Cover feature

Fabry, Inc., Antioch, Illinois
First Presbyterian Church,
Lincoln, Illinois
Nestled in the geographic center of Illinois, Lincoln enjoys having the distinction of being named before Abraham Lincoln became president. While old Route 66 continues to weave through downtown, I-55 now bypasses the town as new development draws travelers on their way to and from Springfield. During the middle part of last century, Gratian Organ Builders installed an 18-rank, electro-pneumatic pipe organ in the sanctuary that has served the church well. Within the past 10 years the church remodeled the front of the church and at that time an 8′ Pedal Principal comprising 32 notes was added as a façade.
As is the case with many churches whose instruments are used regularly but receive little or no major maintenance, First Presbyterian found that resources would best be spent on a major overhaul rather than on small, stop-gap measures. The church elected to have Fabry, Inc. completely rebuild the organ. While the initial plan was to save the windchests, this proved to be impossible.
The organ encompasses two chambers that sit at right angles to each other at the front corner of the sanctuary. Both of these chambers were packed to the gills with pipework and chestwork. It was decided to remove everything and place it in a more logical manner. As it turned out, new chests were constructed and this allowed the elimination of all but the necessary offset chests. In all, the following was completed: complete replacement of the relays, both console and chamber, a rebuilt console with a Peterson ICS-4000 system, new chests with Peterson electric pipe valves, new tuners on washed pipework, releathered reservoirs with reconfigured curtain valves, three additional reservoirs, a new blower and new chamber lighting.
Fabry, Inc. would like to thank Julie Kasa, music director; Janis Klockenga, secretary; and the Rev. Phillip Blackburn, pastor, for their cooperation and patience with all the facets of this very involved project. Fabry employees that worked on this project included David G. Fabry, David J. Fabry, Philip A. Spressart, Steven Ellis, and Clem Wirfs.
—Phil Spressart

GREAT
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Gamba
8′ Melodia
8′ Dulciana
4′ Octave
4′ Flute Harmonic
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
Mixture III
8′ Trumpet
Tremolo
Chimes (25 tubes)
Zimbelstern

SWELL
16′ Bourdon
8′ Violin Diapason
8′ Quint
8′ Gedeckt
8′ Salicional
8′ Vox Celeste (TC)
8′ Aeoline
4′ Principal
4′ Flute d’Amour
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Flute
8′ Oboe
Tremolo
Chimes

PEDAL
32′ Lieblich Gedeckt
16′ Subbass
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt
8′ Flute
8′ Dolce
8′ Principal
4′ Choral Bass
4′ Flute
Mixture III
16′ Trumpet
8′ Trumpet
8′ Oboe
Chimes

Great to Great 16, UO, 4
Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Pedal to Great
MIDI to Great
Swell to Swell 16,UO, 4
MIDI to Swell
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
MIDI to Pedal

Konzelman Pipe Organs,
Hoboken, New Jersey
St. Francis Episcopal Church, Stamford, Connecticut
James Konzelman first became interested in organ building in the mid 1960s after a friend loaned him The Contemporary American Organ by William H. Barnes. He made minor repairs in his home parish of St. Henry’s, Bayonne, New Jersey, and helped several organist friends with minor repairs on their church pipe organs. In the late 1960s Konzelman worked for Westinghouse Aerospace, Baltimore, Maryland, troubleshooting radar guidance and missile control systems. Later, while in the army, he taught a course in radar at Fort Bliss, Texas. This background in electronics became valuable later on as more and more electronic circuitry was introduced into the pipe organ.
In 1972, Konzelman went to work for the Church Organ Company, Edison, New Jersey, where he studied voicing and tuning techniques with Russell W. VanCamp. When VanCamp retired in 1974, Konzelman became the tonal director, designing and voicing many organs for that firm until the establishment of his own company in 1977.
Since 1977, Konzelman Pipe Organs has built and rebuilt many organs. Major rebuilds and new organs include the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James, Brooklyn, NY; Church of Our Lady of Grace, Hoboken, NJ; Church of the Heavenly Rest, NYC; Second Presbyterian Church, NYC; Blessed Sacrament Church, NYC; Union Congregational Church, Upper Montclair, NJ (chapel organ); Nativity Lutheran Church, East Brunswick, NJ; Newark Abbey, Newark, NJ; Emmanuel Lutheran Church, New Brunswick, NJ; St. Anne Church, Rochester, NY; St. Henry’s Church, Bayonne, NJ; St. Vincent’s Church, Bayonne, NJ; Mount Carmel Church, Bayonne, NJ; Grace Lutheran Church, River Edge, NJ; and Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church, Larchmont, NY.
The assistance of John A. Stokes, Louis Scarpa, David Fedor and Paul-Martin Maki is gratefully acknowledged by the builder. The organ at St. Francis Episcopal Church has two manuals and pedal, 18 voices, 24 ranks, and 1519 pipes.
Photo credit: Helen Neafsey

GREAT (expressive)
16′ Viola (Swell)
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes
8′ Viola (Swell)
8′ Viola Celeste TC (Swell)
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Koppelflöte 61 pipes
2′ Super Octave 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Mixture IV 244 pipes
8′ Trompette (Swell)
8′ Hautbois (Swell)
8′ Krummhorn 61 pipes
Tremulant
Chimes prepared for
Great to Great 16, UO, 4
Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Antiphonal to Great

SWELL (expressive)
16′ Viola 73 pipes
8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes
8′ Viola (ext)
8′ Viola Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Principal 73 pipes
4′ Nachthorn 73 pipes
22⁄3′ Nasat 61 pipes
2′ Octave (ext)
2′ Nachthorn (ext)
13⁄5′ Terz 61 pipes
2′ Plein Jeu IV 244 pipes
16′ Basson (1–12 half length) 73 pipes
8′ Trompette 73 pipes
8′ Hautbois (ext)
4′ Clairon (ext)
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16, UO, 4
Great to Swell
Antiphonal to Swell

ANTIPHONAL
16′ Festival Trumpet prepared for
8′ Festival Trumpet prepared for
4′ Festival Trumpet prepared for

PEDAL
32′ Resultant (from Subbass 16 and
Swell Gedeckt 8)
16′ Subbass 56 pipes
16′ Rohrgedeckt (Great, ext)
16′ Viola (Swell)
8′ Principal (Great)
8′ Bourdon (ext)
8′ Rohrflöte (Great)
8′ Viola (Swell)
51⁄3′ Quint (Great)
4′ Choral Bass (Great)
4′ Bourdon (ext)
32′ Bombarde (Sw ext, 1–12 electronic)
16′ Bombarde (Swell, ext)
16′ Basson (Swell)
8′ Trompette (Swell)
8′ Hautbois (Swell)
4′ Krummhorn (Great)
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
Antiphonal to Pedal

Solid-State capture combination action with 25 levels of memory, 12 general pistons, 8 pistons per division, general pistons and pedal pistons are duplicated by toe pistons. Reversibles for: Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, Swell to Great, Tutti. Set and General Cancel, and Scope pistons. Crescendo pedal with one standard and three settable crescendos. Two-manual and pedal drawknob console with bone naturals, ebony sharps, and tracker touch.

