Cover feature

 

A. David Moore, Inc., 

North Pomfret, Vermont

All Hallows’ Parish, Davidsonville, Maryland

 

From the builder

Designing an organ for All Hallows’ Church involved some unique challenges for its builder. The small brick building dates to 1734, and was gutted by fire in 1940. Rebuilt much as it was (without the Victorian alterations), the original walls and brick floor were retained. It seems that until 2010, the parish never owned a pipe organ.

The decision to place the organ on the left side of the chancel included the requests that the casework be no taller than the altar window, that the instrument be no larger than the sacristy in the opposite corner, and that the case was to “fit” the furnishings of the room. Thus, the back and left sides of the organ are against the walls, and maintenance can be done only through the front and right side of the main case. The detached console and Positiv division are one unit, adjacent to the case front, and facing the choir on the other side of the nave. Three flats of Open Diapason and Principal basses face the congregation, and the side contains two flats of Open Diapason basses, one of which is in a door that can be opened for Great and Pedal tuning. Those offset basses are operated by a remote assisting mechanism in which a small amount of air travels down a 5/16″ diameter tube that feeds a small wedge bellows and valve below each pipe.

The Great is on a C and C# chest, with the smallest pipes in the middle. The Positiv is played from the upper keyboard; the chromatic chest is at floor level; and the pipes are tuned by removing a grille on the top of the case. The manual keys are suspended, with a backfall system that pulls up the Positiv pallets; angled trackers and a rollerboard operate the Great pallets. The Positiv stop knobs are in the console and the Great knobs project from the main case on the organist’s left. The basswood tables of the chests will not split; the sliders are of quarter-sawn maple; the slider seals are of Neoprene; there is no plywood in the organ; the wind pressure is almost two inches; and the temperament is Kirnberger III.

Though the acoustics are quite good and the sound of the organ is focused by a curved ceiling, there is a slight “flutter echo” heard by a listener in the center of the room. The maple case is of wood harvested on the Moore farm in North Pomfret, Vermont, and sawn on location by a Wood-mizer band sawmill. There are no carvings on the case, but some subtle ornamentation appears at the tops of the pipe flats. The cornice of the case was copied from the 18th-century American case in Old North Church, Boston, and the All Hallows’ sacristy cornice was changed to match it.  

In the Great, the metal pipes are 28% tin and 72% lead, with small amounts of copper, antimony, and bismuth; the metal was cast from old organ pipes. The 8′, 4′, 22⁄3′, 2′, and 13⁄5′ ranks are close to Hook pipe scales, and have fairly low cutups and moderate nicking. The Holpipe is a metal chimney flute, and has 12 stopped wood basses; a new Haskell bass serves the Viol; and the Hautboy is an exact copy of a Hook stop. The Positiv Stop’d Diapason is of wood, small in scale but with a good fundamental tone, and is copied from a Geo. S. Hutchings stop; the Flute is of stopped and open wood and has metal trebles; the Fifteenth has 24 Claribel-style open wood basses and metal trebles. The German scales for the Dulcian are a composite, and there are half-length resonators in the lowest octave. The basses have wood blocks and shallots made in one piece, and the dimensions for the shallot openings, bores, tapers, and inside resonator diameters are close to 18th-century North European practice. The use of wood for a shallot avoids the need for lead or leather facings. In terms of hardness, the wood is somewhere between lead or brass and a leathered surface, and the brass tongues are fairly wide and thick. Long tuning wires are labeled on the tops and are easily reached.

The installation of A. D. Moore’s Opus 34 was enjoyable, and there were many trips to Davidsonville for installation, final voicing, and tuning. The crew of builders—A. David Moore, Tom Bowen, John Atwood, and Lubbert Gnodde—stayed with Jan and Mike Power. Mike Menne is the organist at All Hallows’, and collaborated on the organ’s specification. Mr. Gnodde played the dedicatory recital on November 7, 2010, which included works by Alain, Bach, Sweelinck, Scheidemann, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Couperin, Langlais, and the “Flower Duet” from Lakmé by Léo Delibes, featuring Sharon Potts and Laurie Hays, sopranos.

—E. A. Boadway and A. David Moore

 

From the organist

All Hallows’ Parish, also known as South River Parish, is one of the original parishes established by Act of the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland in 1692. As a worshiping community, it existed as early as 1650, with its first written record that of the birth of Thomas Chaney on 1 March 1669. The original church building, now lost, was probably of timber construction, and either burned or deteriorated to the extent that a new building, at a new site, was constructed, with the aid of a levy of 20,000 pounds of tobacco, around 1727–1730. The church bell, in a separate wooden tower, bears the inscription “Belonging to St. All Hallows’ Church 1727” and was probably provided by Queen Anne’s Bounty. 

The 1727 building, still in use, is a modest brick, hipped-roof building, just under 30 by 60 feet. There are no records extant that show the original seating plan of the building, but in the 19th century a small balcony was taken down (probably originally for the use of some of the 200 slaves who had been baptized by the second rector), and at least twice remodeled in the Victorian taste of the times, with heavy dark wood furnishings, stained glass, and slip pews.

The church was nearly lost on 11 February 1940 when a disastrous fire broke out about an hour after a service, destroying everything but the brick walls. For the rebuilding, it was decided to return the building to the look and feel of the early 18th century with white walls, white box pews, and clear glass windows. 

There is no record of any pipe organ during the building’s first 280 years, so any description of musical accompaniment before the fire is purely conjectural. After the restoration, a series of electronic instruments was installed in the front of the room. When a new rector arrived in 2000, he hired his friend James Weaver, Curator of the Division of Musical Instruments at the Smithsonian and co-founder of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, to come to the parish and revive a flagging music program and small choir of willing and enthusiastic singers. During his tenure, Weaver established a high level of musical expectation but hesitated to begin a project to replace the dreary electronic. When he left to pursue other projects and I arrived, enthusiasm to begin an organ project was high and the process began.

Early on, it was determined that (1) the organ would have mechanical action, (2) it would be tonally appropriate to the age of the building, (3) it would be visually designed so as not to overwhelm the scale and balance of the architecture, and (4) the primary visual focus at the front of the room would continue to be the triple window behind the altar. The restoration of the early 1940s had created two large closets in the front corners of the building. One was used as a tiny sacristy, the other as storage and placement for the bass speaker cabinets of the organ. It was determined that the organ would be placed where the sacristy had been, and the sacristy moved to the other side. The Altar Guild was quite pleased, as they had improved facilities and more extensive storage. 

A number of organbuilders were consulted, both from the U.S. and abroad, in our search for a builder. Almost every builder proposed an instrument that would be the dominant visual focus in the room. Some of them were tonally based on no more than an 8′ flute. David Moore, recommended by St. Margaret’s Convent in Boston and United Church on the Green, New Haven, was the only one who demonstrated an enthusiasm to work within our constraints.

As the organ and case design progressed, David proposed a novel solution: place the console at right angles to the main case and put the second manual pipes in the console in the manner of a continuo. In that manner, the main case could be lowered to match the sacristy on the other side, maintaining the Georgian balance of the church interior, while providing the tonal resources we needed. It also made it possible for the organist to face the choir directly across the chancel, with excellent sight lines.

The tonal design had three major objectives: (1) to provide leadership for congregational singing, (2) to accompany a wide variety of choral music, and (3) within its modest resources, to play as wide a spectrum of organ music as possible. 

Early in the planning stages, it was determined that the foundation would be an 8′ Principal, with both an 8′ flute and string to provide solid unison tone. A full diapason chorus, including 22⁄3, would be included, but the modest size of the building made the inclusion of a mixture unnecessary. The suggestion of a Hook-style Oboe as the Great reed was inspired! We insisted on a Tierce as well, for both solo color and ensemble brilliance. Having used a continuo for a year and a half before the instrument was installed, a similar tonal scheme of 8′, 4′, and 2′ for the second manual seemed natural. David suggested a Dulcian to round out the resources of that manual, adding significantly to the color possibilities of the instrument.

The organ has proved a tremendous success. Visually, it slips effortlessly into its corner of the building. The three pipe flats of the case front echo the semi-circular arches of the tripartite east window, repeated in pipe flats on the case side. The most oft-repeated comment from parishioners was “It looks like it’s always been there!” It was decided to use the natural darker grey of lead/tin pipe metal in the display pipes rather than shiny tin to minimize visual distraction from the altar. The wood façade pipes of the 8′ flute of the second manual are painted white to match the case. Many people don’t realize they are pipes at all until they see the mouths near the floor! The use of removable slatted grilles at the top of the second manual case allows for both good tonal egress and tuning ease. 

Musically the organ has been a huge success. The modest stoplist of 13 registers, with two reeds, two mutations, and four unison flue ranks lends itself to performing a wide spectrum of music. Though much of the instrument is inspired by 19th-century American organbuilding, early music sounds extremely convincing. Bach sounds very convincing, Sweelinck variations show off varieties of tonal color, the Dulcian can sound like a Renaissance consort when used by itself but becomes a chameleon when combined with one or both of the Positiv flutes. The Hautboy functions as a ‘petit trompette’, smooth in the treble and bolder in the bass. It serves as a very attractive solo stop, but when combined with the principals, becomes bold and assertive. Add the Twelfth and Tierce and it becomes a fiery French Grand Jeu. The solid foundation tone makes the instrument an excellent vehicle for Mendelssohn, and the Viol, both alone and with the Holpipe, provides softer sounds. There is sufficient tonal variety for stirring hymn singing as well as accompaniment of Anglican choral music. 

