers, tuning instability and other frustrations, even though periodic maintenance was given. Being a product of its time, it was very thin in sound, had little bass response (as did the room) and few solo colors. Most importantly, there was no sense of real ensemble, even when the tutti was drawn. The instrument was also limited in its dynamic range for choral accompaniment and congregational singing, and was weak when trying to blend with other instruments. Overall, the organ did not make a strong impact.

A few years later a new organist and choir director was hired, Todd Simmons, one of my teaching colleagues from the music school. As the organ continued to deteriorate, he and the church became even more disappointed with the organ’s unreliability and marginal tonal resources. Knowing I had done other consulting work, Todd asked me to work with him and the church regarding the organ. Realizing the inherent problems, both musical and mechanical, we began an in-depth study of what could be done to either rebuild or replace the organ with something that would not only offer more tonal possibilities but also fill the room and excite the strong congregational singing potential we knew was there.

As we talked, it was apparent that virtually a new organ would be the best option, although much of the existing pipework could be retained if it were rescaled, revoiced and placed on a new, reliable chassis. The organ needed to be reliable and have a wider dynamic range, more tonal colors and a strong sense of presence in the room. It had to strongly lead and accompany congregational singing and sensitively render choral, solo and instrumental accompaniment.

From the outset, one of my pervading concerns was the church’s acoustic, which, while fine for chamber music, was a bit dry for organ and choral music and congregational singing. Having noted the difference in the acoustic when the room was more fully occupied, I knew the challenge of filling the room efficiently would be a mandate for the builder.

Our task began to take shape. Meetings were held and candidate builders were vetted. As work continued, a stop-list began to emerge, while we kept in mind budget and space limitations. One of my thoughts was to ask for a façade, as the previous organ had nothing visible but for a console in a lowered pit in the choir area. I reasoned that a façade would reinforce the impression that the church was getting something new, better and different. We agreed from the beginning that the organ should remain an all-pipe instrument.

After naming a few candidates, one firm was clearly the most interested, experienced and willing to work with us and on this organ. Having known the Odells and their fine lineage of historic instruments as well as their excellent work on new organs and various projects over many years, I was happy to welcome their presence.

The church had Edward and Holly Odell give the organ a full tuning and submit a proposal for either rebuilding or a new organ. As the Odells looked through the organ, they determined that a new console, chassis and electrical system would be required, and that it would be possible to rebuild one small windchest, but otherwise new windchests would be required throughout. By adding a façade for visual interest, some new pipework and retaining about half the existing pipework (though carefully rescaled and revoiced), the organ could take on a new character that would be far more flexible and of greater quality than its predecessor. This concept, coupled with their thorough proposal, helped to land them the contract.

As the new organ design was developed, the specification was refined. Among the ideas we discussed was the clever suggestion to borrow the Great 4’ Octave as an 8’ Second Principal stop on the Great, creating a secondary 8’ Principal for smaller combinations. The stop could also be used to fill out foundation tone when needed. As we continued to explore various tonal issues, it was noted that the old organ had no soft reed color or solo flute color. Among other things, Odell suggested adding an 8’ Oboe and building a new Harmonic Flute, patterned after historic Odell examples, but carefully adapted for the flute scales at Westport.

My early recommendations had included new 22⁄3’ and 2’ principal stops to replace the existing flute-scaled 2’ in the Great. The Odells suggested going further to install a new Mixture to create a full Principal chorus, giving the organ a sense of ensemble, a true plenum, something it never had.
Having listened to the result, I can state these stops create a truly full-sounding principal chorus, finally integrating the instrument into the room. The organ as conceived by the Odells has made a huge difference for hymn and repertoire playing and can now “ring the room” more effectively.

The Great also contains the revoiced 8’ Bourdon, now sounding more like a continuo stop, suitable in choral music or to accompany the Swell’s cornet decomposée. The Gemshorn and its Celeste were retained for flexibility in accompanying and providing more soft colors.

The Swell received “the Odell treatment,” in that all the pipework was revoiced. The flues, strings and mutations were all transformed by voicer Holly Odell, and the reeds were reworked to make a dramatic difference. The strings and 8’ Rohrflute now have more presence and can fully support the choir, as well as contribute to the ensemble. The Swell cornet decomposée is now nicely balanced, and the flutes have a more piquant character.

The new 8’ Oboe offers a nice color for softer choral accompaniment and foundation combinations, as well as providing a new solo stop. The existing 8’ Trompette, originally extended to 16’ for the Pedal, was also cleaned, revoiced and regulated into a stop that now serves a dual-purpose chorus/solo reed. The 16’ octave, now reconditioned, adds more gravitas to the Pedal and the full ensemble.
The full ensemble now fills the church worship space with a richer, warmer and well-blended tone. The softer sounds are more usable and possess a wider dynamic range, so the possibilities for choral, vocal and instrumental accompaniment are greatly enhanced.

As a concerned observer, I paid close attention to the project throughout the building process. The Odells always welcomed my inquiries and kept all parties informed with frequent photographs from their shop. Once the installation commenced, it was exciting to see how beautifully designed and well made all components of the organ were, both inside and out. During the tonal finishing, it was gratifying to witness the attention to detail in balancing each stop and the various ensembles. Further, it was refreshing to hear from the builder that materials and workmanship were never an issue; they simply insisted that in every aspect things be done thoroughly, with the highest level of attention to detail.

The organ is now in regular use and a series of dedication concerts have been planned. My thanks go to Edward and Holly Odell, their associates, to Todd Simmons and the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, Connecticut, and the donor for having me work with them in a collaborative effort to complete this important project to enrich the worship and outreach of this vibrant congregation.

—K. Bryan Kirk, advisor/consultant

J.H. & C.S. Odell Opus 645

United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, Westport, Connecticut

Great (Wind pressure 4")

8’ Principal CC–AA en façade, otherwise 70% tin, 61 pipes

8’ Second Principal 1–12 from Principal 8’, 13–49 from Octave 4’

8’ Bourdon 70% tin, arched cutup, 61 pipes

8’ Harmonic Flute 1–12 from Bourdon 8’, 13–61 from Harmonic Flute 4’

8’ Gemshorn 70% tin, 2/3 taper, 61 pipes

8’ Gemshorn Céleste 70% tin, 2/3 taper, 49 pipes

4’ Octave 70% tin, 61 pipes

4’ Harmonic Flute 55% spotted metal, special Odell scale, harmonic at
middle C, 61 pipes

22⁄3’ Quint 55% spotted metal, 61 pipes

2’ Super Octave 55% spotted metal, 61 pipes

III Mixture 55% spotted metal, 19-22-26, 183 pipes

Chimes. 25 tubes


Swell (Expressive, in existing chamber, wind pressure 4")

16’ Rohr Gedeckt wood, 13–61 from Rohr Flute 8’, 12 pipes

8’ Rohr Flute 70% tin, chimneyed, 61 pipes

8’ Gamba 70% tin, bearded, 61 pipes

8’ Gamba Céleste 70% tin, bearded, 49 pipes

4’ Spitz Principal 70% tin, 2/3 taper, 61 pipes

4’ Flute 55% spotted metal, 2/3 taper, 61 pipes
22⁄3’ Nazard 70% tin, capped and chimneyed to middle C, 61 pipes

2’ Block Flute 70% tin, 61 pipes

13⁄5’ Tierce 55% spotted metal, 2/3 taper, 61 pipes

8’ Trompette double blocked, French shallots, 56 reeds, 61 pipes

8’ Oboe dual taper resonators, English shallots, 49 reeds, 61 pipes

Tremulant


Pedal

16’ Subbass wood, 32 pipes

16’ Rohr Gedeckt from Swell

8’ Octave CC–GG# en façade, otherwise 70% tin, 32 pipes

8’ Bourdon extension, Subbass, 12 pipes

8’ Rohr Flute from Swell

4’ Choralbass extension, Octave 8’, 12 pipes

4’ Flute from Swell

16’ Trompette extension to Swell Trompette, 12 pipes

8’ Trompette from Swell

8’ Oboe from Swell

4’ Clarion from Swell

J.H. & C.S. Odell,
East Hampton, Connecticut
Scarborough Presbyterian Church, Scarborough, New York
I remember receiving my first phone call from Scarborough Presbyterian Church in late January 2005. I was delighted to have the chance to become acquainted with this church and with its organ, my own family’s J.H. and C.S. Odell Opus 327, installed in 1894. Six years on, there is much to report.
One cannot help but be immediately taken in by the beauty of Scarborough Presbyterian, both interior and exterior. The church is set along old Route 9 in Briarcliff Manor. Approached from either north or south, the siting of the building (whose exterior is rich with classical elements) blends in gracefully with its setting.
Scarborough Church was a gift from Mrs. Elliott Shepard as a memorial to her husband in 1893. The architects of record for the church were Haydel and Shepard, a short-lived partnership of Stanford White’s nephew, Haydel, and a nephew of Mr. Shepard. Their only other significant building, the Fabbri Mansion on Manhattan’s 64th Street, echoes the neo-classical style of Scarborough Church—briefly called, “Shepard Memorial,” but organized later as Scarborough Presbyterian. A reprint of the dedication announcement from the May 12, 1895 edition of the New York Times includes copious detail of the building’s appointments, which in modern architectural parlance is properly classified as Beaux-Arts:

The main design of the ground plan is a cross, a porte cochere being one of the short arms of the cross, and the pastor’s study the other arm. The church is built of granite rubble, with trimmings of Indiana limestone. The granite is of a pink tinge, which harmonizes pleasantly with the grayish limestone, and the effect is very striking to the visitor.
The height of the tower from the steps to the top of the cross is about 120 feet. The architecture of the exterior is a distinctly American interpretation of the Renaissance idea as it was in the time of Louis XIV. The granite used in the body of the structure was quarried on the estate of Col. Shepard, which is a short distance south of the edifice.
In the three large windows of the main structure, each nineteen feet high, are stained glass designs. Strictly classical treatment has been used in the interior of the building. The main auditorium has a seating capacity of 350, and the Sunday-school room of 150 persons. The floors are of mosaic in the church, and the pews are of carved wood. The building is as near as possible fireproof, as little wood being employed in the construction as circumstances would permit.
The wood-paneled [coffered] ceiling is secured to the entablature by carved wooden corbels. This ceiling is one of the main features of the room. It is made of California redwood. Its side surfaces are enriched with twenty-eight panels, each six feet square, and with carved wooden rosettes in their centers. This design encloses, as in a large frame, a large panel, itself broken up and subdivided into a considerable number of smaller panels. In the center of the ceiling is a great carved redwood cross. The inner walls are of cement, tinted to harmonize with the ceiling.
The choir dome, under which the pulpit is placed, at the end of the church, is paneled with rosettes, and a large skylight admits light from above. The building is lighted at night with electric lights, and the heating is to be in the winter season by hot-air appliances from the basement. Perfect ventilation is secured by means of exhaust flues in the side walls from the floors to the roof. The organ is in the main tower, while the keyboard is under the choir dome.

