Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, commissions 3-manual Dobson organ

Three Decades of Building Organs in Lake City, Iowa

John A. Panning

John A. Panning is tonal director of Dobson Pipe Organ Builders. A native of Wisconsin, he worked for two years with Hammes-Foxe Organs, Inc. in the Milwaukee area prior to joining Dobson in 1984. In these twenty years, he has been involved in every facet of pipe organ design, construction and maintenance. Mr. Panning has served two terms as Secretary of the American Institute of Organbuilders, and is currently a member of the AIO Journal committee. He was a member of the National Council of the Organ Historical Society from 1985–1991, and has served on two OHS convention committees. He has been North American Editor of Publications for the International Society of Organbuilders since 1991.

Thirty years ago this month, Lynn Dobson opened an organ building workshop in Lake City. Three decades later, clients from near and far have made the journey to this small western Iowa town.

Lynn A. Dobson, founder of the Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, was born in Carroll, Iowa, in 1949, and grew up on a farm in nearby Lanesboro. In 1966, he received a scholarship from the Hill Foundation to attend the Minneapolis School of Art summer session for gifted students. He graduated from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, in 1971 with majors in art and industrial education. During his college years, he built a twelve-stop mechanical-action organ in a shed on the family farm; this organ, Op. 1 (II/15), was eventually sold to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux City, Iowa, where it still serves today. Upon graduation, Dobson taught high school art in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. However, the desire to be involved with organ building persisted, and in 1974 he left teaching to work for the Hendrickson Organ Company of St. Peter, Minnesota. In November 1974, he established his own firm, opening a small shop at 120 West Main Street in Lake City, Iowa.

What follows is a chronicle of the more important dates in the company’s history, a big-picture overview of three decades of art and craft as practiced by an increasingly prominent Midwestern American organ builder.

1975 ~ The young company’s first contract comes from one of Dobson’s former teachers, Antony Garlick, a music professor and composer at Wayne State College. The ten-stop residence organ incorporates both new and revoiced pipework. When Garlick moved in 1986, he sold the organ to Mary Brooks of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1998, she in turn sold it to The Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and Dobson was once again called upon to move the organ, making several additions to suit its new, larger home. In his first year of business, Dobson is accepted as a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO).

1976 ~ Olivet Congregational Church, St. Paul, Minnesota, signs a contract for Op. 4 (II/33). The organ’s donor gave his gift to the church on the condition that it help launch the business of a promising young organ builder. At this time Lynn Dobson was assisted by his father Elmer Dobson, Jon Thieszen, who first began as summer help during college and would later become the company’s technical designer, and voicer Robert Sperling, a former co-worker at Hendrickson. The resulting instrument is a monumental achievement for so young a firm.

1979 ~ The company moves to its current location at 200 North Illinois Street, completely renovating the historic building and adding an erecting room with a 30¢ ceiling. In addition to instruments built for area churches, Dobson receives commissions from two Minnesota colleges as the decade closes. The first is a small studio organ for St. Olaf College (Op. 8, II/7; 1978). The second Minnesota institution, Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, commissions an organ for its chapel (Op. 10, II/21; 1979), located in the school’s historic Old Main building. Op. 10 enjoys wide attention in organ journals. In 1996 it undergoes some tonal additions (increasing its size to 24 ranks) and receives a dramatic revision to its case to better suit its second home, Bethany’s new Trinity Chapel.

1980 ~ The decade opens with larger and more diverse projects, including one less than a block from the original Main Street shop: Lake City Union Church purchases a two-manual instrument (Op. 13, II/29; 1980). Dobson is engaged by Westminster Presbyterian Church of Des Moines, Iowa, to complete the organ (Op. 14, II/38; 1981) left unfinished by Lawrence Phelps Associates after that firm’s insolvency. Nearby Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, contracts for a practice organ (Op. 16, II/3; 1981) and a teaching studio organ (Op. 21, II/18; 1982). The capabilities of the shop were enlarged during this period by several new employees, among them Tom Kult, a skilled cabinetmaker who later becomes shop foreman; David Storey, an organ builder who had previously worked for Jim McFarland in Pennsylvania; and Lake City native Sally Winter, secretary. Robert Sperling becomes full-time voicer. The firm is accepted for membership in the International Society of Organbuilders and is invited to join the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA); Lynn Dobson is elected to the AIO Board of Directors.