In addition to a performance by the young Dutchman from David Moore’s shop, Lubbert Gnodde, further recitals in the inaugural series were presented by Mark Brombaugh, Bryan Mock, and myself, with repertoire ranging from late Medieval to William Albright. 

The instrument continues to serve as proof that a real pipe organ is within the realm of possibility for a small parish, and that it can provide more musical satisfaction than an electronic with a plethora of digital gadgets and twice as many stops.

—Michael Menne

 

Cover photo: Sabine Joyce

 

GREAT (I) 56 keys, CCРg3

8′ Open Diapason

8′ Holpipe

8′ Viol

4′ Principal

22⁄3′ Twelfth

2′ Fifteenth

13⁄5′ Tierce

8′ Hautboy

POSITIV (II) 56 keys, CCРg3

8′ Stop’d Diapason

4′ Flute

2′ Fifteenth

8′ Dulcian

PEDAL 30 keys, CCРg3

16′ Bourdon

 

Couplers

I–P

II–P

II–I

 

Glück Pipe Organs,

New York, New York

Faith Lutheran Church,

New Providence, New Jersey

The new pipe organ for Faith Lutheran Church was created for use in traditional worship and for the performance of solo organ literature with a reasonable degree of historical accuracy. Although conservative in its core concept and tonal structure, some unusual pipe forms and design elements take it beyond the realm of the tonal cookie-cutter.

The instrument replaces a very heavily unified organ from the 1960s that subsequently had been altered by a local tuner. Inspection revealed that it contained several ranks of flue pipes that could be rescaled and incorporated into the new organ. While the mouths of these salvageable ranks were “cut to speech,” the pipes had never been truly voiced or tonally finished. They were essentially raw pipes of good alloy, straight from the pipemaker. Retaining these heritage pipes accomplished three goals: it enabled us to broaden the scope of the instrument from two manuals to three, it made the congregation understand that pipe organs could be investments, not merely expenses, and it gave church members a deeply satisfying feeling of historical continuity.

 

The façade design

When this project began years ago, the bidding organbuilders were asked to design an organ for the front of the church as part of a comprehensive renovation. Despite my strong indication that I preferred a rear gallery location, I conceived two chancel designs, one unilateral, the other divided. As the years passed, larger considerations arose for this thriving church. Should they once again enlarge their present church and school complex, or build a new church on new land? The church retained respected organ, architectural, and acoustical consultant Scott Riedel of Milwaukee, whose calm advice and clear education resulted in the organ in place today, as well as enlarged facilities for the music department and an improved acoustic. 

In the end, I got my wish. The organ sings from an elevated, central position in the new rear gallery. The A-frame structure, characteristic of so many American Lutheran churches of the era, naturally calls for North European case morphology. The mahogany case, proportioned for a relaxed “fit” in the room, is accented with understated pipe shades and foliate carvings in maple.

Within this visual context, I engaged in a bit of iconography and mannerism. The central “Trinity” of pipes is non-speaking, allowing me the opportunity to increase their length and have them break through the cornice and soar heavenward. The remainder of the façade is composed of pipes from the Great 8′ Præstant. The twelve polished zinc pipes of the lowest octave, with their undulating mouth lines, represent the Apostles. They are, in turn, flanked by the spotted metal 4′ range, playing upon the number seven, which recurs often in scripture. In each “flat” of pipes, the outer two pipes are reversed to acknowledge the visual strength of the roofline, and pipe lengths are balanced by building every other pipe one semitone over-length. 

 

The console

When minister of music Dr. John Girvin asked that I address the needs of an easily navigable, mobile console with unobstructed sight lines, I took as a point of departure the Aeolian organ consoles designed for the homes of the aristocracy during the first quarter of the last century. In this restrained and modern version, the tablets operate vertically, rather than horizontally, so that there is no confusion as to whether a stop is on or off. Each divisional field is in the same location as it would be in a drawknob console. The console is equipped with a comprehensive combination action and record and playback system.

The organist can see and conduct over the console effortlessly, and musicians can even stand around it and read their music from atop its cabinetry. It glides anywhere in the new organ and choir loft on an undetectable, integrated dolly, since choral and instrumental ensembles of various configurations are a normal part of musical life at Faith Lutheran. I designed the new gallery rail to be somewhat visually opaque but tonally transparent, with rhythmic elements paying homage to the likes of Wright, Mackintosh, and Stickley.

 

Tonal structure

While assiduously avoiding the lure of the unthinking American Lutheran stoplist, the structure of the Great principal chorus nonetheless had to be the starting point. It is supplemented by an 8′ Harmonic Flute, a requirement of the French Romantic repertoire. Carried down in open metal to A10, the bottom nine notes are borrowed from the open 8′ Spitzflöte so as to have no break in the tone. Taking advantage of unit actions in the Swell, the unison flute and string are duplexed to the Great, making available the dense velour of the fonds d’huit. The 16′ Dexter Geigen, which begins at middle C, is a broad and rosiny string of both solo and ensemble capability, adding gravity to the right hand without weight. It was made from the 8′ Viola that was in the church’s original organ, a rank that had only extended to 4′ C, with a borrowed capped metal bass. 

The 8′ Trumpet is broad, warm, and round, with English shallots and bells of higher lead content than the division’s fluework. It nobly melds into the ensemble without making a brash entrance. It is actually an upward extension of the Pedal reed unit, playing on the Great but being of the Pedal.

The notably potent Swell department is home to the second, slightly brighter plenum. I did not want to overdevelop the unenclosed Positiv and leave the church with a vestigial, anemic Swell. While the Great Chorus Mixture IV assumes a predictable American formula, the Swell Mixture II–IV was composed for sparkle and clarity without losing its integrative powers. This is accomplished by having the quints and unisons either in balance or favoring the unisons at all times (which has great benefits in hymn accompaniment and contrapuntal music), and keeping a unison pitch at the top of the harmonic stack except for a very brief, essentially unnoticeable two-note break near the top of the keyboard. 

The Swell strings are firm and deliberately incisive. Two powerful wooden flutes of double-mouth construction come from the 1919 Hall organ formerly in the Swedenborgian church in New York City, a 38-rank instrument that I acquired when that building was remodeled. The 8′ Doppelgedeckt  seems exceptionally present at the console, yet is buoyant in the nave. The orchestral “spit” in the harmonic range of the 4′ Holzdoppelquerpfeife is extraordinary, and the stop is worthy of copying in the future. 

Faith Lutheran’s original organ had a handful of “wired” mutations, taken from the unified ranks of the small Swell division. Such practice can never meet with true success, because these harmonics must be independently scaled, voiced, and finished, and the laws of physics make it impossible for them ever to be in tune. The new organ’s independent Nazard and Tierce ranks are joined on one slider in deference to the budget. Although flute-scaled, the chameleon-like Cornetto II serves as a pointed Sesquialtera when drawn with the 8′ flute, yet forms a round Cornet of French flavor when drawn with the entire flute choir. The tierce remains unbroken throughout the compass, and was actually made from a fine 2′ rank that was in our stock, appropriately rescaled and revoiced.

The Swell 8′ Trompette, with Bertounèche shallots and harmonic resonators, is significantly more brilliant than its Great counterpart. The full-length resonators of the 16′ Basson assure grandeur and richness in anthem accompaniments. Half-length resonators always fall short of the mark, a imprudent expedient, especially in situations like this, where the worthier compromise is to extend the 16′ stop down from the 8′ Hautbois.

When Albert Jensen-Moulton, general manager of Glück Pipe Organs, devised the layout of the new organ, he placed the Positiv in “Brust” position, immediately behind the façade on the right side, in juxtaposition to the Great to its left and the Swell behind. It is in close proximity to the singers and instrumentalists, and enjoys the distinct physical separation sought in a Baroque tonal æsthetic. The metal flute choir (8′ capped, 4′ chimneyed, and 2′ open) forms the perfect continuo organ, its varied pipe forms avoiding the risk of duplicating or triplicating other manual stops. 

The instrument stands on slider soundboards, but the occasional extrapolation of ranks on electro-pneumatic unit actions expands the registrational possibilities, particularly in the Positiv. The center of gravity can be shifted by the warm and singing 8′ Spitzflöte, the other rank that was extended upward from the Pedal division. Once again, it is scaled and voiced as a Pedal stop, but balances perfectly here, with freedom of tonal finishing in the treble range. The 8′ Clarinet, poised for dialogue with the Swell tierce combination, has a more “antique” sound than its name implies, enhanced by the release characteristics of the pallets. Its color can be shifted quite effectively with other stops in the division, expanding its solo capabilities. The Positiv and Great manuals can be exchanged in order to accommodate music of the later French schools.