As the article states, the console was originally placed in the chancel area, leading me to speculate that this organ was likely the first all-electric adaptation of the patented Odell tubular-pneumatic action. In comparison, there are appreciable, if minor, design differences in the primary mechanism employed in the manual chest action used in our Op. 313 at St. Michael’s Church on West 34th Street in Manhattan. That organ, which is presently under our care and slated for major restoration work in 2012, was originally all tubular-pneumatic when it was built only one year prior in 1893. It has been interesting to note the nuance in mechanisms, scaling, and voicing practices of two Odell instruments that were built at nearly the same time.
As one can easily imagine the unwieldiness of playing the gallery organ from the chancel, it is not surprising that the console was later relocated to the gallery. Apart from this, the organ remained largely intact until the first major campaign of rebuilding and revisions began in the late 1980s through the 1990s.
At one time, there had been ambitious plans for the instrument, evidenced in the documentation of the Peterson switching system installed by a prior technician. Most of these plans went unrealized, though the addition of an anachronistic and stylistically questionable “Positiv” division had been carried out. Other changes included additional reed stops in the Swell, as well as evidence of attempts at rescaling, mostly in the principal stops of the Great.
In the meantime, problems of the winding system and mechanism were largely ignored. It was in this state that I first examined the organ at Scarborough in 2005. The Swell chest was then largely non-functional, owing mostly to issues with stuck sliders and pallet actions in need of rebuilding. I quickly realized that not only would a program of full mechanical restoration be needed, but also a careful reversal of many of the tonal changes, if the final result were to resemble anything that would make sense to a properly trained organist.
In addition to the difficulties with the organ, Scarborough was managing a leadership transition, something that is always trying in the life of any parish. The congregation faced this while contemporaneously entertaining bids for the organ project from us and other local firms, as well as considering wholesale replacement of the organ with a new electronic substitute. It was not until I made a detailed presentation to the congregation that we were able to at least keep the latter option off the table.
While we eventually prevailed as selectee for the organ project, there was no appreciable progress in going to contract until the appointment of Kenneth Potter as organist and director of music in 2007. Potter took the position on the condition of the organ’s restoration. This was agreeable to the Session and we were at last able to proceed.
No sooner had Mr. Potter taken the position than he reached out to me, and a lively discussion ensued on how best to revise and restore the organ. Plans at one point had even branched out into an entirely new case design, for which I excitedly prepared several conceptual sketches, but these were later set aside for both practical and aesthetic reasons. With our limited budget, the majority of our work would have to focus on restoration of the pipes, console, and mechanism. Moreover, with limited gallery space and an already richly appointed interior, it was difficult to realize a case design that would match the level of ornamentation or allow for a proper sense of proportion without getting into models that we knew would be far too elaborate. We officially went to contract in late 2007 and set to commence work in early 2008.
Eventually we settled on the design one sees today, which in many respects closely resembles the organ’s 1894 specification. The floating “Positiv” is gone, its Oboe restored and returned to its proper place in the Swell. The Swell Vox Humana was likewise deleted in favor of the Bassoon 16′, though not without some regret. The addition of the Clarion 4′ was kept, though the stop was revoiced in order to be more in scale (in terms of power) with the rest of the division’s reed chorus. Apart from careful tonal finishing and some adjustments to the power of some of the stops, the rest of the division remains as original but for the replacement of the Aeoline with a matched Voix Céleste for the Salicional.
I approached the Great with similar care. In sorting through the pipework in the shop I was able to review (and correct) prior attempts in rescaling and revoicing. Thankfully, the critical backbone stops of the division (the Open Diapason 8′, Gross Flute 8′, Gamba 8′, and Harmonic Flute 4′) had been left mostly untouched. Efforts had been made to re-scale the principal chorus from 4′ upward with limited success: rather than inserting new pipes in the bass and shifting the entire rank upward, pipes from various sources were randomly inserted in the compass of the Principal, Twelfth, and Fifteenth. To the uninitiated this probably seemed a harmless practice, but I was determined to restore some sense of order. Thus we maintained (and in some cases increased) the rescaling, as my experience with Odell scaling practices from this era (as well as my review of this instrument in particular) called for a significant increase in order to balance the power of the stops of the chorus without attempting to “voice around the scale.” Thus I reoriented the prior attempts at rescaling by fabricating new pipes with properly matching 2/7 mouths, using matched common metal (roughly 70% lead) as opposed to the uncharacteristic spotted metal used before. This allowed better control in the adjustment of the power of these ranks as I worked on them in the voicing room.
The other changes to the Great included the addition of the original Swell Bourdon on new unit windchests, so as to be available at 16′ and 8′ pitch. The Dulciana was deleted in favor of a new, matching principal-scaled Seventeenth. This exchange was part of an overall plan to keep a third-sounding rank available in the division, since the original Great Cornet mixture (17-19-22) was to be rescaled and recomposed into a suitable chorus mixture based on 2′ pitch (15-19-22). The original Cornet Mixture in the Swell had been retained, and Ken and I were in agreement that one tierce mixture per organ was more than sufficient.
Apart from these changes, pipe restoration was straightforward. Along with the windchests and console, everything was brought back to our facility and carefully cleaned. Metal ranks went through our pipe shop for repair. Wooden pipes were repaired and pipe stoppers were repacked. But for the Bassoon 16′ in the Swell and the Trumpet in the Great (which I kept for myself to work on), the Swell reeds went to Trivo in Hagerstown for restoration. Broken reed pipes were properly reblocked, tuning inserts were replaced, and shallots, tongues, and wedges were carefully cleaned and refitted as required.
The rebuilding of the mechanism presented several challenges. The manual windchests were essentially Odell slider chests with electro-pneumatic pulldown motors and slider motors. Both chests were completely stripped down to their tables at our facility so they could be evaluated and repaired. Thankfully, re-tabling was not needed, though damage to some of the sliders was so severe that some of them had to be replaced. Unlike modern slider chests (where engineered plywood is used), the bottoms of the Odell chest grids are covered with motor cloth, and the pallet openings are formed by blocking in the channels inside the pallet box and covering the area with a layer of packing leather. All this was restored to match the original configuration, whereafter the grid channels were carefully sized with thinned shellac, as is the custom. It was an arduous, not to say messy process, but the result was the total elimination of the numerous runs and bleeds encountered prior to removal. Finally, the chest pallets were all re-dressed with new felt and leather, and the motor and primary systems rebuilt.
With the slider motor system we faced a particular difficulty: Odell pneumatic slider motors were an innovative design in their day, but they can be fickle. When they work, they work well, but they often grow slow and unresponsive. Knowing this, in the planning stages of the project I seriously considered conversion to an electric slider motor system, but instead held this out as a last resort. The original pneumatic motors were dutifully rebuilt, and after some experimentation I eventually realized a solution: by placing the slider motor assemblies on their own separate wind reservoir and increasing the pressure moderately, I realized two immediate benefits: the slider motion was now swift and sure, and the action of the sliders no longer had any effect on the divisional wind pressure as they were actuated. I owe the inspiration for this concept to my colleague Timothy Fink, who several years ago used a similar approach when he designed his own pneumatically powered slider system (based in part on the Odell design) for the new organ he built for Grace Lutheran Church in Naples, Florida.
As the Pedal division had recently had its action rebuilt, we were free to leave this section alone and concentrate our remaining efforts on the console, winding system, and façade.
Dealing with the winding system was simple. The original massive single-rise reservoir was replaced with four new properly sized Odell reservoirs, one for each division, and the fourth for the aforementioned slider motor assemblies.
The console carcass was gutted and fitted with new, rear-fulcrum keyboards with basswood levers, and the manual compass restored to the original 58 notes. The newer pedalboard was kept. The stop-action rail and stop-action magnets were replaced with a much more reliable Harris tilting-tablet assembly, whose appearance is more characteristic of a traditional Odell console. The interior of the console was fitted with new panels made of sapele. We installed a new, integrated control system with the customary modern feature set.
The façade, which contains the bottom seventeen notes of the Great Open Diapason, was carefully stripped, repaired, and restored. The original zinc tuning flaps were replaced with spotted metal tuning scrolls. I personally handled the preparation and finishing process. A catalyzed base primer that bonds directly to the metal was used as the undercoat, over which I applied specialized metal lacquer mixed with gold flake powder. The result is a richer, deeper gold color that was accented by the application of silver flake lacquer on the pipe mouth inserts.
Our final step was to replace the 1950s-era wall panels below the impost of the façade. The layout was sketched by my wife Susan, who is a classically trained architect. With no cues from me, she intuitively established a rail and stile pattern that picked up on the center point placements of the pipes in the façade, while maintaining symmetry throughout. The panel molding, which required a custom-made set of molder knives, is a duplication of the custom panel moldings used throughout the church. The panels themselves are made from the same sapele used in the console, and are stained to match the existing appointments. Though it is minor, this was a welcome embellishment to the appearance of the organ.
Members of the Odell staff who contributed to this project include: John Williams (chest restoration, new chest, panel, and reservoir fabrication), Stewart Skates (pipe repair, fabrication, and restoration), Scotty Giffen (site, restoration, and assembly work), David Wason (wiring, site, restoration, and assembly work), Douglas Keilitz (site work, tuning, and tonal finishing), and myself (design, planning, wood and metal pipe finishing, voicing, and tonal finishing). Rigging for the removal and reinstallation was handled by our friends at Auer’s of New York City, long known for their skill in handling this sort of work.
We are grateful to the staff and congregation of Scarborough Presbyterian Church for being given the opportunity to restore this instrument and return it to service. I am particularly grateful to Kenneth and Christine Potter (who have become great friends as well as champions of our work), and also the Reverends Chris Iosso, Dae Jung, and Tim Ives, worship and music committee chair Lindsay Farrell, and most especially the late Florence Fletcher, to whose memory the new organ façade is dedicated.
—Edward Odell
East Hampton, Connecticut

It isn’t often that an organist takes a job with the congregation already understanding that the organ needs to be rebuilt, and he gets a significant say in how it gets done. My first decision was to commit what one might call a heresy among organists. I agreed that the organ needed to be reduced in size; we went from 37 ranks to 30. The results speak for themselves, as much of that reduction involved removing redundant ranks, ranks that served no useful purpose.
Prior to the rebuild, the Swell had become almost completely unplayable and been more or less abandoned. We realized the removal of the entire instrument to the Odell shop would be needed. Now rebuilt, the Swell is a wonderful division of great subtlety and color.
It made sense to keep certain additions, but we wanted these additions to form a real ensemble, and for the organ to speak into the room naturally. A fine Clarion 4′ had been added to the Swell. The Bassoon 16′, Cornopean 8′, Oboe 8′, and Clarion 4′ formed a reed battery that we were loath to break up. In order to keep it, the old Vox Humana 8′ had to go. I deeply regretted this loss, but I love the full reed chorus as it is now. The Aeoline 8′ went the same way to make room for the Voix Céleste. There was more than enough pipework left for quiet music, with the very gentle strings, a Stopped Diapason 8′, and a lovely Rohr Flute 4′ of surpassing beauty.
In the Great division, the previous Tierce had been derived from a split slider on the Mixture. It never worked very well, but I felt it was important to have a full Cornet on the Great, so we sacrificed the Dulciana. The Seventeenth that took its place is the only wholly new rank in the rebuild. The Dulciana’s place in the tonal scheme was taken by an 8′ extension of the 16′ Bourdon. I felt that with the three other strong 8′ stops (Open Diapason 8′, Gross Flute 8′, and Gamba 8′) we needed a quiet 8′ flute. This Bourdon 8′ can be coupled with the Gamba 8′ and form a fonds doux, but it also works beautifully alone, or with the Principal 4′ or Harmonic Flute 4′. With all 8′ flue stops on the Great drawn, one has a close approximation of the classic fonds de huit. After rescaling and restoration, the Great chorus is powerful and intense. With the coupling of the Swell reeds, it becomes immense.
In the process of this rebuild, I learned a lot about what stops are truly necessary. As someone who cut his teeth on the Organ Reform movement, I had difficulty understanding a tonal scheme built on generously scaled 8′ stops, with smaller upperwork, or a second manual division without a Principal 4′. In time, I have come to understand this instrument on its own terms. The Violina 4′ really does serve a purpose, and I have come to love the very modest 4′ Rohr Flute in the Swell; it is delicate and very non-intrusive, and I never seem to stop finding uses for it. The Flute 2′ with the Cornet III makes a wonderful sparkle in that division without adding weight. The Oboe 8′, now returned to the Swell, is an excellent addition to the division’s chorus, adding just enough weight to balance the flues. So much for the Swell organs I was previously accustomed to, with their 8′ Gedeckt foundation and blazing upperwork!
It thrills me endlessly to have other organists come in and play. I love to wander around downstairs and listen, often asking what stops they have on. This organ, which sounds immensely powerful in the gallery, is gentle and convincing downstairs—the fullest registration is not overpowering, but rather full, blended, and satisfying.
There isn’t an ugly stop on the entire instrument. Every rank is distinct, beautiful, and makes the listener sit up and notice, whether quiet, mezzo forte, or loud. Nothing is overbearing and the range of color is amazing. Edward Odell has demonstrated great skill as a voicer, taking stops that had been poorly regulated, and restoring, focusing, and adjusting them to create a satisfying, integrated ensemble. He was ably assisted by Doug Keilitz on the tonal finishing.
Let me conclude by saying we are blessed with some of the finest acoustics I have ever experienced in a church, both for organ and choral music. The instrument is now inspiring our choir to new heights. As I had hoped, the wonderful sounds coming from the loft are enhancing our worship and attracting new members.
—Kenneth Potter
Organist and Director of Music

