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

First Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida

 

The Wicks Organ Co., Highland, Illinois, Opus 6382

 

In 1992, First Baptist Church of Ocala, Florida began a process of rebirth after a fire claimed all they had: furnishings, libraries, a concert grand piano, a Skinner pipe organ, choir robes, hymnals and Bibles. The congregation built a new 2,800-seat facility, which is one of the largest churches in Ocala. The final step of their rebuilding process was bringing a pipe organ into the new building.

David Kocsis, Wicks Area Sales Director writes:

Among the unique features of this project, the organ was to be a gift from a non-member--but one whose daughter and son-in-law were members. Secondly, the church provided a single sheet outlining their requirements for this instrument. The organ was to be a "supplemental" instrument, used mostly to enhance the 25-piece orchestra and 180-voice choir. It would also, upon occasion, be used as a recital instrument. They wanted an instrument of the "American Classic" school with the following characteristics incorporated: four-manual drawknob console; multiple Principal choruses; plentiful and opulent strings; a variety of flute choruses and solo stops; reeds to complement the overall instrument and offer solo opportunities; a Pedal division that offers strong, solid underpinning with at least two 32’ stops; a Trompette-en-Chamade of polished copper with flared bells; exposed pipework across entire chamber area (52 ft.) to eliminate existing latticework and grillwork; preparation on console for Chimes and Zimbelstern; MIDI capability.

Our proposal was for an instrument of 74 pipe ranks over five divisions with an additional four 32-foot computer-generated stops in the Pedal division, using the Walker Paradox system. The plan also called for (at the direction of the church) preparations for an 11-rank Solo division, and a 9-rank Antiphonal division.

We decided early on that Daniel Angerstein would tonally finish the instrument. Although First Baptist, Ocala was not a bad room, the irregular shape and carpeting did not make it acoustically live, either. Our factory-trained technician in Florida, Mr. Robert Campbell, would handle the  installation.

The specification for the instrument was a joint venture design involving Area Director David Kocsis, his associate Herb Ridgely, and voicer Dan Angerstein. After the contract was signed in late November, 1998, the three members of the design team met at the church to study the acoustics, room layout, chamber space, etc., so that detailed design work could begin. On the drive back to Atlanta, the pipe scales for the organ were discussed and finalized. The entire organ would be on 5" wind pressure with the notable exception of the Trompette-en-Chamade, which was to be on 10" wind pressure, and the Choir division English Tuba on 12". In order to "ring" the room, the Great 8' Principal would be built to a 40 scale, and the Great 8' Montre a 42 scale. One of the features of the design is the placement of the lowest pipes of the Pedal 16' Open Wood in the organ facade, stained to match the rest of the woodwork in the sanctuary. This placement allows the most profound of 16-foot foundation tone immediate access to the room. Of particular interest in the Walker system designed for this organ is that the computer-generated harp in the Choir can also be used with the Tremulant, providing a vibraharp sound.

There are several ancillary console controls that enhance ease of playing such a massive console, and also add facility to the instrument. These include: Pedal, Solo and Swell Melody couplers to the Great, all Swells to Swell, all Mixtures Off, all 32's Off, All Reeds Off, and All Celestes Off. To allow maximum visibility and eye contact between the organist and the minister of music, all inter-manual couplers were placed in the stop jambs, rather than on a coupler rail. This resulted in a console somewhat wider than normal (slightly over 8 feet). There are eight divisional pistons and 15 General pistons with 32 levels of memory. A 13-position transposer is included. The main body of the casework is painted semi-gloss off white, again matching the main color in the sanctuary. The whole idea was to give the impression that the building and the organ had been conceived as an integral whole.

The first of two truckloads of pipe organ arrived in Ocala on March 22, 2000, and the second truck arrived on April 12. Installation was completed on June 3 and voicing of the instrument in the room began on June 5. The logistical problems associated with installing a large pipe organ are many. The crew faced a 52-foot facade that begins 12' above the top choir riser and extends upward to accommodate full length 16-foot metal Principals and full length 16-foot Open Wood pipes. Bob Campbell's crew had scaffolding from floor to ceiling that would cover one of the four sections, and it took a considerable amount of careful planning to insure that all work was completed on one bay before tearing down the scaffolding and moving it to the next location.

From the beginning of the installation, the entire organ facade was covered every Sunday during church services so that the completed installation could be unveiled at one time. This occasion occurred on Sunday, June 4, 2000. The Sanctuary was dimly lit, and at the appropriate time, the entire organ facade was lit by a battery of specially placed lighting. This was only the prelude--the organ was heard for the first time by the congregation on July 2.

