Cover feature

Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Inc.,
Camillus, New York, Opus 2
West Baptist Church, Oswego, New York

From the music minister
The original organ in the West Baptist Church was built by John G. Marklove in 1867, and was placed in the front right corner of the sanctuary with the console attached. The instrument had two manuals with mechanical key and stop action. Anything beyond this is not known, although the former organist has said that there was a second console in the back of the organ, which allowed the instrument to be played from the adjoining room. Unfortunately, we don’t even know the original stoplist.
In 1951 Paul C. Buhl of Utica was contracted to do a full rebuild of the church’s organ. Sadly, the work was not up to today’s standards. The organ was completely taken apart and the original Marklove slider-and-pallet windchests were chopped into pieces (we found parts of old chests used as catwalks, ladders, etc.). The pipework was mixed and matched with pipes from other instruments of unknown origin. In some cases, we found pipes from the same rank used in four different stops; this was especially apparent in the Pedal division. The configuration of ranks hardly made sense in terms of scale matching or materials used, not to mention any tonal coherence. Two manual keyboards that were built into the façade were disposed of and replaced with a three-manual console with electric action, detached from the organ chamber. Inside the organ chamber the Buhl Company placed new, direct-electric chests and distributed the existing pipework into three divisions. They ended up adding a few “modern strings,” changing the configuration of mixtures, duplexing many ranks, borrowing stops from one manual to another—all of it in a way that the person playing the organ couldn’t possibly tell whether the sound was coming from this or that division. In addition, the electrical system suffered from poor wiring and faults caused by climatic conditions. For years the church’s building has been extremely humid during summer months, which contributed to severe mold growth and this, in turn, caused a complete deterioration of old insulation made of fabric. Shorting wires caused an array of ciphers and dead notes and created a situation of serious unreliability.
In addition, the Pedal had only two independent stops and was unable to sufficiently support the sound of the full organ. The organ committee quickly became aware that another renovation was not a feasible option and decided to employ Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders to build a new instrument that would retain the original façade (at least in the general sense) and restore as much of the old pipework as possible, leaving the judgment of selecting the useful pipes to the organbuilder. All other components of the organ are brand new and were built specifically for this instrument.
—Abel Searor

From the organbuilder
When in 2006 our firm was contracted for the maintenance of the Buhl organ at the West Baptist Church in Oswego, New York, from the first visit to the church we knew that something had to be done with the existing instrument and that the situation was quite serious. As time progressed, we were first asked to do a complete renovation; however, upon further examination of the instrument, we advised the organ committee that funds spent for the renovation would simply become money wasted—the organ was beyond any sensible repair. It was then that a small miracle happened. The members of the West Baptist Church, quite few in numbers and certainly not spoiled with overflow of extra capital, decided to accept our proposal for a new organ that would incorporate the existing pipework (with great modifications, however) and would retain the existing outside appearance (although slightly changed as well).
When the decision was made to build a new organ, there was no question that going the “old way” would most certainly be the best way. We are passionate supporters of tracker organs. It has been proven through centuries of experience that the most reliable and artistically gratifying key action is a mechanical one. We also put our complete trust in the time-proven manner of building windchests with sliders and pallets. We strongly believe that the characteristics and performance of a tracker organ are unquestionably superior to any other kind of action. Coming from this viewpoint, the new organ was designed with fully mechanical key and stop action. We opted to go back to the two-manual setup and designed a stoplist that was not influenced by any particular style or builder. We simply wanted to create an instrument that would be quite universal, full of tonal variety, and suitable for many musical genres. We intended, however, to sustain a bit of an “old fashioned” flavor, which is clearly manifested in the voicing of pipes.
The new organ was built on a tight budget; therefore, some of the work has been done by the members of the congregation. The Buhl organ from 1951 had been completely removed and disposed of. The organ chamber was emptied out and renovated. New plasterboard was installed, and everything got a fresh coat of paint. The floor was refinished, and sufficient room was made in front of the organ for a new console—built into the organ case with two manuals and a pedal keyboard. All of this work was done by the members of the church.
The largest pipes, from the wooden Principal 16? in the Pedal, were placed on “benches” along the walls and connected via flexible conduits to a separate chest designated exclusively for this rank. The reason for this was twofold. First, these pipes were too big to fit on a “regular” pedal chest and, second, they required a considerable amount of wind, which would almost certainly cause a shortage of wind for the rest of the ranks, if placed on the same chest. The remaining pedal ranks were placed on two identical windchests butting against each other side to side.
All pipework in all divisions is distributed in a major-third configuration, of course split in the middle into two traditional sides, C and C-sharp. The Swell and Great divisions are mounted above the three single-rise wedge bellows. All windchests were provided with small shocker bellows, allowing for steady wind supply even during times of high wind demand. All major wind conduits are made out of wood; small offsets were carried out with flexible conduits.
We kept roughly 70% of the pipework from the Marklove/Buhl organ. It was nearly impossible to determine which pipes were “true originals” from 1867 and which came from some other sources. We opted for keeping only the pipes that offered us a chance to do a decent revoicing. The remaining 30% we acquired from various sources; however, all the pipework was voiced together as one instrument—the process took nearly five months.
The new instrument boasts 27 stops, 33 ranks, for a total of 1,803 pipes. Since it is nearly impossible to describe the sound, we can only say that the goal was to have an organ with a confident, but not bold, tonal character. Therefore, all of our voicing efforts went in the direction of having the pipes speaking in a manner that is naturally free and unobstructed. There is never a problem with using fewer stops, if needed, but one cannot produce a fortissimo effect if there is no substance to support it. In no way, however, is the organ “shrieky” or unpleasant, even with all the stops pulled out. Working with the relatively low wind pressure of 69 mm for the manuals turned out to be quite rewarding. The pipes develop a sound that is not forced and is very “singing” in nature, yet not lacking in natural strength.
The façade was left in its original general concept. The façade pipes were completely stripped to bare metal and repainted with the addition of some subtle stenciling. In the top portion of the middle arch, we added a painted rosette with elaborate decorative floral elements. The lower portion of the frontal cabinet had to be modified in order to accommodate our new keyboards and the drawknob desks. We used American walnut for all new frontal elements—the same wood species as the old cabinet. Neither time nor money was spared when it came to the console area. The keys are made of tightly grained spruce, naturals with granadilla overlays, sharps with maple and natural bone. Natural keys have their fronts embellished with a half-circle arch. The key cheeks as well as the music stand are made of solid walnut with hard maple inlays. Drawknobs are made from Norwegian maple. In the center of the ball there is a round inlay made of sterling silver and Baltic amber in honey color. The knobs were custom turned for us by Johannes Rieber in Oslo, Norway; the amber pieces were also made especially for this purpose—they came from Poland from one of the most renowned figures in amber art circles, Mariusz Drapikowski (his original creations are on permanent display at the Vatican Museum).
The tracker action is carried out in the simplest of ways, which is a bulletproof formula ensuring reliability for many years to come. Keys are a double-armed lever, with 10 mm movement in the front and 7.5 mm in the back. Trackers are made from red cedar, squares from hornbeam, and rollers from aluminum with wooden arms. Because of extreme humidity problems, we chose to make all pallets out of aluminum. The windchests were made of solid oak and maple, toe boards and pipe racking out of poplar. The stop action is made from white ash, sliders from the laminated phenolic fabric. The air is supplied by a 1-HP, three-phase Ventus blower.
We wish to extend our thanks to all members of the West Baptist Church in Oswego, New York for entrusting us with this project. We hope that this project will indeed help to rejuvenate the church family and that it will serve the community “For the glory of God.”
—Tomasz Lewtak
Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Inc.
1003 Barnwood Lane
Camillus, NY 13031
<www.lewtak.com&gt;

