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Fire at J. Allen Farmer

In the early morning hours of March 12, a fire ravaged the main building of the workshop of J. Allen Farmer, Inc., of rural Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Fortunately, no one was injured in the blaze. The building was a complete loss, including tools and equipment. Initial estimates of damage approximate $400,000 in cost. John Allen Farmer is determined to rebuild his shop on the same site.

Shortly before the fire, the firm had finished a project to relocate and restore an 1898 Hook & Hastings organ for St. Timothy Episcopal Church, also of Winston-Salem. The organ was dedicated in recital by Jack Mitchener on February 8. The program included works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Saëns, Arthur Foote, Gottfried August Homilius, Max Reger, and North Carolina resident composers Margaret Vardell Sandresky and Dan Locklair.

Opus 1801 consists of three manuals, 38 ranks, and was built for the former Winslow Congregational Church, Taunton, Massachusetts. The historic church was built in 1897 and was sold to the First Portuguese Baptist Church in 1969. That congregation was renamed the Baptist Church of All Nations in 1977. In 1984, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but it was demolished in the late 1990s.

Farmer purchased the organ (which had been inoperable for almost thirty years) and donated it to St. Timothy Church, where he is a member. The project began in 2010, as the parish raised funds for the organ’s restoration. The impressive case stands 35 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and 10 feet deep. St. Timothy’s nave was constructed in 2000 and seats approximately 375 persons. The Hook & Hastings organ replaces a one-manual instrument built by Farmer, Opus 22 (1994), which has been relocated to the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church in nearby Greensboro.

For information: http://farmerpipeorgans.com.

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American Institute of Organbuilders Convention, October 6–9, 2013

What do organists really know about organbuilders?

David Lowry

David Lowry, DMA, HonRSCM, is Professor Emeritus of Music at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the Parish Musician of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Columbia, South Carolina. 

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The American Institute of Organbuilders held its 40th annual convention October 6–9, 2013, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The AIO is an educational organization dedicated to advancing the art of organ building “by discussion, inquiry, research, experiment, and other means.” AIO members are professional organbuilders, service technicians, and suppliers who subscribe to the institute’s objectives and its Code of Ethics. There are over 400 members. 

Begun in 1973, the AIO continues as a vital organization with a fine board of directors, a quarterly journal, and a consistent pattern of annual conventions. The AIO awards certificates for Service, for Colleague, and for Fellow, based on tests of knowledge and understanding of organ building, similar to the AGO certifications for organ playing. 

At this 40th convention, there were some 180 registrants, including 110 members. About 80 elected to stay for a post-convention trip to Durham and Raleigh. There were 21 exhibitors, five of whom were from outside the United States.

Many organists in church and/or education positions inevitably know a few pipe organ service people, some of whom are actually builders of pipe organs. Many become friends and are often of great value to organists, who must defend their instruments by educating their congregations and colleagues on why an organ has to be “fixed” and why it “costs so much.” 

A few organists actually become adept at making a quick and safe fix to a problem without calling the organbuilder or maintenance people. Some higher-education institutions actually offer a course in how to take care of that one trumpet pipe that is out of tune before an important liturgy, or how to pull a pipe safely if it is ciphering, among a host of other little maladies. At the same time, plenty of service people can tell you horror stories of organists mutilating pipes with duct tape or bending them hopelessly out of shape. 

When organists gather in conventions, the focus is almost always on performances of music, plus workshops on everything from fingering to phrasing, or the intrepid pursuit of performance practice, or the history and analysis of music. 

How many organists know what organbuilders regard as important in their conventions? The difference in the two types of conventions—organists vs. organbuilders—is remarkable and encouraging. Despite feeling somewhat like a spy, this writer received a formal invitation to observe the 40th anniversary activities and report them to the organ-playing world. (I once enjoyed being an employee of an organ-building firm when I was a senior in high school. I learned to solder cable wires to junction boards, tune pipes, releather pouches, deal with Pilcher chests, and meet the famous consultant William Harrison Barnes! That did not make me an organ builder, but at least I understood some basics. All that was long before the computer chip.) The AIO may well be responsible for making “organbuilder” a single word. 

The 40th annual convention took advantage of some remarkable historic venues in central North Carolina, in addition to superb hotel accommodations with fine facilities for meetings, exhibits, and food. What is immediately obvious is that an AIO convention is not about organ playing. Little music is heard. When visiting organs, members listen to brief sounds of individual stops. They also sing a hymn during each organ inspection.

There were some pre-convention activities in Winston-Salem. On Saturday, some members visited the 1918 Æolian Company Opus 1404 in the Reynolda House; the organ’s restoration, by Norman Ryan and Richard Houghten, is in progress. On Sunday there was a visit to the organ shop of John Farmer, followed by choral Evensong at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with its four-manual, 50-stop Skinner organ, Opus 712, 1928, restored by A. Thompson-Allen Company. In the chapel at St. Paul’s is the two-manual, 17-stop, 2004 C. B. Fisk Opus 131, built in collaboration with Schreiner Pipe Organs, Ltd., Opus 8. That visit included looking at Fisk’s borrow actions. The pedal department of this organ has just one pedal stop and five borrowed voices from the Great manual. 

On Monday and Wednesday there were a total of eight lectures in the hotel lecture room.

 

Scott R. Riedel & Associates

“Working with a Consultant”

Scott Riedel discussed issues in dealing with church committees—from the tensions of committees saying “too much money for music,” “fear of fundraising,” “most people go to the contemporary service and never hear the organ [not true, they go to weddings and funerals]”—to the matters of contacting builders and reviewing how to achieve the best builder for the situation. 