Wicks Organ Company,
Highland, Illinois
All Saints Catholic Church,
Manassas, Virginia
All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, Virginia, is privileged and blessed to have a new church building and a newly renovated pipe organ. Approximately thirteen years ago, our original Opus 6376 was purchased by All Saints from the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois, with the intention of one day moving it into a new church. The organ is a “hybrid” instrument, comprising pipework and digital voices. The pipework and console were built by Wicks, and the digital voices are a product of the Walker Technical Company of Zionsville, Pennsylvania.
During the design period for our new church, every attempt was made to ensure that we retained as much of the current organ as possible. In the fall of 2008, All Saints entered into a contract with the Wicks Organ Company for a redesign and expansion of the current instrument for the new church. All of the pipework in the previous organ was retained. The console was renovated and enlarged. Because the wood case of the original organ did not match the woodwork of the new church and did not fit into the new space, two new identical pipe towers were built (matching the wood stain of the altar area) to fit into the space on either side of the new altar. These towers contain the revoiced pipework, ten additional ranks of pipes, upgraded digital voices, and an array of new digital voices.
The enlarged stoplist features a wide range of voices in different tonal colors that are used to accompany the choir and the congregation, as well as to play solo organ literature. Full MIDI features, solid-state memory, and a playback system are also included. Mounted high above the baptismal font on the back wall of the sanctuary is a horizontal Fanfare Trumpet. Additionally, the bell tower carillon, by the Verdin Bell Company, is also controlled from the organ console.
The renovated organ was delivered by Wicks in July 2010, and it was completely installed in time for the dedication Mass on August 14. This updated and expanded version of our organ gloriously adorns the liturgical life of our vibrant parish community.
In addition to the rebuilt main organ, a Wicks digital organ was acquired by All Saints. The two-manual organ was installed in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel, where it is used for smaller liturgies.
—William H. Atwood
Director of Music, and Coordinator of Liturgical Ministries
All Saints Catholic Church
Manassas, Virginia

GREAT
16′ Violone* (D)
8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Hohlflöte 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn* (D)
8′ Bourdon* 61 pipes
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Spillpfeife* 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Octave Quinte* 61 pipes
2′ Super Octave* 61 pipes
IV Fourniture 244 pipes
8′ Trumpet 61 pipes
(formerly in Swell)
8′ Tuba Mirabilis* (D)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet* 61 pipes
Tremolo
Chimes* (D)
Harp* (Ch) (D)
Cymbelstern 9 bells
Carillon (existing)
MIDI

SWELL
16′ Rohrbourdon* (1–12 D)
8′ Geigen Diapason* 61 pipes
8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes
8′ Viole de Gambe 49 pipes
(1–12 D*)
8′ Voix Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Flauto Cantabile* 61 pipes
4′ Violina*
4′ Voix Celeste*
22⁄3′ Nazard (1–12 D*) 49 pipes
2′ Octavin* 61 pipes
2′ Flageolet* (50–61 D)
13⁄5′ Tierce TC 49 pipes
V Plein Jeu* (D)
16′ Contra Fagotto* (D)
8′ Trompette* (D)
8′ Oboe* (D)
8′ Vox Humana* (D)
4′ Clarion* (D)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Gt)
Tremolo
MIDI

CHOIR
8′ English Diapason* (D)
8′ Harmonic Flute* (D)
8′ Viola* (D)
8′ Erzähler* (D)
8′ Erzähler Celeste* (D)
4′ Lieblichflöte* (D)
4′ Gemshorn* (D)
2′ Piccolo* (D)
11⁄3′ Quinte (D)
III Mixture* (D)
8′ Cornopean* (D)
8′ French Horn* (D)
8′ English Horn* (D)
8′ Clarinet* (D)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Gt)
Tremolo
Chimes
Harp* (D)
MIDI

ANTIPHONAL
8′ Open Diapason* (D)
8′ Chimney Flute* (D)
8′ Flute Celeste II* (D)
4′ Octave* (D)
4′ Flauto Traverso* (D)
2′ Gemshorn* (D)
III Mixture* (D)
Tremolo*
16′ Antiphonal Pedal Subbass* (D)
8′ Antiphonal Pedal Flute* (D)

PEDAL
32′ Contra Violone (D)
16′ Open Diapason (D)
16′ Violone* (Gt) (D)
16′ Bourdon (D)
16′ Rohrbourdon* (Sw) (1–12 D)
8′ Octave (D)
8′ Bassflute* (D)
8′ Gemshorn* (Gt) (D)
8′ Rohrflöte* (Sw)
4′ Choral Bass (D)
4′ Kleinflöte* (Sw)
III Mixture* (D)
32′ Double Fagotto* (D)
16′ Trombone* (D)
16′ Contra Fagotto* (Sw) (D)
8′ Trumpet* (Gt)
8′ Fagotto* (Sw) (D)
4′ Clarion* (Sw) (D)
8′ Tuba Mirabilis* (Gt) (D)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Gt)
MIDI
* = New
D = digital voice

83 stops, including six percussions,
22 pipe ranks, 42 digital voices

===========================================================================

Lewis & Hitchcock,
Beltsville, Maryland
Christ Ascension Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
Christ Ascension Episcopal Church of Richmond, Virginia, has a 1978 Schantz organ. Organist/choirmaster Ed Schutt wanted the organ to be made as flexible as possible. There was a desire for several additions, and there was no space for them in the organ chamber, which is directly behind the altar and speaks clearly down the length of the reverberant nave. Lewis & Hitchcock worked out a plan to use the unit stops as much as possible, and then fill out what was missing with digital stops from the Walker Technical firm.
The console now has a full complement of pistons and toe studs, and a multiple-memory combination action. The multiplex relay system allows the unit stops to play on all divisions. The result is a reliable, flexible instrument that can easily provide the right sound for the music.
—Gerald L. Piercey

GREAT
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (Sw)
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Bourdon (Ped Bourdon/Sw Röhrfl)
8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Koppelflöte 61 pipes
2′ Waldflöte 61 pipes
IV Fourniture 244 pipes
16′ Contre Trompette (Sw)
8′ Trompette (Sw)
Great to Great 16-UO-4
Swell to Great 16-8-4
Positiv to Great 16-8-4
8′ Festival Trumpet (Walker digital)

SWELL
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (ext)
8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes
8′ Viole 61 pipes
8′ Viole Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Spitz Principal 61 pipes
4′ Hohlflöte 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2 Blockflöte (ext 4′ Hohlflöte) 12 pipes
13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes
III Scharff 183 pipes
16′ Contre Trompette (ext)
16′ Bassoon 61 pipes
8′ Trompette 61 pipes
Tremolo
Swell to Swell 16-UO-4
8′ Festival Trumpet (Gt)

POSITIV
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (Sw)
8′ Rohrflöte (Sw)
8′ Nason Gedeckt 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Nachthorn 61 pipes
2′ Principal 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes
III Zimbel 183 pipes
16′ Contre Trompette (Sw)
8′ Trompette (Sw)
8′ Krummhorn 61 pipes
Tremolo
Positiv to Positiv 16-UO-4
Swell to Positiv 16-8-4
8′ Festival Trumpet (Gt)

