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New Organs

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Schoenstein & Co., organ builders of San Francisco, has installed a two-manual, 11-rank pipe organ for St. John's Lutheran Church of American Falls, Idaho. This instrument preserves the original look of the church by incorporating the organ into the design of the altar and reredos. The case and console are made of quartered white oak. The display pipes are of copper finished in gold.

Jack Bethards, president and tonal director of Schoenstein & Co., designed the relatively small stoplist of the organ to provide maximum versatility in both tone color and dynamic range. The greatest challenge, after space limitations, was to design an instrument of rich and vibrant sound to overcome a moderately "dry" acoustic. All stops are under expression except for the Pedal extensions of the Great.

The Great division features a traditional Diapason chorus of 8', Octave and Mixture. The Octave is of narrow scale in the bass for clarity, graduating to larger scale to add power in the upper octaves. A Mixture is included due to the relatively large size of the building and the requirements of Lutheran worship. A special feature of the Great is borrowing the 4' Octave at 8' pitch to serve as a second Diapason of contrasting tone. The Great 8' Flute is unique in having stopped wooden Bourdon pipes in the lower octaves and open metal harmonic flutes in the upper range. This combination stop provides a lyrical solo quality in the upper range with accompanimental character in the lower octaves, a practice often found in small French Romantic organs. The Great Flügel Horn serves the dual role of oboe and muted trumpet.

The Swell has a small-scale, colorful Chimney Flute. The Swell Salicional and Unda Maris are small scale echo principals. The Salicional combines with the Chimney Flute to provide 8' foundation for the division. A full chorus of trumpet tone is provided by the 8' English-style Trumpet extended to 16' and 4'.

The Pedal 16' Diapason is made of wood except that the lowest few pipes are made on the Haskell system with copper and spotted metal interior canisters. The next few pipes have half-shades and the rest are fully open. (Photo credit: Lucian)

--Larry Simpson

 

GREAT

                  16'          Bourdon (borrow Gt & Ped)

                  8'             First Open Diapason

                  8'             Second Open Diapason (Bdn bass)

                  8'             Bourdon & Flute

                  4'             Octave (ext)

                  2'             Mixture III

                  8'             Flügel Horn

                                    Tremulant

                                    Gt 4'

                                    Sw 8'

                                    MIDI

SWELL

                  8'             Chimney Flute

                  8'             Salicional (Chim Fl bass)

                  8'             Celeste (TC)

                  4'             Chimney Flute (ext)

                  4'             Salicet (ext)

                  22?3'      Nazard (ext Chim Fl)

                  2'             Fifteenth (ext)

                  16'          Trumpet

                  8'             Trumpet (ext)

                  4'             Trumpet (ext)

                                    Tremulant

                                    MIDI

PEDAL

                  16'          Diapason (wood, ext Gt)

                  16'          Sub Bass (wood, ext Gt)

                  8'             Diapason (Gt)

                  8'             Great Bass (Gt)

                  8'             Swell Bass (Sw)

                  4'             Octave (Gt)

                  16'          Trumpet (Sw)

                  8'             Trumpet (Sw)

                  4'             Flügel Horn (Gt)

                                    Gt 8'

                                    Sw 8'

                                    Sw 4'

                                    MIDI

 

Wahl Organbuilders, Appleton, Wisconsin, has built a new organ, Opus 10, for the Parish of Christ the King, Washington, DC. The small but resonant sanctuary presented organ design and construction problems. The parish required a balcony location for the organ even though the balcony floor to ceiling height was only eight and a half feet. Both the church and builder understood the importance of the 8' Principal in supporting congregational singing. This resulted in the key design solution of building the full length open 8' Principal bass pipes as part of the casework.

The organ project was started by a gift from the Purvis family of the parish. Four stops were contracted with two additional stops being prepared. At the beginning of construction, additional discussions with John Johnson, parish organist, about tonal versatility and solo sounds caused the Sesquialtera to be added. Vicar Paul Sterne led the arrangements that allowed the entire organ to be completed. Alan Laufman of the Organ Clearing House served as advisor to the project.

The sound in the room is filling and supportive with various chorus registrations supporting small to large congregational singing. The three eight foot stops, like American organs from the 19th century, are usable in all combinations for increased versatility. The only four foot in the organ is a hybrid stop that, through variable scaling, works with both the principal and flute stops. The Sesquialtera can be either a solo stop on the divided keyboard or a telling addition to the full organ sound.

The project was an enjoyable synthesis of ideals and limitations where the results are due to the energetic interaction among the builders, the musicians, and the parish members. No one party would have achieved the results obtained by all parties working together in a musically supportive environment.

--Ronald Wahl

 

MANUAL

                  8'             Principal

                  8'             Bourdon

                  8'             Dulciana

                  4'             Octave

                  2'             Octave

                  3'             Quint/Sesquialtera II

PEDAL

                  16            Bourdon

                                    Manual Coupler

 

Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company, St. Louis, Missouri, has built a new organ for Sumner Presbyterian Church, Sumner, Mississippi. The firm's Opus 96 comprises 19 ranks, 16 stops, on two manuals and pedal. The mechanical action instrument features a tonal design to support congregational sing-ing and play a variety of organ literature. The case is constructed of Mississippi Delta red gum in three gothic arches, in keeping with the decoration of the church's Akron Plan sanctuary, built in 1919. All stops, except the Principal 8', are under expression. Manual/pedal compass is 56/30. Mr. R. Keith Turnipseed chaired the organ committee. Mr. Perry Redfearn consulted on this organ and played the dedication recital on October 22, 2000.

 

MANUAL I

                  8'             Principal (1–5 from Chm Fl)

                  8'             Chimney Flute

                  4'             Octave

                  2'             Flute

                  11?3'      Mixture III-IV

                  8'             Trumpet

MANUAL II

                  8'             Stopped Flute

                  8'             Gamba (1–12 from Stp Fl)

                  8'             Viola Celeste (TF)

                  4'             Spire Flute

                  II              Sesquialter (TC)

                  2'             Principal

                  11?3'      Quint

PEDAL

                  16'          Subbass

                  8'             Pommer (1–18 from Subbass)

                  4'             Choral Bass

Couplers

                                    I/II

                                    I/Ped

                                    II/Ped

 

 

 

Related Content

New Organs

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John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, IL, has built a new organ for First Congregational Church, Crystal Lake, IL: opus 16, 18 stops, 24 ranks. Although the original church was built in 1867, this is the congregation's first pipe organ. The first instrument was a reed organ which served faithfully for nearly 100 years. The reed organ's handsome case was made into the church's pulpit, still in use today. A Hammond electronic instrument followed, which the new pipe organ replaces.

The church expanded its crowded chancel to accommodate the
large music program and the new organ, installed front and center as a backdrop
for the worship space. The project incorporated the organ's design into the
greatly expanded chancel, harmonizing with the stately American colonial
architecture of the building.

The tonal design is a contemporary adaptation of American
organbuilding styles prevalent when the church was originally built. One notes
a large percentage of wood pipes as in earlier times. There are more open and
harmonic stops than one might typically see in new "eclectic"
instruments. The disposition of the flute choruses, large-scaled Great Open
Diapason, and plaintive English Oboe are also reminiscent of many 19th-century
organs. The inclusion of mixtures on both manuals, a full battery of Swell
reeds, employment of contemporary voicing techniques and classic scaling
concepts provides a contemporary sound for leading hymn singing, accompanying
choral and instrumental ensembles, and rendering a wide variety of solo
literature.

The Great division is located in the left side of the organ
case, with the Swell enclosed on the right side. The Pedal is divided between
both the Great and Swell. Facade pipes are from the Pedal 8' Octave and Great
8' Open Diapason, made from lightly polished English tin. Members of the Buzard
staff include: Phillip Campbell, Brian K. Davis, Stephen Downes, Charles Eames,
Michael Fisher, Charles R. Leach, Stuart Martin, Jay Sallmon, and Ray Wiggs.
Eva Wedel is minister of music of the church; Barbara Thorsen is organist.

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (wood)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Open
Diapason (tin - facade)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Melodia
(open wood)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Flute
d'Amour (wood)

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Fifteenth

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Fourniture IV

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Minor
Trumpet (Sw 16')

                                    Cymbalstern

                                    Gt
16-UO-4

                                    Sw
16-8-4

SWELL

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Stopped
Diapason (wood)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Salicional

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Voix
Celeste (TC)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Flute (open metal)

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Flageolet
(harmonic)

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Plein
Jeu IV

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompette

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarion
(ext 16')

                                    Tremulant

                                    Sw
16-UO-4

PEDAL

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Subbass
(1-12 elect ext Bourdon)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (1-12 elect ext Gt)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon
(wood)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (Gt)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
(tin - facade)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bass
Flute (ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt
Flute (Gt)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Choral
Bass (ext)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trombone

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson
(Sw)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarion
(Sw 16')

                                    Gt
8-4

                                    Sw
8-4

B. Rule & Co.,
New Market, TN, has recently completed a four-stop practice organ for a
residence in Knoxville, TN. A simple mechanical action of cherry backfalls and
correctly-sized pallet valves ensure a responsive touch, including a definite
sense of "pluck." The action compensates for seasonal humidity
changes. Several ranks of 19th-century pipework, small-scaled and gently
voiced, were incorporated into the organ. 
The old Vox Humana was revoiced into a regal-type reed. The Principal
4', made by Paul Byron of York, ME, has eight polished tin pipes in the facade.
The customer, who has experience with building harpsichords from kits, was able
to do some of the work, including painting the case, recovering the recycled
keyboards (c. 1865) with boxwood, and cutting out the patterns in the
ornamental center door panels. Windpressure 23/4"; temperament 1/6 comma,
after van Biezen; compass 56/30; couplers I/Ped, II/Ped, II/I.

MANUAL I

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Chimney
Flute

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

MANUAL II

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Vox
Humana

PEDAL

                                    I/Ped

                                    II/Ped

The Schlicker Organ Company, Buffalo, NY, has built a new organ for Forest Park United Methodist
Church, Fort Wayne, IN: three manuals, 36 ranks. The new organ replaces an
instrument that was severely damaged by fire. Some of the pipework was
restored, rescaled, and revoiced in keeping with the concept of the new instrument.
The 3-manual English style console is moveable, and the choir has flexible
seating, allowing a variety of performance possibilities. Chest design is
electric slider with a solid state combination action.

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Gemshorn
(prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Hohl
Flute

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
(ext, prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spitz
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  IV
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Mixture

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompete

                                    Chimes

                                    Zimbelstern

SWELL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bourdon
(ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Viole

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Celeste

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Doublette

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Quint

                  III
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Scharf

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Oboe/Bassoon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompette

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe
(ext)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarion
(ext)

                                    Tremolo

CHOIR

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spire
Flute

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Flute
Celeste

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Rohr
Flute

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Nazard

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Tierce

                  III
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Cymbal

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarinet

                                    Tremolo

FANFARE (prep)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trompeta
(tc, ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompeta

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompeta
(ext)

PEDAL

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Resultant
(Gemshorn & Bourdon)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Principal

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Gemshorn
(Gt, prep)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
(ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bourdon
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
(Gt, prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Posaune

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Oboe/Bassoon
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Posaune
(ext)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe
(Sw)

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders,
style='font-weight:normal'> Champaign, IL, has built a new organ for First
United Methodist Church, Park Ridge, IL: Opus 15, 34 stops, 42 ranks. The
church is a brick structure designed in the 1920s by a member of the
congregation. Of Tudor influence, the exterior features patterned brickwork,
interesting chimney treatments, and lavish half-timber work. The sanctuary's
interior features heavy hand-adzed dark oak beams, almost square windows, and
low arches.

The organ's cases were inspired by the oldest extant pipe
organ, in Sion, Switzerland. The heavy embattlement crenelations and mouldings
atop the towers and flats match details in the room and in architecture of the
period. The arched facade openings match the stained glass window frames and other broad arches elsewhere in the building. The casework of white oak is stained to harmonize with other furnishings. A simple universal pattern woven into circles is used for the pipeshades.

Tonal design was inspired by English cathedral organbuilding
style. A straight 3-manual organ would not fit within the available space or
projected budget, but the organ had to have a wide variety of unison colors,
complete choruses, mutation stops, reed stops for the Full Swell, a profound
pedal, and a high volume solo stop. A two-manual, divided swell concept was
developed to offer accompanimental flexibility and eliminate duplicate stops
needed to fill out a complete third division. Although inspired by English
examples, it is not an English romantic organ. A light articulation in the
speech of appropriate stops, moderate wind pressures, and inclusion of mutation
and mixture stops serve to make this an American organ of the 1990s.

Because of limited space in the balcony, the Great division
is housed in a free-standing case in front of the balcony rail; the Swell and
Pedal are in the balcony behind matching casework. The Great case is supported
by columns extending to the nave floor. English tin of 75% was used for the
facade pipes, incorporating the Great 8' Open Diapason, 4' Principal, and Pedal
8' Octave. Great flutes are 50% tin with relatively small mouths. Reed pipes,
with the exception of the low octave of the Pedal Trombone, are made entirely
of 50% tin, and utilize English shallots with varying degrees of opening and
taper. The Tuba 8' is horizontally mounted atop the swell box, just behind the
flats. The pipes retained from former instruments were thoroughly rebuilt and
revoiced for the new tonal concept. The Buzard staff included: Brian Davis,
voicer, pipe repair, tonal finishing; Stephen Downes, windchests, winding
system, framing, installation; Charles Eames, engineering, windchests,
electrical system, management; Michael Fisher, pipe repair, tonal finishing;
Charles Robert Leach, case, framing, installation; Stuart Martin, case,
framing, installation; Jay K. Salmon, office and Zen management; Ray Wiggs,
windchests, console, installation.

--John-Paul Buzard

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Open
Diapason

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Flute
a Biberon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Dulciana*

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Koppel
Flute*

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Twelfth*

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Fifteenth

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Seventeenth*

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Fourniture IV

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Minor
Trumpet (Sw 16')

                                    Tremulant

                                    Cymbalstern

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Major
Tuba

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Tuba
Solo (C25-C61)

SWELL "A"

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Narrow
Diapason*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Salicional*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Voix
Celeste*

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal*

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Plein
Jeu IV

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompette

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarion
(from 16')

                                    Tremulant

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Major
Tuba (Gt)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Tuba
Solo (C25-C61, Gt)

SWELL "B"

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Stopped
Diapason*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Open
Wood Flute Celeste

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Traverse
Flute*

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Nazard*

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Block
Flute

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Tierce*

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Larigot

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarinet

                                    Tremulant

PEDAL

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Subbass
(1-12 electonic)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (1-12 electr)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Contra
Bass*

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Violone
(wood)*

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon
(wood)*

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (Gt)*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal
(tin facade)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Violoncello
(ext)*

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt
Flute (ext Bourdon)*

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Choral
Bass*

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Mixture
III*

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trombone

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
(ext)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clarion
(Sw 16')

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Major
Tuba (Gt)

* denotes old pipework

Austin Organs, Inc.,
Hartford, CT, has recently completed its Opus 2759 for Christ Church UCC
Congregational, Brockton, MA. The new building is octagonal in shape with the
organ situated 90° from the chancel. This position places the choir in
front of the organ with the solid-state drawknob console centered. The room
enjoys a favorable acoustic. The entire Choir division is prepared for. The
facade is composed of pipes from the Great 8' Principal, Great 8' Harmonic
Flute, Pedal 16' Principal, and Pedal 8' Octave. Director of music and organist
is J. Kimball Darling.