Craftsmen who worked on this project:
Vanessa McCrea—woodworking, bookkeeping, purchasing and general help (doing all the things that nobody else wanted to do . . . )
Iwona Henschke—pipe restoration, stenciling
Jeff King—electrical work, organ chamber and floor finishing
Gerry DeMoors—carillon restoration and electronics
Johannes Rieber—drawknob turning
Mariusz Drapikowski—Baltic amber and sterling silver setting
Pawel Lewtak—façade design, woodworking, pipe restoration
Tomasz Lewtak—mechanical design, woodworking, voicing and tuning

Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Camillus, New York, 2005

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church “On the Hill,” Camillus, New York


The Church

The history of St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus, New York, goes back to 1852, when the first resident pastor came to the parish and began to care for the religious needs of local Catholics. The original St. Joseph’s Church in the village of Camillus was built in 1867. The congregation eventually outgrew the small space of the old church, and in 1965 construction started on a new building—the cross-shaped church, with parabolic arches rising 90 feet and dramatic windows at the ends of each wing. As is often the case when substantial funds are required for construction, the purchase of a new pipe organ had to wait its turn. The delay turned out to be a long one—almost 40 years!
For years the rich and varied music program of St. Joseph’s Parish was supported by an electronic organ substitute and a Kawai grand piano. During the fall of 2001, an opportunity came along, and finally the decision was made to begin the construction of a new pipe organ that would fulfill the musical needs of the congregation and would aesthetically complete the sanctuary of St. Joseph’s. That year, another church in the Diocese of Syracuse—St. Louis in Oswego, New York—was closed and the pipe organ from this church was purchased with the thought that it would become a jump-board for a much larger instrument at St. Joseph’s.

The Old Organ

The old organ, a tracker consisting of two manuals with 21 stops, was built by Casavant Frères in 1896 as their Opus 69. It was the first organ from this builder imported in the United States.
At the time of acquisition, the Casavant organ was in a state of complete disrepair. It was obvious that a true historical renovation was not feasible for two primary reasons: the cost and the size of the instrument. Even if the parish were to allocate the funds, St. Joseph’s has a cubic volume approximately four times that of St. Louis Church. The volume of sound required to fill this large space could not possibly be achieved from a rather small and softly voiced instrument. With heavy hearts and facing no other options, the old organ from Oswego was dismantled and moved to St. Joseph’s in Camillus. Only the salvageable parts would be used in a new instrument. Virtually all of the old pipework was saved. A total of 1,202 pipes were moved to Camillus, most of which were in shoddy physical condition; some were badly damaged due to poor maintenance and careless handling. For example, an existing Mixture III on the second manual had twelve original pipes missing in the center, the sign of an obvious “tuning accident” occurring many years ago. These were replaced with “stock” pipes that did not make any sense in terms of either scaling or in the proper Mixture repetition sequence. Many wooden pipes also had visible water damage. The same was true for both manual windchests, which were also transported to St. Joseph’s. From four pedal chests only two were salvageable, with the remaining two damaged beyond any reasonable repair.

The New Tonal Design

Even though the old organ had to be dismantled, it became the backbone for—first and foremost—the tonal design of the new instrument. Professor Ulrik Spang-Hanssen from the Royal Danish Music Conservatory in Aarhus, Denmark was consulted, and a plan was devised for the preservation of the original stop configuration, augmenting it with a new third keyboard that would serve as the foundation for the “big sound.” Very few old ranks have been shifted. What was acquired from Oswego became the second and third manuals (Positif and Récit) with some changes necessary to move the timbre out of the dark and 8'-heavy character. The original configuration did not have any fifths or thirds among its stops. In addition, the first manual (the Great) had four 8' stops and one 4' stop; the second manual (the Swell) had a 16' Bourdon and a sub-octave coupler to the Great. New ranks were added with the purpose of not just strengthening the volume, but more importantly brightening the sound of the organo pleno in these two divisions. The old Great (current Positif) received the 2' Piccolo from the old Swell, and the original Dulciana 8' was moved to the new Grand Orgue division. The old Swell (current Récit) received a new Nasard 22?3', Principal 2' and Tierce 13?5'. From the same division, the Trumpet 8¢ and Bourdon 16' were moved to the new Grand Orgue.

The addition of a new first manual (the Grand Orgue) allowed not only for keeping the stop configuration as close to the original as possible, but also opened completely new sound prospects to build on and to draw from. This is the division that is by far the strongest. It is rather basic in terms of utilized ranks, not too far from the tonal character of the old instrument and yet created with the sole purpose of giving a complete Principal chorus to the entire instrument. The Cornet Harmonique III deserves special mention. It is a three-rank cornet (22?3¢, 2¢ and 13?5¢) consisting of widely scaled, overblown flute pipes with two small holes midway through the body length. The aural effect is quite unusual: the cornet combination has a far greater penetration and clarity of timbre thanks to the characteristic “hollow” sound of the harmonic pipes.

Obviously the Pedal division required more power. This was simply achieved by adding to the original three stops (Double Open 16', Bourdon 16' and Violoncello 8') a new Octave 8', Cor de Nuit 4' and a round-sounding 16' Buzène, a reed stop with leathered shallots. It would have been an asset to have a mixture in the Pedal; however, the financial constraints made it impossible. The total number of new pipes added is 1,100.

The New Façade

The difficult task of designing the façade for this organ fell on our shoulders after we approached various outside architects and artists. The problems we encountered with the architects were their lack of understanding the principles of how the organ works, not knowing what is and what is not attainable. There was also the lack of positive and healthy aesthetics. The objectives were quite simple: first, to fit the organ into the arch shape of the ceiling, and second, to show that this instrument blends the old with the new. An additional requirement came from the fact that it had been explicitly requested that the console must stay on the main floor of the church while the rest of the organ rests on a 10-foot high loft. The reasoning for this came from the liturgical documents of the Second Vatican Council, which dictates that the music ministry is not to be separated from the congregation. In the case of a tracker organ, it immediately makes things a lot more complicated simply because the linkage becomes dangerously long.

The design of this church building cannot be classified as “contemporary” but it may be described as “modern.” However, all throughout the building there are many elements of traditional architectural design: harmonious lines, time-honored proportions, and a lot of symmetry. The answer to all of these challenges came from my brother, architect Pawel Lewtak. He is the creator of the design that became a real head-turner among parishioners and visitors alike. In his words, his worst fear was to create another organ that would be sitting “up there” with the console that is placed “down there,” and one has little to do with the other. Instead, he created a homogenous shape that ties the top with the base in a seamless manner. The tower-like structure of segments gives it slenderness and allows for traditional pipe grouping. To reflect what is inside the organ case, the original façade pipes were kept in their distinctive clusters, and new groups of double flamed copper pipes were added. Copper was definitely the material of choice for its perfect blend with the surrounding color scheme.

There is one special feature of this façade that separates it from all others: mirrors, more specifically, forty of them! Hardly noticeable at first glance, they add light, depth, spark, and elegance. The mirrors are only four inches wide, and are of various lengths. They are placed in wooden frames in the spaces between the pipe clusters. They enhance the design by offering a true three-dimensional effect. As people walk through the church they are always viewing a distinctive picture with variegated light reflections, innumerable shadows and highlights, an array of geometrical shapes, yet all elements are well organized with pleasing aesthetic integrity.

The façade is made of white ash with mahogany ornaments, and the case behind it is made from birch and carefully selected white poplar.

The Mechanics and Materials

The key action is purely mechanical. It is referred to as a suspended action and was the only logical choice given our circumstances. Long distance between the keyboards and the windchests dictated absolute precision in the making of the tracker action. The longest linkage run is 33 feet and yet the average weight of the key—when the chests are under pressure—is only 120 grams. The action is not the least sluggish thanks to the employment of a pressure rail on the back of each keyboard with springs that remove some of the key weight. Each division has its own floating rail allowing for climatic changes of the wood of the trackers, which are made of red cedar. The squares are fashioned out of aluminum as are the rollers and roller arms. On the longest rollers, needle bearings were utilized to support the weight of each roller.