1983 ~ The completion of large two-manual organs for the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, Minnesota (Op. 23, II/34; 1983) and First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Kansas (Op. 24, II/43; 1983) are harbingers of Dobson’s expansion into the rest of the country. Op. 24 is the largest organ built by the firm to date, and is the first organ in the United States to employ a “dual” stop action, one that can be operated mechanically by the organist as well as electrically through a solid-state combination action.

1984 ~ John Panning, an organ builder from Wisconsin, joins the crew this year; he is later appointed the firm’s tonal director. The shop is remodeled and enlarged at this time to accommodate the fabrication of mechanical key action parts and console chassis. In November, the firm celebrates its 10th anniversary with an open house and a recital by Guy Bovet on Op. 13 at Lake City Union Church; hundreds of clients and friends of the company attend.

1985 ~ Op. 28 (II/30; 1985), for The Church of the Holy Comforter in Burlington, North Carolina, is the first of many Dobson instruments to be located outside of the Midwest. From 1985 to 1990, the firm builds twenty new organs in Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina and Virginia, in addition to five Midwestern states. Eight are for universities and colleges, of which five are institutions affiliated with church bodies: Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas (Op. 27, II/19; 1985), St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (Op. 29, II/30; 1985), Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Op. 42, III/44; 1988), Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan (Op. 44, III/49; 1989), and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa (Op. 46, II/15; 1989). Op. 42 and 44 are both for new college chapels designed in cooperation with Dobson. New shop personnel by the end of this decade include Meridith Sperling (pipe racking, general organ building), Lyndon Evans and Randy Hausman (cabinetmakers), Dean Heim (general organ building, and later shop foreman), Art Middleton (key action and consoles) and Bob Savage (leatherwork and electrical). Dobson hosts the annual spring meeting of APOBA, during which the firm is elected president.

1989 ~ The first AIO Midyear Seminar is held at the Dobson shop. Twenty organ builders from across the country participate in lectures on case design and construction, cost accounting, shop administration and equipment. By this time the firm is well known for its artistic and innovative organ case design.

1990 ~ Gradual evolution of the firm’s tonal style continues. Although specialized instruments such as the organ in Italian style for Indiana University (Op. 35, II/26; 1987) have been built, most are of eclectic design. Earlier instruments explored the neo-classic aesthetic; new projects blend both classical and romantic influences. Op. 44 (1989) at Calvin College includes a 16¢ Open Wood in the Pedal, two enclosed divisions and a rich, smooth tonal palette. Joining the firm this year are Kirk Russell (business manager) and Dean Zenor, an organ builder from Connecticut.

1992 ~ Two instruments built this year demonstrate the firm’s range. Op. 55 (II/32) for St. John Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, Iowa, features Kirnberger III tuning, dual wind systems (a wedge bellows for flexible wind, a parallel-rise bellows and wind stabilizers for steady wind) and a freestanding case with attached console at the rear of the church. The chancel location and Anglican church music emphasis of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, result in Op. 57’s (II/42) more romantic tonal design. Op. 56 (II/17), for Trinity Lutheran Church, Manhattan Beach, California, is the first Dobson installation on the West Coast. The firm is incorporated as Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd., a new 4,500 sq. ft. wood shop is built, and a pipe shop is set up. The company becomes a prize sponsor for the National Improvisation Competition of the American Guild of Organists.

1993 ~ Op. 60 (III/49) for First United Methodist Church, Mesa, Arizona, the firm’s seventh three-manual instrument, features a Solo as the third manual rather than a more customary Positive or Choir. Voiced on 6≤ wind pressure with mechanical action, this division includes an 8¢ Harmonic Flute, 4¢ Flute Octaviante, Cornet V, and 8¢ Bombarde, all under expression except for the Cornet, which is mounted outside the Solo enclosure.

