Cover feature

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Solo au Récit
Solo Octave au Récit

Grand-Chœur au Solo

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

Ronald Ebrecht researches French music from 1870–1940 both for performance and publication. He has performed his reconstruction of the original versions of Duruflé’s organ works in Austria, Belarus, China, France, Germany, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, and across the U.S. He is University Organist of Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

Some scholars define French Impressionist composers as those born up to 1902 rather than 1900. This allows for the significant talent of the Debussy of the organ, Maurice Duruflé, who by the mid-20th century contributed to the musical world organ works that define Impressionistic virtuosity—and its most notable Gregorian-based Requiem, with an Impressionistic orchestral accompaniment.
Duruflé is Impressionist in his use of form, harmony, rhythm, and registration. Though organists are thought to favor counterpoint and there are contrapuntal movements, free forms predominate. He emulated his teacher Paul Dukas (1865–1935) not only in compositional style, but also like Dukas he left conspicuously little music for posterity. Beyond the beauty of his compositions, this scarceness may contribute to their being prized, for they are both rare and perfect, and, like the last of anything, especially delicious.
The music is consistently challenging and always rewarding. The melodies, harmonies, rhythm, registration—all grow more loved as they become more familiar, in part because long practice hours are necessary to learn these masterworks. The Suite, Opus 5 of 1934, sets performance demands that have not been exceeded—for the insight to interpret the subtle “Sicilienne,” or the technique necessary for the daunting “Toccata.” His scores are the pinnacle of organ writing, yet in all this remarkable complexity there is never a superfluous note. Duruflé regularly revised the pieces in later life. Of the major works, the Suite, Opus 5, had the fewest revisions from its first publication until the final version. The closing “Toccata” was, however, often the subject of his self-critical eye. He regularly disparaged the piece in masterclasses, never recorded it, advocated cuts, and eventually re-wrote the closing cadenza.
His continual reassessment of his works, his reticence to compose once he began teaching harmony at the Conservatoire National (Supérieur) de Musique in 1943, and his quiet, unassuming manner would have left his music on the shelf were it not for his marriage in 1953 to his brilliant, effusive student Jeanne Marie-Madeleine Chevalier (1921–1999). Her vividly remembered performances and recordings are public testament of her devotion to her husband; her care for him in his infirmity was her private testament. From her début to her final recitals, she performed his works with insight and verve.

Ties that bind:
Opus-to-instrument links in the first editions of the major organ works

The premise
Performance practice studies of other French composers such as Franck or Messiaen investigate connections between their music and the specifications and tone of the organs of which they were titulaire. For Duruflé, information gleaned from masterclasses and suggestions made to private pupils of the composer and of his wife have constituted the basis for performance. Though interesting, this advice given decades after the composition of the works was already stale. Many are unaware that the versions of the scores currently in print were changed from the originals because, unlike most composers who are eager to extend the copyright of their works, Duruflé never renewed his even when pieces such as the Scherzo and “Adagio” from Veni Creator were substantially altered.
For performance today, a careful re-examination of the Duruflé first editions and of the instruments at his disposal when the works were written suggests subtle yet important links between two organs and the compass and registration of the pieces. From 1926 to 1934, the years of his most active organ composition, he regularly played four instruments: in his home town Louviers, the parish church Notre-Dame; and in Paris, the cathedral Notre-Dame, and parishes Sainte-Clotilde and Saint-Étienne du Mont. Of these, he could only play his compositions using his indicated registrations on the organs of the churches he served as titulaire, Louviers and Saint-Étienne. Those where he assisted his Parisian teachers—Tournemire at Sainte-Clotilde then Vierne at the cathedral—were perhaps idealized but are not referenced in the registrations he suggests. These famous instruments are further precluded by their restricted compass.

The background
After a few years of piano and solfège lessons in Louviers, where his father was an architect, in 1912 Maurice went to study in the provincial capital, Rouen. After 1914, he was organist of two Rouen parishes: Saint-Sever and Saint-André, neither with interesting organs. In 1916, his father did design work for the country estate of conservatoire history professor Maurice Emmanuel. After an audition in Louviers, Duruflé began commuting to Paris for lessons with Tournemire to prepare for his entrance into the conservatoire. Emmanuel was a classmate, lifelong friend, and scholar of Claude Debussy. Emmanuel recounts an event he attended in 1887. Théodore Dubois, professor of harmony at the conservatoire, accompanied some verses of the Magnificat at the organ with the then “new” harmonies à la Debussy, using unresolved successions of ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths. Perhaps Emmanuel, a great raconteur, regaled the impressionable conservatoire-bound Duruflé by retelling this incident, or demonstrating the process at the organ, which we certainly hear in Duruflé’s writing.
Once admitted to the conservatoire, he won all the coveted prizes: premier prix in organ with Eugène Gigout in 1922, harmony with Jean Gallon in 1924, and accompaniment with Abel-César Estyle in 1926. That year he wrote his Scherzo to enter the composition program under Charles-Marie Widor. Widor was eventually officially replaced by Dukas, who may have been substituting for him. Duruflé obtained the premier prix of counterpoint, fugue and composition in 1928. In the next two years, he won the improvisation and playing competitions of the French organists’ association, Les Amis de l’Orgue. These dates—1926, 1929, 1930—are critical, for at this time Opus 2 and his two larger works Opus 4 and Opus 5 were in progress on that desk at which he notoriously used the eraser more than the pencil.
The Scherzo, Opus 2, a charming yet intimidating miniature, can be played on a much smaller organ than the large-scale works. The registrations were later changed by Duruflé to a more Neoclassic æsthetic, and the “da capo” was revised. The sonata-rondo form of this piece is exceptional for a scherzo, particularly because of the abrupt changes of tempo. The most remarkable textual variation from the modern version occurs in the da capo, or final reprise of the main scherzo theme. In the 1929 edition, Duruflé quotes the ascending chords from the third theme on the Grand Orgue between each phrase of the scherzo theme. These vignettes were removed in 1947.
The original registrations are more subtly linked to the themes, and sections of the piece are less abruptly demarcated. The effects such as multiple unison stops with Voix humaine, trémolo and sub-couplers are certainly luxurious. Throughout, the ample, embracing original registrations and less pronounced solos reinforce the Impressionistic atmosphere. (See Example 1.)
In addition to registrations, the Scherzo is linked to Louviers by its dedicatee: “A mon cher Maître Charles Tournemire, Hommage reconnaissant.” Tournemire performed the concert for the rededication of the Louviers organ in 1926, at which Duruflé also participated. Perhaps the Scherzo was then played, if only privately. Opus 2 specifies the quiet Récit flute as “Cor de nuit.” Louviers and organs from his Rouen period such as his teacher’s house organ were the ones he knew in 1926 with a Récit flute thus termed. A stop of this name is curiously absent from Duruflé’s monumental specification for Saint-Étienne du Mont of 1956.
Another piece that requests the Cor de nuit is the “Sicilienne” of the Suite, Opus 5, linking it to the Scherzo. In addition to stipulating “Cor de nuit,” the Scherzo and “Sicilienne” require the same manual and pedal compass. Although by 1926 Duruflé was quite familiar with the Sainte-Clotilde organ, its pedal compass precludes that organ. The “Sicilienne” explores a modal, proto-folk melody in the characteristic Sicilian rhythm. The solo appears first in the soprano using Hautbois and Cor de nuit, then in the tenor using Cor de nuit, Clarinette, and Nasard. The second statement is accompanied on the Positif with Bourdon and Dulciane 8'. The “Sicilienne” is further linked to the 1926 specification of Louviers by the request for two 8' strings and a 4' Dulciana on the Grand Orgue, which of all the organs known to him, only Louviers had. In the “Sicilienne,” the Récit “Oboe” is called “Hautbois,” while in the “Prélude” of the Suite, “Basson.” Some may argue that the names are synonyms, but are perhaps unaware that at Sainte-Clotilde, Notre-Dame de Paris, and Saint-Étienne du Mont, the Oboe is called “Basson” or “Basson-Hautbois,” while at Notre-Dame de Louviers, on the house organ of Jules Haelling, and at Saint-Sever, Rouen, the Récit stopped flute is “Cor de nuit” and the Oboe, “Hautbois.” These facts give evidence that the “Sicilienne” may be earlier than the other movements from the Suite and confirm that both works were conceived with Louviers as reference.
Two examples of nonfunctional harmony from the Scherzo and the “Sicilienne” can provide a synopsis of the many stylistic similarities between these two pieces. (See examples 2 and 3: Scherzo measures 181–190, and “Sicilienne” measures 57–61).

