New Organs

Andover Organ Company, Methuen, Massachusetts
Hesston Mennonite Church,
Hesston, Kansas
Andover Organ Company has installed their Opus 116 in Hesston Mennonite Church, Hesston, Kansas. Mary Ann Boschmann was the chair of the organ committee. In November 2007 team leader Ben Mague, along with David Zarges, David Michaud and Tony Miscio, flew to Kansas to meet the North American Van Lines truck carrying Opus 116. Unloading was a snap with help from students of Hesston College. The mechanical installation was completed in three weeks. Tonal director John Morlock and voicer Don Glover completed the tonal work in February 2008.
The church is located on the Hesston College campus and serves as a worship center and concert hall for the college. The organ will be used as a teaching instrument as well as a service instrument. It is interesting to note that the hymns are sung four-part a cappella, so the organ is used primarily for preludes, postludes and accompanying anthems.
The case, designed by Donald H. Olson, is of solid red oak, stained to match the interior woodwork of the church. The front panels exactly duplicate the paneling of the sanctuary. The front pipes of the 8′ Open Diapason are polished copper. The pipe shades, designed and carved by Tony Miscio, are of cherry to match the contrasting wood of the console. The console has a third, coupling manual to give the two-manual organ three levels of sound, adding flexibility, especially on a teaching instrument. The keyboards have bone naturals and ebony sharps. The key action is mechanical, and the stop action is electric solenoids with a multi-level combination action by Solid State Organ Systems.
The new sanctuary is spacious with a seating capacity of just over 600. The weekend dedication celebration began on Friday, March 1, 2008, with an alumni dinner honoring the college’s financial supporters. After dinner, we adjourned to the sanctuary where Hesston College Professor John Sharp gave a short talk on the history of music in the Mennonite Church, entitled “The Devil’s Bagpipe or God’s Voice? The Organ in Historical Context.” This speech can be found online at <www.youtube.com&gt; by searching under Hesston or Andover Organ. College Organist Kenneth Rodgers then gave us a virtual tour of the organ in a pre-taped video showing and explaining the working of the organ from the inside out (also available on YouTube). A short concert followed with student organists Naomi Tice and Oliver Kropf, assisted by Stephanie Wyse, alto. Professor Rodgers then concluded the program with works by Locklair and Walther. On Sunday morning the organ was formally dedicated at the 10:00 am service; that evening, Ken Rodgers played the formal recital with the combined Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church choirs and the Hesston College Brass Ensemble. Professor Rodgers played works by Bruhns, Böhm, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams, Mäteling and Michel.
—Donald H. Olson

GREAT
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Chimney Flute
4′ Principal
4′ Silver Flute
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
III Mixture
8′ Trumpet (prepared)

SWELL
8′ Violin Diapason
8′ Stopped Diapason
4′ Night Horn
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Fifteenth
13⁄5′ Tierce (prepared)
8′ Hautboy
Tremolo

PEDAL
16′ Subbass
8′ Principal
8′ Flutebass
4′ Choralbass
16′ Trombone (prepared)
8′ Tromba (prepared)
Couplers
Coupling Manual
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Fabry, Inc., Antioch, Illinois
Calvary Lutheran Church,
New Windsor, Illinois
Located in one of the many farming towns that populate western Illinois, Calvary Lutheran Church anchors this community and has done so for generations. The organ was showing its age, and the congregation undertook the task of looking for an organbuilder to fix and update the instrument. Fabry, Inc. inspected the organ and recommended a complete rebuild of the instrument and the addition of an exposed Great division. Originally, the instrument was a highly unified four ranks: an 85-note diapason, a 73-note string, a 73-note dulciana, and a 97-note bourdon. While this arrangement worked up until this time, the organ was buried in the chamber and the lack of variety severely hampered the organist.
After completely removing the instrument from the chambers, Fabry, Inc. undertook the task of rebuilding the organ from the blower up. After rebuilding all of the chests and reconfiguring the organ chamber, the organ was re-installed in a manner to facilitate ease of tuning and maintenance. All pipes were washed, and a Gamba Celeste and Trompette were added to the now fully independent Swell division. The restrictive cloth was removed from the grillework, allowing unfettered egress. An all-new Great division was added by hanging a chest on the wall below the tone opening. A Principal, Rohrflote and a two-rank Mixture were placed on the chest, giving the organ, and the congregation, the ability to lead and be led with confidence. All of this was made possible by rebuilding the console and adding a Peterson ICS-4000 combination action and relay. The addition of judicious couplers and additional pistons allows flexibility for the organist. The organ also received a new Zephyr blower as well as a new electric shade action and a new electric tremolo. David G. Fabry constructed all the new chestwork, laid out the new chamber arrangement, rebuilt the console and provided general direction. Installation involved the abilities of Steve Ellis. Final wrap up, voicing and tuning was handled by Philip A. Spressart.
Fabry, Inc. would like to thank Bertie Carlson and Pastor Jane McChesney.
—Phil Spressart