1995 ~ The mid-’90s see an even wider variety of projects, ranging from Op. 62 (II/11; 1994), a residence organ for Rich Wanner in Berkeley, California, to the 1996 renovation of the important four-manual 1959 Schlicker organ at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, and its enlargement to 102 ranks. Other notable organs delivered are Op. 65 (II/36; 1995) for the University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Op. 67 (II/32; 1996) for Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and Op. 69 (II/31; 1997) for Pakachoag Church, Auburn, Massachusetts. Voicer and pipemaker William Ayers joins the firm during these years.

1998 ~ The organ for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, (Op. 70, II/45) unabashedly combines classical and romantic tonal elements in a fresh and original way. This same line is followed in the large three-manual instrument for West Market Street Methodist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina (Op. 71, III/58; 1999), voiced in collaboration with Los Angeles organ builder Manuel Rosales. A somewhat more classical course is taken with the instrument at St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict, Louisiana (Op. 73, III/38; 2000), which is greatly enhanced by the Abbey church’s five seconds of reverberation. Joining the firm by the end of the decade are Scott Hicks (general organ building), Gerrid Otto (windchests, general organ building), John Ourensma (voicing, pipemaking) and Randall Pepe (wood pipemaking and general organ building).

2000 ~ The firm’s work at the beginning of a new century includes the monumental instrument for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California (Op. 75, IV/105; 2003) and the company’s first contract for a major concert hall, Verizon Hall in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Op. 76, IV/125; 2006), the new home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. These high-profile projects bring Dobson into collegial working relationships with world-famous architects: José Rafael Moneo for the cathedral project and Rafael Viñoly for the concert hall.

2003 ~ Not to be lost among the contracts for immense organs are instruments of more normal size delivered to churches and universities in Delaware, Illinois, and Minnesota. Op. 78 (III/42) for St. John’s Methodist Church in Augusta is Dobson’s first instrument in Georgia, housed in an elegant cherrywood case with carved pipeshades. Joining the firm during the first years of the century are Antal Kozma (technical design) and Donny Hobbs (general organ building, voicing, pipemaking).

2004 ~ Op. 80 (II/26), for St. Paul’s Church, Rock Creek Parish, Washington, D.C., was set up and played in Lake City during a 30th anniversary open house. To further celebrate, a festive reception for friends of the company was held during the Los Angeles AGO convention following Martin Jean’s recital on Op. 75 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The second phase of the installation of Op. 76 (IV/125) in Verizon Hall takes place during the summer, while Op. 79 (II/23), for Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, is installed in the fall. Ongoing design work includes a significant concert hall instrument for the new Atlanta Symphony Center, designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava of Zürich. Instruments for the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, give the shop a small respite between these large projects.

Since 1994, the daily operation of the shop has been under the direction of a management team consisting of Lynn Dobson (president and artistic director), John Panning (tonal director), Jon Thieszen (technical designer), Dean Heim (shop foreman), Dean Zenor (project manager) and Kirk Russell (business manager).

News, specifications of every organ, and many photographs can be found on Dobson’s website at

<www.dobsonorgan.com&gt;.

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd.

William Ayers, 1994, voicer, pipemaker

Mitch Clark, 2004, technical designer

Lynn A. Dobson, 1974, president and artistic director

Lyndon Evans, 1988, cabinetmaker

Randy Hausman, 1988, cabinetmaker

Dean Heim, 1988, shop foreman, general organbuilding

Scott Hicks, 1997, general organbuilding

Donny Hobbs, 2003, general organbuilding, voicing

Antal Kozma, 2001, technical designer

Arthur Middleton, 1987, machinist, key action, wood pipes

Gerrid D. Otto, 1998, windchests, general organbuilding

John Ourensma, 1999, voicer, pipemaker

John A. Panning, 1984, tonal director, voicer

Kirk P. Russell, 1990, business manager

Robert Savage, 1989, leatherwork, electrical, general organbuilding

Meridith Sperling, 1985, windchests, general organbuilding

Jon H. Thieszen, 1975, technical designer

Sally J. Winter, 1983, accounting and secretarial

Dean C. Zenor, 1990, key action, administrative

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Opus 90, 2012

The Joseph W. Schreiber Memorial Organ, Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, 