 

Schreiner Pipe Organs, Ltd. 

“Pedal Borrows on Mechanical Actions”

For those committed to mechanical action, John Schreiner supplied video details on how to design borrowing manual stops to be played in the pedals: “Either/Or” is one way; “And” is the other way. Those deeply engaged in mechanical-action organs found
Schreiner’s acumen most valuable.

 

Joseph Rotella

“Saving Green by Going Green”

Joe Rotella of Spencer Organ Company, Inc., has great interest in keeping green, thereby saving “green” money. He explored energy conservation including government subsidies, electricity, vehicles, energy audits, waste and toxicity reduction, as well as personal health, gardening, and thinking “local first.” His logo signifying “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a powerful consideration for all builders. 

 

Charles Kegg of Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, and C. Joseph Nichols of Nichols & Simpson, Inc.

“When the Client Asks . . .” 

In response to the question “How many here have employed electronic sounds in your organs?” numerous hands were in the air. (As the English language changes, the use of “digital” and “electronic” is still in flux.) One of the two panelists of the discussion agreed to use electronic sounds for the bottom 12 notes of a 32 stop; the other agreed to be judicious about electronic stops, but “the organ needs to still be an organ when you pull the plug.” The discussion was unquestionably a sensitive one across the room, and it remained frank, polite, and quite ethical. 

A curious question sparked more commentary: for electronic sounds that are sampled, is there a warranty question about who owns the sound? The electronic-sound issue remains a very serious and sensitive question among organbuilders, for which there will be no immediate answer.

 

David Pillsbury

“Hearing Protection”

The guest lecturer was David Pillsbury, retired director of audiology and speech pathology, Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Organ technicians must be able to hear critical things in the way an individual pipe sounds, and how they relate to each other within a rank—whether tuning or voicing. The discussion included video examples on how the ear is constructed, plus important cautions on protection, and information on the various products that provide protection. 

 

Bryan Timm and Randy Wagner, Organ Supply Industries

“Scales and Why We Use What We Do”

Timm and Wagner provided a scholarly paper on “Scales and Why We Use Them, or, Starting with Grandma’s Meatloaf,” a fine academic analysis of how the modern organ industry has come to use the measurements of pipes, or just as importantly, how we alter those measurements. They promised to continue in the future to present the obvious next chapter: how pipe mouth dimensions are measured and employed. 

 

John Dixon

“Portable Technology for Business”

John Dixon is a representative from ComputerTree, Inc. of Winston-Salem and Atlanta, a technology professional services corporation. He reviewed a surprising amount of information about the advantages of digital communication that lightens the load of toolboxes and contributes to meeting needs while on the job and/or maintaining the business aspects of organ technology. 

 

Greg Williams

“Wood Finishing Techniques” 

Greg Williams, a private consultant to the wood finishing and refinishing industry, presented a two-hour lecture on waterborne (not water-based) wood finishing products and detailed procedures in wood products, for organs that include pipes, cases, façades, and consoles. The discussion included the production of new wood parts as well as the frequent need for touch-up techniques when rebuilding or restoring organs. 

A visit to Old Salem

On Tuesday, a short bus trip to Old Salem began in the Old Salem Visitors’ Center, a pleasant 2003 building in which an auditorium houses the 1800 David Tannenberg organ, restored by Taylor & Boody in 2003. John Boody, making use of excellent videos, talked about the restoration. Boody was most articulate and engaging in this fascinating project. 

He was followed by Lou Carol Fix, who read from her publication, “The Organ in Moravian Church Music,” outlining the significant influence the Moravians had in helping establish the use of the organ in Moravian worship. Following was a Singstunde (a Moravian Song Service), for which Fix played the 1800 Tannenberg as AIO registrants sang several hymns. 

Free time walking around Old Salem allowed the AIO into the Single Brothers’ House, where Scott Carpenter demonstrated the David Tannenberg 1789 one-manual and pedal, five-stop organ, restored by Taylor & Boody in 2007. Then in the Single Sisters’ House, Susan Bates demonstrated the Henry Erben 1830 one-manual, five-stop organ, restored by Taylor & Boody in 2008. 

Finally, we visited Home Moravian Church, where the 1800 Tannenberg was once housed, to hear the 3-manual, 43-stop, 1959 Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1340, with commentary by John Farmer. 

Some readers of this report who know Old Salem are aware there is a fine 1965 Flentrop organ in Salem College. The convention could not book the space because the Flentrop firm was contracted to be revoicing the instrument. As it happened, the work had been completed just before the convention, but the schedules could not be changed for the AIO to hear it. 

 

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church

Our fascinating visit to this fine modern building with a remarkably warm, resonant acoustic found the restored 1898 Hook & Hastings Opus 1801 (three manuals, 34 stops) being installed in the west gallery by John Farmer of J. Allen Farmer, Inc. The late director of the Organ Clearing House, Alan Laufman, brought this organ to the attention of Farmer, a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Farmer removed it from a church in Massachusetts where it had been dormant for decades and was about to be destroyed along with the building. Farmer stored the organ in his home. Progress was slow—another decade—before the church embraced the concept of restoring the organ in St. Timothy’s. Despite not hearing an organ, the AIO sang a hymn anyway to enjoy the wonderful acoustic. This promises to be a remarkable installation, with completion perhaps by Easter 2014.

 

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

An optional jaunt over to the School of the Arts drew only a few registrants to hear the 1977 C. B. Fisk Opus 75 in a concert by four students and their professor, Timothy Olsen. The students came back early from their fall break to play on this notably aggressive Fisk. It was striking to think of the positive future of the organ world with such well-prepared talent. Performers were: high school junior Raymond Hawkins, undergraduates Pat Crowe and Christopher Engel, and graduate student Daniel Johnson. 

