New Organs

Taylor & Boody Organbuilders, Staunton, Virginia

Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana

About the organ.

Designing an organ for Rieth Hall at Goshen College was a
pleasure. The opportunity to place the organ in the traditional location, high
in the rear gallery, was ideal both visually and aurally. The form and
proportions of the hall, with its austere yet warm and inviting interior,
called the organbuilder to respond with similar clarity and restraint. The
ample height of the room suggested a plain, vertical configuration of the
instrument, on which natural light from the clerestory windows would fall
gently. Everything about the hall spoke of its solid construction and honesty
of materials, qualities that we strive to reflect in our organs. Likewise the
acoustical properties of the hall, so warm and reverberant and at the same time
intimate and clear, allowed the organ’s tone to develop freely without
being forced. The result is an endearing musical instrument that is
aesthetically inseparable from the space in which it stands.

Initial inspiration for the Goshen case came from the organ
built by David Tannenberg in 1774 for Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. While only the case and façade pipes of that lovely
instrument have survived, they constitute the finest example we have in our
country of south German case architecture from the 18th century.
Tannenberg’s use of the double impost, with its Oberwerk division
gracefully placed as a reflection of the Hauptwerk below, was typical of organs
in his native Saxony and Thuringia. Other exterior influences from that time
and place include the two swags that bracket the center tower, and the broad
lower case that supports the full width of the impost and omits the spandrels
common to earlier styles. Apart from its simple springboard moldings, the
Goshen case is relatively flat and plain by comparison with its historical
counterparts. Its only bold three-dimensional element is the polygonal center
tower. The small pointed towers in Tannenberg’s design are here merely
implied by the V-shaped arrangement of foot lengths in the tenor fields. The
use of six auxiliary panels to raise the smaller pipe feet above the impost
moldings adds interest to the design. The considerable height of the lower case
was determined by the need for a passageway over the 2-foot concrete riser
behind the organ. This height gave space between the console and impost for the
eventual inclusion of a small Brustwerk with several stops for continuo
accompaniment. Cabinets for music storage are built into the back on both sides
of the lower case.

Another aspect of the design reminiscent of 18th-century
south German traditions is the position of the windchests in relation to the
action. The two windchests of the Hauptwerk are spaced apart from the center of
the case by the width of the keyboards. This leaves room for trackers of the
Oberwerk to reach their rollerboard without blocking access to the Hauptwerk
action and its pallets. It also provides optimum space for 8’ bass pipes
at the sides and leaves room for tuning the tenor pipes of the Hauptwerk with
only minimal obstruction by the Oberwerk rollerboard. The windchests for the
Pedal are located behind the case at the level of the impost, a placement that
Tannenberg could also have used.

Both the playing action and stop action are mechanical. The
manual keys are hinged at the tail and suspended from their trackers. There are
no thumper rails to hold the keys down, so they are free to overshoot slightly
when released, as is the case in traditional suspended actions. Trackers,
squares and rollers are all made of wood. There is no felt in the action. Keys
are guided by pins at the sides. Together these details combine to give a
feeling of buoyancy and liveliness reminiscent of antique instruments. The aim
is not so much to provide a light action as to arrive at one having the mass
and friction appropriate to the size and character of the organ. Such an action
may need occasional minor adjustment of key levels with changes in humidity,
but this is a small price to pay for the advantages gained over more sterile
modern alternatives. 

Wind is supplied by two single-fold wedge bellows (3’ x
6’) fed by a blower located in a small room below the organ. Natural
fluctuations of the wind pressure in response to the playing contribute to the
lively, singing quality of the organ’s sound. A wind stabilizer can be
engaged when unusually heavy demands on the wind system call for damping of
these fluctuations. The organ’s single tremulant is made in the old-fashioned
beater form. On seeing a tremulant puffing away in one of our organs, a
Japanese friend remarked that the organ was laughing! It is useful to think of
an organ’s wind as its breath and the bellows as lungs, for the
instrument’s appeal is closely tied to our perception of its lifelike
qualities. 

The tonal character of an organ is rarely revealed by its
stoplist. This is particularly true in an instrument of only twenty-four stops.
Once the builder accepts the constraints of a given style and the essential
registers have been chosen, there is usually little room or money left to
include stops that would make a modest design appear unique on paper.
Fortunately for the art, the musicality of the organ is not bound by its
stoplist; rather, it is determined by a host of other complex factors. These
can be partially defined in the technical data of pipe scaling and
construction, general design parameters, materials and the like, but in reality
much more rests on the elusive criteria of experience, skill and taste of the
builder. Taken together this means that each new organ, albeit small, presents
fresh opportunities for artistic expression. It is important that all the pipes
speak promptly, be they reeds or flues, except in the case of strings, which
gain charm from their halting speech. It is less important that the pipes
produce precisely the same vowel sounds from note to note, for here variety
adds refreshing character and interest to the organ.

At Goshen we chose to voice the 8’ Principal to be
somewhat brighter and richer in overtones than has been our wont. This was
achieved by giving the pipes lower cutups than was customary in German and
Dutch organs of the 17th century and before. The five distinctly different
8’ flue stops on the manuals deserve special mention. Although all
followed scaling patterns we have used frequently in the past, when voiced they
proved to be unusually satisfying, particularly in combination with each other.
Whenever the 16’ Bordun is used with them a magical new dimension is added
to the sound. If, for example, one draws the Bordun with the Viol da Gamba, the
effect is that of a quiet 16’ Principal. Used with the Spillpfeife the
Bordun reverts to its role as a flute. In an organ of this size it is crucial
that every stop work as well as possible with every other. Following south
German practice, both 8’ and 4’ flutes on the Hauptwerk are made in
the same form. This duplication of flutes within the same family was not the
custom in the north, where lower pitched flutes were usually stopped and those
above them progressively more open. The Oberwerk configuration at Goshen with
its two stopped 8’ registers and partially open 4’ Rohrflöte is
typical of the northern tradition. We look forward to the day that the 16’
Violonbass with its cello-like speech can be added to the Pedal.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

The distinctive musical effect of the Goshen organ is
strongly colored by the use of the recently released Bach-Lehman temperament
described in the accompanying article. Because the completion of the organ in
February coincided with the publication in Early Music of Bradley
Lehman’s treatise on J. S. Bach’s temperament, we chose to tune the
organ according to his plan. Here was the ideal opportunity to try the
temperament on an organ built in Germanic style and at the same time to honor
Dr. Lehman as a distinguished Goshen alumnus for his work in this field. The
experiment has been a fascinating one. It has provided a place to hear
Bach’s organ music as we have not heard it before. We are honored to have
played a part in translating the dry mathematical numbers of this temperament
into the vibrant sound of the organ. 

With few exceptions the many parts of the organ were
constructed from raw materials in our Virginia workshop. Through the skills of
each craftsman the design moved from an idea to paper and then through raw wood
and metal into a large and impressive object. Note by note the tonal picture
has been filled in by voicing and tuning until in the end we experience a new
instrument with an identity all its own. We hope that it will give pleasure to
those who play and hear it far into the future.

--George Taylor

The organ project at Goshen College

“Dienlich, Ordentlich, Schicklich, Dauerlich”

In 1999 we were asked by the organ consultant for Goshen
College, Roseann Penner Kaufman, to make a proposal for the new Goshen College
Music Center. As with any new project, I went to Goshen full of excitement at
the promise of participating in what was to be a spectacular project. My
enthusiasm was short-lived when I saw the design for the recital hall. It was a
standard fan-shaped, sloped-floor, small college recital hall, with theatre
seats and carpet in the aisles. The space for the organ was planned in a niche
at the back of the stage. The design would have been fine for small chamber
recitals, but it was not a proper home for an organ. The prospects for the
organ looked bleak. We would not have felt productive or inspired. We always
say that the room is more than half the organ. I took a deep breath and told
the Goshen committee what I thought of the plan. The committee listened and
asked us to offer suggestions on how the recital hall might be designed to work
best with the musical programs envisioned for this space.

I returned to Staunton eager to develop a plan. One of the
first things I did was to research the Mennonite Quarterly Review for articles
describing historical Anabaptist worship spaces. I hoped that the essence of
these rooms would lead me to an aesthetic that would tie the new hall to the
old tradition, which would, in turn, also be good for music, especially the
organ. My research acquainted me with four German words used to express the
qualities of the historical spaces: dienlich, ordentlich, schicklich and
dauerlich--serviceable, orderly, fitting and lasting. I also found prints
of the interiors of some of these churches. Rectangular in shape with open
truss timber roof framing, clear glass windows, galleries on several sides,
rough stone floors, moveable chairs, unadorned, honest and powerful, these
spaces had all the qualities that I was looking for. They also had enduring
musical-acoustical qualities and so many are used today for concerts.

The simple sketch that I made went first to the Goshen organ
committee who, led by Doyle Preheim and Chris Thogersen, embraced the plan.
Then the concept went to Rick Talaske and his team of acousticians. They
transformed the plan into practical geometry and surface treatments to make the
space an acoustical success. Mathes Brierre Architects took the acoustical plan
and translated it into a visual design that evokes the warehouse or
brewery-turned-church concept of the early Dutch Mennonite spaces. Schmidt
Associates worked through the technical details with Casteel Construction to
conceive the simple pre-cast concrete panels and graceful curved steel arches
that make the hall appealing in its architecture, superior in acoustical
performance and straightforward and durable in construction. There was creative
and sensitive work done by a Goshen group concerned with decor and furnishings.
The result is successful beyond our expectations. The collaboration of all the
partners made the project exceed the ability of any one of us.

Once the hall was underway, we scheduled a meeting at St.
Thomas Fifth Avenue in New York with a group from Goshen and Calvin and Janet
High from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We had a great day in New York showing
everyone our organ in the gallery of St. Thomas. The Highs’ enthusiasm
for the St. Thomas organ and the Goshen Music Center paved the way for their
generous gift that underwrote the cost of the organ.

We realized that the floor area of Rieth Hall was small in
relation to the height. We saw that if there could be the addition of one more
bay to the length there would be significant improvement in the proportions of
the space and at least 50 more seats could be added. Again, the Goshen design
group supported our suggestion. At a time in the project when the building
committee was attempting to control costs and squeeze performance out of every
dime, they found the funds for this most important late addition.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

I predicted at the time we were creating the designs for
Rieth Hall, that the unique qualities of this space would have something to say
to the Goshen students about music and worship. This prediction has been
realized. First, there is genuine enthusiasm for a cappella singing in Rieth
Hall, encouraging this wonderful Mennonite tradition. Second, there has been a
spontaneous seizing of the space by the students for their own student-directed
Sunday worship. In this age of searching for the right path in worship and
liturgy, of debating the influence and appropriateness of mass media and
popular music for worship, we have built something at Goshen College that
reaches across the span of time to those Mennonite roots. Led by the seemingly
old-fashioned qualities of dienlich, ordentlich, schicklich and dauerlich, we
have made a  music space and organ
that inspire and excite us to make music and to celebrate and serve our God and
Creator.