We at Wicks thank the committee and staff of first Baptist Church of Ocala for placing their trust in us to build an instrument according to their wishes. In particular, we would like to thank Dr. Ed Johnson, Sr. Pastor; Mr. Terry Williams, Minister of Music; and Mr. Larry Kerner, Chair of the Organ Committee. The entire congregation placed its confidence in us from the outset, and was extremely helpful from the beginning of the detailed design process through the installation. Several members of the church also volunteered their time and talents to help with the installation, especially with fitting and trimming of the facade to accommodate slight building irregularities. This really was a "team" effort, and everyone should be very proud of the results.

The dedication of the new IV/74 instrument at the First Baptist Church of Ocala, FL will be held on Sunday, September 24, 2000, featuring John Weaver, organ chair at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and The Julliard School of Music in New York City.

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GREAT

1. 16' Montre

2. 16'    Bourdon

3. 8' Principal

4. 8' Montre (from #1)

5. 8' Flute Couverte

6. 8' Flute Harmonique

7. 4' Octave

8. 8' Gemshorn

9. 4' Nachthorn

10. 22/3' Twelfth

11. 2' Fifteenth

12. 2' Hohlflute (from #6)

13. 13/5' Seventeenth

14. IV-V Fourniture

15. IV Cymbale

16. 16' Kontra Trompete (from #17)

17. 8' Trompete

18. 8' Trompete en Chamade (10≤ w.p.)

19. Tremulant (Flutes)

20. Chimes [D]

21. Zimbelstern

22. Pedal Bass Coupler to Great

23. Swell Melody Coupler to Great

24. Solo Melody Coupler to Great

25. MIDI on Great

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SWELL (Enclosed)

26. 16' Bourdon Doux

27. 8' Geigen Principal

28. 8' Rohrflute (from #26)

29. 8' Viola Pomposa

30. 8' Viola Celeste

31. 8' Flauto Dolce

32. 8' Dolce Celeste TC

33. 4' Prestant

34. 4' Flauto Traverso

35. 22/3' Nazard

36. 2' Quarte de Nazard

37. 13/5' Tierce

38. IV-V Plein Jeu

39. III-IV Cymbale

40. 16' Contre Trompette

41. 8' Trompette

42. 8' Oboe

43. 8' Vox Humana

44. 4' Clairon (from #40)

45. 8' English Tuba (Ch)

46. 8' Trompette en Chamade (Gt)

47. Tremulant

48. MIDI On Swell

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CHOIR (Enclosed)

49. 16' Gemshorn [D]

50. 8' English Diapason

51. 8' Flute Ouverte

52. 8' Gemshorn

53. 8' Gemshorn Celeste TC

54. 4' Principal

55. 4' Koppelflute

56. 2' Principal

57. 11/3' Larigot

58. 1' Principal (from #56)

59. II Sesquialtera

60. IV-V Scharf

61. 16' Dulzian (from #62)

62. 8' Cromorne

63. 4' Rohr Schalmei

64. 16' English Tuba TC (from #65)

65. 8' English Tuba (12≤ w.p.)

66. 8' Trompette en Chamade (Gt)

67. 8' Harp [D]

68. 4' Harp Celesta [D]

69. Tremulant

70. MIDI On Choir

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SOLO (Enclosed)

15 Prepared Stops

71. 16' Trompette en Chamade TC (Gt)

72. 8' Trompette en Chamade (Gt)

73. 4' Trompette en Chamade (Gt)

74. 16' English Tuba TC (Ch)

75. 8' English Tuba (Ch)

76. 4' English Tuba (Ch)

77. MIDI On Solo

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ANTIPHONAL (Floating)

12 Prepared Stops

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ANTIPHONAL PEDAL

1 Prepared Stop

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PEDAL

78. 32' Contra Principal [D]

79. 32' Contra Bourdon [D]

80. 16' Open Wood

81. 16' Bourdon

82. 16' Principal

83. 16' Montre (Gt)

84. 16' Bourdon Doux (Sw)

85. 16' Gemshorn (Ch)

86. 8' Octave

87. 8' Major Bass (from #80)

88. 8' Bourdon (from #81)

89. 8' Viola (Sw)

90. 8' Open Flute (Ch)

91. 62/5' Gross Terz (Gt)

92. 51/3' Gross Quinte (Gt)

93. 4' Choral Bass

94. 4' Cantus Flute

95. 2' Flute (from #94)

96. IV Grave Mixture

97. IV Acuta

98. 32' Contra Bombarde [D]

99. 32' Contra Fagotto [D]

100. 32' Cornet des Bombardes IV

101. 16' Bombarde

102. 16' Contre Trompette (Sw)