Opus 90, 2012

The Joseph W. Schreiber Memorial Organ, Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama

 

Of the many activities in American churches which I have been privileged to observe, none pleases me more than the Music Program and Religious Arts Festival which has now become so central to the life of Independent Presbyterian Church and the City of Birmingham.

Too often the Arts are regarded as an alternative to the church’s mission. They are part of it. Nourishing people’s imaginations, enlarging their perceptions, facing them with the prophecies which the artists offer to our society, is, I have always held, essential to any kind of evangelism. The association of evangelism with tawdry and trivial art is a deplorable error, against which the authorities of Independent Presbyterian Church are marching with magnificent purposefulness.

— Erik Routley, 1982

 

Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was founded in 1915 with an initial membership of nearly five hundred people. These first members intended to establish a church dedicated to the glory of God through two primary avenues: the cultivation of beauty, and service to their fellow man. In Birmingham’s early years IPC fulfilled many social-service roles subsequently assumed by public agencies, and the church today maintains ties to those programs as well as administers its own extensive service ministries.

The church’s sanctuary is the work of the Birmingham firm of Warren, Knight and Davis, and was designed by partner William Warren, an IPC member, in the English Perpendicular Gothic style. Completed in 1926, it is built of Shades Mountain sandstone with limestone trim, and has a slate roof surmounted by a copper flèche. The interior is enriched by mosaics that depict the four evangelists and by stained glass windows created by D’Ascenzo Studios in Philadelphia.

Independent Presbyterian Church’s beautiful building is a fitting setting for its extensive fine arts program. With the 1964 arrival of Joseph W. Schreiber as director of music came the establishment of an annual series of organ recitals in November. In the forty-seven years since, programs have been presented by the most celebrated musicians of the day, including E. Power Biggs, Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, and Jean Langlais; the 2011 series welcomed Isabelle Demers, Christopher Houlihan, and Jeremy Filsell. The church’s annual Religious Arts Festival, established in 1972 and held in February, presents lectures and programs devoted to the visual and performing arts and their intersection with Christian faith and life.

The choir of Independent Presbyterian Church strives to maintain professional attitudes and high musical standards. The repertoire consists of over seven hundred anthems and fifty major choral works. In addition to its participation in worship, the choir has toured Europe on several occasions since 1977, most recently singing in Prague, Slovakia, and Vienna. It is well represented on recordings, with twelve releases to date.

Along with its many other beautiful appointments, the church was provided with Opus 516 of the Skinner Organ Co., a gift of the church’s Woman’s Organization. Completed with the church in 1926, the organ had three manuals, five divisions, and forty ranks. In 1969, it was greatly altered by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., with many of the original instrument’s distinctive features removed in favor of more contemporary tonal elements. In 1975, preparations that had been made for Antiphonal and unenclosed Positiv divisions were completed by the M.P. Möller Organ Co., bringing the size of the organ to eighty ranks. In 1992, following a fire that destroyed adjacent wings of the church, the instrument was again rebuilt, increasing its size to eighty-seven ranks. However, dissatisfaction with the organ’s compromised tonal design and its increasing mechanical trouble persuaded IPC to explore the possibilities offered by an entirely new pipe organ. A design contract was signed with Dobson in March 2006, and a contract for the construction of the organ was executed in May 2010. With thanks to God for the gifts shared through His servant, IPC has named the instrument the “Joseph W. Schreiber Memorial Organ.”