The Pedal is based upon the 16′ Holzviolon, an open wood string stop also selected from the Swedenborgian organ. It was in rough shape, with its mitered basses broken and only two octaves of wood pipes, but it was needed to lend pitch definition to the Pedal line. While we could have completed the treble with metal pipes, the very capable pipemakers at OSI crafted matching wooden trebles as well as Haskell re-entrant tubes for the bottom four notes. This stop enables the Pedal to steer in contrasting directions: a gentle, clarified, open chorus, by adding the 8′ and 4′ Spitzflötes, or a bolder sound, using the 8′ Octave and 4′ Fifteenth. The stopped wood 16′ Infrabass, retained from the previous organ, provides a solid foundation, and other mezzo-forte borrows from the manual divisions make up the rest of this flexible arrangement. The full-length 16′
Posaune has spotted metal bells in the bottom octave to inject brightness into the round, firm, rolling tone. It is extended to 8′ pitch, and is available on both the Great and Positiv manuals.

The salient factors in place that contributed to the success of this project include a supportive pastorate, an enthusiastic and generous congregation, a Minister of Music who tirelessly educated himself through research and inquiry, and a truly knowledgeable, interdisciplinary consultant who guided the project without ever interfering with the artistic process. These elements paved the way for Glück Pipe Organs, our suppliers, our subcontractors, and all those involved in the enlarging of the church complex to achieve this long-anticipated goal.

—Sebastian M. Glück

Artistic and Tonal Director

Cover photo by Albert Jensen-Moulton

 

For information: 

212/608-5651

www.gluckpipeorgans.com

 

Glџck Pipe Organs Opus 13 (2011)

Faith Lutheran Church, New Providence, New Jersey

GREAT (Manual II)

16′ Dexter Geigen 34 pipes 50% tin, slotted, from C25

8′ Præstant 58 pipes polished zinc and 50% tin

8′ Harmonic Flute 49 pipes 50% tin, C1–G#9 from Spitzflöte

8′ Doppelgedeckt from Swell

8′ Viole de Gambe from Swell

4′ Octave 58 pipes 50% tin

2′ Fifteenth 58 pipes 50% tin

Chorus Mixture IV 232 pipes 50% tin

8′ Trumpet 28 pipes 30% tin, harmonic (Pedal extension)

Chimes 25 tubes G20–G44

Great Silent

16′ Swell to Great

8′ Swell to Great

4′ Swell to Great

8′ Positiv to Great

SWELL (Manual III)

8′ Viole de Gambe 58 pipes 50% tin, slotted

8′ Voix Céleste 46 pipes 50% tin, slotted, from C13

8′ Doppelgedeckt 58 pipes wood, double mouths, stopped

4′ Principal 58 pipes 50% tin

4′ Holzdoppelquerpfeife 58 pipes wood, double mouths, harmonic

2′ Gemshorn 58 pipes 50% tin

Cornetto II 116 pipes 50% tin

Mixture II–IV 176 pipes 50% tin

16′ Basson 12 pipes 50% tin

8′ Trompette 58 pipes 50% tin, harmonic

8′ Hautbois 58 pipes 50% tin

Tremulant

16′ Swell to Swell

4′ Swell to Swell

Chimes

POSITIV (Manual I)

8′ Spitzflöte 16 pipes 50% tin (Pedal extension)

8′ Viole de Gambe from Swell

8′ Bourdon 58 pipes 50% tin

4′ Rohrflöte 58 pipes 50% tin

2′ Recorder 58 pipes 50% tin

8′ Clarinet 58 pipes 30% tin

Tremulant

8′ Trumpet from Great

8′ Hautbois from Swell

8′ Swell to Positiv

Great/Positiv Transfer

PEDAL

16′ Holzviolon 30 pipes wood, C1–D#4 with re-entrant tubes

16′ Infrabass 30 pipes wood

8′ Octave 30 pipes zinc and 50% tin

8′ Spitzflöte 30 pipes zinc and 50% tin

8′ Gedeckt from Swell

4′ Fifteenth 12 pipes 50% tin

4′ Spitzflöte 12 pipes 50% tin

16′ Posaune 12 pipes zinc and 50% tin

16′ Basson from Swell

8′ Trumpet 30 pipes zinc and 30% tin

8′ Basson from Swell

4′ Hautbois from Swell

8′ Great to Pedal

8′ Swell to Pedal

8′ Positiv to Pedal

Great Chorus Mixture IV

C1 19.22.26.29

C13 15.19.22.26

C25 12.15.19.22

C37 08.12.15.19

C49 01.08.12.15

 

40 stops

32 ranks

Swell Cornetto II

C1 12.17 unbroken

 

Swell Mixture II–IV

C1 19.22

D15 15.19.22

F#43 12.15.19.22

C#50 08.12.15.19

D#52 01.08.12.15

 

Parkey OrganBuilders, Duluth, Georgia

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, Louisiana

October 2011 marked the completion of the new pipe organ by Parkey OrganBuilders for the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, Louisiana. St. John Berchmans had embarked on a major building restoration in 1992, just a few years after becoming the cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Shreveport. The 1992 restoration included plans to build a new organ for the church, but for various reasons, though the pipe organ was signed for and partially built, the instrument was never completed. 

More than 15 years later, after the renovation was completed, the cathedral, under the direction of the rector, Father Peter Mangum, and the newly appointed director of sacred music and organist, Justin Ward, set itself a goal of expanding the cathedral music program, to include evaluating and completing the organ project. The cathedral secured the services of James Dorroh of Birmingham, Alabama, as an organ consultant to help achieve the goal of creating an organ that would visually complement the architecture of the building and tonally support both choral and congregational singing. The organ committee recognized the need for such an organ to provide sacred music in a way that would augment the worship experience for parishioners in addition to providing a cornerstone instrument for the community.

The organ committee quickly narrowed the list to three very capable firms, and in the summer of 2010, the committee chose our firm to complete the organ project. We worked directly with Mr. Ward and Dr. Dorroh to refine the initial specification drawn up by Dr. Dorroh to create a sound that would fit the needs of the cathedral. Because the choral program remains the center of music for the cathedral, we had to tailor our design for the most efficient utilization of space possible in the gallery. The new organ stands in two matching cases within the same footprint allocated for the organ in 1992. 

To accommodate any number of singers and additional musicians, the organ was designed with a movable console, which of course dictated the need for some sort of electric action. Our firm is comfortable in working with both electric and mechanical actions. When tracker action is not possible, we recommend the use of electro-pneumatic slider chests. Our windchests and winding systems are designed and built completely in-house. Using computer-aided design (CAD) software systems and computer numerically controlled (CNC) router machinery, we have developed an efficient and effective slider chest design for a clean and responsive action. The winding system is engineered based on single-rise reservoirs for a steady, fluid wind supply but with a gentle flex to provide life to the singing line of the organ.

In addition to the mechanical design of the organ, our CAD systems have been instrumental in providing extensively scaled rendering work, so that the client can see and experience the visual design of an organ before anything is ever committed to materials.

As the organ is a musical instrument capable of a strong visual and aural statement, we work to combine the art of sight and sound together. Michael Morris of our staff provided the visual design, which included retaining materials from the previous organ and expanding the case to house the new organ. In his design, one notes the core of the previous case combined with the essence of visual design seen in organbuilding of the early 1900s. Case details were shifted from the contemporary look to a much more traditional gothic format consistent with the architecture of the cathedral. A majority of material was retained from the previous case, though some parts are easily recognizable and some vastly changed. The side façades provide a magnitude of scale for the space: where the previous organ case was based on the use of 8′ pipes, the new cases are based on the 16′ Principal and Violone. The use of polychrome details combines with the colors of the nave for a more complete marriage of organ case and room architecture. Careful attention to detail was provided throughout the project. Details range from the turned wooden drawknobs to the 18k gold leaf accents in the case.

Since part of an earlier organ existed, the organ committee challenged us to retain parts of the existing instrument. In reviewing the uncompleted organ, we found that there were mechanical supply parts that could be retained without sacrificing the integrity of the instrument. Unfortunately, the pipework did not offer such an extensive array of options. While we did retain some pipework, it was limited to four ranks that were
rescaled and revoiced to be compatible with the new tonal design of the organ. The remaining organ is completely new, with custom scaling for the space.

In addition to the challenge of working with an existing organ, the cathedral realized the needs of working within an existing space. Though the organ enjoys an excellent position for tonal egress in the room, the nave presented some obstacles in terms of sonic reflections. After consultation with Dennis Fleisher of MuSonics, the cathedral underwent an extensive renovation of the ceiling in the main portion of the nave, in order to install hard surfaces over the previous acoustically absorbent ceiling. The acoustical response in the room was greatly improved. The room now readily supports the organ’s warmth and clarity equally throughout the nave.  

Our conversations with Justin Ward and James Dorroh focused on the need for the organ to lead choirs and congregations in music for the worship service. In recent years the Catholic Church has further recognized the contribution of the pipe organ as the main instrument for the Catholic Mass. Dr. Dorroh and I discussed the role and influence of the Baroque revival in America, and the influence of leading clarity common to the German Baroque organ. Those traits were combined with aspects of the weight and presence of the French Grand Orgue of the late 1800s. The result is an organ that can skillfully handle the full range of organ literature, from soft and subtle to large and fiery. However, the use of moderate pressures and large scales keeps a refined and unforced sound.