103. 16' Kontra Trompete (Gt)

104. 16' Dulzian (Ch)

105. 8' Trompette

106. 8' Trompete (Gt)

107. 8' Oboe (Sw)

108. 4' Bombarde Clarion (from #101)

109. 4' Oboe (Sw)

110. 4' Schalmei (Ch)

111. 8' Trompette en Chamade (Gt)

112. 8' English Tuba (Ch)

113. Chimes (Gt)

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[D] = Digital Ranks

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Couplers

Sw/Gt 16 8 4

Ch/Gt 16 8 4

So/Gt 16 8 4

Ant on Gt

So/Sw 16 8 4

Ant on Sw

Sw/Ch 16 8 4

So/Ch 16 8 4

Ant on Ch

Ant on So

Gt 16 UO

Sw 16 UO 4

Ch 16 UO 4

So 16 UO 4

Ant UO 4

Gt/Ped 8 4

Sw/Ped 8 4

Ch/Ped 8 4

So/Ped 8 4

Ant/Ped 8

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Charles M. Ruggles, Conifer, Colorado, has built a new organ for The Randolph Church, Randolph, New Hampshire. The organ is designed on classic models typical of instruments found in New England and European churches; two manuals and pedal, mechanical action. Its structural and tonal characteristics make it suitable for the needs of The Randolph Church--for service playing, accompanying congregational singing, and playing a wide segment of standard organ literature. The case features cherry wood frame, redwood panels, and walnut trim. The Rohrflöte 8 and Octave 2 are common between the two manuals; the Bourdon 16 is an extension of the Bourdon 8. Manual compass 56 notes, pedal compass 30 notes; standard AGO pedalboard. Couplers, operated by foot levers, include Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, and Swell to Great.

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GREAT

                  8'             Principal

                  8'             Rohrflöte

                  4'             Octave

                  2'             Octave

                                    Mixture

                                    Sesquialtera II (from middle c)

SWELL

                  8'             Rohrflöte

                  8'             Gamba (tenor C)

                  4'             Flute

                  2'             Octave

                  8'             Dulcian

PEDAL

                  16'          Bourdon

                  8'             Bourdon

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B. Rule & Company, New Market, Tennessee, has rebuilt and installed a Hook & Hastings organ for Covenant Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. Built by Hook & Hastings in 1893 for First Baptist Church of Georgetown, Kentucky, the organ was removed from this church in 1963. It was owned for many years by David Bottom, of Lexington, Kentucky, who set it up in several different locations before carefully putting it in storage several years ago. B. Rule recommended the organ to Covenant Baptist Church, who bought it from David Bottom. Compass: 58/27.

B. Rule & Co. rebuilt the organ, including a complete rebuild of the chests and bellows and re-covering the manual keys with bone. The hand-pumping mechanism was also restored. Two changes were made: the Dulciana was replaced with a 2' Fifteenth, and the Oboe was extended to full compass from its previous tenor C status.

The small new sanctuary has a concrete floor and live acoustics, creating an environment which encourages congregational singing. The acoustical consultant was Charles Boner. The organist of the church is Carl McAliley, who played a joint dedication recital with Bruce Power on March 4.

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GREAT

                  8'             Open Diapason

                  8'             Melodia

                  4'             Octave

                  2'             Fifteenth

SWELL

                  8'             Stopped Diapason

                  8'             Viola (1-12 from St. Diap)

                  4'             Harmonic Flute

                  8'             Oboe

PEDAL

                  16'          Bourdon

Accessories

                                    Sw/Gt

                                    Gt/Ped

                                    Sw/Ped

                                    Sw/Gt Octaves

                                    Tremolo

                                    Blower Signal

 

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

Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc.,

Warrensburg, Missouri

SkyRose Chapel, Rose Hills
Memorial Park, Whittier, California

Opus 46

 

SkyRose Chapel, in the Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier,
California, is located on a hill overlooking Los Angeles and the San Gabriel
and Sycamore Valleys. SkyRose Chapel is situated within beautifully landscaped
gardens that also do duty as a cemetery--SkyRose Chapel is the largest funeral
chapel in the world. Renowned architects Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings designed
SkyRose Chapel to be built of oak, Oregon redwood, bouquet canyon stone,
Douglas fir, and glass in a contemporary A-frame style that is at home in the
hills which the afternoon sun turns a vibrant rose color. SkyRose Chapel has
become popular as an attractive venue for weddings as well as for funerals.