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Violone
(Ped-Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Flute

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Violoncello
(Sw)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Flûte
à Cheminée

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Twelfth

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Fifteenth

                  IV
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Fourniture

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Hooded
Trumpet

                                    Tremulant

                                    Chimes

SWELL

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Violoncello

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cello
Celeste

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Chimney
Flute

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spire
Flute

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Nasard

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Zauberflote

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Tierce

                  IV
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Plein
Jeu

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompette

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Hautbois
(ext)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clairon
(ext)

                                    Tremulant

CHOIR (prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Dulciana

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Celeste

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Prestant

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Coppel
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spire
Principal

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Larigot

                  II
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             
Scharf

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne

                                    Tremulant

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
(Gt)

PEDAL

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Resultant

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Principal
(ext Gt 8')

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Violone

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bourdon
(ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Violoncello
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt
(Ch, prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Choral
Bass (ext)

                  II
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             
Fourniture

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Contre
Basson (ext)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trombone
(ext Gt 8')

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Basson
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trompette
(Sw)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne
(Ch, prep)

T. R. Rench and Co., Racine, WI, has completed a new organ for Coon Valley Lutheran Church, Coon Valley, WI. This is the third pipe organ in this Norwegian Lutheran church, and replaces a theatre organ installed in the 1950s. (The style 135 Wurlitzer is being re-installed in its original theatre in nearby Viroqua, WI.) Containing 17 sets of pipes (19 ranks), the new organ is of electro-pneumatic construction, and all windchests are of the unit type. Windpressures are 5" for the 16' Trumpet and 33/4" for the organ in general. The stoplist reflects 19th-century American and German Romantic tonal styles. However, a Cornet group is provided and the Swell division contains the basic elements of a Positive division. The layout of the instrument has the Swell in the organ chamber and the Great in front, contained by casework of walnut and mahogany. The front display pipes are from the church's first organ, restored to the original stencil designs and colors. Consultant to the church council was John Henley of Sauk City, WI.

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Sub
Diapason (ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Open
Diapason

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Melodia

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Dulciana

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Wald
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Fifteenth

                                    IIIMixture

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne
(Sw)

SWELL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
Gedeckt (ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Diapason

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Salicional

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Celeste

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Flute

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Nazard

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Piccolo

13/5'      Tierce

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Larigot (ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne

                                    Tremulant

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
(Gt)

PEDAL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Sub
Bass

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Lieblich
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Open
Bass

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bourdon
(ext)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt
(Sw)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Choral
Bass (ext)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trumpet
(ext)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne
(Sw)

The Schlicker Organ Company, Buffalo, NY, has built a new organ for First United Methodist Church,
Green Bay, WI. The 29-rank organ is located in divided cases in the rear
gallery, allowing it to speak clearly into the nave. The tonal concept provides
a complete 2-manual organ with 8' Principal choruses in each division. In order
to increase tonal flexibility for solo literature as well as accompanying the
choir, three Swell stops were given a separate manual and couplers as a Solo
division. This allows them to be used as part of the Swell chorus or in
contrast to it. The three-manual, terraced drawknob console is prepared for a
future antiphonal division, playable from the Solo manual. Schlicker's artistic
director, J. Stanton Peters, designed the specification and scaling to include
broad scaled principals with high cut-ups and a wide spectrum of colors, producing
a vocal quality and versatility in its liturgical function.

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Rohr
Flute

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spire
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  II
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             
Sesquialtera

                  IV
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Mixture

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet

SWELL

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gamba

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Celeste
FF

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Doublette

                  III
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Scharf

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bassoon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Trumpet

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe

                                    Tremolo

SOLO (enclosed with Swell)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Geigen
Principal

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Harmonic
Flute

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Cromorne

                                    Tremolo

ANTIPHONAL (prep)

PEDAL

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Resultant

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Principal

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Subbass

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bourdon

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  IV
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Mixture
(prep)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trumpet
(ext Gt)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bassoon
(Sw)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
(Gt)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Oboe
(Sw)

Visscher Associates,
Santa Cruz, CA, has built a new organ for Trinity United Methodist Church,
Chico, CA. Casework is of California walnut and Eastern black walnut. Facade
pipes in the towers are of polished copper, with the center pipe in each
"point" having a "flamed" upper lip of polished tin. Facade
pipes in the flats are of 75% tin. Key and stop action are mechanical. Swell
shades immediately behind the facade pipes provide expression for the manual
stops except the 8' Prestant. The depth from the wall to the front of the case
is 60 inches, which allows choir members to stand in front of the organ when
singing. To make the organ this shallow, bottom octave pipes of the Pedal 16'
Subbass and 16' Bassoon were located in recesses on the back wall to either
side of the main case. Having only space and funds for a smaller organ of 14
stops, the decision was made to opt for what is basically a single manual division with "either-or" registration, allowing any of the manual stops to be played on either keyboard. The option not taken, of dividing the stoplist between two independent divisions, would significantly decrease registration possibilities. Manual stop levers move up to the "on" position for the upper keyboard, to a detent in the middle for off, and down to the "on" position for the lower keyboard. The bottom 12 pipes of the 16' Contra-Bassoon are unique in that they employ "Haskell" miters for
the bottom octave. The two-piece resonator has a half-length "cap" of
parallel proportions fitting over a half-length, tapered bass, creating a
continuous taper, full-length, 16' resonator in nine feet. Dr. David Rothe was
consultant and played the dedication recital. Molly Wadsworth was chair of the
organ committee, and Ellen Rowan is Pastor of the church. Visscher Associates'
staff involved in building this organ included Lorraine Emery, Bret Smith,
Timothy O'Brien, Ernesto Sustaita, Gwen Shupe, and William Visscher.

MANUAL I or II

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Prestant

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Viol
(1-4 from Gedeckt)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Celeste
(TC)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedeckt

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spire
Flute

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Spindle
Flute

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Quint

                  III
style='mso-tab-count:1'>           
Mixture

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet

                                    Chimes

PEDAL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Subbass

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Stopped
Bass (ext)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Contra-Bassoon

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Bassoon
(ext)

 

Accessories

Tremulant

16' Contra-Bassoon reversible

I/Ped reversible

II/Ped reversible

II/I reversible

J.F. Nordlie Company,
Sioux Falls, SD, has built a new organ for Edina Community Lutheran Church,
Edina, MN: an electro-mechanical action instrument of six ranks. The free
standing case and open keydesk are constructed of rift sawn red oak. The low 20
pipes of the Principal 8' are made of polished aluminum and make up the facade.
The console is connected to the organ by a single fiber optic cable allowing
flexibility in placement. The integrated combination/relay action as built by
Matters, Inc., allows complete programmable control over the switching system
and a sophisticated combination action complete with transposer and player
mechanism. Carsten Slostad is Music Director for the church and served as
consultant on the organ project. The organ was built in the Nordlie shop by
craftsmen John F. Nordlie, Paul E. Nordlie, Trintje Nordlie, David L. Beyer,
Martin D. Larsen, Eric Grane, James Greenwald, and Beth MacDonald.

Analysis

A Bourdon 16' 85 pipes, 13-85 enclosed, 1-24 wood, variable
scale, 1-40 Gedackt, 41-54 Rohrflöte, 55-85 Blockflöte

B Principal 8' CC-g'' 44 open metal pipes unenclosed, 1-20
aluminum facade

C Octave 4' c°-g'''' 56 open metal pipes unenclosed

D Gemshorn 8' 85 pipes, enclosed, variable scale

E Quinte 11/3' CC-d''' 51 pipes, enclosed, variable scale

F Terz 13/5' c°-d''' 39 pipes, enclosed

G Trumpet 16' prepared

GREAT

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon
A

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal
B

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedackt
A

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
D

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
C

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Rohrflöte
A

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Quint E

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
C

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Terz F

                  1'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Mixture
II-III D&E

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clairon
G (prep)

SWELL

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedackt
A

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
D

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Rohrflöte
A

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
D

                  22/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Quinte E

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal
C

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
D

                  13/5'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Terz F

                  11/3
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      
Quint E

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clairon
G (prep)

PEDAL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Bourdon
A

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Principal
B

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedackt
A

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gemshorn
D

                  51/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Quint A

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
C

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Gedackt
A

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Octave
C

                  11/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>     
Mixture III
C&E

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Harmonics
D

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>         
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Trumpet
G (prep)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>            
Clairon
G (prep)

MIDI

Eight programmable stops x nine levels memory for a total of
72 MIDI stops. All stops with choice of coupling or non-coupling and accessible
in any division. Connections for MIDI in, MIDI out, and MIDI thru.

New Organs

Default

Cover Feature

Kegg Pipe
Organ Builders, Hartville, Ohio

First United
Methodist Church, Winnsboro, North Carolina

In an organ builder's life there come projects that for one reason or
another always remain close to one's heart. First United Methodist Church of
Winnsboro, South Carolina, is one such project. From the first contact by
consultant Stephen Williams of Allentown, Pennsylvania, to the final day of
tonal finishing, this project was and continues to be a delight to the eye, the
ear, and the heart of this builder.

The organ committee, headed by Jim Gladden, had one goal in mind: to have a
fine instrument that would serve the congregation in all its needs through the
21st century. The room is not large, seating about 300. The acoustic is on the
dry side, but sound travels well in the room. They knew that they did not need
or have room for a large instrument, but they desired an instrument that gave
them maximum musical versatility. Our design has provided them an instrument of
16 ranks and 13 independent stops. These ranks are used carefully to provide an
instrument that seems larger than it is. The previous Estey organ provided
three wood stops that fit well into the new design, namely the Gedeckt,
Hohlflute and Pedal Bourdon. There are no electronic imitation voices in the
organ.

There are several features of particular note in the design. The organ is
installed in a very compact space. I wanted to provide a 16' open flue stop,
and the Viole extension done in Haskell pipes has proven very valuable while
taking up little space. It provides the soft 16' line when used alone and also
adds point to the 16' Bourdon when used in combination. Its use as a double on
the Great adds just the amount of weight needed in a modest room. In order to
provide a strong leading voice in the organ, we have provided a Sesquialtera on
the Great; this is a 37-note stop running from C13 to C49. The pipes of the
22/3' pitch are taken from the bottom 37 pipes of the first rank of the
Mixture. Thus the Sesquialtera only requires the extra space for the small
pipes of the 13/5' rank. This stop can easily lead hymn singing when built
using the principal chorus. When built using flutes, it is a charming solo
voice.

Another feature that furthers the reputation of organ builders as innovators
is the air conditioning ducts. The previous organ had large A/C grilles
directly on the front of the case, blowing out over the heads of the choir
members. These had to stay and were not negotiable in the deep South, and being
a chorister myself, I could completely understand the request. But what to do?
I couldn't have grilles on the new case, or so I thought. Another look at the
case and you will find that there are indeed A/C grilles on the front in the
form of quatrefoils just below the impost.

This organ is installed in the existing chamber that opens out through the
right of three arches. The space available was 6' deep, 13' wide at the front
and 16' wide at the back. The height of the chamber went above the opening creating
a tone pocket that would hinder sound egress. The solution was to build a swell
box in the chamber, eliminating the excess space above the tone opening and
with it the tone pocket. The entire organ is under one expression except the
Great Principal 8', the Pedal Bourdon 16' and the chimes. While the organ is
very dense in the space available, all parts and pipes are easily accessible
for tuning and maintenance. The largest pipes of the wood Pedal Bourdon are
laying on the floor under the main chest. The blower is in a dedicated space in
the basement under the organ.

The stepped terrace drawknob console is what we normally provide with our
two-manual organs. It is very compact and easy to see over, and is fitted with
bone and rosewood keys as is our custom. The combination system by Z-Tronics
provides piston range and copy functions along with archive of memory levels to
disk. There is also a performance sequencer.

The organ was dedicated in concert on November 10, 2002 by consultant
Stephen Williams. I would like to acknowledge the organ committee chaired by
Jim Gladden, organist Esther Baughman, and Al Williams, without whom this
project would not have been possible. The people of First United Methodist
Church embraced the new organ from beginning to end in a way that brought
uncommon joy to the Kegg company. We were indeed honored to have been chosen.
We would invite you to stop and see this instrument when you find yourself in
the Charlotte or Columbia area.

--Charles Kegg

GREAT

9
ranks, 6 stops, 549 pipes

16' Violone
style='mso-tab-count:1'>
73 pipes

8' Prestant*
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
61
pipes

8' Hohlflute
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
73
existing pipes

8' Viole
(ext 16' Violone)

8' Viole
Celeste TC (Sw)

4' Octave
61
pipes

4' Gedeckt
(Sw)

2' Flute
(ext Hohlflute)

II Sesquialtera
style='mso-tab-count:1'>
37
pipes & from Mixture

IV Mixture
style='mso-tab-count:1'>
244 pipes

8' Trumpet
(Sw)

Chimes
(existing)

Great
4

Swell
to Great 16

Swell
to Great 8

Swell
to Great 4

*Unenclosed

SWELL

6
ranks, 6 stops, 390 pipes

8' Gedeckt
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
73
existing pipes

8' Viole
(Gt Violone)

8' Viole
Celeste TC 49
pipes

4' Principal
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
73
pipes

4' Hohlflute
(Gt)

22/3' Nazard
TC (ext Quinte)

2' Octave
(ext 4')

11/3' Quinte
49
pipes

16' Contra
Trumpet 85
pipes

8' Trumpet
(ext)

8' Oboe
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
61
pipes

4' Clarion
(ext)

Tremulant

Swell
to Swell 16

Swell
Unison Off

Swell
to Swell 4

PEDAL

1
rank, 1 stop, 44 pipes

32' Resultant
(from Bourdon)

16' Bourdon
style='mso-tab-count:2'>
44
existing pipes

16' Violone
(Gt)

8' Prestant
(Gt)

8' Bourdon
(ext)

8' Viole
(Gt)

8' Gedeckt
(Sw)

4' Octave
(Gt 8')

16' Trumpet
(Sw)

8' Trumpet
(Sw)

4' Oboe
(Sw)

Great
to Pedal 8

Great
to Pedal 4

Swell
to Pedal 8

Swell
to Pedal 4

Tonal Resources

13
stops

16
ranks

983
pipes

Accessories

Expression
Pedal with indicator

Dual
level Crescendo Pedal with numeric ndicator

Concave
and radiating pedal clavier

Adjustable
Bench

Full
Organ indicator light

Combination
lock with indicator

Transposer

Performance
Sequencer

Photo credit: Charles Kegg

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders

1184 Woodland St. SW

Hartville, OH 44632

330/966-2499

www.keggorgan.com

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio

First English
Lutheran Church, Mansfield, Ohio

Muller Pipe Organ Company has completed installation of the III/50 organ at
the First English Lutheran Church of Mansfield, Ohio. M. P. Möller
installed the original organ in 1950 (Opus 7997), and made tonal additions in
1961. In the 1980s, minor stopgap repairs were completed, and the Great 8'
Principal and 4' Octave ranks were replaced. In recent years, the condition of
the windchests and console had deteriorated nearly to the point of failure.