The keys are made of tight-grained pine covered with black African wood (grenadilla) for the naturals, and bone-on-maple for the sharps. The cheeks of the keyboards are white oak with ebony inlays.
All windchests are of slider and tone-channel construction. Two old windchests (Positif and Récit) have been completely taken apart and restored to mint condition. In both, the pallets used are of a so-called “relief” type: in essence, each pallet consists of two pieces, one of which is being pulled down first thus releasing the pressure and breaking the initial resistance. After cleaning, releathering and complete re-regulating of all the parts, they work flawlessly. New windchests are made out of select yellow pine and have single pallets in all but the lowest octaves. In the bass, we installed two pallets per tone channel, but with sequential opening, which causes the touch to be the same as the rest of the keys.
Pedal pipes are split diatonically and stand on either side of the case. The open 16¢ flute stands on its own two chests (C side and C# side). The remaining pedal pipes received two new windchests with space for both the old and the new ranks.

The stop action is state-of-the-art electric. The stop plates, made of grenadilla, hide behind them contactless switches. The system offers full convenience of 1,280 memory levels for even the most demanding performer. Half of the levels are lock-protected. The layout of thumb and toe pistons is very simple and offers some necessary redundancy. Couplers can be operated either by thumb pistons or toe studs. Also, the navigation through the system’s memory levels can be done either by hand, by foot or on the side by an assistant. There is one expression pedal for the Récit and a Crescendo pedal. The Crescendo, in order to work, first must be activated by a toe stud. It is fully programmable and has a digital level display from 0 through 30. A similar kind of digital level display is in place for the expression pedal of the Récit. The shutters are operated by a 30-stage, digitally controlled electric motor.

The organ utilizes a three-phase 1.5 hp electric blower with slow RPM. There are two reservoir bellows—one old one and one new— providing ample air supply to the whole instrument. There are three tremolos, one for each manual. Two of them have electronically adjustable speed of undulation right at the console.

The Voicing

Any organ is only as good as it sounds. Therefore, even though we spared neither time nor money on mechanical details, the most important element remained the voicing. All of the old ranks received some sort of voicing re-vamp. They had all previously been voiced down for a much smaller building. We made them more free speaking, definitely less obstructed at the toe. All of the old ranks were heavily nicked, which made things difficult at times. The new ranks were voiced with a little bit of chiff, just enough to make their speech more pronounced in the large acoustics of St. Joseph’s Church. The old reeds needed to be re-tongued in order to gain a larger sound. The Trumpet 8¢, especially, required more brilliance and volume in order to balance well with the rest of the Grand Orgue. The organ is tuned to a Tartini-Vallotti temperament, which gives it a pleasant color and tonal personality. The instrument has much to offer in terms of variety of sound colors as well as the dynamics and individual stop character.



From an organbuilder’s perspective, taking a vintage 1896 organ and bringing it up to present day expectations, and having an organ that could be used for church services as well as concert performances has been a personally demanding and ingratiating experience. In organ building, the idea is always to be creative while retaining the original elements and merging them with new technologies. It is rewarding beyond words when an artist sits down at the console and you begin to see the smiles of pleasure. It means you have accomplished your goal of creating the finest organ from available sources.
Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders wishes to extend our sincere thanks to all volunteers who gave their time and energy to this most worthy project. We also thank the parishioners of St. Joseph’s Church of Camillus, New York, for their continuing understanding, patience and support.

—Tomasz Lewtak

Organbuilder




The following craftsmen took part in the construction of the organ for St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus, New York:

Tomasz Lewtak – mechanical design, pipe scaling, voicing, woodworking

Pawel Lewtak – façade design, woodworking, traction

Gerry DeMoors – electronics, carillon, general construction

Kevin Reedy – general construction

John Fergusson – woodworking.




Lewtak Opus 1

St. Joseph’s Church “On the Hill”

Camillus, New York


GRAND ORGUE

16' Bourdon*

8' Grand Principal

8' Dulciane*

8' Flûte à Cheminée

4' Octave

4' Flûte à Fuseau

3' Quinte

2' Doublette

2' Flûte

III Cornet Harmonique

IV Mixture

8' Trompette*

Tremblant Fort

POSITIF

8' Montre*

8' Mélodie*

8' Gambe*

4' Prestant*

2' Piccolo*

Carillon a22–f42

Tremblant Doux

RÉCIT

8' Viole de Gambe*

8' Principal*

8' Flûte Harmonique*

8' Bourdon*

8' Voix Cèleste*

4' Flûte Harmonique*

4' Fugara*

22?3' Nasard

2' Principal

13?5' Tierce

III Mixture*

8' Basson-Hautbois*

8' Cor Anglais*

Tremblant Doux

PÉDALE

16' Flûte Basse*

16' Bourdon*

8' Octave

8' Violoncello*

4' Cor de Nuit

16' Buzène




* Original Casavant stop

Mechanical key action

Electric stop action

Electronic register presets, 1280 memory levels

Wind pressure: 90 mm Positif, Récit & Pédale; 82 mm Grand Orgue

Couplers: III-I, II-I, III-II, III-P, II-P, I-P

Tuning A34=438 Hz at 18ºC

Temperament: Tartini-Vallotti

Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, Inc., Denver, North Carolina
Media Presbyterian Church, Media, Pennsylvania

From the senior pastor
If one were to remove all that was sacred from the library of the great music of the Western world, one would be left with a very empty room. And while beautiful music certainly has merit in and of itself, that which is written sola gloria Dei has accompanied the faithful saying their prayers for nearly two millennia. The pipe organ has been at the center of this sacred enterprise for nearly half that time and is undergoing a kind of renaissance in our time. The Elizabeth Strine Memorial Organ is a wonderful instrument that represents the merging of the ancient mechanical art of organ construction with the new cutting edge of digital technology. This is an analogy of what Chesterton called the “romance of orthodoxy,” which is the timeless truth of the gospel heard anew in the language and thought world of every age. This beautiful instrument and renovated steeple are a renewed affirmation of a commitment to proclaim the good news of God’s reconciling work to this community and the world. It also says that we plan to continue saying our prayers at Media Presbyterian indefinitely.
This organ would not exist without the generous contribution of Walter Strine and his family in loving memory of their wife and mother, Elizabeth Strine. Elizabeth Margaret Sterling Strine faithfully served Media Presbyterian Church as organist for over 35 years. A Media High School and Philadelphia Conservatory of Music graduate, “Betty” was both an accomplished accompanist and a renowned piano and organ teacher who taught thousands of Delaware County students. A professional leader who helped to expand our area’s performing arts scene, she served as the first female president of the Media Community Concert Association and was later instrumental in developing the Media Theatre for the Performing Arts. Mrs. Strine died September 7, 2002 at the age of 94. The first question of the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith asks “What is the chief end of man'” to which is answered: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” May this organ be a tool by which this present and future congregations enjoy and glorify God as we move towards eternity.
—The Reverend William L. Borror