The installation of a pipe organ in SkyRose Chapel had
always been the dream of Dennis Poulsen, Chairman of the Board of Rose Hills
Memorial Park. This dream was researched and brought to fruition by Mr. Poulsen
and Bruce Lazenby, Vice President of Engineering of Rose Hills Memorial Park.

The Rose Hills Foundation selected Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc.,
to build the pipe organ for the strikingly lovely SkyRose Chapel. The Quimby
pipe organ, Opus 46, has 65 ranks together with harp and chimes spread over
four manuals and pedal. The distinctly American design is eclectic in
conception and enables the instrument to perform a wide range of service and
organ literature. Messrs. Poulsen and Lazenby requested Michael Quimby, Tonal
Director, to design a tonal specification that would handle the diverse musical
demands required for funeral services, weddings, and recitals.

The instrument contains an unusually high proportion of
celeste ranks, and also a very high proportion of color reeds. The reeds in the
Solo division include several historic Skinner and Aeolian-Skinner ranks--the
Tuba Mirabilis (1924), French Horn (1946), English Horn (1946) and Corno di
Bassetto (1946). These ranks are included in the pipe organ on their original
windchest and reservoir. Also noteworthy are the 1924 Deagan "Class
A" Chimes and the restored 1929 Skinner Harp, both on their original
restored electro-pneumatic actions.

The electric blowers winding the organ amount to a total of
eleven and one-half horsepower, supplying wind at pressures ranging from
4" for the Choir division to 15" for the Tuba Mirabilis. There are
fourteen reservoirs and four schwimmers. The main chests, built by Quimby Pipe
Organs, Inc., are slider windchests built to the original Blackinton design
fitted with electro-pneumatic pallets. The Swell, Choir and Solo divisions have
68-note chests, providing additional topnotes for use with the octave couplers.
Electro-pneumatic unit chests are used for the offsets and extended ranks.

Quimby Pipe Organs' Opus 46 is located in an elevated
gallery near the rear of SkyRose Chapel. The visual presentation of the pipe
organ is of oak casework containing thirty-eight zinc façade pipes with
gold-colored mouths drawn from the Pedal 32' Principal and Great 16' Violone
ranks that are placed on platforms of escalating heights above the floor of the
gallery as well as nine oak pipes positioned along the side of the case. The
longest façade pipe, approximately 26' in length, is low G of the 32' Principal. The wood pipes along the side of the case are part of the Pedal 16' Bourdon rank. The Pedal 32' Posaune is full length, and is located behind the exposed wood pipes.

Quimby Pipe Organs' woodworkers constructed the case and
console in their workshop. Quimby Pipe Organs' designer and woodworkers
designed the oak organ case and console in consultation with Fay Jones and
Maurice Jennings in order to ensure an appearance in harmony with the
architecture of the Chapel. Harris Precision Products, Inc., of Whittier,
California, manufactured the console components and shipped them across the
country to Warrensburg where Quimby's woodworkers installed them in the
console. The console was then shipped back with the organ to Whittier! The
instrument is controlled by a multiplex relay with MIDI, including full
playback capability, and a combination action with 99 memory levels.
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  There are eight pistons to each
division and eighteen general pistons, together with three ensemble pistons,
three programmable Crescendo settings, and numerous reversibles.

Members of Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc., who made significant
contributions to the construction of the SkyRose instrument included Doug
Christie, Chris Emerson, Charles Ford, Johanna Harrington, Eric Johnson, Kevin
Kissinger, Brad McGuffey, Michael Miller, Gary Olden, Michael Quimby, Wayne
Shirk, Stan Sparrowhawk, Elizabeth Viscusi, and Randy Watkins.

Dr. Frederick Hohman presented the pipe organ to the public
in the dedicatory recital of the SkyRose organ on Saturday, September 20th,
1997.

--Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc.

GREAT (unenclosed)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Violone
(1-14 façade)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Diapason
(1-7 from Ped Principal)

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harmonic
Flute (1-12 from 8' Bdn)

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

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

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

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

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

                  11⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Mixture IV

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

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

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

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

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

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Clarion
Harmonique

                                    Tremolo

                                    Chimes
(Solo)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harp
(Solo)

                                    Tower
Chimes (prepared for)

                                    MIDI
on Great

SWELL (enclosed)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                  22⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Rohr Nasat

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

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

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

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Plein
Jeu IV (2' rank from Octave)

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

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Vox
Mystique (Vox Humana, box closed)

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

                                    Tremolo

                                    Chimes
(Solo)

                                    MIDI
on Swell

CHOIR (enclosed)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Silver
Flute (1-12 digital)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flauto
Mirabilis (Solo)

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

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Melodia
(1-12 from Rohr Flute)