Photo credit: Phil Spressart

GREAT
8′ Principal new rank 7
8′ Rohrflote new rank 8
4′ Octave from rank 7
4′ Flute from rank 8
22⁄3′ Twelfth from rank 7
2′ Super Octave from rank 7
2′ Piccolo from rank 8
Mixture II new ranks 9, 10
8′ Trompette (from Swell)
Chimes 21 bars

SWELL
8′ Geigen Principal rank 1
8′ Stopped Flute from rank 2
8′ Gamba rank 3
8′ Dulciana rank 4
8′ Gamba Celeste new rank 5
4′ Principal from rank 1
4′ Flute from rank 2
22⁄3′ Nazard new, from rank 2
2′ Fern Flute from rank 2
2′ Doublette new, from rank 1
13⁄5′ Tierce new, from rank 4
Cymbal III new, wired
8′ Trompette new rank 6
4′ Clarion new, from rank 6
Tremolo

PEDAL
32′ Lieblich Bourdon new, wired
16′ Bourdon rank 2
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt from rank 2
8′ Principal from rank 7
8′ Gamba from rank 3
8′ Rohrflote from rank 8
4′ Choral Bass new, from rank 5
4′ Flute new, from rank 2
Mixture II new, fr ranks 9, 10
8′ Trompette new, from rank 6

Couplers & Accessories
MIDI to Great
MIDI to Swell
MIDI to Pedal
Swell to Great
Pedal to Great
Great to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 8′

Pressure changer for 16′ Bourdon, rebuilt

Pipe & rank analysis
Rank 1 8′ Diapason 85 pipes
Rank 2 16′ Bourdon 97 pipes
Rank 3 8′ Gamba 73 pipes
Rank 4 8′ Dulciana 73 pipes

New ranks
Rank 5 8′ Gamba Celeste 49 pipes
Rank 6 8′ Trompette 73 pipes
Rank 7 8′ Principal 85 pipes
Rank 8 8′ Rohrflote 85 pipes
Ranks 9, 10 22⁄3′ Mixture II 122 pipes

Andover Organ Company, Methuen, Massachusetts, Opus 115
Church of the Nativity,
Raleigh, North Carolina
It was a bright Sunday morning in Raleigh, North Carolina, when a North American moving van pulled into the parking lot of Church of the Nativity. Soon parishioners began to arrive to attend the morning service. Shortly after the service ended, a potluck lunch was served—a sumptuous feast that was to repeat itself in the days to come. Once the lunch dishes were cleaned up and the food put away, Mother Diane Corlett, Rector of Nativity, approached the moving van and with much fanfare received the first piece of Nativity’s new Andover organ. She processed into the sanctuary. Parishioners of all ages followed, each taking parts of the organ and depositing them in the sanctuary under the supervision of the Andover crew. After only an hour, the van was completely unloaded and the sanctuary was filled with hundreds of organ parts. The organ had arrived.
The following week and a half saw the organ being assembled in the front of the sanctuary. Team leader Matthew Bellocchio and his crew, consisting of David Zarges, Tony Miscio and Craig Seaman, completed the mechanical installation and traveled back to Lawrence. Two weeks later, tonal director John Morlock and voicer Don Glover arrived to begin the tonal finishing, which was completed in two weeks.
This instrument has tracker key and stop action. The case is made from solid red oak and is stained to match the woodwork of the church. The case pipes are made of 70% polished tin. The keyboards are covered with cow bone naturals and ebony sharps, and the drawknobs are made of pau ferro with faux ivory labels. The solid walnut pipe shades were designed and carved by Tony Miscio of the Andover staff. The organ has a Zimbelstern and a revolving star. It is a fitting addition for Church of the Nativity.
The dedication of the organ was on Friday, November 16, 2007, with Brian Jones, organist, playing works by Lefébure-Wély, Bach, Reinken, Sweelinck, Arne, White, Schumann, Rawsthorne and Saint-Saëns. Jones was joined by the Nativity Choir directed by Waltye Rasulala in When in Our Music God Is Glorified and the Nativity Bell Choir directed by Ruth Brown in Beethoven’s Hymn to Joy. The audience joined in singing hymns “Come, Ye Thankful People Come” and “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy One” with descants by the choir.
Church of the Nativity is a small, but very active and growing congregation and is known locally as Church of the Activity.
—Donald Olson
Andover Organ Company