Mixtures are carefully terraced and balanced to define the chorus with a silvery clarity without becoming abrasive. Power and brilliance are also supported by the use of French reeds in the Swell division. The Cavaillé-Coll-scaled 8′ Voix Humaine was featured in the Franck Choral in proper context during the dedication recital. The Pontifical Trumpet is of ample scale to carry in the room over full organ, yet it manages chords easily with a majestic elegance. The 8′ flutes possess individual color and personality and are also enhanced with carefully balanced 4′ flutes in each division. Two independent manual Principal choruses are provided in addition to full mutations in the Choir. The 8′ Viola Pomposa and 8′ Flute a
Cheminee provide the foundation support for the Swell division. The dynamic terracing allows for a smooth buildup of sound from the 8′ Spitzflöte in the Choir to full organ.

In the end, the organ makes a strong but elegant statement consistent with the quality of worship services at the cathedral. Justin Ward and James Dorroh were a tremendous pleasure to work with during the project, providing clear and concise direction while yet allowing us room for artful design and finishing. We appreciate the confidence placed in us by the parishioners, clergy, and staff of the cathedral. I also extend my personal thanks to our own staff and suppliers who have made this an overwhelming success.

Please feel free to contact us at www.parkeyorgans.com, or contact the cathedral for further information. Visits can be arranged with Justin Ward at the cathedral.

—Phillip K. Parkey

President and Tonal Director

Parkey OrganBuilders 

 

Staff

Phillip K. Parkey—President and tonal director, voicing and tonal finishing

Michael Morris—Visual and structural design and installation

Josh Okeson—Shop foreman, cabinet maker, wiring and installation

Otilia Gamboa—Chestwork, wiring and small parts

Philip Read—CNC operator, cabinet maker and installation

Jim Allen—Cabinet maker and installation

Kenny Lewis—Voicing, wiring, installation and tonal finishing.

 

Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn, Germany, Opus 1881

First Church Congregational, Fairfield, Connecticut

 

From the Director of Music

Serving at First Church as interim director of music and organist, I soon discovered some of the shortcomings of the almost forty-year-old electronic organ. Played for weekly worship services, weddings, funerals, and a variety of other events, it became apparent that this instrument was nearing its final days. The organ committee, having been expertly guided by Justin Bischof as organ consultant, in addition to the considerations for the instrument, also addressed their concern for the acoustics and the importance of the spoken word, and the musical sound of the choirs and the organ.  

The organ will fill several roles. Most importantly, it will provide musical leadership for worship through congregational singing and will be used to accompany choirs and soloists. It can also produce a glorious sound that has the power to move the souls of the faithful. Additionally, it will serve as a concert instrument capable of hosting a wide variety of organ literature from all periods.

Visually, the organ case is a beautiful architectural element in the worship space. Klais Orgelbau, the pipe organ committee, and their consultant have designed, built, and installed a magnificent instrument that will not only fill these roles but far surpass them.  

—Dr. Paul Knox

 

From the Architect 

A renovation project such as this one, involving an historic building with a strongly defined character, is always challenging. People tend to resist any change to a space with which they are so familiar. Therefore, I was extremely aware of the need to be sensitive in my approach, and my goal was to accomplish the necessary changes in such a way that they respected the original design without being constricted by it.  

The major thrust of the project involved a reconfiguration of the chancel and nave spaces to allow for the installation of the Klais pipe organ. The new instrument was placed in the area formerly occupied by the pulpit, the choir, and the old electronic instrument. As a result, the pulpit and choir were pushed forward into the nave space. Our mandate was to accomplish this while removing as few pews as possible in the process.  

The design concept incorporates a gently curving raised platform for the pulpit, the choir, a piano, and the new organ console. This platform was designed to be used as a stage for weekly worship services, as well as for non-religious events such as concerts and plays. To accomplish the design, it was necessary to remove an existing proscenium arch at the front of the nave, which presented major acoustical and visual impediments for the new instrument. In addition, it was necessary to remove and relocate three stained glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. These windows would otherwise have been buried within the confines of the pipe chamber. They will be moved to the rear of the nave, where they will replace three of the original “catalog” glass windows. 

The project was accomplished in two phases. Phase one, completed in the summer of 2009, involved modifying the physical layout of the sanctuary to accommodate the new organ, as well as some necessary rehabilitation of the venerable nave space. Phase two, completed in the summer of 2010, involved the installation of the instrument itself—and it was indeed a marvelous thing to watch.

—Neil Hauck

 

From the Organ Consultant

Every pipe organ installation is a unique journey. Countless considerations contribute to a very complex process that includes aesthetic, liturgical, financial, and technical components.  The First Church Fairfield ten-year journey has been exciting, at times daunting, and ultimately, fulfilling beyond what any of us could have imagined. The Burr gift enabled the church to explore the dream of having a world-class pipe organ in their historic church, thereby forever changing the worship fabric in so many wonderful and meaningful ways.

The new Klais organ has been a source of joy and inspiration since the first notes were sounded last October, and will be for literally hundreds of years to come. The instrument is a joy to play and experience, as it feels as if it has “always been there” in the room. It is an ideal instrument for hymn playing and accompanying, with its warm and rich principal choruses. As a concert instrument, it is versatile and very exciting in the room, in playing repertoire of all periods.  

So many fine people had the vision, passion, and love that saw this project through to its glorious conclusion: David Spollett, pastor, who was tireless in his support and guidance; Charlotte Dyslin and Margaret Gettig, committee chairs, who ensured with their exceptional leadership that the project came to fruition; Neil Hauck, architect, who was a sympathetic and inspired aesthetic leader;  Heather Hamilton, the former director of music, who helped get the project off the ground and brought me into the process; and finally, Philipp Klais, whose world-class expertise in the ancient art of organbuilding and generosity of spirit was an inspiration to all of us throughout our journey.

It has been an honor to be a part of this historic and joyous process, as it has allowed me to become a part of the First Church family. I will always be eternally grateful for our time together and look forward to watching their music program grow over the years as a result of this fine instrument.

—Justin Bischof, D.M.A.

 

From the Organ Builder

Our intention for the new pipe organ in First Church Congregational, Fairfield, was to design and build a pipe organ that would become an integral part of the church as well as a singing church member. Positioned in the front of the church, right behind the altar, it was very important for us to create an instrument that would be an independent sculpture but at the same time an integral part of the church—an instrument designed in a way that the church would look incomplete without the pipe organ. 

The instrument consists of 36 stops on three manuals and pedal (two stops have been prepared), slider windchests, mechanical key action, and electric stop action. It has a very clear layout following historic traditions. From the free-standing console, trackers run straight into the lower part of the instrument. On the level of the front pipes, one finds the Great in the center, surrounded on both sides by the Pedal divided into C and C-sharp sides. On the level above, the two enclosed divisions, Swell and Choir, are placed side by side to each other. The blower with the big main reservoir is placed in the basement of the church, below the organ.

The organ does have a generous staircase in order to guarantee optimal tuning and maintenance access to every part of the instrument. Our intention was to build a pipe organ based on the traditions of the past with a vision for the future, a singing servant to the liturgy.

—Philipp C. A. Klais

 

From the Pipe Organ Committee

The installation of our new Klais pipe organ represents the culmination of ten years of study, discussion, decision-making, and prayer. The pipe organ committee, formed in the fall of 2000, with a generous gift from Lewis and Alice Burr, was charged with the task of finding a pipe organ to replace our failing electronic organ. Surrounded by the beauty of our church, we were reminded during our deliberation of everything we owed to those who have gone before us. Decisions were made by previous generations to expand, improve, and maintain what has been given us, and our decisions, in turn, needed to serve the generations that will follow us.  

With this in mind, along with the wishes of the Burr family, our first major determination was to recommend to the congregation that the existing electronic organ be replaced with a tracker pipe organ, an instrument that produces superior sound and one that will be more cost effective in the long run, as its life expectancy is over 200 years. The mechanical action of the tracker organ provides the most sensitive touch for the organist and requires less expenditure in maintenance. We also concluded that we needed a versatile organ with a warm sound that would provide enough flexibility for congregational singing, anthem accompaniments, and a broad range of solo organ repertoire.

By the end of the summer of 2001, after considerable discussion, we had narrowed the field of potential organ builders to two companies, both with the recommendation for placement of the organ along the center axis of the church. Because one person serves as both organist and choir director, it was necessary that the choir and organ be placed together, centrally located at the front of the sanctuary.  

During the following years, a number of essential repairs and improvements to the church buildings were identified, along with the necessary sanctuary renovations to prepare for a pipe organ, which necessitated a three-year capital campaign. Finally, in February 2008, near the end of the campaign, the congregation voted to enter into an agreement with Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn, Germany. The enthusiasm of the Klais team for the project, the creativity of the design team, and Philipp’s true understanding of the part that a pipe organ plays in worship and his genuine interest in our church led us to this decision. 

All of our subsequent dealings with Klais have reinforced our initial decision. They have designed, constructed, installed, and voiced a magnificent instrument that has exceeded our expectations. We are grateful to the entire Klais team of organbuilders, whose superb workmanship has produced an instrument that will inspire singing and enable our church to continue an exemplary ministry of music in our community for many years to come.

—Charlotte Dyslin and Margaret Gettig

 

From the Pastor

First Church Congregational of Fairfield, Connecticut, an Open and Affirming member of the United Church of Christ, was called together by God in 1639 to live in covenant, repair a broken world, and build a society founded on justice and peace.  