In addition to the new pipework, select ranks of the existing pipework were
restored, then revoiced and rebalanced to serve in new capacities within the
ensemble of the new instrument. The Great Organ now features a robust principal
chorus of new pipework, a full complement of flutes and strings, and a fiery
Trompette. The Swell Organ boasts a secondary principal chorus and a battery of
chorus reeds. The Choir Organ is both the most intimate and most colorful
division of the instrument, containing a flute-based Cornet and the sonorous
Clarinet from the original organ. The Antiphonal Organ (the Great principal
chorus in the original instrument) helps support congregational singing for
those seated in the rear of the nave. Due to its relatively poor placement,
this pipework was substantially revoiced and regulated to speak on much higher
wind pressure to insure adequate volume. The Pedal Organ, with its independent
principal chorus and powerful Posaune, provides an exciting foundation for the
instrument. From the softest stops to full organ, the instrument is versatile
and exciting, a wonderful example of the American Classic tradition.

The church completed significant renovations to the chancel area while work
was in progress at our facility. The new area is much more flexible, providing
a suitable space for orchestras or large choirs. Acoustics were improved by
replacing the plush carpeting in the chancel with hardwood flooring. In
addition, substantially improved tonal projection was achieved by removing the
original plaster wall that served as the front of the organ chamber and
replacing it with grille cloth.

The entire playing mechanism is new, with the exception of selected offset
windchests, replacing a problematic Möller mechanism. The beautiful
original console cabinet was refinished and fitted with wheels, and is playable
from three locations in the chancel. The ivory and ebony manual keyboards and
the pedal keyboard were restored. New solid-state operating systems were
installed, including MIDI with record/playback capability, as well as new
drawknob and tilting tablet assemblies. A custom music rack was built,
featuring walnut with bird's eye maple inlay, and a new adjustable bench with
backrest was provided.

For his invaluable contributions to the development of the specification, we
extend special thanks to Dr. Timothy E. Guenther, director of music and
organist of First English Lutheran Church (ELCA), and adjunct instructor in
organ and university organist, Ashland University of Ashland, Ohio.

--John Muller

Photo by Steven Elbert

GREAT

16' Violone

8' Principal

8' Bourdon

8' Viola

8' Erzähler

8' Erzähler
Celeste TC

4' Octave

4' Rohrflöte

2' Super
Octave

IV Mixture

8' Trompette

Chimes

Tremolo

SWELL (expressive)

16' Waldflöte

8' Geigen
Principal

8' Waldflöte

8' Salicional

8' Voix
Celeste TC

4' Geigen
Principal

4' Spillflöte

22/3' Nazard

2' Flageolet

III Plein
Jeu

16' Bassoon

8' Trumpet

8' Oboe

8' Vox
Humana

4' Clairon

Tremolo

CHOIR (expressive)

8' Rohrflöte

8' Dulciana

8' Unda
Maris TC

4' Principal

4' Koppelflöte

4' Dulciana

22/3' Nazard

2' Blockflöte

13/5' Tierce

11/3' Quint

8' Clarinet

Tremolo

ANTIPHONAL (expressive)

8' Principal

8' Spitzflöte

4' Octave

4' Spitzflöte

2' Fifteenth

III Mixture

PEDAL

16' Diapason

16' Bourdon

16' Waldflöte

16' Violone

102/3' Quint

8' Diapason

8' Bourdon

8' Waldflöte

8' Viola

4' Choral
Bass

4' Bourdon

II Mixture

16' Posaune

16' Bassoon

8' Posaune

8' Trumpet

4' Rohrschalmei

Chimes

Couplers

Gt/Gt
16-UO-4

Sw/Gt
16-8-4

Ch/Gt
16-8-4

Ant/Gt
8-4

MIDI/Gt

[if !supportEmptyParas] [endif]

Sw/Sw
16-UO-4

Ant/Sw
8

MIDI/Sw

Ch/Ch
16-UO-4

Sw/Ch
16-8-4

Ant/Ch
8

MIDI/Ch

Gt/Ped
8-4

Sw/Ped
8-4

Ch/Ped
8-4

Ant/Ped
8

MIDI/Ped

Carillon
I

Carillon
II

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
of Champaign, Illinois, has built a new organ for St. Bartholomew Episcopal
Church, Estes Park, Colorado. Our opus 30 was installed during March, 2004,
ready for Palm Sunday, about a month ahead of the contracted schedule.

The church is a simple log cabin structure about 7,500 feet up in the Rocky
Mountains. The view of snow-capped Long's Peak through the plate glass window
behind the altar (along with the thin air) literally takes one's breath away.
Folks who have made their lives in this rugged terrain are used to doing things
pretty much for themselves, and in their own time. Witness their former pipe
organ, fondly nicknamed "Little Toot." This homemade three-rank
instrument (Diapason, Dulciana, Flute) served the congregation for many, many
years, until its deteriorating mechanical condition begged for replacement. The
old organ had been located in a cramped balcony projecting over the last four
rows of pews. It was too small for a choir, or for a pipe organ of adequate
size. The ceiling under the balcony was covered with acoustic tile, which at
best discouraged anyone seated there from singing. We began our conversations
with the church four years ago.

Folks who have made this church their parish home were also used to things
just the way they were, and so it was remarkable that they ultimately agreed to
remove the balcony, locate the organ in the elevated area over the narthex, and
provide space for a choir on the main floor of the nave. The instrument and the
reconfiguration of the space looks natural and relaxed, as though it had always
been that way.

The organ is small, but beautiful things come in small packages! The
instrument has a complete Principal chorus on the Great, flute choruses, a
string and celeste, as well as independent manual and pedal reeds. It is
intended to lead hymn-singing, accompany singers and other musicians, and play
voluntaries before and after services. The altitude was taken into account in
the organ's scaling, voicing, and engineering. The result is that, even though
small in the number of stops, it fills the building with a rich, full sound,
even when playing softly. The visual design plays upon the earth-tone colors in
the room, and the roof line. The organ speaks unimpeded down the axis of the
building.

Thanks to The Rev. M. Paul Garrett, rector; Martha Sandford, organ consultant;
and to The Rev. Al Persons, who, with his late wife Marcia, guaranteed the
purchase of the organ. Thanks also to the dedicated members of my staff who
make every project a special and life's work undertaking: Charles Eames,
executive vice-president; Brian Davis, associate tonal director; Keith
Williams, director of service; Shayne Tippett, production manager; Jay Salmon,
office manager; Stuart Martin, cabinetmaker; C. Robert Leach, cabinetmaker;
Kenneth McCabe, cabinetmaker; Stephen Downes, tonal assistant; Evan Rench,
pipemaker, tonal assistant, tonal department scheduling; Ray Wiggs, consoles,
windchests, wiring; Bob Ference, service technician; Jonathan Borchardt,
service technician; Stuart Weber, service technician; JoAnne Hutchcraft Rench,
receptionist, administrative assistant.

--John-Paul Buzard

[if !supportEmptyParas] [endif]

Buzard Opus 30: 14 stops, 17 ranks, across two manuals and
pedal; voiced on 4 inches wind pressure

GREAT

8' Open
Diapason (polished tin in façade)

8' Flûte
à Bibéron (metal chimney flute)

4' Principal

2' Recorder

11/3' Mixture
IV

Tremulant

Gt
16-UO-4

Sw/Gt
16-8-4

SWELL (expressive)

8' Stopped
Diapason

8' Salicional

8' Voix
Celeste

4' Spire
Flute

2' Principal

8' Minor
Trumpet

Tremulant

Sw
16-UO-4

PEDAL

16' Bourdon
(stoppered, wood)

8' Principal
(polished tin in façade)

8' Bass
Flute (ext)

4' Choral
Bass (ext)

16' Bassoon

Gt/Ped
8-4

Sw/Ped
8-4

New Organs

Default

Cover

Buzard Pipe
Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois

Opus 29,
completed November, 2003

All Saints
Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia

Some years ago I was contacted about a new organ for All Saints Episcopal
Church by the assistant organist, Jefferson McConnaughey. We seemed to be
speaking the same language concerning how we thought organs should sound, and I
was eager to meet him, music directors Ray and Elizabeth Chenault, and to visit
the church. Our conversations were put on hold while the parish called a new
rector and undertook other projects. At the time we were blessed with
commissions to build the organ at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, Oklahoma
City, and large instruments for Glenview Community Church (III/71) and Holy
Family Catholic Church of Rockford, Illinois (III/56).

A few years went by, and I was invited to visit the church. Judging from the
size of the instrument under discussion, I expected to enter a huge space.
Instead, the church was more modest than vast, the acoustic more understated
than generous. At first blush, it seemed that 40 stops could have adequately
met their needs. But, no real lady ever gives up all her secrets at once, and
so I patiently looked and listened.

I listened to their former instrument while walking around the room, and
observed the acoustical phenomena under which the musicians had been laboring
for so long. The organ, although installed in the chancel in relatively close
proximity to the congregation, diminished drastically in volume in the nave. I
concluded that a part of the organ had to be installed in the body of the
church, to support singing and "pull" the sound out of the main part
of the organ installed in the chancel. Additionally, sound generated in the
nave lost its energy quickly; sound simply didn't travel well without becoming
garbled.

The musicians wanted to be able to properly register an organ to
"text-paint" Anglican Chant, choral anthems and ceremonial music in
the Anglican musical tradition. They needed a wide variety of accompanimental
tone colors at every dynamic level so that the organ could always support the
singers, even at pianissimo volume levels. It was equally important that the
organ musically render the great body of organ literature, even that of the
French Baroque school, of which Mr. McConnaughey seemed quite fond. And, the
Chenaults are duo organists; the literature which has been (and has yet to be)
commissioned for them had to be accommodated. This requires a large organ, as
coloristic stops outside the component voices for the essential choruses had to
be included and integrated into the design. Fortunately, these stops were never
in competition for space or funding, nor were our classic concepts of the
hierarchical scaling of divisions within the instrument ever compromised. Some
specific organs were studied: The Temple Church, London; King's College,
Cambridge; and St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

There is a beautiful chapel behind the Epistle side choir stalls, at 90
degrees to the axis of the church, which also serves as an overflow room on
Sundays. Worshippers there were relegated to viewing services on a small
closed-circuit TV, and could not participate in the hymn-singing because, being
outside the body of the church, they couldn't hear the organ. If the new organ
were to address and meet all the musical and acoustical requirements of the
church, then the chapel also needed to have some pipes in it, so that those
seated there could feel a part of the worshiping community.

All of these requirements were brought to bear upon a single instrument. Yes,
I agreed, this instrument has to be large--very large. Even if the room seats
only 550 souls, the musical and physical requirements dictated an organ of a
size which one might initially think out of proportion.

The position and installation of the new Main Organ was relatively
straightforward. The Great, Swell, Choir, Tuba, and Pedal would have to be
installed in the chancel, in an enlarged version of their existing chamber,
plus spaces created by cantilevering steel platforms into the chancel space on
both Epistle and Gospel sides.

The antiphonal division, a romantic Solo Organ including a Diapason Chorus
which mirrors the Great, had to be installed in the nave. But there was no
floor space for cases, no desire to see columns, and windows everywhere, many
of them signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. By clever engineering of the diatonic
windchest layouts (which we had first used at St. Paul's Cathedral in Oklahoma
City) we were able to tuck the Solo Organ cases up in the rafters of the church
above the narthex, on either side of a central great window. By creative use of
perspective, we were able to engineer the location of the supporting steel
platforms so that they wouldn't block the view of the Tiffany windows in the
side aisles, yet give us sufficient height for the pipes inside the cases.

As conversations concerning the tonal design took shape, Ray, Elizabeth, and
Jeff fell in love with our tonal style which, while embracing eclecticism, has
its own unique personality. They visited both our large organs, and Jeff
actually played Sunday services on our Opus 7 organ at The Chapel of St. John
the Divine in my wife Linda's stead. The All Saints organ is a very logical
outgrowth of our style as practiced in our smaller organs, and as our two
larger organs have led us. The humble beginnings of Opus 7 at the Chapel, in
which we made 29 stops into a cathedral organ, can be seen all over this much
larger organ. Well-informed national and historical inspirations are
distributed throughout, so that the whole is at unity with itself. No German
Hauptwerk, French Récit or English Chair Organs for us. For example the
Great includes the mature English practice of 8' First & Second Open
Diapasons, married nicely to the French Fonds d'Orgue. A voluptuous Full English
Swell has continental fire by virtue of the authentic (but modified) French
reed battery, but the lyrical soft solo reed is a plaintive English Oboe. No
quirky nomenclature either. Although rooted in 19th-century English practice of
"Diapason, Principal, Twelfth, Fifteenth," etc., the stops in our
organs are what they say they are. If the Swell reed is spelled
"Trompette," you can be assured that you will hear a Trumpet with
French shallots and pipe construction.

The Great is based upon a 16' Double Open Diapason of tin which stands
proudly in the Gospel side case along with the rest of the division. A complete
Diapason chorus through Mixture, flutes at 8' & 4', and a Viola da Gamba
make up the flue work, and the reeds are Trombas, brought up to the manuals from
the Pedal Trombone. The Mixture breaks at octaves, rather than at fifth
intervals. In this way, one doesn't hear alternating unison and fifths playing
as the top rank, and the breaks are virtually unheard.