Two works linked to Saint-Étienne, as rebuilt in 1928
In 1930 when Prélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le thème du “Veni Creator,” Opus 4, won the composition prize of Les Amis de l’Orgue, Duruflé was but recently named to Saint-Étienne du Mont, where he had been substituting previously. This was not an instrument such as the monumental, hundred-stop Cavaillé-Coll at Saint-Sulpice played by his fellow Norman Marcel Dupré. Cavaillé-Coll’s Saint-Étienne rebuild of 1873 was succeeded by another in 1883. Renovations were continued by Théodore Puget in 1902 and in 1911 when the Récit was completed with a bass octave. Another rebuild was undertaken beginning in 1928 by Paul-Marie Koenig. This work continued for a time during Duruflé’s tenure, but was abandoned in April 1932. Though mechanically unreliable and unsatisfactory in other ways, Koenig provided 56-note manuals and a 32-note pedal, standard couplers, and a new manual order with the Grand Orgue on the bottom. The only known recital given in these years was by the blind organist Gaston Litaize in March 1931. After 1931 the organ went from bad to worse and ceased functioning sometime before it was dismantled for a rebuild by Debierre in April 1939. From then until 1956, Maurice Duruflé played the Puget choir organ.
The Prélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le thème du “Veni Creator” is the first work using Duruflé’s familiarity with the organ of Saint-Étienne as reference. A tenor register solo of Récit Clarinette 8' with Nasard is requested. Though the organ did not yet have one in 1928, the replacement of the Cor with a Clarinet was intended as shown in the composer’s specification for Beuchet in 1938, which rebuild would have been with electric action and super-couplers.
On most French organs of the time, pieces like the “Final” of Opus 4 and “Prélude” and “Toccata” of Opus 5 that conclude at the top of the keyboard and request the use of super-couplers in those passages would actually have had no pipes in that range because there were no chest extensions. Therefore, when Duruflé was making requests for super-couplers he had never actually heard them. Perhaps his real-life experience in 1943 of super-couplers with chest extensions at the Palais de Chaillot for the premier of Prélude et Fugue sur le nom ALAIN, Opus 7, convinced him to omit requests for them from the blazing finale of that fugue. One wonders why the sub- and super-coupler indications in Opus 4 and Opus 5 were not among his revisions.
Among many connections linking Opus 4 and Opus 5 to Saint-Etienne are registrations that request Positif at 8' “Principal,” “Bourdon,” and “Salicional” and 4' “Prestant” rather than the generic French names. Saint-Étienne is the only organ he knew offering this precise combination.
Before the introduction of combination action, ventils were used to produce a crescendo. The reeds and mixtures stop knobs were drawn, but the ventil kept them from speaking until a foot lever (appel) was activated. Saint-Étienne was not equipped with a ventil for the Positif because of mechanical limitations. The Opus 4 “Final” begins with Récit mixtures and reeds, Positif foundations, Grand Orgue and Pédale foundation stops with “Anches et Mixtures préparés.” The crescendo calls first for the Positif mixture then separately the reed, followed at Largemente by Grand Orgue and Pédale reeds and mixtures. The drawing of Positif single stops is facilitated by rests in the manual parts, while rests in the pedal allow the use of the appel for the Grand Orgue and Pédale. Because both Notre-Dame de Paris and Saint-Clotilde had a Positif appel, Duruflé’s suggestions in contradiction of standard practice seem clearly intended for Saint-Étienne. Comparison of compass added to the analysis of composite registrations and specifications reinforces the pairings of Scherzo and “Sicilienne” to Louviers and Veni Creator and Suite to Saint-Étienne.
Opus 4 (Veni Creator) was substantially altered in August 1956, and the revised version was issued by the publisher from 1957 onward. There are extensive revisions of the climax, which though treating the same theme, has a much more rhythmically complicated and technically difficult accompaniment. Passages bear a very striking similarity to accompanimental figures in the orchestrated version of the Scherzo. As in the rewriting of the Scherzo da capo, the rewriting of the Adagio climactic section includes removal of interruptions to the crescendo, showing Neoclassic motivation. Tempo and registration revisions seem calculated to make the effect of the piece more homogenized.
A second enclosed division (Positif or Grand orgue) is another curiosity. There was an enclosed Grand orgue on the Haelling studio organ in Rouen where he had lessons in his youth, but he never had one on any organ of which he was titular nor any he designed. Yet, he suggests an enclosed Grand Orgue by a crescendo in the “Prélude” of Opus 4 and a decrescendo in the “Prélude” of Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’ALAIN, Opus 7.
Although theoretical aspects of the compositional structure of the organ works may exceed the space limitations of this article, similar to the cadence preference of Duruflé in his choral works, third modulations are important. This is clearly demonstrated through the key relationships of the movements of the Suite, which progress by major thirds. The “Prélude” is in E-flat minor, the “Sicilienne” is in G minor and the “Toccata” is in B minor.

In conclusion
The examination of the original registrations of the pre-war works makes clear that when writing them, Duruflé’s model organ was highly influenced by nineteenth-century instruments with strings, celestes and harmonic flutes. His registrations are sometimes generic, such as “Anches” or “Fonds”; however, when specific—“Principal,” “Dulciana 4,” “Cor de nuit,” “Hautbois”—they have been shown to be references to two instruments: Louviers in 1926 and Saint-Étienne in 1928. The composite of the original registrations of the four major works requires 49 manual stops: four 16' flues, thirteen 8' flues, two 16' reeds and six 8' reeds. In the nineteenth century, Barker machines were used to divide the chest between foundations and the reeds/mixtures, which could be controlled by ventils. Cavaillé-Coll and other builders of the late nineteenth century used Barker lever-assisted playing action. The placement of the Positif manual below the Récit and above the Grand Orgue is consistent in all editions of the major works.
Tempo indications were altered in the printed versions. Tempo markings are generally less contrasting in revisions than in original versions. The composer’s ability to update the Scherzo while changing so few notes is quite adept, but the vignettes in the final statement recall the slower themes and intensify his original whimsical concept. The revisions of Opus 2 and Opus 4, and tempo changes, especially taken together with the less warm registrations, lead to this conclusion: in later life he wished them to sound more reserved and matter-of-fact. These “homogenizations” appear to have Neoclassic motivation.
Thus, in many ways, the first edition version of the organ works sounded quite different to his ears and those of his contemporaries when played on instruments of the period with their original Romantic registrations. Their tone and voicing was smooth. Their power was derived from reeds that were rich in fundamental. Unfortunately, most of the instruments Duruflé knew in 1919–1934 have been altered beyond recognition.
In his style there is nothing especially progressive, as one encounters in Stravinsky or Schoenberg. Duruflé was able to manipulate his Ravelian harmonies, Gregorian-like melodies, and contrapuntal textures to go to the very core of the listener’s life. For his is a music that eschews tantalizing the intellect but, in the interest of art, above all pleases the ear. To the end, Duruflé retained the same principles of creativity, which excluded nothing of human warmth. The organs of the turn of the century can inform the performer. The links are too close and too numerous to be coincidental. These are the ties that inextricably bind the works, both the last and the summit of Impressionist organ music, to the late Romantic organ tone for which they were written.