PEDAL
32′ Untersatz (Walker digital)
16′ Principal 32 pipes
16′ Bourdon 32 pipes
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (Sw) 12 pipes
8′ Octave (ext) 12 pipes
8′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes
8′ Rohrflöte (Sw)
4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes
4′ Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes
2′ Choral Bass (ext) 12 pipes
22⁄3′ Mixture III (Walker digital)
32′ Bombarde (Walker digital)
16′ Contre Trompette (Sw) 12 pipes
8′ Trompette (Sw)
4′ Clarion (Sw)
Great to Pedal 8-4
Swell to Pedal 8-4
Positiv to Pedal 8-4
8′ Festival Trumpet (Gt)

27 registers, 34 ranks, 4 Walker digital voices

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, Lithonia, Georgia
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall. The levee system failed, and over 80% of New Orleans was flooded. For weeks, portions of the city remained under water, with heat and moisture completing the destructive cycle that Katrina began. While waiting for the water to dissipate, we knew that the damage to persons and property would be immense.
Our firm was called by the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to evaluate and salvage the damaged instruments on the campus. Founded in 1917, the seminary sits on a 75-acre campus in the hardest-hit 9th Ward area of New Orleans. The Division of Church Music Ministries aims “to equip leaders for excellence in music ministry among Southern Baptists through performance, education, and technology.” Our charge was to assure that the musical resources were available for their mission.
What we found upon our arrival is perhaps best described by Seminary President Dr. Charles S. Kelly, Jr.:

Hurricane Katrina well and truly earned its designation as the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. Our campus, like most of the city, was devastated. Our homes, many of our buildings, most of our grounds, and virtually all of our musical instruments were hit very, very, hard. The recovery process was long, difficult, and messy beyond anyone’s ability to describe. . . . What made our plight even more difficult was the massive damage to the rest of the campus and the severe losses sustained by our faculty, staff, and student families. The larger picture of what had to be done to reopen the campus and care for our families made allocation of the necessary dollars for the recovery of our lost and severely damaged instruments a very difficult thing to do.

Our work on the campus involved the protection and removal of many of the significant music instruments including multiple grand pianos, a harpsichord, and the 1954 Möller (III/27) and 1966 Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1468 (IV/38) pipe organs. Of prime concern was protecting the instruments to prevent further damage. In addition to water, the storm brought massive amounts of airborne contaminants into the instruments, and, with heat, mold.
The Möller organ, located in the Sellers Music Building Recital Hall, was damaged when the roof gave way, flooding the organ with thousands of gallons of water that passed through the two chambers and filled the pitman chests and winding system. When we arrived several weeks later and opened the chests, there was still a significant amount of water in the organ.
The Aeolian-Skinner was damaged when the 150-mile-per-hour winds blew out the window behind the organ. For hours on end, the outside became the inside as the storm vented its fury on the Skinner. As with the recital hall organ, we found water in the organ many weeks after the storm.
It was inevitable that there would be long and intense negotiations with insurance companies about the losses and rebuilding. The enormity of Katrina simply overwhelmed insurers. One could go on at length about the negotiations and the efforts and education that were required with the insurance companies. Suffice it to say that at one point the insurers appraised the older, smaller Möller at a greater amount than the larger, newer Aeolian-Skinner.
The Möller organ’s status was very clear cut because of the extreme damage to the chassis and its utilitarian design. The Aeolian-Skinner and its disposition was a thornier issue. The damage to the organ was severe, but with heroic measures it could have been restored. The problem was that a true restoration would involve tremendous expense that could exceed the organ’s replacement cost. The insurance company did not understand that if you replace the chests, swell box, some pipework, the winding system, and the console with new materials, the organ would cease to be Opus 1468. While we fought for funds for restoration, the client and our firm resolved that either the Skinner would be unaltered and restored without change, or if changes were required, that the resources would be folded into a new instrument. As negotiations concluded, funds available for the Skinner were not sufficient for a true restoration.
In addition to wide-ranging discussions about how the instruments would be used, we also traveled with Dr. Becky Lombard, professor of music theory and keyboard studies, to hear many of our recent instruments. We evaluated how these differing specifications might relate to the needs of the seminary and the church music program. From these visits it became apparent that we would build two distinctly different instruments.

Sellers Recital Hall (III/34)
The recital hall organ is used primarily for teaching and for literature performance. Space was limited, but we felt that the organ could be enlarged to provide additional resources not present in the 1954 instrument. With the performance of literature being the goal, choices had to be made about meeting the requirements of specific periods—yet the stoplist couldn’t be too era-specific.
The decision was made to design an instrument that could create the colors of all periods of music history. We also had to consider accompaniment of voice, both solo and choral. In this diminutive hall with seating for around 100, we had to create a rich, full palette without overwhelming the performer or listener. Tonally, the voicing is in a very clean, unforced style. There is crispness to registrations that will promote clean, articulate playing.
This organ had to be able to transform itself into any number of service instruments that the student might encounter in music ministry. The organ we designed is three manuals with 34 ranks of pipe resources. It is equally tempered to accommodate contemporary worship and use with piano accompaniment, and also offers full MIDI capability. This was the first instrument delivered to the campus.

Leavell Chapel (IV/83)
The chapel organ was designed with a different focus. While literature will be performed regularly, the organ’s role in service playing determined the overriding design. Each week chapel services are held and the organ is called on to support congregational singing and to accompany soloists. Collaborative performances with the organ and piano are quite common. The organ is also used to play for services with small numbers in the congregation and, at the end of each semester, for a “packed house” during graduation ceremonies, so a wide dynamic range was needed. The chapel is a cavernous space with seating for over 2000.
When the Aeolian-Skinner was installed, it had 38 ranks with “prepared for” Choir and Positiv divisions and additional Pedal and Great registers that were never added. The room had been acoustically altered from its 1966 incarnation, and the gently voiced Great and Swell on the Skinner did not have the presence required for this hall. Because of other uses of the chapel, the room had been softened with acoustically absorbent material, and this was to remain in place.
The new organ was conceived as a four-manual with Great, Swell, Choir, and Solo divisions. It is located on the central axis of the room on a shelf. The dimensions of this space are 36 feet wide and 18 feet deep.
It was important to the school that the room remain visually unaltered; so, the old façade and casework were restored. The Skinner 16′ Sub Principal was revoiced into a 16′ Violone for the Great division. The college wanted to leave the window at the rear of the organ, which was a concern thermally and acoustically. To overcome this problem, the new windows were designed as insulated units rated to resist a storm stronger than Katrina. We placed the enclosed expression boxes across the rear span of the space with inward partitions to provide our own back chamber wall. With a height of over 16 feet, the expression boxes provide a forward focus for the organ in addition to the needed thermal barrier, while still allowing light through the windows above the organ.
In designing the specification and scaling, I wanted to provide the resources that would allow the performer a vast array of color and weight, suitable for any repertoire. The organ was built with the classical underpinnings of principal, flute, and reed chorus structure to support classical and sacred repertoire; in a bow to Romanticism, I included elements of the American romantic or symphonic organ. This blending provides an instrument that would be evocative of early American Classicism, albeit with cleaner and more articulate flue choruses.
In concert with this eclectic tonal design, an expressive, floating Solo division was included. Included in this division are some of the rarer high-pressure stops, including French Horn, English Tuba, Solo Gamba and companion Celeste, and the hauntingly beautiful 8′ Philomela and 4′ Flauto Major.
We were able to retain about half of the Skinner resources, which were revoiced and rescaled for the new instrument. Some stops were either too damaged, or the material suspect, to consider their reuse. The original Skinner reeds were French in design and small-scaled. We felt that the size and acoustic of the chapel, in conjunction with the stoplist design, would be better served with English shallots, thicker tongues, and higher wind pressures. In addition to chorus reeds, the organ has a full battery of high wind pressure solo reeds that were duplexed in a floating Trompeteria division at multiple pitches with separate couplers.
In keeping with the accompanimental nature of the organ, each division is designed around an independent 8′-weighted principal chorus. The divisional choruses, while differing in color, are designed to be compounded as a unified whole. The mixtures in this instrument are pitched lower than what might be found in many contemporary instruments. Where additional treble ascendency is required, secondary higher-pitched mixtures were also included in each division, scaled and voiced to serve as a functional foil to the divisional chorus without stridency.
The strings and flutes in the expressive divisions are designed to build weightless accompaniment for choral work, or massed in support of romantic or transcription repertoire. The organ features a divided string division located among the Swell, Choir, and Solo divisions, to be compounded by means of couplers. Ever present, to be blended with this string chorus, is the 8′ Vox Humana, which has its own enclosure and tremulant.
With the exception of some 32′ Pedal registers and percussions, the organ does not include digital augmentation. We wanted the organ to stand on wind-blown resources. In support of this decision, we added an additional register to the Pedal—the independent 16′ Wood Open. Installed to the right and left of the center organ core and on 7½ inches of wind pressure, it provides a solid fundamental that is truly felt in the room.
Our experience in servicing instruments in this region has made us aware of the need for stability in the materials and action choices, due to the temperature extremes and constant humidity. The organ chest action is electro-pneumatic slider, with all reeds on electro-pneumatic unit action. The flue pipes and the reed pipes are thus on actions that maximize the speech characteristics of each type of pipe. This also allows the flues and reeds to be placed on differing wind pressures and tremulants. The wind is regulated with dual-curtain valve, spring and weighted reservoirs.
The wind pressures on this instrument vary from 4 to 18 inches. To control these resources, the expression boxes are built 1½ inches thick, with interlocking shades. Multiple motors are used on the shade fronts to allow a full dynamic gradation. The four-manual, drawknob console, built of mahogany and ebony, includes features such as multiple-level memory, transposer, Great/Choir manual transfer, piston sequencer, programmable crescendo and sforzando, record/playback capability, and MIDI.