The Great also incorporates an harmonic corroborating stop which was more at
home in English and American concert organs of the early part of the last
century. Our four-rank Harmonic Mixture has in it a unison, a quint, a tierce,
and a flat-seventh. These are all the harmonics present in Tromba class reeds,
which are on the Great at 8' and 4' pitches. We originally included the
Harmonic Mixture as a way to prevent the dark Trombas from covering the
brightness of the mixture work in full organ, but have found that when used
sans Trombas, the ancient flavor of 18th-century Dutch organs is perceived in
an uncanny way. One could even imagine the wind to be unsteady--but of course
it's not!

The Solo has a Diapason Chorus nearly mirroring the Great, and despite its
distance from the Main Organ, it can exactly balance the Great Plenum in
certain contexts. The Solo contains a pair of E. M. Skinner-inspired Gambas,
the celesting rank in the case across the church from its unison pair. Now
that's a Celeste! The Flügel Horn, while a lyrical romantic solo reed, has
just enough harmonic interest to function beautifully as a chorus reed. The
Bassett Horn is certainly at home playing obbligato parts in Elgar, but has
just enough Cromorne in it to play Daquin with a French nose in the air.

One can use the Choir in a classic context, as a Positiv when a lighter foil
to the Great is desired. But this division is the real choral accompanying
workhorse. It's one of the most elegant, light, but profound Choir divisions we
have created. The Choir features a flute chorus from 16' up, and a proper
Diapason chorus complete with a four-rank quint mixture, a fifth interval
higher than the Great. But the luxurious feature in this day and age is our
Dulciana Chorus, which includes a three-rank mixture in which the 4' enters
early on at tenor C. Our Dulcianas are truly small Diapasons, and there is
nothing like the effect of accompanying voices with Diapason color, but at such
a soft volume. The Dulciana Mixture has many uses in coloring and painting
texts, 90% of which I would never have envisioned. Our Cornopeans are
small-scaled, but fundamental Trumpets as the original prototypes were, not the
horn-like Cornopeans one would otherwise love to hate. The Clarinet is truly of
English style, and the English Horn is orchestral in color with enough body to
be the foundation of the Choir reed battery, yet enough jazz in the color to
differentiate itself from the more fundamental Swell English Oboe.

The Chapel Organ includes a small-scaled Diapason Chorus at 8' and 4' to
lead the hymn-singing, and an 8' Aeoline and Vox Angelica. These very, very
soft string-toned stops allow the worshippers there to feel connected, and also
provide a powerfully effective pianissimo "wrap-around" effect as the
softest sounds concluding a smooth decrescendo. These little strings can just
be barely heard in the nave as the expression box closes on the Solo Flute
Cœlestis. When they play alone, they are literally in another room, off in
the distance.

In the All Saints organ, the Great, Swell, Choir, Solo, and a portion of the
Pedal divisions play upon 4 inches of wind pressure. The Trombones and Trombas
play upon 7 inches of wind, the Solo Festival Trumpets on 6 inches, and the
Major Tuba plays upon 20 inches of wind. The Tuba is housed in its own
expression box, and the organist can easily select which expression shoe may be
used to operate the Tuba's expression (or whether it is to remain open) by a
simple rotary switch. We aim to expand the color and dynamic range of the pipe
organ, while keeping the console controls simple and straightforward.

Before I was selected as their builder, Ray, Elizabeth, and Jeff charged me
to design the perfect instrument for all their requirements, and they would
undertake the responsibility of presenting this plan to the organ committee to
get their reaction, and see if the instrument would have to suffer at the hands
of "value engineers." Although my past experience made me somewhat
timid about presenting such a large (expensive) instrument as part of a
selection competition, we arrived at the specification of 63 straight speaking
stops, 87 ranks of pipes (5229 pipes overall), in five free-standing cases
throughout their church.

I will never forget the evening of a crucial organ committee meeting when I
received an excited telephone call from Ray. The musicians presented the
proposal and the room fell silent. People on the committee asked questions to
the effect: "Now, do all three of you musicians agree on this builder? Do
all three of you agree with each other in every respect to this instrument?"
When the answer was an emphatic yes, a committee member said: "How many
times do musicians agree with each other about anything, let alone every of the
many thousands of details in this organ's design!? This is what we need for All
Saints, and we need John-Paul to build it for us." A member of the
committee, Sarah Kennedy, later wrote a check for the entire project, in loving
memory and in honor of her family, The Kenans.

The organs' visual designs were developed during August and September of
2001. The first draft of the Chapel Organ's design was revised to be more in
keeping with the modern nature of the chapel (and less like King's College,
Cambridge). The Main Organ and the Solo Organs were built according to my first
pen-and-ink renderings.

All of my design drawings are executed by hand. The discipline of cleaning
the drafting table and truing the parallel bars and 90-degree instruments
contributes to clearing my mind of everything except what I need to think about
for the organ on the blank piece of paper.

It is always my goal to design organ cases which appear as though they had
always been in the church. The All Saints cases use shapes and colors found
throughout the room, and mirror the restrained nature of the Victorian Gothic
design. But the cases become vivid, exciting, and dramatic by incorporation of
the fabulous red enamel and gold leaf adorning the church's clerestory. The
inclusion of the red gave me license to add contracting pieces of red-stained
Honduras mahogany in the stained white oak cases. The soaring nature of the
Solo Organs, as their lines ascend while moving toward the great window, seemed
to cry out for heraldic angels, announcing the Great Day of Judgment on
gold-leafed trumpets. Thanks to parishioner David Foerster for making these
possible.

All of us will remember exactly where we were on 9/11. I was at the drafting
table finishing the designs for the Main Organ cases. I had penciled the
drawing the day before and was preparing to ink the drawing when I heard the
news reports. My entire staff came up to the drafting room and we all went to
the conference area where a small television showed us the horrors unfold as
the second airliner smashed into the second building. As we heard a large
airplane overhead, being sent to land at our local airport, I was asked if we
were going to close for the day. I said, no. We had to go about our task of
making beautiful things, especially in light of the ugliness that visited
itself on our country that day. If we wanted to take time off individually to
mourn our country's losses, go with my blessing, but the doors would remain
open and I would continue to draw a beautiful pair of pipe organ cases.

I set to cleaning out my India ink pens, and put on a CD of The English
Anthem II
from St. Paul's Cathedral,
London.

Oh Lord, look down from heaven, and behold the habitation
of Thy holiness and of Thy glory: Where is Thy zeal and Thy strength? Thy
mercies towards me, are they restrained?

My deepest thanks to the musicians at All Saints Church, everyone on the
organ committee, Greg Kellison, chairman; Paul Elliott, the rector; David
Foerster, and Sarah Kennedy for selecting me and my firm for this tremendous
commission.

My overwhelming gratitude goes to the members of my staff whose hard work
and dedication made such an excellent instrument so sublime: Charles Eames,
executive vice president, general manager and chief engineer; Brian K. Davis,
associate tonal director; Keith Williams, service department director; Shayne
Tippett, shop manager; Jay Salmon, office manager; Evan Rench, pipe maker,
voicer; Steve Downes, tonal assistant; C. Robert Leach, cabinetmaker; Stuart
Martin, cabinetmaker; Kenneth McCabe, winding systems; Ray Wiggs, consoles,
windchests; Robert Ference, service technician; Stuart Weber, service
technician; Jonathan Borchardt, service technician; JoAnne Hutchcraft Rench,
receptionist.

--John-Paul Buzard

GREAT (4-inch wind pressure)

Manual II - unenclosed pipework

16' Double Open Diapason

8' First Open Diapason

8' Second Open Diapason (ext 16')

8' Viola da Gamba

8' Harmonic Flute

8' Bourdon

4' Principal

4' Spire Flute

22/3' Twelfth

2' Fifteenth

2' Fourniture V

13/5' Harmonic Mixture IV

16' Double Trumpet

8' Trombas (ext Ped)

4' Clarion (ext Ped)

Tremulant

Chimes

8' Major Tuba (20" wind)

8' Tuba Solo (melody coupler)

8' Fanfare Trumpets (Solo)

SWELL (4-inch wind pressure)

Manual III - enclosed and expressive

8' Open Diapason

8' Stopped Diapason

8' Salicional

8' Voix Celeste

4' Principal

4' Harmonic Flute

22/3' Nazard

2' Flageolet

13/5' Tierce

22/3' Full Mixture V

16' Bassoon

8' Trompette

8' Oboe

8' Vox Humana

4' Clarion (ext 16')

Tremulant

8' Major Tuba (Gt)

8' Fanfare Trumpets (Solo)

CHOIR (4-inch wind pressure)

Manual I - enclosed and expressive

16' Lieblich Gedeckt (wood)

8' English Open Diapason

8' Flûte à Bibéron

8' Gedeckt Flute (ext 16')

8' Dulciana

8' Unda Maris

4' Principal

4' Koppel Flute

2' Recorder

2' Mixture III–IV (Dulcianas)

11/3' Fourniture IV

Sesquialtera II (22/3' & 13/5')

16' English Horn

8' Cornopean

8' Clarinet

Tremulant

Cymbalstern (14 bells)

8' Major Tuba (Gt)

8' Fanfare Trumpets (Solo)

Harp (digital)

Celesta (digital)

ANTIPHONAL SOLO (4- & 51/2-inch wind)

Manual IV - in twin cases over the narthex (expressive)

8' Open Diapason

8' Viola da Gamba

8' Gamba Celeste (CC)

8' Melodia

8' Flute Cœlestis II (Ludwigtone)

4' Principal

4' Flûte d'Amour

2' Doublette

11/3' Mixture IV

8' Flügel Horn

8' Corno di Bassetto

Tremulant

Cymbalstern (8 bells)

Chimes (Gt)

8' Fanfare Trumpets

8' Major Tuba (Gt)

Harp (digital)

Celesta (digital)

PEDAL (various wind pressures)

32' Double Open Diapason (digital)

32' Subbass (digital)

32' Lieblich Gedeckt (Ch, digital)

16' First Open Diapason

16' Second Open Diapason (Gt)

16' Bourdon

16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Ch)

8' Principal

8' Bass Flute (ext 16' Bourdon)

8' Gedeckt Flute (ext 16' Lieblich)

4' Choral Bass

4' Open Flute (ext 16' Bourdon)

22/3' Mixture IV

32' Contra Trombone (wood)

16' Trombone (wood, ext 32')

16' Double Trumpet (Gt)

16' Bassoon (Sw)

8' Trumpet (ext 16')

4' Clarion (Sw)

8' Major Tuba (Gt)

8' Fanfare Trumpets (Solo)

CHAPEL (4-inch wind, floating)

8' Open Diapason

8' Aeoline

8' Vox Angelica (tc)

4' Principal

Chapel on Great

Chapel on Swell

Chapel on Choir

Chapel on Solo

Chapel on Pedal

Intraddivisional couplers

Gt/Gt 16-UO-4

Sw/Sw 16-UO-4

Ch/Ch 16-UO-4

Solo/Solo 16-UO-4

Interdivisional couplers

Gt/Ped 8, 4

Sw/Ped 8, 4

Ch/Ped 8, 4

Solo/Ped 8, 4

Sw/Gt 16, 8, 4

Ch/Gt 16, 8, 4

Solo/Gt 16, 8, 4

Sw/Ch 16, 8, 4

Solo/Ch 16, 8, 4

Pedal Stops to Divisional Pistons


The Wicks Organ Company, Highland,
Illinois has built a new organ for the Barrington United Methodist Church,
Barrington, Illinois. In 1999 the church building was destroyed by fire. Their
losses included a 41-rank Möller pipe organ, which had been rebuilt as
recently as 1988. As planning for their new building began, the search for a
new pipe organ started. The church’s demands for their new organ were
that it had to be a great congregational organ, but also able to perform for
recitals as well. The sanctuary was to be a top-notch performance facility as
well as a place of worship. The church desired an organ of 3 manuals and 5
divisions, including an antiphonal. Each division was to have a principal
chorus, and the foundations of the Great organ were to be exposed.

The church committee heard many styles of instruments built by Wicks over
the last seven decades. This included, a North German neo-Baroque style
instrument, a symphonic organ scaled and designed by Henry V. Willis, an
American Classic, and an Aeolian instrument from the 1920s that had been
rebuilt by the Wicks Organ Company in conjunction with Mr. Madison Lindsey. The
service playing abilities of each instrument were demonstrated to the
committee, and they identified and found themselves drawn to the
English/symphonic style of the rebuilt Aeolian instrument. The organ committee
chose Wicks over several other builders after hearing several new Wicks
installations and the company ‘s recent success in exactly this style of
instrument.

The completed organ is described as an English service organ with orchestral
capabilities. The instrument is able to not only provide a seamless crescendo
from ppp to fff, but can do it with flair. In addition to service music, the
organ is able to perform every possible type of organ literature from the
Renaissance to the present. It is also able to realize orchestral
transcriptions with great skill, thanks to the presence of many orchestral solo
stops in each division, blending choruses, and 2-inch thick beveled and overlapping
felted shades. The completed organ consists of 24 ranks of pipes and 25 digital
voices. The Wicks design team pre-engineered space to accommodate real pipe
ranks to replace these voices. The Swell is on 7 inches of wind, the Pedal 10
inches; the Choir and Great are on 6 inches, with the exception of the
Clarinet, English Horn, and Tuba in the choir, which are all on 10 inches.

The solo reeds of this organ are of a unique style, derived from the
Willis/Wicks style reeds used in many Wicks organs over the decades, married to
the traditional ideas of Skinner solo reeds. The end results were clear,
smooth, stops of unique color and great versatility throughout the compass. The
greatest asset to the organ is the lively acoustical environment of the sanctuary.
The collaboration of the building committee, acousticians Kirkegaard &
Associates of Chicago, and the Wicks Organ Company have resulted in a
beautiful, successful combination of organ and room.

The console is drawknob style with 45-degree side jambs, a glass music rack,
and P&S keys with ivory resin naturals and ebony sharps. The drawknobs are
made of polished hardwood. Made of red oak, the interior is very light and the
exterior is stained to match the woodwork of the chancel furnishings. The console
features a tilt tab that allows the digital Tuba and Festival Trumpet to
emanate from the antiphonal division located in the rear of the church instead
of their native divisions. The console also has a Manual I/II transfer for
French literature.

Installation of Opus 6412 began in August of 2003, and an initial tonal
finishing and adjustment of digital voices took place in early September. After
the church’s dedication, Wicks tonal director Dr. William Hamner and reed
voicer Greg Caldwell completed an entire tonal finishing.