Photo credit: Matthew Bellocchio

GREAT
8' Open Diapason 58 pipes
8' Chimney Flute 58 pipes
4' Principal 58 pipes
4' Flute prepared
2' Fifteenth 58 pipes
III Mixture 174 pipes
8' Trumpet prepared
Zimbelstern

SWELL
8' Stopped Diapason 58 pipes
8' Viola 46 pipes
8' Celeste prepared
4' Silver Flute 58 pipes
2-2/3' Nazard 58 pipes
2' Principal 58 pipes
1-3/5' Tierce prepared
8' Hautboy 58 pipes
Tremolo

PEDAL
16' Bourdon 32 pipes
8' Flutebass (ext) prepared
4' Chorale (ext) prepared
16' Trombone prepared
8' Tromba (ext) prepared

Couplers (by hitchdown pedals)
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

Milnar Organ Company
Eagleville, Tennessee
James Dorroh residence
When James Dorroh called and asked us to look into a two-manual, six-rank Wicks tracker organ, I knew we had an interesting experience ahead of us. Built in 1972 as a practice organ for Ohio Wesleyan University, the organ was in a private residence in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area. I asked our colleagues from the Obermeyer Organ Company to examine the organ and give us a report. By their assessment it was obvious the instrument had to come to our shop for repairs and modifications.
We were unaware that the Wicks Company even made tracker organs. A call to the company enlightened us that three tracker organs were built as practice organs for universities. They were gracious enough to supply us with a full set of blue prints for the entire organ. We agreed to take the project on.
There was an unusually warm spell in that part of the country in mid-December, which prompted us to send Kevin McGrath and my grandson, Christopher Brent, with our vans and trailers on the long journey from Middle Tennessee to Minneapolis. The trip was successful and we started setting up the organ in our shop on arrival. We mitered some pipes, rearranged some off chests, adjusted the actions, and rebuilt the casework to fit in Dr. Dorroh’s space. We adjusted the voicing once the organ was in its new home. Working with Dr. Dorroh was a pleasure, and made the project very successful.
—Dennis P. Milnar
Milnar Organ Company, LLC
Eagleville, TN 37060
<www.milnarorgan.com&gt;

Manual I
8' Gedackt 56 pipes
2' Principal 56 pipes

Manual II
8' Quintadena 56 pipes
4' Rohrfloete 56 pipes
1-1/3' Gemshorn 56 pipes

Pedal
16' Subbass 32 pipes

Couplers
I/II
I/Pedal
II/Pedal

Andover Organ Company, 

Lawrence, Massachusetts

Opus R-345, Christ Episcopal Church, Charlottesville, Virginia

From the builder

In projects, journeys, and lives, there are milestone events that mark progress or achievements. The dedication of Andover Opus R-345 at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, was such an event. It was a milestone for three long journeys: the completion of a seven-year project for Andover; the culmination of a decade-long sanctuary renovation process for Christ Church; and the latest chapter in the 143-year odyssey of a resilient New England organ.

With their simplicity and durability, it is not unusual for well-made old tracker organs to outlast the buildings or congregations for which they were originally made. Happily, they can often be relocated and repurposed to fit the musical needs and budget of a new owner. At Andover, we tune and maintain a large number of 19th-century instruments which are now in their second, third, or fourth homes.