From the organ task team chair
Our former pipe organ was an instrument put together from several sources. It started life as a turn of the twentieth century orchestral transcription player for the Bock family mansion in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, built by the former Aeolian Company of Boston, Massachusetts. At that time, pipe organs were home entertainment systems for the wealthy. Although it had two manuals and pedals, it was never intended to be a church instrument. In the mid 1930s this instrument was acquired by Media Presbyterian Church and installed in the sanctuary’s front upper right hand chamber. The organ console was attached to the front wall beneath the chamber. To its side was seating for the choir. It served until about 1961, when the organ and choir were relocated to a larger space in the back gallery.
The relocated gallery organ was enlarged to three manuals by a local organ builder. A new console was fabricated by Austin Organs, Inc. of Hartford, Connecticut. Additional pipes and components from various unknown sources were incorporated into the instrument. Concurrently, a small Echo division consisting of five pipe ranks remained in the upper front chamber. Although this instrument served the church until February 2006, it was tonally deficient and incapable of creating a proper sound for worship and meditation. Three years ago, senior pastor Rev. William Borror requested that an organ task team be formed as part of the church capital campaign. The seven-person team assessed the former instrument’s condition and studied remediation alternatives. A busy two years followed, whereby the team considered the church’s musical requirements, studied proper organ design and tone, solicited proposals, and listened to and evaluated typical instruments by each builder. In an April 2006 presentation to the Session, the organ task team recommended that a new instrument be designed and built by Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders of Denver, North Carolina.
The new Zimmer organ, Opus 94, is a three-manual and pedal instrument comprising 96 stops, derived from 23 pipe ranks and 63 digital ranks. The solid walnut console controls five divisions: Great, Swell, Choir, Chancel and Pedal, and has 107 drawknobs, 21 tilting coupler tabs, tracker touch keyboards, an abundant multi-level combination capability to assist with stop registration, and full MIDI capability. The two-tone casework with walnut trim and gold accented pipes harmonizes with the sanctuary’s architectural themes. All new pipes were fabricated in the Zimmer shop or by Luc Ladurantaye of Canada. In addition, selected Aeolian pipe ranks from our former organ were refurbished, rescaled where applicable, and revoiced. The recycled pipes blend perfectly with the other new pipe ranks. All voicing and tonal finishing was done by the Zimmer staff.
The organ’s digital equipment was engineered by Walker Technical Company of Zionsville, Pennsylvania. Thanks to digital technology, we were able to acquire a more versatile organ than if we had adhered to an all-pipe instrument. Due to lack of space, an all-pipe instrument of this same specification would be impossible to install in the gallery.
The tonal orientation of our new organ is based on the American Classic design. Fundamentally, this instrument will allow the organist to perform music of all periods and play it in style. Due to the broad range of music performed in our church, the American Classic tonal design best fulfills our purposes. Upon examination of the stop specification, one can discover fully developed principal and flute choruses, an abundance of solo and chorus reed stops, and multiple celeste ranks. Also included are chimes, a harp and a zimbelstern. The twelve-stop chancel division is a self-contained organ designed to supplement the main gallery organ and provide accompaniment for small vocal ensembles. Hence, after 155 years of existence, Media Presbyterian Church now has an organ specifically designed for its sanctuary.
This new organ would not have happened had it not been for the very generous gift by Walter M. Strine, Sr. Given in memory of his wife, Elizabeth, longtime organist at Media Presbyterian Church and teacher of many piano students, this new instrument enables Media Presbyterian Church to enhance its worship and better serve the cultural community. We thank Cornel Zimmer and his highly talented staff for designing and building this fine organ. Their expertise and work ethic enabled the project to proceed very smoothly. We are grateful for this new relationship with the Zimmer organization.
Special thanks to the organ task team members who gave their time and skills to work with me and address the many questions and concerns that come with such a project: Martha Harriz, Harry Tully, Richard Zensen, Scott MacDonald, and Beth Kalemkarian. During the project, we mourned the loss of Don Harriz, team member and longtime choir member, who would have thoroughly rejoiced at the completion of this project. Additional thanks to the senior craftsmen who did a masterful job in preparing the back gallery to accommodate the new instrument. Special thanks to Michael Trinder, friend and organist colleague, who reviewed the specifications and contributed helpful suggestions. Thanks also to Art Kalemkarian, Jr. (BSEE) for his consultation on electrical and audio issues.
Finally, from my viewpoint as an organist, the installation of a new organ for our church was a very exciting and perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is an event in which I will always delight. I personally thank Rev. William Borror, the Media Presbyterian Church, and the Strine family for entrusting me to chair this project. May the end result bring glory to God both now and in the future.
—Arthur P. Kalemkarian, Sr.
Organ task team chairman
and curator of the Elizabeth M. Strine Memorial Organ

From the organbuilder
It is indeed a thrilling opportunity for an organ builder to work in a warm and inviting space, especially one with the historical significance of Media Presbyterian Church. From the beginning of the project, honoring the architecture of the church was of great importance. The organ was to be primarily an instrument to support the many musical needs of a vibrant congregation, but would also be required to serve as a solo instrument. All of this needed to be accomplished while not overwhelming the choir, which shares the gallery space with the organ. With these requirements in mind, we set out to design an organ with a broad dynamic range, capable of appropriately interpreting a wide variety of musical styles.
Considering the organ’s location, it was important to achieve an audible balance to lead the congregation and to fill the sanctuary without overwhelming the choir. Fortunately, the sanctuary’s acoustics work in the organ’s favor, and the sound projects well from the balcony with normal relaxed voicing. The new casework and pipe façades, designed and built by our company, spread the Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal divisions over three locations in the choir gallery. This spreading of sound sources creates a broader spatial projection of the organ’s resources, and yet the blend heard in the sanctuary is quite pleasing.
The organ has a broad tonal palette of contrasting yet compatible choruses and solo voices. Moderate pipe scales in the Great and Pedal principal choruses react well with the room’s acoustics to provide a solid foundation for congregational singing. Along with the new Great and Pedal principal choruses, the Swell contains six ranks of Aeolian pipework from the previous organ. These diapasons, flutes and strings work well in the accompaniment role of the Swell. The Choir division is of great importance as it is centered directly behind the choir. It has a wealth of accompaniment stops, including several sets of soft celestial stops and a complete principal chorus. Also found in the Choir division is the Tuba, a powerful reed voice that lends itself to solo lines as a crowning reed over full organ.
The Chancel organ provides another visual and spatial aspect to the organ’s presence. It can support choirs that may perform in the chancel area, reinforce the quieter registrations of the main organ for congregational singing with sound sources at two locations in the sanctuary, and lend itself to music that employs echo or antiphonal effects. The Festival Trumpet found in the Chancel division is an appropriate foil to the Tuba found in the Choir, and is extremely flexible as it is under expression with the other stops of the Chancel organ.
We chose to retain several stops from the previous organ that were quite beautiful and would blend well with the new organ. Tonal director Jim Twyne and his assistant, Sheldon Kargis, voiced these pipes, as well as the new pipes built by our own pipe maker, Tommy Linder, and Luc Ladurantaye of Canada. The stunning casework and console were designed by Cornel Zimmer and built by master cabinetmaker George Zong with assistance from David Caldwell. Eric Molenaar completed the wiring of the console and windchests with assistance from Nathan Bryson.
Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders is deeply grateful to Media Presbyterian Church and the Strine family for the opportunity to build a new instrument for this wonderful setting. It is our sincere hope that it will serve this congregation for many generations and will stand as a testament to the glory of God.
—Nathan Bryson, project manager, and Jim Twyne, tonal director
Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, Inc., Denver, North Carolina

GREAT (Unenclosed, Manual II)
16' Gemshorn*
8' Principal 61 pipes
8' English Diapason (Choir)
8' Harmonic Flute*
8' Bourdon 61 pipes
8' Gamba*
8' Gemshorn*
8' Gemshorn Celeste*
4' Octave 61 pipes
4' Prestant (Choir)
4' Flute Ouverte 61 pipes
2  2/3' Twelfth*
2' Fifteenth 61 pipes
1 1/3' Mixture IV 244 pipes
16' Posaune*
8' Festival Trumpet* (non-coupling)
8' Tuba (Choir) (non-coupling)
8' Trumpet*
8' Cromorne* (enclosed with Choir)
Chimes*
Tremulant

SWELL (Expressive, Manual III)
16' Lieblich Gedeckt*
8' Geigen Diapason 61 pipes+
8' Rohrflute 61 pipes
8' Viola 61 pipes+
8' Viola Celeste 61 pipes+
8' Still Gedeckt 61 pipes+
8' Flute Celeste 61 pipes+
4' Principal 61 pipes+
4' Flute Triangulaire*
22'3' Quint*
2' Octavin 61 pipes
13'5' Terz*
2' Plein Jeu IV 244 pipes
16' Basson*
8' Festival Trumpet (Great) (non-coupling)
8' Tuba (Choir)
8' Trompette*
8' Hautbois*
4' Clairon*
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16'
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4'