Installation and voicing
The removal, building, and installation of these instruments were herculean tasks. It is an understatement to say that the staff of the Schlueter firm took up residence in New Orleans. I simply cannot give enough credit to the leadership of our senior organ builders Marc Conley, John Tanner, Rob Black, and Bud Taylor for the untold hours of travel and work that they put into these projects. Organ building cannot be achieved as the result of any one individual, but requires a skilled team. These individuals continue to exceed expectations in the creation of art.
From the outset, we decided that these two instruments would be voiced in the rooms, with the pipes arriving to the installation only prevoiced to allow full latitude with cut-ups and any required nicking. All of the samples were set in the chambers on their windchests and then the pipes were removed from the chambers. We brought a portable voicing machine and layout tables into spaces adjacent to the organ chambers to voice the pipes prior to their reinstallation in the chambers for final voicing and tonal finishing. Because of the size of these two projects, it was necessary to work as a team in tonal finishing, led by Daniel Angerstein, with the able assistance of John Tanner, Marc Conley, Bud Taylor, Kevin Cartwright, Lee Hendricks, and Gerald Schultz. As with so much of our previous work, I want to single out Dan and his contributions. In the many weeks of tonal finishing, he patiently brought forth the organs as they had been envisioned by the client and the builder.

Final thoughts
As we designed the two organs, it became clear that the organs that were desired could not be afforded by the school with the balance of their settlements. Over the years, we have been privileged to gift resources to churches. As owners, my father and I looked inward and decided that the importance of a continuing role of the organ in worship was a worthy cause. This required us to consider a donation, and without revealing the dollar value of our gifts, suffice it to say that there is a four-manual, 83-rank instrument where there had been a 38-rank instrument, and a 34-rank instrument where there had been a 27-rank instrument.
We would like to thank Dr. Charles Kelly, Dr. Becky Lombard, and Dr. Kenneth Gabrielse for their contributions and support during this project. Thanks also to our dedicated staff, listed on our website (www.pipe-organ.com).
Our tonal philosophy is to “build instruments that have warmth not at the expense of clarity, and clarity not at the expense of warmth, and to serve God in our efforts.” We pray that in future years our gifts endorse the importance of the organ in worship, and we hope that our instruments will plant the seeds of worship through music, for future students who pass through this institution.
—Arthur Schlueter III

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Leavell Chapel, four manuals, 83 ranks
GREAT – Manual II (unenclosed)
16′ Violone (73 pipes) (1–24 façade)
8′ First Open Diapason (Pedal)
8′ Second Open Diapason
8′ Principal (1–12 façade)
8′ Stille Principal (from Cornet)
8′ Violone (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Harmonic Flute (49 pipes)
(1–12 common bass)
8′ Bourdon
4′ Octave
4′ Diapason (Pedal ext, 12 pipes)
4′ Nachthorn
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Super Octave
V Cornet TC
2′ Mixture VI
1′ Scharf IV
16′ Contre Trumpet (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Trumpet
8′ Tromba Heroique (Choir)
8′ English Tuba (Solo)
Tremolo
Gt/Gt 16′–Unison Off–4′
SWELL – Manual III (enclosed)
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Geigen Principal
8′ Rohr Gedeckt
8′ Viola de Gamba
8′ Voix Celeste
8′ Dolce
8′ Dolce Celeste (54 pipes)
4′ Principal
4′ Harmonic Flute
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Flageolet
13⁄5′ Tierce
22⁄3′ Plein Jeu V
1′ Klein Fourniture IV
16′ Contra Bassoon (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Trumpet
8′ Oboe
8′ Vox Humana
4′ Clairon
Tremolo
Sw/Sw 16′–Unison Off–4′
CHOIR – Manual I (enclosed)
16′ Gemshorn (ext, 12 notes)
8′ Principal
8′ Hohl Flute
8′ Gemshorn
8′ Gemshorn Celeste (49 pipes)
4′ Principal
4′ Koppel Flute
22⁄3′ Nasat
2′ Principal
13⁄5′ Terz
11⁄3′ Larigot
11⁄3′ Choral Mixture IV
8′ Clarinet
8′ Tromba Heroique (high pressure)
8′ English Tuba (Solo)
8′ Trompette En Chamade (Trompeteria)
Tremolo
Chimes (digital)
Harp (digital)
Zimbelstern (9 bells)
Ch/Ch 16′–Unison Off–4′
SOLO – Manual IV (enclosed)
8′ Philomela
8′ Gamba
8′ Gamba Celeste
4′ Flauto Major
8′ French Horn
8′ Tromba Heroique (Choir)
8′ English Tuba (high pressure)
Tremulant
Solo/Solo 16′–Unison Off–4′
TROMPETERIA – Manual IV
16′ Tromba Heroique (Choir)
8′ Tromba Heroique (Choir)
4′ Tromba Heroique (Choir)
16′ English Tuba (Solo)
8′ English Tuba (Solo)
4′ English Tuba (Solo)
8′ Trompette En Chamade (high pressure)
Trompeteria Unison Off
Trompeteria on Great
Trompeteria on Swell
Trompeteria on Choir
PEDAL
32′ Violone (digital)
32′ Bourdon (digital)
16′ Open Wood
16′ Principal (ext, 12 pipes)
16′ Violone (Great)
16′ Gemshorn (Choir)
16′ Subbass
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)
8′ Octave Bass
8′ Violone (Great)
8′ Bass Flute (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Spitz Flute
4′ Choral Bass
4′ Nachthorn
22⁄3′ Mixture V
32′ Harmonics (wired cornet series)
32′ Contra Trombone (digital)
16′ Trombone (ext, 12 pipes, enclosed in Ch)
16′ Contre Trumpet (Great)
16′ Contra Bassoon (Swell)
8′ Tuba (Solo)
8′ Tromba (Choir)
8′ Trumpet (Great)
4′ Tromba Clarion (Choir)

