Cover feature

J.H. & C.S. Odell, East Hampton, Connecticut, Opus 647
St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, Nyack, New York
The picturesque village of Nyack is situated on the western bank of the Hudson, less than 20 miles north of Manhattan. Home to 19th-century realist painter Edward Hopper, the village was perhaps better known for its sandstone quarry and as a locus of shipbuilding. These industries declined after 1900, though there was renewed shipbuilding activity during the world wars, with submarine chasers being built there as late as 1948. In the postwar years, the completion of the Tappan Zee Bridge contributed to significant growth in population and commerce. The village underwent a major urban revitalization project to commercialize the downtown area and to expand its economy in the 1980s; today the village center is home to many new business establishments.
I took note of this downtown revitalization when I first visited St. Ann’s Church on a warm spring day in 2006. I had been contacted by Jennifer Pascual in her capacity as chair of the organ committee for the New York Archdiocesan Music Commission. Several weeks prior, Dr. Pascual had asked that I meet with the staff of St. Ann’s, survey the organ, and make recommendations.
On entering the building, to my delight I discovered a well-appointed church sanctuary with terrazzo floors, high ceiling, and best of all, an organ located in the gallery on the central axis. Finally a room that we could work with instead of against! I quickly set about my work, dutifully examining the pipe organ.
Little is known about the life and work of Francis John Newton Tallman, a builder who, according to David A. Fox’s A Guide to North American Organbuilders, based his operations in Nyack from 1894 to 1903, during during which time the organ for St. Ann’s was built. In addition to his organ factory, Tallman also maintained a music store in Nyack village. Prior to life in Nyack, Tallman was employed by the Roosevelt firm, and when he left Nyack in 1904 he reportedly relocated to Brooklyn to work with Reuben Midmer.
The organ Tallman built for St. Ann’s was originally a two-manual instrument with mechanical action, and of his surviving instruments, St. Ann’s was purportedly among the largest. There was evidence that the original keydesk was situated en fenêtre; the panel that replaced the keydesk’s entry point into the case was without the lancet molding treatment found in the rest of the case, as well as being from an entirely different species of wood. The interior layout of the organ suggested a backfall action had been employed for the Great, with squares and trackers for the Swell. The Pedal was divided, on ventil chests.
In the 1930s, the organ’s action and winding system were removed by local service people as part of the process of introducing the organ to the benefits of electricity. Pneumatic pulldown systems were connected to the slider chests, with a similar arrangement for the Pedal, though the ventil system was retained. The organ continued this way until the 1960s, when a supply house console was installed by well-known New York organ man Louis Mohr (also a former Roosevelt employee). Thereafter some minor changes were made to the specification, but otherwise the original pipework survived intact. Apart from decay and neglect, most damage to the metal flues was from “aggressive” cone tuning. Even with the mechanical alterations, tuning access was difficult. When I inspected the organ, most of it, save for a portion of the Great, was inoperable.
As we often restore 19th-century pipework, there were few surprises. Scaling and voicing of flue pipes were very much in line with our own 19th-century practices. While restoration and remedial voicing work were certainly required, in general workmanship we saw little to improve upon. From a modern tonal standpoint, the only serious deficits were in the Swell, which lacked an Oboe and an undulating rank of any variety. Certain ranks—such as the Swell Diapason 8', Salicional 8', and Bourdon 16'—omitted bottom octaves as was often the custom with smaller instruments of this vintage. The Pedal division was spare, but the basics were in evidence, with a suitably scaled Open Wood and Bourdon.
Mechanically, things were far less clear cut. The collection of cone-valve style regulators that replaced the original winding system were arranged in a way that frustrated access to the mechanism. They were also not terribly well built. The slider chests and the pulldown systems installed were all in very bad shape. Both manual chests had runs and frozen sliders. With so many changes of questionable provenance, we felt it was best to save the case and pipes and start over.
With this as a departure point, the members of the Archdiocesan Organ Committee requested we consider some additions. The possibility of the use of digital voices was discussed, though we made clear our preference for a pipe-only design, concentrating instead on filling out a more conservative two-manual specification rather than stretching the limits for a three. Our proposal was accepted, and design work commenced in the fall of 2006.
The mechanical design of the organ is entirely new from the ground up: new conventional wind reservoirs and windchests, all of our own design and construction. We designed and built a new Swell enclosure to accommodate our additions to the division. We also constructed a new two-manual console using our popular terrace-jamb design in quarter-sawn white oak, incorporating a solid-state capture and control system with our standard complement of accessories and relief carving for the music desk.
The Great division of the organ is unchanged but for the addition of a principal-scaled Seventeenth to fill out the chorus. In the Swell, the Bourdon 16' has been made full compass with a bottom octave built and scaled in our shop to precisely match its 8' octave. The Diapason 8', which originally shared a stopped bass, now has its own bottom octave. Other additions to the Swell include an entirely new Oboe (available at 16' and 8'), a GG-compass Celeste, a new 2' Flute and Mixture III based on 2' pitch. Additions to the Pedal include extending the Great Trumpet with a new 16' octave and a fully independent Principal 8'.
Members of our staff who contributed to this project include: Edward Odell (mechanical design, console), Holly Odell (flue voicing), shop foreman John Williams (windchests, reservoirs, pipesetting, electrical), Curt Goettlich (finishing, wooden pipe fabrication, cabinet work, expression enclosure), Stewart Skates (metal pipemaking and repair), and Tristan Bowen, with assistance from Richard Hamar and William Harper. Reeds were voiced by Sam Hughes.
We are grateful to the Archdiocesan Music and Building Commission, as well as the staff of St. Ann’s Church, especially Father Robert Henry and George Bryant, for the opportunity to create something of lasting musical beauty for this parish.
—Edward Odell
J.H. & C.S. Odell

During this bicentennial year of the Archdiocese of New York, St. Ann’s Church in Nyack, New York is blessed to have a newly renovated pipe organ. I had the privilege of playing this organ prior to its renovation, as the winner of the George Bryant Scholarship, which was used towards continuing organ education. Mr. Bryant is the current director of music and organist of St. Ann’s Church, and this parish is lucky to have such a dedicated and talented musician leading its liturgical music program.
Prior to its renovation, the organ at St. Ann’s had many problems; there were many dead notes, missing pipes, and the overall tone was in need of serious remedial work. The console, installed in the 1960s, was also problematic: many pistons were non-functional and there were dead contacts everywhere. Even if the organ itself were in better condition, the console limited the ability to control it effectively.
Director of music, George Bryant, and the pastor, Fr. Robert Henry, saw the obvious need to renovate this instrument, which has served the parish for over 100 years, but had never had a comprehensive rebuild of any kind. After contacting the Archdiocesan Building Commission and Music Commission and taking the necessary steps to proceed with such an endeavor, St. Ann’s Church awarded the contract to renovate the organ to J.H. & C.S. Odell.
After making his survey, Edward Odell listened to the needs of St. Ann’s parish and submitted his proposal. Working with the pastor and organist of St. Ann’s, members of the organ committee for the New York Archdiocesan Music Commission reviewed the proposal as well as vetting proposals from other builders.
The ongoing mission of the New York Archdiocesan Organ Committee is to ensure that the pipe organs of the archdiocese are properly cared for. In our work, we use our combined knowledge and experience to advise pastoral staff who are in need of guidance with regards to their instruments. This committee consists of Meredith Baker, director of music at Holy Trinity West Point, New York; Christopher Berry, director of music at the North American College in Rome, Italy; Daniel Brondel, director of music at St. Malachy’s Church/The Actor’s Chapel, New York City; Jared Lamenzo, director of music at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City; and Lawrence Strohm, organist at St. Phillip the Apostle, Pasadena, California, with myself as chair.
Throughout the organ renovation project for St. Ann’s Church, Edward Odell has been in touch with everyone every step of the way, giving detailed updates, sending pictures, and giving honest suggestions when unexpected discoveries came up. It has been my observation that attention to detail and highest quality outcome is of the utmost importance to everyone of the Odell organ firm. Edward and his staff are meticulous craftspeople; it is clear they bring dedication, concern and skill to their work and desire to deliver only the best results.
It should be noted that over the last 150 years, J.H. & C.S. Odell has built many of the organs housed in churches in the Archdiocese of New York, a good number of which still serve their parishes today. Their reputation as builders of fine instruments has existed for five generations, and their work today continues to support liturgical and concert music in the archdiocese. It pleases me to say St. Ann’s Church is now fortunate to be among the fraternity of churches that house the fine work of J.H. & C.S. Odell.
—Jennifer Pascual
Chair, New York Archdiocesan Organ Committee