 

Post-convention trip to Durham and Raleigh

On Thursday, the first stop, an hour-and-a-half away, was on Chapel Drive at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where the Duke Chapel remains one of our nation’s most thrilling architectural sights. There were four organs to inspect—count them—four. 

First was the recent organ by Richards, Fowkes & Co. Bruce Fowkes talked about the instrument and the space it is in, the Goodson Chapel of the Duke Divinity School, a remarkably fine room with a superb acoustic. Also on hand for the demonstration of the four organs were no less than Andrew Pester and Dongho Lee (they are husband and wife), who provided excellent contributions from the four consoles. 

Next was the two-manual, 21-stop, 1997 John Brombaugh Opus 34 in the small chapel, entered from the north transept of the chapel. The bottom manual is of Renaissance Italian design, and the second manual is Germanic, all in meantone temperament. 

The third demonstration was on the famous four-manual, 66-stop, 1976 organ by Flentrop Orgelbouw standing proudly in the gallery at the west end of the chapel. The chapel itself was built with the infamous Guastavino sound-absorbing tile that, at Flentrop’s suggestion, was sealed with a silicone sealant. Thanks to that, the chapel indeed sounds the way it looks: idyllic. 

The fourth event was the long-awaited hearing of the 1932 Æolian Company organ, Opus 1785, restored in 2008 by Foley-Baker, Inc. (See “Cover feature,” The Diapason, April 2012, pp. 25–27.) The organ has a new four-manual console to control the 6,600 pipes in five divisions, all in the chapel’s east end chancel. Once the demonstration of the stops was complete, Dongho Lee put the Dupré Prelude in B Major on the rack and thrilled the heck out of everyone. 

David Arcus, who for some 30 years was Chapel Organist and Associate University Organist, left Duke University at the end of 2013. Dr. Arcus was not present for the AIO visit as he was playing a recital elsewhere.

The final part of the post-convention activity was a visit to three recent organs in nearby Raleigh. 

The first stop was the Church of the Nativity, where the 2007 Andover Organ Company, Opus 115, two manuals, twenty stops (eight prepared), was demonstrated in the small worship space. 

Our second stop was at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, where Kevin Kerstetter proudly demonstrated the three-manual, 47-stop 2012 Nichols & Simpson, Inc. organ. 

The last visit was to the Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, where the 2010 three-manual, 43-stop Buzard Pipe Organ Builders Opus 39 is installed. The demonstration and singing of a hymn was led by no less than the builder’s son, Stephen Buzard, assistant organist of St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City. Following that, Stephen Buzard rendered a stunning performance of Edward Elgar’s Sonata in G Major, op. 28, featuring the organ’s symphonic character. 

That the AIO is 40 years old and clearly a valuable asset to the organ building industry calls for celebrating this milestone. Matthew Bellocchio of the Andover Organ Company and AIO President steered the banquet festivities with great sensitivity. His faith in convention chairman Stephen Spake, of the Lincoln Pipe Organ Company, was a mark of genius. Spake carefully and lovingly steered all the matters of keeping the convention on schedule, counting heads on buses, handling Q & A sessions with a portable microphone, and constantly remaining calm, contributing to a successfully run convention. He also played an important role in the planning committee. 

One might wish that the AIO would approach matters of the performance of organ literature more seriously, but then when one thinks what organists really want to know about pipe metals, leather, how pipes are measured, etc., the argument becomes nebulous. The two professions are individual art forms with totally different schools of knowledge required. The goal is for the two to meet in agreement of making sounds that convert souls and enhance the artistic excellence that humans are capable of creating. ν

Photo credit: Harry Martenas

Organ Historical Society 46th Annual Convention

by Malcolm Wechsler

The author thanks Scott Carpenter and Harry Martinas for editorial help with this report.

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The 46th annual convention of the Organ Historical Society
(OHS) took place June 21-28, 2001, in North Carolina, centering around
Winston-Salem. Convention registration brings with it the fabulous Organ
Handbook, with recital programs, organ specifications and photographs, and bios
and photos of performers. It's the Bible for the week, eagerly devoured, and
kept in one's library forever. As with last year, the editor this year was
Jonathan Ambrosino.

Thursday, June 21

The opening concert was held at First Presbyterian Church in
Greensboro, the perfect convention opening on several levels. The building is
stunningly beautiful, designed by Hobart Upjohn, modeled on the cathedral at
Albi in France, and somehow built in 1929 and 1930, in the height of the Great
Depression. It was able to accommodate the entire convention, not the case with
quite a few buildings later in the week, when we were often divided into
smaller groups. The organ, finished by Létourneau just last year, fills
the 1400-seat building with great clarity and power. It is a grand creation,
with large instruments in both gallery and chancel, beautifully encased. The
acoustic of the building is organ-friendly, but nothing more. Having chancel
pipes on both sides and a large gallery division placed very high up gives the
instrument a great presence. There is a very effective en chamade reed atop the
gallery division. The whole enterprise is undergirded by digital 32's, not
obnoxious all of the time, but often enough.