Wood and the Goshen organ

The traditional pipe organ is a wooden machine. Early on in
our careers as organ builders we realized that getting control over our
materials in both an aesthetic and technical sense was essential to our success
as organ makers. Our first path was to make friends with our neighborhood
sawmillers. One of these was an octogenarian whose experience reached back to
horse logging and steam power. He taught us the value of long, slow, air-drying
of lumber. He also knew the old traditions of sawing, how to take the tension
out of a log, how to saw through the middle of the log and keep the boards in
order so that the cabinetmaker could match the grain. He remembered the methods
of quarter sawing that impart the most dimensional stability to the boards and
in oak bring out the beautiful fleck of the medullary rays. We have built our
own sawmill based on a portable band saw. For quarter sawing, we have built a
double-ended chain saw that can split logs up to 60 inches in diameter. The
half logs (or quarters in extremely large timber) are then aligned on our band
saw and sawn in a radial fashion into boards. This lumber is then air-dried for
a number of years. At the end, we put the wood in our dry kiln and gently warm
it up to stabilize the moisture content at 8% to 10%.

Oak is the traditional wood of Northern European organ
building so it was natural for us to choose white oak for the Goshen organ. We
have long admired the Dutch and German organs dating back to the 16th century.
The earliest organs show only the natural patina of age and no finish; the
concept of finishing wood as in varnishing or oiling came well into the 18th
century. We followed this earlier practice for the Goshen organ. The oak has
been hand-planed to a smooth polish, much smoother than can ordinarily be
produced with sanding. The hand-planed wood will resist dirt. We feel there are
also musical benefits from using wood in its natural state. The case and
carvings together with all the interior parts transmit sound energy and reflect
and focus the sound of the pipes. Also, the open pores and surface
imperfections of the natural wood have an effect on the sound reflection.

Another aspect of wood use in historic organs is how
efficiently the old builders utilized their wood. Before the age of machinery,
cutting, transporting and converting timber to sawn, dried lumber ready for use
was costly. The best wood was always used for the keyboards, playing action,
wind chests and pipes. The next selection went to the most visible parts of the
case, especially the front of the organ. The rest was used for carvings, heavy
structural members, walkways, bellows framework and back panels. Some of this
wood shows knots, cracks and other defects that might offend our modern sense
of perfection. However, in addition to demonstrating good wood utilization, the
varying density and differences in surface texture of these so-called defects
may indeed benefit the music. How we perceive the sound of an organ is a very
complex and subtle equation. This is one of the wonderful aspects of the real
pipe organ that differentiates it from the sterile sound of the electronic
substitute. We feel it is good stewardship to apply the hierarchy of selection
as practiced by the old masters. We try to use all the wood, through careful
selection, with thoughtful conservation of a vanishing resource.

--John Boody

Acoustic design of Rieth Recital Hall at Goshen College

In 1998, the design team of design architect Mathes Group
(now Mathes Brierre Architects), architect of record Schmidt Associates and
acoustician The Talaske Group (now Talaske) began preliminary work on a new
music education and performance building for Goshen College’s campus.
This project was the College’s greatest building investment to date and
they were determined to do things right . . . with a very modest budget. The
Recital Hall (now Rieth Recital Hall) was slated to house a new tracker organ
of exceptional quality. As acousticians, we offered some general planning
recommendations--not the least of which was a 50-foot ceiling
height--and recommended that the organ builder be hired as soon as
possible.

Enter John Boody of Taylor & Boody, organ builders from
Virginia. John energized the subsequent meetings with some profound advice that
proved to set the final direction for the space. He moved our thinking from a
“fixed” seating configuration to a flexible arrangement based on a
flat floor where seats can face either end of the room. This unique concept
facilitated the accommodation of a conventional “recital hall” or
assembly arrangement with musicians or presenters on a small stage. The cleverness
of the concept is the seats can be turned to face the opposite direction in the
room, offering a classic organ recital arrangement. Furthermore, John
recommended that the proportions of the room would be better served if
lengthened by adding another bay of structure. These fundamental planning ideas
changed the direction of the design in perpetuity.

We embraced these new directions yes">  and identified the many other room acoustics design features
that would support the client’s needs. The 50-foot ceiling height remained,
and we worked with the architects and construction manager to render the room
as a sound-reflective concrete enclosure, embellished with wood. The goal was
to maintain the warmth of sound created by the organ. Within the “theatre
planning” process, we guided and exploited naturally occurring
opportunities for introducing sound diffusing shaping to reflect low- and
mid-pitched sound in all directions--by introducing one side balcony and a
rear balcony, recesses from circulation paths and recesses created by
deeply-set windows. We recommended deliberate articulation of the walls to
diffuse mid- and high-pitched sound. Wood surfaces were detailed to minimize
absorption of low-pitched sound. Retractable velour curtains and banners were
recommended in abundance and specified by Bob Davis, theatre consultant.
Architecturally, curtain and banner pockets were created so the sound-absorbing
materials could be retracted completely on demand. These features make possible
a broad “swing” of the sound of the room from very reverberant for
choral and organ performance to articulate for assembly events or amplified
music performance. Fundamental to the acoustic design was the need for silence.
This was accomplished by structural discontinuities in the building (acoustic
isolation joints) and the proper placement and design of heating and air
conditioning systems.

Within their mission statement, Goshen College states:
“Musical expression is a human manifestation of the divine impulse and,
as such, serves as a window into the individual soul, a bridge between human
beings and a means of corporate religious experience.” In light of the
students adopting the Rieth Recital Hall for their weekly convocations and the
many other uses, we are pleased to say the happy story continues!

--Rick Talaske

Bach temperament

This organ is the first since the 18th century to use Johann
Sebastian Bach’s tuning, as notated by him in 1722 on the title page of
the Well-Tempered Clavier. This tuning method is a 2004 discovery by Bradley
Lehman. The article about this discovery is published in the February and May
2005 issues of Early Music (Oxford University Press), and further details are
at <www.larips.com&gt;.

The layout, dividing the Pythagorean comma, is:

F-C-G-D-A-E = 1/6 comma narrow 5ths;

E-B-F#-C# = pure 5ths;

C#-G#-D#-A# = 1/12 comma narrow 5ths;

A#-F = a residual wide 1/12 comma 5th.

In this tuning, every major scale and minor scale sounds
different from every other, due to the subtle differences of size among the
tones and semitones. This allows music to project a different mood or character
in each melodic and harmonic context, with a pleasing range of expressive
variety as it goes along. It builds drama into musical modulations.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

The result sounds almost like equal temperament, and it similarly
allows all keys to be used without problem, but it has much more personality
and color. In scales and triads it sounds plain and gentle around C major (most
like regular 1/6 comma temperament), mellower and warmer in the flat keys such
as A-flat major (most like equal temperament), and especially bright and
exciting in the sharp keys around E major (like Pythagorean tuning, with pure
fifths). Everything is smoothly blended from these three competing systems,
emerging with an emphasis on melodic suavity.

The following chart shows the relative size of each major
third, resulting from each series of the intervening four fifths. This system
of analysis is from the 1770s, published in the theoretical work of G. A. Sorge
who was a former colleague of Bach’s. The intervals having higher numbers
sound spicier, more restless. In this measurement, a value of 11 would indicate
a major third that is one syntonic comma too sharp (a “Pythagorean major
third,” having been generated by four pure fifths).
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  A pure major third would be represented
here as 0.

Bb-D    6
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             D-F#
    7
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             F#-A#
8

Eb-G    7
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             G-B
      5
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             B-D#
   9

Ab-C    8
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             C-E
       3
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             E-G#
   10

Db-F     9
             F-A
       3
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             A-C#
   9

Equal temperament, as opposed to the variety shown here, has
a constant size of 7 in all twelve of the major thirds.

In functional harmony, the Bach tuning sets up especially
interesting contrasts within minor-key music. The key of A minor has the
plainest tonic juxtaposed with the most restless dominant. F minor, a major
third away, has the opposite relationship: troubled tonic, calm dominant. And
C# minor has the average character between these behaviors, where the tonic and
dominant are both moderately energetic. 

In major-key music, the tonics and dominants have characters
similar to one another. The sizes of major thirds change by only 1, 2, or 3
units from each key to its neighbors, moving by the circle of fifths (through
typical subdominant/tonic/dominant progressions). Any change of Affekt is
therefore gradual and subtle, as if we never really leave the home key
altogether but it feels a little more or less tense as we go along.

In any music that modulates more quickly by bypassing such a
normal circle-of-fifths cycle, the contrasts are momentarily startling. That
is, the music’s dramatic harmonic gestures become immediately noticeable,
where the major thirds have changed size suddenly from one harmony to the next.
This comes up for example in the Fantasia in G Minor (BWV 542), Gelobet seist
du, Jesu Christ (BWV 722), and the fourth Duetto (BWV 805), and especially in
music by the Bach sons.

This system turns out to be an excellent tuning solution to
play all music, both before and after Bach’s. It is moderate enough for
complete enharmonic freedom, but also unequal enough to sound directional and
exciting in the tensions and resolutions of tonal music.

A recording will be ready for release this summer, including
music by Bach, Fischer, Brahms, et al.

--Bradley Lehman

A brief history of the organ in the Mennonite Church

Some people might find it unusual to find such a remarkable
organ in a Mennonite college. Aren’t the Mennonites those folks with the
buggies and suspenders? It is true that some Mennonite congregations still take
literally founder Menno Simons’ caution against the organ as a
“worldly” invention, but most, especially in the last fifty years,
have embraced it as a vital contributor to the musical and worship life of the
community. 

The Mennonite Church has its beginnings in the 16th-century
Protestant Reformation. Because of persecution, most of the early worship
services were held secretly, in homes or out-of-the-way places. Mennonites also
believed that the true church existed in small, simple gatherings; therefore,
it was uncommon for early Mennonites to even set aside a separate building for
worship. 

Two hundred years after the beginning of the movement,
churches in Germany and the Netherlands had grown to the point of meeting in
dedicated buildings, and by the 1760s several in urban areas had installed pipe
organs. It was another two hundred years, however, before organs became common
in the Mennonite conference that supported Goshen College. Even now, the organ
is not necessarily assumed to support congregational singing, but contributes
other service music. Organ study is now offered at all of the Mennonite Church
USA-affiliated colleges, and the new Taylor & Boody organ at Goshen will
certainly have a profound impact on the future of worship and organ study
throughout the denomination.