J.H. & C.S. Odell
Opus 647
St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, Nyack, New York

GREAT
8' Open Diapason existing, restored, common metal from 4' C 61 pipes
8' Viola di Gamba existing, restored 61 pipes
8' Doppel Flute existing, restored, wood 61 pipes
4' Principal existing, restored, common metal 61 pipes
4' Chimney Flute existing, restored, common metal 61 pipes
22'3' Twelfth existing, restored, common metal 61 pipes
2' Fifteenth existing, restored, common metal 61 pipes
13'5' Seventeenth new, matching scale, common metal 61 pipes
8' Trumpet existing, restored and revoiced 61 pipes
Chimes new 21 tubes

SWELL Expressive—in reconfigured expression chamber
16' Bourdon new, extension 8', custom matching scale 61 pipes
8' Open Diapason existing, restored with new bottom octave 61 pipes
8' Stopped Diapason existing, restored 61 pipes
8' Salicional existing, restored with new bottom octave 61 pipes
8' Voix Céleste new, GG compass, 55% tin to 4' C 54 pipes
4' Violina existing, restored 61 pipes
4' Harmonic Flute existing, restored, harmonic at middle C 61 pipes
2' Harmonic Piccolo new, matching scale to 4', harm. at middle C, 55% tin 61 pipes
III Mixture new, 15-19-22 183 pipes
16' Bassoon new, dual taper resonators, tapered shallots 12 pipes
8' Oboe new, dual taper resonators, tapered shallots, 49 reeds 61 pipes
8' Trumpet from Great —
Tremulant

PEDAL
16' Open Wood existing, restored 32 pipes
16' Bourdon existing, restored 32 pipes
8' Octave new, zinc to 4' G, remainder 55% tin 32 pipes
8' Gedeckt new, extension Bourdon 16' 12 pipes
4' Choralbass new, extension Octave 8' 12 pipes
16' Trumpet new, matching scale to 8', tapered shallots 12 pipes
16' Bassoon from Swell —
8' Trumpet from Great —
4' Clarion from Great —

Mixture composition
1 to 25: 15-19-22
26 to 44: 12-15-19
45 to 61: 8-12-15

12 general pistons, 6 per division
12 toe studs with black porcelain heads in raised, curved, wooden bolsters
32 levels of capture memory
12-step transposer
MIDI interface, record and playback
Programmable sforzando and crescendo

Couplers and accessories
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

 

Fratelli Ruffatti, Padua, Italy
Wesley Chapel, Elkton, Maryland

From the builder
Fratelli Ruffatti is mostly known in the United States for building large four- and five-manual instruments with electric action. Two five-manual organs have been completed in the past 15 months, and two four-manual organs are currently being manufactured in the Ruffatti workshop. Few people, however, know that the majority of instruments that the firm produces outside of the United States are of mechanical action.
In tune with the trends and ideas that were coming from across the Alps at the beginning of the 1960s, Ruffatti was among the first in Italy to restore the tradition of building pipe organs with suspended mechanical action. One of the most famous of these instruments is in northern Italy, installed in 1970 in the parish church of the small medieval city of Noale. It is not a huge instrument, numbering 27 stops and 35 ranks of pipes over two manuals, but it became quickly famous from the beginning as the concert instrument for the first Italian competition of young organists. It is still today the centerpiece of a quite famous concert series, involving big names among international organists.
Ruffatti is here presenting to the American organ community an instrument that is quite small, but of large significance. Everyone knows that ancient Italian organs were, for the most part, of small size—one manual, with a limited number of stops—but quite musical and versatile. Since our predecessors could not depend upon a large number of voices to produce variety, they refined their voicing techniques to the point that every sound could be combined with every other to produce the most versatility even within a very limited number of stops. This is the tradition that Italian organbuilders come from and that constitutes the inspiration for Fratelli Ruffatti even today, whether it may be applied to very large or, even more importantly, to small instruments.
The organ manufactured for Wesley Chapel of Elk Neck is a good example of how a very small instrument can be pleasing and effective in spite of its very limited size. With only one manual and a total of six stops, including the Pedal, it is difficult to imagine any kind of versatility at all. However, a few special ingredients grant this instrument a real flexibility: the divided stops, the composition of the Mixture and, above all, the voicing techniques.
Splitting the stops in bass and treble is an old practice in ancient organs, as we all know, and it allows the organist to create two different tonal “platforms” within the same manual. In this case, both the Principal and the Spitzflöte are divided between C and C# in the middle of the keyboard, thus increasing the number of possible combinations. The Mixture, whose composition is shown below, has been designed in such a way that no “double pitches” occur when combined with the 2′ Fifteenth. The Fifteenth and Mixture are conceived as an effective three-rank Mixture when pulled together, but at the same time the Mixture can also be independently used in a “mezzo ripieno” combination without the Fifteenth, creating a very interesting tonal color.
Although English names have been chosen for the stops, as a sign of respect for the users, a number of tonal features are present that link this instrument in many different ways to the classical Italian tradition.
The Principal pipes, both internal and in the façade, are without “ears,” as in the classical Principale. The low octave of the stop is made of stopped mahogany pipes, housed against the ceiling inside the case. They are connected to the windchest through a complicated series of metal windways. A stopped wooden low octave for the Principale is a common feature of the Positivo Italian organs of the 17th and 18th centuries, and effective ways have been refined over the centuries—through proper scaling and voicing—to make the bridge between wood and metal remarkably smooth.
The Octave is of slightly smaller scale, or relative diameter, than the Principal, as found in many historical organs of northern Italy, as are the Fifteenth and the subsequent Mixture ranks.
The 4′ Spitzflöte is an almost identical replica of the Flauto in Ottava, a stop of rare singing quality used by Gaetano Callido1 in his instruments.
With the primary purpose of providing a good foundation, especially considering the rather dry acoustical environment of Wesley Chapel, an independent, real 16′ Bourdon has been provided for the Pedal, with pipes made of African mahogany, which are located behind the organ case.
The voicing technique is probably the element of highest significance. At the lowest wind pressure allowed by the acoustical conditions of the room (65 mm at the water column, or slightly over 21⁄2 inches), all pipes have been voiced with completely open toe and a minimum number of barely visible nicks at the languids. The result is a very pleasing, singing tone without excessive chiff or unnecessary non-harmonic overtones. This constitutes the foundation for a successful blending of the stops as well as for the creation of successful, pleasing solo voices. The pitch is 440 Hz at 20° Celsius and the temperament is equal.
Architecturally, the organ case has been designed to fit in the historical surroundings of Wesley Chapel. Although inspired both mechanically and aesthetically by the ancient Positivo organs, it must not be defined as a copy: its design is definitely a new, original creation. It features a façade composed of 22 pipes divided in two symmetrical sections. Each is topped by a hand-carved panel designed to add beauty to the ensemble while at the same time allowing for maximum sound egress. Two hand-carved wooden elements at the sides provide the necessary continuity between the top and the lower part of the case.
The casework is made completely from solid African mahogany. The keyboard features bone naturals with carved key fronts, and natural ebony sharps with bone inlays. The key cheeks are inlaid with thin strips of bone. The draw knobs are of ebony, with maple insets. The concave and parallel pedalboard (BDO measurements) is made of oak, with the sharps topped by ebony.
The mechanical action is suspended. The rollerboards are made from solid aluminum rollers with wooden arms.
The task of designing and manufacturing an instrument within such a small space has not been an easy one. In spite of this, every part is easily accessible for maintenance and ordinary tuning. The layout of pipes over the slider windchest in particular has been carefully designed to allow favorable conditions for the radiation of sound from all pipes.
—Francesco Ruffatti

Notes
1. Gaetano Callido was the most famous Venetian organbuilder of the 18th century. A pupil of Pietro Nacchini, he built over 430 organs in his lifetime, many of which are still preserved.
2. The basic principle of the open toe voicing technique is that of leaving the pipe toe completely open and regulating the sound volume by reducing the opening at the flue, or lower lip of the mouth. By operating this way several advantages are achieved, among which are a less turbulent air supply through the pipe foot and a more focused wind column at the mouth. These features are effective in reducing the “mouth noise” or “air noise” and, consequently, in reducing the need for languid nicking, a practice that can alter the natural timbre and that tends to reduce the development of upper partials in the sound spectrum.