J.H. & C.S. Odell Opus 327
Scarborough Presbyterian Church, Scarborough, New York

GREAT
16′ Bourdon 70 pipes
8′ Open Diapason 58 pipes
8′ Gamba 58 pipes
8′ Gross Flute 58 pipes
8′ Bourdon (from 16′ Bourdon)
4′ Principal 58 pipes
4′ Harmonic Flute 58 pipes
22⁄3 Twelfth 58 pipes
2′ Fifteenth 58 pipes
13⁄5′ Seventeenth (new) 58 pipes
III Mixture 174 pipes
8′ Trumpet 58 pipes

SWELL – Expressive –
in reconfigured expression chamber
16′ Bourdon 58 pipes
8′ Open Diapason 58 pipes
8′ Stopped Diapason 58 pipes
8′ Salicional 58 pipes
8′ Voix Céleste 58 pipes
4′ Violina 58 pipes
4′ Rohr Flute 58 pipes
2′ Flute 58 pipes
III Cornet 174 pipes
16′ Bassoon 58 pipes
8′ Cornopean 58 pipes
8′ Oboe 58 pipes
4′ Clarion 58 pipes
Tremulant

PEDAL
32′ Resultant (special configuration,
from Open Wood and Bourdon)
16′ Open Wood 30 pipes
16′ Bourdon 54 pipes
8′ Gedeckt (ext 16′ Bourdon)
8′ Violoncello 30 pipes
4′ Flute (ext 16′ Bourdon)
16′ Bassoon (from Swell)

Mixture Compositions
Great
1 to 25 15-19-22
26 to 37 12-15-19
38 to 58 8-12-15

Swell
1 to 25 17-19-22
26 to 37 15-17-19
38 to 58 8-15-17

Couplers
Great to Pedal 8′ (reversible)
Great to Pedal 4′
Swell to Pedal 8′ (reversible)
Swell to Pedal 4′

Great to Great 16′
Great Unison Off
Great to Great 4′

Swell to Great 16′
Swell to Great 8′ (reversible)
Swell to Great 4′

Swell to Swell 16′
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4′

Pistons
12 generals (duplicated on toe pistons)
6 divisionals per division
4 reversibles (3 coupler, 1 Sforzando)

Accessories
32 levels of capture memory
12-step transposer
Programmable Sforzando
Memory controls in keyslip
Programmable Crescendo
MIDI for record/playback

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ
Company, Lithonia, Georgia
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C.
The rich history of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is intertwined with the history of the United States, as it has played an important role during many crucial junctures of our history. The church traces its heritage to Scottish artisans who worshiped on the grounds of the White House as it was being constructed in the 1790s. As a regular worshipper during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln rented his own pew. From the early twentieth century it became customary for presidents to attend services on Lincoln Day and sit in Lincoln’s pew. Eighteen sitting presidents have worshipped at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, and the cornerstone of the present church was set by President Truman.
Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall preached many famous sermons to a large national audience during World War II. During the annual Lincoln Day service in 1954, the Reverend George Docherty preached a sermon entitled “One Nation Under God,” calling for the addition of the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. The congregation that day included President Eisenhower, who, with his friends in Congress were prompted to add the phrase to the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. Martin Luther King preached from their pulpit during the 1960s civil rights struggle. This church has long had social justice and responsibility at its very core, which cannot be adequately summarized in just a few lines.
I want to thank the church leadership, musicians, and members of the organ committee for their unwavering support of the Schlueter firm and me. So often when I had an idea, or desired to consider a change, the response invariably was “You are the organbuilder—we trust you. Do what you think is right.” Their measured dialogue, input, and trust were vital in the creation of this instrument and allowed our best work to flourish. I would also like to thank Texas organbuilder Mac Range, who served as a consulting resource between the church and organ company.
During my first visit with the church, I met with Pastor Roger Gench, director of music Dr. Stan Engebretson, and organ committee chairman Douglas Porter. I have to confess that at this meeting (being unfamiliar with the church and its instrument) my first inclination was to see if it would be possible to preserve the extant Skinner. However, after study of the organ, it became clear that the instrument was Aeolian-Skinner largely in name only, with the additional work of at least five other organbuilders. The church was considering the correct course in pursuing a new instrument.
The original organ built by John Brown in 1874 was rebuilt into a new instrument by the E. M. Skinner firm in the 1920s. Then in the 1950s the organ was enlarged and moved to the present church by Aeolian-Skinner. In the ensuing years there were various other additions to the organ and a replacement console. The organ chassis was a collection of E. M. Skinner, Aeolian-Skinner, and supply house actions—parts and pipes that were very much showing their age and were at the point of requiring rebuilding or replacement.
The placement of the former organ was in a rear gallery location. Often this location can be a benefit; however, in this church architecture it was a significant detriment. The organ was laid out with the Choir division in a pit below the rear choir gallery. The Swell division was stacked above the Choir division, with a Great division in front of this and a contemporary Positiv division flown over the Great chests and directly in front of the Swell chamber. The result was tone trap upon tone trap. The significant overhang of the balconies relative to the main sanctuary floor created even more sound traps. Add to that pew cushions on the main floor and the gallery. The result was that the organ started out bottled-up and fighting to speak from its location, and the sound that did get out was eaten up in the room and did not provide adequate support for congregational accompaniment.
Prior to our involvement, the church sought out the opinions of a variety of organists. The venerable organist, composer, and former Washingtonian, Dr. Douglas Major, served as an adviser and consultant to the project. He recommended that the organ and choir should be relocated to the front of the church. This simple act of forthrightly suggesting an alternate location for the organ and choir cannot be understated. His vision and recommendation are to be applauded, and as a builder, I consider the placement suggestion the single most important contribution to the success of this instrument.
In designing a major new element for the church chancel, we committed to the careful inclusion of elements from the church architecture. It was especially important to balance the visual beauty of the organ case with the Celtic Cross, retaining it as the central visual element in the room. We paired brushed zinc façade pipes with Lyptus® wood for the organ case. The choice of this wood species was influenced by the history of the church and its continuing social consciousness, including responsibility to the environment. As a sustainable, plantation-grown lumber, Lyptus® provides a beautifully grained wood that finishes well and complements the older walnut that is in the church furnishings, without adding to the deforestation of a native species.
It was interesting to see the expression of many of the church members the first time they saw the organ case. Incorporated into the organ casement is Isaiah 6:3, “Holy Holy Holy Is The Lord of Hosts The Whole Earth Is Full of God’s Glory,” and 1 John 4:7, “Beloved Let Us Love One Another For Everyone Who Loves Is Born of God And Knows God.” These scriptures, carved in mahogany panels that were gilded and polychromed, became visual reminders of our responsibilities in faith as organbuilders and servants of the church.
In designing a new specification that would incorporate some of the existing organ resources, a detailed study of the organ stops was conducted. It became evident that there had been a large degree of re-use and re-tasking of pipework during many different eras. There were opus numbers on pipework that were not attributable to either Skinner company or John Brown, but that did have marks from the E. M. and Aeolian-Skinner voicers and had been relabeled with inked opus numbers. Some of the pipework had been re-tasked multiple times. A good example was a 13⁄5′ Tierce in the Swell that had been a Great 4′ stop, prior to being a Swell 2′ stop, before becoming a 13⁄5′ Tierce. With rebuilding upon rebuilding, and stop reassignment and repitching, the organ had collected eight harmonic flutes of various pitches and significant scaling problems as they related to other organ stops. Scaling and voicing issues were scattered throughout the instrument among all stop families. Other peculiarities could be found in the Gemshorn, Erzahler, and Flauto Dolce. All of these stops, while differing in nomenclature, shared the exact same scaling, halving ratio, and mouth width. The Salicional and Voix Celeste in the Swell had been deslotted in a former life and various replacement pipes added to these ranks. The majority of reeds in the organ used French shallots, and these reeds provided a very brittle timbre in the church acoustic.
The organ did have many individual beautiful sounds, but they did not coalesce into a unified ensemble. Additional “diamonds in the rough” included the 8′ Clarinet and the 8′ Vox Humana, which dated from the John Brown organ and had been originally retained by
E. M. Skinner and later Aeolian-Skinner. There was clearly an aural reason these stops made the passage of over one hundred years and through the hands of several organ companies. When we studied the construction of these and other stops, and worked with voicing samples in the church, there was no question that these select stops had to be retained, albeit in different roles and/or registers.
Certainly it was clear that less could be more. The organ had grown to over 72 ranks over the years, attempting to overcome issues with the organ placement, room acoustic, and pipe scaling. During the organ removal, we discovered that the organ actually started to sound significantly better after over one-third of the resources had been removed, leaving fewer pipes and chests to occlude the pipe speech. We also moved pipe samples from the rear chamber location to the proposed chancel location. This proved invaluable as we considered the specification design, pipework scaling, and wind pressures.
During the church’s study of our firm, there were several visits to the Schlueter organ (III/47) at First Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia. This instrument, featured in the April 2006 issue of The Diapason, was patterned loosely around the formative specification designs of early American Classicism. We allowed the English influence of American Classicism to flourish in this specification, with a nod toward the romanticism of early American twentieth-century tonal design. While not desiring a direct copy, there was an overall approach to specification and voicing style in the Savannah instrument that was the type of sound that embodied the core of what the church wanted for choral and congregational accompaniment.
The initial specification tendered had 58 ranks over three manual divisions and pedal. Later this grew to 62 ranks with donations made by the Schlueter family. We provided these additions outside of the contract budget because, as artisans, there were several stops that we personally wanted to include in this organ, including a second set of strings in the Swell division, the Great mutation stops, and other changes and stop substitutions.
Each division was designed around an independent 8′ weighted principal chorus. The divisional choruses, while differing in color, are designed to compound one another as a unified whole. The enclosed divisions were designed to be foils to the Great division, to provide weightless accompaniment for choral work, support repertoire, or massed in support of Romantic or transcription repertoire. The strings, when taken as a whole compounded entity, allow the organ to feature a divided string organ division located between the Swell and Choir divisions to be companioned by means of couplers. Considering the stoplist design and room acoustic, we chose to employ reeds with English shallots and voicing practices. Built with Willis tuba shallots, the 16′/8′ Tromba on 16 inches of wind pressure serves as the solo reed. Being enclosed in the Choir expression box allows full dynamic control of this heroic reed.
The organ is built with a steel and wood structure encased by the organ façade and millwork. The lower level of the organ contains the Swell and Choir, while the Great and Pedal divisions of the organ are located in the upper level.
Our firm built electro-pneumatic slider chest actions of the Blackinton variety, with our electro-pneumatic primary design. This type of chest action has the ability to operate over a wide pressure range without repetition problems or pressure limitations. Electro-pneumatic unit chests were provided for all large bass pipes, offset chests, and reeds.
In addition to the frontal expression shades, we designed louvers for the sides of the organ case that open rearward into the corners of the balcony. This was to purposely focus some of the organ energy into the gallery. With the removal of the soft pew pads, this area is used to coalesce the organ sound and maintains the sonic energy in the upper portion of the room, giving an impression of a longer reverberation time than the room actually has. Additional enhancement to the room acoustic came from removal of carpet, which was replaced with natural cork.
The resources of the organ are controlled by a three-manual drawknob console. Built in the English style, the console sits on a rolling platform to allow mobility. The console exterior is built of Lyptus® with an interior of ebonized walnut and ebony. The console features modern conveniences for the performer, such as multiple memory levels, programmable crescendo and sforzando, transposer, MIDI, and the ability to record and play back performances.
With new pipework, existing pipework, and changes to room acoustics, it was decided early on that all of the pipework would be voiced at the church. New pipework was only prevoiced to allow full latitude with cut-ups and any required nicking. All of the samples were set in the chambers on their windchests. A portable voicing machine was installed to the side of the chancel and all of the pipes were voiced prior to their installation in the chambers for final voicing and tonal finishing. Voicing an organ in this manner is quite literally a process of months, involving the movement of thousands of pipes, but was the only way to achieve the results we wanted. An organ of this scale and scope, with this amount of raw voicing work to be done onsite, required a large team. This effort was accomplished by Daniel Angerstein, Peter Duys, Lee Hendricks, Gerald Schultz, and Bud Taylor. It becomes a rote line from the articles of our work, but again I want to single out Dan for his contributions. Over the weeks and months of tonal work, he faithfully led our team’s tonal finishing efforts. He worked to patiently bring forth the voices as they had been planned and envisioned. Indeed, his fingerprints adjoin our own on this instrument.
The building and installation of a pipe organ is a monumental undertaking. The title “organbuilder” presumes long hours, travel, and the temporary suspension of personal lives. This year, in addition to rebuilding projects, A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company built six new instruments. Our firm is so blessed to have the dedicated staff whom I proudly call my colleagues. I would particularly like to mention our management and road crew, including Arthur Schlueter Jr., Marc Conley, John Tanner, Shan Dalton, Marshall Foxworthy, Patrick Hodges, Jay Hodges, Wilson Luna, Rob Black, Pete Duys, and Bud Taylor for the untold hours of travel and work that they put into these projects. These are but part of the Schlueter Organ Company; a full roster of our staff and additional information on our firm and projects can be viewed at <www.pipe-organ.com&gt; or by writing A. E. Schlueter, P.O. Box 838, Lithonia, GA 30058.
I have heard the collective work of organbuilders described as “stained glass for the ears.” As I thought about this, I considered New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, which is known for its sacred and secular stained glass windows, chronicled in the book Stories in Stained Glass (1998, Foster, Boswell, Hunter). To paraphrase the foreword by George W. Bergquist: “Generations from now, when the stained glass windows will have acquired the patina of time, they will continue to demonstrate that visual beauty of their sort powerfully reinforcing preaching, testimony and prayer.” How beautifully phrased. It is our sincere wish that our work will be an aural complement to the visual one as our instrument acquires the “patina of time.”