Standard couplers and MIDI

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Sellers Recital Hall, three manuals, 34 ranks

GREAT
16′ Pommer (Choir)
8′ Gedeckt Pommer (Choir)
8′ Principal
8′ Bourdon
4′ Octave
4′ Nachthorn
4′ Gedeckt (Choir)
2′ Super Octave
11⁄3′ Fourniture IV
16′ Contre Trompette (Swell)
8′ Trompette (Swell)
8′ Clarinet (Choir)
8′ Festival Trumpet (Pedal)
Tremolo
Chimes
Great 4′

SWELL (expressive)
16′ Contra Viola (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Gedeckt
8′ Viola de Gambe
8′ Viola Celeste (49 pipes)
4′ Principal
4′ Spitzflute
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Blockflute
13⁄5′ Tierce
2′ Plein Jeu III–IV
16′ Basson-Hautbois (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Trompette
8′ Festival Trumpet (Pedal)
8′ Hautbois
4′ Hautbois (ext, 12 pipes)
Tremolo
Swell 16′–Unison Off–4′

CHOIR (expressive)
16′ Pommer
8′ Koppel Flute
8′ Viola
8′ Viole Dolce
8′ Viole Dolce Celeste TC
4′ Principal
4′ Gedeckt (ext, 24 pipes, from 16′)
2′ Gemshorn
11⁄3′ Larigot
8′ Clarinet
8′ Festival Trumpet (Pedal)
Celesta (digital)
Harp (digital)
Tremolo
Choir 16′–Unison Off–4′

PEDAL
32′ Bourdon (digital)
16′ Principal (digital)
16′ Contra Viola (Swell)
16′ Sub Bass
16′ Pommer (Choir)
8′ Principal
8′ Viola (Swell)
8′ Bourdon (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Gedeckt (Choir)
4′ Choral Bass (ext, 12 pipes)
4′ Bourdon (ext, 12 pipes)
4′ Viola (ext, 12 pipes)
32′ Posaune (digital)
16′ Contre Trompette (ext, 12 pipes)
16′ Hautbois (ext, 12 pipes)
8′ Trompette (Swell)
8′ Hautbois (Swell)
4′ Hautbois (Swell)
4′ Clarinet (Choir)

Standard couplers and MIDI

On a personal note
“New Orleans Spared”—Such was the erroneous headline of the newspaper in Savannah, Georgia, on the morning after Hurricane Katrina. At the time, the Schlueter firm was completing the organ at First Presbyterian Church in Savannah (featured in The Diapason, April 2006). My father, members of the installation crew, and I had stared anxiously at the news the previous evening and wondered about our friends in New Orleans and outlying areas. Our firm has worked in the aftermath of a number of major hurricanes and storms in recovery and restoration efforts. Unlike these other disasters, every day the situation in New Orleans grew steadily worse.
Almost exactly one year prior to Katrina, we had completed the rebuilding, relocation, and enlargement of the IV/74 instrument for the First Baptist Church in New Orleans. We made many acquaintances during this period, and through the Internet we were able to find many of our friends who had fled to other cities and states. We prepared for what would face us when the water receded and we could make our way into the city.
It was surreal as the shop vehicles were packed with our own stores of food, water, fuel and medicine for the trip. As we neared the Gulf Coast, the sheer enormity of the disaster began to unfold. We crossed Lake Pontchartrain’s 24-mile causeway on a road that had been reduced to a single lane, following the collapse of entire spans of the eastbound lanes. As we arrived in the evening, the scene before us was a macabre black hole that enveloped the city. From the elevated roadway, the marginally lit downtown of New Orleans was surrounded by a dark, lightless void for miles and miles, indicating the extent of the flooding. We arrived in the city under martial law, and had to learn the intricacies of identification and going through armed checkpoints.
With the daylight, the enormity of the flood was overwhelming. Driving into the 9th Ward, you could see watermarks that were many feet over one’s head. Homes, businesses, and structures sported the hieroglyphics of spray paint, with X’s, O’s and slashes to indicate that the structures had been searched and what had been found. Traveling around places once familiar, we found abandoned cars, collapsed buildings, and most distressingly, an absence of life. When we talked with people we knew and asked what we could do, the answer was always the same, “Pray for us.”
In the ensuing months that stretched out over two years for the three instruments we worked on, we became emotionally involved with the city and its people. We came to New Orleans to work on behalf of the First Baptist Church of New Orleans and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and to restore part of their community. When we visit today, there are still signs of Katrina that only the passage of time will erase, but undeniable is the resilience of the people as they seek to rebuild their community. It is our hope that our response to Katrina on behalf of this community exemplifies “laborare est orare.”
—Arthur Schlueter III

Lewis & Hitchcock,
Beltsville, Maryland
Chevy Chase United Methodist Church, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Like the Sound of a Great Amen
(So begins the description of the church organ in the booklet prepared for the dedication of the new building in 1954.) Perhaps no other single facet of a worship service provides at once so much pleasure and so great an inspiration as does its music. The traditional musical foundation in Christian churches is the pipe organ. Organ music opens and closes each service. It creates an atmosphere of reverence aurally, much as Gothic architecture—often aptly called “frozen music”—does visually. Chevy Chase Methodist Church can be as proud of its inspiring new organ as of the sanctuary itself. In the words of a music critic, writing of the thrilling dedicatory concert on December 5, 1954, our organ “is in every respect worthy of its attractive surroundings . . . It sounded like one of the best organs in Washington.”
This organ represented the height of organbuilding for its time. It had just about everything an organist could want then. But this was a time when music in the church was much less varied than it is now fifty-plus years later. In addition, several things conspired against the organ.
When the sanctuary was complete, it was judged to be too reverberant, and the organ to be too shrill. Curtains covered the organ chamber, and acoustical treatment was applied to the ceiling. We like to say that the most important stop on the organ is the room in which it is located. The organ became a jewel in a velvet box; many of the tone colors were swallowed up.
The organ was also built at the beginning of the “Organ Reform Movement,” when organs were being designed to have more clarity. One of the fashions then was to make the unisons thin and the octaves larger, which, while making the organ a bit clearer, often made them lack body. So many times in trying to accompany a soloist or choir the organ was either too soft or too loud; there was a missing medium level of sound.
Also, many stops seemed better suited to other divisions than where they were located. Couplers helped tie sounds together, but the organist had to do lots of strange maneuvering to make that happen, and it tied up manuals that were needed elsewhere.
When the age of the organ made a mechanical refurbishing necessary, we drew up plans of how to make the organ be the best it could be. The first thing was to fix the room, and that was done to great effect. All music benefits from the wonderful new floors and ceiling.
Then stops needed to be relocated to where they fit best. As the original console could not be expanded, a new console was designed, with all the latest technology available to the organist. Next, new stops were added to fill in missing sounds, all capped by the commanding Trompette en Chamade in the rear gallery.
The result is an instrument that is a joy to play and hear. All the stops are where they should be to perform the literature. A new middle layer of sounds makes it easy to accompany a soloist or choir. And the full sound of the organ can lift the congregation to new heights in hymn singing. Charles Wesley wrote “O for a thousand tongues to sing my dear Redeemer’s praise.” Now the organ does.
Linda Ellinwood was the musician who spearheaded this effort, working with Gerald Piercey on the tonal design. Grey Emmons served as the chair of the organ committee.
Text and pictures by Gerald Piercey; console picture by Randy Walker