Notre-Dame, Louviers, John Abbey 1887/Convers 1926
I Grand Orgue (54 notes)
16' Montre
16' Bourdon
8' Montre
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Violoncelle
8' Gambe
4' Prestant
4' Dulciana
2' Doublette
Cornet
Plein jeu III
16' Basson
8' Trompette
4' Clairon

II Positif (54 notes)
8' Flûte
8' Bourdon
8' Salicional
8' Unda maris
4' Prestant
4' Flûte douce
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Doublette
8' Clarinette
8' Trompette

III Récit (54 notes)
8' Flûte
8' Cor de nuit
8' Gambe
8' Voix céleste
4' Flûte 4
22⁄3' Quinte
2' Octavin
13⁄5' Tierce
1' Piccolo
16' Cor anglais (free reed)
8' Trompette
8' Hautbois
8' Voix humaine

Pédale (32 notes)
16' Contrebasse
16' Soubasse
8' Flûte
8' Bourdon
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette

Saint-Étienne du Mont, Paris, Cavaillé-Coll 1883/Puget 1911/Koenig, 1928

I Grand Orgue (56 notes)
16' Montre
16' Bourdon
8' Montre
8' Bourdon
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Gambe
8' Flûte creuse
4' Prestant
2' Doublette
Plein-Jeu VI
Cornet V
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
4' Clairon

II Positif (56 notes)
8' Salicional
8' Unda Maris
8' Bourdon
8' Principal
4' Prestant
4' Bourdon
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Doublette
Fourniture III
Sesquialtera II
8' Cromorne
8' Trompette

III Récit expressif (56 notes)
16' Quintaton
8' Cor de Chamois
8' Flûte
8' Gambe
8' Voix céleste
4' Flûte
4' Salicet
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Octavin
13⁄5' Tierce
Plein-Jeu III
8' Trompette
8' Cor
8' Basson-Hautbois
8' Voix humaine
4' Clairon

Pédale (32 notes)
32' Soubasse
16' Soubasse
16' Contrebasse
10' Quinte
8' Dolce

8' Flûte
4' Flûte
Carillon III
16' Bombarde
10' Trompette-Quinte
8' Trompette
4' Clairon

Saint-Étienne du Mont, proposed specification of 1938

I Grand Orgue
16' Montre
16' Bourdon
8' Montre
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Bourdon
5' Gros Nasard
4' Prestant
4' Flûte
22⁄3' Quinte
2' Doublette 2
Plein jeu II
Plein jeu IV
Cornet V
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
4' Clairon

II Positif
8' Principal (timbre flûté)
8' Salicional
8' Bourdon
4' Prestant
4' Flûte à cheminée
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Quarte de Nasard
13⁄5' Tierce
Fourniture III
Cymbale III
8' Trompette
8' Cromorne
4' Clairon

III Récit expressif
16' Quintaton
8' Diapason
8' Flûte ouverte
8' Cor de nuit
8' Gambe
8' Voix céleste
4' Flûte
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Octavin
13⁄5' Tierce
1' Piccolo
Plein jeu IV
16' Bombarde-acoustique
8' Trompette
8' Clarinette
8' Basson-Hautbois
8' Voix humaine
4' Clairon
IV Écho expressif
8' Quintaton
4' Principal italien
2' Doublette
Terciane II (Tierce 13⁄5' et
Larigot 11⁄3')
Cymbale III
8' Hautbois d’Écho
4' Chalumeau

Pédale
32' Bourdon
16' Principal
16' Bourdon (ext)
10' Quinte
8' Principal
8' Flûte
8' Bourdon
4' Principal
4' Flûte
Grand Fourniture V
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
4' Clairon

Composite of registrations of the Scherzo, Opus 2 (III 54/30) and “Sicilienne,” Opus 5b (III 54/31)

I Grand Orgue exp
8' Montre
8' Flûte
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Gambe
8' Salicional
4' Dulciane
III/I, II/I
III/I 16'

II Positif exp (middle manual)
8' Flûte harmonique
8' Flûte douce
8' Bourdon
8' Dulciane
4' Bourdon

III Récit exp
8' Flûte
8' Cor de nuit
8' Gambe
8' Voix céleste
4' Flûte
22⁄3' Nasard
2' Octavin
8' Hautbois
8' Clarinette
8' Voix humaine
Trémolo

Pédale
32' Soubasse
16' Soubasse
16' Bourdon
8' Flûte
8' Bourdon
III, II, I/Péd

Comparison of composite registrations derived from first editions of Veni Creator, Opus 4, and “Prélude” and “Toccata” from the Suite, Opus 5.

Opus 4         Opus 5
56/30           58/31

I Gd. Orgue        I Gd. Orgue
Montre 16           Fonds 16
Bourdon 16
Montre 8             Fonds 8
Bourdon 8
Fl. harm. 8
Prestant 4             Fonds 4
Quinte
Fond 2
Mixtures               Mixtures
Anches 16, 8, 4     Anches 16, 8, 4
                            (Bombarde 16)
III/I, II/I 8, 4         II/I, III/I 8, 4
III/I 16                 III/I, II/I 16

II Positif exp         II Positif
Bourdon 16
Fonds 8
Principal 8          Principal 8
Salicional 8         Salicional 8
Flûte 8

Bourdon 8           Bourdon 8
Prestant 4            Fonds 4
Fond 2
Mixtures             Mixtures
Anches 8, 4         Anches 8, 4
Clarinette 8
III/II                 III/II

III Réc. exp         III Réc. exp
Fonds 16
Fond 8                 Fonds 8
Flûte 8
Bourdon 8             Bourdon 8
Gambe 8
Voix céleste
Fond 4                 Fonds 4
Flûte 4
Nasard
Fond 2
Octavin
Mixtures                Mixtures
Anches 16, 8, 4
Trompette 8         Tpt douce 8
Hautbois 8            Basson 8
Clarinette 8
V. humaine 8
Clairon 4
Trémolo

Pédale                 Pédale
Fonds 32
Flûte 32
Bourdon 32
Fond 16               Fond 16
Flûte 16
Soubasse 16         Bourdon 16
Fond 8                 Fond 8
Flûte 8
Bourdon 8           Bourdon 8
Flûte 4                Flûte 4
Anches 32–4        Anches 32–4
                        (Bombarde 32)
I,II,III/Péd         I,II,III/Péd
II,III/Péd 4         II,III/Péd 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glück New York Organbuilders, New York, New York
Union Church of Pocantico Hills, Tarrytown, New York

From the pastor: Our latest chapter When Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse never miss a service, and a church is blessed with a warm, close, and giving congregation, special events in the life of a church somehow become even more special. The commissioning of the Laurance Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Pipe Organ was a remarkable milestone in our history, and a finishing touch to our beautiful sanctuary, 85 years after its cornerstone was laid. The instrument was funded by Mr. Rockefeller’s brother, David, his daughter, Dr. Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky, and other members of the family, supplemented by the generosity of their fellow congregants and friends.
Planning for the organ began several years ago and proceeded at a careful pace. Several organbuilders were consulted before selecting Sebastian M. Glück of New York City. An organist, organbuilder, and preservation architect, he was sensitive to all of our concerns, knowing that his creation could neither upstage our worship nor compete with the peerless stained glass that adorns our landmark church. The long process of on-site voicing and tonal finishing resulted in the “perfect fit” of this outstanding pipe organ. The congregation’s sense of the holy is lifted as the clear tones of the organ fill the space. Praising God in the sanctuary soars here to new heights!
—Rev. Dr. F. Paul DeHoff