From the organist
Several years back Glenn Arrants inquired: if he purchased an organ, would I play it?—and fortunately I said yes. He then informed me this would be no ordinary organ, but a pipe organ to be built in Italy. Through the months ahead, Glenn kept me informed of the progress.
The anticipation increased over the two and a half-year wait for the organ to be built. Finally we received word it would be delivered to the chapel on July 3, 2007. I was so excited about the opportunity to see this process firsthand, that I took off from work to be there to take photos and witness the arrival.
Spread throughout the chapel were all of the pieces that would be assembled into a pipe organ—in two weeks! I thought I understood the complexity of the pipe organ until I witnessed this firsthand. Imagine my excitement to hear that I would be playing the organ the first time that Sunday morning, although the pedals were not completed—the sound filling the sanctuary that morning was just a sweet taste of what was to come the following week when the instrument was complete.
There was concern that a pipe organ would overpower the small sanctuary and the congregation, but this is not the case. The sanctuary is filled with wonderful music, and the congregation’s voices are supported beautifully. Even with full organ, there is no vibration anywhere in the 177-year old chapel.
To be the first organist of the Wesley Chapel Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ is indeed an honor, and a once in a lifetime opportunity. One cannot help but think of the dedicated craftsmen who built the organ, all the attention to detail, and the beautiful voices of the pipes. It gives me great joy to be able to sit down and play this organ, so much so that what seem like minutes in time are actually hours of enjoyment—this fine instrument will serve the congregation and community of Elk Neck for generations to come.
—Alice Moore

From the dedication recitalist
It was a great pleasure to prepare a program for the dedication of the new Ruffatti organ for Wesley Chapel of Elk Neck. It turned out to be much less of challenge to prepare for a “small organ” than one might have suspected. The organ is well capable of playing standard literature, Bach and Telemann, and there is, in fact, wonderful variety to be had in various combinations of the voices. Most surprising was the excellent way the organ could be adapted to the modern works of Michael Burkhardt and Donald Johns in hymn-based partitas. Equally important, the gentle and very artistic voicing of this instrument allows it to lead congregational song with all the color and emotion one could ask for in an instrument of larger design. The divided stops are an ideal way to get “more organ” than the package seems to contain. Bravo Fratelli Ruffatti and congratulations to Wesley Chapel of Elk Neck.
–Donald McFarland

A brief history of Wesley Chapel of Elk Neck, Elkton, Maryland
Elkton, Maryland, a city of some 13,000 people, sits on Chesapeake Bay near the Delaware border. It dates from the 1700s and was a strategic crossroads during the Revolutionary War. Washington and Lafayette passed through it frequently, and it is very near the spot where the British landed for their march on Philadelphia. The Wesley Methodist Society formed its congregation there in 1797 and, in 1830, the parcel of land was bought “for and in consideration of the sum five dollars current money of Maryland,” and the Reverend William Ryder laid the cornerstone of a new building in which to hold the society’s services. Handhewn beams formed the 25′ x 30′ single-room chapel on a fieldstone foundation. The little building has several features that make it a particularly important structure architecturally, including a perfect half-circle arched ceiling, and varying-width clapboards that hide its vertical plank construction. Wesley Chapel seats about 50, and is one of the oldest rural chapels still in use in the area.
Glenn Arrants remembers how his mother served as church organist for almost 50 years. She played on an early 20th-century Möller organ, which took up considerable space in the tiny building. In the mid-1990s, the chapel went through a complete restoration and the Möller, which was then beyond repair, was replaced with a restored Estey reed organ. Church members missed the sound of a pipe organ, however, and, in 2005, set in motion plans to acquire an instrument specially built for the chapel. Because of the design work, the quality of construction, and the reputation of the company, Wesley Chapel chose Fratelli Ruffatti, distinguished pipe organ builders of Padua, Italy, to build its new instrument.

 

MANUAL—unenclosed, 56 notes (C–G)
8′ Principal Bass 25 pipes mahogany + 95% façade + 70% interior
8′ Principal Treble 31 pipes 95% façade + 70% interior
4′ Octave 56 pipes 70%
4′ Spitzflöte Bass 17 pipes 30% 1–8 common bass with Octave
4′ Spitzflöte Treble 31 pipes 30%
2′ Fifteenth 56 pipes 70%
II Mixture 11⁄3′–1′ 112 pipes 70%

PEDAL—unenclosed, 27 notes (C–D)
16′ Bourdon 27 pipes mahogany

7 ranks, 355 pipes
% = percentage of tin in tin-lead alloy

Composition of the Mixture II by itself
1–36 11⁄3′ 1′
37–48 22⁄3′ 11⁄3′
49–56 4′ 22⁄3′

Composition of the Mixture II together with the Fifteenth 2′
1–36 2′ 11⁄3′ 1’
37–48 22⁄3′ 2′ 11⁄3′
49–56 4′ 22⁄3′ 2′

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

Redman Pipe Organs,
Fort Worth, Texas
St. Vincent’s Cathedral Church, Bedford, Texas
The first organ for St. Vincent’s Episcopal Church in Euless, Texas, was a tracker-action instrument of 18 stops and 23 ranks. It had an entirely mechanical stop action and attached keydesk. I designed the new casework, and we still use it as our logo organ design. The organ was constructed utilizing some recycled windchests and other parts from a Hook & Hastings, originally built for Kavanaugh Methodist Church in Greenville, Texas. The organ had been replaced and broken up for parts. We also utilized some recycled pipes from an 1860 Odell, originally built for Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans. Stinkens and Giesecke supplied burnished front pipes of 90% tin and other new pipes. The organ was finished in 1972 and voiced in the neo-baroque manner popular at that time.
While a student at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, I had come under the influence of Otto Hofmann of Austin, Texas. Otto had been doing pioneering work in building mechanical-action organs and finished the first permanent installation of this type of instrument in 1956 at Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church in Albany, Texas.
These were very exciting times in organbuilding, with the rediscovery of tracker-action organbuilding in the USA. After finishing degrees at the University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University, I spent seven years in full-time music ministry. All the while, however, I couldn’t leave organbuilding alone and assisted with several projects, including the first new tracker in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at St. Stephen United Methodist Church in Mesquite, Texas. Finally, the opportunity came to build the organ for St. Vincent’s, and I became a full-time organbuilder.
In 1989, St. Vincent’s built a splendid new church building in nearby Bedford, Texas. We enlarged the organ with new windchests, a vertical extension of the casework, detached three-manual console, and electric stop action. Frank Friemel designed this reconstruction as our Opus 59 with 22 stops and 29 ranks of pipes. Additions included a Salicional and Vox Coelestis in the Swell. A Schalmei replaced the original Krummhorn Regal, and a pedal Mixture replaced the original 2' Flute. The organ was revoiced for the new room, and the sound was broadened and smoothed from the original concept. Further additions were planned and prepared, including a Rückpositiv of eleven stops.
In 1994, the organ was further expanded with new 16' Pedal towers and an entirely new Pedal division. Giesecke provided new 90% burnished tin principal pipes, and we found that the metal matched the pipes from 1971, which had held their appearance very well. Other additions included the 16' Lieblich Gedeckt, 8' Spitzflute, Cornet, and a new and larger 8' Trompete in the Great. The Swell received a new 16' Fagott, and an Oboe replaced the Schalmei. The Pedal now included a 32' Bourdon and a new and larger 16' Posaune.
Finally, in 2007, the organ has been completed according to Frank Friemel’s design as Opus 87, with the new Rückpositiv and a new Festival Trumpet, provided by Schopp. Its intention is to crown the chorus, but not to obliterate it. I believe it does that very well. The other stops of the Rückpositiv provide a more intimate sound than that from the Great and Swell, since it is nearest the ear. Based on a 4' Principal, they provide contrast and fullness as well. The larger and fuller Krummhorn fills that needed stop in the organ. We also used a single 11'3' stop here, instead of a mixture, to provide more registration possibilities along with enough brilliance to the division. The Gemshorn and Celeste are of the classic type, which are flutes with string overtones. They provide a nice contrast to the string celeste in the Swell. Swell shades give additional flexibility to the division.
Many have commented that the organ has “grown up” and matured. This has happened because of the desire of the congregation to have the finest organ possible and to implement the changing esthetics in organ building. It is perhaps a study in how an organ can be enlarged and expanded to meet the demands of a different time and place.
Those who worked on this project include Roy Redman, Frank Friemel, Andrew Packard, Wesley Miller, Joel Grey, Carl Fischer, Joseph Watson, Chris Wilson, and Jake Morris.
—Roy Redman
Redman Pipe Organs
816 East Vickery
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
817/332-2953
[email protected]