Everything in that life begins with the worship of God, which fills us with joy, lifts our spirits, informs our minds, and empowers us to go forth as Christ’s servants in the service of others. Music plays a key role in our worship, inspiring our souls, warming our hearts, and moving us to action.  

The Klais pipe organ has greatly enriched our worship of God and strengthened our service to the community. Its beautiful sound, created by the rushing wind moving in our midst like the Holy Spirit, motivates and encourages us in our ministries. Its power, beauty, and versatility have greatly deepened the spiritual experience of all who join us in worship, inspiring us to deeper faith as followers of Christ. The Klais pipe organ has also enriched the community of metropolitan Bridgeport and Fairfield County and will be an asset for the congregation and community for generations to come.  

We note with the deepest gratitude the gifts and bequest of Lewis W. Burr and his wife Alice Bulkley Burr. Lewis and Alice were dedicated to our church and community, and their generosity has borne great fruit in so many areas, not least this pipe organ. Their commitment has inspired hundreds of others to join them in supporting this project, and we honor their memory and give thanks to God for their faithful and loving generosity.

We also express our deepest thanks to the pipe organ committee, co-chaired by Margaret Gettig and Charlotte Dyslin. The committee members diligently labored for almost eleven years to bring the dream of a pipe organ to reality. Their dedication, creativity, indefatigable spirits, and complete faith in God inspired me throughout this process. We owe them our heartfelt thanks. We are also profoundly grateful to our consultant Justin Bischof and to Philipp Klais and his entire team from Klais Orgelbau. It was a joy to work with Philipp throughout the process. 

We are delighted and thrilled to be the recipients of this remarkable instrument and honored to be entrusted with its care, a gift for the ages. Our prayer is that the rushing winds of the organ will fill our hearts and spirits as a holy inspiration for greater living.

—The Reverend David W. Spollett

 

Photo credit: H. Durston Saylor (unless indicated otherwise)

 

Johannes Klais Orgelbau, Bonn

Opus 1881, 2010 

I. CHOIR   C-c4

8′ Burrdon (sic!)*

8′ Dulciana

4′ Flötenprincipal

22⁄3′ Quinte

2′ Waldflöte

13⁄5′ Terz

8′ Coreinette (sic!)*

Tremolo

* original names Bourdon and Clarinette have been modified

II. GREAT   C-c4

16′ Violon

8′ Principal

8′ Flute harmonique

8′ Gamba

4′ Octave

2′ Superoctave

2′ Mixtur IV

8′ Trompete

8′ Tuba (prepared for)

III. SWELL   C-c4

16′ Burrdon

8′ Geigenprincipal

8′ Rohrflöte

8′ Aeoline

8′ Vox coelestis

4′ Traversflöte

4′ Violine

22⁄3′ Harmonia aetheria IV

16′ Basson

8′ Trompette

8′ Basson Hautbois

Tremolo

PEDAL   C-g1

32′ Flute (prepared for)

16′ Open Wood

16′ Subbass

16′ Burrdon (from Swell)

8′ Principal

8′ Burrdon

4′ Octave

16′ Posaune

16′ Basson (from Swell)

 

Couplers

Choir to Great

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Swell Suboctave

Swell Superoctave

Choir Suboctave

Choir Superoctave

Choir to Pedal

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Swell Superoctave to Pedal

 

36 stops on three manuals and pedal

Slider windchests

Mechanical key action (electric coupling action)

Electric stop action

Setter combination system with 1,000,000 combinations, divided into 1,000 levels with 100 groups each featuring 10 Generals and 6 Divisionals for each division

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, Lithonia, Georgia

Advent Lutheran Church, 

Melbourne, Florida

A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, Lithonia, Georgia

Advent Lutheran Church, 

Melbourne, Florida

Advent Lutheran Church in Melbourne, Florida is a relatively young church, founded in 1982; services were first held in a realtor’s office. From these simple beginnings, this vibrant ministry has continued to grow in an unbounded manner. When the present sanctuary was built in 2003, they could not fund a pipe organ, but importantly made future provision for an instrument in their new sanctuary; the space provided for the pipe organ and the chamber was sealed closed in the front rock wall of the church.

In 2010, a pipe organ committee was formed. Their study included not only engineering and cost factors, but also the ability to pay for the organ without impacting the operating budget. In 2011, a special congregational meeting was held to approve the purchase of a pipe organ from the A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, with installation to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the church’s founding.

When I first visited Advent Lutheran with our Florida representative, Herbert M. Ridgely Jr., I found we were blessed with a sanctuary where consideration had been given toward good acoustics and favorable placement for the organ. The front wall of the chancel is a solid concrete wall that lofts from floor to ceiling and is faced with native limestone. Beginning eleven feet off the floor was a 20′ x 20′ opening into the organ chamber. The floor for the organ was a solid poured-concrete slab capable of holding the tens of thousands of pounds of weight required for even a modest-sized instrument.

There are two choir lofts on the right and left sides of the sanctuary. The traditional choir is housed on the left side. The opposing niche on the right side is a space occupied by the accouterments needed for contemporary worship.

With the side locations of the choir lofts, and a sanctuary with more width than depth, our concern was that some choristers or congregants would be “around the corner” from the straight-on frontal exposure of the organ as it speaks into the sanctuary. We wanted to avoid an instrument that emphasized one division over another dependent upon where you were seated.

To provide more uniformity of speech, we planned the removal of the sidewall sections to the left and right of the organ chamber. Adjacent to the side openings were angled wall surfaces that we knew would reflect and refract the sound from the side alcoves behind the chancel wall into the room. These openings were finished with open, ornamental, oak grilles. In the chamber interior we placed the Great and Positiv windchests off-axis from the direct center, so they would be able to speak from the sides as well as the front exposure. The Swell division of the organ is laid out in a side-by-side configuration across the rear of the organ chamber. This minimizes the depth of the enclosed division and allows it to be spatially projected forward in an unimpeded manner to acoustically sit beside the pipework of the Great and Positiv. The result of the additional chamber openings and divisional placement is that the full resources of the organ are evenly heard throughout the room without any significant divisional bias. 

A constant challenge in organ building is having enough space in width, depth, and height. In this instance the internal chamber had “too much of a good thing” in terms of height. The loft inside the organ chamber went well over 25 feet above the top of the frontal opening, creating a significant tone trap that had to be addressed. The solution was to continue the Swell expression box roof over the Great and Positiv. The roof section was built with heavy timbers and made exceedingly thick, which provided an upper surface that was designed to be a refractory angle of incidence across a broad frequency spectrum to focus the organ resources out of the chamber. The end result is an even, coalesced diffusion of sound both inter- and intra-divisionally.

The organ case is built from hand-selected rift-sawn red oak, with a light-colored natural finish to match the church’s interior furnishings. The individual vertical segments of the façade and case are divided into multiple pipe flats that follow the radius of the front wall curvature. In this manner, the façade “bows” rearward from the cross to emphasize it as the central theme in the chancel.

The pipe shades at the top of the pedal towers are evocative of the concrete lace that holds the stained glass within the windows of the church. The polished surfaces of the organ façade pipes play on light in such a way that the façade takes on natural soft, even hues, melding with the church interior. The pipework in the organ façade contains the independent 16′ Principal, and bass registers of the 8′ Principal and the 4′ Choral Bass. 

We designed a terraced, drawknob console for this instrument. In addition to providing excellent sightlines for the organist to see both the choir and the congregation, its lowered profile makes it less dominant against the furnishings in the chancel. The console, including the built-in casters for mobility, is a diminutive 47½ inches tall. The console is built of red oak with a mahogany interior. The interior stop controls are turned of hardwoods with engraved inserts that were custom finished to match the bone and walnut keyboards. The keyboards are fitted with tracker touch.

Ever concerned with ease of registration and ergonomics, we were very careful in our design of the console interior. The drawknob and coupler controls are placed in the traditional locations with the Pedal and Swell stops on the left jambs, and the Great and Positiv on the right jambs. The stops are sequenced by pitch and family, with the primary division choruses aligned to be even to the manual into which they draw. The drawknobs feature oblique heads aligned on straight terraces, and angled inwards toward the performer, making the stops easy to see and draw because the stops on each terrace are within easy reach of the performer. 

For the combination system and relays, we used the new 8400 system from the Syndyne firm. All of the features that one comes to expect on a modern console control system are present—from multiple memories, to programmable crescendos, programmable sforzandos, blind checks, transposers, etc. The system allows centralized control for the combination system, playback/record, MIDI, and other functions, in a single integrated touch screen. One can save or import combination memories from and to an external USB drive, which provides infinite options to the performer. The screen and USB interface allows testing, configuration, and upgrades for the builder without the need for an external computer.

The organ chests are a combination of Blackinton-style electro-pneumatic slider chests and electro-pneumatic unit action chests for unit and duplex stops. 

The main manual chest winding system makes use of traditional spring-and-weight, ribbed regulators, and floating lid regulators that are fed from a large, central plenum. The enclosed reeds are provided with separate regulators to allow a pressure differential from the flue stops and permit independent tremulant control. All of the windchests are individually fitted with tunable concussion bellows for fine regulation. This allows stable winding that still maintains a presence of life.