M. P. Möller Opus 8839, 1954
Rebuilt by Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.

GREAT
Chimes (21 tubes, in Choir)
8′ Diapason (new) 61 pipes
8′ Bourdon 61 pipes
8′ Viola 61 pipes
moved from Choir
8′ Flûte Harmonique 49 pipes
new & new chest,
1–12 from Pedal Bourdon
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Rohrflute 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Octave Quint 61 pipes
2′ Super Octave 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Fourniture IV 244 pipes
new & new chest
8′ Bombarde (Choir)
Tremolo
Gt/Gt 16′–Unison Off–4′
8′ Trompette en Chamade 61 pipes
new & new chest, in rear gallery

SWELL
16′ Rohr Bourdon (ext 8′ Rohrflute)
8′ Diapason Conique 61 pipes
moved from Great on new chest
8′ Rohrflute 73 pipes
8′ Viole de Gamba 73 pipes
8′ Viole Celeste tc 61 pipes
4′ Principal 73 pipes
4′ Harmonic Flute 73 pipes
2′ Flautino 61 pipes
2′ Plein Jeu III (new) 183 pipes
8′ Trompette 73 pipes
former Clarion with new 1–12
8′ Oboe (new) 73 pipes
Tremolo
Sw/Sw 16′–Unison Off–4′
8′ Trompette en Chamade (Great)

CHOIR
8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes
moved from Great on new chest
8′ Cor de Nuit 73 pipes
8′ Dulciana 73 pipes
8′ Unda Maris tc 61 pipes
4′ Principal (new) 73 pipes
4′ Nachthorn 73 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Blockflute 61 pipes
13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes
1′ Cymbal III 183 pipes
moved from Swell on new chest
8′ Clarinet (new) 73 pipes
Tremolo
8′ Bombarde 73 pipes
former Swell Trompette moved,
revoiced, on new chest
Ch/Ch 16′–Unison Off–4′
8′ Trompette en Chamade (Great)

PEDAL
32′ Untersatz 32 notes
new, Walker Paradox unit
16′ Diapason 32 pipes
16′ Bourdon 32 pipes
16′ Rohr Bourdon (ext, Sw) 12 pipes
8′ Octave (ext 16 Diap) 12 pipes
8′ Bourdon (ext 16 Bourd) 12 pipes
8′ Rohrflute (Swell)
4′ Super Octave (ext) 12 pipes
4′ Flûte Harmonique (Great)
4′ Rohrflute (Swell)
2′ Diapason Conique (Swell)
32′ Bombarde 32 notes
new, Walker Paradox unit
16′ Bombarde (ext Ch Bomb) 12 pipes
16′ Bassoon (ext Sw Oboe) 12 pipes
8′ Trumpet (Choir Bombarde)
4′ Oboe (Swell)
8′ Trompette en Chamade (Great)
Couplers
Great to Pedal 8′, 4′
Swell to Pedal 8′, 4′
Choir to Pedal 8′, 4′
MIDI on Pedal

MIDI on Swell

Swell to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
Choir to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
MIDI on Great

Swell to Choir 16′, 8′, 4′
Great/Choir Manual Transfer
MIDI on Choir
Pedal to Choir 8′

Marceau & Associates Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., Seattle, Washington
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Stanwood, Washington
Opus 27, 2009
Marceau & Associates Pipe Organ Builders has completed their Opus 27 project at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Stanwood, Washington. The original instrument was built by Balcom & Vaughan Organ Builders of Seattle as their Opus 735, completed in 1968 for the First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, Washington. This organ served as the primary musical resource for the Bellevue congregation until 1995, when a new sanctuary was built that included a new Casavant Frères pipe organ. At that time, the original sanctuary became the chapel, providing services on a smaller scale. In 2008, the chapel and adjoining buildings were slated for demolition to expand the current church campus. This news was brought to the attention of the organ committee of Our Saviour’s Lutheran, who decided to purchase this organ instead of rebuilding and enlarging their existing Kimball/Balcom & Vaughan instrument.
In May 2008, with the help of volunteers from Our Saviour’s, the organ was removed and transported to the Marceau organ shop in Seattle. From June to September, the organ was repaired, modified and redesigned to fit into the two organ chambers in Stanwood. The winding system was reduced to eliminate redundant reservoirs, a new electrical system by the Syndyne Corporation of Vancouver, Washington was installed, and all pipes were cleaned and revoiced for a more musical result. During the fall, the organ was installed and finished. It was used for the first time on Thanksgiving.
Since the original organ had no visible pipework, a new façade was designed with members of the church fabricating all of the casework. New polished zinc pipes from A. R. Schopp’s Sons of Canton, Ohio were installed in January 2009. The organ contains 21 stops, 26 ranks and 1,572 pipes, with preparations for a Great 8′ Erzähler Celeste and Swell 13⁄5′ Tierce. While the Great principal chorus is unenclosed, the Great flutes and string stops are enclosed, allowing for a greater degree of expression from both manuals.
The Great 22⁄3′ Quinte was not an original stop; this was created from the Pedal Mixture, which was not retained in the new stoplist. The principal chorus on the Great was revoiced to have a more prominent fundamental emphasis, which included reducing the dynamic output of the Mixture so that this stop now sits atop the ensemble without overpowering the listener with the original hard, glassy sound. The Swell 8′ Trompette was also programmed to play from the Great, replacing the duplexing of the Swell 8′ Hautbois from the original stoplist. The 16′ Posaune is now extended from the 8′ Trompette instead of the original 8′ Hautbois. The result is a smoother segue to this low octave of pipes.
A special thanks goes out to Jon Stoneman of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. His activities included the original planning of the organ project, removal and installation, providing volunteer help, technical advising throughout the project and providing home stays during the installation.
Members of the Marceau staff involved with the project included Sean Haley, René Marceau, Ruth Register, and Tom Skyler. Organbuilder Frans Bosman provided much needed technical assistance and support.
—René Marceau
5113 Russell Ave., NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206/521-0954
cell 503/522-2153
<[email protected]>

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church,
Stanwood, Washington
Marceau & Associates Opus 27, 2009
GREAT
16′ Rohrbass (Sw)
8′ Principal (part façade)
8′ Gedeckt
8′ Erzähler
8′ Erzähler Celeste, TC
4′ Octave
4′ Spillflute
22⁄3′ Quinte
2′ Super Octave
11⁄3′ Mixture IV
8′ Trompette (Sw)
Chimes
Great to Great 16′
Swell to Great 16′
Swell to Great 8′
Swell to Great 4′
MIDI on Great
Zimbelstern