--Brent Johnson

Great (exposed)

16’ Violone*

8’ First Open Diapason

8’ Second Open Diapason

8’ Violoncello

8’ Harmonic Flute (Ch)

4’ Principal

4’ Flute Octaviante

2’ Fifteenth

IV Full Mixture

8’ Chorus Tuba (Ch)

8’ Festival Trumpet* (Ant)

8’ Tuba Mirabilis* (Ant)

Chimes* (Ant)

Swell (expressive)

16’ Minor Bourdon*

8’ Open Diapason

8’ Stopped Diapason*

8’ Viola*

8’ Viola Celeste*

8’ Flauto Dolce*

8’ Flute Celeste*

4’ Octave Diapason

4’ Triangular Flute*

22/3’ Nazard*

2’ Recorder*

13/5’ Tierce*

IV Plein Jeu

16’ Waldhorn*

8’ Cornopean

8’ Oboe*

4’ Clarion

8’ Festival Trumpet* (Ant)

8’ Tuba Mirabilis* (Ant)

Tremolo

Choir (expressive)

8’ Geigen (1-12*)

8’ Concert Flute

8’ Dolcan*

8’ Dolcan Celeste*

4’ Octave Geigen

4’ Transverse Flute

2’ Harmonic Piccolo

16’ Bass Clarinet

8’ Clarinet

8’ English Horn

8’ French Horn*

8’ Festival Trumpet* (Ant)

8’ Tuba Mirabilis* (Ant)

8’ Chorus Tuba

Tremolo

Harp*

Antiphonal (unenclosed - floating) (prepared)

8’ Festival Trumpet*

8’ Tuba Mirabilis*

Chimes*

Antiphonal Pedal (prepared)

Pedal

32’ Contre Bourdon*

16’ Open Wood

16’ Major Bourdon

16’ Violone* (Gt)

16’ Minor Bourdon* (Sw)

8’ Principal

8’ Flute

8’ Stopped Flute

4’ Octave

4’ Harmonic Flute (Gt)

32’ Ophicleide*

16’ Trombone (1–12*)

16’ Waldhorn (Sw)

8’ Tromba

8’ Trumpet (Sw)

4’ Oboe (Sw)

7-bell zimbelstern

*= Digital Voices

Organ Design and the Kraft Music Hall

by Jack M. Bethards

Jack M. Bethards is President and Tonal Director, Schoenstein & Co. Organ Builders. A San Francisco Bay Area native, he holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. He has been a professional musician and is currently active in the American Guild of Organists. He is past president of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America and member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, the International Society of Organbuilders, the Organ Historical Society and the Association Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. He serves on the advisory boards of several organ preservation societies. In his 43 years of pipe organ work and research, Mr. Bethards has been a frequent lecturer and contributor of articles to professional journals. A major thrust of his study, including work abroad, has been Romantic organ building in France, Germany, England and America.

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Schoenstein & Co. is the oldest and largest organ factory in the Western states. The Schoenstein family has been building instruments for five generations. The firm was started in the Black Forest of Germany in the mid-19th century and in 1877 in San Francisco. In addition to organ building, Schoenstein & Co. does restoration work specializing in historic organs including the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle Aeolian-Skinner organ.

 

What do Miracle Whip® and Velveeta® have to do with stop lists and pipe scaling?  Not much. I am thinking more about Robert Armbruster's magnificent NBC studio orchestra that played so brilliantly on the Kraft Music Hall in the late 1940s.  His aggregation stretched versatility to the maximum. In addition to the usual theme, signature, and background music, he had to accompany Nelson Eddy and Dorothy Kirsten in arias from grand opera, art songs, favorites from operetta and musical comedy, as well as popular melodies of the day. The orchestra had to perform overtures and other legitimate repertoire on the same airwaves as the NBC Symphony and also make a good showing against popular orchestra leaders such as Paul Whiteman. All of this was done within the confines of a modest-size studio and the well-controlled budget of a broadcast that had to pay its own way. Does this sound familiar to those involved in planning for a church pipe organ? To me, it is directly analogous to the age-old quest of providing cathedral music in a parish church setting. Getting the most out of a limited number of stops has been a fascinating challenge and, when successful, a point of great pride for organ builders over centuries.

How did Robert Armbruster and his many colleagues in the fields of broadcast, motion picture, phonograph recording, and theater music bring the grandeur of the symphony orchestra to their audiences when budget and space were limited? It seems quite obvious that they analyzed the major effects produced by the full symphony orchestra and developed patterns of reduced instrumentation that captured the most important ones. A typical radio orchestra of the day might be composed of two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), one oboe (doubling English horn), one bassoon, two horns, three trumpets, two trombones, one tuba (bell-front recording type), one harp, two percussion (one traps, one tympani and mallets), eight violins, three violas, three 'cellos, and two basses. Sometimes for popular music two or three of the woodwind players would double saxophone. Piano (doubling celesta) and guitar might also be added. These jazz effects were strictly secondary. The orchestra was expected to sound symphonic, and did so at  less than one-third the size of a full symphony orchestra.

The string section in such an orchestra was just large enough to create a rich, full and luxurious sound. At least one of every woodwind tone color was represented. The brass section was larger than necessary to balance the number of strings and winds; however, it was vital to have brass power in reserve to provide the climactic crescendo that could not come from other choirs of the orchestra without far more players. In other words, brass was dominant in the tutti. Solid, powerful bass is an important component of the symphony orchestra, and the tuba was often more important in the role of doubling the string basses than in playing the bottom brass line.

Of course a cleverly worked out list of instrumentation is not nearly enough. Each instrumentalist must be capable of producing exquisite tonal color and have absolute control of dynamics, attack, accent, and release. I don't know of any effect more thrilling in music than hearing one of these great Hollywood orchestras performing at the height of the mid-century period when art music was considered appropriate as mass commercial entertainment. The world's greatest musicians were gathered in Hollywood. They played with a degree of self-confidence and authority that elevated these rather modest ensembles into the major leagues.

Many organ builders, ourselves  included, strive to produce small organs which do big musical jobs. Our choir organs in the French Romantic style and Multum In Parvo (much from little) parish church organs in the English style have captured the essence of comprehensive church organs in extremely small formats. A few years ago we set out to expand this concept with an effort to produce the major effects of the symphonic organ with a limited number of stops. It was conceded for decades that an organ could not be considered symphonic unless it had at least three manuals and 50 or so stops and those who advocate giant instruments--the bigger the better--would scoff at considering anything under 100 ranks symphonic. We came to the conclusion that much of the material in large symphonic organs, although sumptuously beautiful, was duplicative. But even after eliminating duplications, a symphonic stop list was far too large for the average church. We decided to follow the Kraft Music Hall model--analyze the major effects of symphonic organs and see if they could be reproduced in miniature. Obviously it would require more than just a few stops, but we felt that the job could be done with less than twenty.

Before going further one might question the practical value of this exercise. It is our belief that for most churches the organ can only earn its way if it has enough variety and tonal color and a wide enough dynamic range not only to accomplish the nearly impossible list of church musical jobs, but to prevent boredom from setting in among both musicians and listeners over time. Instruments dedicated entirely to the organ solo repertoire, which is the common approach in small designs, fall short in their ability to do the jobs that most congregations want accomplished. For most churches an organ of symphonic character is the ideal--they want versatility, musical leadership, and emotional connection. But they usually want these in a modest size building and on a budget. So aside from the pure pleasure of solving a musical puzzle, we had a good reason to build the smallest symphonic organ we could. We got our first opportunity in the exceptionally beautiful chapel of the First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Our first task was to delineate the major effects of the larger symphonic organs:

Tonal Qualities

1.              Unison diapason tone of at least two different colors and dynamic levels with chorus work suitable to each.

2.              Flutes of vividly differentiated tone color including one powerful, open solo flute.

3.              Two celeste stops: a pair of genuine orchestral strings, and a pair of soft ethereal voices. Most small organs rely on one compromise celeste pair to do these two very different jobs. Such stops usually tend toward flute or diapason tone. Although they may be attractive, they do not elevate an instrument into the symphonic class.  Keen strings are absolutely necessary, but so are the less assertive, dolce tones. Both should be represented, and the string pairs should be full-compass to low C.

4.              Color reed tone useful in both solo and accompaniment roles.

5.              Heroic chorus and solo trumpet tone. In smaller acoustics, power is best achieved with unison tone of great intensity--not loud, high-pitched mixture tone. The proper character is usually achieved through high wind pressure reeds.

6.              Powerful Pedal bass. The symphonic organ has representatives of each tone color in the Pedal department. A Bourdon is not enough; there must also be open flue tone and reed tone to provide clarity, point, and drama. If possible, 32' tone should be included.

Control Elements

7.              Effective expression. A symphonic organ must be able to produce a crescendo from ppp to fff. It also should be able to produce full organ chorus effects at less than full organ volume. Part of this has to do with the proper terracing of voices, but solid expression boxes with responsive shades are vital, too.

8.              Contrasting expression. There must be at least two divisions under expression for an organ to start claiming symphonic status. In a small instrument as many voices as possible should be under expression. In the symphonic concept, unexpressive voices are a luxury normally reserved for large instruments. In some cases layout demands that certain voices be unexpressive, for example where the Swell must be behind the Great, but this should be an exception.

9.              Precise, responsive, silent, lightning fast key and stop actions and a steady wind system.

10.           A comfortable console well equip-ped with playing aids.

Comparing the lists of orchestral instrumentation and organ stops, let us consider what are the most essential elements of each in addition to the bedrock string and brass sections of the orchestra and the comparable diapasons and chorus reeds of the organ. In other words, what special sounds and effects elevate the orchestra and the organ to the symphonic class or, put more simply, make a small ensemble sound big. In the orchestra, french horn, harp, tympani, and solid bass are vital. In the organ the key elements are real strings, a big solo flute, an heroic solo trumpet and also powerful, clear bass. In the orchestra, players must have absolute control over their instruments or else the conductor will not be able to create grand effects from limited instrumentation. In the organ, the key and stop action, wind system, expression system, and console must be perfectly responsive for the organist to be able to lift the organ to the symphonic level. Just as each member of the orchestra must have developed a beautiful and distinctive sound, so the voicer must give his pipes definite character and beautiful tone.

First Presbyterian Church

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Now let's review the Spartanburg organ stop list to see how it fulfills the symphonic ideal. The Great and Swell each have independent diapasons. The name Salicional may be a bit misleading to those who consider it a member of the string family. We use that name (and the name Dulciana) to indicate stops of the echo diapason class, which is characterized by pure diapason tone of moderate to low power. This nomenclature is quite common on British and continental Romantic organs. On the Great, the 8' Open Diapason is complemented with an independent 4' Principal that is quite narrowly scaled in the bass and tenor progressing upward to more nearly match the scale of the Diapason in the high treble. The Principal is rich in harmonics providing a simple, but quite satisfying chorus effect that also works well with the super coupler. The chorus of the Great is completed with a Mixture. Although it is often very useful, particularly in a small scheme to specify an independent Twelfth and Fifteenth instead of a Mixture, the unique tone color provided by a compound stop is essential to the symphonic ensemble. It is comparable to the difference between a three-violin section in a salon ensemble and eight violins in a small symphonic orchestra. In a scheme of only 12 voices it is impossible to have an independent diapason chorus in the Swell, but the unification of a small scale echo diapason makes a very convincing substitute, especially when the Stopped Diapason is included to provide additional unison weight. Unification works best when it is substituting for stops that would not have a very great scale difference if they were straight. In general, the smaller the unison scale the less difference there would be in its octave and fifteenth. Therefore, the Salicional is a good candidate for such treatment.

This organ has four distinctly different flute tones. The 8' Stopped Diapason is of wood with pierced stoppers from middle C producing a colorful but also solidly fundamental sound. The 4' Chimney Flute is an excellent companion, being of extremely small scale with a light, buoyant and lyrical tone. Its 22/3' unification adds interesting solo colors. The Corno Dolce of the Great is a moderate scale open flute with a 1/4 taper. The Harmonic Flute is a powerful solo voice which ascends in power up the scale. It also adds significantly to the foundation of the Great.

Genuine orchestral string tone is provided by the Vox Celeste (II). These are narrow scale strings of exceptionally keen intonation. The contrasting undulating effect is provided by the Flute Celeste which is paired with the Corno Dolce. It has a smooth, ethereal character with just enough edge to add distinct point to accompaniment lines and, with its celeste, to make a heavenly effect leading into the more pungent strings. It can be drawn on the Swell at both 8' and 4' pitches as a means of beginning the Swell build-up. Introduction of the Vox Celeste (II) with swell box closed is hardly noticed when it is preceded by the Flute Celeste at 8' and 4' pitch, the Great box having been opened. Although to many it would seem to be an impractical luxury to extend the Swell Vox Celeste to 8' pitch and also include an ethereal celeste on the Great, we believe that it is one of the basics for the symphonic effect.

For a color reed in this instrument we selected a Flügel Horn--truly a chameleon among stops. It sounds like a small scale or muted trumpet. In certain registers, especially when doubled by a flute, it can produce a French Horn character, and it also serves all of the traditional accompaniment and solo roles of the Oboe. E.M. Skinner often preferred a Flügel Horn in place of an Oboe on small stop lists because of its versatility. The color reed was placed on the Great both to provide mild chorus reed character for that division and so that it can be accompanied by Swell voices.

Chorus reed tone is provided by the Tuba Minor. Traditionally, the name tuba is applied to trumpets or trombas of exceptional power. The trumpet-type is brilliant, singing and bell-like in its tone while the tromba-type is darker, more sonorous and smoother. The tuba in this instrument is definitely of the trumpet class. It is voiced on 8” of wind pressure and is enclosed separately within the Swell box producing double the normal dynamic range.  Its shades are kept partially closed when it is serving in the role of a standard chorus trumpet. When its shades are closed it can play the part of a color reed, the volume level being like that of an oboe. When its shades are fully open this stop takes on an heroic character suitable for trumpet tunes, fanfares, and the like. When played on the Swell manual at 16' and 8' with the super coupler, it provides a thrilling full Swell effect.

It is unusual in an organ of this size to include three 16' Pedal stops, but these are vital if the organ is to be lifted out of the small organ class. A normal 16' Bourdon is augmented by the 16' Corno Dolce which is scaled so as to produce a very prompt-speaking clear and firm bass. It has a reduced scale in the bottom two octaves to produce the kind of bite one hears from the orchestral double bass. The profundity of the Pedal comes from the full length 16' extension of the Swell Tuba.

All of the voices of this organ are under expression. The Great and Swell are located next to one another and speak into the chapel through a ceiling grill. Swell shades open nearly 90˚ and are operated by a powerful, fast electric-pneumatic motor. It would be impossible to create a symphonic caliber dynamic range on an organ of this size without at least one powerful stop under double expression. Described above, this device increases the organ's dynamic range from mp to pp and at the other end of the spectrum from ff to fff.