--Roseann Penner Kaufman

Roseann Penner Kaufman, DMA, is adjunct instructor in organ
at Bethel College, N. Newton, Kansas, a four-year liberal arts college
affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA. She also serves as director of music
for Rainbow Mennonite Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Kaufman served as the
consultant to Goshen College for their organ project.

Specifications for Opus 41

Hauptwerk

16' Bordun (C-D# wood, rest metal*)

8' Principal (77% tin)

8' Spillpfeife

8' Viol da Gamba (77% tin)

4' Octave

4' Spitzflöte

3' Quinte

3' Nasat

2' Superoctave

IV-V Mixtur

8' Trompet

Oberwerk

8' Gedackt (99% lead)

8' Quintadena

4' Principal (77% tin)

4' Rohrflöte

2' Waldflöte

II Sesquialtera

IV Scharff

8' Dulcian

Pedal

16' Subbass (wood)

(16' Violonbass) space prepared

8' Octave

4' Octave

16' Posaune (C-B wood, rest 99% lead)

8' Trompet (99% lead)

Couplers

Oberwerk / Hauptwerk

Hauptwerk / Pedal

Oberwerk / Pedal

Tremulant to entire organ

Mechanical key and stop action

Compass: manual 56 notes C-g''', pedal 30 notes C-f'

Lehman-Bach temperament

Interior metal pipes of hammered alloys

*All unmarked metal alloys of 28% tin, 72% lead

Case of solid white oak

Windchests of solid oak, pine & poplar

Number of pipes: 1604

Wind pressure: 75mm

Wind stabilizer

The builders

George K. Taylor

John H. Boody

Bruce Shull

Emerson Willard

Christopher A. Bono

Kelley Blanton

Chris A. Peterson

Sarah Grove-Humphries

Robbie Lawson

Jeffrey M. Peterson

Larry J. Damico

Holly Regi

Thomas M. Karaffa

Bob Harris

Katie Masincup

Ryan M. Albashian

Kristin E. Boo

John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois

Opus 31: St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, Virginia

This new instrument was just installed this spring, the tonal finishing completed during April and June. This is the 31st new pipe organ built by John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders of Champaign, Illinois, and
the first of two new Buzard organs to be installed in Williamsburg churches. Williamsburg Presbyterian Church will receive Opus 32 next spring for their new Georgian style building at the entrance to Colonial Williamsburg.

The organ at St. Bede Catholic Church is the result of eight
years of planning and dreaming, hoping and praying. St. Bede’s
communicant strength is about 3,000 families, formerly located in a small
landlocked building close to Colonial Williamsburg. The former site simply could not accommodate the parish’s phenomenal growth, nor could the entire parish worship together. When planning the new building, St. Bede’s pastor, the Rev. Monsignor William Carr, insisted that the new
church include a pipe organ, and that the organbuilder be commissioned to work with the architect from the beginning. The new building, designed by architect Tom Kerns, seats 1,500 and is expandable to seat 2,000.

The then music director, and later consultant for the project, Steve Blackstock, formed a musical instruments committee to select the
organbuilder, as well as other musical instruments for purchase. The musical instruments committee directly communicated with the parish’s building committee (called the core committee) as the new building was planned, to make sure that the organ’s requirements were supported throughout the process.

Even though this church is not located in the Colonial District, there was great concern on the part of the core committee that the building relate to the area’s Georgian architecture--no small feat for a big round room--and that, since the organ case would be the significant visual element in the church, it must reflect appropriate features of Georgian design. A great emphasis was placed on the importance of art and
music as direct participants in liturgical expression, and the organ had to
appeal to all the senses in this surprisingly intimate--although rather
large--space. 

As the building’s design process unfolded, and the cost estimates exceeded projections, significant “value engineering” of the building was undertaken to allow the church to be built. The organ project was shelved and its estimated cost applied toward the building. It became apparent that an organ, whenever it would be installed, would need a small antiphonal division at the opposite end of the church to assist in congregational singing, due to a change in building materials.
Certain stops in the organ were prepared for future addition, to lower the
initial price. The music personnel changed, and the parish concentrated upon building the church. 

Once the building was up, Monsignor Carr’s passion for building the new pipe organ was rekindled. His love of fine art and artistic liturgical expression is infectious. It was through his inner fire that he established the notion in the minds of the parishioners that the church was simply not finished until the pipe organ was installed. Although at the time the church did not have an organist, our contract was signed the week following
the new building’s dedication. 

As the organ’s installation date approached, the parish hired organist Neil Kraft of Ohio to be their new director of music. He has already established himself in the Tidewater area as a musician of high
caliber, and the perfect person to develop an inclusive parochial music
program, with the organ as the principal musical instrument. A concert series to celebrate the dedication of this new instrument is being organized. The opening recital was played by Erik Wm. Suter on Sunday, September 30, and John Scott will play in June of 2006. The church is working on sponsorship of a concert featuring the Virginia Symphony, but this is currently in the planning stage. The new pastor, the Rev. John Abe, is committed to making St. Bede known for beautiful music, both in liturgical and concert contexts, for Williamsburg and the greater Tidewater area.

The organ case stands three stories tall and is made of 11/2-inch thick solid white oak and white oak veneers. Walnut is used for the pipe shades and accenting trim details. This is truly heroic cabinet making! The façades incorporate pipes of the Great 16’ Double Open
Diapason (the low 20 notes of which are shared in the pedal), the Great First and Second 8’ Open Diapasons, and the Pedal 8’ Principal. The
16’ Pedal First Open Diapason of wood stands behind the organ case and is stained and finished in a dark walnut color. Resonators of the low octaves of the Pedal 32’ and 16’ Trombones are made of beautiful, clear pine, continuing upscale in thick 52% tin pipe metal as this stop becomes the manual Tromba, voiced on 7” wind. The big Tuba stands vertically in the Choir box just behind the shutters, and is certainly the Tromba’s big brother, being voiced on nearly 30” pressure!

The Procession Organ’s case is also of white oak, to match the Main Organ case. Its pipe shades are carved basswood. Celtic crosses
have been cut into the tower tops and are enameled in rich, dark purple (the manufacturer’s color name “Monsignor” led to the whimsical
decision to incorporate it into the case in honor of Monsignor Carr), and
outlined in gold leaf. When played with the Main Organ, the Processional
Organ’s two Principal stops have the effect of “pulling” the sound out of the Main Organ’s case and surrounding the listeners with an
incredibly inescapable, voluptuous tone.

The console of 11/2-inch thick white oak is attached to an easily moved platform. And it’s a good thing, because the organ is heard in its best balance starting about 15 feet away from the case. We utilize
AGO radiating, concave pedalboards for their superior ergonomics. In a modern, eclectic pipe organ, the pedalboard’s shape should not limit an
organist’s ability to play in styles other than that which a flat pedalboard
dictates.

Those who have followed our work know that our instruments
are liturgical organs that play literature remarkably well. Our style is in
direct response to the need for an organ to function liturgically and
musically, but not at the expense of a particular historical, national, or
idiosyncratic musical style. Only a classic concept of organbuilding can truly accomplish this, and I think only an organist-trained organbuilder has the ability to empathize with modern American musical requirements, reconcile these to classic organbuilding practices, and know how to achieve the intended results. 

Slider windchests keep the tonal design physically honest,
and offer speech, voicing, and tuning advantages (as well as virtually no
long-term maintenance). Our proprietary Slider Pedal Chest allows us to play a single rank of pedal pipes at several pitches--without giving up slider chest speech, tuning stability, and repetition characteristics. Because they’re pedal stops, and usually only one note is played at a time, we can scale these individual ranks to be appropriate for two or three tonal contexts and save the client some money. 

Although we were one of the first American organbuilders to
reintroduce the Tuba into modern practice, in 1991 at the Chapel of St. John the Divine in Champaign, our tonal innovations are often of a subtler (and quieter) nature.  For example, in this organ we have specially developed Dolcan-shaped pipes for the metal top octaves of open wood ranks; they sound like wood pipes, but stay in tune. We have perfected Walter Holtkamp’s Ludwigtone as our Flute Cœlestis, its plaintive and gentle celesting tone evocative of something heavenly, which
explains the pun in the nomenclature. We have refined the 18th-century French Flûte à Bibéron (“Baby-Bottle Flute”) to be a colorful chimney flute tone suitable for solos, the foundation of a flute chorus, or secondary foundation for a principal chorus.

The sound of the organ is warm and rich, filling the space
nicely with a generous foundation. Each chorus has its own distinctive color, so there is no redundancy within each family of sound. The organist is able to lead congregational singing with a wide variety of color, at many different volume levels. And, recitalists won’t be disappointed in the tonal
resources and the informed manner of their disposition and execution. 

Everyone seems to have found “favorite” stops in this instrument. Of course the Pontifical Trumpets titillate the eye and ear, and most visitors want to hear them right off the bat. However, my 16-year-old son Stephen, already an organist of greater accomplishment than his father, fell in love with the Choir 8’ English Open Diapason while preparing a recital for the Tidewater POE held last June. “It has something to tell you,” he says. What higher compliment can an organbuilder receive? After all, shouldn’t pipe organs have a strong emotional appeal, so that when played they grab you and don’t let go? yes"> 

Henry Willis once said that truly great organs are only created when 90% of the project’s effort is expended upon the last 2% of perfection. After the organ is built, installed, and voiced, it’s that last step of careful, time-consuming, painstaking tonal finishing that imparts a living soul into the instrument. That you feel “connected” while listening or playing is no happy accident, but the result of careful listening and exacting craftsmanship on the part of the voicer working on the pipes. It is only when one is working at this level that organbuilding is truly an art.
And, it is only when clients have the sensitivity and sensibility to know the
difference that truly world-class pipe organs are commissioned.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

It has been a tremendous honor to build this instrument, and
to work with Father Abe, Monsignor Carr, Steve Blackstock, Neil Kraft, and the wonderful people at St. Bede’s Church. We look forward to many years of wonderful music-making and musically inspired liturgies at St. Bede’s.