The saga of the Christ Church organ certainly illustrates this! The core of the instrument is a three-manual, 29-stop organ built in 1869 by E. & G. G. Hook of Boston as their Opus 472 and originally installed in Grace Episcopal Church in Chicago, Illinois. In 1902, it was moved to another Grace Episcopal Church, in Oak Park, Illinois. In 1922, it was sold to the Third Congregational Church of Oak Park, where it was rebuilt and electrified by Nicholas Doerr of Chicago. The organ was next moved to St. Ludmilla’s Catholic Church in Chicago, probably in 1937 when the Third Congregational Church merged with another congregation. When St. Ludmilla’s closed in 1991, the organ was put into storage. Andover’s Robert C. Newton, a nationally recognized authority on Hook organs, learned of the organ’s availability and purchased it. Opus 472 then made the long journey back to Massachusetts, where it sat in storage, awaiting its fifth home.

Meanwhile, Christ Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, had formed an organ committee to find a replacement for their failing 50-year-old electro-pneumatic organ. That organ had been cobbled together from a variety of used and new parts, and the builder had gone out of business before the organ was finished. Concurrently, plans were begun for a complete renovation of the sanctuary. After much study, the committee determined that the best location for the new instrument would be at the front of the church, to speak directly towards the congregation. This was confirmed by each builder that the committee interviewed during the selection process. 

Being responsible stewards of the church’s resources, the organ committee also researched the option of installing a rebuilt used organ. They determined that if the original organ was a well-made, quality instrument, the end result could be equal, or in some cases superior, to a new organ—yet at significantly less cost. John Whiteside, who became Christ Church’s music director in 2005, contacted us and learned of E. & G. G. Hook Opus 472. Built in 1869, the organ dated from the “golden period” (1850s–1870s) of the firm’s instruments. 

Because the organ had lost its original case, console, structure, action, and wind system during its travels, the surviving Hook pipes and windchests could easily be rearranged to fit the available space in Christ Church. The most essential parts of any organ are the pipes, which define its tonal signature, and the windchests, which influence how the pipes speak and blend.

The Hook firm was one of 19th-century America’s premier organ builders. Their instruments, highly regarded for their mechanical and tonal excellence, were designed and voiced to work well in the dry acoustics of American churches. Though we at Andover build modern instruments designed to serve the needs of today’s church musicians, we draw insight and inspiration from the surviving work of the brothers Elias (1805–1881) and George Greenleaf (1807–1880) Hook and their successor, Francis Hastings (1836–1916). We have been privileged to work on many of their important surviving instruments, including their monumental 101-rank 1875 masterpiece, Opus 801, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, and the famous 1876 “Centennial Exposition” organ, Opus 828, now in St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo.

After careful deliberation, the committee recommended that Christ Church purchase and install Hook Opus 472—which would be completely renovated, rebuilt, and enlarged by Andover—at the front of the church surrounding the rose window. This proposal was approved by the church’s vestry, and in April 2005 a contract was signed. 

The rebuilding work started in 2007, with Ben Mague as project team leader. The Hook pipes were restored and the windchests rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate additional stops. New and vintage ranks, scaled and voiced to be compatible with the original Hook stops, were added to augment the organ’s tonal palette. Ben Mague and Michael Eaton engineered a new console, structure, action, and wind system to fit the renovated chancel area. The new casework was designed by Donald Olson. Noted church architect Terry Eason prepared the plans for the sanctuary renovation.

The organ is laid out with the Swell on the left, the unenclosed Choir in the center, and the Great on the right. The Pedal stops are divided among these three locations. The bass of the Pedal reed is behind the Swell, its treble and all of the 16′ Subbass are behind the Choir, and the Double Open Diapasons are behind the Great. 

The organ’s white oak casework was built in our shop. We take great care to design the exterior of each instrument to complement the architecture of its surroundings. Thus, the blind Byzantine arches of the lower casework were patterned after the existing chancel side wall woodwork. The polished tin façade pipes comprise the lowest notes of the Great 8′ Open Diapason and the Pedal 8′ Violoncello. The detached oak console has walnut interior woodwork and a walnut swirl veneered music rack. The pau ferro drawknobs, with 19th-century-style oblique heads with inset engraved labels, are arranged in stepped terraces. The center-pivoted manual keys have bone-plated naturals and ebony sharps.