CHOIR (Expressive, Manual I)
16' Dulciana*
8' English Diapason*
8' Gedeckt*
8' Concert Flute*
8' Dulciana*
8' Unda Maris*
8' Erzahler*
8' Erzahler Celeste*
4' Prestant*
4' Koppelflute*
2 2/3' Nazard*
2' Blockflute*
1 3/5' Tierce*
1 1/3' Larigot*
1' Sifflute*
1' Scharff III*
16' Corno di Bassetto*
8' Festival Trumpet (Gt) (non-coupling)
8' Tuba* (non-coupling)
8' Petite Trompette*
8' English Horn*
4' Musette*
Tremulant
Choir to Choir 16'
Choir Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4'
Harp*

CHANCEL (Expressive, floating)
8' Cor de Nuit*
8' Dolcan*
8' Dolcan Celeste*
4' Spitz Principal*
4' Flauto d’Amore*
4' Unda Maris II*
2' Flautino*
8' Flugelhorn*
8' Vox Humana*
Tremulant

CHANCEL PEDAL
16' Bourdon*
8' Bourdon*

PEDAL
32' Contra Bourdon*
32' Contra Violone*
16' Principal*
16' Violone 32 pipes
16' Bourdon*
16' Gemshorn (Great)
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell)
16' Dulciana (Choir)
8' Octave Principal 32 pipes
8' Lieblich Flute (Swell)
8' Gemshorn (Great)
8' Rohr Bourdon*
4' Choral Bass 12 pipes
4' Doppel Flute*
2 2/3' Rauschpfeife II*
32' Contra Basson*
16' Posaune*
16' Basson (Swell)
8' Trumpet (Great)
8' Festival Trumpet (Great)
8' Tuba (Choir)
4' Rohr Schalmei*
4' Clairon*
Chimes (Great)

*Stops by Walker Technical Co.
+Aeolian pipework

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)

Sebastian M. Glück,
New York, New York
The First Presbyterian Church
in the City of New York,
New York, New York
The First Presbyterian Church took root as a dissenting group of Scots and Irish Protestants who worshipped in a private home in 1706 and organized a congregation a decade later. By 1719, their first church building opened for worship, leading to a long and continuing history of controversial views regarding man’s relationship to religion, scripture, science, and politics. “The Church of the Patriots” survived revolution, fire, and urban expansion, dedicating the present church in 1849.
Among those on Old First’s roster of notable preachers was Harry Emerson Fosdick, who in 1922 declared from the pulpit that The New Knowledge, as postulated by Charles Darwin, was not inconsistent with Christianity. The uproar spread like wildfire; even the Presbytery of Philadelphia met in the home of John Wanamaker to discuss the matter. An unrelenting three-year campaign by notorious fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan led Fosdick to resign (without changing his views). Fosdick, a longstanding friend of the Rockefeller family, subsequently served as pastor of The Riverside Church for nearly half a century.
Only months before the demolition of the World Trade Center, Dr. Jon M. Walton became the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church. He would soon inherit a stunned city and a congregation numbed by the murder of their members and the orphans left behind. Beginning their fourth century, the congregation and their pastor continue to rebuild—spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Out of tragedy, the church has strengthened, grown steadily in membership, and commissioned pipe organs for both the chapel and the sanctuary.

The Guilmant Organ School
During French composer and organist Alexandre Guilmant’s 1898 American tour, he and Dr. William C. Carl, organist and choirmaster of First Church, decided to open the United States’ first school for organ and church music, with instruction based upon the master’s method of teaching. The Guilmant Organ School’s first class was held on October 9, 1899 and offered instruction to church musicians until the early 1970s. The Guilmant Organ Recital Series continues in modern times, as part of the church’s rich music program that includes oratorio performances by the church’s respected choir and orchestra.

Previous instruments
Initially, conservative worship at First Presbyterian did not permit musical instruments or concert literature; unaccompanied psalmody was provided by a vocal quartet. They were permitted to sing the works of Palestrina, Victoria and Orlando di Lasso in the chapel, but only as entertainments and never at worship services.
In 1888 Roosevelt’s III/52 Opus 368 was built for the east tower gallery. When the elaborately carved chancel was added in 1920, the organ was replaced by Skinner Organ Company’s Opus 293, a IV/72 in the north chancel chamber. Its Echo division was given residence in the bell tower, speaking through an impossibly small grille in the ceiling. The doomed division was installed in a giant meat refrigerator with shutters, Skinner’s attempt to defeat the elements.
By the 1960s, the heating system had “baked the Skinner to death,” according to the late Dr. Robert S. Baker (1916–2005), then organist and choirmaster of the church. Tonal tastes had changed, and Austin Organs, Inc. installed their IV/85 Opus 2048, dedicated in 1965. The planned revamped Echo division never came to be, but the meat locker remains.
Upon Dr. Baker’s retirement in 1988, he was succeeded by his student, William F. Entriken. During Dr. Entriken’s ongoing tenure the church commissioned two pipe organs, both of which were designed and built by Sebastian M. Glück. In 2004, the Rees Jones Memorial Organ, a Georgian-inspired instrument tuned in Werckmeister III, was installed in Alexander Chapel. A recording of Opus 8 is available from the Organ Historical Society. The large sanctuary organ, Opus 12, was completed this year, funded by both First Church and the generosity of donors who gave individual stops or entire choruses of pipework in memory or honor of special people in their lives.
—Benito Orso

From the tonal director
There are advantages to not being “the first man at bat” when it comes to designing a pipe organ for a particular room. One benefits from the lessons of the past: what did or did not work tonally, what physical or environmental conditions helped or hindered the making of music, and what resources musicians may have used most often or what they felt was wanting.
Prevailing scaling and voicing practices of the 1960s (small scales, even smaller scales for the reeds, underlength resonators, low cut-ups, minimal languid treatment), coupled with an acoustic that “eats bass” and a chambered installation, conspired to keep the organ’s sound from reaching the listener.
Another characteristic of organs of the era (even very large ones) was the frustrating disposition of stops, often found at the wrong pitches in the wrong divisions for the accurate registration of the established literature. With enough stops drawn, the liturgy, hymnody, and anthem work were adequately accompanied, but registrational authenticity, saturated color, energetic drive, and cohesive clarity remained elusive.