The action system employs the Schoenstein individual valve Expansion Cell wind chest and the wind system uses five separate regulators to provide absolutely steady wind of adequate capacity and appropriate pressure. The console includes a solid state capture combination action with 16 memories and our Range feature which permits the organist to program pistons to be either generals or divisionals in any combination desired.

This organ has proven to be versatile far beyond what one would expect of a 12-voice scheme. In the context of a modest sized room, the organ is truly symphonic in character and has proven itself capable of playing most of the standard organ repertoire as well as sophisticated choir accompaniments and service music. The main characteristic that separates it from other organs of its size is the number of tone color possibilities and the impressive dynamic range. It is capable of a sustained uninterrupted crescendo from ppp to fff providing a sense of grandeur that is seldom heard even in instruments much larger. This also means that it has met the goal of any good accompanimental organ design: to have a variety of tonal colors available at any volume level the conductor desires.

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas

Our next opportunity to test this concept came at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. We were especially honored to work with architect Philip Johnson in designing an instrument for his striking chapel of St. Basil. The building promised an outstanding acoustic and perfect placement, which enabled us to work on a slightly larger format. Since there was to be a display pipe façade, we added an unenclosed First Open Diapason to the Great that is extended into the Pedal providing a fourth 16' Pedal stop on this 15-voice instrument. At the request of our client, we substituted a Clarinet for the Flügel Horn. Although we gave up the mild secondary chorus reed tone character of the Flügel Horn, we gained a color of more contrast with the Tuba. In the Swell we added a unified echo principal mutation at 22/3' and 11/3'. This stop is scaled to balance with the Salicional and augment the organ's secondary chorus as well as provide several options for additional color. The most significant change was to place the keen orchestral strings on high pressure in the secondary Swell expression box along with the Tuba. This is a great advantage for it allows the strings to be muted to various volume levels to serve in more accompaniment roles. Obviously, the build-up of celeste tone is quite enhanced. This also illustrates the value of the opportunity to work with an architect in designing an ideal organ space. In Spartanburg there was no way to enlarge the double expressive box, but in Houston we could tailor make the space to suit the optimum tonal design.

Grace United Methodist Church

Greensboro, North Carolina

Our next instrument along these lines at Grace United Methodist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, provided a real challenge in placement. Although the side chancel chamber was of adequate size, the opening only spanned about half of it and could not be enlarged. This meant that the Great would fill the opening and that the tone of the Swell would have to speak across the Great and make a 180-degree turn to reach the nave. Obviously we could not enclose the Great, so we cut it back to the bare essentials and built up the Swell, duplexing several of its stops on to the Great. This plan was used with great success by E.M. Skinner in his small schemes. The Harmonic Flute, with its ascending increase in treble power, is one of the few solo voices that can work well unenclosed. Since the Corno Dolce and Celeste had to be in the Swell in order to be under expression, there was no room for its 16' extension, and the Harmonic Flute had to have its own bass. We have often noted the interesting musical quality of the orchestra's traverse flute, which changes to a distinctly string quality in its lowest range resulting from the tube of the flute being the same scale for its entire compass, and we decided to extend the Harmonic Flute into a string-scale bass stop at both 16' and 8' pitch. We reduced the diameter of the pipes as they progressed downward so that the tenor and bass of the Harmonic Flute is distinctly in the string family--enough so to name the extensions 'Cello and Double Bass.

The Great chorus, being unexpressive, required special treatment. An independent 2' Fifteenth completes the chorus, but Mixture tone is also necessary. In an organ of this size, Mixture tone is most useful when it is under expression, so we increased its size and power, placing it within the double expressive sub-division of the Swell. Used with the tuba it adds brilliance to the full Swell build-up. Used alone it can be adjusted to various different volume levels to suit lesser Swell combinations. In full organ combinations, when coupled to the Great, it tops off the diapason chorus.  After seeing the utility of four 16' Pedal stops in Houston, we wanted to do the same here. Fortunately the chamber was large enough to include a 16' extension of the Great Open Diapason. Since the stop did not have to be on display, we were able to make it of wood which yields a very solid, prompt-speaking tone.

Because this organ replaced an older instrument which had a very nice Vox Humana on its own chest, we were able to include this luxury economically. Being in the double expressive section adds to its exotic effect.

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Our next small symphonic organ was built for Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, an Anglo-Catholic parish that enthusiastically supports the highest traditions of Anglican music. The instrument was designed specifically to accompany the Anglican choral service. This musical emphasis combined with space restrictions in the small gallery dictated some variations on the symphonic theme. First, we substituted the Aeoline and Vox Angelica for the Corno Dolce and Flute Celeste. To make the absolutely smooth, unbroken build-up so beloved in this musical tradition, both celestes are in the string family. The Aeoline and Vox Angelica are keen but very delicate and blend perfectly into the powerful solo Gambas with both inner and outer shades of the Swell closed. Space and budget allowed the luxury of two color reeds so we could have our cake and eat it too with both Clarinet and Flügel Horn.

The lovely church lent itself to a victorian Gothic façade with decorated front pipes. This, in turn, gave us the opportunity to put two Great stops in display--the first Open Diapason and Harmonic Flute with its 'Cello and Double Bass extension. These stops can be accompanied with stops in their own division by using the Enclosed Great to Swell coupler.

The Swell box was not large enough to include open 8' bass pipes; therefore, we provided two unison stops, an open wood Claribel Flute and our very small scale English-style Lieblich Gedeckt sharing a common bass. The Swell has an independent 4' Gemshorn (a tapered principal) and 2' Fifteenth along with principal scale Quint and Tierce mutations to complete its chorus.

Using pipes from the former organ gave us the luxury of two independent Pedal stops making a total of five 16' stops in a 20-voice organ! This yields a reed, an open wood, a moderate scale string, and two levels of bourdon tone, the extremely soft character of the enclosed Lieblich Gedeckt being helpful for accompanying the more delicate sounds of the organ.

St. Paul's School

Brooklandville, Maryland

Our latest example was just completed for St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, Maryland. This large Episcopal school has an attractive, new, collegiate-style chapel. The organ is located in a chamber above the narthex providing plenty of room for a complete exposition of this style. It combines and expands upon the designs of the earlier organs. The only unenclosed stop is the Grand Open Diapason, the bass of which is wood located horizontally on the roof of the expression boxes. The 4' Chimney Flute and Tuba from the Swell are borrowed onto the Great. An Oboe is added to the Swell giving this scheme the two most basic color reed tones. Most important, however, is the provision for a true 32' stop extending to low G. Although this is not part of the initial installation, space is prepared.

A review of these five stop lists shows that although musical, acoustical, and placement considerations must be taken into account if each installation is to reach its maximum potential, a basic design concept adhering to specific design criteria can be maintained. Our objective with each of these jobs was to preserve the symphonic character that was so attractive to our clients as they auditioned similar instruments and at the same time tailor a design to meet their requirements and space restrictions. This is the continuing fascination and challenge of organ design. The satisfaction derived from it is quite similar to the exhilaration an orchestrator feels when his work has yielded a sound that should only come from an orchestra two or three times as large. I'll bet Robert Armbruster enjoyed the playbacks of his Kraft Music Hall performances with the same relish we experience on hearing fine artists play one of these miniature symphonic church organs.

Schoenstein & Co.

First Presbyterian Church

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Chapel organ

2-manual and pedal organ

12 voices-15 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (Expressive)

                  16'          Corno Dolce (12 pipes)

                  8'             Open Diapason

                  8'             Harmonic Flute (Corno Dolce bass)

                  8'             Corno Dolce

                  8'             Flute Celeste (TC)

                  8'             Voix Celeste II (Sw)

                  4'             Principal

                  4'             Corno Dolce (12 pipes)

                  2'             Mixture III

                  16'          Flügel Horn (TC)

                  8'             Flügel Horn

                                    Tremulant

                                    Chimes (TA)

SWELL (Expressive)

                  16'          Bourdon (wood, 12 pipes)

                   8'            Salicional (Stopped Diapason bass)   

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (wood)

                  8'             Voix Celeste II

                  8'             Flute Celeste II (Gt)

                  4'             Salicet (12 pipes)

                  4'             Chimney Flute

                  4'             Flute Celeste II (Gt)

                  22/3'      Nazard (from Chimney Flute)        

                  2'             Fifteenth (12 pipes)

                  16'          Bass Tuba† (12 pipes)

                  8'             Tuba Minor†

                                    Tremulant

†In separate box inside Swell, 71/2” wind.

PEDAL            

                  16'          Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  16'          Bourdon (Sw)

                  8'             Open Diapason (Gt)

                  8'             Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (Sw)

                  4'             Octave (Gt Open Diapason)

                  16'          Bass Tuba (Sw)

                   8'            Tuba Minor (Sw)

                   4'           Flügel Horn (Gt)

Full couplers and usual accessories.

Schoenstein & Co.

Chapel Of St. Basil

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas

Two-manual and pedal organ

15 voices-17 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (Expressive)

                  16'          Corno Dolce (12 pipes)

                  8'             First Open Diapason†

                  8'             Second Open Diapason

                  8'             Harmonic Flute (Corno Dolce bass)

                   8'            Corno Dolce

                  8'             Flute Celeste (TC)

                  8'             Salicional (Sw)

                  4'             Principal

                  2'             Mixture III

                  8'             Clarinet

                                    Tremulant

†In display

SWELL (Expressive)         

                  16'          Bourdon (wood, 12 pipes)

                  8'             Salicional

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (wood)

                  8'             Gamba†

                  8'             Gamba Celeste†

                  8'             Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  8'             Flute Celeste (Gt)

                  4'             Salicet (12 pipes)

                  4'             Chimney Flute

                  4'             Corno Dolce (Gt)             

                  4'             Flute Celeste (Gt)

                  22/3'      Twelfth (TC-from Nineteenth)

                  22/3'      Nazard (from Chimney Flute)

                  2'             Fifteenth (12 pipes)

                  11/3'      Nineteenth

                  16'          Bass Tuba† (12 pipes)

                  8'             Tuba Minor†

                                    Tremulant

†In separate box inside Swell, 71/2” wind.

PEDAL

                  16'          Diapason (Ext 1st Open Diapason)

                  16'          Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  16'          Bourdon (Sw)

                  8'             Open Diapason (Gt Second Open)

                  8'             Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (Sw)

                  4'             Octave (Gt First Open)

                  4'             Flute (Gt Harmonic Flute)

                  16'          Bass Tuba (Sw)

                  8'             Tuba Minor (Sw)

                  4'             Clarinet (Gt)

Full couplers and usual accessories.

 

Schoenstein & Co.

Grace United Methodist Church

Greensboro, North Carollina

Two-manual and pedal organ

16 voices-19 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT               

                  16'          Double Bass (Ped)

                  8'             Open Diapason

                  8'             Harmonic Flute ('Cello bass, 29 pipes)

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (Sw)

                  8'             Corno Dolce (Sw)

                  8'             Flute Celeste (Sw)

                  4'             Principal

                  2'             Fifteenth

                  8'             Tuba (Sw)

SWELL (Expressive)

                  16'          Bourdon (12 pipes)

                  8'             Salicional

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (wood)

                  8'             Gamba†

                  8'             Celeste (GG)†

                  8'             Corno Dolce

                  8'             Flute Celeste (TC)

                  4'             Salicet (12 pipes)

                  4'             Chimney Flute

                  22/3'      Nazard (from Chimney Flute)

                  2'             Fifteenth (12 pipes)

                  2'             Mixture IV†

                  16'          Bass Tuba† (12 pipes)

                  8'             Tuba†

                  8'             Flügel Horn

                  8'             Vox Humana†

                                    Tremulant          

† In separate box inside Swell, Vox in separate control box.

PEDAL                

                  16'          Open Diapason (12 pipes)

                  16'          Double Bass (12 pipes)

16'          Bourdon (Sw)

                  8'             'Cello

                  8'             Salicional (Sw)

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (Sw)

                  4'             Flute (Gt Harmonic Flute)

                  4'             Super Octave (Gt Open Diapason)

                  16'          Bass Tuba (Sw)

                  8'             Tuba (Sw)

                  4'             Flügel Horn (Sw)

Full couplers and usual accessories.

 

Schoenstein & Co.           

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Two-manual and pedal organ

20 voices-23 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (Expressive)

                  16'          Double Bass (Ped)

                  8'             First Open Diapason†

                  8'             Harmonic Flute† ('Cello bass)

                  8'             Second Open Diapason

                  8'             Aeoline

                  8'             Vox Angelica (TC)

                  8'             Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

                 4'             Principal

                  2'             Mixture IV

                  8'             Clarinet (TC)

†In display

SWELL (Expressive)

                  16'          Lieblich Gedeckt (wood, 24 pipes)

                  8'             Gamba†

                  8'             Gamba Celeste (TC)†

                  8'             Claribel Flute (Lieblich Gedeckt bass)

                  8'             Lieblich Gedeckt (metal)

                  4'             Gemshorn

                  22/3'      Twelfth (Nineteenth treble, 12                 pipes)

                  2'             Fifteenth

                  13/5'      Seventeenth (TC)

                   11/3'    Nineteenth

                  16'          Bass Tuba† (12 pipes)

                  8'             Tuba Minor†

                  8'             Flügel Horn

                                    Tremulant

†In separate box inside Swell, 10” wind.

PEDAL  

                   32'         Resultant

                  16'          Open Wood (12 pipes)

                  16'          Bourdon

                  16'          Double Bass (12 pipes)

                  16'          Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

                  8'             Principal (wood and metal)

                  8'             Octave (Gt 2nd Diapason)

                  8'             'Cello

                  8'             Claribel Flute (Sw)

                  4'             Fifteenth (metal, 12 pipes)

                  4'             Flute (Gt)

                  16'          Bass Tuba (Sw)

                  8'             Tuba (Sw)

                  8'             Flügel Horn (Sw)

Full couplers and usual accessories.

Schoenstein & Co.

St. Paul's School

Brooklandville, Maryland

Two-manual and pedal organ

18 voices-20 ranks

Electric-pneumatic action

GREAT (Expressive)  

                  16'          Corno Dolce (12 pipes, Harmonic Flute treble)

                  8'             Grand Open Diapason†

                  8'             Open Diapason

                  8'             Harmonic Flute (Corno Dolce bass)

                  8'             Salicional (Sw)

                  8'             Corno Dolce

                  4'             Flute Celeste (TC)

                  4'             Principal

                  4'             Chimney Flute (Sw)

                  2'             Mixture III

                  8'             Tuba (Sw)

                  8'             Clarinet

                                    Tremulant   

†In display

SWELL (Expressive) 

                  16'          Bourdon (wood, 12 pipes)

                  8'             Salicional

                  8'             Stopped Diapason (wood)

                  8'             Gamba†

                  8'             Gamba Celeste†

                  8'             Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  8'             Flute Celeste (Gt)

                  4'             Salicet (12 pipes)

                  4'             Chimney Flute

                  4'             Corno Dolce (Gt)

                  4'             Flute Celeste (Gt)

                  22/3'      Nazard (from Chimney Flute)

                  22/3       Twelfth (TC-from Nineteenth)

                  2'             Fifteenth (12 pipes)

                  13/5'      Seventeenth (TC)

                  11/3'      Nineteenth

                  8'             Oboe

                  16'          Bass Tuba† (12 pipes)

                  8'             Tuba†

                                    Tremulant

†In separate box inside Swell, 10” wind.