The manual key action is mechnical, as are all the couplers. To facilitate the positioning of the Pedal pipes in the most advantageous spaces, all of the Pedal stops are on electro-pneumatic unit chests that we designed and built. The stop action is electric. The Solid State Organ Systems combination action, with 100 memory levels and a piston sequencer, affords the player seamless control of the organ’s resources. 

While the rebuilding was underway, Christ Church’s rector departed for another parish. The church postponed the fund-raising for the sanctuary renovations and turned its attention to finding a new rector. Thankfully, during this period a parish donor continued to fund the organ’s rebuilding so the project would not lose momentum. 

The completed instrument was unveiled at an open house at our shop on November 6, 2010. Although the organ was ready, the church was not. Bids had not yet been received for the chancel renovations. It was discovered that part of a rock ledge beneath the chancel would have to be removed to permit excavation for a basement to house HVAC equipment and the organ blower. This increased the scope of the project.

The organ sat, playable, in our shop until May 2011 when, needing that space for other projects, we shipped it to Charlottesville and stored it in the church parish hall. The chancel renovations were finally begun in the fall of that year and nearly finished when we started the organ’s installation in January 2012. Parts of the organ were playable by Easter, when it was first used. The remaining flues and all the reeds were installed and regulated during the following months. On Friday evening, October 5, 2012, noted organ recitalist and recording artist Bruce Stevens played the dedicatory program to a large and excited congregation. It was a milestone event, the happy ending to a long road!

Just as a great organ is the sum of its parts, a great organ company is the sum of its people. We are blessed to have a team of seventeen dedicated craftspeople who, collectively, have over 400 years of organbuilding experience. Those who worked on Opus R-345 were Ryan Bartosiewicz, Matthew Bellocchio, Anne Doré, Michael Eaton, Don Glover, Al Hosman, Lisa Lucius, Benjamin Mague, David Michaud, Tony Miscio, Fay Morlock, John Morlock, Robert Newton, Donald Olson, Casey Robertson, Jonathan Ross, Craig Seaman, and David Zarges.

—Matthew M. Bellocchio

Andover Organ Company

Photos © William T. Van Pelt

Testimonials

It really is a wonderful organ! I’m playing everything from Franck to Rheinberger to Bach . . . and all of these different-style pieces sound really very fine. I find the key action quite graceful to play. Because so many of the sounds are the golden-period Hook sounds we love, we’re thrilled to have such an organ in Virginia—at long last. Thanks for all that you have done to provide this special, magnificent instrument to a location in our state. The only big disappointment is that it’s not here in Richmond!

—Bruce Stevens

University of Richmond

Thanks for the good work . . . and for giving Virginia an E. & G. G. Hook organ. I believe it is the only organ in the state to have most of its tonal components arising from the brothers Hook during their control of the company.

—William T. Van Pelt

Retired Executive Director 

Organ Historical Society

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cover

Andover Organ Company, Methuen, Massachusetts

St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Orlando, Florida, Opus 106

It seemed simple enough. Andrew Walker, music director at
St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Orlando, Florida, wrote to several pipe organ
builders including Andover Organ Company in May 1990, explaining that the
church had decided to replace its aging electronic. It had recently been
finished off by a bolt of lightning! By September 1991, after visits to many
organs, the committee selected Andover Organ Company. But before the happy
dedication of Opus 106 eight years later, the design had to grow through three
phases.  Fortunately, the church
and the company maintained their faith in one another throughout the long
process, working together toward the best solution.

The church was built in 1958, with a shallow roofline and
tongue-in-groove wood ceiling. In the gallery, space was insufficient for the
organ that St. Michael's requested. Plans for the location at the rear of the
church necessitated redesigning the entrance, not a popular option with church
members.

By 1994, the church had decided to explore an organ with
choir seating at the center front of the sanctuary in conjunction with a
redesign of the altar area. The problem here was a glorious contemporary
stained glass window filling the top half of the front wall. There was also
some concern about moving a large cross hanging over the altar.