In preparation for the new pipe organ, Independent Presbyterian Church engaged Robert Mahoney to assess the acoustics of the sanctuary. His analysis identified the ceiling, covered with Celotex, a construction material made of bagasse (sugar cane fiber), as a major absorber of sound energy. In addition to its undesirable acoustical influence, the Celotex was beginning to decompose, so with Mahoney’s help, architect and IPC member Andrew Hicks, of the Birmingham firm of ArchitectureWorks, developed plans for replacement of the ceiling with more reflective materials. This work was carried out by general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie with site supervision by Robert McElroy, and was completed in Summer 2011.

Opus 90 is shaped by two important factors: it is entirely situated in chambers, and it must serve as a capable vehicle for both the accompaniment of a large body of choral works and the interpretation of a broad spectrum of solo literature. Fortunately, at IPC, these factors are complementary. Organ chambers are a relatively recent phenomenon in organ history, and they suggest a style of instrument that developed to exploit strengths of chambers and overcome their weaknesses. The construction of this sort of instrument, in the first half of the 20th century, coincides with the composition of a body of choral repertoire, especially works from England, valued by IPC.

The performance of several centuries’ worth of solo literature stretches the abilities of any instrument. Most works older than the 20th century were conceived on instruments that spoke freely and distinctly, even intimately, into the room. How can an enchambered instrument such as Opus 90 accommodate this music?

Skinner Opus 516 was situated relatively far behind façades of non-speaking pipes. Although there was sentiment within the congregation to retain these façades, we argued strongly for the construction of new casework. Not only would it be able to carry speaking pipes, but the woodwork could also be designed to project farther out of the chambers, allowing the placement of windchests in the chamber openings rather than behind them. This materially aids not only the projection of sound from the Great, whose windchests are immediately behind the façade but also that of the Swell and Pedal, also located in the right chamber, since they can be planted closer to the chamber opening. The new façades were carefully designed to respect the original oak woodwork, and contain pipes of 93% tin belonging to the Great Principal 16′ on the right and the Pedal Octave 16′ on the left.

The Choir and Solo, located in the left chamber, have an interesting relationship dictated by the architectural realities of the chamber. While there was ample room for the pipes of these divisions in that space, the size of the left chamber relative to its opening precluded each division from having a dedicated swell shade front there. Instead, the Solo swell box stands as a separate entity within the Choir, the latter having a shade front in the chamber opening. As a result, the Solo is under double expression.

The arrangement of space in the choir loft similarly affected the design of the console. IPC was eager to introduce a third row of choral seating, but the size of the old console prohibited it. Our new console, inspired by Skinner’s examples, is made as shallow as possible while remaining consistent with the style by, among other things, the provision of only three manuals, with both the Choir and Solo at home on the lowest keyboard.

Tonally, the instrument has a classical structure that is expanded by a variety of 19th- and 20th-century elements. The Great, Swell, and Choir each have choruses framed around 8′ Principals, crowned with appropriate mixtures. The Choir’s second mixture was inspired by the Glockenspiel II in Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1498, in Laurel, Mississippi; containing a tierce, it logically extends the Choir Mixture and provides colorful effects with other registrations. There are manual doubles and trumpet voices of varying tone in every department. Each manual has a cornet or jeu de tierce possibility, and there is a variety of strings of differing scales, including a pair of very slender tin Violes d’Orchestre in the Solo. This division recalls smaller examples of Ernest Skinner, with the unexpected luxury of a 16′ Trombone, originally Opus 516’s Swell Posaune. Because of insufficient height even for pipes of Haskell construction, the Pedal Contra Diapason borrows another page from Mr. Skinner, employing stopped wood pipes of very large scale for the 32′ octave, which then change to open wood pipes for the remainder of the rank. Except for the Solo, wind pressures are moderate, with the Great, Choir, and Pedal upperwork voiced on 4″ pressure, while the Swell is voiced on 51⁄2″. The Solo is voiced on 10″, save for the Tubas, which are on 20″. The Pedal Contre Bombarde 32′ is voiced on 12″. The Great, Swell, and Choir speak on slider windchests having our special design that incorporates relief magnets for crisp repetition with natural speech. To accommodate the higher pressures and provide the volume of wind required, the Solo and Pedal basses have electro-pneumatic windchests.