—Arthur E. Schlueter III

Artistic and Tonal Director

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company

3 manuals, 62 pipe ranks

GREAT
16′ Violone (extension)
8′ Principal
8′ Violone
8′ Gemshorn (CH)
8′ Gemshorn Celeste (CH)
8′ Bourdon
8′ Harmonic Flute
4′ Octave
4′ Spire Flute
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Super Octave
13⁄5′ Seventeenth
11⁄3′ Fourniture IV
2⁄3′ Scharf III
8′ Trumpet
8′ Tromba Heroique (CH)
Chimes (digital)
Tremulant

SWELL
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (extension)
8′ Principal
8′ Rohr Flute
8′ Viola
8′ Viola Celeste
8′ Salicional
8′ Voix Celeste
4′ Principal
4′ Wald Flute
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Octavin
13⁄5′ Tierce
2′ Plein Jeu Mixture IV
16′ Contra Oboe (extension)
8′ Trumpet
8′ Oboe
8′ Vox Humana
4′ Clarion
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4

CHOIR
16′ Gemshorn (extension)
8′ Weit Principal
8′ Holzgedeckt
8′ Gemshorn
8′ Gemshorn Celeste
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Flauto Dolce Celeste
4′ Principal
4′ Koppelflote
22⁄3′ Nasat
2′ Schweigel
13⁄5′ Terz
11⁄3′ Quint
2′ Choral Mixture III
8′ Clarinet
16′ Tromba Heroique (extension)
8′ Tromba Heroique
4′ Tromba Heroique (extension)
Zimbelstern
Harp (digital)
Tremulant
Choir to Choir 16
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4

PEDAL
32′ Violone (digital)
32′ Bourdon (digital)
16′ Principal
16′ Violone (GT)
16′ Gemshorn (CH)
16′ Bourdon
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (SW)
102⁄3′ Quint
8′ Octave (extension)
8′ Violone (GT)
8′ Gemshorn (CH)
8′ Bourdon (extension)
8′ Gedeckt (SW)
4´ Choral Bass
4´ Cantus Flute (GT)
22⁄3′ Mixture V
32′ Contra Trombone (digital)
32′ Harmonics (wired cornet series)
16′ Trombone (CH)
16′ Contra Trumpet (GT)
16′ Contra Oboe (SW)
8′ Tromba (CH)
8′ Trumpet (GT)
4′ Clarion (GT)
4′ Cremona

Inter-manual couplers
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
Choir to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Choir to Great 16, 8, 4
Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4
Cover photo: Dr. Stan Engebretson

Bedient Pipe Organ Company, Roca, Nebraska, Opus 81
First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
As organbuilding and organ performance evolve in the beginning of the 21st century, as financial resources of churches are often limited, there is renewed incentive to incorporate the good of past American organbuilding into new instruments. That is what we have done at First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls.
Although the practice of incorporating elements of former instruments into new ones has been perhaps shunned by some of our better builders in past decades and certainly by me, it was common in earlier times of organbuilding history for organbuilders to recycle functional components. Look at many stoplists of Arp Schnitger as reported by Gustav Foch and more often than not, some stops on a new instrument will be attributed to an earlier builder, or simply “vor Schn.”
This practice has certainly occurred in American organbuilding throughout our history and with varying degrees of success. The advisability and resulting success depends on the style of organ being built and the skills of the organbuilder.
Based on our successful combination of new and old in our Opus 81, the practice of “reuse and renew” continues to be a logical organbuilding technique.
Our goals were: 1) To rebuild and enhance the existing organ to make it reliable and visually attractive; 2) To create an organ rich in fundamental sound that would generate a wide dynamic range for various accompanimental tasks as well as lead hymn singing; 3) To create a variety of beautiful sounds for playing organ literature; 4) To integrate the old with the new in such a manner that the two work together seamlessly; and 5) To improve the internal layout of the organ to make it an easy organ to tune and service.
The lack of a comprehensive approach to work that had been done over the past 40 years had left things in a state of disarray. A new control system had been installed a few years before our involvement. The main control panel had been removed from its wooden packing crate, set on top of the crate, leaned against a windchest leg and wired in place! There was a nightmare of cables and individual wires running helter-skelter. Pipes were leaning to and fro. The layout of main windchests and offsets was illogical and used the space inefficiently. The Great windchest had serious defects and had to be replaced. This allowed us to totally reconfigure the Great and Pedal organs and their related offset chests. Some offset chests were retained, and a new Pedal windchest was made, allowing us to clean up the Pedal division and organize it in a meaningful way. The available space behind the façade for the Great and Pedal divisions was limited, but we were able to make a very good and serviceable layout.
What most people know about an organ is what they can see. We were able to make a dramatic change in this instrument by replacing the uninteresting façade of non-speaking pipes with one of dynamic appearance that also creates inviting, living sounds. If an organ looks beautiful, the viewer is more inclined to want to hear the instrument. If it sounds great and looks beautiful, the viewer’s expectation is realized and it sounds even better than anticipated.
Besides the non-speaking façade, the organ we inherited was characterized by a marked lack of harmonic interest. Thankfully, there were individual stops with potential that served a meaningful place in our new tonal scheme. We were able to provide an almost totally new Great division, and that was an important advantage—being able to present the core of the organ as a new division of beautiful sounds with a rich principal ensemble. Having said that, we did retain the old Great Mixture. We were able to improve it by increasing the cut-ups and making it a darker, less edgy, and generally very satisfactory sound. The new Great is an amalgamation of Germanic and French ideas from our varied tonal palette at Bedient. The Great Trompete is a dark German reed that blends well with the ensemble. When used with the Great principal chorus based on 16′ pitch or 8′ pitch, it makes a grand but not overwhelming sound and is very suitable for supporting hymn singing. The Flûte harmonique, straight out of the Cavaillé-Coll tradition, is a wonderful addition—especially in the renewed, live acoustic.
The Swell division was greatly enhanced by some revoicing and the addition of a new Trompette 8′, Clairon 4′ and a new Mixture. The Swell is now a very effective division, and there is quite a dramatic difference between Swell shades open and closed. The Choir division, previously lacking in fundamental, was greatly improved by the addition of a new Principal 8′. Adding a Mixture gave the Choir a complete chorus. The completed specification includes a principal chorus in each division.
The original specification called for a new solo trumpet stop. Well into the design, it occurred to me that this stop would be more usable and effective if it were placed en chamade instead of in the Choir chamber as planned. For those of us who have spent much of our lives clinging to ladders trying to reach and service en chamade reeds, we offer relief in this installation. Flats of pipes directly under the en chamade reed hinge outward and the stop can be tuned conveniently from a walkboard behind the façade by reaching out and up a short distance.
The Pedal division was enhanced by the addition of new reed stops as well as a Pedal Mixture. There are always many judgment calls in organbuilding. The Pedal Bombarde, Trompette, and Clairon began life in our shop as typical French, parallel shallot reeds of the French trompette tradition. It was apparent upon hearing them in the new, lively acoustic that they created too much sound. We took all of the lower registers back to the shop and put brass plates on the shallots to reduce the openings and thus the amount of sound created. They are still very prominent reeds, but fit the ensemble and help create a very exciting tutti. The bottom eight notes of the old Pedal Principal 16′ were retained as well as treble pipes of the Pedal Principal 8′ and a Choral Bass 4′.
The Möller console had been modernized at least two times before our involvement in the project. We were able to make a good stopknob layout and add the stops needed in a logical way. Piston slips were replaced to make a better piston layout. We added a “tracker touch” system to the keyboards to improve the feel. The entire console was disassembled and the finish carefully restored to match the beautiful oak woodwork in the sanctuary.
The organ has three manuals and pedals, 45 speaking stops, 57 ranks of pipes, totaling 3,138 individual pipes. The wooden organ pipes are made of sugar pine, fir, and poplar, and the metal pipes are made of zinc as well as various alloys of tin and lead. With the exception of the façade pipes, the new pipework was fabricated in the Bedient shop.
The organ façade is made of red oak and employs decorative motifs found in the decoration of the nave and its furnishings. It is enhanced by pipe shades carved of basswood, giving the organ a depth of artistic visual character.
The organbuilders who made the instrument:
Arden Bock
Jasmine Beach
Gene Bedient
Gwen Bedient
Duane Grosse
Chad Johnson
Todd Lange
Paul Lytle
Mark Miller
Eric Smith
Jason Smith
Edward Stibal
Jonathan Taylor
Fred Zander
Todd Znamenáček

The organ was dedicated on February 8, 2008 by Douglas Cleveland, who played to a capacity audience. Special thanks is offered to Eric Grane of the
J. F. Nordlie Co., who worked with me in the tuning and voicing of the instrument. It is our hope that this new instrument will provide inspiration and worship enhancement to all who see and hear it over the coming generations.
—Gene R. Bedient, Organbuilder