From the consultant: Looking forward through the rear view mirror

Building an organ for a small space is a challenge for both design and execution, and these challenges have been creatively met in this installation. The builders have carefully engineered the instrument to fit the space, providing good tonal egress and ample accessibility for ease of tuning and maintenance. The instrument possesses character and a distinctive personality, and the magnificent windows by Matisse and Chagall made it seem fitting to emulate the orgue de chœur of the French tradition. Choral and congregational accompaniments are the important functions of this organ, and it contains surprising resources for playing a considerable variety of organ literature.
Essentially a two-manual instrument, a third manual division has been derived from the tonal scheme through studied extension and duplexing. This “found” Positif adds to the versatility of the organ in which each stop must pull its weight, individually and in ensemble. The success of this master plan is in its careful scaling and meticulous tonal finishing.
All of the ranks embody individual character, yet blend effectively in the total ensemble. Some of the ranks deserve special mention because of their creativity and success in this installation. The 16' Contrebasse gives clarity and definition to the pedal, and in combination with the stopped 16' Sous Basse provides a firm foundation. The Contrebasse can also be used beneath the Récit strings, which have a delightful, sizzling, French edge as well. This is a welcome relief from the ubiquitous 16' Gedeckt extensions found on most organs. As the bass to the principal chorus, the 16' Contrebasse undergirds with clarity. An interesting historical aspect of this stop is that it was typical of French Baroque churches to have a double bass playing with the orgue de chœur for additional sonority. On the manuals, this same rank (playing as the 8' Violoncelle) has a desirable incisive quality that is important for color and contrast in the family of foundation stops.
Another stop that serves multiple functions is the Clarinette. It provides gravity and weight as the 16' manual stop for the Récit reed chorus without competing with the Pédale 16' Bombarde. As an 8' solo stop it is more refined than a Cromorne, but has more color and personality that most other Clarinet stops. This is an effective solution for a small instrument.
The removal of the carpet from the chancel revealed an attractive hardwood floor that adds warmth to the music of the organ and the Union Church Choir.
This project was the outcome of a happy collaboration among organist, organbuilder, and consultant. The congregation and its pastor have been most helpful in making this a successful project with rewarding musical results. I am happy to be associated with this organ installation, from the initial discussions, through the building phase, to the dedication and inaugural recital.
—Dr. Gordon Turk

From the director of music: An about-face in the right direction

My service at Union Church began in 1999 when our last organ had aged precisely 30 years. Replacing Wurlitzer’s 1922 Opus 548, it had been assembled by a local organ man utilizing pipes imported from Holland. Unfortunately, the electric valve action of this heavily unified instrument had not withstood the test of time, and Union Church faced the pressing need to replace its console, relays, and playing mechanisms, as well as address the obvious tonal imbalances. After much discussion, the church decided that a new instrument would be a better investment.
The thin, prismatic sound of the old organ, truly a product of its time, actually required amplification to reach our small sanctuary, and from the outset Sebastian Glück had suggested a completely different approach, based upon his ongoing fascination with the orgues de chœur and orgues de salon of fin-de-siècle France. I had the opportunity to play his Opus 10 at Our Lady of Loretto in Cold Spring, New York, a small new organ in this French Romantic style, and I became convinced of both the concept and the builder.
Our consultant agreed with my stipulation that the instrument should be a worthy vehicle for choral accompaniment. He also concurred that Mr. Glück’s focus on a French symphonic character would serve our worship better than yet another neoclassical design, as it could more effectively support our choir with its abundance of properly scaled unison ranks. We were hopeful that the sound generated in the right chancel chamber would somehow fill the entire room, a feat dependent upon Sebastian’s scaling and voicing, as no changes could be made to the historic building. Ironically, all of these ideals represented the opposite of the situation with which we started!
Mr. Glück and I pored over the smaller documented Cavaillé-Coll designs, and I shared his excitement when he returned from his close examination of the famous Merklin/Mutin organ at l’Église Réformée du Saint-Esprit on Paris’s Rue Roquépine as he prepared for his tonal work at Union Church. Although the prototype instruments by Cavaillé-Coll and Mutin usually found their way into highly reverberant rooms, he was correct in asserting that an organ of this character would bloom with a greater presence in our intimate setting than another neo-Baroque organ.
I am elated that the entire church family and the local organ community have expressed nothing but admiration and enthusiasm for this new musical instrument. Its frank sound and rich color activate every corner of the room without ever sounding “loud.” It is thrilling to launch a virile grand chœur in the context of our worship, and satisfying to employ the fonds d’huit without apology. These marvelous attributes do not preclude the performance of music from other schools of literature, as this organ embraces the components of a respectable plein jeu as well as solo stops and ensembles of great clarity.
I often ponder the fact that our new pipe organ continues to be a gift each and every time it is engaged in its sacred function. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. David Rockefeller, Dr. Lucy Waletzky, Dr. Paul DeHoff, Dr. Gordon Turk, Mr. Sebastian M. Glück, Mr. Albert Jensen-Moulton and the entire Glück staff, as well as all of the donors at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills who made this amazing instrument a reality.
—Thomas Zachacz

From the organbuilder: A French recipe from an American chef

The Laurance Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Pipe Organ is a 21st-century instrument inspired by the school of organbuilding that flourished late in the reign of Napoléon III and during the first 30 years of the Third Republic. The French Romantic organ is characterized by bold, warm, and rich colors. Despite their strong individuality, these organs’ diverse voices form a cooperative community akin to a superb ensemble of celebrated actors, in which the sum of the distinctive parts is exceeded by the exhilarating effect of the whole.
French pipe organs and music of the period exhibit the same passion and spiritual freedom as the painting, sculpture, architecture, and dance of the era, a phenomenon that has captivated the Rockefellers for generations. The family had commissioned the Aeolian company to build large organs for their homes, so in addition to growing up with historically pivotal visual arts, they appreciated the pipe organ in a secular, purely musical context, in addition to what they heard in church.
I made it clear from the start that this would not be an historical copy. The copyist develops solid technique, but does not always make artistic progress as he reproduces the flaws and limitations of his models along with their glories.
The Rockefeller family and Union Church have consistently managed to balance strong tradition with a keen eye for the new. Since my own mindset has always been on “the cutting edge of the passé,” I felt immediately comfortable with them. I could create something new that still took its cues from the past, and they would understand what I was doing. As Dr. Turk said at his dedicatory recital, the organ comes with its own character, but “it has a definite French accent.”

Historical antecedents of the design
Le Grand-Orgue

The structural blueprint of the Grand-Orgue was influenced by Cavaillé-Coll’s 1879 design for the same division in the II/18 instrument in Le Château du Compte de Liminghe, Gesves, Belgium, an orgue de salon for which Lemmens served as consultant. It struck me as a sensible and still-modern concept for the main division for nearly any school of composition. Such compact specifications usually bore either a 2' chorus member or a mixture, but rarely both. The inclusion of both, to the exclusion of yet another 4' flute, seemed to afford more options for the interpretation of a broader range of repertoire. The Fourniture II–IV begins as a Progression Harmonique, adding lower pitches without breaking, then moves to classical plagal breaks in the treble. With slightly smaller scales and higher cutups, the mixture is one that melds smoothly, adding brilliance and line without the harsh separation one might encounter from a “neo-classical” mixture.
Supplying the fonds d’huit would prove more difficult, simply because of space. While the 16' Bourdon was most often “duplexed” to the Pédale in such instruments, I reversed the procedure, extending the substantial 16' Sous Basse upward, making it available at 16' and 8' pitch. The 8' proved a bit too large for proper balance, so I provided a new treble with narrower scales and higher mouths. The 8' Violoncelle is large, warm, vibrant, and nearly reedy, furnishing the third member of the 8' quartet, but we had run out of room.' The 8' Flûte Harmonique was almost pulled out of thin air. I opted to transmit the Récit 4' Flûte Octaviante an octave lower, with one personal quirk. While traditionally one would build an open wood 8' octave (as opposed to the American practice of switching to non-matching stopped pipes), the compromise was to use the stopped poplar pipes of the Récit 8' Cor de Nuit for the first eleven notes, and then build a single low BB pipe of open spotted pewter to complete the octave. My reasoning? I cannot bear to hear the final left-hand note in Franck’s Prélude, Fugue, et Variation land on a stopped pipe, and I was determined that it not happen here. It is a smaller, less soaring sound than normal, being based upon the Récit scale, but provides an essential component that otherwise would be omitted.