To solve these problems, Donald H. Olson and Jay H. Zoller
of Andover, in consultation with Andrew Walker, designed twin cases on either side
of the altar, with manual divisions on the left and the pedal division on the
right. The action would still be mechanical, linking manual and pedal divisions
with a tunnel under the altar to accommodate long trackers. This left the
window almost entirely visible. The contract was finally signed in June 1997.

The two matching cases feature facades of copper 16' Bourdon
pipes facing the congregation, and polished tin Great and Pedal Principal pipes
facing the center, in four symmetrical flats. Cases are red oak, stained to
match the woodwork in the church. Pipe shades are starbursts of contrasting
woods: maple, cherry, walnut and ash, with a revolving zimbelstern star at the
center of each. The console, including Solo, Great and Swell manuals, is detached
and reversed. When the Chamade is not being used, the solo manual acts as a
coupling manual.

Key action is mechanical with some electric action for
offset basses and Chamade. Couplers are operated electrically through an
additional set of pallets on the Great and Swell windchests. Combination action
is solid state from SSLL, with 8 levels of memory. Stop action is activated by
Harris drawknob units and Taylor stop action solenoids. The organ has 34 stops,
36 ranks, comprising a total of 1998 pipes.

Andover began construction in March 1997 and the instrument
was installed in June 1998, under the direction of Benjamin Mague, mechanical
director. Regulating and tuning was led by John Morlock, tonal director, over a
large part of the summer. A Chamade projecting under the stained glass window
was added in March 1999, with an insulated heat shield for protection from the
Florida sun, and with special lighting from beneath and behind.

Music director Andrew Walker worked with John Morlock and
Donald Olson to create a sound suited to Anglican liturgy in a room which is
rather dry acoustically. Walker particularly liked the full-bodied Andover Open
Diapasons, characterized by warmth and boldness without being overbearing, and
a chorus that was clear without harshness. Flutes are articulate but not
chiffy. The Swell Oboe was made according to Hook and Hastings scales. Three
trumpets in varying styles include the Hook-style Great Trumpet, the bright
French-style Swell Trompette, and the broad full sound of the Chamade with lots
of fundamental, which dominates but doesn't obliterate the full organ.

In November 1998, a week-long series of concerts celebrated
the new organ: a dedication and blessing November 8; a dedicatory recital by
Gerre Hancock, master of the choirs at St. Thomas Church, New York City,
November 12; and a choir festival led by Dr. Hancock November 14. Additional
concerts followed, by Murray Forbes Somerville in March 1999 and by Heinz
Wunderlich and violinist Nelly Söregi-Wunderlich in November 1999.

The Walker/Harris Organ was named in honor of Andrew Walker,
who has been music director at St. Michael's since 1980, and the family of
Stumpy and Dottie Harris, major donors for the organ.

Those who worked on the organ include Donald H. Olson,
president, church liaison, case design; John W. Morlock, tonal director; Jay
Harold Zoller, mechanical design, case design, installation; Benjamin G. Mague,
mechanical director, installation; Ed-ward C. Bradley, windchests, case
finishing and installation; Betty Swett, secretary; Anne J. Doré, office
manager; Michael W. Eaton, windchests, action and installation; Kirk Garner,
case finishing; Albert Hosman, Jr., casework; Paul McNamara, wiring and tonal
finishing; Felicia F. Morlock, pipe racking and pre-voicing; Donald E. Reich,
wood pipemaker; Eleanor Richardson, pipe racking, rollerboards, pipe shades;
Craig A. Seaman, wiring, installation, tonal finishing; James Stewart, wind
system; Thomas E. Turmel, pipe racking, offset tubing; Paul Byron, pipemaker;
Jósef Lasota & Sons, pipemaker; Süddeutsch Orgelpfeifen Fabrik,
reed pipes.

Photo credit: Starling Productions

Notes from music director Andrew Walker

I began my ministry at St. Michael's in the summer of 1980.
At that point there was a nine-year-old electronic organ situated in the
balcony at the rear of the church. The speakers were hidden behind a facade of
organ pipes arranged to look like a pipe organ case. This organ had been
damaged in a lightning strike to the church, the capture action was mechanical,
noisy, and obsolete, finding a technician to work on the instrument was a
problem; in other words, a replacement was going to be needed at some point in
the future.