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

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

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

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Orchestral
Flute (Solo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Tremolo

                                    Chimes
(Solo)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Harp
(Solo)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Celesta
(Solo)

                                    MIDI
on Choir

SOLO (enclosed)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Gamba (1-12 digital)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flauto
Mirabilis

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

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             English
Horn

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             French
Horn

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Corno
di Bassetto

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

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

                                    Tremolo

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

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

                                    Tower
Chimes (prepared for)

                                    Chimes
(20 tubes)

                                    MIDI
on Solo

PEDAL (unenclosed)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Sub
Principal (1-7 digital, 8-31 façade)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Bourdon (1-12 digital)

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

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

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

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Gamba
(Solo)

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

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Silver
Flute (Choir)

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Viola
Celeste II (Swell)

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

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

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

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

                  22⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Mixture IV

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Posaune (full length, ext Great Trumpet)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Basson (1-12 digital, ext Swell Hautbois)

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

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bombarde
(Great)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Hautbois
(Swell)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Cromorne
(Choir)

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

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

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

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

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

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Hautbois
(Swell)

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

                                    Chimes
(Solo)

                                    MIDI
on Pedal

Lively-Fulcher Organbuilders, Alexandria, Virginia

St. Olaf Catholic Church,
Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

In 1997, Fr. John Forliti, Pastor of St. Olaf Church,
appointed Dr. Merritt Nequette and a parish committee to lead an organ project
at the church. The committee enlisted the services of Jonathan Biggers as organ
consultant. After a thorough study, Lively-Fulcher Organbuilders of Alexandria,
Virginia was chosen to build the new instrument which was installed and
completed in July, 2001.

The organ was inaugurated in a series of concerts in 2002
beginning with a service of blessing by Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, Archbishop
of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and organ recital performed by Dr. Lynn Trapp,
director of worship and music, organist, at St. Olaf Church, on February 9,
2002.  A hymn text by Delores
Dufner, OSB was commissioned for the occasion.

The series of inaugural concerts featured a recital and
masterclass by Swiss organist, Guy Bovet; a program of organ and contemporary
music with Twin Cities artists; Pipedreams Live hosted by Michael Barone of
Minnesota Public Radio and performers of the Liturgical Organists Consortium;
field days for elementary students to learn about the king of instruments; and
an organ and orchestra concert with Jonathan Biggers, organist, and the Kenwood
Chamber Orchestra, orchestra in residence at St. Olaf Church, conducted by Ken
Freed. This concert included the premiere of a commissioned work for organ and
orchestra composed by Richard Proulx.

The instrument has 61 stops and 67 ranks (49 independent
registers) playable over five divisions, Grand Orgue, Récit Expressif,
Positif Expressif, Bombarde and Pédale. The manual and pedal key actions
make use of electric slider windchests and the stop action is electric, complete
with state of the art combination action, 256 levels of memory and a sequencer.
The wind supply is regulated by a traditional bellows system linked to the wind
chests by wooden wind lines. The console is built in a low profile, curved jamb
configuration to enhance the organist's ability to follow the liturgy and
conduct the choir. The console has natural keys covered in bone and sharp keys
of solid ebony. The internal layout of the divisions within the organ case
places the Positif Expressif centrally in the lower middle of the case and the
Grand Orgue above that with the Récit Expressif behind the Grand Orgue.
The Bombarde reeds are located in the Positif box and the Pédale
division is divided on either side of the manuals and behind the 16-foot pedal towers
in the case. Wood pipes were made in the organbuilders' workshop and metal
pipes were made to their specifications in Germany.

The casework, constructed of African mahogany, takes its
inspiration from the contemporary architecture of the room and has simple
Scandinavian design elements yet a firm traditional layout. The façade
pipes are made of 72% tin and include pipes from the Grand Orgue Montre 16',
Montre 8' and Pédale Montre 8'. The organ is completely housed within
its own freestanding casework and because of the deep gallery around three
sides of the room is positioned at the front center of the church. A
Cymbelstern stop is provided on the instrument and the church's tower bells can
be played from the Récit keyboard.

The design of the pipe shades for the instrument is tied to
the rich traditions associated with St. Olaf. They are made of basswood with
patterns of dragons, eagles and serpents which are found in the Book of Kells.
These designs are slightly earlier than King Olaf's time, but they are strong
Scandinavian symbols from the period. The cross piercing the crown is based on
an 8th-century piece made for St. Rupert. The crown motif was specifically
chosen to represent St. Olaf and the crosses and crowns are covered with
24-carat gold leaf.