PEDAL

                  32'          Resultant† (Sub Bass and Bourdon)

                  16'          Double Open Diapason (12 pipes)

                  16'          Sub Bass

                  16'          Corno Dolce (Gt)      

16'          Bourdon (Sw)

                  8'             Open Diapason (Gt Grand Open)

                  8'             Flute (Gt Harmonic Flute)

                  8'             Salicional (Sw)

                   8'            Stopped Diapason (Sw)

                  4'             Octave (Gt Grand Open)

                  4'             Flute (Gt Harmonic Flute)

                  16'          Bass Tuba (Sw)

                   8'            Tuba (Sw)

                  4'             Clarinet (Gt)

†Prepared for addition of 32' pipes.

Full couplers and usual accessories.

New Organs

Default

Cover Feature

A. David Moore, North Pomfret, Vermont, Opus 27

The home of George Becker and Christo Bresnahan,

San Francisco, California

From the builder

Opus 27 is a compact two-manual organ designed to give the player the
greatest number of stop combinations and colors from a small stoplist. The
lower keyboard controls the Great, the upper the Positive. The manual compass
is 56 notes, and the straight pedalboard has 30 notes. Couplers include
Positive to Great, Positive to Pedal, Great to Pedal. The tremulant affects the
entire organ.

The Great has an 8' Clarabella, a 4' Principal in the display, Twelfth,
Fifteenth and Seventeenth. The Clarabella is scaled after examples found on
early Hook organs. The bass octave is stopped. Pipes from tenor C are of open
wood and of English style construction with the windway carved into the cap.
They are similar to early New England-style Stopped Diapason pipes without the
stopper. The blocks have a little step down after the front edge next to the
windway, which helps a great deal with the speech of the pipes. Provision of an
8' open stop on the Great allows for a rich plenum with a strong fundamental.
The Clarabella, drawn alone, serves as a distinctive foil to the 8' Stopped
Diapason. The Clarabella must not be confused with the Melodia, also an open 8'
stop. (The Melodia typically has an inverted mouth, a cap that protrudes over
the front of the pipe, more nicks, and a block, the top of which is curved
forward in various degrees depending on the builder.) Twenty-one Principal
pipes are in the display above the keyboards. The treble pipes are in the case,
followed, front to back, by Fifteenth, Twelfth and Seventeenth. Initially
conceived as a double draw Sesquialtera, it was thought better to separate the
two ranks to allow greater freedom of registration.

The Positive has an 8' Stopped Diapason of wood, a 4' Flute and an 8'
Trumpet. The Stopped Diapason is quite literally an open wood diapason which is
stopped, in the manner of early Hook and English examples. The speech has a
hint of quint and a subtle chiff. The Flute is of open wood pipes. The bass of
the Trumpet has wooden resonators, wooden blocks and shallots.
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The blocks and shallots are turned (on
a South Bend lathe) from a single piece of wood. The inside bore of the shallot
is tapered. The tongue is held in place with a hardwood cleat and two small
wood screws. The opening in the shallot is tapered and milled into the wooden
face. The dimensions of shallot opening, bore, taper and resonator inside
diameters are close to eighteenth-century North European practice. The use of
wood for the shallot avoids the need for lead-faced shallots or leathered
shallot faces. The wood face, in terms of hardness, is somewhere between lead
or brass and a leathered surface. The brass tongues are fairly wide, thick, and
tapered. The lowest octave has wooden resonators which impart a strong
fundamental and circumvent concerns about collapse. Metal resonators are used
from 4' C with wood shallot-blocks; at middle C the resonators are metal, the
blocks lead and the shallots brass, much like an old North European Trumpet.
The Trumpet has a brightness of speech as well as a distinct and prominent
fundamental throughout. The Trumpet can be played either from the upper manual
or from the pedal, or on both manuals and pedal simultaneously. It is useful
for a cantus firmus, or for an independent pedal line when used with the 8' and
4' Positive stops against the lower manual plenum, and is satisfying as a solo
register.

The Pedal contains the 16' Subbass of butternut wood; the lowest six pipes
flank the manuals. The butternut, like most of the wood in the organ, was
felled on the North Pomfret Moore property. The logs were sawed into boards of
various thicknesses on a WoodMizer thin-kerf band sawmill. Much of the wood is
quarter sawn.

Metal in the Principal is lead with 28% tin. Smaller amounts of antimony,
bismuth and copper are added to the metal alloy. The melting pot holds 700 lbs
of metal. To this is added 1.25 lbs of antimony, .25 lbs of bismuth and 2.5 lbs
of copper. Copper seems to give the alloy a nice ringing sound. Antimony is
added to prevent metal collapse. Pipe metal was poured, hammered and fashioned
into pipes all in the Moore workshop. (A Dom Bédos-type hammering
machine, made by Dave Moore, graces the workshop and is used "once in a
while.") A new hammering machine that can automatically hammer a full
sheet of metal as it is taken from the casting table is now used. This machine
has 17 metal hammers that are raised and dropped onto the metal all at once,
covering the whole width of the sheet. The sheet is then advanced a fraction of
an inch and the hammers move over slightly. Metal hammered with this machine
prevents the "bacon effect" (caused by sheets of metal being hammered
on the edges more than in the middle, thus the sheet starts to get wavy like a
piece of cooked bacon). Hammering pipe metal is an old practice that hardens
the metal, optimizes pipe resonance and imparts a richness of timbre not
otherwise obtainable.

The metal pipework is voiced with fairly wide windways and regulation at the
toe hole for most stops. The toe holes are closed down until the volume of the
pipe is just right. In essence, an Open Diapason register would have pretty
much open toes in the mid range and then the treble pipes would be regulated a
bit at the top register. Toe regulation is important in stops above 4' pitch.
Thus with a 2' stop the windways are kept just right in the top octaves and the
volume is controlled at the toe. This keeps the top ranges of the stop from
being too loud and overpowering. This style of voicing, with moderate nicking,
is just about what the early New England organ builders practiced. One can
often find this type of voicing in various European styles. The pipes are cone
tuned.

The action is suspended, and is provided with easily accessible adjustment
nuts. Trackers are of wood with rolled threaded brass ends and wood or leather
nuts for adjustments. Some tracker ends have wires into the wooden trackers
that go through unbushed metal rollerboard arms. The pedal action has some felt
bushings and washers but the manual keyboards do not.

Winding for the organ is controlled by a small curtain valve. A small
single-fold reservoir is located at the bottom inside the case and feeds air to
three windchests through solid wood trunks in the manner of old instruments.
Pressure is 211/16 inches. Winding is flexible in that a sustained note in one
part of the keyboard is influenced by a moving passage in another part of the
register. The blower is a quiet operating Laukhuff. The tremulant is of the
tremblant doux type described by Dom Bédos and found on early French and
New England organs. A leather-covered door is poised at an angle in a horizontal
section of the main wind trunk. When the tremulant is engaged, the door
oscillates back and forth, creating fluctuation in the wind pressure and a
tremulant effect that varies depending on what is being played.

--A. David Moore

From the owner

I first met Dave Moore in 1970 when he was renting an apartment in the
Pigeon Cove house of Charlie and Ann Fisk. David apprenticed in the then small
Fisk shop before establishing his own workshop in North Pomfret, Vermont, where
he has been designing and building historically informed mechanical action
organs for over three decades. This unique builder has traveled extensively and
studied some of the finest old (and some new) organs of Germany, France, the
Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and England. He has a working knowledge of the
treatises of Clicquot and Dom Bédos. Living and working in New England,
he has acquired a knowledge, both intimate and scholarly, of the 18th- and
19th-century New England builders. His association with the likes of John Fesperman,
Barbara Owen, Fenner Douglass, Mark Brombaugh and Kevin Birch (to name but a
few) has contributed to his understanding of the organ and its music. (Indeed,
David himself is a quite respectable organist.)

Opus 27 was built almost entirely from trees harvested by David Moore on his
Vermont farm, from lead and tin melted, poured and hammered, and from cow
bones, fashioned into keys and stop labels, all in his workshop. When I visited
the shop in 2000 to see the progress of the instrument, boards for the Subbass
still had bark on them! Wood in the organ includes butternut, black cherry,
maple, ash, walnut, pine and oak. Basswood is used for the tableboards of the
windchests. Sliders are made of poplar. Pipe shades were designed by Tom Bowen
and carved by Dave Laro.

Working out the stoplist was an exciting process involving frequent e-mails,
conversations and a number of changes. The goal was to create an instrument of
character (Moore character) with a light, responsive suspended action, stops of
distinctive color, resilient winding, and a case which bespeaks its New England
roots.

Dave Moore and Thad Stamps drove the organ from North Pomfret to San
Francisco in 72 hours! Christo and I helped them unload pipetrays, blower and
organ parts into the modestly sized music room of our San Francisco Victorian.
Over the next three weeks the organ was erected and Dave completed tonal
finishing. The organ has an unmistakable character reflecting David's vision,
his New England craftsmanship and his musical genius. Opus 27 was celebrated
with a dedication recital played in January 2003 by Charles Krigbaum. At that
time Dave Moore gave a brief demonstration of the organ to an appreciative
audience.

Dave Moore prefers to avoid the term eclectic for his organs:

. . . the organs I've made have
a certain sound to them. Pretty full, quite a lot of fundamental, good solid
bass to most things, upperwork designed along the lines of early American
organs . . . I prefer not to have them labeled in any one way. If you say,
"This is an organ constructed after French principles," some people
think that all you can play on it is French music. I prefer to keep the stop
nomenclature in English, so that if someone comes along and says, "Aha!
This is very much like the old Dutch organs, it's perfect for that," they
play that music on it and they're very happy . . . You're much better off if
you can accept an instrument for what it is and play what you can on it.1

Although I have found the organ especially appropriate for playing Bach,
Sweelinck and their contemporaries (having myself played many old organs of
Holland and North and Central Germany), opus 27 does admirably well with the
likes of Franck, Hindemith, Pinkham and Hampton. David Moore and his co-workers
Tom Bowen and Thaddeus Stamps have created a cohesive, harmonious and
imminently musical organ in a little shop in rural Vermont. The sheer joy of
playing this splendid and modestly elegant instrument is, for me, as good as it
gets.

--George Becker, M.D.

Notes

1. Quoted from the essay "A. David Moore, Organ Builder: An Account of
His Work (1971-1994)" by Kevin Birch, music director of St. John's R.C.
Church, Bangor, Maine.

A. David Moore Opus 27 can be heard at the following website
. Dr. Becker, an orthopaedic surgeon, is assistant organist
at the Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Contact: George
Becker, M.D., 1375 Sutter St., Suite 304, San Francisco, CA 94109;
415/563-7383 . Cover photo: Sean Vallely

GREAT

8' Clarabella

4' Principal

22/3' Twelfth

2' Fifteenth

13/5' Seventeenth

Tremulant
(affects entire organ)

POSITIVE

8' Stopped
Diapason

4' Flute

8' Trumpet

PEDAL

16' Subbass

8' Trumpet

Couplers

Gt/Ped

Pos/Ped

Pos/Gt

30-note, straight pedalboard

Kellner temperament

A = 440

Fabry, Inc., Fox Lake, Illinois, has
completed the renovation of the organ at Zion Lutheran Church, Marengo,
Illinois, originally built in 1960 by Haase Pipe Organs of Chicago as three
manuals and 40 ranks. In 1986 the congregation demolished their old church and
built a new one on the same site. The organ was dismantled, stored, and then
installed in the new building. Over time, the organ deteriorated to the point
where some major work was necessary.

In February 2002, Fabry was engaged to repair, refurbish, and enlarge the
organ. Phase one, completed in October 2002, included a new three-manual
console with movable platform built by Fabry. The new console was fitted with a
Peterson MSP-1000 combination action, multiplex coupler relay and chamber
relay, and is prepared for MIDI. Phase two, completed in February 2003,
included the addition of six ranks of pipework, several additional windchests,
four new wind supply reservoirs, four electric tremolos, a Zimbelstern, and
complete revoicing and re-regulation of the entire instrument. Some of the
existing pipework was repaired and re-racked, and one rank was relocated. David
G. Fabry built all the chestwork, three-manual console, and movable platform.
Joseph Poland handled the installation.

GREAT

16' Quintadena

8' Principal

8' Bourdon

4' Octave

4' Gemshorn

2' Fifteenth

V Mixture

8' English
Trumpet (new)

Chimes

Tremolo

Gt/Gt
16-UO-4, Sw/Gt 16-8-4, Pos/Gt 16-8-4, MIDI/Gt

POSITIV

8' Quintadena

8' Wood
Flute (new)

8' Wood
Flute Celeste (new)

4' Rohrflote

2' Principal

11/3' Larigot

1' Sifflote

III Scharf

8' Trumpet
(Gt)

8' Cromorne

Zimbelstern
(new)

Tremolo

Pos/Pos
16-UO-4, Sw/Pos 16-8-4, MIDI/Pos

SWELL

8' Rohrgedeckt

8' Gamba

8' Gamba
Celeste (TC)

4' Principal

4' Spitzflote

22/3' Nazard

2' Koppelflote

13/5' Tierce
(new)

IV Mixture

16' Chalumeau
(new)

8' Trompete

4' Schalmei

Tremolo

Sw/Sw
16-UO-4, Pos/Sw, Gt/Sw,

MIDI/Sw

PEDAL

32' Acoustic
Bass (resultant)

16' Principal
(new)

16' Subbass

16' Quintadena
(Gt)

8' Principal

8' Nachthorn

4' Choral
Bass

II Rausch
Pfeife

32' Bombarde
(resultant)

16' Chalumeau
(Sw)

16' Posaune

4' Schalmei
(Sw)

Gt/Ped
8-4, Sw/Ped 8-4,

Pos/Ped
8-4, MIDI/Ped

Bedient Pipe Organ Company

Roca, Nebraska

First Presbyterian Church

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

The challenge to Bedient was to maintain the integral parts of an 1889
Steere and Turner, update and expand the organ, while at the same time make the
organ user-friendly and accessible. Opus 72 at First Presbyterian Church,
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (II/30) accomplished just that. In 2003, much of the
organ was dismantled and moved to our Lincoln, Nebraska shop where it was
reassembled, and old and new were interlaced.