Le Récit-Expressif

The Récit had to be an economically designed powerhouse, faithful to its French spirit without locking out other schools of music. Since the French Romantic tradition is one that specifies a string and its undulant under expression, the effect had to be authentic. There would be no washed out, noncommittal, characterless Violas here. Cutting, pungent, keen, energized strings of narrow scale and high tin content were the order of the day, emitting the tone color known and expected by composers and organists of the era.
Cavaillé-Coll would modify his choir of 8', 4', and 2' harmonic flutes in his small organs, and I did so as well. Still stylistically appropriate, the chimneyed 8' Cor de Nuit is a fine stop for continuo use and vocal accompaniment, and it combines beautifully with the Viole de Gambe and Voix Humaine. The 2' Flûte Conique adapts to all music, from Baroque trios to modern choir accompaniments. While unidiomatic to the size and genre of this organ, the 4' Prestant has proven itself to be indispensable, a tonal anchor for the secondary manual in northern literature, and a binding element for anthem accompaniment.
A shortage of space placed the burden of all reed tone upon the Récit. The “usual suspects” (Trompette, Basson et Hautbois, and Voix Humaine) had to be included, tailored to the intimate church and its non-reverberant acoustic. The first step was to acknowledge that a full-throttle blaze of French reeds would work against our goals, so a bright English trumpet with harmonic resonators fit the bill. Despite its modest scale this voice speaks with remarkable authority.
The 8' Basson et Hautbois is a variation of what I had observed in France. French practice called for single-taper resonators and closed, tapered shallots for the bass and tenor octaves, and stem-and-bell resonators and open, domed, parallel shallots for the remainder of the stop. Such a break would have been abrupt and evident in Union Church’s acoustic, so a structural compromise was struck: Bertounêche shallots throughout, with traditional, coned-in Hautbois resonators for the treble, and stem-and-bell resonators with lifting lids for the 8' and 4' Basson octaves.
The huge, woody 16' Clarinette-Basse is a rarity of great impact if properly scaled, built, and voiced. The inspiration for this stop was Cavaillé-Coll’s 1894 design for the III/46 instrument in the salle de concert in the hôtel particulier of the erudite Baron de l’Espée at 55 Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It was the only 16' manual reed in the organ, residing in one of two powerful Récits.
Half-length cylindrical reeds such as this effectively resonate the fundamental, whereas half-length inverted conical ones do not. It is for this reason that the half-length 16' Bassoon extensions so often built sound weak and thin. I opted for an enormous scale, a world away from the anæmic 16' Dulzians that plagued this nation’s Swell divisions in decades past. Its sound latches on to the 8' Trompette and gives the impression of a 16' Double Trumpet when accompanying English anthems and adds complex color to the ensemble.

Le Positif (perdu et trouvé)

When Union Church embarked on this journey, I maintained the position that I would build a smaller, finer instrument than the one they were using, and that a three-manual organ was not possible; I have seen grand dreams push organ projects to unsatisfactory results, and was ethically bound to protect the clients. As the two-manual design was in the process of refinement, Dr. Turk, Mr. Zachacz, and I collectively admitted that despite the sumptuousness of our little banquet, we still felt pangs of hunger. Could we have a third manual for dessert, even though our stomach was full?
While I could not add a third manual division, I could extract one from the material at hand. Cavaillé-Coll’s designs revealed that there were many ‘givens’, trends, and features within his œuvre, but there were no “standard” specifications, beyond the marketed stock models, which were so often customized for the client. A creative license had been granted.
The 8' extension of the 16' Clarinette-Basse, speaking from the Grand-Orgue in the two-manual design, was the first resident of the new Positif. The mezzo-forte fluework was duplexed to this manual, and two 4' extensions, exclusively in this department, provided it a distinctive timbre and center of gravity. Having lived with this organ since its completion, no one involved can imagine it as a two-manual instrument in light of the returns on this small investment.

La Pédale

Two-manual organs of this style often had pedal divisions borrowed entirely from the manuals. As I had no desire to fall back upon historic precedent as an excuse for absent majesty, I asked organbuilder and consultant Randall Wagner, a longtime friend, to help our firm engineer my desires into the available space.
In addition to the aforementioned 16' Sous Basse unit, there is a 16' Contrebasse, an extension of the 8' Violoncelle. It is built with Haskell re-entrant tubes to save space, and maintains bowing string tone all the way to 16' CCC. The 16' string extension is something I had used in Opus 5, Opus 8, and Opus 9, lending variety, pitch definition, and clarity in lieu of the dull “Echo Lieblich” so often found over the past century.
The 4' Quinzième is an independent principal stop essential to the pedal line. Experience confirms that a 4' pedal voice borrowed from a manual unit interferes with the inner voices of polyphony, contributing to “missing note syndrome” and never quite balancing correctly. When funds and space are rationed, such a measure saves the pedal line.
The 16' Bombarde, with full-length resonators, is an extension of the 8' Trompette. The combined result of all of these ideas results in a more effective pedal division.

The nuts and bolts

The organ’s playing action is electro-pneumatic, combining pitman windchests with individual-pouch unit chests for extensions and duplexed voices. The pipe ranks are planted in major third formation, a centuries-old arrangement that assures both easy access and stable tuning. A turbine located beneath the organ delivers wind at a pressure of four inches water column through single-rise reservoirs, providing a stable, unfailing wind supply, even when the tout ensemble is unleashed. The intake is routed from the church itself for added temperature stability, and the entire organ is built on the same level, with the exception of the 16' octaves.
The console is constructed of mahogany and white oak, bearing manual keyboards of cow bone and walnut. The drawknobs and toe studs are turned from pao ferro, and the pedal clavier is constructed of maple and rosewood. I carved the music desk with a medallion that adheres to this firm’s ideals of “opulent restraint.” It acknowledges 19th-century French harmonium grilles as well as the Art Nouveau botanical forms in Matisse’s rose window, his final work, the design for which he completed two days before his death.
While the console is patterned after the work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, there are some concessions to make the contemporary American organist feel more at home, such as the inter-manual couplers front and center, controlled by Skinner-style dominos. The Grand-Orgue is normally played from the second manual keyboard, but the order of the two lowest manuals can be switched to conform to standard 19th-century French layouts. A 256-level combination action provides the freedom of kaleidoscopic registrational changes, so the ventils for the jeux de combinaisons have been foregone.