The tonal inspiration for the instrument is firmly based in
19th-century France but is designed and voiced with a broad literature base in
mind. The Tutti is robust to support large choirs, orchestra, and the singing
of a capacity crowd of worshipers. The organ has a wide variety of soft colors
as well. The broad foundation tone of the 8-foot stops and thick-walled
expressiveness of the Récit and Positif boxes ensure the accompanimental
versatility necessary for the performance of choral and solo literature. The
warm yet clear broadly scaled principal chorus work, blended with the mutations
and reed colors associated with Clicquot and Cavaillé-Coll, make for a
versatile medium for the main body of the organ literature. The voicing and
blending of individual stops coupled with the color requirements of French,
German and English literature allow the convincing performance of a wide range
of literature. This instrument is not meant as a copy of any one style nor is
it intended to be a collection of styles trying to do everything, but rather is
intended to be a modern instrument of the 21st century speaking with its own
voice.

--Lynn Trapp

 

GRAND ORGUE

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flûte
à cheminée

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flûte
harmonique

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

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

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

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

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

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Fourniture
V

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

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

                                    Tremulant

                                    Octaves
graves

                                    Récit
sur G.O.

                                    Positif
sur G.O.

                                    Bombarde
sur G.O.

POSITIF EXPRESSIF

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flûte
douce

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Flûte
celeste

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

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

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

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

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Quarte
de nazard

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Tremulant

                                    Octaves
graves

                                    Récit
sur Positif

                                    Bombarde
sur Positif

                                    Positif
unison off

RÉCIT EXPRESSIF

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

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Cor
de nuit

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

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

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

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

                  22⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Cornet II

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

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

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

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

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Clairon
harmonique

                                    Tremulant

                                    Octaves
graves

BOMBARDE (floating)

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Cornet
V (tg)

PÉDALE

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contre
soubasse (electronic)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Grosse
flûte

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Montre
(G.O.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                  22⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Fourniture IV

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Tirasse
Bombarde

                                    Tirasse
G.O.

                                    Tirasse
Positif

                                    Tirasse
Récit

 

G.O./Positif manual transfer

Chimes sur G.O.

Tower Bells sur Récit

Cymbelstern

Pedal & Manual pistons coupled

Sequencer

 

Weston Harris and Thomas J. McDonough, Organ Crafters of
Los Angeles, have completed a
three-manual, 38-rank organ at St. Augustine By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Santa
Monica, California.  The organ
incorporates elements from the church's previous organ built in 1967 by Abbott
and Sieker Organ Builders as well as the historic Möller/Estey organ at
Bridges Hall of Music, Pomona College (recently replaced by Fisk Opus 117).
Other pipework was donated from the private collection of Mr. Joseph Horning, a
prominent Los Angeles organist and organ consultant who died in 2000.

The church is located at the popular Third Street Promenade
at Santa Monica Beach Pier. The organ enjoys a high gallery placement in an
extraordinary acoustical setting. Given this exceptional location, the new
organ's tonal style is based largely on the 1948 Aeolian-Skinner organ of the
Salt Lake City Tabernacle, where Mr. Harris studied organ performance and
apprenticed in organbuilding. The voices are gentle, and choruses finely
layered.

The previous organ (see photo) was installed in 1967 as a
temporary instrument for the new church following the arson burning of the
church's historic 1867 building. The new organ case forms the Positiv Organ
featuring pipes from the Bridges Hall of Music (front tower pipes) and wood
Holzgedeckt pipes. The flute pipes were obtained from a burnt-out church in
nearby Venice, California. They were barely rescued--being quickly pulled from
their windchest just as the wrecking ball was knocking through the chamber
walls. The fire scarring on the pipes provides an extraordinary antique patina
for the new organ case design.

--Weston Harris

 

GREAT (enclosed)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                    Mixture
IV

                                    Cymbale
III

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

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

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

                                    Tremulant

                                    Gt/Gt
16-4

SWELL (enclosed)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                  11⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Mixture III

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Bassoon
(1-12 extension)*

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

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

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

                                    Tremulant

                                    Sw/Sw
16-UO-4

POSITIV (unenclosed)

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

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

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

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

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

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

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Mounted
Cornet IV (TG)

                                    Pos/Pos

                                    Pos/Gt

                                    Tower
Bells (8 Whitehall bells)

STATE TRUMPET (unenclosed)

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          State
Trumpet*

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

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

                                    Trumpet
to Gt

                                    Trumpet
to Sw

                                    Trumpet
to Pos

PEDAL (enclosed in Great)

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Bourdon*

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Dolce
Gedeckt*

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

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

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Lieblich
Gedeckt (1-12 ext)*