A journey and a transformation
When I accepted the position of organist at St. Vincent’s Church in 1984, I was already acquainted with the organ. It was only the third mechanical-action instrument in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and many organists had made a visit.
Roy Redman had designed and built the instrument, which sat on the floor at the rear of the small church, snuggled against the 17-foot ceiling. This ceiling appeared to be made of pressed string, an inexpensive building material not uncommon in the early ’60s. No matter how many gallons of paint were applied, it still absorbed sound. In this environment, the organ more or less made itself known, but the choir, seated in a corner next to it, had no chance.
In 1985, St. Vincent’s parish committed to build an entirely new campus for the church and school on nearby property in the Fort Worth suburb of Bedford. A tall rectangular building in basilica style was designed by architect Jim Bransford. The choir and organ were to go in a rear gallery with enough height for 16' pedal pipes. A portion of the capital campaign fund was set aside to modify the organ for use in the new building. The then-rector, Father Louis Tobola, was eager for the room to be good for music, and agreed with Roy Redman’s advice to use hard surfaces throughout, and to use double sheetrock, glued together, for the interior walls and ceiling.
The new church was completed in 1989, and the organ was removed from the old property to the Redman shop. A year and a half later, now with a 4' Principal in the Swell and new windchests for the Great and Swell to allow for additional stops, it was re-installed. There had not been enough money in the original campaign to upgrade the Pedal, so it was a bit “top-heavy.”
A second capital campaign raised $60,000 for the Pedal organ. With that amount, we could build the cases and action and have the beautiful tin 16' Principal, but nothing else. Or we could have the cases and all the other Pedal pipes, but no beautiful façade. In a great leap of faith by the vestry, $40,000 was taken from reserves to enable us to fill the Pedal towers in 1994. Now with two 16' manual stops, and a 32' in the Pedal, the transformation of the organ has been amazing.
A transformation of the role of the parish was also begun in 1995, when Bishop Jack L. Iker named St. Vincent’s as the pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Fort Worth. At the end of 2007, the standing committee of the diocese made our cathedral status permanent.
Though I never gave up hope for the Rückpositiv division, it was many years in coming. At last, in 2007, an anonymous donor contacted Roy and told him to go forward with its design, and to include an en-chamade trumpet on the main case—a stop that many in the choir and congregation had been hoping for. Frank Friemel managed to squeeze ten stops into the Rückpositiv, including swell shades behind the 4' Principal, yet the case is only 38 inches deep; and he made a beautiful arrangement of the horizontal trumpets. The Festival Trumpet stop is commanding, but not overpowering, and, happily, when I play it, it makes people smile.
In its lovely acoustical environment, the organ now possesses great warmth as well as excitement. I feel very fortunate to be on the bench.
—Barbara Burton
Music director and organist
<www.stvc.org&gt;

Cover photo: Dan Hatzenbuehler, Hatzenbuehler Photography (www.hatzphoto.com&gt;

1971
Opus 4

GREAT
8' Principal
8' Rohrgedeckt
4' Octave
4' Holzflote
2' Blockflote
11'3' Mixture IV
8' Trompete
Zimbelstern
SWELL
8' Holzgedeckt
4' Rohrflote
2' Principal
22'3' Sesquialtera II
1' Zimbel III
8' Krummhorn
Tremulant
PEDAL
16' Subbass
8' Principal
4' Choralbass
2' Flute
16' Fagott

1991
Opus 59

GREAT
8' Principal
8' Rohrgedeckt
4' Octave
4' Holzflote
2' Blockflote
11'3' Mixture IV
8' Trompete
Tremulant
Zimbelstern
SWELL
8' Holzgedeckt
8' Salicional
8' Vox Coelestis
4' Principal
4' Rohrflote
2' Spitzflote
22'3' Sesquialtera II
1' Scharf III
8' Schalmei
Tremulant
PEDAL
16' Subbass
8' Principal
4' Choralbass (new)
2' Mixture III
16' Posaune

1994
Opus 66

GREAT
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Principal
8' Rohrgedeckt
8' Spitzflote
4' Octave
4' Holzflote
22'3' Cornet II
2' Octave
11'3' Mixture IV
8' Trompete (new)
Tremulant
Zimbelstern
SWELL
8' Holzgedeckt
8' Salicional
8' Vox Coelestis
4' Principal
4' Rohrflote
2' Spitzflote
22'3' Sesquialtera II
1' Scharf III
16' Fagott
8' Oboe
Tremulant
PEDAL
32' Bourdon
16' Principal
16' Subbass
8' Octave
8' Gedeckt
4' Choralbass
2' Mixture III
16' Posaune (new)
8' Trompete
4' Schalmei

2007
Opus 87

GREAT
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Principal
8' Rohrgedeckt
8' Spitzflote
4' Octave
4' Holzflote
22'3' Cornet II (from G2)
2' Octave
11'3' Mixture IV
8' Trompete
Tremulant
Zimbelstern
SWELL
8' Holzgedeckt
8' Salicional
8' Vox Coelestis
4' Principal
4' Rohrflote
2' Spitzflote
22'3' Sesquialtera II
1' Scharf III (new breaks)
16' Fagott
8' Oboe
Tremulant
PEDAL
32' Bourdon
16' Principal
16' Subbass
8' Octave
8' Gedeckt
4' Choralbass
2' Mixture III
16' Posaune
8' Trompete
4' Schalmei
RÜCKPOSITIV (enclosed)
8' Bordun
8' Gemshorn
8' Gemshorn Celeste (tenor C)
4' Principal (unenclosed)
4' Spillflote
22'3' Nasat
2' Flachflote
13'5' Terz
11'3' Quinte
8' Krummhorn
Tremulant
8' Festival Trumpet (mounted on
central tower)

Taylor & Boody Organbuilders, Staunton, Virginia

Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana

About the organ.

Designing an organ for Rieth Hall at Goshen College was a
pleasure. The opportunity to place the organ in the traditional location, high
in the rear gallery, was ideal both visually and aurally. The form and
proportions of the hall, with its austere yet warm and inviting interior,
called the organbuilder to respond with similar clarity and restraint. The
ample height of the room suggested a plain, vertical configuration of the
instrument, on which natural light from the clerestory windows would fall
gently. Everything about the hall spoke of its solid construction and honesty
of materials, qualities that we strive to reflect in our organs. Likewise the
acoustical properties of the hall, so warm and reverberant and at the same time
intimate and clear, allowed the organ’s tone to develop freely without
being forced. The result is an endearing musical instrument that is
aesthetically inseparable from the space in which it stands.