Wind pressures on the organ are 3½′′ Great, 4′′ Swell flues, 5′′ Swell reeds, 2¾′′ Positiv, 3′′ Pedal and façade, and 8′′ for the Solo 8′ Festival Trumpet. The tremolos are electro-mechanical to provide a quiet, gentle, even undulation when the tremulants are engaged.

Prior to designing a stoplist, I find, as an organbuilder, it is incumbent to worship with the congregation. This cannot be a one-time event, as a church’s liturgy as it moves through the year is a rich pageant that cannot be conveyed, but has to be personally experienced to put the worship service in your own eyes, and more importantly your own ears. Personally, I find it illuminating to look into the eyes of the congregants who have asked me to build an organ for them. It instills me with the gravity of the task at hand and becomes a constant that I draw on throughout my working with the church. 

As I designed the stoplist, I envisioned an instrument where all of the resources could be considered for use in every service. I wanted a large enough specification to provide a rich palette of color and weight. It was important to avoid any sounds that were strident or overwhelming, as they didn’t have a place or use in this setting with this congregation. The ideal stop design would emphasize reliance on chorus massing to bring about larger stop dynamics which build upon one another. The goal was to design a specification that would allow gentle, sculpted voicing. 

Because of the German origins of the Lutheran church, I knew there would have to be an inclusion of the “Werkprinzip” in the specification. However, I also felt strongly that a single nationalistic focus would have been too limiting for this congregation. Ultimately the design of the instrument included many tonal facets that allow the organ to be a faithful purveyor of music from many periods, styles, and nationalities, in a cohesive, eclectic manner. Those who are familiar with our collective body of work will find present the balance of clarity and warmth that we seek in all of our instruments.

As we designed the principals, flutes, and strings in this instrument, we employed differing construction and materials in conjunction with careful scaling. The varied use of wood, metal, open, semi-open, stoppered, cylindrical, conical, and other variations, allow each flue stop its own unique voice and timbre. 

The organ is centered around the clean, robust principal chorus of the Great division. The 16′ Sub Principal of this division transitions from the façade into the slotted pipes of a Geigen Principal, which allows a thinner, defined register to ground the Great chorus. This stop is duplexed to provide an 8′ foundation for the Positiv principal chorus, and allows doubling of the 8′ line when coupled to the Great. The Great 8′ Bourdon and 4′ Nachthorn, in addition to being lovely solo voices, are valuable as thickening agents to the Great principal chorus, without overshadowing it. The enclosed Swell reeds are duplexed to the Great, which provides dynamic control of these stops by their enclosure.

The mixed media of wood, metal, stoppered, and open construction continues into the flutes of the Swell Cornet decomposé. These stops envelop one another and become almost svelte in their combined voice. The Swell Cornet is countered with a secondary principal-based Cornet in the Positiv division. In a departure from common practice, the individual Positiv mutations are placed on unit actions, which allow use of these stops at a variety of pitches and combinations. This becomes very useful for color and ornamentation and also facilitates the beginnings of building weightless mixture texture in the organ divisional ensembles by drawing these independent fifths.

For this instrument, we chose to employ strings of opposing qualities in the Positiv and Swell divisions. The Positiv 8′ Erzahler has a gentle broadness with a subdued edge-tone. It can support the most quiet and contemplative of moments in the service, and yet has enough body that, when coupled with the 8′ Holzgedeckt, provides the foundation for the Positiv principal chorus. In the Swell division, the gambas with their thinner scales, roller beards, and slotting have a keen and incisive, harmonically rich voice. These stops leave little doubt that they are strings and have a very distinctive edge-tone. The 8′ Gamba when drawn with the 8′ Rohr Gedeckt provides the foundational weight for the Swell principal chorus, and a compounded color that would be analogous to an independent 8′ Violin Diapason. 

With their large dynamic, the majority of the reeds were placed in the Swell enclosure. The 8′ Festival Trumpet is moderately scaled on relatively high wind pressure. With its thinner scaling and placed under expressive control, it can be registered into the full Great and Positiv choruses as a thinner ensemble reed when the expression box is closed. With the box open, it is an incisive, tightly drawn color that can bring a blaze to a solo line. The Swell reeds include a double tapered Oboe with lift lids and a large vowel cavity at 16′ and 8′ pitch, which balance against the éclat and fundamental of the large-scaled 8′ Trompette. 

The unenclosed manual reed on the organ is the 8′ Krummhorn in the Positiv division. It is built of brass with flared lift caps. By itself it is a very useful solo and/or ensemble stop, with the nose tone of a regal class of reed. It also effectively couples with the 8′ Holzgedeckt to provide a stop eerily reminiscent of the woody voice of a fine clarinet.

The Pedal division is grounded with three independent 16′ stops, including a large 16′ Posaune. It is a very complete pedal, with the gravitas to support the full forte of this instrument. The Pedal stops were given a forward position to eliminate shading and to allow gentler voicing. The result is a buoyant and harmonically rich pedal, where the inner voice is ever present. In addition to the independent registers, there are a number of manual-to-pedal duplexes, which broaden the available weight and color choices. 

The organ tonal finishing was accomplished by a team consisting of Arthur Schlueter III, Pete Duys, John Tanner, Bud Taylor, and Marc Conley. The organ was first used for worship in December 2012 and was dedicated on January 20, 2013 by organist Peter B. Beardsley. 

Every organ project has those individuals without which the project could not have been possible. In addition to thanking every single member of the congregation, the church council, and the organ committee, I personally want to single out senior pastor Reverend David Jahn, organist Lori Jahn, executive assistant to the pastor Carol Stanton, and organ committee co-chairs Pat Fuller and Jack Clark, for their very direct, hands-on work with our firm throughout this project.

Organ building is not the work of one person, but is a plurality or culmination of talents. We are very fortunate to have so many talented craftsmen and craftswomen at our firm. Our staff includes Arthur Schlueter Jr., Arthur Schlueter III, Shan Dalton, Marc Conley, Patty Conley, Bud Taylor, Robert Black, Dallas Wood, Al Schroer, John Tanner, Pete Duys, Barbara Sedlacek, Patrick Hodges, Jay Hodges, Kelvin Cheatham, Jim Sowell, Bob Weaver, Ruth Lopez, Michael DeSimone, Bill Zeiler, Chad Sartin, Steven Bowen, Jeff Moore, and Herbert M. Ridgely Jr. 

If you would like more information on this instrument and our firm, I invite you to visit the Schlueter Pipe Organ Company website at www.pipe-organ.com, write to me at A. E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company, P.O. Box 838, Lithonia, GA 30058, or feel free to reach me at [email protected]. 

—Arthur E. Schlueter III

 

Foley-Baker, Inc., 

Tolland, Connecticut

Duke University Chapel, 

Durham, North Carolina

The 1932 Aeolian at Duke University Chapel has as colorful a history as any American organ. In 1930, at a time when contracts had grown scarce, Aeolian wrested the job from Skinner, only to plagiarize the stoplist and layout of Skinner’s 1928 organ for Princeton University Chapel. By the time Aeolian installed the job, their brazen move had evolved into the bittersweet reality of a merger with Skinner. Thus, the Duke organ became Aeolian’s last statement of what a grand organ should be. After World War II, the instrument developed particular appeal through the tenure of Chapel organist Mildred Hendrix, with later chapters of near-replacement in the late 1980s, a seminal bequest toward restoration by Director of Chapel Music Benjamin Smith, renewed respect in the 1990s, and a complete renovation finished in 2009 by Foley-Baker, Inc. More than history, the tale of the Duke Aeolian reads like a screenplay.

Mike Foley recently wrote up the project in The American Organist from his company’s point of view; a forthcoming article in The Tracker will examine the organ’s historical and contemporary importance in greater detail. This piece focuses on technical and musical issues raised in the renovation, since the Duke project lies in that area between restoration (in which nothing is changed) and rebuilding (in which new and old material are given equal status toward an updated musical goal). How this project balanced respect for the original material with modern and practical concerns is important to review, and can be examined in three primary areas: musical, console, and interior.

 

Background

From 1929 to 1932, its final years of production, Aeolian’s organ department produced three heroic organs: Longwood Gardens (Op. 1726, 146 ranks, five 32′s), completed in June 1930; Westchester County Center, an auditorium in White Plains, New York (Op. 1747, 69 ranks, 32′ Bombarde), completed in late 1930; and Duke Chapel (Op. 1785, 120 ranks, three 32′s), signed in October 1930, installed in early 1932 and dedicated that June. (In 1931, Aeolian signed a fourth in this mode for the Hershey Community Theatre in Pennsylvania. The contract went to Aeolian-Skinner in the merger, and the resulting instrument, completed in 1933 under Ernest Skinner’s personal direction, was a Skinner through and through.)

High pressures, large scales, multiple reed batteries, and identical primary scaling link these Aeolians as sister efforts. The recent renovations at Duke and Longwood reveal that while Aeolian’s intentions were suitably heroic in each case, the company was still feeling its way along the finer points of how to build mechanisms and pipes to cope with the demands of high wind pressures. In turn, those details affect how these organs are renewed for their second life cycle.