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

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

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

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

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

                  32'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Contra
Posaune*

                  16'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>          Posaune
(1-12 extension Gt Trumpet)

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

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

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

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

 

Full interdivisional couplers

*indicates unification

Cover

An organ built by J.L. van den Heuvel
style='font-weight:normal'>, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, has been installed at
the Church of the Holy Apostles, New York, NY. Originally installed at Castle
Shiloah, Fairview, TX, it was relocated by the Organ Clearing House, and
revoiced by Rosales Organ Builders. When a fire destroyed the Church of the
Holy Apostles in 1990, it also destoyed the church's Casavant organ. The parish
entered into an agreement with Rosales Organ Builders for a new instrument. As
the restoration of the building consumed available funds, it became apparent
that the congregation could no longer afford the new organ. In an effort to
make the best use of monies available, Rosales agreed to explore alternatives.
In 1991, Joseph and Marla Mooibroek of Fairview, TX, commissioned J.L. van den Heuvel
to build an organ for their home. The organ was installed in Castle Shiloah in
1994. In 1996 the Mooibroeks decided to sell their residence and organ. Manuel
Rosales examined the organ and notified Holy Apostles about its availability.
The Organ Clearing House, Alan Laufman, executive director, moved the organ to
its new home. After the two-month reassembly, Manuel Rosales revoiced the organ
for its new environment. The organ is housed in a Dutch Baroque-style case with
detailed sculpture and carvings. Tonally it is in early French romantic style.
The Organ Clearing House staff, Alan Laufman, executive director, included
Amory Atkin, Terence Atkin, William Dixon, Whitney Flecher, George Gibson,
Richard Hamar, Scott Huntington, and Joshua Wood. Manuel Rosales was assisted
by Peter Batchelder, Timothy Fink, and Scot Huntington. Donald Joyce is music
director of the church. Compass is 61/32. The nave of the church is used each
day for one of the parish's outreach programs--the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, which
serves over 1,000 meals per day. Photo by Amy Reichman.

GRAND ORGUE

16' Bourdon

8' Montre

8' Flûte a cheminée

8' Flûte harmonique

4' Prestant

2' Doublette

 Plein Jeu III-V

 Cornet IV (MC)

8' Trompette

 Tremblant

Pos/G.O.

Réc/G.O.

RÉCIT

8' Flûte traversière

8' Viole de Gambe

8' Voix céleste

4' Flûte Octaviante

2' Octavin

8' Basson-Hautbois

8' Voix Humaine

Tremulant

POSITIF

8' Bourdon

8' Salicional

8' Unda Maris

4' Flûte à fuseau

22/3' Nasard

2' Flageolet

13/5' Tierce

1' Piccolo

8' Clarinette

8' Trumpet Royal (horizontal)

   Tremulant

  Chimes

  Zimbelstern

  Réc/Pos

PÉDAL

32' Bourdon (electronic)

16' Soubasse (1-24 G.O.)

8' Flûte

8' Violoncelle

16' Basson

4' Chalumeau

  G.O./Péd

  Pos/Péd

  Réc/Péd

Bond Organ Builders, Inc., Portland, OR, has completed the restoration of the organ at St. Mary's
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, also in Portland. The organ was
originally built in 1904 by the Los Angeles Art Organ Co., opus 42, under the
direction of Murray M. Harris, for Holy Cross Catholic Church in San Francisco.
It was severely damaged in the 1906 earthquake. Falling debris largely
destroyed the Great and Choir divisions; the original Fleming windchests for
these divisions were replaced by new chests of the Spencer design. Repairs were
carried out by a local firm using new pipes, windchests, and other parts
supplied by Murray Harris. Some original stops survived, notably the Great 16'
and 8' Diapasons, most of the 4'Octave, and the Doppel Flute, as well as the
Choir Melodia. The Great Second Open Diapason was added at this time, and the
Choir tremolo deleted. By the 1980s, the organ was in need of a complete
restoration; nevertheless, it was heard at the 1988 OHS convention. The church
was damaged again by the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, and the parish closed
at that time. In 1995, the Archdiocese of Portland acquired the organ.
Disassembly and removal from Holy Cross Church began in September, 1995.
Smaller internal parts were carried by hand down a narrow staircase from the
balcony. Windchests, pedal pipes, reservoir, etc., were too large to handle in
this manner. A crane was erected outside the church, a hole was broken in the
roof just large enough to allow the crane hook to pass into the building, and
the large parts were lowered to the floor.