Initial inspiration for the Goshen case came from the organ
built by David Tannenberg in 1774 for Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. While only the case and façade pipes of that lovely
instrument have survived, they constitute the finest example we have in our
country of south German case architecture from the 18th century.
Tannenberg’s use of the double impost, with its Oberwerk division
gracefully placed as a reflection of the Hauptwerk below, was typical of organs
in his native Saxony and Thuringia. Other exterior influences from that time
and place include the two swags that bracket the center tower, and the broad
lower case that supports the full width of the impost and omits the spandrels
common to earlier styles. Apart from its simple springboard moldings, the
Goshen case is relatively flat and plain by comparison with its historical
counterparts. Its only bold three-dimensional element is the polygonal center
tower. The small pointed towers in Tannenberg’s design are here merely
implied by the V-shaped arrangement of foot lengths in the tenor fields. The
use of six auxiliary panels to raise the smaller pipe feet above the impost
moldings adds interest to the design. The considerable height of the lower case
was determined by the need for a passageway over the 2-foot concrete riser
behind the organ. This height gave space between the console and impost for the
eventual inclusion of a small Brustwerk with several stops for continuo
accompaniment. Cabinets for music storage are built into the back on both sides
of the lower case.

Another aspect of the design reminiscent of 18th-century
south German traditions is the position of the windchests in relation to the
action. The two windchests of the Hauptwerk are spaced apart from the center of
the case by the width of the keyboards. This leaves room for trackers of the
Oberwerk to reach their rollerboard without blocking access to the Hauptwerk
action and its pallets. It also provides optimum space for 8’ bass pipes
at the sides and leaves room for tuning the tenor pipes of the Hauptwerk with
only minimal obstruction by the Oberwerk rollerboard. The windchests for the
Pedal are located behind the case at the level of the impost, a placement that
Tannenberg could also have used.

Both the playing action and stop action are mechanical. The
manual keys are hinged at the tail and suspended from their trackers. There are
no thumper rails to hold the keys down, so they are free to overshoot slightly
when released, as is the case in traditional suspended actions. Trackers,
squares and rollers are all made of wood. There is no felt in the action. Keys
are guided by pins at the sides. Together these details combine to give a
feeling of buoyancy and liveliness reminiscent of antique instruments. The aim
is not so much to provide a light action as to arrive at one having the mass
and friction appropriate to the size and character of the organ. Such an action
may need occasional minor adjustment of key levels with changes in humidity,
but this is a small price to pay for the advantages gained over more sterile
modern alternatives. 

Wind is supplied by two single-fold wedge bellows (3’ x
6’) fed by a blower located in a small room below the organ. Natural
fluctuations of the wind pressure in response to the playing contribute to the
lively, singing quality of the organ’s sound. A wind stabilizer can be
engaged when unusually heavy demands on the wind system call for damping of
these fluctuations. The organ’s single tremulant is made in the old-fashioned
beater form. On seeing a tremulant puffing away in one of our organs, a
Japanese friend remarked that the organ was laughing! It is useful to think of
an organ’s wind as its breath and the bellows as lungs, for the
instrument’s appeal is closely tied to our perception of its lifelike
qualities. 

The tonal character of an organ is rarely revealed by its
stoplist. This is particularly true in an instrument of only twenty-four stops.
Once the builder accepts the constraints of a given style and the essential
registers have been chosen, there is usually little room or money left to
include stops that would make a modest design appear unique on paper.
Fortunately for the art, the musicality of the organ is not bound by its
stoplist; rather, it is determined by a host of other complex factors. These
can be partially defined in the technical data of pipe scaling and
construction, general design parameters, materials and the like, but in reality
much more rests on the elusive criteria of experience, skill and taste of the
builder. Taken together this means that each new organ, albeit small, presents
fresh opportunities for artistic expression. It is important that all the pipes
speak promptly, be they reeds or flues, except in the case of strings, which
gain charm from their halting speech. It is less important that the pipes
produce precisely the same vowel sounds from note to note, for here variety
adds refreshing character and interest to the organ.

At Goshen we chose to voice the 8’ Principal to be
somewhat brighter and richer in overtones than has been our wont. This was
achieved by giving the pipes lower cutups than was customary in German and
Dutch organs of the 17th century and before. The five distinctly different
8’ flue stops on the manuals deserve special mention. Although all
followed scaling patterns we have used frequently in the past, when voiced they
proved to be unusually satisfying, particularly in combination with each other.
Whenever the 16’ Bordun is used with them a magical new dimension is added
to the sound. If, for example, one draws the Bordun with the Viol da Gamba, the
effect is that of a quiet 16’ Principal. Used with the Spillpfeife the
Bordun reverts to its role as a flute. In an organ of this size it is crucial
that every stop work as well as possible with every other. Following south
German practice, both 8’ and 4’ flutes on the Hauptwerk are made in
the same form. This duplication of flutes within the same family was not the
custom in the north, where lower pitched flutes were usually stopped and those
above them progressively more open. The Oberwerk configuration at Goshen with
its two stopped 8’ registers and partially open 4’ Rohrflöte is
typical of the northern tradition. We look forward to the day that the 16’
Violonbass with its cello-like speech can be added to the Pedal.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

The distinctive musical effect of the Goshen organ is
strongly colored by the use of the recently released Bach-Lehman temperament
described in the accompanying article. Because the completion of the organ in
February coincided with the publication in Early Music of Bradley
Lehman’s treatise on J. S. Bach’s temperament, we chose to tune the
organ according to his plan. Here was the ideal opportunity to try the
temperament on an organ built in Germanic style and at the same time to honor
Dr. Lehman as a distinguished Goshen alumnus for his work in this field. The
experiment has been a fascinating one. It has provided a place to hear
Bach’s organ music as we have not heard it before. We are honored to have
played a part in translating the dry mathematical numbers of this temperament
into the vibrant sound of the organ. 

With few exceptions the many parts of the organ were
constructed from raw materials in our Virginia workshop. Through the skills of
each craftsman the design moved from an idea to paper and then through raw wood
and metal into a large and impressive object. Note by note the tonal picture
has been filled in by voicing and tuning until in the end we experience a new
instrument with an identity all its own. We hope that it will give pleasure to
those who play and hear it far into the future.

--George Taylor

The organ project at Goshen College

“Dienlich, Ordentlich, Schicklich, Dauerlich”

In 1999 we were asked by the organ consultant for Goshen
College, Roseann Penner Kaufman, to make a proposal for the new Goshen College
Music Center. As with any new project, I went to Goshen full of excitement at
the promise of participating in what was to be a spectacular project. My
enthusiasm was short-lived when I saw the design for the recital hall. It was a
standard fan-shaped, sloped-floor, small college recital hall, with theatre
seats and carpet in the aisles. The space for the organ was planned in a niche
at the back of the stage. The design would have been fine for small chamber
recitals, but it was not a proper home for an organ. The prospects for the
organ looked bleak. We would not have felt productive or inspired. We always
say that the room is more than half the organ. I took a deep breath and told
the Goshen committee what I thought of the plan. The committee listened and
asked us to offer suggestions on how the recital hall might be designed to work
best with the musical programs envisioned for this space.

I returned to Staunton eager to develop a plan. One of the
first things I did was to research the Mennonite Quarterly Review for articles
describing historical Anabaptist worship spaces. I hoped that the essence of
these rooms would lead me to an aesthetic that would tie the new hall to the
old tradition, which would, in turn, also be good for music, especially the
organ. My research acquainted me with four German words used to express the
qualities of the historical spaces: dienlich, ordentlich, schicklich and
dauerlich--serviceable, orderly, fitting and lasting. I also found prints
of the interiors of some of these churches. Rectangular in shape with open
truss timber roof framing, clear glass windows, galleries on several sides,
rough stone floors, moveable chairs, unadorned, honest and powerful, these
spaces had all the qualities that I was looking for. They also had enduring
musical-acoustical qualities and so many are used today for concerts.