Deepest thanks to the staff of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders who have made this instrument so much more than the sum of its parts:

Charles Eames, executive vice-president, chief engineer,
general manager

Brian K. Davis, associate tonal director, head voicer, director, tonal department

Phillip S. Campbell, business manager

Keith Williams, director, service department

Shayne Tippett, shop manager

Stuart Martin, cabinet maker

C. Robert Leech, cabinet maker

Bob Ference, cabinet maker and service technician

Lyoshia Svinarski, wind system construction

Kenneth McCabe, wind system construction

Ray Wiggs, console, electrical systems, wind chest
construction

Evan Rench, pipe maker, voicer, racking, tonal associate

Stephen P. Downes, pipe preparation, racking, tonal
associate

Todd Wilson, service technician, installation

Stuart Weber, service technician

Jay K. Salmon, office manager

JoAnne Rench, receptionist

--John-Paul Buzard

43 straight speaking stops, 54 ranks, across three manuals
& pedal

GREAT ORGAN (4” wind)

16’ Double Open Diapason (tin in façade)

8’ First Open Diapason (tin in façade)

8’ Second Open Diapason (1–8 from 16’)

8’ Viola da Gamba (tin)

8’ Claribel Flute (open wood)

4’ Principal

4’ Spire Flute

22/3’ Twelfth

2’ Fifteenth

13/5’ Seventeenth

2’ Fourniture V

V Cornet (tenor C, preparation)

8’ Trumpet (preparation)

8’ Tromba (Ped)

4’ Clarion (from Tromba)

8’ Major Tuba (in case)

8’ Tuba Solo (melody coupler function)

8’ Pontifical Trumpets (polished copper, horizontal,
over entry door)

SWELL (4” wind)

8’ Violin Diapason

8’ Stopped Diapason (wood)

8’ Salicional

8’ Voix Celeste

4’ Principal

4’ Harmonic Flute

2’ Octavin

22/3’ Full Mixture V

16’ Bassoon (full length)

8’ Trompette

8’ Oboe

4’ Clarion

Tremulant

8’ Major Tuba (Ch)

8’ Pontifical Trumpets

CHOIR ORGAN (4” wind)

16’ Lieblich Gedeckt

8’ English Diapason

8’ Flûte à Bibéron

8’ Flute Cœlestis (doubled open wood)

4’ Principal

4’ Suabe Flute (open wood)

22/3’ Nazard

2’ Recorder

13/5’ Tierce

11/3’ Mixture IV

16’ English Horn (preparation)

8’ Clarinet

Tremulant

Cymbalstern

8’ Major Tuba (30” wind)

8’ Pontifical Trumpets (51/2” wind)

PROCESSIONAL ORGAN

(4” wind, housed in a case over the entry doors)

8’ Open Diapason (tin in façade)

4’ Principal

PEDAL (various pressures)

32’ Double Open Diapason (1–12 digital)

32’ Subbass (1–12 digital)

32’ Lieblich Gedeckt (1–12 digital)

16’ First Open Diapason (open wood)

16’ Second Open Diapason (Gt, tin-façade)

16’ Bourdon

16’ Lieblich Gedeckt (Ch)

8’ Principal (tin-façade)

8’ Bass Flute (ext 1st Open)

8’ Bourdon (ext 16’)

8’ Gedeckt Flute (Ch)

8’ Spire Flute (preparation)

4’ Choral Bass (ext 8’)

4’ Open Flute (ext yes">  8’ Bourdon)

32’ Contra Trombone (from 16’, wood)

16’ Trombone (wood)

16’ Bassoon (Sw)

8’ Trumpet (from 16’)

4’ Clarion (from 8’)

8’ Major Tuba (Gt)

8’ Pontifical Trumpets

The organ has a full set of inter- and intra-manual couplers. These have been omitted from this specification for brevity and ease of reading.

Bigelow & Co. Organ Builders, American Fork, Utah

Fortieth Anniversary

Opus 42

Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Fishers Island, New York

 

From the builder

Forty years—and forty-two organs— ago Bigelow & Co. was born. Looking back, it has been quite a ride. After training with master organbuilder John Brombaugh in Ohio, I set up shop in Utah, married the girl of my dreams, and went to work. Dr. David Rothe in Chico, California, showed incredible faith by signing our first contract. His organ featured “either-or” registration whereby a stop can be registered on either manual, thus lending flexibility with just a handful of stops. I liked the idea of giving broader appeal to the small, less expensive organ. In fact, we’ve built a number of “either-or” instruments since then, including our most recent work featured in this article.

I recall as a youth drooling over pictures of the great organs of Europe such as St. Bavokerk, Haarlem, and St. Johannis Kirche, Lüneburg, I never dreamed that I would visit them someday, sketch pad in hand, recording their beautiful cases not only on paper, but also in my mind and heart. Their visual excitement was equaled only by their magnificent sound. I was in heaven then, and I continue to be in heaven each time I get to design an organ case or experience a finished instrument. Opus 42 is no exception. It incorporates the church’s original 1929 organ case by Skinner Organ Company, which we upgraded to display new speaking pipes. We also replaced the original grillework in the two flats with new treble pipes and matching pipe shade carvings for heightened visual appeal.

My wife says it is time to retire, but I do not think she would like me hanging around the house so much. Besides, it is pipe organs that I love to build!

—Michael Bigelow

 

From the vice president and tonal director

I consider it a great blessing to have been employed at Bigelow & Co. during my entire organbuilding career—over thirty of the forty years of its existence. During that time I have learned much, and I still enjoy the challenge of designing mechanisms and sounds to fit different, sometimes difficult, situations. Our Opus 42 at St. John’s Church, Fishers Island, was not our first chamber installation, nor was it our first experience in building a mechanical-action instrument into existing casework. It was, however, our first experience with an instrument speaking into the chancel, and the low impost of the historic case presented significant mechanical challenges.  

Like most of our smaller instruments, Opus 42 uses our “either-or” registration system, whereby most stops can be registered on either one manual or the other. The availability of some re-usable pipes (16′ Bourdon, 8′ Principal bass, and Voix Celeste from Skinner, the bass octave of an earlier string, and the more recent wood 8′ Gedeckt) made for a somewhat richer disposition than would have been otherwise possible within our budget. In lieu of our more typical mutation stop,  the open metal 8′ Treble Flute was chosen, as it seemed to be more in keeping with late nineteenth-/early twentieth-century tradition. The sub-octave coupler was a special request—no other Bigelow organ has one—which, besides the more obvious advantages, makes it possible for an incredibly rich ensemble of six flue ranks to sound together at 8′ pitch!

I honestly cannot think of a happier installation experience than this one: wonderful people, a beautiful and relaxing environment, and a delightful instrument coming together in a lovely place. 

—David Chamberlin

 

From the organist

I first stepped off the Fishers Island Ferry in June of 2014. After several conversations with colleagues who had served the church in the preceding years, I knew St. John’s to be a summer community that values worship and the role the church plays in the unique pattern of island living. At the time of my hiring, the vestry communicated their hope that I might help them discern the best path forward for their organ, which had become as much a financial liability as a musical one. Having spent considerably on the instrument just a few years earlier, they were rightly cautious about continuing to sink resources into stopgap measures. Several conversations were held in regards to the respective merits of rebuilding the old organ or replacing it with a new pipe or digital instrument. To their great credit, the members of the vestry did considerable diligence in researching each option, and after a short period of prayer and discernment, the decision was made to commission a new pipe organ for the church. 

In an effort to instill confidence in the project and to avoid saddling future organists with my own musical preferences, I encouraged the church to engage Jonathan Ambrosino as an independent consultant. Jonathan shepherded us through the process of soliciting and reviewing proposals, helped to communicate effectively with the congregation, and ultimately served as a liaison between the church and builder throughout the processes of design, construction, and installation. After reviewing compelling proposals from four builders, the unanimous decision was reached to engage Bigelow & Co. to build the new instrument. It was immediately evident to all that the proposal written by Mike Bigelow and David Chamberlin not only respected the understated beauty of the setting, but also addressed several of the challenges particular to an island organ that only sees full service for about sixteen weeks of the year. Their mastery of the “either-or” registration system resulted in an instrument that is uncharacteristically versatile for its size, while the added sub-octave coupler contributes an undeserved range of color and depth. 

Now having completed its first summer of service, it is clear that this instrument will be a lasting source of pride for the Fishers Island community and a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of Bigelow & Co. A happier result surely could not have been possible.  

—Brent Erstad

 

From the consultant

Over the past fifteen years, I have been variously involved with the chapel organ at Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Working there made me aware of Saint John’s Episcopal Church on Fishers Island, in Long Island Sound, a parish with a long connection to the school. A number of alumni are church members, and the current rector and many organists have served both institutions (the school term dovetails neatly with the summer service schedule). Colin Lynch and Brent Erstad are two Saint Paul’s chapel organists who also served at Fishers; Andrew Sheranian and Michael Smith have also served. While none of them ever raved about the organ, they all spoke warmly of the place and its people.

In July 2015, Saint John’s got in touch about how to proceed with the instrument. It had begun life in 1929 as a humble eight-rank Skinner, with much of the Swell duplexed to the Great, a lone Pedal Bourdon, and no reed. Its alcove location was about as enchambered as could be imagined. In the 1980s and later, Alan McNeely revised the instrument into a full-bore two-manual of 22 ranks, with additional Pedal, Antiphonal, and eventually a few memorial digital voices. But the organ’s environment spelled its doom. The blower and some mechanism lived in a basement rife with dampness; salt and moisture played havoc with key contacts; the disused 1929 Spencer blower stood in a corner, a pile of rust and humiliation. In its final years, Ed Odell and Scot Huntington serviced the instrument.

While a part of New York State, Fishers is reached by ferry from New London, Connecticut. My maiden visit, however, was by air. Patrick Aiken (organist-choirmaster of Central Congregational Church in Providence) kindly flew me down in his Cessna 172, and it made for a storybook introduction to the place: perfect weather, majestic island vista, corkscrew descent, a trim touchdown at Elizabeth Field. The senior warden’s smiling aunt met me in what Connecticut people call a “station car”—an old beater to take back and forth to the train. Saint John’s Church itself is a microcosm of the island: not fancy or ostentatious, a few dignified appointments of restrained beauty and appropriate scale, people of obvious class with nothing to prove. The grandeur of the island, the smart folk, the effort required to get there, a station car: here was a particular slice of vanishing old New England.

Later that morning, through a sea of intermittent notes and other issues, I heard Brent Erstad accompany two morning services. While twenty-two ranks is hardly large, still, this is a village church. The organ’s size had grown out of phase with the place, not merely the building but the congregation’s very sense of itself. These people clearly enjoyed singing hymns together. They needed only a solid and straightforward organ to lead them. A new tracker, flexible but in proper scale, seemed the thing. Once the vestry understood that a long-term solution did not need to be dauntingly expensive, four mechanical-action builders were invited to propose.