To honor the original instrument, and because they could contribute to the musical whole, several ranks were retained from Opus 516. Additionally, the Möller Antiphonal organ, with its own petite console in the gallery, has been retained, as well as the Chimes, two digital stops, and the Bell Star.

The voicing of the instrument brings together various tonal influences in a harmonious, well-digested way. Chorus ranks are voiced boldly to fill the nave, while the location in chambers and effective swell boxes give the softer foundation stops subtlety of expression. A modest number of extensions and duplexing expands registrational possibilities without compromising divisional integrity. 

IPC welcomed the arrival of the new organ on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, with a ‘Blessing of the Pipes’, a brief service complete with crucifer, thurifer, and bagpiper. The physical installation of the organ was complete by Thanksgiving, and tonal finishing began on January 9, 2012. The dedication of Opus 90 took place in festival services on May 6, 2012, which included two commissioned works, an anthem by Howard Keever and a Tuba Tune by David Briggs. The celebration continued with a concert by Jeff McLelland and the Ambassador Brass on May 13, a recital by Ken Cowan on May 20, and on May 27, a concert featuring the IPC Choir, alumni members of Schreiber’s choirs, and members of the Alabama Symphony in a performance of Brahms’s A German Requiem. IPC’s November Organ Recital Series, now in its 48th year, will present programs by Vincent Dubois (November 4, 2012), Nathan Laube (November 11), Peter Dubois (November 18), and Peter Sykes (November 25). All programs are free and open to the public.

In this day, when budget cuts and the rush to find the lowest common denominator have, if anything, increased the general debasement of liturgical art lamented by Dr. Routley, it has been a true and refreshing joy for Independent Presbyterian Church and Dobson Pipe Organ Builders to work together in the creation of an instrument fit to assist in the worship of God. May it long serve as a prophetic voice of art and inspiration!

—Dr. Jeff R. McLelland

 Director of Music and Fine Arts, Independent Presbyterian Church

—John A. Panning, Tonal Director, Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

 

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

William Ayers

Abraham Batten

Kent Brown

Lynn A. Dobson

Randy Hausman

Dean Heim

Donny Hobbs

Pat Lowry

Arthur Middleton

John Ourensma

John A. Panning

Kirk P. Russell

Robert Savage

Jim Streufert

John Streufert

Jon H. Thieszen

Pat Thieszen

Sally J. Winter

Randall Wolff

Dean C. Zenor

 

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Opus 90

Independent Presbyterian Church, 

Birmingham, Alabama

GREAT (II)

16′ Principal (partly in façade) 61 pipes

8′ Open Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Principal (ext Princ 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

8′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

8′ Gamba 61 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Spire Flute 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Twelfth 61 pipes

2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes

III Cornet 22⁄3′ 111 pipes

    (mounted, g20–g56)

IV Mixture 11⁄3′ 244 pipes

16′ Posaune 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Posaune (ext Posaune 16′) 12 pipes

4′ Clairon 61 pipes

Tremolo

8′ Tuba (Solo)

8′ Major Trumpet (Solo)

Swell to Great 16′

Swell to Great 8′

Swell to Great 4′

Choir to Great 16′

Choir to Great 8′

Choir to Great 4′

Solo to Great 16′

Solo to Great 8′

Solo to Great 4′

Pedal to Great 8′

Antiphonal to Great 8′

SWELL (III, enclosed)

16′ Bourdon 61 pipes*

8′ Diapason 61 pipes

8′ Bourdon 61 pipes*

8′ Viole 61 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste CC 61 pipes

8′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes*

8′ Flute Celeste TC 49 pipes*

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Quinte 61 pipes

2′ Doublette 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

IV Plein jeu 2′ 244 pipes

16′ Basson 61 pipes

8′ Trompette 61 pipes

8′ Hautbois 61 pipes

8′ Voix Humaine 61 pipes*

4′ Clairon 61 pipes

Swell 16′

Swell 4′

Swell Unison Off

Tremolo

8′ Tuba (Solo)