Like so many downtown churches, First Congregational United Church of Christ has had to ask the question, “Who are we and what are we doing here?” Circumstances such as space for the activities of ministry, adequate parking, and maintenance of our historic building keep these from being just philosophical questions. During the past decade, several groups of dedicated church members have again wrestled with these issues. These discussions have brought together and empowered a wide variety of special interests and focused them into a vision that has guided us in addressing our challenges and facing our future.
Drawing on the historic traditions of the Congregationalists in America, we seek to create an environment that encourages people to come together, not only for worship, but for learning, public discourse and the sharing of ideas. We believe that it is in the honest exploration and expression of our own creative gifts that God still speaks in our world today. Our remodeled sanctuary is reminiscent of the early meeting houses in that it is a simple, versatile space. Yet, it also inspires and enables a creative spirit with colors in the walls and windows and the magnificent new façade of the Bedient pipe organ.
Since this building was first constructed in 1907, the organ has always had a central place in the sanctuary and a central function in the things that happened there. The most recent organ was a 1932 Möller, rebuilt and enlarged in 1967 by Reuter. It seemed that about every 20 years some major maintenance and improvement was undertaken, but the organ was never fully completed. It served the congregation very well, but was missing some basic components including a swell mixture and independent pedal reeds. The console controls needed updating, as well.
An organ committee was formed to review the situation and develop a proposal. As the committee did its work, it became clear that there was strong sentiment for a more involved project to not only address the problems, but complete and expand the instrument as a significant part of the evolving sanctuary renovation that was also being planned. A preliminary specification was developed and builders were contacted for their input.
Upon the recommendation of Dr. Larry Schou, Professor of Organ and Harpsichord at the University of South Dakota, the Bedient Organ Company was on our list of builders contacted. Initially Gene Bedient was not interested in the project as it had been presented. When he was contacted for further discussion, our conversations revealed a depth of care and concern for the art of organbuilding that impressed everyone. Further discussions, as well as a visit to the Bedient shop and several new and rebuilt instruments, convinced the committee that this was the builder we wanted to work with.
As we continued to work with Bedient, the project evolved further. The most notable suggestion that was enthusiastically adopted by the committee was the replacement of the existing “picket-fence” non-speaking façade with fully functional pipework arranged in a beautiful new oak case that complemented perfectly the existing woodwork in our century-old sanctuary. This new feature brought the organ into the mainstream of the larger sanctuary renovation project, providing a striking visual element that appealed to many who had not been particularly invested in the organ before.
The specification was finalized and the contract signed, and on November 11, 2007, nearly 50 members of the congregation gathered to help unload the truck containing the new Bedient organ. The organ was dedicated with a weekend of celebration February 8–10, 2008. Events included a concert by Douglas Cleveland, a Pedals, Pipes and Pizza event, and festival worship services including a formal Rite of Dedication on Sunday morning.
The organ has inspired us in our worship and attracted a great deal of interest in our developing Arts Ministry. The combination of the open versatile chancel space, excellent acoustics, and the organ located in the front of the room have already attracted several area choral groups to perform here. We hope to continue to reach out and encourage people to develop and share their creative expressions with us and each other.
Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to former Pastor Arlan Fick, whose leadership encouraged and inspired us to dare to dream this big. Thanks also to former music associate Brian Williams, who did a great deal of work in the early stages, to Rev. Norm Shomper for his leadership throughout this project, to Dave Sellers and the members of the organ committee, to Rev. Kathryn Timpany for her enthusiastic support, and to Gene Bedient, Paul Lytle and the rest of the Bedient crew for sharing their creative artistry with us.
—Jack Mohlenhoff
Minister of Music and Arts
First Congregational Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

When Washington High School closed its doors in downtown Sioux Falls in 1992, the citizens of this thriving Midwestern city recognized an opportunity they could not pass up “to contribute to the artistic and cultural well-being of our community and state.” The native quartzite stone building is now the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Sciences. It houses the Kirby Science Discovery Center, an Imax theater, a black box theater, a Visual Arts Center, Leonardo’s Cafe, and the Husby Performing Arts Center, whose jewel in the crown is the stunning Great Hall.
First Congregational United Church of Christ sits directly across the street from the Pavilion. Made from the same native quartzite, it is home to a visionary congregation. For several years we have been developing a mission that is reflected in our motto—“God’s hands at work in the heart of the city”—that includes offering our meeting house as a place where people can experience the intersection of faith and the arts. Our recent renovation of the sanctuary, including the completion of the organ, symbolizes our investment in that vision.
Our weekly worship services are joyous occasions. The Bedient organ, under the expert artistic direction of Jack Mohlenhoff, our Minister of Music and Arts, sings us into praise and soothes our anxieties with its rich arrays of sounds and moods. The visual panorama the organ provides, together with our vibrant stained glass windows, draws us out of ourselves and turns us toward transcendent mystery. There is a creative spirit that is active in our midst, and our organ is the breath beneath our ribs, the vehicle of our song.
It is a great privilege to serve such a congregation, one in which traditional forms of worship and instruments of artistic expression are deeply valued, and generosity is understood as a joyful mark of Christian discipleship. The Bedient organ builders have given us an instrument crafted with the same sense of reverence and perfection that we bring to all aspects of our community life The congregation and the community will be blessed by this gift for generations to come.
—Rev. Kathryn Timpany
Senior Pastor

Bedient Opus 81
First Congregational Church
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

GREAT
16′ Principal 1–8 Reuter,
9–61 new, 9–37 in façade
8′ Principal new, 1–25 in façade
8′ Bourdon Reuter
8′ Flûte harmonique new
4′ Octave new, 1–10 in façade
4′ Spitzflute new
22⁄3′ Quinte new
2′ Fifteenth Reuter
IV Mixture Reuter
8′ Trompete new
8′ Solo Trumpet (Choir)
Carillon
Zimbelstern
Chimes

SWELL
16′ Gedackt Möller
8′ Viole de Gambe Reuter
8′ Voix céleste Reuter
8′ Gedackt Möller
4′ Principal Reuter
4′ Harmonic Flute Möller
22⁄3′ Nazard Reuter
2′ Blockflote Reuter
13⁄5′ Tierce Reuter
IV Plein jeu new
16′ Contrafagott Reuter
8′ Trompette new
8′ Fagott (ext)
8′ Oboe Reuter
4′ Clairon new
8′ Solo Trumpet (Choir)
Tremulant
Carillon
Swell 16
Swell Unison
Swell 4

CHOIR
16′ Quintaton Reuter
8′ Diapason new
8′ Holtzflote Reuter
8′ Viole d’Amore Reuter
8′ Viole celeste Reuter
4′ Spitzprincipal Reuter
4′ Koppelflote Reuter
22⁄3′ Nazard new
2′ Octave Reuter
13⁄5′ Tierce new
11⁄3′ Quinte Reuter
IV Scharf new
8′ Krummhorn Reuter
8′ Solo Trumpet new,
13–54 en chamade, 1–12 inside
Harp
Tremulant
Choir 16
Choir Unison
Choir 4

PEDAL
32′ Contrebourdon (from Bourdon 16)
16′ Principal (Gt)
16′ Bourdon mixed
16′ Gedackt (Sw)
102⁄3′ Quinte (from Principal 16)
8′ Octave 1–12 new in façade
8′ Bourdon (ext)
8′ Gedackt (Sw)
4′ Choral Bass Reuter
4′ Bourdon (ext)
IV Mixture new
32′ Contrebombarde (prepared)
16′ Bombarde new
16′ Fagott (Sw)
8′ Trompette new
8′ Fagott (Sw)
4′ Fagott (Sw)
4′ Clairon new

Couplers
Great/Pedal
Swell/Pedal
Choir/Pedal
Great 16
Swell/Great 16, 8, 4
Choir/Great 16, 8, 4
Swell Unison Off, 16, 4
Choir Unison Off, 16, 4
Swell/Choir 16, 8
Reverse Choir/Great

Russell & Co. Organ Builders,
Chester, Vermont
First Presbyterian Church, Ithaca, New York