The new approach
Two main divisions share the second manual: the superordinate Werck, inspired (in concept) by the late 16th-century Hamburg school, and the Great, a more familiar-looking Anglo-French amalgam with both 18th and 19th century ingredients.
The previous organ had no Great reeds, a Harrisonian trend that inevitably created balance problems. The provision of the Great Cornet, Trumpet, and Clarion in the new organ enables the rest of the organ’s reeds to fulfill their duties without compromise, and makes the 18th-century repertoire of several cultures come alive.
Both of these divisions can move about the organ via the coupling system, and if the Werck is used as the main division in early Northern literature, the Great can serve as the Oberwerk, the natural foil, distinguished by character more than brute strength.
This permits the Choir division to serve as its namesake, a secondary Swell rather than a penumbral “toy Positiv” of compromised and disjointed identity. Far less bold yet more colorful than the Solo department, the Choir still retains the essential classical elements within its accompanimental palette and cluster of instrumental pastels. A coherent collection of stops duplexed from the Great is available on this manual as well.
Large American Swell divisions have taken on a somewhat inelastic grundriss, the legacy of multicompetent sovereignty bestowed upon them by the English and thriving here through the Skinner school. And so it should be, a sensate plenipotentiary, home to a chorus of diapasons, a choir of flutes, two sets of undulants, the ubiquitous oboe and regal, and a molten battery of harmonic trumpets. Large scales and shallots with parallel walls (brilliance) and flat bottoms (fundamental) conspire to create a controllable, caged beast. My stratagem was not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to strip the execution of the formula of all shyness and vagaries.
Because we retained the cantilevered windchests from the previous organ (what was so bizarrely called “functional display” half a century ago), it was necessary to execute some compensatory tonal maneuvers for the enclosed divisions. Chambered organs of the period added to the disadvantage by drastically underscaling the expressive sections already in a sequestered relationship to the Great.
The Solo division is home to the usual suspects for an organ of this size and style. The soviet of harmonic bombardes is more brilliant yet less richly dense than the Swell battery. The three orchestral reeds, like all the color reeds in the organ, are made of common metal, rather than spotted. The French Horn and flat-top English Horn are legacy ranks from the Skinner, but alas, were so drastically altered in the 1960s (lowered pressures, revised resonating lengths, new tongues, new wedges) that they are merely historic metal, and we cannot claim lineage. Like the Choir Flügel Horn, they were rebuilt for this installation and are successful and convincing.
The Grand Chorus VIII is “the third Great,” the only mixture in the organ to embrace the 16′ harmonic series, voiced on 8″ wind and mounted in a commanding position in front of the Solo enclosure. It is made of spotted metal, although the 16′ rank is almost pure lead and the tenebrous 51⁄3′ contraquint is subdued. This lends gravitas and avoids murkiness.
The Pedal department takes advantage of the instrument’s electro-pneumatic action, supplementing its own structure with stops from the manual divisions. Some excoriate this centuries-old practice, but obdurate modern practitioners and their clients welcome the opportunity to mix mezzo-forte hues for the sake of nuance.
The full-length 32′ Helicon is not overly noisy, but rather a gentle tympani roll beneath the ensemble. The Harmonics of 32′ changes composition as it ascends the scale, maintaining clarity and immediacy of pitch identification in its reedy rumble. The recombinant effect of the two stops makes itself known without the vulgarity of a “loud for the sake of loud” voice that can be more ruinous than dramatic.
America’s half-century love affair with horizontal blatancy seems to have reached its dénouement as musicians and builders realize that a more solid and focused formant may be a wiser choice for a herald stop. The key to success is to avoid the objectionable ends of the bell curve (splatter and honk), and work toward a brilliant, focused, pure tone, devoid of grittiness and fringe harmonics. Here the Tuba projects a definite “aw” vowel, not a nasal, short “a.” After the stop’s inauguration, I returned to revoice it on 12″ rather than the original 10″ pressure. The result is that it speaks with greater authority and majesty, with no loss of focus or nobility.
Are 93 ranks sufficient? Certainly, although in context I do not believe that there is any wasted metal in the organ. Nonetheless, part of First Presbyterian’s liturgical and musical tradition involves the choir singing from the narthex and the east tower gallery as well as the chancel. This is a church that fills its pews with energetic singers. The vision of a Tower division, within the church, encased where the Roosevelt once stood, is the reason for preparing for it in the console. Keeping it within the church itself, at the same level as the main organ, away from bells, frost, and pigeons, should assure a happier fate than “echoes of the past.”
Both the new north balcony façade with its Zimbelstern and the console were designed to match the existing architecture of the room. The console cabinetry is oak, carved to match the window tracery found in the building. The interior is walnut, as are the manual accidentals and Skinner-style key cheeks. Pedal accidentals are rosewood, and the drawknobs are pao ferro. The three medallions that grace the music rack are jade.
The extensive combination action is a modern expectation, especially for a church with such a highly developed music program. We advise our clients that the combination action is likely the first item to need technical attention in a pipe organ, and we do keep more “precious” gadgetry to a minimum. Less-seen features are a separate set of pistons for the couplers, the Pedal on Choir coupler, and varying species of wood used for the toe studs, allocated by category. The divisional tags above each drawknob field, when pushed, cancel the knobs of their respective divisions.
The two organbuilders most responsible for the technical and structural realization of this installation were Robert Rast and Albert Jensen-Moulton, general manager of the firm. During onsite voicing and tonal finishing I was assisted by Mr. Jensen-Moulton at the console, whose ears and judgment I trust to achieve the firm’s tonal signature.
I firmly believe that it is the small organ that challenges the creativity and ingenuity of both the builder and the musician. But an instrument of broad scope does not relieve the designer of the obligation to apply all that history has taught us, especially regarding the literature. The “concert” literature was written by church organists for the instruments they played for worship. The scores are the recipe books, and the surviving instruments the resulting cuisine. The large, eclectic organ is not a cultural grab-bag of incompatible material, but a conceptual coalition that must result in stylistic unity, bearing the sound and personality of the builder.
—Sebastian M. Glück

WERCK (Manual II)
West Chancel Bay
32′ Quintadehn (Swell) [1]
16′ Præstandt [2] 61 pipes
8′ Octava 61 pipes
8′ Spitzflöte [3] 5 pipes
4′ Supra Octava 61 pipes
Mixtur IV 244 pipes
Zimbel III 183 pipes
16′ Fagott 61 pipes
Werck Silent

GREAT ORGAN (Manual II)
East Chancel Bay
16′ Bourdon (Swell)
8′ First Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Second Diapason [4] 12 pipes
8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes
8′ Harmonic Flute (Solo)
8′ Erzähler 61 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Octave [4] 12 pipes
4′ Night Horn 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes
2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes
2′ Koppelpfeife 61 pipes
Mixture IV 244 pipes
Cornet V [5] 185 pipes
8′ Clarinet (Choir)
8′ Trumpet 17 pipes
8′+4′ Grand Jeu [6] 12 pipes
Great Silent
Chimes (Solo)
Tremulant

SWELL ORGAN (Manual III)
Chamber Level I, West
16′ Bourdon 12 pipes
8′ Geigen Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Stopped Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Salicional 61 pipes
8′ Voix Céleste 61 pipes
8′ Flûte Conique 61 pipes
8′ Flûte Céleste 49 pipes
4′ Geigen Octave 61 pipes
4′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes
2′ Octavin 61 pipes
Full Mixture V 269 pipes
16′ Double Trumpet 61 pipes
8′ Harmonic Trumpet 61 pipes
8′ Hautboy 61 pipes
8′ Vox Humana 61 pipes
4′ Harmonic Clarion 61 pipes
Tremulant
16′ Swell to Swell
Swell Silent
4′ Swell to Swell

CHOIR ORGAN (Manual I)
Chamber Level I, East
16′ Double Gemshorn 12 pipes
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Doppelflöte [7] 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes
8′ Gemshorn Céleste 49 pipes
4′ Prestant 61 pipes
4′ Flute 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Recorder 61 pipes
13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes
Mixture III 183 pipes
16′ Bass Clarinet 12 pipes
8′ Trumpet Minor 61 pipes
8′ Flügel Horn 61 pipes
8′ Clarinet 61 pipes
Tremulant
16′ Choir to Choir
Choir Silent
4′ Choir to Choir
Great Stops on Choir
8′ First Diapason
8′ Chimney Flute
8′ Erzähler
4′ Principal
2′ Fifteenth
IV Mixture
Chimes (Solo)
Zimbelstern 8 bells

SOLO ORGAN (Manual IV)
Chamber Level II, West
8′ Spitzflöte (Pedal)
8′ Viola Major 61 pipes
8′ Viola Céleste 61 pipes
8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Orchestral Flute 12 pipes
Grand Chorus VIII [8] 370 pipes
8′ French Horn 61 pipes
8′ English Horn 61 pipes
8′ Corno di Bassetto 61 pipes
16′ Bombarde Harmonique 61 pipes
8′ Trompette Harmonique 61 pipes
4′ Clairon Harmonique 61 pipes
Tremulant
16′ Solo to Solo
Solo Silent
4′ Solo to Solo
Chimes 20 tubes

TUBA ORGAN (Floating)
North Gallery Arch
Cornet V (Great)
Grand Chorus VIII (Solo)
16′ Tuba Magna
8′ Tuba Major 61 pipes
4′ Tuba Clarion 12 pipes