SWELL
8′ Rohrflute
8′ Viola
8′ Viola Celeste, TC
8′ Erzähler (Gt)
8′ Erzähler Celeste, TC (Gt)
4′ Principal
4′ Flute Douce
22⁄3′ Nasard
2′ Blockflute
13⁄5′ Tierce
1′ Plein Jeu III
16′ Posaune (ext)
8′ Trompette
8′ Hautbois
4′ Clarion (ext)
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16′
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4′
MIDI on Swell

PEDAL
16′ Subbass
16′ Rohrbass (Sw)
8′ Principal (part façade)
8′ Rohrflute (Sw)
4′ Choralbass
4′ Rohrflute (Sw)
16′ Posaune (Sw)
8′ Trompette (Sw)
4′ Clarion (Sw)
Great to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 4′
MIDI on Pedal

R. T. Swanson, Inc.,
Grand Ledge, Michigan
St. John’s Lutheran Church,
Saginaw, Michigan
The history of the pipe organ at St. John’s actually starts with an organ built by the Tellers-Kent Organ Company of Erie, Pennsylvania for St. Lorenz Lutheran Church of Frankenmuth, Michigan in 1930. When St. Lorenz bought a new Casavant pipe organ in 1967, their old instrument became available. William Kaltrider of Owosso, Michigan was engaged by St. John’s to build an organ by reusing much of the St. Lorenz instrument and providing a new console, electrical system and two new blowers. By 2000, many of the 1967 components were becoming increasingly unreliable. Another problem with the 1967 installation was that the organ pipes were installed in two cramped chambers on both sides of the balcony and they spoke through very small tone openings, resulting in a “muffled” tone quality.
In December 2001, St. John’s signed a contract with our company to build an essentially new pipe organ while salvaging as much of the previous instrument as was practical for reuse. Eighteen new windchests were built, allowing the most efficient layout for better tonal egress as well as better accessibility for tuning and maintenance. The action is electro-mechanical. The Swiss-made Meidinger blowers were connected to a new wind system that includes new reservoirs and schwimmers to regulate the wind supply.
Most of the pipes of the Great and Choir–Positive divisions are on windchests cantilevered out from the balcony rail by way of steel framework. The windchests and frames are clad in contemporary oak cabinetry stained to match the other oak in the sanctuary. Three ranks of the Choir–Positive are expressive and located in their own enclosure. Of the organ’s 25 ranks of pipes, 8 are new, 10 are from the St. Lorenz organ, and 7 are used ranks from other sources. All of the old flue ranks were reconditioned and revoiced in our shop. The Trumpet and Oboe ranks were reconditioned and revoiced by Trivo Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. The 8′ Cromorne was built and voiced by Eastern Organ Pipes of Hagerstown, Maryland. All new flue pipes were built by CMC Organ Pipes of Erie, Pennsylvania and voiced in our shop.
The console cabinet from 1967 was retained and refitted with new manual keyboards, stop tablets and the new ICS 4000 control system by Peterson Electro-Musical Products of Alsip, Illinois. The ICS 4000 system features a 99-level combination action and complete MIDI capabilities including record/playback.
Tonal egress from the existing organ chambers was improved by enlarging the tone openings and by installing all new expression shades. Preparations have been made for the future addition of a horizontal brass Trompette en Chamade, which will jut out from the center of the balcony railing.
A dedicatory organ concert on February 25, 2007 featured Professor Leonard Proeber from Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw.
—Richard Swanson

GREAT
8′ Principal +
8′ Doppelflöte *
8′ Gemshorn
4′ Octave +
4′ Doppelflöte (ext) *
22⁄3′ Twelfth TC +
2′ Fifteenth (ext Octave) +
11⁄3′ Mixture III +
8′ Trumpet (Sw)
Chimes
Great to Great 16′, UO, 4′
Swell to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
Choir to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
MIDI on Great

SWELL
16′ Bourdon
8′ Geigenprincipal
8′ Bourdon (ext) *
8′ Viole de Gambe *
8′ Voix Celeste *
4′ Geigenoctave (ext)
4′ Flûte Harmonique
2′ Piccolo (ext)
2′ Mixture III +
8′ Trumpet *
8′ Oboe *
4′ Clarion (ext)*
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16′, UO, 4′
MIDI on Swell

CHOIR–POSITIVE
8′ Holzgedeckt
8′ Flauto Dolce (expressive)
8′ Flauto Dolce Celeste (expressive)
4′ Principal +
4′ Rohrflöte *
22⁄3′ Nazard TC *
2′ Octave (ext Principal) +
2′ Rohrpfeife (ext)*
13⁄5′ Tierce TC *
11⁄3′ Quinteflöte (ext 22⁄3′) *
8′ Cromorne (expressive) +
8′ Trompette en Chamade †
Tremulant
Chimes
Choir to Choir 16′, UO, 4′
Swell to Choir 16′, 8′, 4′
MIDI on Choir

PEDAL
32′ Resultant *
16′ Subbass *
16′ Bourdon (Sw)*
8′ Octave
8′ Bourdon (Sw)*
8′ Gemshorn (Gt)
4′ Fifteenth (ext Octave)
4′ Rohrflöte (Ch)*
2′ Twentysecond (ext Octave)
16′ Trombone (ext 8′)*
8′ Trumpet (Sw)*
4′ Clarion (Sw)*
Great to Pedal 8′, 4′
Swell to Pedal 8′, 4′
Choir to Pedal 8′, 4′
MIDI on Pedal

* = pipework from the 1930 Tellers-Kent organ originally at St. Lorenz, Frankenmuth
+ = new pipework
† = preparation for future addition

Wicks Organ Company,
Highland, Illinois
Bethel Lutheran Church,
Rochester, Minnesota
On a pleasant evening in July 2007, five members of Bethel Lutheran Church climbed into a van for a trip to Highland, Illinois. It was the next step in a process that had been going on for years. We had a dream: ever since our new worship space was being designed, we dreamed of filling it with music. Now the Wicks Organ Company—currently building their 6400th organ—had a unique proposal for us. In 1964 Wicks had built their 4400th instrument for themselves, to showcase their work to prospective customers. They had built a climate-controlled room for it, and maintained and updated it ever since.
In Highland we met with representatives of Wicks who told us about their company and Opus 4400. We listened as Dale Mundahl, our principal organist, sat down at the console. We heard the beautiful tones and the awe-inspiring low notes that our temporary organ could not produce. We delighted in the variety of different tone colors available; quintessential pipe organ, sweet strings, melancholy flutes, vibrant reeds, stirring brass and majestic festival trumpets, even a set of chimes. It sounded fantastic and looked stunning.
So what was the unique opportunity? Well, this instrument had a list of pipes very similar to that of our hoped-for ideal, with all the features we had dreamed of—and this meticulously maintained and updated organ, with a replacement value of $1.2 million, was being offered to Bethel for less than half of that. In January 2008 the people of Bethel approved a proposal to purchase it.
Then came the day when our new instrument was delivered. Twenty-five members of Bethel joined the Wicks staff in unloading the two trucks. Three hours later our narthex and several other areas were covered with all the pieces that make up Opus 4400—what an interesting, informative, and enjoyable labor of love. Throughout the installation process we were impressed with the willingness of the Wicks personnel to include us and answer questions.
After a process of tonal finishing and final adjustments, the space above our choir has been filled with a magnificent instrument that will be a blessing to our worship for present and future generations of Bethel—well worth an extended road trip in a rented van.
—Gary G. Thorn
Minister of Music & Worship