Bruce Stevens plays with grace and elegance. The program
opened with the Kerll Passacaglia in D Minor, which introduced us to the clarity of the instrument's choruses and
other combination possibilities, through a great variety of variations,
building to a quite sturdy ending. Next, Beethoven, Adagio in F Major (
Organ Sonata 8) played on a pleasantly limpid flute registration. Somewhere, at every recital of an OHS convention, a hymn gets sung, mostly meant to show the effectiveness of the organ as an accompanimental instrument, but the custom has taken on a life of its own. There is even a special hymnal printed, especially attractive this year. The recitalist gets to choose the hymn, and to accompany it with as much or as little freedom as wanted. The hymn, "I will give thanks with my whole
heart," to the tune Herr Jesu Christ, was sung in glorious harmony,
supported magnificently by Stevens. Next, Rheinberger, Introduction and
Passacaglia (from Sonata No. 8). This sonata is glorious, and both player and
organ did it complete justice. The huge power of the Pedal, some of it achieved
by illicit means (I would personally prefer a good Resultant), gave the ending
particular force. Then, Franck,
Choral No. 2 in B-Minor
style='font-style:normal'>; next, Stevens and flutist Marcella Leonard
performed
The Hedding Suite by
Everett Titcomb.
Liszt's Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
style='font-style:normal'> received a totally splendid performance, virtuosic
in the extreme, registered without fear, including the en chamade in the
balcony. The Liszt was a glorious ending to a great recital, and a promising beginning for the week to come.

Friday, June 22

The first full day plunged us right into the OHS convention
bus-church-bus-church routine at its richest and fullest, complete with an 8:30
a.m. departure (and I might add, an 11:30 p.m. homecoming). We had a wide
variety of experiences this day, in the vicinity of Danville and Chatham,
Virginia, a two-hour bus ride from the hotel.

The first stop was Mount Vernon United Methodist Church,
Danville, housing a gentle and lovely 1860 Boston-built Simmons and Willcox
organ, rebuilt with significant additions by George Bozeman in 1988. As this
organ was saved and relocated through the good work of the late Alan Laufman
and the Organ Clearing House, it was somehow entirely appropriate that this
recital was played by the new director of the Clearing House, John Bishop. The
program: Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 549), began quietly, very slowly, and passionately; the fugue, on the other hand, was quite quick, almost Newmanlike, on a reedy registration, building naughtily with the gradual opening of the box; Pachelbel, Aria Sebaldina (from Hexachordum Apollinis); Derek Bourgeois (b. 1941, student of Howells), Serenade, written for the procession at his own wedding, a fine, accessible work, in a fresh but not shocking harmonic idiom. The hymn, "Christ is made the sure
foundation," was sung to
Westminster Abbey
style='font-style:normal'>--we got to sing in parts in our usual impressive
way, complete with descant. Langlais,
Noël with Variations, Choral (from 24 Pieces for Organ or Harmonium); Lefébure-Wély, Sortie--this was so well done, it made up for the over-exposure from which this piece now suffers. He who occupies the director's chair of the Organ Clearing House is able to shape and encourage one of the greatest programs to ever come out of the OHS. Its achievements under Alan Laufman were noteworthy. We offer John Bishop thanks for showing us his musical side, and wish him the very best in guiding OCH in the years ahead.

At Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Danville, James Darling,
well-known for his many years at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, gave an
excellent recital on a Simmons organ from 1877, rebuilt with some tonal changes
by Andover in 1980-81. The program began with the Concerto in C Major, op. 6, no. 10, by Corelli, adapted for organ by Thomas Billington; then Grave (with variations) from Voluntary in D Major (op. 6, no. 5) of Samuel Wesley. The hymn, giving us a good chance at some excellent harmonizing, used the tune Hereford by Samuel Sebastian Wesley  for the text "O thou who camest from above" by
Charles Wesley. The program next promised more Wesley, but the artist had a
change of mind and moved smartly into the 20th century with a quite flashy and
wonderful chorale-based work,
Christ ist erstanden
style='font-style:normal'> by Ludwig Lenel, long associated with Muhlenberg
College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

After a good lunch at the Knights of Columbus Hall (bar
closed!), we moved on to First Christian Church, still in Danville, which
became the scene of an unfortunate confluence of realities. OHS really tries,
with the help of always willing volunteers, to get organs into shape for our
pleasure and edification. This recalcitrant machine (built at a time when
Möller could actually build good instruments), through poor design,
including really ill-thought-out tuning and maintenance access, and long-term
neglect, in recent years due to the poverty of the congregation, defied all
attempts to bring it "online." Just to get inside the thing, lots of
heavy case pipes have to be removed, this landing one on the huge reservoir,
and leading to other contortions to actually get at the pipes that badly need
ministrations. With the complexities of running smoothly a convention of this
kind, and it does indeed run amazingly smoothly, this poor old organ and its
condition did not get sufficient attention. Baxter Jennings, longtime organist
at Sacred Heart Church, where we had just been, was the unfortunate player
assigned to play this instrument. Susanne Martin, choir director at Sacred
Heart, came along to sing the "Pie Jesu" from the Fauré Requiem, but was overwhelmed mostly by a too-loud registration, which in turn, might have been necessary if none of the softer stops had sufficient notes actually playing. I think too, that Mr. Jennings was totally terrified by the experience of not ever knowing what notes might play at any given time, and by knowing that under these almost impossible
circumstances he was playing for a church full of organists from all over the
country.