Where thanks is due

As I said at the service of dedication, my staff does everything, and I do the rest. They are all degreed musicians (oddly, all professional singers) with high standards and amazing work ethics. Albert Jensen-Moulton has kept every single project (and me) on track, and his uncanny attention to detail has enhanced each achievement this company has made since he joined the firm. Dominic Inferrera and Joseph DiSalle were the two principal organbuilding pillars supporting the success of this instrument, and their loyalty is deeply appreciated.
Thomas Zachacz maintains a modest front for somebody who knows as much as he does, and his love for this school of organbuilding and composition surfaces with every discussion. From the start, Tom “got it,” and the process of working for him was not just rewarding, it was fun.
The experience was enhanced by the guidance of a knowledgeable, worldly, and supportive consultant, Dr. Gordon Turk, and when he played the dedicatory recital, it was obvious to all that he understood the nuances of instrument he helped to create.
Pastor DeHoff, the Board of Trustees, and the congregation of Union Church form a rare group of cultured, inquisitive, progressive minds, and their willingness to embrace this project will always remain a notable feature of this period in our lives.
Without the donors, this road would not have been traveled. Without their trust and insight, the results might have been different. Buying a great painting is one thing. Commissioning one from an artist you admire is another. But trusting an unknown to build you a mysterious machine that some time in the future will produce sounds you have never heard takes a good deal of courage. Some of the donors I have met, others I have not, but it is for their trust and courage that I shall always be grateful.
—Sebastian M. Glück

The Laurance Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Pipe Organ
Union Church of Pocantico Hills,
Tarrytown, New York
Glück New York, Opus 11

GRAND-ORGUE (II)
16' Bourdon (from Pédale)
8' Montre (58 pipes, 50% tin)
8' Violoncelle (58 pipes, 50% tin)
8' Flûte Harmonique (1 pipe, 50% tin) (a)
8' Bourdon (38 pipes, pine, mahogany, & 50% tin) (b)
4' Prestant (58 pipes, 50% tin)
2' Doublette (58 pipes, 50% tin)
II–IV Fourniture (196 pipes, 50% tin)
C1 19.22
C13 15.19.22
C25 12.15.19.22
C37 08.12.15.19
C49 01.08.12.15
8' Trompette (from Récit Expressif)
Grand-Orgue Muet
RÉCIT-EXPRESSIF (III)
8' Viole de Gambe (58 pipes, 90% tin)
8' Voix Céleste (46 pipes, 90% tin)
8' Cor de Nuit (58 pipes, poplar, walnut, & 50% tin)
4' Prestant (58 pipes, 50% tin)
4' Flûte Octaviante (58 pipes, 50% tin)
2' Flûte Conique (58 pipes, 50% tin)
16' Clarinette-Basse (12 pipes, 50% tin) (c)
8' Trompette (58 pipes, 50% tin)
8' Basson et Hautbois (58 pipes, 50% tin)
8' Voix Humaine (58 pipes, 30% tin)
Tremblant (I et III)
16' Récit
Récit Muet
4' Récit
POSITIF-EXPRESSIF (I)
8' Violoncelle (Grand Orgue)
8' Flûte Harmonique (Grand Orgue)
8' Cor de Nuit (Récit-Expressif)
4' Viole d’Amour (12 pipes, 50% tin) (d)
4' Flûte Douce (12 pipes, 50% tin) (e)
8' Clarinette (58 pipes, 30% tin)
Cloches
16' Positif
Positif Muet
4' Positif
PÉDALE
16' Sous Basse (32 pipes, poplar & walnut)
102/3' Gros Nasard (from Sous Basse) (g)
8' Octave Basse (Grand-Orgue)
8' Violoncelle (Grand-Orgue)
8' Flûte (Grand-Orgue Bourdon)
4' Quinzième (32 pipes, 50% tin)
4' Flûte Ouverte (Récit-Expressif)
4' Flûte Bouchée (Grand-Orgue Bourdon)
16' Bombarde (12 pipes, zinc) (h)
16' Clarinette-Basse (Récit-Expressif)
8' Trompette (Récit-Expressif)
4' Clarinette (Récit-Expressif)
Cloches

(a) C1–A#11 from Récit Cor de Nuit;
C13–A58 from Récit Flûte Octaviante
(b) Extension of Pédale 16¢ Sous Basse
(c) Extension of Positif 8¢ Clarinette
(d) Extension of Grand Orgue 8¢ Violoncelle
(e) Extension of Récit 8¢ Cor de Nuit
(f) Extension of Grand Orgue 8¢ Violoncelle
(g) Becomes a 32¢ Contre Bourdon at C13
(h) Extension of Récit 8¢ Trompette
Tirasses, Accouplements et Échanges (dominos basculants)
* 8' Tirasse Grand Orgue
* 8' Tirasse Positif
* 8' Tirasse Récit
4' Tirasse Récit

16' Récit au Grand Orgue
* 8' Récit au Grand Orgue
4' Récit au Grand Orgue
16' Positif au Grand Orgue
* 8' Positif au Grand Orgue
4' Positif au Grand Orgue
8' Grand Orgue au Positif

16' Récit au Positif
* 8' Récit au Positif
4' Récit au Positif
Grand Orgue au lieu du Positif

* Piston et Cuillère
Combinaisons (256 levels)
6 adjustable thumb pistons acting upon each manual division
6 adjustable thumb pistons and toe studs acting upon the Pédale division
8 adjustable thumb pistons and toe studs acting upon the entire organ
Tutti thumb piston and cuillère
Annulateur piston
Set piston

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pédale
Soubasse 16
Flûte 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pédale
Soubasse 16
Flûte 8
Basson 16

Tirasse GO
Tirasse Récit
Anches Récit
Anches GO
Copula
Trémolo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Janet Anuta Dalquist holds degrees from Macalester College, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the University of Michigan. She began playing for church services at the age of 12, served as a substitute organist in various churches from 1956–1988, and in 1989 was appointed organist at Portage Lake United Church (UPUSA/UCC), Houghton, Michigan. She is a co-founder of the Organists of the Keweenaw and holds memberships in the AGO, PAM, ALCM, OHS and the Hymn Society. As a professional academic librarian, she served as director of the Suomi College (now Finlandia University) library from 1968 to 1984 and as collection manager of the J. Robert Van Pelt Library at Michigan Technological University in Houghton from 1984 to 1994.

Trinity Episcopal Church
205 East Montezuma, Houghton, MI 49931; 906/482-2010.
Austin, 1913, 3M, 26 ranks; new console, 1958; rebuilt with new console, 1976; rebuilt, Roscoe Wheeler, Iron Mountain, MI, 1987; repaired, including reinstallation of the Echo organ, Lauck, 2004.
Placement: chancel, right side, in well facing the opposite side

GREAT
8' Open Diapason Rank 1
8' Clarabella Rank 2
8' Dulciana Choir
4' Octave Rank 3
4' Stopped Flute Choir
2' Fifteenth (ext of Rank 1)
III Mixture Ranks 4-5-6
Great 16
Great 4
Great Unison Off
Swell to Great 16, 8, 4
Choir to Great 16, 8, 4
Echo on Great
Echo on Great Off
Chimes (Echo) 25 bars

SWELL
16' Bourdon Rank 12
8' Rohrflute Rank 13
8' Viole d’Orchestre Rank 14
4' Geigen Principal Rank 15
4' Flute Harmonique Rank 16
22⁄3' Nazard Rank 17
2' Flautino Rank 18
8' Cornopean Rank 19
8' Oboe Rank 20
Tremolo
Swell 16, 4
Swell Unison Off

CHOIR
8' Violin Cello Rank 7
8' Spitzflute Rank 8
8' Dulciana Rank 9
4' Flute Rank 10
8' Clarinet Rank 11
Tremolo
Choir 16, 4
Choir Unison Off
Swell to Choir 16, 8, 4

ECHO
8' Chimney Flute Rank 21
8' Viole Aetheria Rank 22
8' Vox Angelica Rank 23
4' Fern Flute Rank 24
8' Cor Anglais Rank 25
8' Vox Humana Rank 26
Tremolo
Chimes 25 Bars
16' Pedal Bourdon (ext of Rank 21)

PEDAL
32' Resultant Bass Wired
16' Open Diapason (ext of Rank 1)
16' Bourdon Rank 27
16' Contra Dulciana (ext of Rank 9)
16' Gedeckt Swell
8' Flute (ext of Rank 27)
16' Echo Bourdon (ext of Rank 21)
Great to Pedal 8, 4
Swell to Pedal 8, 4
Choir to Pedal 8, 4