GREAT (unenclosed)
16′ Quintaton 61 pipes
8′ Prinzipal 61 pipes
8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Prestant 61 pipes
4′ Waldflöte 61 pipes
2′ Oktave 61 pipes
II Tertian 122 pipes
III Mixtur 183 pipes
8′ Trompette en Chamade 61 pipes
8′ Krummhorn Pos
Chimes

SWELL (enclosed)
8′ Rohrflöte 61 pipes
8′ Salicional 61 pipes
8′ Voix Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Spitz Prinzipal 61 pipes
4′ Koppelflöte 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Hohlflöte 61 pipes
1′ Flautino 61 pipes
III Scharff 183 pipes
16′ Posaune 12 pipes
16′ Bassoon 61 pipes
8′ Trumpet 61 pipes
8′ Oboe digital
4′ Rohrschalmei 61 pipes
Tremolo

CHOIR (enclosed)
8′ Geigen Principal 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes
8′ Erzähler 61 pipes
8′ Erzähler Celeste TC 49 pipes
8′ Viole 61 pipes
8′ Viole Celeste 61 pipes
4′ Gemshorn 12 pipes
2′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
II Rauschpfeife 122 pipes
8′ Clarinet 61 pipes
4′ Hautbois 61 pipes
8′ Trompette en Chamade Gt
Tremolo

POSITIV (unenclosed)
8′ Holzgedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Spillpfeife 61 pipes
2′ Flachflöte 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes
1′ Nachthorn 61 pipes
II Sesquialtera 110 pipes
III Klingende Cymbel 183 pipes
16′ Krummhorn 61 pipes
8′ Holzregal 61 pipes
Cymbelstern

PEDAL (unenclosed)
32′ Bordun digital
32′ Violone digital
16′ Kontra Bass 32 pipes
16′ Bordun 32 pipes
16′ Quintaton Gt
8′ Prinzipalbass 32 pipes
8′ Gedeckt 32 pipes
8′ Gemshorn Ch
4′ Choralbass 32 pipes
4′ Copula 12 pipes
2′ Oktavbass 12 pipes
III Mixture 96 pipes
32′ Contra Bombarde digital
32′ Sordun 32 pipes
16′ Bombarde 32 pipes
16′ Posaune Sw
16′ Bassoon Sw
8′ Trumpet 12 pipes
4′ Cromorne Pos
8′ Trompette en Chamade Gt
Chimes

65 stops, 59 ranks

=========================

Nichols & Simpson, Inc., Organbuilders, Little Rock, Arkansas
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey
The journey towards a Nichols & Simpson pipe organ for West Side Presbyterian Church began in 1999, when a contract was signed for an instrument to replace the church’s Austin organ, reusing many pipes from the existing instrument. On January 8, 2002, the church was totally destroyed by fire. In the ensuing months, friends and fans of West Side Presbyterian watched in amazement as this courageous and faith-filled congregation made the decision to rebuild. Nichols & Simpson, Inc. was chosen to build the pipe organ for the new worship space.
The West Side Presbyterian organ is unique in many ways. Its striking visual appearance was designed by the church’s architect, Herbert S. Newman and Partners, PC, and the unusual cylindrical case pipes were constructed by A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc. The case was designed by Frank Friemel and executed by QLF Custom Pipe Organ Components, LLC. The chest actions are electric-slider with pneumatic-cylinder stop actions and electro-pneumatic/electro-mechanical actions for unit and duplexed stops. The swell boxes are two inches thick, with hollow shades featuring sound-trap joint construction. Shade movement is controlled by 12-stage pneumatic-cylinder whiffletree swell engines.
The moveable console is constructed of mahogany finished to match the interior of the church, and features an interior of burl eucalyptus, bone natural keys with rosewood sharp keys, rosewood expression and crescendo shoes, rosewood drawknobs with bone faces, rosewood thumb pistons with bone faces, and bone tilting tablets to operate the intermanual couplers. The organ utilizes a Peterson ICS 4000 control system and incorporates 256 levels of memory.
The instrument was dedicated on Sunday, October 9, 2007, during a recital by Dr. Catherine Rodland, daughter of Joanne Rodland, the church’s director of music, and the late John Rodland.
—C. Joseph Nichols
Photo credit: David C. Scribner

Nichols & Simpson, Inc.,
West Side Presbyterian Church,
Ridgewood, New Jersey
48 stops, 59 ranks

GREAT
16′ Double Geigen
8′ Principal
8′ Geigen (extension)
8′ Harmonic Flute (expressive)
8′ Bourdon (expressive)
8′ Gamba (expressive)
4′ Octave
4′ Nachthorn (expressive)
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
13⁄5′ Seventeenth
IV–V Fourniture
8′ Harmonic Trumpet (expressive)
8′ Cromorne (expressive, preparation)
4+8′ Clairon (expressive)
Tremolo
8′ Tuba (expressive)
Chimes

SWELL
16′ Bourdon
8′ Diapason
8′ Chimney Flute
8′ Salicional
8′ Voix Celeste
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Flute Celeste GG
4′ Principal
4′ Flute Octaviante
22⁄3′ Nasard
2′ Octavin
13⁄5′ Tierce
11⁄3′ Larigot
IV–V Plein Jeu
16′ Double Trumpet
8′ Trompette
8′ Hautbois
8′ Vox Humana
4+8′ Clarion
Tremolo
8′ Tuba (Great)

CHOIR
16′ Erzahler (extension, preparation)
8′ Geigen Diapason
8′ Bourdon
8′ Erzahler
8′ Erzahler Celeste GG
4′ Octave
4′ Koppelflote
2′ Flautino
IV Mixture
8′ English Horn
8′ Clarinet
Tremolo
8′ Tuba (Great)
Cymbelstern
16′ Trombone (Pedal)
8′ Tromba (Pedal)
4′ Tromba Clarion (Pedal)

ANTIPHONAL
8′ Principal (console preparation)
8′ Gedeckt (console preparation)
4′ Octave (console preparation)
8′ Trompette (console preparation)

ANTIPHONAL PEDAL
16′ Gedeckt (console preparation)

PEDAL
32′ Contra Bourdon (extension)
16′ Open Wood
16′ Subbass
16′ Double Geigen (Great)
16′ Bourdon (Swell)
16′ Erzahler (Choir)
8′ Gross Flute (extension Open Wood)
8′ Octave
8′ Geigen (Great)
8′ Gross Bourdon (extension Subbass)
8′ Bourdon (Swell)
8′ Erzahler (Choir)
4′ Choral Bass
4′ Gross Flute (extension Open Wood)
IV Mixture (preparation)
32′ Ophicleide (extension)
16′ Trombone
16′ Double Trumpet (Swell)
8′ Trumpet
8′ Tuba (Great)
4′ Clarion (extension Trumpet 8′)
Chimes