From 1980-1990 the choir grew to a size where it overfilled
the space available in the balcony. Beginning in 1989 a search was begun to
find a replacement for the organ, and address the issue of extra choir space.
After two years of extensive investigation including visits to organs in the
United States and in the United Kingdom, the organ committee chose Andover
Organ Company to build a new instrument.

The initial idea for organ placement involved extending the
west wall of the church out 20 feet, removing the balcony, and constructing a
platform on which the organ and the choir would be placed. The instrument would
be in one case, speaking down the central aisle of the church. However, a
central aisle entrance into the church would be lost. When this idea was
presented to the congregation it met with disapproval.

Plan B involved reorganizing the altar area of the church in
which there was a large amount of wasted space. Andover's first design put the
organ in two cases, one on either side of the altar, choir space behind the
altar, the two cases straddling one of the large A frames holding up the roof.
It was quickly discovered that this would necessitate removing four
congregational pews. This was also unacceptable.

Plan C involved an ingenious mech-anical solution on the
part of Andover permitting each case to straddle two of the A frames. This
resulted in a loss of only two congregational pews, and the solution was found.

The acoustical properties of the building are somewhat on
the dead side when the church is half filled or more. I did not want an
instrument that would scream at those listening or singing. This resulted in
the choice of an instrument that is Diapason-based with strong foundations. The
sound is warm, envel-oping, exciting and "brassy" when needed, and
full organ fills the room without being overbearing.

From the very beginning, the primary responsibility of the
organ has always been defined as the accompanying of congregational singing,
then accompanying a choir, and finally the playing of organ literature. We use
a broad range of congregational material at St. Michael's, the choir sings literature
from plainsong through 20th-century classical and contemporary sacred
literature, I like to play, and visiting organists have played, a broad range
of organ literature. The instrument performs admirably in all these roles, and
has been enthusiastically received by the congregation and visiting musicians.
There is enough space for the choir members, adults and youth together,
numbering up to 60. One of the most interesting comments we received from many
members of the congregation after the installation was ". . . it looks
more like a church now!"

Andrew Walker

GREAT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Zimbelstern

SWELL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Tremolo

SOLO

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Trompette
en Chamade (TC)

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

PEDAL

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Double
Open Diapason

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

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

                  102/3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>   Contra Quint (prep)

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flutebass
(32 notes)

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

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

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

Couplers

                                    Swell
to Great

                                    Swell
to Solo

                                    Great
to Solo

                                    Great
to Pedal

                                    Swell
to Pedal

                                    Solo
to Pedal

Lauck Pipe Organ Company,
Otsego, Michigan
Opus 61, 2009
Karl Schrock Residence,
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Through the years, we have had the pleasure to build a substantial number of small residence organs for many college professors and church organists. There has always come a great sense of satisfaction in creating these smaller wonders because we know we are building these exclusively for one person. We also know that the money for these instruments is usually born from hard work and frugal saving. The joy is in giving the customer their long-anticipated dream and creating the most value for their money.
Our latest residence organ was for Dr. Karl Schrock, who is head of the organ program at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. This five-rank mechanical action organ has white oak casework, ebony naturals with coco bolo sharps, and ebony drawknobs.
—James Lauck

MANUAL I
8′ Rohrflute 61 pipes
4′ Principal (in façade) 61 pipes

MANUAL II
8′ Gedeckt (oak) 49 pipes
common bass
2′ Blockflute 61 pipes

PEDAL
16′ Pommer 32 pipes

Man I–Man II
Man I–Ped
Man II–Ped

269/694-4500
[email protected]