The next event took place at Chatham Presbyterian Church in
Chatham and involved a 1912 Möller. This 17-stop organ showed that in the
early 20th century some very good things could come out of Hagerstown. What a
solid and lovely instrument, and what a player is Randy Bourne. For the first
two pieces, the organ was hand pumped, with all the well-known benefits of
this: a Praeludium (WV33) of
Scheidemann, followed by the
Prelude & Fugue in F Major
style='font-style:normal'>, from the "Eight Little," with supple and
sensitive playing. Bourne spoke during much of this concert, and the compelling
nature of both the playing and the chat kept the audience at full attention all
the way. One of the first things he mentioned was his use, in the Bach, of an
old edition of 1909, a product of its time, suggesting soloing out sections
using a solo Flute accompanied by strings. Would this have been taken seriously
by many organists as little as ten years ago? Some would say we are returning
to the corrupt old ways of the pre-Orgelbewegung days. Others, I with them,
might say that we have matured musically, and can now ask what is musical
rather than what do the "rules" say. Next, four gently busy
Variations on "St. Catherine" written in 1999 by Robin Rokey. Bourne then played a ravishing transcription of Mélodie in E-flat Major (op. 42, no. 3) of Tchaikovsky, with the Flute solo accompanied on that rarity, "an audible Aeoline!" This was followed by another successful transcription, of a Mussorgsky piece, Fair at Sorochintzy, with images of the Cossacks
riding into a village, destroying it, and riding off--exciting stuff! The
program ended with the hymn "Love Divine, all loves excelling," sung
to
Beecher. And here was a
recitalist who understands the wonder of hymn singing, and he gave us a chance
at some harmony, and accompanied rather than dominated.

J. R. Daniels, who is organist and choirmaster at Saints
Simon and Jude Church in Pittsburgh, has been around OHS conventions since
1994, in which year he was an E. Power Biggs Fellow. He gave a concert this
year at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham, on a much-moved 1865 S.S. Hamill
organ of about 12 stops. Taylor and Boody did a restoration in 1992, adding a
pedalboard and a Pedal Bourdon. Here is another recitalist who understands
hymns--he supported us gently in a sweet old traditional Roman Catholic hymn,
letting us happily harmonize to our hearts' content. He then made an apt little
speech about how much louder this gentle instrument would have sounded when it
was built, to people who had so little noise and music in their lives. His
recital made me wonder whether we have matured sufficiently to accept most of
the music on this program! Daniels is, at present, researching the music of
Théodore Salomé (1834-1896). The program began with The
Canterbury March
, by Harry Crane Perin
(1868-1933), not a work of much substance. This was followed by the essential
Lefébure-Wély, Choeur de Voix humaines (
The Nuns'
Chorus
), consisting of Flute solo with
flourishes, accompanied on strings. Next, a kind of ornamented aria on "My
hope is built," by John Behnke, born 1953. It was then Salomé time.
Daniels warned us that the next piece,
Offertoire in D-flat
style='font-style:normal'>, had been referred to by John Henderson, in his A
Directory of Composers for Organ, as the worst piece of organ music ever
written. The recital ended with a more interesting work of Salomé,
Grand Choeur in A, altogether a better piece than the previous offering.

After a good dinner at the Stratford Inn Conference Center
in Danville, we headed to The Church of the Epiphany. George Bozeman,
organbuilder and a regular recitalist at these conventions, played the first
half on a 1928 Skinner of 16 ranks, I thought not a very successful example of
the breed. Bozeman, as always, gave us something unusual and interesting--the Sonata Cromatica (Seconda) of Pietro Yon. I was sure that what we were handed next was not going to work, but I underestimated us. We had in our hymnals a choral score of the Yon Gesù Bambino, and led by an excellent soloist who also conducted, Robert Sutter, we did a wonderful job. What a great idea, and what an interesting recital.

After a brief stretch, the program  moved to the balcony, with its 1978 Andover organ of 38
stops, for a contrast of epic proportions. There are 12 ranks of mixtures,
given unpromising names like Cymbal, or simply "Sharp." These are a
bit uppity, but judicious registrational pruning can work wonders, and there is
much that is beautiful in this instrument. The upstairs organist was Kathleen
Scheide, and she began with  Aria: Quis mutuos amores, by F.-X. Murschhauser; the hymn "Everlasting Arms of Love" to the tune Galliard; O Lamm Gottes (BWV 656) of Bach; the Reger Prelude and Fugue in B Minor,  and then we heard from Ms. Scheide as composer in a very pleasant piece called Aria
La Romanesca
. The program finished with
Scheide's own transcription of a Mozart piano duet, K. 358.

Saturday, June 23

This day began with John Farmer's fascinating history of the
much travelled Skinner (opus 248 of 1916), now comfortably and happily living
in the great Vanderbilt mansion, Biltmore, in Asheville, North Carolina, thanks
to Farmer's alertness and skilled ministrations. The following rather long
Internet address will give the story in some detail:

<http://www.biltmore.com/just_for_media/news_releases/whats_new_concert_…;
and this address will show the handsome console:

<http://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore_house/pipe_organ.html&gt;.
There are a few infelicities, like a "genuine forced-air organ," and
other minor oddities, but if you don't know Biltmore, or even if you do, this
is all interesting reading. My thanks to Harry Martenas for locating these
sites.

Next we boarded six buses for the longest journey of the
convention, a bit less than three hours, during which we were shown a rather
good video about the Biltmore mansion. The Asheville part of North Carolina is
wonderfully hilly, giving the bus drivers some anxious moments maneuvering the
sometimes narrow streets, including the one which brought us to Mount Zion
Missionary Baptist Church.

Presiding over Felgemaker Opus 713, 1901, two-manuals and 26
stops, was Will Headlee, always a wonderful presence at these conventions. He
spent some years of his life in Asheville, so this was something of a
homecoming. Out of respect for the organ's lineage, he began  the first movement of the Mendelssohn
A Major Sonata
on original Felgemaker
sounds--distinguished and beautiful sounds they are, too. For the Andante, he
used the original strings. Next, two choral preludes by Ludwig Lenel: "Now
praise we Christ, the Holy One" and "How brightly shines the morning
star;" then
, Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
style='font-style:normal'>, Kellner;
Voluntary No. 1 in D Major, Boyce. This organ really does sing. I think everyone realized that we were in the presence of royalty, an organ with
distinguished beginnings well and lovingly restored tonally and mechanically,
with some additions, by John Farmer and Company. Also, somehow, in its
simplicity, the organ is really fine visually as well. Then, "Sarabande" and "Rhythmic Trumpet" (from
Baroques), Bingham; "Balm in Gilead" and "Swing Low," Utterback; Fantasy on "Roll, Jordan, Roll," Ralph Simpson (b. 1933), a really great fun piece (published by Morning Star); and the 1875 hymn, "I am thine, O Lord."