 

Musical issues

At 120 ranks, the tonal disposition at Duke represented an apotheosis of the Symphonic organ, from a period in which a semblance of traditional chorus building was beginning to return to American organbuilding. The comprehensive chancel scheme was supported by an encased two-manual section in the nave, having an unenclosed chorus, Pedal 16′ Principal in the façade, and a group of enclosed softer voices.

The instrument remained in this original state only 16 years, however. Certain mechanical and musical issues brought about a campaign of work by Aeolian-Skinner in 1948, including a new remote-control combination action and crescendo pedal. Ten new string ranks were installed, probably not to provide a different type of tone as much as to correct speech deficiencies common to ranks built from Hoyt metal, as the originals were. Some sounds were changed. New Choir mutations did not precisely replicate the Aeolian originals, and the Antiphonal chorus was remodeled, using new 8′ and 4′ ranks, a revoiced chorus reed, and a de-tierced and brightened mixture. Finally, the chancel Great chorus underwent a bit of reshuffling: the 51⁄3′ Quinte became a third 4′ Principal, the III–VI Plein Jeu was returned to the factory to be loudened, and the chorus was rebalanced somewhat on site.

In 1975 the Echo-Antiphonal was removed to make way for the present Flentrop, deleting a section of the Aeolian many had found particularly effective. But much more noteworthy was the Chapel’s acoustical transformation in 1974, from one of stereotypical Akoustolith deadness to epic acoustical grandeur. This one event changed all music in Duke Chapel; certainly no one active at Aeolian or Aeolian-Skinner ever experienced Op. 1785 as we do today.

Given this history of change, it was clear that any serious renovation of the Aeolian needed to develop an ethic around the organ’s tonal content. Duke organists Robert Parkins and David Arcus spent years considering the matter, working through the issues as they considered various restorers. By the time Foley-Baker was signed on in 2007, the plan had solidified around restoration of the 1932 tonal scheme: retaining the 1948 Aeolian-Skinner replacement ranks, reversing the 1948 changes and shifts, and regulating the pipes as closely as could be reasoned to where Aeolian left them in 1932. The adoption of such a plan was not a foregone conclusion, for the Aeolian is not without its anomalies. Unison flute tone outside the Solo is atypically gentle (the Great Principal Flute, for example, is softer than the Gemshorn), and some layout details that actually aid tonal projection do not initially appear to. After careful study and consideration, however, the conclusion among organists and rebuilders was that the most musical result would be attained with a return to the 1932 scheme.

While Aeolian’s scaling and voicing was heroic in these jobs, the metal pipework and some of the heftier chorus reeds are perhaps one degree less substantial than what is asked of them. As a result, it becomes especially incumbent to examine pipes thoroughly during rehabilitation to ensure their readiness for another life-cycle. In addition to normal tub washing, numerous seams and loose languids were repaired. Pipes were re-rounded on mandrels to assure good speaking conditions, tops trimmed, and new tuning collars fit throughout. Some of the largest wood pipes had developed cracks, which were routed out, splined and repaired. Finally, Foley-Baker tonal director Milovan Popovic reviewed all flue pipes on the voicing machine. The goal here was to do anything and everything that would promote stability of speech and tone for the next several generations.

For Duke, two aspects made the flue reconditioning process more complex. Unlike working on a Skinner, where many examples exist for study, the scarcity of this breed of Aeolian can involve more interpretation than can be comfortable during a restorative process. Also, Aeolian employed Hoyt metal for many flue ranks, evidently unaware of the material’s tendency to creep over time. The syndrome mostly affects flue pipe windways, as lower lips bow out, making the tone less efficient and duller while vaguely staying on speech. Re-setting the windways is straightforward enough, but it involves a careful ear and a degree of conjecture to divine what the original voicers were after.

Broome & Co. LLC undertook reconditioning of all reed stops, having performed a similar task with the Longwood reeds, each job informing the other. That process is intensive. The pipes are fully documented before disassembly and rigorous cleaning; wood wedges are replaced with brass; every scrolled slot is cut out and replaced; and finally, the pipes are re-assembled and checked through on the voicing machine.

The final element in the organ’s musical rehabilitation was the many weeks of tonal finishing, again led by Milovan Popovic. Tremolo regulation received perhaps as much attention as tone, an area to which Mike Foley is personally devoted. Aeolian used small tremolos to wobble large reservoirs, resulting in a light, fast and almost reiterative effect that many would find unpalatable today. To produce, from these elements, an effect that organists will actually use is no small feat. Finally, after years of silence, the Chimes and Harp are heard again, the latter particularly fine in Aeolian organs, long on tone and short on action noise.

In the end, there was one stoplist change and one addition. The 15-inch wind pressure Pedal reed unit was made available in the manuals as an additional unison Trombone. And a new 25-inch-wind Festival Trumpet was added, modeled on the louder of the two fanfare Tubas on the Skinner at Yale University (the Aeolian-Skinner at Girard College in Philadelphia has a stop of similar construction). All members of the design team reflected upon a group of samples; the preferred stop was built by A.R. Schopp’s Sons and voiced by Christopher Broome. These unenclosed pipes are nestled into the right transept opening, speaking directly into the crossing as a heraldic voice.

 

Console

While the company’s earliest consoles followed the terrace-jamb form typical of the late 19th century, Aeolian evolved a trademark style in the ’teens, using horizontally tilting tablets in angled side jambs. The resulting low profile, even for large consoles, suited the residential setting (the person on the bench, operating a roll, could still engage socially). Organists often derided these consoles, since at a glance it wasn’t clear which stops were drawn. Branching out to church organs in the 1920s, Aeolian first rotated the tablets to the more usual vertical arrangement, then developed a distinctive type of drawknob console, with natty celluloid moldings around departments and large ivory stopknobs on thick ivory shanks rather than the usual ebony. Some peculiarities migrated from the residence consoles: expression shoes with little excursion, spongy key action without tracker touch, non-AGO pedalboard and clavier relationships, and placement of the Sforzando piston directly next to Great to Pedal (surprise!).

The Duke console was Aeolian’s tallest of this model: impressive as a forest of ivory, if tending to noisiness with its vacuum-action stopknob motors. As the size and fame of the Duke choir grew, the console height became a liability in the visual communication between organist and conductor. And, with the removal of the nave sections in 1975, the console contained many redundant controls.

For these and other reasons, the organists decided they would prefer to archive the original console and have a smaller one better suited to the instrument’s current configuration. Richard S. Houghten of Milan, Michigan was directly contracted for this work, along with the design and installation of solid-state control systems throughout. The new console blends dimensions and features more typical of Skinner (particularly key-touch and piston arrangement) with some of the visual design peculiar to the Aeolian original. Legally sourced ivory for keys, stopknobs, tablets, pistons, and indicator tags contribute to an ambience more of a modernized old console than a brand-new one.

 

Interior

Projects involving old organs are made easier when the instruments in question are entirely original. More challenging is an organ that has unquestionable musical merit but might not have a mechanical foundation of comparable quality. At Longwood, Aeolian’s first truly high-pressure effort (ranging from 8″ to 30″), Aeolian experienced some structural instability with their new style of pitman windchest. Unlike Skinner chests, which are formed with horizontal joist-like separators between every stop, the Aeolian pitman chest is a simple box with a solid table, four sides and an occasional vertical post. At Longwood, this proved insubstantial to the pressures employed (many were reinforced in the recent renovation); the White Plains organ shows further evidence of the same syndrome. By the time the Duke organ was built, Aeolian had already realized that stouter construction was necessary. While each chest was carefully checked for signs of stress or need for reinforcement, none was needed in the end.

Otherwise, restoring all mechanisms to a like-new standard comprises the bulk of any restorative effort. Each firm’s instruments bring particular challenges. Aeolian was atypical in being a two-finish wood shop: some things painted, others shellacked. This factor complicates renewal of the main windchests, whose solid tops are shellacked but whose sides and bottoms are painted. Most Aeolian organs have 6-stage accordion swell engines. For fancy jobs, a relay mixed and matched the six stages to produce 14 discrete increments of opening. A nice idea in theory, in practice the operation could lack smoothness, particularly in the first few stages. For Duke, Aeolian built 14-stage accordions, an elegant solution but a tougher restoration challenge. Finally, tremendous effort was put into renewing the Duke chambers and making all surfaces maximally reflective, together with a well-lit working environment for the technician. After decades of looking dank and worn, the chambers now gleam like a first-class hotel lobby.

 

Personnel

There had been talk of restoring the Duke Aeolian since 1990. Through the 1990s and 2000s, former curator Norman Ryan had rehabilitated much of the Swell, and portions of the Choir and Solo. In the push to undertake a comprehensive renovation, two gentlemen stood behind the project and saw that it got done. Duke University Organist Dr. Robert Parkins set aside earlier conceptions about style and saw that the instrument’s fabric and tone were respected. He also dealt with the many logistical issues such projects raise. Chapel Organist Dr. David Arcus, familiar with and fond of similar instruments built by Skinner (particularly that at Yale University, on which he studied with Dr. Charles Krigbaum) asked important questions, challenged assumptions, and kept music central to the discussion. His persuasive playing on the Aeolian invigorated established admirers and persuaded new ones. For Sunday worship, the two organists have developed creative means of employing both Flentrop and Aeolian in antiphonal hymn accompaniment, as well as showcasing Duke’s other organs: the meantone Brombaugh in the side Memorial Chapel, and the Richards, Fowkes in Goodson Chapel, next door at Duke Divinity School.