Programmable thumb pistons under each manual
Toe pistons: 10 General; 5 Pedal with some reversibles
Crescendo pedal
Swell expression
Choir expression
Choir and Great are on same wind chest

The forming of the Houghton Episcopal congregation began in 1860. The parish was officially founded in 1861 when the congregation entered into an agreement with members of the Congregational denomination to jointly construct a building in Hancock. Disagreement followed as to which denomination the building would be dedicated. The Episcopalians, who comprised the majority of the joint church board, floated the building across Portage Lake to Houghton to the site of the present church. Construction on the present church began in 1907 and was completed in 1910 when it was dedicated.
The Austin organ was installed in 1912 with the dedicatory service played by Edwin Arthur Kraft of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio. The Echo organ was dedicated in 1924 with a recital played by Joseph Kershaw. During a building renovation in the 1970s the wind lines and electrical work to the Echo organ were dismantled. In 2001 Father Ted Durst initiated refurbishing during which time the Echo organ was again connected to the main organ. A re-dedicatory recital was played in 2002 by Deward Rahm of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chicago, Illinois. (Sources: Centennial History; recital service bulletin)

•

Lake Linden and Hubbell

Heritage Center (former First Congregational Church), Lake Linden, MI. Property of Houghton County Historical Museum Society.
Garret House, Buffalo, New York, 1873–4, 2M/23 stops, tracker, installed 1887; cleaned, Dana Hull, 2001; cleaned and restored, blower replaced 2002, Helmut Schick, Ann Arbor, MI
Placement: left front of sanctuary, bench faces away from audience

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Viol d’Amour (TC)
8' Stopped Diapason Bass
8' Melodia
4' Flute
4' Principal
2' Fifteenth
Tremolo

SWELL (enclosed)
8' Open Diapason
8' Clarabella (TC)
8' Stopped Diapason Bass
8' Stopped Diapason Treble
4' Violina
8' Hautboy (TC)

PEDAL
16' Bourdon

Couplers
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Tracker (mechanical) action; parts and case are all hand-crafted
580 pipes, 12 ranks, 2 manuals, 25 pedals
Hitch-down Swell pedal
May be hand-winded (pumped)

The organ was built in 1873–74 in Buffalo, New York, shipped to Lake Linden, and then transported in 1874 to the Congregational Church in Calumet, which served the wealthy class during the copper boom era. It was replaced there by a larger instrument (Hook & Hastings of Boston) and returned, as a gift from the Calumet church, to the Lake Linden church.
The Lake Linden church was built in 1896 at the cost of $8,325. A museum piece in itself, the building was designed by Holabird & Roche of Chicago in the Victorian Stick style on a non-coursed mine-rock foundation. It was dedicated February 27, 1887, with the dedicatory service being played by Professor Roney, organist of the Michigan Grand Commander of the Knights Templar.
In the summer of 1887 a fire destroyed almost all of Lake Linden, but the frame Congregational Church survived. It housed eight families for several months until new homes were found. The congregation ceased as a church in 1979, and ownership was taken over by the Houghton County Historical Museum. Grants have helped to renovate plumbing, roofing, electrical wiring, heating, and repainting of the outside of the building.
Dana Hull, Ann Arbor, representative of the Organ Historical Society, and Helmut Schick of the University of Michigan cleaned and restored the organ during 2001 and 2002. A new blower replaced the original. (Sources: Taylor; The Daily Mining Gazette)
“Beautifully made, much detail and care; shows growth and refinement in an organ shipped to the hinterlands; finials, medallions in the casework, nice lines in the presentation; some expensive wood here and there, very well cut and finished; excellent pipework.” (Source: e-mail from David Short quoting Dana Hull and Helmut Schick, 10-04-01)

St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church
Guck Street, Hubbell, MI 49934; 906/296-6971.
A. B. Felgemaker, Erie, Pennsylvania, c1900, 2M, 12 ranks, tracker
Placement: gallery, rear of sanctuary

GREAT
8' Open Diapason
8' Flute
8' Dulciana
4' Octave
2' Super Octave
16' Bourdon
Bellows Signal

SWELL
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Viola
8' Aolina
4' Flute Harmonique
8' Oboe

PEDAL
16' Bourdon

Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Tremolo

St. Cecilia Church, organized in 1893 to provide for German, French, and Irish immigrants, was an offshoot of St. Joseph’s Church in Lake Linden. The frame building was dedicated in 1893. It features a stained glass window of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of church music, playing an organ. (Source: e-mail from David Short, 2-14-06)

St. John’s Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
311 Guck Road, Torch Lake Township, Hubbell, MI; 906/296-1022.
Verlinden, 1M, 5 ranks, 1968, Roscoe Wheeler, Iron Mountain, Michigan; 2' flute added, Verlinden, 1977; rebuilt 2006, B. K. Kellogg & Associates*

Stoplist (257 pipes)
8' Open Diapason
8' Flute
8' String
4' Flute
2' Flute
4' Coupler
16' Coupler
Tremulant
*Rebuilding 2006 (354 pipes)

8' Principal
8' Holz Gedackt
8' Traverse Flute
8' Dulciana
8' Unda Maris TC
4' Octave
4' Traverse Flute
2' Octave
16' Coupler
4' Coupler
Tremulant

Crescendo pedal
No pedal organ
No presets

The church was formed on May 15, 1893 by twelve men who gave the congregation the name “Saint Johannes Congregation.” The white frame building was dedicated August 13, 1893. The organ was installed by Verlinden in 1968. The open pipes of this unique instrument are mounted in the rear gallery of the sanctuary. The rope for the steeple bell descends amidst the pipes. The console is placed at one end of the gallery. The first part of the dedication service in November 1968 was played on the existing electronic instrument. During the service the pastor, Frank J. Schulz, demonstrated the newly installed pipe organ, and the remainder of the service was played on that instrument. A 2' flute rank was added in 1977 as a memorial to the longtime organist.
The organ was rebuilt during 2006. Relay switches, console stop controls, key contacting systems and wiring were replaced, and the leather on the wind regulator, the tremulant and the wooden pipe stoppers renewed. Interior actions were reconditioned as needed and one rank of pipes was added. Cost was $16,000. (Source: e-mail from organist June Peterson, 2-4-06)

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
701 Calumet Street, Lake Linden, MI 49945; 906/296-6851.
Casavant Frères Opus 41, 1916, tubular pneumatic; overhauled by Pipe Organ Craftsmen, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1957; converted to electro-pneumatic, Verlinden, 1982; dismantled and cleaned, new console, J. A. Hebert & Son Associates, Troy, Michigan, 1995; enlarged to meet original specifications by Lauck Pipe Organ Company, Otsego, Michigan, 2001*. 2M/23 stops, 25 ranks, electro-pneumatic.
Placement: rear gallery, right side of console to front of church

GRAND-ORGUE
8' Montre 65 pipes
8' Melodia 65 pipes
8' Dulciana 65 pipes
4' Prestant 61 pipes
22⁄3' Quint* 61 pipes
2' Doublette* 61 pipes
III Fourniture* 183 pipes
8' Trompette* 61 pipes
4' Grand-Orgue to Grand-Orgue

RÉCIT (enclosed)
8' Principal 65 pipes
8' Bourdon 65 pipes
8' Viola di Gamba 65 pipes
8' Voix Céleste 53 pipes
4' Flute Harmonique 65 pipes
2' Octavin* 61 pipes
II Sesquialtera TC* 98 pipes
8' Hautbois 65 pipes
4' Chalumeau* 61 pipes
Tremulant
4' Récit to Récit