The next program took place at St. Matthias' Episcopal
Church, Asheville, and featured Carol Britt playing a one-manual organ built by
Reuben Midmer. Britt, organist and choir director at St. Augustine's Episcopal
Church in Metairie, made fine use of the single-manual instrument. The organ,
built in 1898, is original to this building. Ponder this from the program note:
"Original to the church, the Midmer organ is in a remarkable state of
preservation. Apart from maintenance and some patching to the bellows leather,
the instrument is essentially as installed 103 years ago." Was that a good
investment or what? The program: Triptych
(Prelude, Scherzo, and Fugue), Robert Powell;
Grand Triumphal March, Nicholls (1877), a real two-step played with wonderful panache. To play the Partita on O Gott, du frommer Gott of Bach on an instrument with limited variety takes a bit of work. With impeccable phrasing and some careful registration planning, this was a fine and arresting performance. It made perfect sense for us to next sing "O Gott, du frommer Gott," and we did indeed, happily with some directions for harmony and unison verses.

The next move was well up the social ladder, as we visited
the Vanderbilts in their stately home, Biltmore, in Asheville. After a lovely
dinner in "The Stable" on the estate, we then proceeded to the main
house to hear the organ, played partly by the Skinner player mechanism, and
partly by Kristin Gronning Farmer. Kristin, who chaired this convention, and
whose good and thoughtful work in that capacity we benefited from daily, has
also played for OHS conventions in the past, including Boston last year. In
addition to which, she is an organ builder, working with her husband, John
Farmer, and specializing in "gilding, pipe stencilling, polychrome
painting and faux finishes," which skills she makes available not only to
the "family firm," but also to other builders. After a demonstration
of some of the resources of the instrument, she let us sample some of what is
available on the Skinner semi-automatic rolls. It was all good fun.

Sunday, June 24

After yesterday's long ride to Asheville, we spent today
staying quite close to Winston-Salem, beginning the day at the hotel with the
annual meeting of the OHS. Bill Van Pelt presided, and those in charge of other
projects and committees of the society reported on activities since the last
meeting (in Boston in 2000). There were two E. Power Biggs Fellows this year:
Ryan Celestin of Metairie, Louisiana, and Bruce Ludwick, Jr. of Keyser, West
Virginia. An election of officers was held by mail prior to this meeting, with
some ballots submitted on the day. Elected as President: Michael Barone, whose
radio program, Pipedreams, produced and disseminated by Minnesota Public Radio,
is known throughout the U.S.

On to the buses at 11, going to the workshop of J. Allen
Farmer, Organbuilders--a great barn surrounded by beautiful countryside. On
display, a two-manual and pedal mechanical-action residence organ, two stops on
each manual division and a pedal 16'. Outdoors, on a perfect day, we were
treated to a fine buffet lunch.

Next stop, Maple Springs United Methodist Church to hear
James Hammann, who is on the faculty of the University of New Orleans, is
organist of St. Francis Xavier Church, and in his spare time runs an organ
maintenance business! The organ is a 1926 Casavant, originally located in
Detroit, but moved to Winston in 1982. Voluptuous describes it well, a 3-manual
instrument with all the good (big) stuff and a sound that is broad and warm.
The program: James Houston Spencer (1895-1967), Symphonesque
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 12 of 1933, a rich work, somewhat inventive
harmonically in a way occasionally somewhat reminiscent of Sowerby, followed by
our second convention performance of "Rhythmic Trumpet" from Seth
Bingham's suite,
Baroques, of
1944. This had the benefit of a wonderfully bold Trumpet, and was given a
really swaggering performance. Last, in this concert of music by composers who
lived at just about the same time,
Air with Variations (
style='font-style:normal'>written for William Strickland) by Leo Sowerby
(1895-1968).

Here, we did our famous split, dividing into two groups
because of some limited seating in one of the churches. My group went first to
Ardmore United Methodist Church, which houses an organ by Fritz Noack from
1978. Although I recognized a bit of aggressiveness in the sound occasionally,
its was more than compensated for by a luminous clarity and some really lovely
stops and ensembles. This was a most interesting recital, played by William H.
Bates, professor of organ at University of South Carolina in Columbia. He chose
"When in our music" to Engelberg as his hymn, which he played very broadly and did interesting things with the accompaniment. Abruptly changing modes, he played Retrové (Estampie III) from the Robertsbridge Fragment of the early 14th century; then Fantasie sus orgue ou espinette, arr. Guillaume Costeley, mid to late 16th century; the choral prelude Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich of Buxtehude, with the cantus on a beautiful Tierce with tremulant; John Stanley, Voluntary in C: Adagio and Andante; then, Brahms, Herzlich tut mich verlangen, played sensitively on Principal sounds; and Partita on "When in our music God is glorified" by Professor Bates himself. This recital was carefully designed to match the instrument, and all was played with great musicality, technical skill, charm and as needed, wit!