A project of this magnitude, accomplished on budget in 20 months, requires planning of the surest sort coupled to experience in managing complex projects. While Mike Foley plays an active role in that process, foreman Phil Carpenter’s long experience in the site management shows through every detail of the finished result. The Duke renovation takes its place in FBI’s impressive roster of high-profile work of late: Boston-area Aeolian-Skinners at Symphony Hall, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Trinity Church; Groton School; and in 2010, the relocated 1929 Skinner for The Memorial Church, Harvard University.

For those who admire all of Duke’s fine organs, in their excellence and variety, this renovation allows the Aeolian to shine forth with the elegance of its sisters. Better still, it is played often and well. For those who labor hard on such jobs, there is no finer outcome.

—Jonathan Ambrosino

 

Photo credit: Mark Manring

 

The Duke Aeolian was rededicated in a gala concert February 8, 2009, jointly offered by Drs. Parkins and Arcus to a capacity audience, with works of Brahms, Karg-Elert, Reger, Pierné, Franck, Gigout, Locklair, Tournemire, and Jongen. The entire recital can be seen episodically on YouTube.

 

Chancel Organ, Duke University Chapel, Durham, North Carolina

  Aeolian Organ Company, Opus 1785, 1931Р32

GREAT (wind pressures: 6″ for flues, 12″ for reeds)

32′ Quintaton (from tenor c) 61 pipes

16′ Diapason 73 pipes

partially in north façade

16′ Bourdon (Pedal, ext) 17 pipes

8′ First Diapason   73 pipes

swapped with Second in 1932

8′ Second Diapason   73 pipes

swapped with First in 1932

8′ Third Diapason   73 pipes

restored to original from Prestant 4′

8′ Gemshorn 73 pipes

8′ Principal Flute   73 pipes

8′ Doppel Flute   73 pipes

(in Choir chamber)

51⁄3′ Quint   73 pipes

restored to original from Third Diapason

4′ Octave   73 pipes

4′ Principal 73 pipes

4′ Flute   73 pipes

(in Choir chamber)

31⁄5′ Tenth   73 pipes

22⁄3′ Twelfth   61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth   61 pipes

Harmonics V 305 pipes

Plein Jeu III–VI 268 pipes

16′ Contra Tromba   73 pipes

(in Choir chamber)

8′ Trombone (Pedal)

8′ Tromba   73 pipes

(in Choir chamber)

4′ Octave Tromba   73 pipes

(in Choir chamber)

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpet   61 pipes

(new, floating, 25″ wind pressure)

Great to Great 16

Great to Great 4

Great Unison Off

SWELL (wind pressures: 6″ for flues and orchestral reeds, 10″ for chorus reeds)

16′ Bourdon   73 pipes

8′ Diapason   73 pipes

8′ Geigen Diapason   73 pipes

8′ Gamba   73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste   73 pipes

8′ Salicional   73 pipes

8′ Voix Celeste   73 pipes

8′ Rohrflute   73 pipes

8′ Cor de nuit*   73 pipes

8′ Flauto dolce   73 pipes

8′ Flute Celeste   61 pipes

4′ Octave   73 pipes

4′ Fugara   73 pipes

4′ Flute Triangulaire*   73 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard*   61 pipes

2′ Piccolo   61 pipes

2′ Flautino*   61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce*   61 pipes

Cornet V (composed of stops marked*)

Chorus Mixture V 305 pipes

16′ Posaune   73 pipes

8′ French Trumpet   73 pipes

8′ Cornopean   73 pipes

8′ Oboe   73 pipes

8′ Vox Humana   73 pipes

4′ Clarion   73 pipes

8′ Harp (in Choir box)

4′ Celesta (in Choir box)

Tremolo

Chimes

Swell to Swell 16

Swell to Swell 4

Swell Unison Off

CHOIR (wind pressure: 6″ throughout)

16′ Gamba   12 pipes

(ext Viole d’orchestre 8′)

8′ Diapason   73 pipes

8′ Viole d’orchestre   73 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste   73 pipes

8′ Concert Flute   73 pipes

8′ Quintadena (derived from stops marked*)

8′ Dulciana*   73 pipes

8′ Dulciana Celeste   73 pipes

4′ Violina   73 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute   73 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard*   61 pipes

2′ Piccolo   61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce   61 pipes

11⁄7′ Septieme   61 pipes

16′ Fagotto   73 pipes

8′ Trumpet   73 pipes

8′ Corno di bassetto   73 pipes

8′ Orchestral Oboe   73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpet

8′ Harp   49 bars

4′ Celesta (ext Harp)   12 bars

Tremolo

Chimes   25 tubes

Choir to Choir 16

Choir to Choir 4

Choir Unison Off

SOLO (wind pressures: 10″ for flues and orchestral reeds, 15″ for chorus Tubas, 25″ for Tuba mirabilis)

8′ Stentorphone   73 pipes

8′ Gamba   73 pipes

8′ Gamba Celeste   73 pipes

8′ Flauto Mirabilis   73 pipes

4′ Octave   73 pipes

4′ Orchestral Flute   73 pipes

Mixture V 305 pipes

16′ Tuba   73 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis   73 pipes

8′ Tuba   73 pipes

8′ French Horn   73 pipes

8′ English Horn   73 pipes

4′ Clarion   73 pipes

Tremolo

Chimes

Solo to Solo 16

Solo to Solo 4

Solo Unison Off

PEDAL (wind pressures: 6″ for flues, 15″ for reeds)

32′ Diapason (ext Ped Diap)   12 pipes

32′ Bourdon (from Bourdon 16′; 1–12 in 

common with Diapason 32′)

16′ Diapason   32 pipes

16′ Contrabass   32 pipes

16′ Diapason (Great)

16′ Bourdon   68 pipes

16′ Gamba (Choir)

16′ Echo Lieblich (from Swell Bourdon)

102⁄3′ Quint (from Pedal Bourdon)

8′ Octave (ext Diapason) 12 pipes

8′ Principal   32 pipes

8′ Gedeckt (from Pedal Bourdon 16′)

8′ Stille Gedeckt (from Sw Bourdon 16′)

51⁄3′ Twelfth (from Pedal Bourdon 16′)

4′ Flute (from Pedal Bourdon 16′)

Harmonics V 160 pipes

32′ Bombarde (ext Ped Tbone) 12 pipes

32′ Fagotto (ext Choir)   12 pipes

16′ Trombone   32 pipes

16′ Tuba (Solo)

16′ Tromba (Great)

16′ Fagotto (Choir)

102⁄3′ Quint Trombone (from Great Contra

Tromba 16′)

8′ Trombone (ext)   12 pipes

8′ Tuba Mirabilis (Solo)

8′ Festival Trumpet

4′ Clarion (ext)   12 pipes

Chimes (Choir)

 

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8 Solo to Great 16

Swell to Pedal 8 Solo to Great 8

Choir to Pedal 8 Solo to Great 4

Solo to Pedal 8 Solo to Swell 16

Great to Pedal 4 Solo to Swell 8

Swell to Pedal 4 Solo to Swell 4

Choir to Pedal 4 Swell to Choir 16

Solo to Pedal 4 Swell to Choir 8

Pedal to Pedal 4 Swell to Choir 4

Pedal Divide Great to Choir 16

Swell to Great 16 Great to Choir 8

Swell to Great 8 Great to Choir 4

Swell to Great 4 Solo to Choir 16

Choir to Great 16 Solo to Choir 8

Choir to Great 8 Solo to Choir 4

Choir to Great 4 Pedal to Choir 8

Great and Choir Transfer

 

Balanced Expression Pedals

Choir Expression

Swell Expression

Solo Expression

Crescendo (programmable)

 

Combination Pre-sets

Standard Capture Combination System with 256 levels of memory

Manual Piston Combinations

Great: 1–8, 0 (Cancel)

Swell: 1–8, 0

Choir: 1–8, 0

Solo: 1–8, 0

Pedal: 4–8, 0

General: 1–20

General Cancel

Pedal Piston Combinations

Pedal: 1–5, 0

General: 1–16

Setter

Piston Sequencer

Memory Up and Down pistons

 

Reversibles

Manual and Pedal Pistons

Great to Pedal 8

Swell to Great 8

Choir to Pedal 8

Solo to Pedal 8

Diapason 32′

Bombarde 32′

Fagotto 32′

16′ Manual Stops Off

32′ Pedal Stops Off

All Swells to Solo Expression Pedal

Sfz mf

Sfz Tutti

 

Manual Pistons Only

Solo to Swell 8

Swell to Pedal 8

Choir to Great 8

Solo to Great 8

Swell to Choir 8

Solo to Choir 8

Great to Choir 8

All Pistons Next

Harp Sustain

 

Indicator Lights

Usher Signal

Telephone

Transposer

Pedal Divide

Sfz mf

Sfz Tutti

Crescendo

All Swells to Solo Expression Pedal

All Pistons Next

Pedal 32′ Off

Manual 16′ Off

Harp Sustain

Digital display for memory level, general piston number, and crescendo level