The church took this assignment seriously. Rather than dangle a prospect and see who would jump highest, the church gave each builder a stipend to cover at least some of the travel to Fishers and the warmest of welcomes. In place of a stern Request-For-Proposal, the church provided a statement of goals, outlining the vestry’s hope that each builder might be inspired to propose something as individual as the place itself. Ultimately, Bigelow & Co. was chosen, partly from their track record with appealing and flexible smaller organs, partly for a genuine enthusiasm to work with the original simple case-front.

In 2017, a Boston team of Joe Sloane, Amory Atkins, and Dean Conry took away the old organ, salvaging a few unaltered Skinner ranks. This set the stage for the church’s conscientious caretaker, Andrew “Ace” Ahrens, to prepare for the new instrument. The chamber was rehabilitated and shortened, and the rear portion sectioned off into a new blower room. Keeping the entire instrument out of the basement sealed it from the worst effects of dampness. In the church itself, floors were refinished, and a bit of new carpeting replaced a great deal of old. The organ arrived in April 2018 and was brought into use in May, the builders being beautifully seen to by Ace and other vestry members. Brent Erstad gave an opening concert on July 7, assisted by tenor Andrew Brown. He and Dan Moriarty have been playing this summer.

It is wonderful to work with a church that suffers no confusion of aims. Not even six months from the first email, Saint John’s had contracted with
Bigelow. Having decided what was right, they dove in headfirst, kept sharp at every turn, and celebrated in style. It is always a delight to work with such fine people and good builders. The best part comes in knowing that the people of Saint John’s now have a tasteful organ as timeless as their parish, their building, and their faith.

—Jonathan Ambrosino

From the rector

Over three years ago, when Saint John’s Church on Fishers Island was facing the challenge of replacing the failing ninety-year-old Skinner organ, installing another pipe organ was not the preferable option. In fact, the challenges of maintaining the current instrument, the weather fluctuations on the island, and the limited use of an organ in this seasonal summer chapel were all compelling reasons to go the digital organ route. However, St. John’s was also gifted with a plethora of accomplished organists who had visited the church over the summers, connected with our vestry and congregation, and encouraged us to consider another opportunity to install a new pipe organ in the church. 

We are a congregation that loves to sing, and we value an instrument that not only provides the backdrop to our voices, but also can join with us as a living presence in the worship space. Brent Erstad and Jonathan Ambrosino walked with us down the road towards another pipe organ and encouraged the welcoming of a new instrument. When we met Michael Bigelow and read his carefully prepared proposal, we knew that he was the one who would not only create a wonderful and appropriate instrument for the church, but also would do so in a way that honored our history and supported our future with a beautiful instrument. 

Over two years later, we were pleased this summer to share the voices of the W. Richard Bingham Memorial Organ, Bigelow Opus 42, in an inaugural concert played by Brent Erstad. The congregation is very appreciative of the new instrument and we have launched an organ concert series this summer that we hope to continue in the future, featuring not only organ recitals, but also silent films with organ accompaniment, spirited hymn sings, and a three-day choir camp on the island for students from a local independent school. We look forward to continuing these offerings as an outreach not only to our church community, but also to the community of Fishers Island and beyond. 

Saint John’s is immensely grateful to all those who contributed to this project: the many donors whose support made this a reality, especially the family of W. Richard Bingham after whom this instrument is named, the counsel and expertise of Jonathan Ambrosino and Brent Erstad who shepherded us through the process, the artistry and skill of Michael Bigelow and his team at Bigelow & Co., and the support of the vestry and members of St. John’s Church. We look forward to many years of enjoyment as this new organ adds its voice to ours in celebrating all of the moments of our spiritual journey for generations to come.

—The Reverend Michael Spencer

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New Organs

Bedient Pipe Organ Company, Roca, Nebraska

St. Paul United Methodist Church, Lincoln, Nebraska

From the pastor

St. Paul United Methodist Church was the very first church in Lincoln,
established in 1857. Located at 12th and M streets in downtown Lincoln, the
present building was completed in 1901 and was used by many groups as the
city's largest auditorium. A major addition was built in 1999, and the
sanctuary was completely remodeled in 2001. It is an active and growing
downtown church with 1,800 members.

We were very excited when an unanticipated major gift allowed us to proceed
with a much-needed sanctuary renovation. One concern that we had to deal with
in planning this renovation was the old organ, a Reuter from 1953. The primary
concern was the appearance of the instrument in the new visual plan; and that
led to a secondary concern: the condition of the organ and its effectiveness in
leading worship at St. Paul.

We investigated renovating the existing organ versus replacement with a new
one. It became apparent that a six-figure renovation would solve the visual
problems but still leave us with an old organ that would eventually need a lot
of work. A decision was made by the organ committee to contract with the
Bedient Company to build a new organ in two phases. Phase one included the
console, a new façade and two major divisions of the new organ, and
allowed us to proceed with funding that was in place to solve the organ
problems. Subsequently, a second generous gift has allowed us to complete phase
two, the remaining two divisions of the organ.

We had serious concerns about replacing the Reuter organ with a new
instrument. Although the organ had many deficiencies, at the same time, there
were many sounds that were beloved by the congregation. Time proved that our
concerns were unfounded. The façade of the new Bedient organ is
magnificent and fits beautifully into the renovated sanctuary. More
importantly, from the first time we began to hear sounds from the new organ, it
was apparent that the tonal qualities of the new organ were equally
magnificent. The organ creates a beautiful, full sound without a hint of
harshness, and there are many lovely individual stops on the organ. It has been
a joy working with the Bedient Company. They have been responsive to all of our
concerns and have created a magnificent pipe organ for St. Paul United
Methodist Church that will enhance the worship experience for generations to
come.

--Dr. C. Rex Bevins

Senior Pastor, St. Paul UMC

From the director of music

When it became apparent that the old organ was going to be replaced, I had
serious concerns about the suitability of the new organ to lead the
congregation and to accompany the many choral and instrumental ensembles at St.
Paul. Gene and company assured us that we would be very pleased with the
result, and they were right! The range of dynamics for accompanying was
remarkable just with the Great and Swell divisions in place. When a string
ensemble from the Lincoln Orchestra Association was being accompanied by the
organ, many remarked that they were unable to tell which sounds came from the
string orchestra and which from the string pipes in the organ! The sounds of
the principal pipes and the principal choruses are excellent for leading the
congregation in hearty Methodist hymn singing. The Bedient Pipe Organ Company's
Opus 70 is well suited for all requirements.

--Dr. William Wyman

Director of Music, St. Paul UMC

Director of Choral Activities,

Nebraska Wesleyan University

From the organist

The St. Paul sanctuary, one hundred years old in 2001, was designed
according to the Akron plan. The organ chamber is located in the corner of a
diamond shape, fronted by the chancel and surrounded by amphitheater-style
seating. Three balconies skirt the outer walls with a total seating capacity of
1100.

The renovation of the sanctuary and the organ were addressed with a primary
concern for flexible use of space. All chancel furnishings were permanently
fixed in place making it difficult to find space for instrumental groups.
Acoustics were another concern. Carpet with a thick horsehair pad and soft
acoustic ceiling tile virtually defeated the courage of the congregation to
sing. The old organ, though rather large, didn't project well enough to support
and encourage singing. And as a concert instrument it was wholly inadequate.

Flexibility was achieved by making all chancel furniture, including the
choir modesty rail, movable. Choir chairs replaced pews. The organ would have a
movable console. The Bedient Organ Company agreed to a major departure from its
practice of building tracker organs to design for us an instrument with an
electric console and with electro-pneumatic slider chests. The low-profile,
French terrace console was placed on a movable platform. Conducting from the
console is now possible for the first time in the history of this church.
Ensemble playing has become a pleasurable experience. Eye (and ear) contact
with the conductor and other performers can always be achieved. An adjustable
pedalboard, both horizontal and vertical, provides relief from back and
shoulder discomfort as well as seating flexibility for younger student players.

To restore acoustical life to the sanctuary, ceiling tiles were replaced
with drywall, glued and screwed down every twelve inches. The new chancel floor
was extended and covered with solid oak. The heavily padded carpet in the nave
was replaced with a thin, tightly woven variety.

But of course, everyone wants to know, is the organ successful? The short
answer is an unequivocal yes! It can do everything required of a church organ
in worship. Tonally, the organ is well matched to the human voice, supporting
congregational singing and accompanying choirs and soloists beautifully. The
strings and reeds blend well with their orchestral counterparts. Brass players
particularly have commented on how much easier it is to tune and play with this
organ. These characteristics also provide the foundation necessary for playing
orchestral transcriptions. In general, three tonal characteristics leap to
mind: gentle, beautiful and robust. But the truly unique contribution of this
instrument is its place on the cutting edge of stylistic development.

Given the tonal qualities of the Aeolian-Skinner organ, it is understandable
why there is a virtual cult following for that style of instrument. But as the
proponents of organ reform realized, its capacity to play the vast repertoire
with any hint of appropriate historic sound and color was nonexistent. The
American Classic organ simply produced a generic sound able to play all
repertoire but with little distinction. Music composed for it, of course, was
the exception.

Now after an in-depth foray into historic building practices over the past
thirty or so years a new "American Classic" organ has emerged. The
sound is clearly influenced by historic models but in the case of some builders
it is still a generic sound, i.e., one basic sound for all styles of music. In
the hands of the Bedient Organ Company, however, a higher ideal is being
achieved.

The higher ideal, to the mind of this author, is an instrument whose
ensemble is not only cohesive but by judicious registration may produce
ensembles clearly reminiscent of French Classic and Romantic, North German and
even English Cathedral sounds. The effect may not be literal but still is able
to act as a tonal chameleon. We find Bedient's Opus 70 to successfully define
this direction in the stylistic evolution of the American Classic organ.

In our recently released recording we have chosen a solo repertoire to demonstrate
the range of the instrument. Whether the organ's use is to support and lead
worship or as a concert instrument there are three requirements for a
successful instrument: dynamic flexibility, varied tonal color (timbre), and
stylistic eclecticism.

Dynamic flexibility, that ability to affect a seamless crescendo and
diminuendo from the softest stops to full organ and back, is demonstrated
beautifully and elegantly by the Adagio in E Major of Frank Bridge. This is
accomplished by the use of two enclosed divisions, the Swell and Choir coupled
to the unenclosed Great division. This ability is essential, as well, for
effective choral accompanying.

The range of timbre is like an artist's palette. Each stop on an organ has a
specific tonal color: strings, flutes, principals and reeds. Additionally, each
manual division has mutation stops which, when used in various combinations,
create new colors. A few possibilities, using flutes, mutations, oboe and
cromorne, are revealed in the charming little dance suite, La Bourrée by
Michael Praetorius.