From the builder
The term magnum opus is often used in the organbuilding trade to denote the apotheosis of an organbuilder’s career. It is an impressive expression, and the organs that receive such an accolade are usually equally impressive. It is interesting to note, however, that the distinction of magnum opus can be an ephemeral one. What a builder thinks of as his ‘biggest and best’ may be eclipsed just a few years later with an opus magnum novum. In any event, at the outset of a project an organbuilder has termed his magnum opus, he inevitably approaches the creation of the instrument with great reverence and dedication. When we received the contract to build our opus 47 for First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, New York, we knew this would be our magnum opus and, regardless of whether a grander organ would leave our shop in years to come, took on the project in this way, making no little plans to design and build a pipe organ worthy of this special moniker.
First Presbyterian is a grand Romanesque stone structure built in 1894 and located in the heart of downtown Ithaca. The sanctuary seats 500 under a high barrel vault, coffered and richly ornamented with plaster florets. The church enjoys a large, vibrant congregation and an equally active music program, including a sizable adult choir, children’s choir, and handbell choir. In conjunction with the organ project, the sanctuary was renovated to remedy the less-than-desirable acoustics. Previously, the entire floor of the room was carpeted, and the pews were cushioned in heavy velvet. A completely new ceramic tile floor, new and less-absorbent seat cushions, hardened wall surfaces, and a new rear wall designed to reflect sound randomly all contribute to a lively and supportive acoustic, approaching three seconds of reverberation.
The preceding instrument began its life in 1901 as Austin’s opus 39—a three-manual instrument of 47 ranks, including a five-rank Echo organ added in 1930. The organ was installed in the front of the church behind a handsome white oak case crowned with a magnificent central tower rising nearly the full height of the sanctuary. Designed in traditional early 20th-century style, the organ contained the typical myriad of foundation stops, with sparse trimmings of upperwork, undergirded by an ample and satisfying pedal department. Sixty-five years later, Austin was called to rebuild the organ in keeping with the tonal thinking of the day. The result was completely new pipework typical of late 1960s construction and voicing; the Echo organ, thanks to the organist, Dorothy Arnold, was retained and unchanged. With many manual stops sharing common basses, and the pedal division largely borrowed from the manuals, there was little foundation tone. The scaling of the new pipework exacerbated this condition, with halving ratios that resulted in a thin bass and a treble ascendancy unwelcome in so dry a room. The impressive 16¢ and 8¢ 1901 façade was completely replaced by much narrower-scaled pipes with English bay mouths, leaving large, odd-looking gaps between the pipes.
By the 1990s, the organ proved to be inadequate for the many demands the church’s music program placed upon it. Mounting mechanical problems toward the end of the decade that rendered the instrument increasingly unreliable led the church’s organist, George Damp, and the director of music, Larry Doebler, to realize that a completely new instrument was needed to correct the tonal inadequacies of the existing instrument and to fill the needs of the extensive music program. The church named John Schwandt as consultant on the project. Dr. Schwandt recommended requesting proposals from lesser-known builders of high quality. After a national search, Russell & Co. of Chester, Vermont was selected in late 2002 to build the new organ.
A profusion of new romantic organs in recent years, as well as a renewed reverence and interest in the work of early 20th-century American builders, specifically Skinner, was the milieu for the design and construction of this instrument. While Russell & Co. have built several large instruments along French romantic lines, an American romantic/ symphonic organ presented a new challenge: how to take all the lessons learned from our previous instruments, combine them with a century of progress in American organbuilding, and produce an organ capable of accompanying congregational song, playing choral and orchestral literature, and still be able to play the solo organ repertoire, all the while staying true to a ‘symphonic’ ideal.
This challenge was met valiantly with an effective partnership between our firm and George Damp. Having spent all his professional life as an organist, teacher, and church musician, George brought years of experience and a clear idea of what he wanted to the drawing board—a grand, large-scale organ that would make Ernest Skinner proud, but would also not disappoint the likes of G. Donald Harrison. While orchestral voices and ensembles were of great importance, so too was the presence of well-developed and blended choruses in each division.
Our initial proposal was for a three-manual organ with a separately enclosed Solo and Choir sharing one manual. However, during our early discussions with the church music staff, it became clear that to fill all the demands placed upon it, a significantly larger, four-manual instrument would be better suited and would eliminate several reluctant compromises in the original design. Having completed the rebuild of a four-manual Æolian-Skinner, opus 1433, for First Unitarian Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the building of a new, large three-manual French romantic organ for the Cathedral of St. Paul, also in Worcester, we felt ready to tackle our first new four-manual organ. During the selection process, George visited Worcester’s First Baptist Church, home to a rebuilt Reuter for which we constructed a new, large four-manual Skinner-style console. Skinner consoles have long been renowned for their visual elegance, impeccable craftsmanship, and intuitive and comfortable ergonomics. It was agreed First Presbyterian should possess such a console to complement the new organ.
First Presbyterian has long been host to performances of choral and chamber music by numerous local ensembles, and the acoustical renovation that preceded the organ installation only made the space more attractive for outside groups’ use. Knowing this, we included in the initial proposal a small division designed for use as a continuo organ at chancel level. George was hesitant at first—it seemed like a water and oil situation to have such a division included in a grand romantic organ. However, with a large, higher-pressure instrument as the main organ, George and Larry Doebler agreed that it would be futile to attempt to use it in continuo playing, and not only agreed to the division’s inclusion, but encouraged its enlargement. What started out as a small five-stop division grew into a full-fledged low-pressure Positiv, complete with a Sesquialtera and a very gently voiced four-rank Scharff. Its elegant case makes use of the crown and columns of the large throne chair that used to sit in the middle of the chancel, blending the case with the rest of the chancel decoration.
While spacious, the two front organ chambers had previously housed 47 ranks of pipes, including a very small pedal division. One of the project’s greatest challenges was to make 79 ranks of pipes fit in these same chambers—including a large-scale independent pedal division with three 32' stops—while maintaining easy access to each pipe and mechanism. After much experimenting in the forgiving world of computer-aided design, a layout that achieved both of these goals was reached. Aside from the Antiphonal and Positiv, the entire instrument is installed behind the organ case, with the Great, Solo and Choir divisions to the congregation’s left, and the Swell and Pedal on the right. There is no ceiling over these chambers, allowing for a great deal of sound to ascend into the barrel vault over the chancel, creating a wonderful blending chamber of sorts, which then projects the sound well into the room. Even from the center of the chancel, it is difficult to tell from which side sounds are coming.
The Antiphonal organ is located high up in the right rear corner of the sanctuary. The Antiphonal Swell division, consisting of the original Echo organ with two additions, is housed in the former Echo organ chamber. The two stops of the Antiphonal Great sit on a newly constructed ledge in front of the chamber, with the pipes from the 8' Prestant forming a simple and elegant façade.
The console constructed for opus 47 models the console at First Baptist in Worcester. Built of quarter-sawn red oak and walnut with a hand-rubbed oil and stain finish, it complements the elegance of the renovated sanctuary and restored organ case. With manual keys of 10th-cut ivory and ebony, and pedals of maple and ebony, the console immediately has a luxurious tactile feel. Through many consultations with George as well as with the organists working in our own shop, the selection and layout of controls were designed to be as intuitive to the player as possible. The stopjamb layout takes its cue from the tall consoles of English cathedrals; this provides the vertical space to lay out the complete choruses of each division in one line, making drawing every plenum quick and straightforward. Though a complete list of playing aids and mechanicals accompanies the specification, several are worth noting here. With the choral accompanist in mind, the Swell is provided with ten divisional pistons, and pedal-to-manual combination couplers with discrete memories are available on each division. A 99-level combination action is included with 16 general pistons and a sequencer; additionally, each piston can be easily modified as to which stops it affects, releasing the player from the distinction and restraints of divisional and general pistons. Divisional cancels are also provided by pushing the division nameplate on the stopjamb.
The key and stop action throughout the instrument is electro-pneumatic, a departure from our usual practice of employing slider and pallet chests. The chests are modeled on late 1960s Aeolian-Skinner pitman chests, with several of our own modifications. Even the Positiv, speaking on 23⁄4" pressure, plays on a pitman chest and works beautifully, resulting in quick and desirable pipe speech, ideal for its anticipated continuo use.
A design goal from the outset of the project was to make the organ large enough to have four complete manual divisions (seven, including the Positiv and Antiphonal Great and Swell), but to keep costs manageable, all the while not sacrificing quality. To this end, we looked to the existing Austin pipework, all having been new (with the exception of the Echo) in 1969, to see what might be reused in the new organ. While hard to believe this neo-baroque pipework could blend its way into an American romantic organ, we found much of the pipework was well constructed and cut up low enough to permit its successful rescaling and revoicing in a very different style.
Of the 40 completely new ranks of pipes added to the organ, all new choruses and flutes are constructed of 94% lead alloy, a practice we have long employed, allowing our voicers to achieve a degree of tonal superiority unattainable with the use of lighter, higher tin content alloys. In general, this allows the 8¢ line to be weighty and warm, progressing through a velvety chorus to light and silvery upperwork—all mixtures in the organ are also of the same high-lead content. The epitome of this construction and voicing style is the 8¢ Montre on the Great, a 42-scale Diapason more English than French, despite its name. Being placed outside the Great expression box, the Montre’s tone is commanding, warm and strong, and is paired with the enclosed 44-scale 8' Principal for lighter choruses. True to the design objective, choruses through at least 4¢ were provided in the three main manual divisions (Great, Swell, Choir), resulting in three very independent divisions that terrace and blend successfully for the performance of French literature. With the old Great 8' Principal revoiced as the Swell Diapason, and the 45-scale English Diapason in the Choir of special variable scale, the five combined 8' Diapasons create a rich, singing tone that serves as a lush solo color, as well as the basis for the aforementioned well-blended choruses.
One of the hallmarks of an American symphonic organ is the abundance of orchestral reeds, so carefully developed by the likes of Skinner a century ago. Fittingly, opus 47 has a delicious array of imitative stops spread out amid the manual divisions. The demand for these stops allowed us to use several ranks we had been storing in our stockroom for many years while the popular organ style called for very different reed stops. In the Choir division, the Clarinet finds its traditional home, and comes to Ithaca as a restored Johnson Bell Clarinet. In our study of early 20th-century American organs, a common finding was that the Choir division, while potentially having enough foundation tone, nearly always lacked the trumpet-class reed timbre to assert itself against the Swell organ. In this light, the second Choir reed deserves special note as an unusual stop, even in this age of rediscovered orchestral sounds. The 8' Waldhorn uses restored Aeolian pipes from the Higgins estate in Worcester, Massachusetts. This medium-scaled, capped trumpet is not quite a French Horn, and not quite a Trumpet, but something in between. It has a chameleon-like quality in that it is a beautiful and haunting solo voice, but when drawn with the full Choir, it acts as a chorus reed, giving the Choir a definite presence amidst full organ.
Two new reeds, the English Horn in the Solo, and the Orchestral Oboe in the Antiphonal Swell, were beautifully voiced by Chris Broome, turning out exactly as we had wanted them, and possessing striking imitative qualities.
For climactic moments in both repertoire and accompaniments, two solo chorus reeds are provided in the Solo division. The enclosed Tuba Mirabilis has harmonic resonators from tenor F# and is voiced on 15" pressure, providing the traditional dark, smooth and powerful tone suggested by its name. The 8' Silver Trumpet, played on 10" pressure, serves to contrast with the Tuba for a different effect. Envisioned in the same manner as the Solo Trumpet Harmonique at Yale’s Woolsey Hall, the pipes are constructed with French shallots and placed outside the Solo enclosure, yielding a brighter and brassier tone. While neither stop is oppressively loud, when combined they yield a tone of refined power that can top full organ with single notes.
Another criterion from early on in the project was to have a profusion of string stops of varying power and brightness to enable a truly orchestral string crescendo from pp to ff. While there are the usual strings sprinkled throughout the Choir and Swell, the Solo strings truly cap the string chorus, possessing incredible intensity and brilliance. Although the Solo was originally designed with one pair, the discovery of two ranks of Skinner orchestral strings in our stockroom led to the addition of a second set to be the pinnacle of the string chorus. Voicer Ted Gilbert worked wonders with these two pairs—the Gamba is the quieter of the two, possessing an almost woody quality, whereas the Cello represents the extreme limit of bright, powerful, shimmering string voicing. Twelve ranks of string or undulating tone in the organ, from the Swell Flauto Dolce through the Solo Cello, provide a seamless powerful crescendo, made even more effective with the use of double expression in the Solo.
No symphonic organ is complete without an expression system that can fully restrain the power of the instrument and instantly change the dynamic of the stops drawn. To this end, no fewer than six Skinner-replica whiffletree expression motors are used in this organ. While the Swell, Choir, and Antiphonal Swell are enclosed and expressive as expected, the Solo and Great warrant description of their expressive capabilities. From the outset, we had designed the Great to be partially enclosed, mainly the reeds and upperwork. Additionally, the Solo was to speak through its own shades into the Great box, providing the division with the aforementioned double expression.
The Great organ’s expressive capabilities were expanded early on with the decision to enclose the entire division with the exception of the 8' Montre and 16' Principal. Through careful scaling and voicing, the division doesn’t suffer its enclosure with the shades open, and contains the tonal resources necessary to lead enthusiastic congregational singing with all 500 seats filled, as well as serving its traditional role in the performance of organ literature. However, with the added benefit of 16-stage expression, these same tonal resources can be manipulated to match any congregation size, as well as provide another enclosed division of power for choral accompaniment.
At the same time, to give the Solo and Great more independence from each other, we added a second set of shades to the Solo, allowing the division to speak directly into the chancel. This provides the Solo division with a third expressive option. As installed, the Solo swell box is behind the Great box and four feet higher. The primary Solo shades open into the Great, with the Solo chancel shades being at the very top of the Solo box, four feet high, and opening directly into the room. While giving an acceptable dynamic range, these smaller shades provide an enormous timbral range, noticed especially with the strings. With the full Solo string chorus playing and the main Solo shades open, the full weight of the 8' stops comes through—one can almost hear bows drawn across the strings. However, when the upper shades open, the full range of upper harmonics from these stops erupts from the box, filling out the sound just when you thought it couldn’t be any brighter and more sonorous.
The control of all these expression options is met with four swell shoes, including the crescendo shoe. The Solo shoe normally controls the chancel shades. However, when the “Solo Double Expression” drawknob is drawn, the Solo shoe operates both sets of Solo shades, as well as the Great shades, in a set sequence to give the maximum crescendo possible. Additionally, a second drawknob closes the Solo chancel shades should that be desired, and sets the Solo shoe to control only the main Solo shades. The Great and Antiphonal Swell expression functions are independently assignable to any shoe, including crescendo. When not assigned, the shades default to a position settable by the organist. Harris Precision Products retrofitted two of their standard drawknob units with potentiometers to set these defaults, and thus these controls are seamlessly integrated into the console via rotating drawknobs. All Swells to Swell is provided to afford simple control over the entire dynamic range of the organ, and indicators are provided below the coupler rail to show the position of each set of shades.
The use of such sophisticated expression functions allows the organist to present the full dynamic range of the orchestra, and the use of the smaller Solo chancel shades allows for the ultimate in dynamic and timbral expression, a feature unique to this organ, and one we hope to further develop and use in subsequent installations.
To complement the varied and colorful manual divisions, a large, independent Pedal division affords the appropriate bass sonority for whatever registration is drawn on the manuals. Consisting of eleven independent ranks and 29 stops, the Pedal organ is augmented by judicious borrowing from the manuals. Four 32' stops are provided to underpin the instrument and provide a true feeling of gravitas. From the initial planning phases of the project, it was made clear that no digital voices were to be used in the organ; thus, all 32' stops play real pipes, or are derived. The Bourdon, of generous scale, is voiced gently for use with the softest registrations, but with enough quint in its tone to be made stronger as more pedal stops are added. The 32' Principal, an extension of the 16¢, uses Haskell pipes to GGGG#, the rest of the 32' octave being a resultant. The full-length 32' Contra Posaune, also masterfully voiced by Chris Broome, gives plenty of weight and power to full organ, but without being brash or rattling. For a ‘second’ 32' reed, the Harmonics is a 102⁄3' cornet, derived from the Great 16' Double Trumpet and 16' Gemshorn, giving the semblance of 32' reed tone underneath smaller tutti registrations.
With the added features of sophisticated expression, as well as the inclusion of more fully developed choruses, First Presbyterian’s instrument represents a logical and successful extension and merging of the two dominant styles of 20th-century American organbuilding: the symphonic and American classic schools. The instrument serves as a platform for the successful performance of a wide body of organ literature, as well as fulfilling its accompanimental roles. In its design, construction, voicing and tonal finishing, we feel truly proud to call this instrument our magnum opus, regardless of what instruments leave our shop in years to come, and thank First Presbyterian for the opportunity to set our sights high and build an organ we have so long dreamed of creating. We therefore commend this instrument to the glory of God and the people of First Presbyterian Church as a product of our finest craftsmanship. May it long bring joy and inspiration to those who hear and play it, just as it has inspired us as organbuilders in its creation.
Those working on the project included: Stephen Russell, David Gordon, Gail Grandmont, Carole Russell, Theodore Gilbert, Jonathan Ortloff, Larry Chace, Frank Thompson, Matthew Russell, Peter Walker, Allan Taylor, Eric Johansson, and Andrew Lawrence.
—Jonathan Ortloff