The buses took us then to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church for
a recital by Rachelen Lien, from New Orleans, where she is organist and choir
director at St. Matthew United Church of Christ and Parker Memorial United
Methodist Church. Lien chaired the OHS's national convention in New Orleans in
1989. Her assignment this day was to perform on the smallest instrument heard
in the convention, a charming Erben from 1851, temporarily living in the chapel
at St. Timothy's, while its home church in South Carolina is undergoing
structural work. The organ has one manual, no pedal, 5 stops, 5 ranks, 190
pipes! An 8' Open Diapason goes down to Tenor F, a Dulciana does the same, and
both are anchored by 17 pipes of a Stopped Diapason Bass. There is a 4'
Principal and a Flute to Tenor F. There is a very tight Swell box. For some of
the pieces, the hand pump was used. The program: Adagio in e minor
style='font-style:normal'>, J.S. Bach;
Allegro
style='font-style:normal'> from a Thomas Arne Concerto;
Soeur Monique of François Couperin, using the Swell box for the contrasts called for in the piece; Pastorale by Charles Wesley, using first the Dulciana, and then the 4' Flute for contrast, sounds of enormous beauty and integrity; Partita on "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman," Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732-1795). Next, mezzo-soprano Mary Martin, violist Tony Pruett, and cellist Worth Williams collaborated with Rachelen in the Brahms Lullaby for the Christ Child, opus 91. A really special treat, followed by another, the Saint-Saëns The Swan with cellist Williams. Following this, the hymn "Built on the Rock." A fascinating program, beautifully played, ended with a good chance to sing.

The convention then moved into the main church for two more
events, and they were something of a family affair, in the broadest sense of
family. It honored people of this community and people who worked to make this
wonderful convention possible. Starting with the organ builder: this amazingly
versatile one-manual instrument is Opus 22 of 1994, by John Farmer. Through the
judicious use of common basses, space and money was saved, and divided stops
made possible accompanied solo effects. The organist who next played a recital
and then accompanied Evensong was Scott Carpenter. He is assistant organist at
this church--Kristin Farmer is director of music. The composer whose music we
heard both in the pre-service recital and in Evensong itself is Margaret
Sandresky, another treasure of this area, of whom more later. The recital: Préambule (24 Pieces), Vierne; next, an anonymous 18th-century English Cornet Voluntary, and courtesy of divided stops, we heard a beautiful accompanied Cornet, three ranks just from middle c up; next a full Trumpet divided at middle c made possible a Trumpet Voluntary of Thomas Dupuis (1733-1796); then, Nun freut euch (BWV 734) of Bach; next we heard the really lovely Celeste in Prayer in E-Flat of Guilmant. The final works on the program were two
parts of an
Organ Mass by
Margaret Sandusky based on the little 15th-century waltz tune
L'Homme
armé
. This was a wonderful recital,
which fact the audience acknowledged fully. Scott Carpenter is a player of
great assurance, musicality, and clarity.

Next was a really glorious Evensong, sung by the splendid
unauditioned choir of St. Paul's, Winston-Salem, conducted by Barbara Beattie.
Evensong began with the Richard Strauss Solemn Entry
style='font-style:normal'>, with the Giannini Brass Quintet.
Preces
and Responses
were by Martin Neary, then
followed the hymn, "O blest creator, source of light," to the Haydn
tune
Bromley. The Psalm was No.
19, impeccably sung to a fine S.S. Wesley chant. The canticles (
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D) were by Sir Herbert Brewer (1865-1928). For the anthem, another lovely piece by Margaret Sandresky, The Turtle Dove. The closing hymn was "The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended," to the magnificent tune St. Clement.

After a good dinner at the Adams Mark Hotel, it was off to
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and a joint concert by Margaret and John Mueller.
The organ is Skinner Opus 712 of 1929. Aeolian-Skinner did some revoicing work
in 1965, and in 1996-97 the Thompson-Allen firm of New Haven, Connecticut, did
a complete restoration. The St. Paul's organ has four manuals, 42 stops, 51
ranks--not huge, but quite telling in the space. The event began with Margaret
Mueller at the console as we lustily sang "For All the Saints," to Sine Nomine, complete with harmony for stanzas 5 and 6. After that, came an organ demonstration (Margaret). We were handed a two-sided, tightly-spaced sheet describing the demonstration. There were seven sections for the demonstration of the reeds, six for the Diapasons (no Prinzipals here), seven for Flutes, and three for the Strings; ah, and one
short section for the Harp and Celesta! Each of the sections dealt with
divisions separately, and ensembles and stops alone in those divisions. We then
heard
March on a Theme of Handel
by Guilmant;
Fantasie in C,
Franck; and finally the charming
A Wreath of Carols
style='font-style:normal'> by Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921), making use
in lovely and clever ways of the
Sussex Carol, Greensleeves, Lo how a
rose
, and In dulci jubilo
style='font-style:normal'>. John Mueller then took over for a very fine
Sonata da Chiesa for Flute and Organ assisted by flutist Julie Frye, written (1998) by North Carolina composer Dan Locklair (b. 1949). Dr. Mueller ended the program with the Allegro from the Widor Sixth. The audience essentially erupted at the end of this definitely "feel good" program, a tribute to two North Carolina composers, two well-loved North Carolina organists, and a most beautiful instrument.

Monday, June 25

The day began with a fascinating lecture by Jonathan
Ambrosino, who was just finishing a two-year term as President of the OHS.
"The Residence Organ, 'The Final Touch of Beauty for the Well-Planned
Home,'" took us back to those days of "yesteryear," the early
part of the 20th century when even radio did not exist commercially. If you
wanted music, you made it yourself. Just about everyone had a piano in the
parlor, and someone in the family who could play it. Those with wealth and
space had pipe organs.