The simple sketch that I made went first to the Goshen organ
committee who, led by Doyle Preheim and Chris Thogersen, embraced the plan.
Then the concept went to Rick Talaske and his team of acousticians. They
transformed the plan into practical geometry and surface treatments to make the
space an acoustical success. Mathes Brierre Architects took the acoustical plan
and translated it into a visual design that evokes the warehouse or
brewery-turned-church concept of the early Dutch Mennonite spaces. Schmidt
Associates worked through the technical details with Casteel Construction to
conceive the simple pre-cast concrete panels and graceful curved steel arches
that make the hall appealing in its architecture, superior in acoustical
performance and straightforward and durable in construction. There was creative
and sensitive work done by a Goshen group concerned with decor and furnishings.
The result is successful beyond our expectations. The collaboration of all the
partners made the project exceed the ability of any one of us.

Once the hall was underway, we scheduled a meeting at St.
Thomas Fifth Avenue in New York with a group from Goshen and Calvin and Janet
High from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We had a great day in New York showing
everyone our organ in the gallery of St. Thomas. The Highs’ enthusiasm
for the St. Thomas organ and the Goshen Music Center paved the way for their
generous gift that underwrote the cost of the organ.

We realized that the floor area of Rieth Hall was small in
relation to the height. We saw that if there could be the addition of one more
bay to the length there would be significant improvement in the proportions of
the space and at least 50 more seats could be added. Again, the Goshen design
group supported our suggestion. At a time in the project when the building
committee was attempting to control costs and squeeze performance out of every
dime, they found the funds for this most important late addition.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

I predicted at the time we were creating the designs for
Rieth Hall, that the unique qualities of this space would have something to say
to the Goshen students about music and worship. This prediction has been
realized. First, there is genuine enthusiasm for a cappella singing in Rieth
Hall, encouraging this wonderful Mennonite tradition. Second, there has been a
spontaneous seizing of the space by the students for their own student-directed
Sunday worship. In this age of searching for the right path in worship and
liturgy, of debating the influence and appropriateness of mass media and
popular music for worship, we have built something at Goshen College that
reaches across the span of time to those Mennonite roots. Led by the seemingly
old-fashioned qualities of dienlich, ordentlich, schicklich and dauerlich, we
have made a  music space and organ
that inspire and excite us to make music and to celebrate and serve our God and
Creator.

Wood and the Goshen organ

The traditional pipe organ is a wooden machine. Early on in
our careers as organ builders we realized that getting control over our
materials in both an aesthetic and technical sense was essential to our success
as organ makers. Our first path was to make friends with our neighborhood
sawmillers. One of these was an octogenarian whose experience reached back to
horse logging and steam power. He taught us the value of long, slow, air-drying
of lumber. He also knew the old traditions of sawing, how to take the tension
out of a log, how to saw through the middle of the log and keep the boards in
order so that the cabinetmaker could match the grain. He remembered the methods
of quarter sawing that impart the most dimensional stability to the boards and
in oak bring out the beautiful fleck of the medullary rays. We have built our
own sawmill based on a portable band saw. For quarter sawing, we have built a
double-ended chain saw that can split logs up to 60 inches in diameter. The
half logs (or quarters in extremely large timber) are then aligned on our band
saw and sawn in a radial fashion into boards. This lumber is then air-dried for
a number of years. At the end, we put the wood in our dry kiln and gently warm
it up to stabilize the moisture content at 8% to 10%.

Oak is the traditional wood of Northern European organ
building so it was natural for us to choose white oak for the Goshen organ. We
have long admired the Dutch and German organs dating back to the 16th century.
The earliest organs show only the natural patina of age and no finish; the
concept of finishing wood as in varnishing or oiling came well into the 18th
century. We followed this earlier practice for the Goshen organ. The oak has
been hand-planed to a smooth polish, much smoother than can ordinarily be
produced with sanding. The hand-planed wood will resist dirt. We feel there are
also musical benefits from using wood in its natural state. The case and
carvings together with all the interior parts transmit sound energy and reflect
and focus the sound of the pipes. Also, the open pores and surface
imperfections of the natural wood have an effect on the sound reflection.

Another aspect of wood use in historic organs is how
efficiently the old builders utilized their wood. Before the age of machinery,
cutting, transporting and converting timber to sawn, dried lumber ready for use
was costly. The best wood was always used for the keyboards, playing action,
wind chests and pipes. The next selection went to the most visible parts of the
case, especially the front of the organ. The rest was used for carvings, heavy
structural members, walkways, bellows framework and back panels. Some of this
wood shows knots, cracks and other defects that might offend our modern sense
of perfection. However, in addition to demonstrating good wood utilization, the
varying density and differences in surface texture of these so-called defects
may indeed benefit the music. How we perceive the sound of an organ is a very
complex and subtle equation. This is one of the wonderful aspects of the real
pipe organ that differentiates it from the sterile sound of the electronic
substitute. We feel it is good stewardship to apply the hierarchy of selection
as practiced by the old masters. We try to use all the wood, through careful
selection, with thoughtful conservation of a vanishing resource.

--John Boody

Acoustic design of Rieth Recital Hall at Goshen College

In 1998, the design team of design architect Mathes Group
(now Mathes Brierre Architects), architect of record Schmidt Associates and
acoustician The Talaske Group (now Talaske) began preliminary work on a new
music education and performance building for Goshen College’s campus.
This project was the College’s greatest building investment to date and
they were determined to do things right . . . with a very modest budget. The
Recital Hall (now Rieth Recital Hall) was slated to house a new tracker organ
of exceptional quality. As acousticians, we offered some general planning
recommendations--not the least of which was a 50-foot ceiling
height--and recommended that the organ builder be hired as soon as
possible.

Enter John Boody of Taylor & Boody, organ builders from
Virginia. John energized the subsequent meetings with some profound advice that
proved to set the final direction for the space. He moved our thinking from a
“fixed” seating configuration to a flexible arrangement based on a
flat floor where seats can face either end of the room. This unique concept
facilitated the accommodation of a conventional “recital hall” or
assembly arrangement with musicians or presenters on a small stage. The cleverness
of the concept is the seats can be turned to face the opposite direction in the
room, offering a classic organ recital arrangement. Furthermore, John
recommended that the proportions of the room would be better served if
lengthened by adding another bay of structure. These fundamental planning ideas
changed the direction of the design in perpetuity.

We embraced these new directions yes">  and identified the many other room acoustics design features
that would support the client’s needs. The 50-foot ceiling height remained,
and we worked with the architects and construction manager to render the room
as a sound-reflective concrete enclosure, embellished with wood. The goal was
to maintain the warmth of sound created by the organ. Within the “theatre
planning” process, we guided and exploited naturally occurring
opportunities for introducing sound diffusing shaping to reflect low- and
mid-pitched sound in all directions--by introducing one side balcony and a
rear balcony, recesses from circulation paths and recesses created by
deeply-set windows. We recommended deliberate articulation of the walls to
diffuse mid- and high-pitched sound. Wood surfaces were detailed to minimize
absorption of low-pitched sound. Retractable velour curtains and banners were
recommended in abundance and specified by Bob Davis, theatre consultant.
Architecturally, curtain and banner pockets were created so the sound-absorbing
materials could be retracted completely on demand. These features make possible
a broad “swing” of the sound of the room from very reverberant for
choral and organ performance to articulate for assembly events or amplified
music performance. Fundamental to the acoustic design was the need for silence.
This was accomplished by structural discontinuities in the building (acoustic
isolation joints) and the proper placement and design of heating and air
conditioning systems.

Within their mission statement, Goshen College states:
“Musical expression is a human manifestation of the divine impulse and,
as such, serves as a window into the individual soul, a bridge between human
beings and a means of corporate religious experience.” In light of the
students adopting the Rieth Recital Hall for their weekly convocations and the
many other uses, we are pleased to say the happy story continues!