In most modern church settings an instrument should be stylistically
eclectic, able to play a wide range of literature both for worship and concert.
The music of J. S. Bach shows the instrument's ability to sound German and to
play complex contrapuntal textures with clarity. The music of Gigout,
Saint-Saëns, Mulet, Dupont, and Dupré shows the French personality
of the organ with its true French reeds and the full foundation of 8' flue
stops on the Great organ. And, referring once again to the Adagio in E Major by
Frank Bridge, the English love of building waves of crescendo and diminuendo in
the 19th century is clearly possible on this instrument. Finally, the inclusion
of three American hymn settings demonstrates this organ's ability to be
completely at home in the 21st century.

A new organ invites exploration into its capabilities: stylistic range and
practical uses in the worship service as a solo instrument, with other
instruments, choirs and congregational singing. The St. Paul congregation and
its musicians are grateful for an instrument that satisfies beyond our
expectations.

--Dr. John C. Friesen

Senior Organist and Consultant,

St. Paul UMC

From the builder

The Bedient organ built especially for St. Paul United Methodist Church in
Lincoln, Nebraska is the company's Opus 70. It was designed specifically for
the St. Paul sanctuary. The three-manual and pedal organ has 47 stops, 59 ranks
and a total of 3,063 pipes.

To accommodate the needs of the church, we designed and built the organ in
two phases. Phase one consisted of the structural, mechanical, electrical, and
wind systems to make the organ function. Also included in phase one were
windchests and pipes of the Great, Swell, and part of the Pedal divisions. In
phase two, the windchests and pipes of the Choir division and the main part of
the Pedal division were added.

Inside the organ chamber a three-level structure, consisting of steel
columns and laminated wood beams, provides the support for the windchests and
the wind system. The façade casework and console are made of white oak,
the keyboard naturals are of bone, and the accidentals are of ebony. The pipe
shades are of basswood with the design drawn from the foliage in the stained
glass windows. The Pedal naturals are of hard maple and the accidentals are
capped with teak. The stopknobs are of cocobola. The pedalboard, expression
shoes and toe pistons adjust vertically via electric motor, while the
horizontal pedal and bench adjustments are mechanical.

The tonal basis of the organ is an amalgamation of 19th-century American,
18th-century German and 18th/19th-century French concepts. Pipes were made with
techniques and designs appropriate to their historical derivations. All the
pipes made by Bedient are an alloy of tin and lead, ranging from 2% tin to 85%
tin, based on the historical basis of the various stops. The façade
pipes, made by A. R. Schopp's Sons in Ohio, are of polished zinc up to the
six-foot body length pipes and are 80% tin beyond that size. They also feature
23-karat gold leaf gilding on the mouths. All wooden pipes are made of poplar
except for the one set of pipes that was retained from the old organ, the 32'
Contresoubasse, which is made of mahogany.

The manual windchests are slider chests and the valves that admit air into
the channels are electro-pneumatic. All offset chests are electro-pneumatic.
The electrical control systems of the organ were made by Peterson
Electro-Musical Products, Chicago, and include the Master Stop Processor with
Piston Sequencer.

The dedication concert for Opus 70 was performed on January 27, 2002 by Dr.
John C. Friesen, organist at St. Paul UMC. Dr. Friesen highlighted the evening
with his performance of works of Buxtehude, Bach, Langlais, Franck, and Vierne.
He was joined by members of the Lincoln Orchestra Association in the
performance of the Handel Organ Concerto in F Major, op. 4, no. 4, and the
Poulenc Concerto in G minor.

The new Bedient organ was also featured in a concert by The Lincoln Symphony
Orchestra celebrating their 75th Anniversary. The evening included Rev. Dr.
Victoria Sirota performing on Opus 70, after which she stated:

The new Bedient organ at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lincoln, with
its classic European sensibilities coupled with American flexibility, worked
wonderfully for the Sirota organ concerto "In the Fullness of Time."
Individual stops have integrity and presence, and yet blend beautifully into an
artistic whole. Gene Bedient is a poet.

From the outset, it has been the goal of the Bedient Pipe Organ Company to
create a majestic organ that will serve St. Paul United Methodist Church well
for many generations to come.

--Gene Bedient

The Bedient staff:

Alan Baehr, design, case work, installation

Gene Bedient, concept, design and voicing

Gwen Bedient, administration

Duane Grosse, pipe making, electrical

Jerry Hill, case work

Chad Johnson, wood pipes, electrical, voicing, installation

Rick LaBrune, windchests

Paul Lytle, windchests, installation, administration

Stan Pypenko, pipe making

Ed Stibal, case work, console

Jon Taylor, case work, internal structure

Donna Varney, voicing, installation

Fred Zander, windchests, installation

Todd Znamenacek, pipe shades

The recording of this organ by Dr. John Friesen is available from the church
office: 402/477-6951;

<www.saintpaulumc.org&gt;.

For information on the Bedient Pipe Organ Company: 1060 Saltillo Road, Roca,
NE 68430; 800/382-4225;

<[email protected];

<www.bedientorgan.com&gt;.

GREAT

16'            Principal

8'               Principal

8'               Salicional

8'               Flûte
harmonique

8'               Rohrflute

4'               Spielflute
(prep)

22/3'        Quinte

2                Octave

13/5'        Terz

                   Mixture
IV-V

8'               Trompete

8'               Wesley
Trompette (prep)

                   Tremulant

                   Chimes

SWELL

8'               Violin
Diapason

8'               Viole
de Gambe

8'               Bourdon

8'               Voix
céleste

4'               Prestant

22/3'        Nazard

2'               Doublette

13/5'        Tierce

                   Mixture
III-IV

16'            Basson

8'               Trompette

8'               Hautbois

4'               Clairon

8'               Wesley
Trompette (prep)

                   Tremulant

CHOIR

8'               Principal

8'               Bourdon

8'               Dulciana

8'               Unda
Maris

4'               Principal

2'               Nachthorn

                   Cornet
II

                   Cymbale
III-IV

8'               Trompette

8'               Cromorne

8'               Wesley
Trompette (prep)

                   Tremulant

                   Zimbelstern

PEDAL

32'            Contresoubasse

16'            Contrebasse

16'            Subbass

102/3'      Quinte

8'               Principal

8'               Bourdon

4'               Octave

4'               Flute

16'            Bombarde

8'               Trompette

Couplers

Great/Pedal

Swell/Pedal

Choir/Pedal

Swell/Great 16, 8

Choir/Great 16, 8

Swell/Choir

Reverse Choir/Great

Great 16-UO

Swell 16-UO-4

Choir 16-UO-4

Piston Sequencer

Forward, Reverse, Reset

Reversibles

Great/Pedal

Swell/Pedal

Choir/Pedal

Swell/Great

Choir/Great

Swell/Choir

Pistons

8 General

6 Divisionals

General Cancel

Divisional Cancel

Tutti

Set

Cover

Austin Organs, Inc.,
Hartford, Connecticut, has installed a new Antiphonal organ at Christ Church
Cathedral, Hartford. The cathedral dates from 1828, and was subsequently
supplied with successive organs by Erben, Hook & Hastings, and Skinner.
Austin #2417 was installed in the chancel in 1965. At that time, preparations
were made in the console for an Antiphonal division to be placed in the rear
gallery, but nothing occurred until 2000 when a move was started to fit a
Trumpet in the rear gallery. This idea grew into a plan for a complete
Antiphonal division somewhat larger than that envisaged in the console
preparations of 1965. Taking advantage of the reconstruction of the console
with solid-state mechanisms, drawstops were provided for a seven-stop division,
with a chamade 8' to be played from the Great, Positiv and Pedal.

Austin #2417 was typical of its times in following a
Germanic neo-classical line. Whatever the virtues of that style, it is arguable
that it is not entirely satisfactory for an Episcopal liturgy, particularly in
encouraging congregational singing. The new Antiphonal Diapason chorus is
therefore resolutely English traditional in style, and devoted solely to
congregational support. To this end a Pedal Bourdon 16' has been provided for
that firm foundation that is so assuring for hesitant congregations.

The two stops under the heading of Continuo, namely Stopped
Diapason 8' and Stopped Flute 4', are voiced not as part of the main chorus,
but for the accompaniment of small choral groups singing from the west gallery.
An arrangement has been made for a keyboard to be plugged in on the west
gallery for such occasions.

The Trompette en chamade is playable from the Great, Positiv
and Pedal. This stop is made from polished brass and fitted with flares and
speaks on 8 inches wg. The tone is decidedly different from most stops of this
name. The sound is round and focused, grand rather than aggressive, and nearer
Tuba in effect.

The casework of the new section is derived in form and
proportion from the Hook & Hastings organ of the 1860s, and is a fine and
ornamental addition to the cathedral furniture.

The Antiphonal division was taken into use on Christmas Day
2001.

--Austin Organs, Inc.

ANTIPHONAL               

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

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

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

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

CONTINUO

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

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

PEDAL

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

TROMPETTE EN CHAMADE

                                    Great

                                    Positiv

                                    Pedal

M. L. Bigelow & Co., Inc., American Fork, Utah, has built a new organ for All Souls' Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; this is the firm's Opus 26: 19 stops, 22 ranks. This instrument is the world's first tracker organ incorporating both dual stop action (mechanical and electrical) and "Either/Or" registration whereby many of the stops can be drawn on either manual. The solid state combination action provides eight levels of memory. The instrument is of quartered white oak and is located in a small gallery at the rear of the church's new chapel which seats ninety people. Some of the various challenges included very limited floor space and ceiling clearance, a round stained glass window to clear, and choir seating for 22. The solution was a low, wide case for the manual pipes, with the pedal pipes placed behind. The terraced key desk was fitted with a tempered glass music rack and was detached to permit choir seating directly in front of the case, and to facilitate conducting the choir from the organ bench. Manual keys span C1-a58 and are of bone and ebony. The AGO pedalboard has thirty notes. Temperament is Fisk I, which gives some variety of key colors, the key of F being the most solid sounding. Metal pipes are of various alloys ranging from 31% for most inside pipes to 75% tin for the façade. Wood pipes are of oak and maple. Wind is by a blower-fed wedge bellows which is weighted to supply 70mm pressure. Relatively light pressure and gentle voicing combine to create a sound that is not too hard on the choir's ears. The organist can deactivate wind stabilizers from the key desk to achieve flexible winding. Both the organist, Dr. Laura van der Windt, and the consultant, Dr. Gerald Frank, were actively involved in the tonal design and finishing of the instrument. The inaugural recital was played by David Higgs on 5 February 2000. Due to limited seating in the chapel, Dr. Higgs repeated the recital twice the following day.