TOWER ORGAN (Floating)
East Tower
8′ Principal drawknob only
8′ Holz Gedeckt drawknob only
8′ Viola Dolce drawknob only
8′ Unda Maris drawknob only
4′ Prestant drawknob only
2′ Doublette drawknob only
IV Fourniture drawknob only

PEDAL ORGAN
Chamber Level II, East
32′ Contra Sub Bass 12 pipes
16′ Open Diapason Wood 32 pipes
16′ Open Diapason Metal 32 pipes
16′ Sub Bass 32 pipes
16′ Præstandt (Werck)
16′ Double Gemshorn (Choir)
16′ Bourdon (Swell)
16′ Spitzbass 12 pipes
102⁄3′ Contra Quint 7 pipes
8′ Principal 32 pipes
8′ Stopped Flute 5 pipes
8′ Spitzflöte 32 pipes
8′ Præstandt (Werck)
8′ Stopped Diapason (Swell)
8′ Gemshorn (Choir)
51⁄3′ Quint 7 pipes
4′ Fifteenth 32 pipes
4′ Spitzflöte 5 pipes
2′ Choral Bass 12 pipes
Mixture III 96 pipes
32′ Harmonics of
32′ Helicon [9] 12 pipes
16′ Posaune 32 pipes
16′ Bombarde (Solo)
16′ Double Trumpet (Swell)
16′ Fagott (Werck)
16′ Bass Clarinet (Choir)
8′ Trumpet 12 pipes
8′ Fagott (Werck)
8′ Clarinet (Choir)
4′ Clarion 12 pipes
4′ Rohr Schalmei [10] 32 pipes
Chimes (Solo)
TOWER PEDAL ORGAN
16′ Tower Bass drawknob only

Couplers
Werck to Pedal 8′
Great to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 8′, 4′
Choir to Pedal 8′, 4′
Solo to Pedal 8′, 4′

Swell to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
Choir to Great 16′, 8′, 4′
Solo to Great 16′, 8′, 4′

Choir to Swell 8′
Solo to Swell 8′

Pedal on Choir
Werck to Choir 8′
Great to Choir 8′
Swell to Choir 16′, 8′, 4′
Solo to Choir 16′, 8′, 4′

Werck to Solo 8′
Great to Solo 8′
Swell to Solo 8′

Transfers & Mechanicals
Tuba on each manual and pedal
Tower on each manual and pedal
Great/Choir Transfer
Mixtures Off
Reeds Off
Full Organ I
Full Organ II
Full Pedal
All Swells to Swell

Expression Pedals
Choir, Swell, Solo, Crescendo

Notes
[1] 1–12 resultant
[2] 1–12 wood
[3] Upward extension of Pedal stop
[4] Extension of Werck 16′ Præstandt
[5] G20–G56; mounted in East bay
[6] Extension; draws 8′ Trumpet as well
[7] Wood; two mouths per pipe
[8] Unenclosed
[9] Wooden boots; 8″ wind pressure
[10] Brass; mounted in West bay

Wind Pressures
Main organ: 4″
Solo organ: 8″
Tuba organ: 12″
Tower organ: 31⁄2″
Pedal 32′ Helicon: 8″

Cover photo by Len Levasseur
Interior photos by Albert Jensen-Moulton

Glück New York
170 Park Row, Suite 20A
New York, NY 10038-1156
212/608-5651
[email protected]
www.GluckNewYork.com

Goulding & Wood, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Opus 28 (1996) and Opus 49 (2009)
First United Methodist Church, Rocky Mount, North Carolina

From the organbuilder
One of the greatest pleasures we have as organbuilders is seeing the development of our relationships with the congregations whose churches house our instruments. We have found that our organs serve as catalysts for ongoing shared experiences with musicians, clergy, and lay people across a wide spectrum of geographic, demographic, and denominational ranges. We are grateful for our ever-growing circle of friends, many of whom feel like family. Nowhere is this truer than with the people of First United Methodist Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. We have continued to maintain close ties with the congregation even as the staff musicians have changed through the years. As such, it was with great excitement that we received word that the church was interested in fulfilling the preparations left on our Opus 28 instrument from 1996. As the conversation continued, the church further inquired about the realization of an Antiphonal division as well.
Discussion over this Antiphonal organ had been brief at the time of the chancel instrument installation. Console preparations to control the division were included, but no timeline was established for moving forward. Part of this preliminary design was to situate the instrument on the rear wall of the main sanctuary, allowing it to also speak into the adjacent chapel. The two rooms are perpendicular in orientation, with the back wall of the sanctuary serving as the side wall of the chapel. Although no definite decisions were made in 1996, the assumption was that the small Kilgen extension organ that served the chapel would provide a repository for the pipework of this very modest division.
As we considered the project more fully, it became apparent that the resources of the Kilgen organ were insufficient for either chapel or sanctuary use. Rather than using any sort of unit chest design, we proposed building an instrument employing a slider windchest with all new pipework. To maximize the flexibility of the organ for chapel use, we split the slider chest grid at middle C and furnished separate stop controls for bass and treble slides. The chapel console then accesses the instrument through divided stops, much in the way of a seventeenth-century English organ. This concept similarly influenced the specification, although the organ is not an attempt to copy any historical style. At the same time, the choice of a wooden Stopped Diapason, an elegantly thin Dulciana with matching celeste, and treble Cornet derives from English precedents. In scaling and voicing, however, the pipework adheres to the acoustical environment of both chapel and sanctuary, balancing with the tonal style of the chancel instrument so as to contribute to a satisfying musical ensemble when paired together.
In order to negotiate the dual uses of the organ, and to maximize the division’s expressive capabilities, the organ speaks through shade frames behind each façade. Upon turning on the chapel console, the shade frame facing into the main sanctuary closes and remains fixed, focusing all the sound into the chapel. Conversely, turning on the chancel console closes the chapel shades and allows the sanctuary side shade to be assigned to either the Swell or Choir shoe. All stops reside within the expression enclosure, including the 16′ Stopped Diapason. Within the chapel, the organ has a wide dynamic range, from the faint whisper of the Dulciana with the box closed to a satisfying full organ that fills the room with warmth. Although the chapel has a modestly sized floor plan, it has the same ceiling height as the main sanctuary. The proportions of the room, then, create a generous acoustical environment. The large cubic volume accommodates the abundant sound of the organ, while the placement of the instrument high on the wall distributes sound evenly, resulting in a musical presence that is embracing but never oppressive.
Mechanically, the organ is arranged in two levels, with the bass chest above the treble chest. Access for tuning and maintenance is easy throughout the layout despite the small size of the case. All mechanical systems and winding, including the blower, are located inside the case, yet the organization is logical and efficient. The division of the windchest into bass and treble facilitates imaginative use of the organ within the chapel. By drawing different combinations for right and left hands, two-manual repertoire can be rendered convincingly. Cornet voluntaries and trios with obbligato pedal are especially effective.
Tonally, the organ is typical of our organs in favoring fairly high cut-ups, substantial scaling, and thick-walled pipework, all of which encourages fundamental development. The Open Diapason is modestly scaled at 149 mm, taking into account the intimate context of the chapel. By contrast, the Stopped Diapason is a full 85 mm by 114 mm, adding thickness and weight to ensembles. Similarly, the 4′ Recorder is scaled at 81 mm with a 20th halving ratio and constructed of linen lead with a gentle 2:3 ratio taper. The Dulciana is a slender 88 mm at 8′ C and bearded for the first two octaves. Mouth widths are narrow, allowing for high cut-ups; all stops below 2′ pitch have 2/9 mouths, with the exception of the 4′ Recorder, whose first two octaves have 1/5 mouths. Only the treble of the 2′ and the Fourniture have 1/4-width mouths, restraining the upper end from growing glassy or obtrusive.
The current project also completed the chancel organ, rounding out the reed choruses in particular. The Great division received a new 16′ Fagotto, lending gravitas and weight to the ensemble. The Swell’s battery of reeds is now capped with a powerful 4′ Clairon, and the 16′ Basson is extended to 32′ pitch for the Pedal division. Other additions to the Pedal are a blending 8′ Trompete and solo 4′ Schalmei. Crowning the organ in the chancel is a commanding 8′ Bombarde with generous fundamental development and rich power. This reed also provides an effective contrast with the brilliant 8′ Fanfare Trumpet located within a section of the Antiphonal case partitioned from the main division. As such, it does not speak into the chapel, nor is it accessible by the chapel console. As an Antiphonal solo color, however, it is a thrilling presence in the room, able to stand up against full organ from the front. The only flue preparation was the 8′ Harmonic Flute on the Great, and the addition of this color opens up its own wealth of repertoire.
As with all of our recent work, the metal pipework for both the new instrument and the preparations was built by A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc. of Alliance, Ohio. Bob Schopp, David Schopp, Joe Russo, and their entire staff are a terrific resource and helpful partners in achieving the musical goals we seek. This job also required some sophisticated alterations to the chancel console solid-state systems, modifying controls built before the organ in back was even designed. We are grateful to Duncan Crundwell, Mark Gilliam, and Alan Bragg of Solid State Organ Systems for providing these changes and the new control systems, all of which worked from the start without a single glitch. Norman Y. Chambliss III of Chambliss and Rabil Contractors, Inc. ably and cheerfully coordinated the room modifications, including preparation of the rear wall to accommodate the steel support structure. Dr. Marcia Heirman, director of music for First United Methodist Church, has been a great friend to our shop throughout her tenure, and this project was especially fulfilling to embark upon with her. We look forward to watching as she continues to develop the music ministries of the church and incorporates the organ into the worship life of the congregation. We also wish to recognize the important work, sincere friendship, and unflagging support of the late Harry Pearsall. Harry was instrumental in the 1996 organ project, and we enjoyed keeping in touch with him through the intervening years. He was the first one to notify us of the prospect of this project in the spring of 2007, and he anticipated the completion of the organ with great eagerness. Unfortunately, Harry passed away in August shortly before the installation of the Antiphonal organ. We shall miss Harry’s kind smile and gentle presence on our future trips to Rocky Mount, and we are grateful to have this instrument as a testament to his perseverance and commitment to liturgical music in the church. May his dedication and stewardship serve as a reminder to all who hear the organ that, in the words of senior pastor Bob Bergland, music is “means of grace that people may come into the presence of God and have that experience of God’s nearness.”
—Jason Overall