--Rick Talaske

Bach temperament

This organ is the first since the 18th century to use Johann
Sebastian Bach’s tuning, as notated by him in 1722 on the title page of
the Well-Tempered Clavier. This tuning method is a 2004 discovery by Bradley
Lehman. The article about this discovery is published in the February and May
2005 issues of Early Music (Oxford University Press), and further details are
at <www.larips.com&gt;.

The layout, dividing the Pythagorean comma, is:

F-C-G-D-A-E = 1/6 comma narrow 5ths;

E-B-F#-C# = pure 5ths;

C#-G#-D#-A# = 1/12 comma narrow 5ths;

A#-F = a residual wide 1/12 comma 5th.

In this tuning, every major scale and minor scale sounds
different from every other, due to the subtle differences of size among the
tones and semitones. This allows music to project a different mood or character
in each melodic and harmonic context, with a pleasing range of expressive
variety as it goes along. It builds drama into musical modulations.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

The result sounds almost like equal temperament, and it similarly
allows all keys to be used without problem, but it has much more personality
and color. In scales and triads it sounds plain and gentle around C major (most
like regular 1/6 comma temperament), mellower and warmer in the flat keys such
as A-flat major (most like equal temperament), and especially bright and
exciting in the sharp keys around E major (like Pythagorean tuning, with pure
fifths). Everything is smoothly blended from these three competing systems,
emerging with an emphasis on melodic suavity.

The following chart shows the relative size of each major
third, resulting from each series of the intervening four fifths. This system
of analysis is from the 1770s, published in the theoretical work of G. A. Sorge
who was a former colleague of Bach’s. The intervals having higher numbers
sound spicier, more restless. In this measurement, a value of 11 would indicate
a major third that is one syntonic comma too sharp (a “Pythagorean major
third,” having been generated by four pure fifths).
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  A pure major third would be represented
here as 0.

Bb-D    6
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             D-F#
    7
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             F#-A#
8

Eb-G    7
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             G-B
      5
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             B-D#
   9

Ab-C    8
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             C-E
       3
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             E-G#
   10

Db-F     9
             F-A
       3
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             A-C#
   9

Equal temperament, as opposed to the variety shown here, has
a constant size of 7 in all twelve of the major thirds.

In functional harmony, the Bach tuning sets up especially
interesting contrasts within minor-key music. The key of A minor has the
plainest tonic juxtaposed with the most restless dominant. F minor, a major
third away, has the opposite relationship: troubled tonic, calm dominant. And
C# minor has the average character between these behaviors, where the tonic and
dominant are both moderately energetic. 

In major-key music, the tonics and dominants have characters
similar to one another. The sizes of major thirds change by only 1, 2, or 3
units from each key to its neighbors, moving by the circle of fifths (through
typical subdominant/tonic/dominant progressions). Any change of Affekt is
therefore gradual and subtle, as if we never really leave the home key
altogether but it feels a little more or less tense as we go along.

In any music that modulates more quickly by bypassing such a
normal circle-of-fifths cycle, the contrasts are momentarily startling. That
is, the music’s dramatic harmonic gestures become immediately noticeable,
where the major thirds have changed size suddenly from one harmony to the next.
This comes up for example in the Fantasia in G Minor (BWV 542), Gelobet seist
du, Jesu Christ (BWV 722), and the fourth Duetto (BWV 805), and especially in
music by the Bach sons.

This system turns out to be an excellent tuning solution to
play all music, both before and after Bach’s. It is moderate enough for
complete enharmonic freedom, but also unequal enough to sound directional and
exciting in the tensions and resolutions of tonal music.

A recording will be ready for release this summer, including
music by Bach, Fischer, Brahms, et al.

--Bradley Lehman

A brief history of the organ in the Mennonite Church

Some people might find it unusual to find such a remarkable
organ in a Mennonite college. Aren’t the Mennonites those folks with the
buggies and suspenders? It is true that some Mennonite congregations still take
literally founder Menno Simons’ caution against the organ as a
“worldly” invention, but most, especially in the last fifty years,
have embraced it as a vital contributor to the musical and worship life of the
community. 

The Mennonite Church has its beginnings in the 16th-century
Protestant Reformation. Because of persecution, most of the early worship
services were held secretly, in homes or out-of-the-way places. Mennonites also
believed that the true church existed in small, simple gatherings; therefore,
it was uncommon for early Mennonites to even set aside a separate building for
worship. 

Two hundred years after the beginning of the movement,
churches in Germany and the Netherlands had grown to the point of meeting in
dedicated buildings, and by the 1760s several in urban areas had installed pipe
organs. It was another two hundred years, however, before organs became common
in the Mennonite conference that supported Goshen College. Even now, the organ
is not necessarily assumed to support congregational singing, but contributes
other service music. Organ study is now offered at all of the Mennonite Church
USA-affiliated colleges, and the new Taylor & Boody organ at Goshen will
certainly have a profound impact on the future of worship and organ study
throughout the denomination.

--Roseann Penner Kaufman

Roseann Penner Kaufman, DMA, is adjunct instructor in organ
at Bethel College, N. Newton, Kansas, a four-year liberal arts college
affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA. She also serves as director of music
for Rainbow Mennonite Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Kaufman served as the
consultant to Goshen College for their organ project.

Specifications for Opus 41

Hauptwerk

16' Bordun (C-D# wood, rest metal*)

8' Principal (77% tin)

8' Spillpfeife

8' Viol da Gamba (77% tin)

4' Octave

4' Spitzflöte

3' Quinte

3' Nasat

2' Superoctave

IV-V Mixtur

8' Trompet

Oberwerk

8' Gedackt (99% lead)

8' Quintadena

4' Principal (77% tin)

4' Rohrflöte

2' Waldflöte

II Sesquialtera

IV Scharff

8' Dulcian

Pedal

16' Subbass (wood)

(16' Violonbass) space prepared

8' Octave

4' Octave

16' Posaune (C-B wood, rest 99% lead)

8' Trompet (99% lead)

Couplers

Oberwerk / Hauptwerk

Hauptwerk / Pedal

Oberwerk / Pedal

Tremulant to entire organ

Mechanical key and stop action

Compass: manual 56 notes C-g''', pedal 30 notes C-f'