8′ Major Trumpet (Solo)

Solo to Swell 16′

Solo to Swell 8′

Solo to Swell 4′

Antiphonal to Swell 8′

CHOIR (I, enclosed)

16′ Gemshorn (ext) 12 pipes*

8′ Principal 61 pipes

8′ Salicional 61 pipes

8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes

8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes*

8′ Unda Maris (FF) 56 pipes

4′ Octave 61 pipes

4′ Chimney Flute 61 pipes

22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes

2′ Recorder 61 pipes

13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes

11⁄3′ Larigot 61 pipes

1′ Piccolo 61 pipes

IV Mixture 1′ 244 pipes

II Sharp Mixture 2⁄5′ 122 pipes

16′ Corno di Basso (ext) 12 pipes

8′ Trumpet 61 pipes*

8′ Corno d’Amore 61 pipes*

Choir 16′

Choir 4′

Choir Unison Off

Tremolo

Swell to Choir 16′

Swell to Choir 8′

Swell to Choir 4′

Antiphonal to Choir 8′

SOLO (I, separately enclosed within Choir)

8′ Viole d’Orchestre 73 pipes

8′ Viole Celeste 61 pipes

4′ Orchestral Flute 73 pipes

8′ French Horn 61 pipes*

8′ Clarinet 61 pipes*

Tremolo

16′ Trombone 61 pipes*

8′ Tuba Mirabilis 73 pipes

8′ Tuba (ext 16′ Trombone) 12 pipes

4′ Tuba Clarion (ext 16′ Tbn) 12 pipes

16′ Major Trumpet TC (ext)*

8′ Major Trumpet 61 pipes*

    located in Antiphonal

Chimes 25 tubes*

Harp (digital)*

Solo 16′

Solo 4′

Solo Unison Off

 

ANTIPHONAL

8′ Spitzprincipal 61 pipes*

4′ Prestant 61 pipes*

2′ Super Octave 61 pipes*

IV Plein Jeu 244 pipes*

PEDAL

32′ Contra Diapason 32 pipes

32′ Contra Bourdon (digital)*

16′ Open Diapason (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Octave (partly in façade) 32 pipes

16′ Principal (Great)

16′ Spitzprincipal (ext Ant 8′) 12 pipes*

16′ Subbass 32 pipes

16′ Gemshorn (Choir)

16′ Bourdon (Swell)

8′ Octave (ext Octave 16′) 12 pipes

8′ Bass Flute (ext Contra Diap 32′)

12 pipes

8′ Bourdon (ext Subbass) 12 pipes

8′ Gemshorn (Choir)

8′ Gedeckt (ext Sw Bourdon 16′)

4′ Super Octave 32 pipes

4′ Flute (Solo)

IV Mixture 22⁄3′ (prepared)

32′ Contre Bombarde 32 pipes

32′ Grand Harmonics (various)

16′ Bombarde (ext 32′) 12 pipes

16′ Posaune (Great)

16′ Trombone (Solo)

8′ Trumpet 32 pipes

8′ Posaune (Great)

4′ Clarion (ext Ped Trumpet 8′) 12 pipes

4′ Clarinet (Solo)

8′ Tuba (Solo)

8′ Major Trumpet (Solo)

Chimes (Solo)

Great to Pedal 8′

Swell to Pedal 8′

Swell to Pedal 4′

Choir to Pedal 8′

Choir to Pedal 4′

Solo to Pedal 8′

Solo to Pedal 4′

Antiphonal to Pedal 8′

 

Accessories

Bell Star* (located in Choir)

All Swells to Swell

Pedal Divide

Great/Choir Manual Transfer

Transposer

 

* = Retained from the previous instrument.

 

Mixture Compositions

 

Great Cornet III

20–56 22⁄3 2 13⁄5

 

Great Mixture IV

1–14  11⁄3  1  2⁄3  1⁄2

15–26 2 11⁄3 1 2⁄3

27–38 22⁄3 2 11⁄3 1

39–50 4 22⁄3 2 11⁄3

51–61 8 4 22⁄3 2

 

Swell Plein Jeu IV

1–12 2 11⁄3 1

13–24 22⁄3 2 11⁄3 1

25–42 4 22⁄3 2 11⁄3

43–61 8 4 22⁄3 2

 

Choir Mixture IV

1–10 1 2⁄3 1⁄2 1⁄3

11–20 11⁄3 1 2⁄3 1⁄2

21–30 2 11⁄3 1  2⁄3

31–40 22⁄3 2 11⁄3 1

41–50 4 22⁄3 2 11⁄3

51–61 8 4 22⁄3 2

 

Choir Sharp Mixture II

1–18 2⁄5 1⁄4

19–24 2⁄5 1⁄3

25–30 1⁄2 2⁄5

31–36 4⁄5 1⁄2

37–42 4⁄5 2⁄3

43–45 1 4⁄5

46–49 13⁄5 1

50–54 13⁄5 11⁄3

55–57 2 13⁄5

58–61 22⁄3  2

 

Pedal Mixture IV

1–32 22⁄3 2 11⁄3 1

Three manuals

82 ranks

97 stops

4,931 pipes

 

Cover photo: Lynn Dobson

 

www.dobsonorgan.com

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Ruth Lloyd Henderson died September 5 in Hamilton, Bermuda, at age 54. She earned degrees in music and music education from Dalhousie University in Halifax, during which time she met William Henderson. They married in 1975 and moved to Montreal, where Mrs. Henderson completed the licentiate diploma in organ performance. In 1976, they returned to Bermuda, and two years later she became organist at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (Anglican), where she served for 29 years. She also taught music at Bermuda High School and Saltus Senior School, and was the driving force behind the Bermuda Choral Workshop, which brings together choirs from throughout Bermuda. She helped restore an old Bermuda organ, now located next to the baptismal font in the cathedral. Mrs. Henderson served as program director for the Bermuda AGO chapter. She is survived by her four children, mother, three brothers, and mother-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law.

Jack R. Ruhl, age 82, died September 7 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Born in Fort Wayne, he served as a chaplain’s assistant in the Navy. He earned bachelor and master of music degrees at Northwestern University School of Music in Evanston, Illinois. In 1951 he became staff organist at the First Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, serving in that position until his retirement in 1991. There he established a famous concert series on the church’s 81-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ; the series featured such artists as Anton Heiller, E. Power Biggs, Virgil Fox, the Duruflés, Jeanne Demessieux, Robert Glasgow, Clyde Holloway, Larry Smith, Robert Anderson, and many others. He was also responsible for the creation of the Fort Wayne National Organ Playing Competition. Mr. Ruhl also maintained a private piano and organ studio, was pianist for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and was active as a recitalist.

Joseph William Schreiber died at age 77 on September 20, in Mountain Brook, Alabama. A graduate of Baylor University and Northwestern University with degrees in organ and church music, Mr. Schreiber was a member of Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda. He also served in the Air Force during the Korean conflict. He served churches in Hammond, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Louisville, Kentucky; then at First Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1960. In 1964, he was called to Independent Presbyterian Church, serving there as organist-choirmaster until he retired in 1998. During his tenure there, he established the November Organ Recital Series, which has featured more than 150 guest organists from the U.S. and Europe, and also initiated the Religious Arts Festival, beginning in 1972. Under Schreiber’s direction, the IPC choir toured Europe six times, performing in cathedrals throughout Europe; they also sang at three AGO conventions, and produced 13 recordings. Mr. Schreiber served on various boards, both locally and also for such national organizations as the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and the AGO. He received numerous awards, including the Governor’s Arts Award. Joseph Schreiber is survived by his wife and two children.