From the organist
Now in my fifth decade of deep affection for the pipe organ, its music, and its role in worship, I am brought to this point of extraordinary magnificence in the creation of the opus 47 Russell & Co. organ. During these five decades, I have witnessed many trends and fads in organbuilding. The commitment of this church to the pipe organ as its primary medium for the leading of congregational song is all the more inspiring to me.
This instrument transcends the fads of recent decades. The organ/sanctuary committee, formed by this church in the fall of 2000 and guided by our organ consultant, John Schwandt, selected several organbuilders to consider for the project. This committee authorized my colleague Larry Doebler and me to travel far and wide to experience the work of the builders we had selected as finalists, each of whom subsequently visited the church to inspect the sanctuary space and existing organ. In the end, we all had no doubt that Russell & Co. was the appropriate choice for us.
While we were confident that our new organ would be very fine indeed, we could not have anticipated the level of magnificence that has been achieved here by Stephen Russell and his colleagues. In my 50 years of playing pipe organs, I have never been privileged to play an organ so elegant, expressive and versatile as this one. The word synergy is one that I have never before been comfortable using. This powerful word, meaning “combined or cooperative action or force,” is the perfect term to describe the wondrous emergence and continuing presence of this organ. Beginning with the collective sharing of the original committee, the guidance of Anita Cummings, pastor of this church at the outset of the project, the beneficence of Mrs. Dorothy Park, church member and donor of funds for this organ, the courage and vision of church members to undertake and fund the acoustical transformation of the sanctuary from sonically “dead” to vibrant and moderately reverberant, and the mutual respect and creative sharing of organbuilder, consultant and resident organist, have resulted in the ultimate synergy: the harmonious blending of thought, craft, sound and space that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
I offer gratitude and the highest of commendations to master organbuilder/voicer, Stephen Russell, his dedicated staff, and the many others who have had a hand in the three-year process of the emergence of opus 47!
—George Edward Damp

From the church
The history of our new Russell organ begins with the construction of our current sanctuary in 1894. In 1901, the Austin Company installed our first permanent organ (the oak façade that currently supports the visible organ pipes behind the choir is part of that original installation). In 1930, the Echo organ (above the southwest entrance to the sanctuary) was added. In 1969, Austin built a completely new organ in the chancel, one typical of that period—an instrument that, with its sheer power and rough voicing, overwhelmed our beautiful, but acoustically rather dead, sanctuary.
Problems with the Austin organ started to appear in the early 1990s. Minor problems continued to occur, and it was clear that something needed to be done. An organ/sanctuary committee was formed that, early in its existence, possessed the keen insight that the sanctuary itself was a part of the organ (the box that the organ’s voice is dispersed into), and that any renovations to the organ must be accomplished within the acoustical framework of the sanctuary.
As a result, the committee hired an organ consultant, John Schwandt, and an acoustical consultant, Scott Riedel, to guide them through the decision-making process of repairing our organ. Each made an initial, individual presentation to the committee, but most memorable was their joint participation in a lengthy “town meeting” with the committee and members of the congregation. The meeting ended with a focus for the project—to improve our worship experience by enhancing both music and the spoken word through renovations to both the organ and the sanctuary.
Early on in this process, then-pastor Anita Cummings and organist George Damp approached Mrs. Dorothy Park with the invitation to become a supporter of this exciting adventure for the church. After several subsequent discussions, Mrs. Park indicated that the church deserved the finest organ created by the finest builder, and that she would cover the cost of the organ if the congregation would pay for the acoustical renovations.
A clear consensus decided that Stephen Russell was the right person to build the new organ. At the same time, Schickel Architecture of Ithaca was selected to design the renovations to the sanctuary. Several significant changes to the sanctuary were implemented to improve the acoustical environment. Certainly the most outstanding component of the sanctuary renovations is the reconstruction of the rear wall of the sanctuary. Its subtle sunburst pattern surrounding a high circular window is both extremely pleasing to the eye as well as functional in randomly scattering sound.
Suffice it to say, every aspect of the organ, from its general layout to the voicing of each individual pipe (all 5,000 of them) was accomplished with the unique features of our sanctuary in mind. The outcome is truly a gift for the ages, something that First Presbyterian Church can share with Ithaca and the surrounding area for decades to come. One can only hope that the generosity of Mrs. Park and the efforts of those involved in this project will be more than repaid by the joy and exhilaration shared by all those who experience our wonderful new organ.
—Tom Owens,
Elder and member of session,
First Presbyterian Church

From the consultant
It is a privilege to offer a few words regarding Russell & Co. opus 47. In a world that so desperately hungers for and needs beauty, it is satisfying to have been a part of a long process that has ultimately yielded a thing of great beauty that will inspire the generations yet to come.
My primary involvement in this project occurred before contract-signing. It is my fervent belief that consultants should provide general education and thereby enable church committees to make an informed decision about what is best for their congregation’s worship and community life. However, before we could start to talk about organs, it was very important to have the bigger picture in perspective, namely the inferior acoustical properties of the room. The committee wisely considered the importance of good acoustics that benefit congregational prayer, singing, oratory, as well as but not limited to instrumental music. Scott Riedel provided acoustical consultation; the action taken on most of his recommendations yielded a vastly improved sacred space.
The pipe organ, while not the only possible instrument for worship, remains the best single instrument to lead corporate worship because of its ability to sustain tones from soft to loud and from every pitch level. A well-designed and constructed pipe organ should enable an organist to creatively and expressively accomplish this musical leadership, often interpreting music of many different styles. It was my recommendation that an organ of rich, warm tone and with ample variety of color from all pipe families (principal, flute, string, and reed) be considered. The great organbuilders of the past were not striving to build instruments after someone else’s style, but to create organs suited to the rooms in which they were installed and reflecting the cultural identity of their time and place. That Russell opus 47 resembles in some aspects organs of the early half of the 20th century is entirely irrelevant. The fact remains that it is not an E. M. Skinner organ, an Æolian-Skinner organ, a Kimball organ, or any other organ. Rather, I believe that this instrument transcends labeling of any kind. Opus 47 has richness of color, overall warmth, and clarity. In previous periods of organ building, rich fundamental tone and clarity were thought to be mutually exclusive attributes; one could not have both. The refined voicing and the mechanical perfection of the pitman windchest exemplify an organ that will allow for music of any style. Congratulations are due to the committee and congregation for investing in their future so well!
—John D. Schwandt

Russell & Co. Organ Builders, Opus 47
First Presbyterian Church, Ithaca, New York, May 2006

GREAT – II (Expressive)
16' Principal* 49 pipes, 1–12=Pedal
16' Gemshorn* 12
8' Montre* 61
8' Principal 61
8' Bourdon 61
8' Flûte Harmonique 49
8' Gemshorn 61
4' Octave 61
4' Rohrflöte 61
22⁄3' Nasard 61
2' Fifteenth 61
11⁄3' Fourniture IV–V 297
16' Double Trumpet 61
8' Trumpet 61
Chancel Great Off
MIDI on Great
*Unenclosed

SWELL – III (Expressive)
16' Lieblich Gedeckt 61
8' Diapason 61
8' Bourdon 61
8' Viola 61
8' Viola Celeste 61
8' Flauto Dolce 61
8' Flute Celeste 49
4' Octave 61
4' Nachthorn 61
2' Octave 61
2' Plein Jeu IV–V 296
16' Fagotto 61
8' French Trumpet 61
8' Oboe d’Amour 61
8' Vox Humana 61
4' Clarion 61
Tremulant
MIDI on Swell
Swell Sub
Chancel Swell Off
Swell Super

CHOIR – I (Expressive)
8' English Diapason 61
8' Hohlflöte 61
8' Quintadena 61
8' Erzahler 61
8' Erzahler Celeste 49
4' Octave 61
4' Koppelflöte 61
22⁄3' Nazard 61
2' Flute 61
13⁄5' Tierce 61
16' Corno di Bassetto 12
8' Waldhorn 61
8' Clarinet 61
Chimes Ant. Swell
Tremulant
Choir Sub
Choir Off
Choir Super
MIDI on Choir

POSITIV – I
8' Gedeckt 61
8' Spillflöete 61
4' Prestant 61
2' Principal 61
11⁄3' Quint 61
22⁄3' Sesquialtera II 122
1' Scharff III–IV 232
Tremulant
Zimbelstern
Positiv Off

SOLO – IV (Expressive)
16' Cello 12
8' Concert Flute 61
8' Cello 61
8' Cello Celeste 61
8' Gamba 61
8' Gamba Celeste 61
8' English Horn 61
8' Tuba Mirabilis 61
8' Silver Trumpet* 70, double trebles
Chimes Ant. Swell
Tremulant
Solo Sub
Solo Off
Solo Super
MIDI on Solo
*Unenclosed

ANTIPHONAL GREAT – II
8' Prestant 61
8' Stopped Flute 61
Antiphonal Great Off
Antiphonal Great Super

ANTIPHONAL SWELL – III
8' Gedeckt 61
8' Viole Aetheria 61
8' Vox Angelica 49
4' Flute d’Amour 61
8' Orchestral Oboe 61
8' Vox Humana 61
Chimes
Tremulant
Antiphonal Swell Sub
Antiphonal Swell Off
Antiphonal Swell Super

PEDAL
32' Principal (GGGG#) 4
32' Contra Bourdon 12
16' Open

Russell & Co. Organ Builders,
Chester, Vermont
First Presbyterian Church, Ithaca, New York

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois
First Presbyterian Church,
Lexington, Kentucky

From the organ builder
Organ projects take a long time. In the case of this undertaking, it can perhaps be said that this project has taken 110 years! It was in 1897 that the W. W. Kimball Co. of Chicago installed a two-manual and pedal tubular pneumatic action pipe organ in First Presbyterian Church. In 1936, Kimball revisited their then 40-year old instrument, converting the action to electropneumatic action and making some minor tonal changes. Subsequent alterations and repairs, not up to the quality of the original work, led to the decision to pursue a comprehensive rebuilding.
It was in May 2004 that Buzard Pipe Organ Builders first inspected the organ and met with the church’s organ committee. Our enthusiasm for the project and approach to the particular requirements of the project were a good fit with the church’s desires, and after jointly refining our vision a contract was signed on June 6, 2005 for a complete rebuilding of the church’s pipe organ. The organ was removed to the Buzard factory in February 2006, with re-installation beginning just about a year later and taking about two months on site.
This project is not a restoration. Many changes had already been made to the instrument over its first 100 years, and although the organ made some nice sounds, it could not provide the full tonal palette that is desired for what this instrument is called upon to do. In addition, the mechanical systems of the organ were neither in good condition nor adaptable to the tonal changes being made.
The new wind system retains and supplements the original Kimball reservoirs and tremolos, with new wooden wind trunks throughout the organ. A completely new console and switching system have been crafted, incorporating preparations for future installation of an Antiphonal division in the gallery (the location of the church’s first pipe organ).
New electric pull-down slider and pallet windchests have been constructed for the straight manual stops, and new electropneumatic action windchests have been constructed for the unit stops. A new building frame and structure has been constructed behind the original casework, with new enclosures incorporating the Kimball shutter frames.
Twenty-five stops of Kimball pipework have been retained, supplemented with 11 ranks of new pipework. All of the existing pipes have been carefully repaired and revoiced, and all the new pipes were custom scaled and built for this project under the watchful eyes (and ears) of the Buzard Company’s tonal director, Brian K. Davis, with all tonal finishing completed on site by Mr. Davis and Mr. Buzard. The visible façade pipes, containing basses of the 16′ and 8′ Diapasons, have been brilliantly decorated using the original patterning.
The organ is now in as-new condition, ready to sound forth in its second century with both bold new voices and sounds that echo from its past. Everything old is new again!
—Keith Williams and David Brown
Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
Service Department