--Michael Bigelow

Manual I/Manual II

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Præstant
(Man I/II)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Chimney
Flute (Man I/II)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Viola
da Gamba (Man I/II)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Voix
céleste (Man II)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave
(Man I/II)

                  4'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Conical
Flute (Man I/II)

                  2'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Octave
(Man I/II)

                  22⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Cornet (Man
I)/Nasard (Man II)

                                    Mixture
III-IV (Man I)/ II (Man II)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Trumpet
(Man I/II)

                  8'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>             Clarinet
(Man I/II)

Pedal

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

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

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

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

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

                  11⁄3'
style='mso-tab-count:1'>      Mixture (ext)

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

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

Tremulant/Flexible Wind

Couplers: I/Ped, II/Ped, II/I

Zimbelstern

 

* Detached keydesk to facilitate directing choir from bench.
Lighted music shelf and pedal board. Glass music rack.

* Self-regulating, suspended mechanical key action. Keys of
bone and ebony.

* Mechanical stop action. Multi-level combination action
with 8 memories operates stops electrically. Pistons: 8 Generals, 6 Manual, 4
Pedal. Coupler stop knobs are duplicated as toe and thumb piston reversibles.

* Mechanically operated swell shades enclose most manual
stops.

* Crank-adjustable full-width organ bench.

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., Bellwood, Illinois
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, Bethesda,
Chevy Chase, Maryland

From the organbuilder
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, is located just minutes away from Washington National Cathedral on the border between Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland. St. John’s began in 1873 as a small mission congregation in what was then rural Bethesda. By 1895, the church had been elevated to parish status within the newly formed Diocese of Washington. Throughout its history, St. John’s has been dedicated to “building community at the crossroads of faith and life.” Today, the parish continues to honor this tradition by offering beautiful, liturgically oriented worship services and by providing a wide variety of programs that minister to the diverse needs of the congregation and community.
Prior to the renovation of St. John’s 500-seat Georgian-style sanctuary, the nave presented a feeling of light-filled openness, while the deep and narrow chancel appeared both dark and restrictive. In typical fashion, choir stalls were divided on both sides of the chancel, with the high altar placed against the front wall. The existing organ consisted of three manual divisions with the Great, Swell, and Pedal installed in chambers along the east wall, and the Choir placed on the west wall. Throughout its history and despite the best intentions of the parish, the organ suffered several major incidents involving water damage. With the east wall of the chancel positioned directly beneath the bell tower, it was determined that the tower was, in fact, the root of the problem. Although the tower had previously undergone extensive renovation, water was continuing to find its way into the chambers. At the urging of then director of music Douglas Beck, an organ committee was formed and charged with the task of identifying possible solutions. The committee was also asked to investigate and recommend several organ builders. The committee also felt that it would be wise to engage an organ consultant and did so by involving Donald Sutherland from the Peabody Institute. The initial findings of the committee can be summed up in the following two recommendations. First, the repair of the existing organ would not represent a sound artistic or economic option. Second, a new instrument should not be returned to the existing chambers. Based on these parameters, the committee proceeded to identify a select group of organ builders and to ask each builder to submit their vision for an instrument that would not only meet the liturgical requirements of the parish, but allow the parish to further expand its role in offering artistic expressions of faith to the greater community.
As discussions continued relative to the placement of the organ, it became increasingly clear that installing the organ in any other area of the sanctuary would require changes to the structure of the building. It was also at this point that the clergy and many of the parishioners suggested that the parish consider a comprehensive renovation of the chancel. Given this suggestion, a second committee, called the Architectural Review Committee, was formed to oversee the process and to investigate potential architects and contractors. With the selection of Kerns Group Architects and Forrester Construction, the “ARC” noted that a final decision regarding an organ builder should be made so that all parties could work in a collaborative fashion. On the recommendation of the organ committee, Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. was selected to build the new instrument. Recognizing that the combined project including renovations to the building and the construction of a new pipe organ would require a significant financial commitment, St. John’s vestry authorized the formation of a third committee to oversee the fund raising process. The combined efforts of the Organ Committee, Architectural Review Committee, and the Capital Campaign Committee were incorporated under the theme “Enhance, Renew, Rejoice!”
Early in the process of examining the space, it was determined that placing the organ in the gallery would be difficult and limiting. The lack of height and depth would require that the entire rear portion of the church be rebuilt. There was also a great deal of concern expressed about the necessity of moving the choir to the gallery. Although some members of the parish had initially favored this approach, they quickly grasped the complexities involved and shifted their support to the possibilities represented by the chancel. Above and beyond the issue of the organ, enhancing the worship space was an important ingredient in St. John’s view that worship should involve a greater sense of community. One option was to open and enlarge the chancel, creating an inviting space for various forms of worship. Another was to bring the altar forward and install a new communion rail such that it would bring the communion experience closer to the congregation and enable more of those present to take communion at the rail. The ARC was also hopeful that natural light could find its way into the chancel so that the space would have the same warm, inviting feel currently attributed to the nave. This eventually led the architect to modify two of the former organ chambers and add skylights so that the chancel is bathed in soft, natural light. Another transforming suggestion involved moving the choir out of its traditional split arrangement and facing them towards the congregation. With the adoption of these suggestions, it was decided that the ideal placement of the new pipe organ was along the central axis of the building. The new organ would thereby occupy approximately 12 feet of the existing depth at the front of the chancel. This effectively moved the chancel forward placing parishioners, clergy, musicians, etc. in closer proximity. Obviously this change also provided the means for both music and the spoken word to be heard in a clear and full fashion.
St. John’s began its journey to rejuvenate the life of the congregation not only by overhauling the chancel and replacing the organ, but also by enhancing and renewing their relationship with the Creator. Staying close to its roots as a mission congregation, the early parish embraced a low-church form of worship. In the 1970s, under rector William A. Beal, the congregation experimented with a variety of new worship styles, including the Episcopal Church’s trial liturgies. This “new tradition” included the use of the 1979 Prayer Book. The move towards higher church expression continued into the 1980s and 1990s under Rev. Duane Stuart Alvord, and continues today under the leadership of the current rector, Rev. Susan M. Flanders, and the associate rector, Rev. Harrison West. The beautiful construction of the current worship form and the growing excellence of the music program as initially developed under the auspices of former director of music, Douglas Beck, and built upon by the current director of music, Anne Timpane, made it apparent that the new instrument would be required to provide ample support for congregational singing, but must also be an instrument that supports the Anglican choral repertoire. The organ committee’s visits to a wide variety of instruments across the full spectrum of builders pointed to the fact that the parish desired an instrument of great breadth of tone and timbre, with a sound that would fill the space, but not entirely overpower it. It was also important that the organ contain the subtle stops necessary to accompany children’s choirs while having the ability to uphold the congregation with a sense of majesty and power. However, it was also the desire of the former director of music that the instrument should be French-inspired, both in its specification and in its appearance. Given the design of the building, we chose to represent the visual aspect of this request in the design of the console.
The new Berghaus pipe organ at St. John’s Episcopal Church contains 58 speaking stops and 63 ranks over three manuals and pedal. The placement of the instrument along the central axis of the nave allows for optimal sound projection while enhancing the visual impact of the chancel space, most notably as natural light from the skylights reflects off the polished zinc façade. The painted, incised hardwood case is accented with solid walnut trim and gold-leafed pipe mouths. The case also features columns that emulate the columns found throughout the nave. The layout of the organ was intended to give each division its proper musical placement while providing easy access for tuning and service. The Grand-Orgue and Pédale are situated just behind and at the top of the façade, while the expressive Récit and Positif divisions are at the mid or impost levels. This arrangement establishes a leadership role for the Grand-Orgue and Pédale in accompanying congregational singing, while the Récit and Positif, placed at a lower level, are suitable for accompanying choral literature. Set at the very top of the case is a large semicircular arch that continues the barrel vault design of the nave, and allows for full projection of the Grand-Orgue chorus. While not strictly adhering to a particular historical period, the organ, both in terms of its stoplist and tonal approach, is a synthesis of the classical and romantic styles. This synthesis emphasizes a clear, singing quality in the individual stops, while providing depth and warmth when stops are used in combination. Each division contains a complete principal chorus, characteristic flute stops and a full battery of reeds that range from the very subdued to the fiery. Those who have experienced this instrument firsthand remark on how the organ increases in fullness as more stops are drawn. The favorable, but not overly reverberant acoustic is obviously helpful in this instance. The use of Berghaus custom slider and pallet windchests for the majority of the fluework and for certain reeds allows for a natural, unforced sound that ensures favorable blending qualities and excellent tuning stability. Much of the pipework in the organ is scroll and cone tuned. Stops on slider windchests are voiced on 3¼? of wind, while the majority of the reeds are voiced on pressures that range between 3½? and 4?.
The Grand-Orgue is based on a large-scaled 8? Montre constructed from 75% tin. This stop has a rich, full, singing quality, while at the same time providing articulation and clarity to the rest of the chorus. The 8? Gambe is a soft string with moderate sizzle. When combined with the full-bodied 8? Bourdon, it creates a secondary principal-like timbre. The 8? Flute Harmonique is an open flute throughout the compass and becomes harmonic at g32. It is well suited as a blending stop in the jeux de fonds combination, or as a solo stop when required by the Romantic repertoire. The 4? Flute Octaviante is a lighter and softer alternative to the 8? Flute Harmonique. Mutations in this division are based on principal scales and constructed from 52% tin. These stops are voiced to enhance the harmonic series present in the plenum. When used in combination with the flutes, the mutations provide a lighter, brighter cornet in contrast to the Mounted Cornet. The 8? Trompette is constructed from 52% tin, and contains English tapered shallots. Since the organ has a strong solo trumpet, this Trompette was voiced to blend with the flue stops within the division. The Mounted Cornet is scaled and constructed based on the French classical school. The 8? rank is a bourdon, with subsequent ranks being open. The 13?5? rank is proportionally the largest in scale. This stop, with its compass from c13 to g56, is musically successful in literature ranging from Byrd and Buxtehude, to Couperin and DuMage. The Trompette Royale is the organ’s crowning solo reed. Voiced on 10? of wind, the stop contains resonators that are hooded for maximum projection. Overall, the Grand-Orgue sets the tone of the entire instrument. Its placement at the center of the long axis provides an ideal vantage point for strong musical leadership, particularly in accompanying congregational singing. One stop from the former instrument was used in the new instrument. A 16? mahogany Quintaton was extensively rebuilt and revoiced to add a light 16? timbre to the Grand-Orgue.
The musical demands of the Anglican service require that an instrument have a wide variety of voices and dynamic possibilities, particularly in music for choir and organ. Given this situation, entire tonal divisions were designed to work as a unified whole. The Positif Expressif is also based on an 8? Principal of 75% tin and is designed to function as a secondary chorus to the Grand-Orgue. The gentle and singing nature of these principals provides ideal color for Baroque and Renaissance literature. Because of its enclosed placement, the chorus is extremely useful in accompanying choirs and instrumental ensembles. Flute stops include an 8? Bourdon (wood) and a 4? Flûte à Fuseau. In contrast to the Grand-Orgue, the mutations of the Positif are scaled to blend well with flutes versus principals. The 22?3? Nasard relies on Koppelgedackts in its bass octave. The 2? Quarte de Nasard is essentially a hybrid stop, beginning as a light principal, than taking on a bright flute tone in the treble range. The four-rank 1? Cymbale is useful as a chorus mixture, as well as offering a bell-like timbre to lighter textures. The two reeds include a narrow-scale 8? Trompette designed to blend with the principal chorus and an 8? Cromorne, which can be used successfully in either classical or romantic repertoire.
The Récit contains a wide variety of stops, each with its own unique construction. The Salicional and Voix Celeste are small in scale and slotted to give the pair a decidedly French sound. The 8? Flûte à Cheminée features long, wide chimneys for optimal harmonic development. The 4? Flûte Conique is of the Spitzflöte variety and is made of 40% tin. Perhaps one of the most unique stops is the 2? Flûte à Bec, or Block Flute, which incorporates large-scale pipework. Another unique feature of the Récit is the ability to combine the 8? Flûte à Cheminée with the 8? Voix Celeste. The separation that exists between the two ranks provides the slow undulating pattern typically heard in flute celestes. Since an 8? Principal does not exist in this division, the five-rank, 2? Plein Jeu is designed to reinforce the 8? and 4? pitches at earlier points than generally found in typical mixture compositions. The 8? Trompette and 4? Clairon are fiery reeds in the Cavaillé-Coll style, featuring ring and nut construction and resonators of 70% tin. The 8? Hautbois is reminiscent of the English variety. The 16? Basson is voiced to add gravity to the Swell reed chorus while introducing a lighter reed character in the Pédale. The entire reed chorus is placed at the back of the expression chamber with reeds voiced on 4? of wind.
The Pédale is based on the 16? Montre located in the façade. Given the variety of independent stops of varying dynamics and timbre, the Pédale division provides unusually full support for the demands of the manual divisions. The 32? Basse Acoustique is derived from the 16? Montre (unison) and the 16? Soubasse (quint). As an alternative to the 8? Pedal Octave, the 8? Cor de Chamois (Gemshorn) is suitable for giving the 8? line a more pointed emphasis, especially in Baroque combinations. The 32? and 16? Bombarde have wood resonators for maximum fundamental.
All aspects of the organ console, including the bench and music rack, were specifically designed for this instrument. The detail associated with the console complements not only the casework but many of the features that exist within the worship space. Since the director of music at St. John’s is both organist and choirmaster, the profile of the console needed to be low enough to allow the organist to direct the choir from the console. The low-profile French terraced design is constructed from solid walnut with added walnut veneers to insure the consistency of the grain pattern. Curved terraces are made from book-matched, burled walnut and are home to the oblique-face, pau ferro drawknobs. Stops are logically laid out with plenum and major reeds to the organist’s right; flutes, strings, mutations, and minor reeds to the left. Keyboards with maple naturals and walnut sharps feature top-resistant touch for maximum responsiveness. To keep the console free of electronic clutter, the memory level, record/playback and clochette controls are contained in a swivel drawer located on the right-hand side of the console.
The blessing of the new Berghaus organ and the newly renovated chancel was presided over by Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Diocese of Washington. In attendance were representatives from the Lift High the Cross Capital Campaign, the Organ and Architectural Review committees, Kerns Group Architects, Forrester Construction, and Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders. The organ itself was dedicated on Saturday, May 10, and featured nine prominent organists from the greater Washington area.
The completion of the organ is the culmination of many years of planning, preparation, and hard work by the individuals and committees at St. John’s, as well as the organ builder, architect, and general contractor. The result of this work is a grand worship space that uniquely fits the needs of the parish, and an instrument that will serve and inspire the congregation as well as the larger community for generations to come. Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders wishes to thank all those who helped make this project possible. We wish to thank The Reverend Susan Flanders, rector; The Reverend Harrison West, associate rector; Christine Walz-Dallaire, senior warden 2006–07; Ken Lee, senior warden 2007–08; Cynthia Stroman, organ committee chair; Suzanne Welch, architectural review committee chair and project manager; Bill Fry and Richard Saltsman, co-chairs of the Lift High the Cross capital campaign committee; Mike McConihe, chancellor; Douglas Beck, former director of music ministries; Anne Timpane, director of music ministries; Brian Briggs, parish administrator; and the many parishioners who gave of their time, talent, and treasure. Berghaus also wishes to thank Tom Kerns and Koji Hirota of Kerns Group Architects and Bassem Melham, Bill Morrissette, and Will Durham of Forrester Construction.
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders also wishes to thank members of its staff for their countless hours and dedication to this project:
Brian Berghaus, president
David McCleary, director of sales and marketing
Tonal design: Jonathan Oblander, Kelly Monette
Visual design and layout: Steven Protzman
Voicing and tonal finishing: Kelly Monette, Jonathan Oblander, Mitch Blum
Construction: Stan Bujak, Chris Czopek, Steve Drexler, Jeff Hubbard, Trevor Kahlbaugh, Kurt Linstead, David Mueller, Daniel Roberts, Tim Roney, Paul Serresseque, Ron Skibbe, Jordan Smoots, Paul Symkowski, Mark Ber, Randy Watkins, Andy Schach.
—Jonathan Oblander
Tonal director
Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders

From the director of music ministries
In January 2007, St. John’s signed a contract with Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders to build a new instrument that would fulfill and expand the music ministry’s mission and vision:

to explore the journey of faith and life through music; unite parishioners . . . by embracing and cultivating talents and gifts . . . enliven liturgy and community, nourish the musical and creative spirit . . .; inspire the people of St. John’s . . . strengthening relationships with God and one another.

St. John’s has had a pipe organ for more than 80 years. Organ music has enhanced important events in the life of the parish, from weekly worship services, to special holiday music, to baptisms, weddings, funerals and other occasions. However, progressive structural deterioration of the existing organ had caused significant wear and damage to the instrument’s infrastructure. The organ became increasingly unreliable, and so the decision was made not only to replace the instrument but also to think creatively about the chancel’s architectural design. Taking into consideration the size of the room, the number of people that the room will accommodate, and the desired uses of the instrument, it was decided to place the new organ on the central axis of the church for optimal sound projection and flexibility within the space. Berghaus worked in conjunction with our architectural review committee to find a harmonious blend of the advantages and challenges associated with the organ placement and chancel reconfiguration. The result is our stunning new three-manual custom-made work of art.
Berghaus was chosen by our organ builder selection committee after extensive information gathering and evaluation of the proposals submitted by several prominent organ builders. Berghaus’s excellent reputation, design philosophy, and character made them the stand out choice for St. John’s. Their attention to detail, dedication to craftsmanship, and ability to work within our timeframe and cost considerations resulted in an instrument that is not a reflection of me, or Berghaus, but of St. John’s and its parishioners.
Through the generosity of our donors, the work of Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, and the talents of the guest organists who helped dedicate the instrument, we have built an instrument that will enrich our worship and give music to lift our spirits for year to come.
—Anne Timpane
Director of music ministries

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GRAND-ORGUE – Unenclosed – Manual I. 31?4? wind pressure
16? Quintaton 61 pipes existing, mahogany, revoiced
8? Montre 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Gambe 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin
8? Flûte Harmonique 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, harmonic @ g32
8? Bourdon 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte Octaviante 61 pipes 75% tin, harmonic @ c25
22?3? Quinte 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Doublette 61 pipes 75% tin
13?5? Tierce 61 pipes 75% tin
8? Cornet V 220 pipes 52% tin, c13–g56
11?3? Fourniture IV 244 pipes 75% tin (19-22-26-29)
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
16? Trompette Royale 1–12 from Ped 16? Bombarde; 13–61 from 8? Trompette Royale
8? Trompette Royale 61 pipes hooded resonators, voiced on 10? wind
Clochettes 5 bells (with adjustable delay, speed, and volume)

RÉCIT EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual III. 31?4? (flues) and 4? (reeds) w.p.
8? Salicional 61 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8? Voix Céleste FF 56 pipes 6–12 zinc, 13–61 52% tin, slotted
8? Flûte à Cheminée 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Prestant 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte Conique 61 pipes 40% tin
2? Flûte à Bec 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Plein Jeu V 305 pipes 75% tin (15-19-22-26-29)
16? Basson 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin, 1–18 L/2
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
8? Hautbois 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8? Voix Humaine 61 pipes resonators of 52% tin
4? Clairon 61 pipes resonators of 70% tin, parallel open shallots
Tremblant
8? Cornet V — (G.O.)
8? Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

POSITIF EXPRESSIF – Enclosed – Manual II. 31?4? wind pressure
8? Principal 61 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Bourdon 61 pipes poplar
8? Flûte Celestes II (console preparation)
4? Octave 61 pipes 52% tin
4? Flûte à Fuseau 61 pipes 52% tin
22?3? Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
2? Quarte de Nasard 61 pipes 52% tin
13?5? Tierce 61 pipes 52% tin
11?3? Larigot 61 pipes 52% tin
1? Cymbale IV 244 pipes 75% tin (26-29-33-36)
8? Trompette 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
8? Cromorne 61 pipes resonators of zinc and 52% tin
Tremblant
8? Cornet V — (G.O.)
8? Trompette Royale — (G.O.)

PÉDALE – Unenclosed. Wind pressure 31?4? except Bombarde (4?)
32? Basse Acoustique — derived from 16? Montre and 16? Soubasse
16? Contrebasse (console preparation)
16? Montre (façade) 32 pipes 1–25 polished zinc, 26–32 75% tin
16? Soubasse 32 pipes poplar
16? Quintaton — (G.O.)
8? Octave 32 pipes 75% tin throughout
8? Cor de Chamois 32 pipes 1–12 zinc, 13–32 52% tin
8? Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16? Soubasse)
4? Basse de Choral 32 pipes 75% tin
4? Bourdon 12 pipes (extension of 16? Soubasse)
22?3? Fourniture IV 128 pipes 75% tin (12-15-19-22)
32? Contre Bombarde 12 pipes L/2 resonators of pine (extension of 16? Bombarde)
16? Bombarde 32 pipes L/1 resonators of pine
16? Basson — (Récit)
8? Trompette 32 pipes
4? Clairon 32 pipes
8? Trompette Royal — (G.O.)