Lehman-Bach temperament

Interior metal pipes of hammered alloys

*All unmarked metal alloys of 28% tin, 72% lead

Case of solid white oak

Windchests of solid oak, pine & poplar

Number of pipes: 1604

Wind pressure: 75mm

Wind stabilizer

The builders

George K. Taylor

John H. Boody

Bruce Shull

Emerson Willard

Christopher A. Bono

Kelley Blanton

Chris A. Peterson

Sarah Grove-Humphries

Robbie Lawson

Jeffrey M. Peterson

Larry J. Damico

Holly Regi

Thomas M. Karaffa

Bob Harris

Katie Masincup

Ryan M. Albashian

Kristin E. Boo

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Bellwood, Illinois
St. Jerome Catholic Parish, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders has built a new pipe organ for the people of St. Jerome Catholic Parish in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Opus 226 contains 53 ranks, 42 stops, and 3,019 pipes. The project was made possible by the generosity of the people of St. Jerome Catholic Parish, as well as other benefactors and contributors from the community.
Plans to relocate St. Jerome Parish began in the fall of 1997 as it became clear that the parish was expanding beyond the physical limitations of their historic downtown church. By August 1998, the parish had purchased 37 acres of land and begun planning for a parish-wide campaign. The school was constructed first, and was dedicated on September 11, 2004. A second parish-wide campaign began in January 2005, resulting in the dedication of the church on November 15, 2008. The new 1,000-seat nave nearly tripled the previous sanctuary’s capacity of 350, and provided the parish with a bright, modern worship space with a more favorable acoustical signature.
From the onset of the project, it was clear the existing 1918 Kimball organ would need to be incorporated into the new instrument to minimize new pipe costs. The two-manual, 15-rank organ, located in the center of the rear balcony, was entirely installed in a case against the rear wall. Despite additions in the early 1980s, the organ was of typical early twentieth-century liturgical design. The stoplist incorporated six stops at 8′ pitch, two stops at 4′, and a 16′ Bourdon in the Pedal. Added ranks included a 22⁄3′ Quinte, 2′ Octave, and Mixture IV in the Great. Original voicing and pressures were retained on the Kimball pipes at the time when the organ was augmented, which did little to bridge the gap between the old and new pipes. Thankfully, the new pipes were under-voiced, which would give Berghaus ample latitude in tonal finishing. Additionally, the bottom octave of the 4′ Flute d’Amour was abandoned, and the pipes were shifted down to create a 2′ Flute in the Swell.
In the new church, the organ was planned to occupy both ends of the nave. Great, Swell, and Pedal divisions would be entirely new, and located in the rear gallery. The Antiphonal division would be installed in one chamber, above and to the left side of the chancel. We chose not to divide the resources of the Kimball, but rather use them to create the new Antiphonal division. Furthermore, the Antiphonal chamber would be situated at the same height as the gallery organ to promote tuning stability.
Special consideration was taken in planning pipe scales for the gallery instrument, with the intent that the Antiphonal organ would not be a dark distraction to the new organ. Our present tonal philosophy reflects an eclectic approach, which is conducive to blending early twentieth-century voicing styles. We took our cues from the best elements of late nineteenth-century English organs, tempered somewhat by elements of romantic French and early romantic German organbuilding. All flue scales in the gallery are variable, changing throughout the compass for acoustic and practical reasons. The result is an instrument that, while separated by distance, successfully works as a whole tonal concept, which in turn is able to effectively provide the combinations necessary for liturgical music and beyond. Differing foundation and flute resources are available for cantorial accompaniment, projecting close to the lectern. The Antiphonal also contains the softest string sounds for tonal effects in anthems and voluntaries. When the full resources of the Antiphonal are coupled to the gallery organ, the Antiphonal “carries” the sound of the gallery organ forward down the nave, while at the same time seamlessly blending with the gallery without detracting from its timbre.

Great
The Great division consists of 15 stops, 16 ranks, and is divided between one large slider chest and one electro-pneumatic chest. The division is located directly above the Swell enclosure, and is based on the 8′ Principal, which is located primarily in the façade and constructed of 75% tin, with spotted metal in the treble. The 8′ Principal is scaled near Normalmensur plus two, which on 80mm wind pressure fills the nave with a warm yet gentle tone. It is voiced full in the bass, and has clarity in the treble to reinforce the melody line. The Principal chorus is complete through a four-rank mixture, and includes mutations that are meant to reinforce the plenum. Flues are primarily in spotted metal with the intent to add warmth to the overall tone, yet allow for brightness in finishing.
Additional 8′ stops (Flute Harmonique, Bourdon, Gemshorn, and Gemshorn Celeste t.c.) complete the standard fonds d’orgue, as well as add the unique flexibility of a third, unenclosed celeste. Tonal considerations were made to allow the scaling of this hybrid pair to be generous, yet with a low cut-up to provide clarity of tone. The 8′ Trumpet is designed with German shallots to provide a blending quality, which is meant to enhance the plenum. By contrast, the horizontal Trompette en Chamade, which is mounted on the front of the case, is scaled and voiced to blend with full organ registration, and can be used as a solo stop for processionals and fanfares. Both reeds are voiced on 100mm pressure.

Swell
The Swell division consists of 17 stops, 15 ranks, and is also divided between one large slider and one electro-pneumatic chest. The division is based on the 8′ Diapason of spotted metal, which provides foundation to a complete principal chorus through the Plein Jeu. The scale of the Swell Diapason is three steps smaller and completely different in tone than the Great Principal. The Swell contains a wide variety of stops, ranging from French-style strings to a liquid 8′ Rohrflöte, which is unified at 16′ and made of wood. Mutations are broadly scaled to provide for a rich Cornet decomposée. We elected to use English construction for the 8′ Trompette in the Swell in order to provide a contrast in tone to the Great Trumpet.

Antiphonal
Restoration of the Kimball pipework involved restoration of each pipe in one form or another. While minor repair and remedial voicing work was necessary, the general pipe-making was excellent. Few pipes had been physically altered in previous rebuild efforts, which allowed for maximum flexibility in finishing. We replaced the leather on the stoppers of all wood pipes, and in the spirit of the original Kimball, we provided twelve bass pipes to the Flute d’ Amour, and returned it to 4′ pitch. We also replaced the low twelve pipes of the Open Diapason, which replaced the badly damaged pipes of the original façade. All spotted metal pipes were dunked in a restorative solution, and fitted with new stainless steel sleeves. Finally, an 8′ Vox Humana was provided by Dr. Lee Erickson, friend to the project.
The 8′ Open Diapason of this division provides the organist with yet another Diapason tone. Made from a high-lead alloy, these pipes provide the tone one would expect from a Diapason of this vintage. The pipes are cut dead-length and scrolled. Undoubtedly they would have been originally over-length and slotted. Deep nicks in the languid and lower lip allow for open-toe voicing, which allows this stop to truly enhance the gallery instrument.

Pedal
Consisting of 19 stops, 8 ranks, the Pedal provides a solid foundation to this full instrument. Through calculated borrowing and tonal finishing, this division provides an ample variety of timbres and volumes. The 16′ Principal in the Pedal division (façade) is made from a combination of zinc and 70% tin pipes, and is finished with a silver-tone patina. The Pedal is further supported by an impressive unit 32′ Kontra Posaune, which is voiced full in order to provide an equal blend of harmonics and fundamental. We used tin-faced German shallots throughout the compass of this reed, which provides unique overtones required to enhance the pedal plenum, particularly when considering this stop will be used in part in cantus firmus.

Chests and wind system
Flue pipes of the Great, Swell and Antiphonal sit on Berghaus slider and pallet chests. Reeds and offset chests are electro-pneumatic action. The entire organ is supported by an interior steel structure, which provides stability while allowing unimpeded access to interior parts of the mechanism. Wind to the pipes is supplied by two blowers—one blower for the gallery organ, and one for the Antiphonal. Our wind system provides absolutely steady wind through a balance of schwimmers and reservoirs. Wooden wind conductors help eradicate turbulence and are effective in eliminating noise. Slider chest wind pressures are 80 and 75mm, while reeds and Pedal are on 100mm.
The gallery organ case and organ console are constructed of maple, and are designed to incorporate architectural elements found throughout the worship space. Keyboards are in bone and rosewood, with African Kewazinga Bubinga stop jambs and coupler rail.
The construction of the organ at St. Jerome Parish was achieved through the dedication and teamwork of the entire Berghaus organization, which extends its sincerest gratitude to the people of St. Jerome Parish for enabling us to contribute to the life of their parish:

President: Brian Berghaus
Director of sales and marketing: David McCleary
Tonal design: Jonathan Oblander, tonal designer; Kelly Monette, head tonal finisher
Reed specialist: Steven Hoover
Structural and visual design: Steven Protzman
Shop foreman: Jeff Hubbard
Office manager: Jean O’Brien
Service coordinator: Joseph Poland
Construction/assembly/installation: Stan Bujak, Chris Czopek, Steve Drexler, Jeff Hubbard, Trevor Kahlbaugh, Kurt Linstead, Kelly Monette, David Mueller, Jonathan Oblander, Joseph Poland, Daniel Roberts, Tim Roney, Paul Serresseque, Ron Skibbe, Jordan Smoots, Paul Szymkowski, Mark Ber, Randy Watkins.

In addition, Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders gratefully acknowledges the invaluable assistance of Scott R. Riedel & Associates, Ltd. in the project, as well as the expertise and leadership of Fr. John Yockey, pastor, and Tom Koester, past organist of St. Jerome Parish.
­—Kelly Monette & Jonathan Oblander
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders