New Organs

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Ltd., Lake City, Iowa
Church of St. Peter Claver,
West Hartford, Connecticut
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa, has completed its Op. 85 for the Church of St. Peter Claver in West Hartford, Connecticut. The parish, founded in 1966, erected a church in 1969 to the designs of John Riley of the firm of Russell, Gibson and von Dohlen of West Hartford. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest, spent forty years in Cartagena, Colombia, in the early 1600s, ministering to slaves shipped there from Africa. To recall this service, the design of the church evokes the hold of a ship, an image familiar to slaves, with light being admitted from a latticed skylight above.
As originally built, St. Peter Claver was supplied with an electronic organ and wall-to-wall carpeting. But the organ project, undertaken in 2006 at the initiative of Tim Stella, St. Peter Claver Director of Music, and Ezequiel Menendez, Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, was part of a renewal of the church building, including enhancements such as a tile floor. The musicians, originally located at the front near the altar, were given a dedicated space at the rear of the church. While this proved advantageous in many ways, it required the organ to be placed under the lowest point of the ceiling, with the added vexation of two roof trusses passing through the space. Because the ceiling is low, the case design is a horizontal, rather than vertical, composition. The Great Prestant 8′, the organ’s single principal stop at 8′, wouldn’t fill the façade from side to side, so Lynn Dobson created groups of pipes that float in front of a neutral wooden screen. The organ case, made of white oak with a natural finish, is slightly folded in the middle like a book, making a very shallow V that fits gracefully into the corner and embraces the choir. The screen behind the horizontal wooden ribs is a muted blue, while the exposed pipes of the Pedal Bourdon 16′ are painted a burgundy color.
Though the organ budget was not large, the church renovations significantly improved the acoustic, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of the organ and all musical sounds created in that space. The stoplist provides all of the basics: a complete principal chorus on the Great, a lesser chorus capped by the principal-like Gemshorn on the Swell, a variety of flutes including the ingredients for a jeu de tierce on the Swell, a pair of strings, and a reed in each division. In addition to the normal unison couplers, there is a Swell to Great 16′ coupler, which greatly increases registrational possibilities. Principals, strings and reeds are made of 75% or 52% tin; flutes are made of 30% tin or poplar. The organ is voiced on 75 millimeters wind pressure, supplied by a blower within the organ case and regulated by a large weighted reservoir. Mechanical key and stop actions are provided for the manuals, and electric action for the two Pedal stops. The console is detached; built of white oak like the case, the console interior and music rack are trimmed with American black walnut and veneered with Carpathian elm burl.
The organ was dedicated in November 2007, and Ezequiel Menendez, assisted by his wife Mercedes Featherston, presented a dedicatory recital on October 20, 2008 that included works by Mendelssohn, Zipoli, Couperin, Hollins, Franck, Piazzolla, Ginastera and Bach.
—John Panning, Tonal Director
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

GREAT – 58 notes
8′ Prestant
8′ Chimney Flute
4′ Octave
2′ Fifteenth
11⁄3′ Mixture IV
8′ Trumpet
Swell to Great 16′
Swell to Great 8′

SWELL – 58 notes (enclosed)
8′ Gedackt
8′ Salicional
8′ Celeste FF
4′ Principal
4′ Open Flute
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Gemshorn
13⁄5′ Tierce
8′ Oboe

PEDAL – 32 notes
16′ Subbass
8′ Bourdon (Subbass)
16′ Fagotto
8′ Trumpet (Fagotto)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Tremulant (affects entire organ)

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,
Lake City, Iowa
University of Delaware,
Newark, Delaware
For years without a pipe organ on campus, the University of Delaware in Newark is now the home of Dobson Op. 74, a two-manual mechanical-action instrument of 22 ranks. Made possible by the generosity of Edward and Naomi Jefferson and named in their honor, the new organ is installed in the original home of Newark’s St. Thomas Church (Episcopal), which stands adjacent to the campus and was purchased and restored by the university for use as a small recital hall. Deconsecrated in 1956, the former church’s subsequent physical decline has been arrested by a careful restoration directed by Homsey Architects of Wilmington, Delaware.
Located in an intimate setting with only seventy seats, Op. 74 has been designed primarily for use as a teaching and recital instrument. It is capable of accommodating a generous range of organ literature and is well suited for use with small instrumental ensembles. Because of the modest size of the hall, the voicing treatment emphasizes warmth and color rather than strength or brilliance. The metal pipes are made of alloys containing from hammered 12% tin to burnished 75% tin. The Pedal Subbass and basses of the manual 8' flute stops are made of poplar and cherry, while the Great Flute 4' has open pipes of hard maple. The instrument is voiced on a wind pressure of 70 millimeters, supplied from a large, weighted, single-rise reservoir.
The instrument’s location in a balcony of modest depth led to the unusual placement of the console on the right side of the instrument when viewed from the front. The Great is located immediately adjacent to the console; the Swell, whose enclosure has shutters on three sides, is in the center of the case; the Pedal is at the left side. The casework is constructed of white oak with a fumed, oiled and lacquered finish, and is embellished with colors and 24K gold leaf. The woodwork of the drawknob console incorporates black walnut, ebony, rosewood, Carpathian elm burl and cow bone. The instrument has mechanical key and stop actions. For increased versatility, a system of mechanical duplexing permits the three Pedal voices to play at both unison and octave pitches.
Dedication series recitalists included David Herman (Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music and University Organist), Thomas Trotter, and William Owen. In addition to being the first organ on campus, the instrument carries another distinction: it is thought to be the first pipe organ whose entire installation, from delivery to final tuning, was broadcast live on the Internet. Video clips and stills recorded by the webcam can still be found at
<http://www.udel.edu/pipeorgan/&gt;.
—John Panning

GREAT (58 notes)
8' Prestant
8' Chimney Flute
4' Octave
4' Flute
2' Super Octave
11⁄3' Mixture IV
8' Trumpet
Swell to Great

SWELL (58 notes, expressive)
8' Bourdon
8' Salicional
4' Principal
4' Chimney Flute
2' Piccolo
11⁄3' Gemsquinte
22⁄3' Cornet II
8' Oboe
Tremulant (affects entire organ)

PEDAL (32 notes)
16' Subbass
8' Principal
8' Gedackt (ext)
4' Choralbass (ext)
16' Trombone
8' Trumpet (ext)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Fowler Organ Company, Lansing, Michigan, Opus 21
Andrews University, Theological Seminary Chapel
Berrien Springs, Michigan
The instrument is centered in the front of the chapel, which seats approximately 400. It is housed in a free-standing case built of red oak with the console contained within the case. The case is a contemporary adaptation of a classic case form with the bass pipes of the 8' Principal/8' Pedal Octave in flamed copper. The upper flat is from the Great Principal, the lower flat is the Pedal Octave, both in polished tin.
Since the instrument dominates the front of the chapel, it was felt that it needed to make a statement of purpose beyond simply being a musical instrument. The pipe shades were designed in collaboration with the builder and carved by Norman Moll; he and his wife Dorothy are significant benefactors to the university and to this instrument. The carvings are symbols that can be seen both in a traditional sense and yet be open to wider interpretation. The center tower contains the circle surrounding the Alpha and Omega, representing God the Father and creator eternal. The other carvings—the dove, the lamp, the book, and the praying hands—can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the experiences of the viewer. These are set on a background of rays radiating outward, clad in flamed copper.
The layout of the instrument follows the case design with the Swell in the lower center, the Great directly above, and the Pedal divided on either side. The action is electro-mechanical throughout, and the operating system is multiplex solid state. This includes a multi-memory combination action, transposer, and MIDI control with onboard synthesizer and sequencer. The manual keys are rosewood with maple sharps; the drawknobs were hand turned from hard maple by Mr. Moll’s father.
Tonal design follows an “American Classic” model. The flues are generously scaled, voicing is lightly articulate and clearly defined. The reeds are quite colorful and distinctive. The Great Cromorne, built with “clarinet” style resonators and closed German shallots, has the ability to play solo or blend into the ensemble. The Trompette is extended to 16' with half-length basses and Cavaillé-Coll-style shallots.
—Brian Fowler

GREAT
8' Principal
8' Bourdon
4' Octave
4' Rohrflute
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Blockflute
13⁄5' Tierce (T/C)
III Mixture
8' Trompette (Sw)
8' Cromorne
Tremulant
MIDI on Great
16' Swell to Great
8' Swell to Great
4' Swell to Great
16' Great
Unison Silent
4' Great

SWELL
8' Holz Gedeckt
8' Viole de Gambe
8' Viole Celeste (T/C)
4' Harmonic Flute
4' Viola
2' Principal
8' Trompette
8' Cromorne (Gt)
4' Clarion
Tremulant
MIDI on Swell
16' Swell
Unison Silent
4' Swell

PEDAL
32' Resultant Bass
16' Subbass
16' Gedecktbass
8' Octave
8' Bourdon
4' Choralbass
2' Doublette
16' Bombarde
8' Trompette
4' Cromorne
MIDI on Pedal
8' Great to Pedal
4' Great to Pedal
8' Swell to Pedal
4' Swell to Pedal

Accessories
Multi-memory combination action
Transposer
Sequencer
Digital synthesizer
Balanced swell expression
Crescendo pedal

 

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,
Lake City, Iowa
St. David’s Episcopal Church,
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Faced with rapid growth in the late 1990s, St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania planned to replace a worship space erected in 1956. That building had been constructed in response to the post-war population surge in this mainline Episcopal parish, whose congregants for the prior 241 years had worshipped in a small stone church built in 1715. Founded by Welsh colonists, the congregation and its stone church were immortalized in 1880 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem, “Old St. David’s at Radnor,” a stanza of which reads,
    It is not the wall of stone without
    That makes the building small or great,
    But the soul’s light shining round about,
    And the faith that overcometh doubt,
    And the love that stronger is than hate.
The new chapel, so named to mark this edifice as, despite its greater size, the spiritual offshoot of the still-standing historic church, was designed by Atkin, Olshin, Lawson-Bell (now Atkin, Olshin, Schade) of Philadelphia. Seating 585, the chapel is the newest gathering point for a congregation that has long valued music.
From the beginning of the construction planning process, it was determined that a pipe organ and acoustics supportive of singing would be significant features of the new chapel. Under the leadership of Dr. Joseph Bonn and organ consultant Jonathan Ambrosino, St. David’s organ committee undertook an extensive search that ultimately resulted in the decision to commission a new instrument from Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa, the firm’s Op. 84.
Standing at the front of the worship space, the new organ, like the chapel itself, draws architectural inspiration from the 1715 church across the street. Built of oak and lightly painted white, the organ case’s simple lines are enriched by gilded carvings. The layout of the organ is straightforward, with location of the divisions within the case corresponding to the arrangement of the keyboards. The largest pipes of the Pedal stand on the floor behind the organ. The Choir division, played from the lowest manual keyboard, is located behind the latticework grille. The Great, played from the second manual keyboard, is located behind the tall groups of pipes at the outside of the case; some of the smaller Pedal pipes are also located with the Great. The Swell is placed behind the upper group of pipes just below the window.
The organ generally employs mechanical key action for all divisions, with electric action being used for the largest Pedal pipes. A multilevel combination action is also provided. The console, built of black cherry with a mahogany interior, is detached from the main case to provide two rows of choir seating. Most of the organ’s 2,751 pipes are made of alloys of tin and lead, with tin content ranging from 12% to 75%. The largest pipes, and some smaller ones as well, are made of wood, specifically yellow poplar, hard maple and black walnut. Wind is supplied by a blower located in the undercroft, and regulated by large weighted reservoirs in the base of the case.
The organ was dedicated in a festival worship service on September 23, 2007, during which St. David’s choir sang Parry’s “I Was Glad.” It was followed by a dedication recital given that afternoon by David Higgs of the Eastman School of Music. Subsequent dedication series programs have been presented by Dr. Clair Rozier, director of music at St. David’s; Dr. Robert Gallagher, associate director of music; and Ann Elise Smoot, a daughter of the parish and now a concert organist and teacher in London.
—John A. Panning
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Photographs courtesy Wm. T. Van Pelt

GREAT (II)
16? Principal 61 pipes
8? Principal 61 pipes
8? Hohl 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
13?5? Seventeenth 61 pipes
2? Mixture IV 244 pipes
8? Trumpet 61 pipes
4? Clarion 61 pipes
Swell to Great
Choir to Great

SWELL (III, enclosed)
8? Diapason 61 pipes
8? Bourdon 61 pipes
8? Viola 61 pipes
8? Voix Celeste (CC) 61 pipes
4? Octave 61 pipes
4? Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
22?3? Nasard 61 pipes
2? Piccolo 61 pipes
13?5? Tierce 61 pipes
2? Mixture III 183 pipes
16? Bassoon 61 pipes
8? Trumpet 61 pipes
8? Oboe 61 pipes
4? Clarion 61 pipes
Tremulant

CHOIR (I, enclosed)
16? Bourdon 61 pipes
8? Salicional 61 pipes
8? Gemshorn 61 pipes
8? Unda Maris (GG) 54 pipes
8? Lieblich Gedeckt 61 pipes
4? Fugara 61 pipes
4? Recorder 61 pipes
2? Flageolet 61 pipes
8? Trumpet 61 pipes
8? Clarinet 61 pipes
8? Vox Humana 61 pipes
Tremulant
Swell to Choir

PEDAL
32? Contra Bourdon 32 pipes
16? Principal (Gt)
16? Violone 32 pipes
16? Subbass (ext 32?) 12 pipes
16? Bourdon (Ch)
8? Octave 32 pipes
8? Violoncello (ext Violone) 12 pipes
8? Gedeckt (ext 32?) 12 pipes
4? Choralbass 32 pipes
16? Trombone 32 pipes
8? Trumpet (Gt)
4? Clarion (Gt)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal

42 voices, 49 stops, 47 ranks, 2,751 pipes

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,

Lake City, Iowa, Op. 79, 2004

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, Ellison Bay, Wisconsin

Door County, a peninsula jutting into the northern waters of
Lake Michigan, is Wisconsin’s answer to Cape Cod. Part of the Niagara
Escarpment, the same geological formation that created Niagara Falls, Door
County attracted many northern European farmers and fishermen in the 19th
century. Because Lake Michigan’s waters keep winter temperatures
moderate, the county is ideal for orchards, and Door County cherries are known
throughout the Midwest. Long a summer getaway for city folk from Milwaukee and
Chicago, Door County now hosts visitors from all over the country. With more
miles of shoreline, more lighthouses and more state parks than any other county
in the nation, Door County is a tourism magnet. And nature isn’t the only
draw: artists’ studios are liberally scattered throughout the county, and
the Peninsula Music Festival, now in its 53rd season, attracts classical music
lovers from surrounding states. And now, a new pipe organ is part of the
peninsula’s cultural mix.

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church is the result of the
1987 merger of Trinity Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay and Zion Lutheran Church
in nearby Sister Bay. For many years the two congregations, both affiliated
with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, had shared a common pastor and
ministry. In 1989 the congregation took its present name, and in 1992 it voted
to consolidate its ministry in a single, new building. When the new facility
was constructed in 1994, an electronic organ was moved from one of the existing
churches to the new sanctuary, where it continued to be used for worship; a
fine grand piano was acquired later. In 2001, a search was undertaken for an
organ builder, and a contract with Dobson was signed in 2002. The pressing need
to expand seating capacity due to growth, coupled with consideration of the
ideal organ placement, led the church to enlarge their worship space by
expanding outward in three directions. This yielded a larger chancel, a new
choir and organ area, and the improved acoustics that come with increased cubic
volume.

The organ, which was originally planned to stand in a corner
in the original space, now assumed a location behind the choir on the long axis
of the sanctuary. A case of white oak was designed that incorporates a round
central tower and free-form toeboards; the upper “eyebrow”
toeboards are cantilevered in front of the lower façade pipes. Five stops,
the Great Bourdon 16’ and Prestant 8’, the Pedal Subbass 16’,
Principal 8’ and Trombone 16’, contribute pipes to the façade.
Although its central tower is aligned with the ridge of the roof, the
asymmetrical case is not centered on the axis of the building.

To give the organist a good view of the congregation and the
choir director, the console was detached from the main case, reversed, and
placed to one side of the choir. The console incorporates manual keyboards with
ebony naturals and bone-covered rosewood sharps, and a pedalboard with naturals
of hard maple with teak sharps. Oblique rosewood drawknobs are set in angled
terraces that, like the music rack, are veneered with Carpathian elm burl. An
eight-level combination action is provided.

Although the specification, incorporating a 16’ plenum,
a variety of unison colors, mutations, and expected reeds, may read like many
other church organ stoplists, Shepherd of the Bay’s organ gains
distinction from careful scaling and meticulous on-site tonal finishing. The
voicing emphasizes blend and agreeable tone that well supports choral and
congregational song. Although projection of tone is excellent throughout the
church, reverberation is minimal, and pains were taken to walk the fine line
between brightness and shrillness. The organ is voiced on 80 millimeters wind
pressure, supplied by a blower within the organ case and regulated by a large
weighted reservoir. The organ is tuned to equal temperament.

Our shop celebrated its 30th anniversary in March 2004, and
a number of hardy church members made the 1,100-mile round trip by car to be
guests of honor at our open house, which featured the Shepherd of the Bay organ
set up in our erecting room.

Since the installation last fall, the church--in part
because it possesses the only pipe organ in the northern half of Door
County--has already hosted several events designed to acquaint people with
the organ. In January, Gordon Rowley, chair of the organ committee, presented
“Pipes, Pedals and Pistons: A Q&A Session at the Dobson Pipe
Organ.” Naomi Rowley presented a “Pipe Organ Discovery Day for
Adults” in February, as well as a “Pipe Organ Discovery Day for
Middle and High School Youth” in March. Dr. Rowley is principal organist
at First United Methodist Church and organ teacher at the Lawrence Academy of
Music, both in Appleton. She is also national director of the American Guild of
Organists’ Committee on the New Organist.

Because many members of the church live in Door County on a
seasonal basis, the formal dedication of the organ occurred on June 26, 2005 at
7:00 pm, when John Ferguson of St. Olaf College presented a hymn festival
“When in Our Music: A Celebration in Song to Dedicate a New Organ.”
Washington National Cathedral organist Erik Wm. Suter, whose family spent
summers in Door County, presented a dedicatory recital on August 17, 2005 at
8:00 pm.

--John A. Panning, Tonal Director

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

William Ayers

Mitch Clark

Lynn A. Dobson

Lyndon Evans

Randy Hausman

Dean Heim

Scott Hicks

Donny Hobbs

Antal Kozma

Arthur Middleton

Gerrid D. Otto

John Ourensma

John A. Panning

Kirk P. Russell

Robert Savage

Meridith Sperling

Jon H. Thieszen

Sally J. Winter

Dean C. Zenor

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, Ellison Bay, Wisconsin

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa, Op. 79, 2004

GREAT (I, 58 notes)

16’           Bourdon
(partly in façade, poplar and 30% tin)

8’               Prestant
(partly in façade, burnished 75% tin)

8’               Chimney
Flute (poplar and 30% tin)

4’               Octave
(52% tin)

22/3’     Twelfth
(52% tin)

2’               Fifteenth
(52% tin)

13/5’     Seventeenth
(52% tin)

IV                 Mixture
11/3’ (52% tin)

8’               Trumpet
(52% tin)

                        Swell
to Great

SWELL (II, expressive, 58 notes)

8’               Lieblich
Gedeckt (poplar and 30% tin)

8’               Salicional
(75% tin)

8’               Celeste
(FF, 52% tin)

4’               Principal
(52% tin)

4’               Harmonic
Flute (30% tin)

2’               Piccolo
(52% tin)

11/3’     Larigot
(52% tin)

8’               Oboe
(52% tin)

                        Tremulant
(affects entire organ)

PEDAL (32 notes)

16’           Subbass
(partly in façade, poplar)

16’           Bourdon
(from Great)

8’               Principal
(partly in façade, 75% tin)

8’               Bass
Flute (ext Subbass)

4’               Octave
(ext Pedal Principal)

16’           Trombone
(partly in façade, 75% tin)

8’               Trumpet
(ext Pedal Trombone)

                        Great
to Pedal

                        Swell
to Pedal

                        Zimbelstern
(five bells)

Karl Wilhelm Inc., Mont St. Hilaire, Québec, Canada, Opus 157

St. John’s Catholic Church, Fenton, Michigan

This new 44-stop organ, Opus 157 by Karl Wilhelm Inc., was made possible by the generosity of longtime parishioner Mrs. Alvesta Veness and the William Bowman and Ann McGuire estates, as well as other benefactors and contributors from the congregation and the community. The organ project was led by Rev. David W. Harvey with the assistance of several other parishioners. Dr. David Wagner performed the dedication recital.

The organ consists of four divisions: the Great is in the center above the impost, the Swell is right behind the Great and is enclosed in its own case, the Rückpositiv is in the gallery rail, and the Pedal is on either side of the main case. There are 3,017 pipes in this instrument. The metal façade pipes are 70% tin and 30% lead, metal flute pipes are 40% tin and 60% lead. Open pipes are cone tuned; stopped pipes have fixed caps. The temperament is Bach-Kellner A440. The playing action of the organ is direct mechanical (suspended tracker). There are two manual couplers and three pedal couplers. Manual/pedal compass is 56/30. The stop action is electric and offers a complete set of registration aids featuring 32 levels of solid-state memory. Two cuneiform bellows and one electric blower provide the winding.

— Karl Wilhelm Inc.

Facteurs d’Orgues-Organbuilders

Karl Wilhelm Opus 157

St. John’s Catholic Church

Fenton, Michigan

GREAT C–g’’’

16’ Bourdon

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Rohrflöte

8’ Flute Harmonique

4’ Oktave

4’ Spitzflöte

22⁄3’ Quinte

2’ Superoktave

8’ Cornet V (c’–d’’’)

11⁄3’ Mixtur IV

1’ Zimbel III

8’ Trompette

4’ Clairon


SWELL C–g’’’ (enclosed)

8’ Principal

8’ Gambe

8’ Celeste TC

8’ Hohlflöte

4’ Principal

4’ Flute Harmonique

2’ Waldflöte

22⁄3’ Cornet III (TF)

2’ Mixtur IV

16’ Basson

8’ Trompette

8’ Hautbois

Tremolo


RÜCKPOSITIV C–g’’’

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Gedackt

4’ Prinzipal

4’ Rohrflöte

22⁄3’ Nasard

2’ Doublette

13⁄5’ Terz

11⁄3’ Larigot

1’ Scharf IV

8’ Cromorne

Tremolo


PEDAL C–f’

16’ Prinzipal

16’ Subbass

8’ Prinzipal

8’ Bourdon

4’ Choralbass

22⁄3’ Rauschpfeife IV

16’ Posaune

8’ Trompete

4’ Clairon



Note:

Prinzipal 16’ in the Pedal: C–E, open 8’ wooden pipes and common with Subbass 16’; F–f’, 70% tin and located in the façade.

Prinzipal 8’ shares the first octave with the Prinzipal 16’ in the Pedal.

Prinzipal 8’ of the Positiv has common pipes from C–G# with Gedackt 8’.

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa

Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, Lake City, Iowa, has completed its Op. 72 for Calvary Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin. Despite the low ceiling height at the rear of the church, a balcony was a part of the original design of the building. As part of a renovation project, the congregation removed the balcony and resolved to place a mechanical action organ in a free-standing position on the main floor. The choir and handbells would then be arranged about the organ.

Even without the hindrance of the balcony, fitting an organ into the broadly V-shaped space proved a challenge. Many different plans were made, finally resulting in a design in which the Swell is located behind and above the choir seating, the Great is placed forward in a separate case and the Pedal is situated behind the Great. The console, placed in the Great case, is so located that the organist can direct the choir. In spite of its seemingly scattered arrangement, the mechanical design of the organ is quite straightforward and all parts are readily accessible for tuning and maintenance. The design of the curving white oak casework echoes the arcing lines of the ceiling, which rises toward the front of the sanctuary.

The tonal design of the organ is intended to inspire enthusiastic congregational singing and to accompany a wide variety of choral literature. The instrument is voiced on a wind pressure of 76 millimeters, which is supplied from a large, parallel-rise reservoir. Tuning is in equal temperament. Metal pipes are made of the usual alloys of tin and lead; all wood pipes are made of poplar and cherry. The key action is mechanical; an electric stop action and multi-level combination action are provided. Several Pedal stops are made available at two pitches through a system of mechanical duplexing.
Calvary was assisted in this project by John Behnke, organ consultant, and Scott Riedel, acoustical consultant. Suzanne and Steve Hibbard were director of music and organist, respectively, at the time of the organ’s construction. Bill Bravener is the current director of music.

—John Panning



Photo credit: Lynn Dobson


GREAT (58 notes)

16’ Bourdon

8’ Prestant

8’ Chimney Flute

4’ Octave

4’ Nachthorn

2’ Fifteenth

11⁄3’ Mixture IV

8’ Trumpet

Swell to Great


SWELL (58 notes, expressive)

8’ Gedackt

8’ Salicional

8’ Celeste FF

4’ Principal

4’ Traverse Flute

22⁄3’ Nazard

2’ Piccolo

13⁄5’ Tierce

11⁄3’ Quinte

8’ Oboe


PEDAL (32 notes)

16’ Subbass

16’ Bourdon (Gt)

8’ Principal

8’ Gedackt (ext)

4’ Choralbass (ext)

16’ Posaune

8’ Trumpet (ext)

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal



Tremulant

Zimbelstern

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,
Lake City, Iowa
The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd,
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City, Iowa, has completed its Op. 83 for the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The church building, dedicated in 1973, required updating of its HVAC systems as well as minor changes to the gallery to accommodate the organ. The project then expanded to include new lighting and sound systems, an elevator to the choir room and gallery, and other architectural changes to improve liturgical functions and make the nave completely handicapped accessible. The design team included Donald Main of M&M Architects, acoustician Scott Riedel, the Rev. Marilyn Witte, cantor, and the Rev. Mark Russell, senior pastor.
The organ’s freestanding case is made of hard maple with a natural finish, and features a multi-dimensional façade designed to give interest to what would otherwise be a disproportionately wide layout. In stepped groups of three and five, the pipes of the Great and Pedal 8' Prestant stops are punctuated by burgundy painted wood pipes of the 16' Bourdon. Horizontal maple boards backed with China blue grille cloth form the toeboards at the lowest levels, then recede to become a screen behind the façade pipes. The case wings support the remainder of the 16' Bourdon, the entire 16' Subbass, and the interior treble pipes of the Pedal Prestant. The manual divisions are located at impost level behind the façade; the Great is on the right side, the Swell on the left. The full-length Pedal 16' Trombone stands on the lower case floor and rises between the manual divisions. The organ employs mechanical key action for the manuals, electric action for the Pedal, electric stop action and an eight-level combination action. The organ is voiced on a wind pressure of 76 millimeters, which is supplied by a large, weighted single-rise bellows. Principal and string pipes are 75% tin, while flutes are either 30% tin or wood.
A festival Eucharist of rededication and dedication of the organ took place on September 17, 2006 with the Rev. Marilyn Witte, cantor, at the organ. Martin Jean, of Yale Institute of Sacred Music, played the dedicatory recital in the afternoon. Additional programs included recitals by Mark Mummert, Paul Jacobs and Gerre Hancock.
—John A. Panning
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders

GREAT (I)
16' Bourdon 58 pipes
8' Prestant (partly in façade) 58 pipes
8' Chimney Flute 58 pipes
4' Octave 58 pipes
4' Spire Flute 58 pipes
2' Fifteenth 58 pipes
22'3' Cornet III (mounted, g20–d51) 96 pipes
11'3' Mixture IV 232 pipes
8' Trumpet 58 pipes
Swell to Great

SWELL (II, enclosed)
8' Lieblich Gedackt 58 pipes
8' Viola 58 pipes
8' Viola Celeste (FF) 53 pipes
4' Principal 58 pipes
4' Harmonic Flute 58 pipes
2' Piccolo 58 pipes
1' Mixture III 174 pipes
8' Oboe 58 pipes
Tremulant

PEDAL
16' Subbass 32 pipes
16' Bourdon (Gt)
8' Principal (partly in façade) 32 pipes
8' Gedackt (ext) 12 pipes
4' Choralbass (ext) 12 pipes
16' Trombone 32 pipes
8' Trumpet (ext) 12 pipes
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Zimbelstern