From the organ consultant
In March 2004, I was invited by the director of music and arts, Marlon Hurst, to advise the organ committee of the First Presbyterian Church with regard to their organ. On visiting the church, I found a rather decrepit instrument, originally built in 1897 by the noted Kimball firm, which had subsequently been repaired, patched, altered and added to on several occasions by various people. Kimball had electrified the action (originally tubular) and replaced the console in 1936, but both action and console were now rapidly deteriorating, resulting in dead notes, loose pedal keys, and an erratic combination action. Examination of the interior revealed obsolete windchests, a patchwork electrical system with components ranging from the 1936 electrification to recent solid-state, a replacement (and slow) swell shade motor, inoperative top-note pedal extensions, leaky windlines patched with duct tape, recently recovered reservoirs and winkers, and evidence of some re-leathering of primaries.
Even visually, the organ had been changed, the casework darkened, and the display pipes (along with much of the rest of the church interior) painted a dull off-white to match the sanctuary’s then rather drab interior. Tonally, there had been a few substitutions, along with various additions and extensions on offset chests, most of them done at different times and by different people. The original Kimball pipework was, however, reasonably intact and in good condition, although generally in poor tonal regulation and tune, some stops showing evidence of less than successful revoicing attempts. Yet despite the gradual disintegration of the organ’s original integrity, this pipework, with all its defects, still gave a strong and admirable impression of the original rich Kimball sound.
The committee had been wrestling with various approaches, from possible restoration to more patchwork repairs and additions to total replacement. After discussion with this very motivated committee, a more attractive option emerged. Because of all the changes and additions, restoration as an authentic Kimball was really out of the question. More patchwork could be dismissed on the basis of the dubious results it had achieved in the past. An entirely new organ was an option, but the most costly one. And then there was the matter of all of that excellent Kimball pipework with its distinctive character, which all of us agreed that we liked. Since the faults of the organ as it stood were primarily mechanical, we eventually agreed to focus on a new option, that of retaining and respectfully treating the Kimball pipework, possibly with a few carefully integrated new stops, but replacing all of the mechanical components with new, excepting perhaps the console shell and a few reservoirs. The hoped-for result would be a reliable and essentially new organ with a “vintage” sound.
The committee’s eventual choice of the Buzard firm was based not only on their favorable impressions of the quality of the firm’s work, but also on the builder’s willingness to make the most of the Kimball pipework in a tonal design that also included some additions to expand the overall usefulness of the organ in the church’s very active and vital music program.
Because the organ project was to be integrated into a larger plan of renovating and redecorating the church interior under the direction of Terry Byrd Eason, making more space for the choir was strongly recommended by all involved and was included in this plan. Once a builder had been chosen, he and the architect worked together on renovating the organ chamber and certain other details. Eventually it was discovered that Kimball’s display pipes had originally been colorfully stenciled, and, with the enthusiastic agreement of all involved, restoration of this element was added to the project and executed by Kristin Farmer, one of the most highly respected practitioners of this rather arcane art-form. Along with the restoration of the pulpit furniture to its original finish and a warmer and more historically authentic color scheme, the stenciled pipes have added considerably to the visual interest of the room.
Throughout the three years of the organ project, the committee and I were in regular communication as questions arose and some minor changes were considered. Indeed, I will have to say that Marlon Hurst and his committee comprised one of the most conscientiously dedicated groups that I have ever worked with. That their dedication paid off abundantly was demonstrated on Sunday, April 29, 2007, when the organ and the beautifully refurbished sanctuary—complete with improved acoustics—were dedicated in a unique festival of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that included hymn-singing, choral music and organ music (both solo and with brass) impressively performed by John D. Schwandt. In one nicely orchestrated and well-attended event, the organ was put through its paces in all of its varied functions, and came through with flying colors. Its Kimball antecedents were clearly present in the warm foundations, lush strings and colorful solo stops, now all well-regulated again. Buzard’s new mixtures dovetailed seamlessly into the well-balanced choruses and the powerful new Tromba rank proved a successful “climax” stop. Musicians, clergy, architect, consultants and builders alike came away happy with what had been accomplished. But of greatest importance will be the far-reaching effects of a more welcoming sanctuary and a well-crafted and versatile organ for the church’s future worship and outreach.
—Barbara Owen
organ consultant

From the director of music and arts
The consideration of a major renovation—or replacement—of the pipe organ proved to be the impetus for examining other areas of concern in the 1874 sanctuary—issues of acoustics, chancel design, lighting, structural integrity and aging HVAC systems. Much like the maintenance history of the organ, each of these areas had received varying degrees of attention and improvement during the past century, but none of the improvements had been made in the context of a comprehensive plan.
With the identification of such a potentially comprehensive restoration project to the organ and sanctuary, a long range planning team (LRPT) was formed with the charge to thoroughly investigate the needs of the sanctuary and organ in the context of the overall ministry of the congregation. The LRPT enlisted the services of two consultants who would prove to be crucial to the direction of the project: Terry Byrd Eason, liturgical design consultant; and Barbara Owen, organ consultant.
Ms. Owen visited the church in March, 2004 and spent a day examining all aspects of the organ. The LRPT was reluctant to completely replace the instrument since it was installed during the same general period of construction as the church’s sanctuary. Furthermore, the warm Kimball sounds were valued by both the church’s members and music staff. Given Ms. Owen’s high estimation of the integrity of the existing Kimball pipes, it was decided that the church would seek a builder who would agree to build a new mechanical instrument, and who would combine the best of the existing Kimball pipe work with certain ranks of new pipes in a tonal scheme that would broaden the tonal palette and provide more timbral cohesiveness in the instrument.
At Ms. Owen’s recommendation, proposals and bids for the rebuilding project were solicited and received from five regional organ builders. In turn, trips were made to Atlanta, Cincinnati and Indianapolis to listen to representative work of each builder who submitted a proposal. Under the continued (and always impartial) guidance of Barbara Owen, we narrowed the field to two builders. A larger organ committee was formed to visit representative rebuilding work of our two final candidates. After hearing the tonal work of John-Paul Buzard, the committee unanimously agreed that it was Mr. Buzard’s work and proposal that best matched the goals stated by the LRPT.
In February 2006, the organ was sent to the Buzard shop. In the year following, the church underwent a restoration that included a complete redesign of the chancel and choir areas, the replacement of the church’s HVAC systems—including the re-routing of the HVAC ductwork for both efficiency and acoustic purposes—a complete scaffolding of the sanctuary to repair and replace sagging plaster in the drop-vaulted ceiling, the addition of new lighting and sound/recording systems and, most important to the organ project, the replacement of wall-to-wall carpeting in the chancel and nave with an oak hardwood surface. The combination of plaster repair and the installation of a hardwood floor in the choir, chancel and nave created an acoustic space that is now resonant and warm—an ideal environment for congregational song and prayer, choral singing and “the playing of the merry organ.”
At some point in the mid-20th century, the organ façade pipes (a functioning 16′ Open Diapason) had been painted over to match the color of the sanctuary walls. There was some photographic evidence from the early 20th century that the façade had originally been stenciled, though the details of the pattern were not discernible from the quality of the extant photographs. As the paint was being stripped from the pipes, the “shadow” of the original ornate stenciling pattern was discovered—and it was found intact to such a degree that its restoration was made possible.
Careful consideration was given to the color choices so that they would be consonant with the overall color scheme in the sanctuary. It was further decided that a large wooden cross, designed by Terry Byrd Eason, would be commissioned to hang in front of the façade pipes.
After all of the planning and careful consideration that led to the selection of a builder had been completed, we could only rest in the faith that we had been thorough in our process and that we had made the right choice in John-Paul Buzard. When John-Paul completed his work on the organ in April 2007, it was confirmed that we had chosen well. His respect for the pre-existing voicing found in the Kimball pipes guided his approach to the voicing of the entire instrument. Now, the old pipework blends with the new in a seamless way that is at once identifiably Kimball, while being skillfully broadened beyond the constraints of late 19th-century American tonal philosophies.
The end result of the project is that we have preserved the best of what we had inherited from our predecessors and have provided for those who worship in this place now and in the years to come an instrument that is capable of accompanying a wide variety of choral and congregational song, and on which can be faithfully played the broad spectrum of historic and modern organ repertoire. Soli Deo Gloria.
—Marlon Hurst, director of music and arts
Tina Wagoner, organist
Dr. Ben Arnold, Sara Holroyd, Jack Lansill, Renée Smith, organ committee

Regarding the restoration of the stenciled façade
The exciting call from Terry Byrd Eason (liturgical design consultant for the First Presbyterian Church, Lexington project) came in early January 2007. He explained that he was working with a church that had an 1897 Kimball façade, which needed to be re-stenciled with its original patterns. The façade had been painted over several times, but was now thoroughly stripped down to the bare zinc. He assured me that the Kimball designs were all on the pipes, etched into the zinc. Not being one who is afraid of a challenge, I took on the job.
The pipes arrived via an 18-wheel tractor-trailer—all 41 of them! My mind could only think, “where am I going to put all these pipes?” And they were huge. Eventually we got them all stored away.
The process began with just looking at the pipes. I wanted to recreate the façade accurately, but having no idea of the original, I was hesitant to just dig in immediately. So I “looked” at the pipes for two weeks. I laid the pipes from each flat side by side, and walked past them several times a day. Finally, I began to comprehend the original layouts and relationships of designs—from one pipe to another and from one flat to another.
I traced the designs, drew them on paper, and then cut stencils. Some stencils were 51″ long and 15″ wide! When the stencils were ready to use, the pipes, one by one, were primed and sanded to a smooth finish. A scale stick was made for each of the pipes so the designs would be placed back in the exact original position.
Colors for the pipes were selected by Terry Byrd Eason to match the walls and interior colors of the sanctuary, leaving the exact disposition of the colors to my discretion. Luckily, in working with the pipes I did find indications of the original colors hidden in nooks and crannies of the pipes. Bright red and green were found, telling me that we were in keeping with the original spirit of the façade design.
First the body of each pipe was painted with five different colors and banded with 24-carat gold. Second, the stencils were applied, some applied by pouncing with a stencil brush while others were gold leafed. These leafed designs had to be traced on the pipes with a pencil, and the gold size was applied with an artist’s brush. The mouths of all the pipes were gold leafed. The bodies of the pipes were nearly completely covered by stenciled designs, and hand painting was required in some areas.
After nine weeks of painting (I saw the sunrise many days), the pipes were finished and ready to go home to Lexington. They now stand proudly in their home and will once again play for at least one hundred years.
My thanks to Terry Byrd Eason for his expert help and to David Brown of Buzard Organ Builders who did the tracings of the original designs.
—Kristin Farmer

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
First Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Kentucky
28 straight stops, 35 ranks
(with preparation for 7-stop, 9-rank Antiphonal division)

GREAT (Manual II)
Underlined stops enclosed
4″ wind pressure
12 stops, 15 ranks
16′ Double Open Diapason* (façade 7–30; 1–6 from Bourdon)
8′ First Open Diapason* (façade 1–15)
8′ Second Open Diapason* (from 16′)
8′ Viola da Gamba
8′ Doppel Flute*
8′ Dulciana*
8′ Unda Maris*
4′ Principal*
4′ Flute d’Amour*
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth*
Mixture IV
8′ Trumpet*
8′ Trombas (from Pedal)
Tremulant
Chimes (25 notes, old tubes, new action)
Great to Great 4-UO
Enclosed Great to Great 16-UO-4
Swell to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
Antiphonal to Great 8′

ANTIPHONAL (Manual I)
(in balcony, preparation in console & switching)
7 stops, 9 ranks
8′ English Open Diapason
8′ Melodia
8′ Flûte à Bibéron
4′ Principal
4′ Suabe Flute
Mixture III
8′ Corno di Bassetto
8′ Trombas (from Pedal)
Antiphonal Unison Off
Great to Antiphonal 8′, 4′
Enclosed Great to Antiph. 16′, 8′, 4′
Swell to Antiphonal 16′, 8′, 4′
Cymbalstern (toe piston)
SWELL (Manual III)
Enclosed, 4″ wind pressure
12 stops, 16 ranks
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt*
8′ Violin Diapason*
8′ Stopped Diapason*
8′ Salicional*
8′ Voix Celeste* (GG)
4′ Principal*
4′ Harmonic Flute
2′ Flautina*
Sesquialtera II*
Mixture IV
8′ Cornopean
8′ Oboe*
Swell to Swell 16-UO-4
Antiphonal to Swell 8′

PEDAL
Trombone enclosed
4″ wind pressure
4 stops, 4 ranks
32′ Bourdon (ext, 1–12 digital)
32′ Lieblich Gedeckt (ext, 1–12 digital)
16′ First Open Diapason*
16′ Second Open Diapason* (Gt)
16′ Bourdon*
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)
8′ Principal*
8′ Bass Flute* (ext, 12 new pipes)
8′ Bourdon (ext)
8′ Gedeckt Flute (Sw)
8′ Violoncello*
4′ Choral Bass*
4′ Open Flute (ext Bdn, 24 new pipes)
16′ Trombone
8′ Trombas (ext)
4′ Clarion (ext)
16′ Antiphonal Gedeckt (ext)
16′ Antiphonal Bassoon (ext)
Great to Pedal 8′, 4′
Enclosed Great to Pedal 8′, 4′
Swell to Pedal 8′, 4′
Antiphonal to Pedal 8′

An asterisk (*) denotes pipework retained from the existing organ and restored for the new tonal context.

Photo credit: John-Paul Buzard