J. Zamberlan & Co.,
Wintersville, Ohio
Christ, Prince of Peace Parish, Ford City, Pennsylvania
Christ, Prince of Peace Parish was formed on July 23, 2002, from the merger of three parishes in Ford City; the building formerly known as St. Mary’s Church is now the sole worship site. A 1930s organ occupied split cases in the rear gallery; this instrument had been rebuilt in 1965, and by 2002 was experiencing severe mechanical problems, in addition to suffering from a lack of ensemble and variety of stops.
Initial design concepts retained the choir in the gallery, but in the end the parish decided a nave location was preferable for the singers. In addition to the console, a 3-rank unenclosed “choir” division, available independently on either manual, is located in the shallow right transept. Wind for this division comes from a small blower and reservoir located in the church basement but fed from an intake housed in the base of the choir casework, which also encloses the support steel for the chest as well as shelves for choir music.
Several ranks from the old organ were incorporated into the new stoplist, as well as two stops from a 1965 Möller at one of the closed churches. The existing quartersawn white oak gallery casework was retained, as were the façade pipes, which were refinished for the church by a local auto body shop. The new console, as well as the choir casework, is of red oak, finished to harmonize with the pews; this casework also incorporates panels from former modesty screens in the choir area. The console interior is of Honduras mahogany, oiled and waxed. Keyboards have bone naturals and ebony accidentals, with drawknobs, pistons, etc. of bocote; legal ivory is used for labels and stopknob faces.
The solid-state control system includes 128 levels of memory for 8 generals and 4 divisionals, as well as several reversibles. At the suggestion of a visiting recitalist, the parish agreed in 2008 to add Great and Swell Unison Off toestud reversibles to enhance the organ’s versatility; this permits drawing the normal stops plus Choir stops on either manual, then using the Unison Off and pedal coupler to achieve separate voices on that manual and the pedal.
The main chests of the organ are slider with electric pulldowns, with bass notes utilizing double pallets where necessary. All pallets were carefully sized, and pallet travel was kept at 4mm, in order to keep the action responsive. Several stops are either duplexed between divisions or unified; these sit on chests with individual note actions (electro-mechanical except for the largest bass pipes), which incorporate expansion chambers between the valve and toe to minimize undesirable speech characteristics sometimes found in this chest design. The organ comprises 37 stops, 27 registers, 36 ranks, and 1993 pipes, and is our largest instrument to date. Donald Fellows, director of music at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh, dedicated the organ on March 18, 2007. The parish director of music is Andrew Motyka.
—Joseph G. Zamberlan

GREAT (58 notes)
8′ Diapason
8′ Rohrflute (existing Tellers,
C1–b48 wood)
4′ Octave
4′ Open Flute (existing Tellers,
formerly in Swell, C1–c49 wood)
2′ Fifteenth
4′ Cornet IV (c13–c49)
11⁄3′ Mixture IV
8′ Trompette
8′ Cromorne
8′ Choir Gemshorn
8′ Choir Bourdon
4′ Choir Italian Principal
4′ Choir Bourdon (ext)
2′ Choir Bourdon (ext)
Swell to Great 16′
Swell to Great
Tremulant
Cymbelstern
MIDI

SWELL (58 notes)
16′ Quintaten (C1–f18 wood)
8′ Violin Diapason (existing Tellers,
C1–B12 from Gedackt)
8′ Gedackt (existing Möller, wood)
8′ Viole de Gambe (existing Tellers,
formerly in Great)
8′ Voix Céleste (existing Möller,
from G8)
4′ Principal
4′ Flute (existing Tellers, formerly in Great, C1–a46 wood)
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Spitzflute
13⁄5′ Tierce
2′ Plein Jeu III
2⁄3′ Cymbale II
16′ Basson
8′ Hautbois (ext)
8′ Choir Gemshorn
8′ Choir Bourdon
4′ Choir Italian Principal
4′ Choir Bourdon (ext)
2′ Choir Bourdon (ext)
Tremulant
MIDI

PEDAL (32 notes, AGO)
32′ Bourdon (C1–B12 independent 10 2⁄3′
wood with Subbass,
from c13 Subbass)
16′ Principal (prep)
16′ Subbass (wood)
16′ Quintaten (Swell)
8′ Octave (prep)
8′ Gedackt (ext)
4′ Choral Bass (prep)
16′ Trombone (wooden resonators)
16′ Basson (Swell)
8′ Trompette (Great)
8′ Cromorne (Great)
4′ Clairon (Great)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
MIDI

740/765-9028
[email protected]