PÉDALE
16' Bourdon 30 pipes
16' Gedeckt 30 pipes
8' Flute Bouchée 12 pipes
4' Prestant* 32 pipes
16' Bombarde*(ext G-O) 12 pipes
4' Chalumeau Recit

Tirasses
8' Grand-Orgue/Pédale
4' Grand-Orgue/Pédale
8' Récit/Pédale
4' Récit/Pédale
16' Récit/Grand Orgue
8' Récit/Grand Orgue
4' Récit/Grand-Orgue

*Added stops 2001
23 stops, 25 ranks, 1340 pipes

Combination pistons:
6 thumb pistons, Swell
8 thumb pistons, Great
6 thumb pistons, Pedal
8 general pistons (thumb/toe)
8 memory levels - Peterson

St. Joseph Church was founded and the first building dedicated in 1871. In 1902 a new structure was built on the same site. The Casavant Frères organ was installed in the rear gallery in 1916 with the dedicatory recital played by the Rev. Father Dobblestein, O.Praem., thought to be from DePere, Wisconsin. The pipework is believed to have been made in Canada and the workmen from South Haven, Michigan. During the late 1990s, through the efforts of director of music and organist David Short and Father Eric Olson, the organ was cleaned and the console replaced. In 2001 twelve ranks were added by the Lauck Organ Company, Otsego, Michigan. (Source: church brochure)

Lake Linden United Methodist Church
53237 N. Avenue, Lake Linden, MI.
Lancashire-Marshall, Moline, Illinois, 1893, $2100, 2M/19 ranks, tracker, pneumatic assist pedal; Hugh Stahl, 1950
Placement: center front of chancel, keydesk back of pulpit facing the case

GREAT (58 notes)
8' Open Diapason
8' Dulciana
8' Melodia
4' Octave
4' Flute Harmonique
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
16' Trompette
Tremolo
Pedal Check
Bellows Signal

SWELL (enclosed)
16' Lieblich Gedact
16' Bourdon Bass
8' Open Diapason
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Aeoline
8' Salicional
4' Flauto Traverso
4' Fugara
2' Flautino
8' Oboe

PEDAL (27 notes) (pneumatic)
16' Bourdon
8' Flute

Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal

5 pedal presets, loud to soft
Original cost: $2100
Additi
onal work done by Hugh Stahl
The Methodist Church was formed shortly after 1868, the year that two Methodist missionaries had been assigned to organize a Sunday School in the Lake Linden area. The present sanctuary was built and dedicated in 1886.
The organ was installed in 1893 and considered something of a “wonder.” At one point, an organist traveled to Lake Linden from Houghton and stayed the day so as to play both morning and evening services. The organ was originally winded by hand, and the blower was installed after World War I, much earlier than work done by Stahl. It is thought he may have worked on the pneumatics in the two pedal ranks, possibly doing needed repairs, and affixed the company tab to the keydesk at that time. Roscoe Wheeler of Iron Mountain, Michigan, did maintenance on the organ for many years prior to James Lauck taking over in 2001. (Source: e-mail from David Short, 2-14-06)

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
71 Michigan Ave., Rockland, MI.
Garret House, 1859. On board inside case: “1859 - Irish Hollow - Ontonagon - Lake Superior - Michigan”
The oldest pipe organ in Michigan, by 12 years. Thought by Dana Hull and Helmut Schick of Ann Arbor to be one of the first organs built by Garret House, possibly made from a template instrument, roughcut, less refined than the Lake Linden instrument. The congregation is still active. This organ must be restored.
(Source: Short)

Bibliography

Books, Pamphlets, Magazines
Butler, Ruth Gibson. Centennial History, 1860–1960. With photos from Mr. and Mrs. George Pruner. Hancock, MI: Trinity Episcopal Church [1960]
Fisher, James and Good, R. Allen. 100th Anniversary of the First Congregational Church, 1862–1962. Hancock, MI [1962]
Holmio, Armas K. E. History of the Finns in Michigan. Translated by Ellen M. Ryynanen. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2001.
Lankton, Larry. Beyond the Boundaries: Life and Landscape at the Lake Superior Copper Mines, 1840–1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Monette, Clarence J. Churches of Hancock (Hancock, Michigan Remembered, vol. II; Twenty-fifth of a Local History Series). Lake Linden, MI: Welden H. Curtin, c1985.
Murdoch, Angus. Boom Copper: the Story of the First U.S. Mining Boom. New York: Macmillan, 1943. Nordberg, Erick. “From the Archives: Just like the Montreal Forum.” Michigan Tech Alumnus (April 2000), Houghton, MI: Michigan Technological University.
“Restoring the tracker organ—15th century design for the 21st century.” Newsletter (Fall 2001), Lake Linden, MI: Houghton County Historical Society.
Reynolds, Terry S. Grace of Houghton: A History of Grace United Methodist Church, Houghton, Michigan, first edition. Houghton, MI: Grace United Methodist Church, 2004.
Thurner, Arthur W. Strangers and Sojourners: a History of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1994.

Brochures and Bulletins
Blessing and rededication of the organ. [Service bulletin, April 22, 2001.] St. Joseph Church, Lake Linden, MI.
[Brochure with photos (c1984) by Eric Munch]. St. Paul the Apostle Church, Calumet, MI. [n.d.]
Celebrating 140 Years: 1861–2001. First United Methodist Church, Hancock, MI.
Brochure about Estey Organ Museum. Brattleboro, VT, February 2006.
Historic Churches of Calumet. Research and technical assistance by Ed Yarbrough and the Keweenaw National Historic Park. Calumet Heritage Celebration 2001 Committee.
Keweenaw Family Resource Center: Benefit organ recital [Service Bulletin, October 13, 2002]. Trinity Episcopal Church. Houghton, MI.
Organ dedicatory service & recital [Service Bulletin, March 29, 1998]. Sts. Peter & Paul Lutheran Church, Hancock, MI: 1998.
Stetter, Charles. How Our New Pipe Organ Came About [Service Bulletin, November 5, 1970. Organ Dedication]. Mimeographed copy of original kept in the organ chamber. Calumet Congregational Church.
The History of the First Congregational Church of Lake Linden: now the Houghton Country Heritage Center. Program production by Andrew McInnes. Houghton County Heritage Center [Lake Linden, MI: n.d.].
Work to be done on the pipe organ of St. Joseph Church. [Brochure with photos] St. Joseph Church, Lake Linden, MI, n.d.]

Newspaper Articles
“Arts, Culture & Heritage.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), July 31, 1994.
Burack, Susan. “The Organs of Lake Linden: carrying the tune of tradition.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), July 31, 1994.
“Church marks 110 years.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI), August 8, 2003.
“First Presbyterian Church of Houghton buys Maxcy organ.” The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI) [1930–33?] [photocopy].
Fisher, Nancy Beth. “Saving the music; restoring the 1874 Garret House organ.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), August, 2001. “Museum gets grant for organ.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), July, 2001.
Taylor, Richard. “Renowned organist to dedicate restored organ in Lake Linden.” The Marquette Monthly: arts & humanities (Marquette, MI), August 2003.

E-mail Notes and Personal Sources
Arten, Kathleen. Organist, Community Church, Calumet, MI.
Halkola, David and Viola. Members, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Hokenson, Ron. Pastor, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1960s.
List, Jan. Organist, St. Paul MSL Church, Laurium, MI.
Peterson, June. 2 February 2006. Organist, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Hubbell, MI.
Photo St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Dawson City, Yukon, 1995, taken by author.
Seaton, Lois Isaac. Member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Short, David. Numerous e-mail notes and conversations. Director of Music and Organist, St. Joseph’s RC Church, Lake Linden, MI.
Waisanen, Carol. 13 February 2006. Organist, First United Methodist Church, Hancock, MI.
[Correspondence from Fabry, Inc. with Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 9 July 2001]