New additions to the organ are 11 ranks of pipes (including a new speaking
façade drawn from the Principal 8' and Pedal Principal 8'), a new,
enlarged Swell windchest, electro-pneumatic stop action, solid-state
combination action, electro-pneumatic Pedal key action, wind system components,
both keyboards, the pedalboard and an adjustable height organ bench. Retained
and modified were the Great windchest and Pedal Bourdon wind-chest, some of the
façade casework (necessitating the stripping of old paint and careful
matching of cherry wood finish on both old and new parts), and structural parts
of the organ. The entire organ was revoiced to accommodate the newly renovated
sanctuary and blend the old and new pipes to be as one. The new stops are
indicated in italics.

--Gene Bedient

GREAT

16' Bourdon

8' Principal

8' Dulciana

8' Melodia

4' Octave

4' Flute
d'Amore

2' Fifteenth

Mixture
III-V

8' Clarinet

8' Trompete

SWELL

8' Open
Diapason

8' Salicional

8' Voix
céleste (tc)

8' Stopped
Diapason (new pipes 13-58)

4' Spitzflute

22/3' Nazard

2' Doublette

13/5' Tierce

Mixture
II (1980s addition)

8' Oboe

8' Trumpet
(1980s addition)

PEDAL

16' Bourdon

8' Principal

8' Bourdon
(ext)

4' Octave
(ext)

16' Fagott

Couplers

Great/Pedal

Swell/Pedal

Swell/Great

Tremulant

New Organs

Default

Cover

Lauck Pipe Organ Company, Otsego, Michigan

Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights,
Illinois

Trinity Christian College is a four-year liberal arts college founded in
1959 and located in Palos Heights, Illinois, a suburb 25 miles southwest of
Chicago. It is dedicated to providing students with a quality higher education
in the Reformed Christian tradition. The college has grown extensively in
recent years with many new buildings erected. In 2001, the college dedicated a
new 1,200-seat auditorium: The Martin and Janet Ozinga Chapel. The chapel is
also the home of the college's music department with faculty offices, rehearsal
rooms, a recital hall, a music computer lab, and practice rooms. An organ for
the auditorium was envisioned from the building's conception.

Under the chairmanship of music department chair Helen Van Wyck, a committee
was formed to choose a builder for the organ. Paula Pugh Romanaux was selected
as the consultant to work with the committee. After visiting several of our organs,
Lauck Pipe Organ Company was chosen to build the organ. Working with the
builder, the committee decided that the instrument would be located at the back
of the stage and would occupy the central position. The committee felt that an
organ with a detached console would prove more flexible, especially when used
with orchestra and to accompany small ensembles.

Several designs for the organ case were prepared ranging from traditional to
contemporary, the latter being chosen. The proportions of the case are generous
in order to fill the expansive rear wall of the stage area. The façade
consists of the 16' Principal, 8' Pedal Octave and the 8' Great Diapason,
with  pipes of polished tin. The
casework is arranged so that the Pedal division occupies the center and two
outer towers. Between the left and center tower is the Great Principal chorus
with the Choir division above. Between the right and center towers are the
Great flutes and reed with the Swell division above. A shallow case with
expression shades capable of a full range of motion allow for excellent egress
of sound. The emblem at the top of the center tower is the college's logo done
in relief and gilded.

Over the past 30 years, we have built many French-terraced consoles with
curved terraces, but Marilyn Mulder, the school's organ instructor, suggested a
console based on a design she saw at Chicago's Orchestra Hall. From her
photograph, we designed and built a console with straight, oblique terraces.
The woodwork is of cherry to match other furnishings in the chapel. The
terraces, keycheeks, manual and pedal sharps, and drawknobs are all of
rosewood. The manual naturals are of bone. Peterson supplied the MIDI system
and combination action. Lauck manufactured the coupler and relay systems, as
well as the electric expression servos.

The room, alas, suffers from insufficient reflection of sound. As we worked
with the acoustician and architect, the organ committee and I realized we would
not be able to have all of our requests granted; the acoustician was more
interested in absorbing rather than reflecting sound. The architect and
building committee did agree that the expansive drywall ceiling would be well
supported and made up of a double layer glued together so as to not absorb the
lower frequencies. Preliminary acoustical tests of the room proved that we
needed a lot of sound to fill it. The organ had to be scaled very boldly, with
variable scales and higher cut-ups being freely employed. In addition, generous
wind pressures, especially in the reeds, would be used. Our tonal concept was
to establish well-developed Principal choruses in each division, colorful and
contrasting flute choruses, and chorus reeds that bind together well. This goal
was achieved and supplemented by colorful solo reeds and strings with character
and variety.

The Great is based on a 16' Principal. The 8' extension of the Principal can
be used as a second Diapason and creates a rich fond d'orgue with the open and
stopped flutes. Mutations provide for a Great Principal Cornet. To ensure a
bold, full pedal, the 16' Diapason is really a 16' open wood located in the
central tower of the case. The Great 16' Principal is also available in the
Pedal for use in lighter textures, while the 8' Octave and 4' Choralbass are
independent. The Trumpet-en-Chamade is made of tin and is voiced on 10 inches
of wind pressure using domed parallel shallots. The Pedal Trombone unit is also
voiced with domed parallel shallots on 8 inches of wind pressure. The Swell
reeds are on 6 inches of wind with the Bassoon/Oboe having tapered shallots and
the Trumpet/Clarion parallel shallots. The Swell Gamba and Gamba Celeste are
slotted with rollers throughout. It is a well-developed string tone with good
strength and carrying power; however, the expression boxes and shades are
heavily built and can make the strings evaporate when desired. The Swell also
has a Flute Celeste, which is built as a Ludwigtone; basically, two wood pipes
built with a common middle wall on one foot. The Choir Viola and Viola Celeste
are of about equal power to the Swell strings but are not slotted and are of a
broader tone quality. They are voiced to work together perfectly yet retain
their individual colors.

The Lauck employees that built Opus 55 include: Craig Manor, console design
and construction, wood pipes; Ken Reed, pipemaker, office manager; Ben Aldrich,
design, windchests, foreman; Bob Dykstra, windchests, wood pipes, casework;
Dick Slider, windchests, lower casework; Dan Staley, circuit board
manufacturing, wiring; Jim Lauck, design, voicing, tonal finishing; Jonathan
Tuuk; tonal finishing.

--Jim Lauck

Lauck Opus 55, 2002

3 manuals, 46 ranks, electric action

GREAT

16' Principal  (61 pipes)

8' Diapason (61 pipes)

8' Principal (12 pipes)

8' Rohrflute (61 pipes)

8' Flute Harmonique (61 pipes)

4' Octave (61 pipes)

4' Principal (12 pipes)

4' Flute Octaviante (12 pipes)

22/3' Quint (61 pipes)

2' Superoctave (61 pipes)

13/5' Tierce (61 pipes)

IV Fourniture (244 pipes)

8' Trumpet (61 pipes)

8' Trumpet-en-Chamade (61 pipes)

                        Great
to Great 4

                        Swell
to Great 16-8-4

                        Choir
to Great 16-8-4

                        Zimbelstern

SWELL

16'  Bourdon (12 pipes)

8' Bourdon (61 pipes)

8' Gamba (61 pipes)

8' Gamba Celeste (49 pipes)

8' Flute Celeste (49 pipes)

4' Principal (61 pipes)

4' Spitzflute (61 pipes)

2' Blockflute (12 pipes)

V Mixture (293 pipes)

16' Bassoon (61 pipes)

8' Trumpet (61 pipes)

8' Oboe (12 pipes)

4' Clarion (12 pipes)

Tremulant

Swell to Swell 16-UO-4

CHOIR

8' Gedeckt (61 pipes)

8' Viola  (61 pipes)

8' Viola Celeste (49 pipes)

4' Principal (61 pipes)

4' Koppelflute (61 pipes)

22/3' Nazard (61 pipes)

2' Octave (61 pipes)

2' Flautino (12 pipes)

13/5' Tierce (61 pipes)

11/3' Larigot (5 pipes)

III Scharff (183 pipes)

8' Cromorne (61 pipes)

8' Trumpet-en-Chamade (Gt)

Tremulant

Choir to Choir 16-UO-4

Swell to Choir 16-8-4       

PEDAL

32' Sub Bourdon (electronic ext)

16' Diapason (open wood) (32 pipes)

16' Principal (Great)

16' Subbass (32 pipes)

16' Bourdon (Swell)

8' Octave  (32 pipes)

8' Principal (Great)

8' Bass Flute (12 pipes)

4' Choralbass  (32 pipes)

II Rauschquint (64 pipes)

II Mixture  (24 pipes)

32' Contra Bassoon (electronic ext)

16' Trombone (32 pipes)

16' Bassoon (Swell)

8' Trumpet (12 pipes)

4' Clarion (12 pipes)

4' Cromorne (Choir)

Great to Pedal 8-4

Swell to Pedal 8-4

Choir to Pedal 8-4

Lauck Pipe Organ Company

92 - 24th Street

Otsego, MI 49078-9633

Telephone: 269/694-4500

Fax: 269/694-4401

<[email protected]>

Cover photo by Richard Lanenga

 

Paul Fritts and Co., Tacoma,
Washington, has built a new organ for Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.
The mechanical-action pipe organ is installed in the 500-seat Mary Anna Fox
Martel Recital Hall of the Belle Skinner Music Building. It contains 34 stops
distributed over two manuals (Hauptwerk and Positiv) and Pedal.

The tonal design reflects both the North and Middle German schools of
organbuilding from the first half of the eighteenth century. North German
features include fully independent manual and pedal divisions with
well-developed upper work; a full spectrum of mutation stops (two on double
draws); and seven reed stops, 20% of the registers. Middle German building is
represented by a variety of six manual 8' flue stops; the “gravity”
of 16' stops in each manual division and four 16' pedal stops; a Tierce rank
which can be added to the Hauptwerk Mixture; and the inclusion of the Positiv
division in the main case, rather than positioned to the rear of the player.

The northern features pay homage to the seventeenth-century style of Arp
Schnitger and the middle German school points more to the pre-Romantic
eighteenth-century styles of Wender, Trost, Hildebrandt and others. The new
Vassar organ is well-suited for music of J. S. Bach with its cosmopolitan
mixture of northern, middle, and southern European traits. Other literature
from the sixteenth-century through the works of Mendelssohn will also sound to
advantage.

The new organ is placed centrally in a gallery nine feet above the stage
floor in the front of the hall. The case has a bright burgundy enamel finish.
Gold leaf highlights the gray painted pipe shades. The case and many internal
parts are crafted from popular. 
Many other woods were chosen for their various properties, including
mahogany, oak, maple, ebony, redwood and sugar pine.

Along with the new organ came alterations to the organ gallery and stage
area significantly improving acoustics, and a climate control system for the
recital hall. The Marian and Speros Martel Foundation Inc. donated funds
covering both the organ and hall improvements. Glenn D. White recommended
acoustical improvements, and Richard Turlington designed architectural plans
for the room. Frances D. Fergusson, President of Vassar College, initiated the
project. George B. Stauffer was consultant.

To inaugurate the new instrument, Merellyn Gallagher, James David Christie,
and Joan Lippincott played solo recitals in February and March 2003.

HAUPTWERK

16' Principal

8' Octava

8' Rohrflöte

8' Viol di Gamba

4' Octava

4' Spitzflöte

Nasat/Cornet II*

2' Superoctava

Mixture Tierce

Mixture IV–VI

16' Trompet

8' Trompet

POSITIVE

8' Geigenprincipal

8' Gedackt

8' Quintadena

4' Octava

4' Rohrflöte

2' Octava

2' Gemshorn

11/3' Quinte

Quint/Sesquialtara II*

Mixture IV–V

16' Fagotto

8' Dulcian

PEDAL

16' Principal**

16' Violon

16' Subbass

8' Octava***

8' Bourdon***

4' Octava

Mixture V–VII

16' Posaune

8' Trompet

4' Trompet

* Double draw

** Bottom octave transmission from Hauptwerk

*** Extension

Couplers

                        Positiv
to Hauptwerk

                        Hauptwerk
to Pedal          

                        Positiv
to Pedal

Manual/Pedal compass: 56/30, flat pedalboard

Burnished tin front pipes

Solid wood casework with pipe shades carved by Judy Fritts

Suspended key action

Mechanical stop action

Variable tremulant

Three bellows fitted with pedals for foot pumping

Wind stabilizer

Pitch: A 440

Temperament: Kellner

Wind pressure: 74 mm. (ca. 3≤)

Fabry Pipe Organs, Inc., of Fox
Lake, Illinois, has completed the 5-rank antiphonal division added to the
original Möller organ in Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Homewood,
Illinois.

Fabry Inc. installed the original M.P. Möller instrument (2 manuals, 19
ranks) in 1980 in the rear balcony of the sanctuary and has been maintaining
the organ since that time. The console was prepared for an antiphonal division.
On many occasions while tuning the instrument, the organist, Mrs. Phyllis
Silhan, would always say, “I hope I get to see this instrument completed
before I retire.” Twenty-two years later, the church elected to add the
antiphonal division.

The new antiphonal division was installed in October of 2002. The original
specification for this division--8' Gedeckt, 4' Gemshorn, 2' Flautino, II
Mixture--was changed to 8' Gedeckt, 4' Octave, 4' Harmonic Flute, 2' Fifteenth,
and 8' Oboe. A new solid-state relay was provided that is totally prepared for
the addition of a small antiphonal console.

Fabry Inc. would like to thank the organist, Mrs. Phyllis Silhan, and
Reverend Dr. Timothy Knaff, who coordinated the entire project. David G. Fabry
built all the chestwork and new casework. Crew leader Joseph Poland handled the
installation.

GREAT

8' Principal

8' Bourdon

4' Octave

2' Super Octave

IV Fourniture

8' Trompette (Sw)

SWELL

8' Rohrflote

8' Viola

8' Viola Celeste

4' Spitz Principal

4' Rohrflote (ext)

2' Hohlflote

III Scharf

8' Trompette

ANTIPHONAL (new division)

8' Gedeckt

4' Octave

4' Harmonic Flute

2' Fifteenth

8' Oboe

PEDAL

16' Contra Bass

16' Rohr Bourdon (ext)

8' Principal (Gt)

8' Rohrflote (Sw)

4' Nachthorn

16' Bombarde (ext)

4' Clarion (Sw)

COUPLERS

                        Gt
& Sw to Ped 8

                        Sw
to Gt 16-8-4

                        Gt
4

                        Sw
16-UO-4

                        Antiph
to Ped 8

                        Antiph
to Gt 8

                        Antiph
to Sw 8

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