Restoration began with a thorough cleaning. All parts of the
original patented electro-pneumatic action were retained and restored,
including releathering. All pipes were washed and voiced for the new room.
Damaged pipes were repaired, missing pipes replaced. Front casework and console
were well preserved; it was necessary only to clean and repair scratches. Side
casework was re-engineered to provide access to the mechanism inside and
strengthened. The console mechanism was retained in its entirety, including 10
combination pedals. Stenciling on the facade pipes was copied, the pipes
stripped, and new paint applied using the original design. After much
deliberation, it was decided to add Mixtures to the Great and Swell, as well as
a Pedal 16'  Trombone. The
additions were carried out after study of extant mixtures and trombones built
by Murray Harris. 41 ranks, 37 stops.

GREAT

16' Double Open Diapason

8' Open Diapason

8' Open Diapason (2nd)

8' Viola da Gamba

8' Viola d'Amour

8' Doppel Flute

4' Octave

22/3 Octave Quinte

2' Super Octave

Mixture III-IV*

8' Trumpet

SWELL

16' Bourdon

8' Violin Diapason

8' Viol d'Orchestre

8' Aeoline

8' Voix Celeste

8' Stopped Diapason

4' Fugara

4' Harmonic Flute

2' Flautina

                        Cornet
IV*

8' Oboe

8' Vox Humana

                        Tremolo

CHOIR

8' Geigen Principal

8' Dulciana

8' Melodia

4' Violina

4' Flute d'Amour

2' Harmonic Piccolo

8' Clarinet

PEDAL

32' Resultant*

16' Open Diapason (wood)

16' Bourdon

16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)

8' Violoncello

8' Flute Stop'd

16' Trombone*

*additions by Bond

Berghaus Organ Company, Inc., Bellwood, IL, has built a new organ for Trinity Lutheran Church,
Faribault, MN. The new organ comprises 23 ranks (1,263 pipes) on two manuals
and pedal. Slider windchests are used for the Great, Swell, and Pedal
divisions, with an all-electric action windchest for the Trompete stop. The
movable oak console has keyboards of maple naturals and rosewood sharps. Stops
and couplers are controlled by tilting tablets placed above the top keyboard.
Preparations have been made for future installation of MIDI. The Swell division
is located in wooden chambers to the left and under expression. Great division
is to the right of the Swell, and the Pedal is housed in a chamber behind the
Great.

GREAT

8' Principal

8' Rohrfloete

4' Octave

4' Spillfloete

22/3' Nasat

2' Hohlfloete

13/5' Terz

IV Mixtur

8' Trompete

                        Tremulant

                        Chimes

                        Zimbelstern
(prep)

SWELL

8' Gedackt

8' Viola

8' Celeste

4' Spitzfloete

2' Principal

11/3' Quinte

III Scharf-Zimbel (prep)

8' Schalmei

Tremulant

8' Trompete

PEDAL

16' Subbass

8' Offenbass

4' Choralbass

II Rauschquinte (prep)

16' Still Posaune

8' Trompete

4' Trompete

Temple Organs, St.
Joseph, MO, has rebuilt the 1968/1986 Wicks organ at West Hills Presbyterian
Church, Omaha, NE. All original pipework was retained in new casework of oak
trim over birch panels, painted to match the church walls. A new 3-manual
console includes an Artisan control system, with preparation for future digital
additions. The Principal, Octave, and Subbass form the facade. The low octave
of the 16' Trumpet, by Killinger, was added as a donation by one of the
church's organists, Dr. Ted Holyoke. Music director is Dwaine Price.

Analysis

16' Subbass (44 pipes)

16' Gedeckt (97)

8' Principal (61)

8' Geigen (73)

8' Gemshorn (61)

8' Gemshorn Celeste (77)

8' Bourdon (73)

4' Octave (73)

22/3' Twelfth (61)

16' Trompette (85)

8' Oboe (61)

                        Chimes
(25 tubes)

GREAT

8' Principal

8' Bourdon

8' Gemshorn

4' Octave

22/3' Twelfth

2' Fifteenth

Mixture III

8' Trompette

Chimes

Couplers

SWELL

16' Gedeckt

8' Geigen Principal

8' Rohrgedeckt

8' Gemshorn

8' Gemshorn Celeste

4' Prestant

4' Bourdon

22/3' Quinte

2' Blockflöte

13/5' Tierce

Scharf III

16' Trompette

8' Trompette

8' Oboe

4' Clarion

Tremulant

Couplers

CHOIR

Digital preparation

10 knobs

Couplers

PEDAL

16' Subbass

16' Lieblich Gedeckt

8' Principal

8' Pedalflöte

4' Choralbass

4' Rohrflöte

2' Super Octave

Mixture III

16' Trompette

8' Trompette

8' Fagotto

4' Clarion

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