Goulding & Wood, Inc.
Robert Duffy—case design and construction/supervision, installation
Mark Goulding—project team leader, installation
Robert Heighway—console design and construction, case construction, structure, installation
Phil Lehman—business manager, office support
Tyler MacDonald—slider chest construction, installation
Jason Overall—project development, onsite regulation
Tim Piotrzkowski—winding, chest construction, installation
Kurt Ryll—engineering and design
David Sims—voicing, console and system wiring, onsite tuning and regulation
Michael Vores—structure, winding, case construction, installation
Brandon Woods—tonal design and voicing

From the director of music
A long anticipated completion of the original 1996 Goulding & Wood (Opus 28) organ was realized in November 2009 as the company installed 1,048 additional pipes at First United Methodist in Rocky Mount. The installation included the addition of an Antiphonal division for the main organ, a new console in the chapel, the completion of the reed choruses in the chancel, a new fanfare trumpet in the antiphonal division for use in the sanctuary only, and a harmonic flute solo stop on the Great. Completed, the organ now fills the sanctuary with 69 ranks of beautiful and warm timbres.
The most obvious addition to the organ is the stunning Antiphonal division with a beautiful double façade, whose presence at the rear of the sanctuary fits so well architecturally it seems as if it has always been there. The chancel side of the double façade allows this division to be played independently from a new one-manual, split console in the chapel to serve as a new chapel organ. Independently, this organ is catalogued as Opus 49 by Goulding & Wood. The organ now embraces and surrounds the congregation with music and fills the large sanctuary without overpowering and overwhelming.
The organ completion was dedicated in the worship service on January 10. Upcoming dedication recitals will be presented by Dr. Monica Sparzak of Fayetteville, North Carolina, February 21; Dr. William Weisser of Edenton Street United Methodist in Raleigh, March 14; Christin Baker, sub dean of the East Carolina AGO chapter and an East Carolina University student, April 11; and Dr. Marcia Heirman with Lawrence Goering on May 16; all of these recitals will be at 4 pm. Coming in the fall will be Dr. Marilyn Mason, University Organist and Chairman of the University of Michigan Organ Department in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Dr. Michael Stefanek of Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Jeffrey Thompson of Goldsboro, North Carolina. Dates and times for the fall 2010 recitals will be announced later.
—Dr. Marcia Heirman

Goulding & Wood, Inc.
Opus 28 (1996) and Opus 49 (2009)
First United Methodist Church
Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Opus 28 Chancel Organ
(prepared pipework installed in 2009 listed in bold)
GREAT (Manual II)
16′ Violone
8′ Principal
8′ Violone (extension)
8′ Harmonic Flute
8′ Bourdon
4′ Octave
4′ Block Flute
2′ Super Octave
22⁄3′ Sesquialtera II (tenor c)
11⁄3′ Mixture IV
16′ Fagotto
8′ Trumpet
8′ Bombarde
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (hooded, in
Antiphonal case)
Tremulant
Great to Great 16
Unison Off
Great to Great 4
Chimes

SWELL (Manual III, enclosed)
8′ Geigen
8′ Geigen Celeste (tenor c)
8′ Stopped Diapason
4′ Principal
4′ Clear Flute
2′ Octave
11⁄3′ Quint
2′ Plein Jeu III–IV
1′ Cymbale II
16′ Basson-Hautbois
8′ Trompette
8′ Hautbois (extension)
4′ Clairon
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Antiphonal)
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16
Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4

CHOIR (Manual I, enclosed)
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (extension)
8′ Rohrflöte
8′ Salicional
8′ Salicional Celeste (tenor c)
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Flute Celeste (tenor c)
4′ Principal
4′ Spielflöte
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Spitzflöte
13⁄5′ Tierce
11⁄3′ Larigot
1′ Sifflöte
8′ Oboe
8′ Bombarde (Great)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Antiphonal)
Tremulant
Choir to Choir 16
Unison Off
Choir to Choir 4

PEDAL
32′ Resultant (from Rohr Gedeckt)
16′ Principal
16′ Subbass
16′ Violone (Great)
16′ Rohr Gedeckt (Choir)
8′ Octave
8′ Pommer
8′ Violone (Great)
8′ Rohr Gedeckt (Choir)
4′ Choralbass
4′ Koppelflöte
2′ Octavebass
11⁄3′ Mixture II
32′ Contre Basson (extension/Swell)
16′ Posaune
16′ Basson (Swell)
8′ Trompete
8′ Basson (Swell)
4′ Schalmei
8′ Bombarde (Great)
8′ Fanfare Trumpet (Antiphonal)

Opus 49 Antiphonal/Chapel Organ

MANUAL
8′ Open Diapason (1–13 in façade)
8′ Stopped Diapason
8′ Dulciana
8′ Unda Maris
4′ Principal (1–6 in façade)
4′ Recorder
2′ Fifteenth
22⁄3′ Sesquialtera II (from middle c)
11⁄3′ Fourniture II–III
Tremulant

PEDAL
16′ Stopped Diapason (extension of
Manual stop)
8′ Stopped Diapason (Manual stop)
Manual to Pedal Coupler

Chapel console: One-manual mahogany keydesk with natural keys in maple and sharps in rosewood. Stop controls divided bass and treble (b-24/c-25) except Fourniture, Dulciana, and Unda Maris.

Chest action: Goulding & Wood’s exclusive design of electro-pneumatic slider and pallet windchest.

Casework: Dual façades with two sets of speaking display pipes. Woodwork designed and painted to match church interior.

Goulding & Wood, Inc.
823 Massachusetts Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

800/814-9690
[email protected]
www.gouldingandwood.com