After the lecture, a short bus ride took us to Centenary
United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, for a concert involving Margaret
Vardell Sandresky and Dan Locklair. Centenary U.M.C. is not a small church,
surely seating at least a thousand souls. The church was begun in 1929, and
Austin installed an organ in 1931. With its usual uncanny thoroughness, the
Organ Handbook for the convention provides both the original specification and
that of today, after a number of revisions. The main redo was in 1963, not a
promising year! Right away, one notices that the Great lost its 16' Double Open
Diapason in favor of a Quintaten! Five 8' stops were whittled down to three.
The Second Open (albeit an upward extension of the 16') is gone, as is the
Doppelflute. The Great reed unit, Trumpet and Clarion, is gone. To be sure, in
the 1931 instrument the Great only went up to a 2' Principal, and that was an
extension of the 4'; now there is a IV Mixture, surely an improvement. The
Swell did not fare too badly, although it did lose its 8' Open Diapason, always
a shame, I think. It gained a 16' Contra Fagotto. I think I weep a bit for the
Choir organ, which must have had breadth and presence with an English Diapason,
Concert Flute, Flute Celeste, Dulciana and Unda Maris. These morphed into just
a Nason Flute, Dulciana and Unda Maris. It lost its Clarinet and Orchestral
Oboe in favor of a Larigot and Krummhorn. The Solo and Echo divisions are
changed somewhat in character, and possibly improved by the 1963 rebuild. In
1987, Austin made two additions of great significance: a not-too-frightening en
chamade reed in the back, and a solid 32' Bombarde in the Pedal.

The first part of the program was played by Margaret Vardell
Sandresky, who began with a work by her father, the first organist in the new
1931 building, Charles G. Vardell, Jr. (1893-1952). Appropriately, Mrs.
Sandresky registered using only stops from the 1931 organ. Skyland is a
wonderfully atmospheric work, with great soaring lines, and bits of nice glassy
effects, using also the French Horn and the Harp. Next, three works by Mrs.
Sandresky herself, beginning with a year 2000 commission from the Home Moravian
Church, a suite entitled The Good Shepherd, consisting of four chorale preludes based on Moravian Chorales; then a Wedding March written in 1982 while Mrs. Sandresky was organist of this church--somewhat British sounding, with great flourishes; and ending the first half of the program, En Chamade, written for OHS 2001. There are several movements, some with chimes, and some cleverly using the big reed in the back.

After a short break, the program resumed with Dan Locklair
playing his own music, beginning with a Fanfare for Organ
style='font-style:normal'>, written in 2000 on commission from Fourth
Presbyterian Church of Chicago. This was followed by three sections from the
Windows of Comfort (
Organbook 2),
commissioned in 1996 by First Presbyterian Church, Topeka, Kansas, and inspired
by that church's Tiffany windows. Then,
Ayre for the Dance and Jubilo
(A Prelude for Organ),
a 1998 commission
from the AGO for the 2001 regional competitions for young organists. Finally,
we had a chance to sing, and a good chance indeed with the Parry tune to
"O praise ye the Lord!"

We next did a rather free-form triple split. We all drove to
the great estate that Tobacco built, Reynolda House in Winston-Salem, spacious
and elegant. The room from which to hear the organ is not huge, hence the split
with assigned times for each group for hearing the recital, for eating lunch in
the various restaurants on the estate, and for simply walking around the
beautiful grounds. It did not work out exactly as planned, because it took
rather a time to check out the various restaurants and to get into fairly long
lines and to wait for service.

After this visit, the buses took us back to the hotel for a
rest period. Then, we rode to Greensboro for dinner at First Presbyterian
Church, and then to Christ United Methodist Church, the scene of which could
have been a convention planner's nightmare, but turned out more than o.k. We
were to have heard Lenora McCroskey. Ms. McCroskey suffered an injury to her
arm some days before she was to play, and realized it would not be possible to
meet the commitment. Her excellent former pupil Stewart Wayne Foster was,
fortunately, available to play. He is artist in residence and associate
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
organist of First (Scots) Presbyterian
Church and is founder/musical director of the Orchestra of St. Clare,
Charleston's first full-scale Baroque orchestra. Mr. Foster has been
coordinating the pipe organ component of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival since
1999.

We began with a hymn, "O Gladsome Light," to the
tune Cantique de Simeon, a Louis
Bourgeois tune harmonized by Claude Goudimel. The notes on the instrument
indicate that this was one of the organs completed in the last year of Charles
Fisk's life, 1982, and mentioned that it is  considered a sister organ to the one at Downtown United
Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York. Mr. Foster is a superb player, possessing a very easy sort of grace, his movements sure and musically based. With very little notice, he was able to put together a most interesting program. He also spoke very clearly and well, with comments carefully chosen and useful. Nicholas Bruhns,
Praeludium in e minor; Bach, Toccata in d minor, BWV 913 (written with harpsichord in mind); Clérambault, Suite on the Second Tone; a setting of "Amazing Grace" by Robert Hebble, who was one of Mr. Foster's teachers; Toccata on "Old Hundredth" by Jack Jones (another of Mr. Foster's teachers). The recital ended with the Final from the Vierne Third Symphony, brilliantly played. By this point, I had wondered if Mr. Foster, given the late notice about playing, had actually had a chance to go out in the room and listen to the instrument with his registrations. Some judicious pruning could have made the big moments more bearable, something that was very much wanted in the Vierne, which was so splendidly done, but was also painfully loud.

Tuesday, June 26

The day began with a lecture by Peter Cameron entitled,
"George Jardine and Son, New York Organbuilders--An Era of Spectacular
Organs." Cameron has had a long career in organ maintenance, repair, and
restoration, and from 1977 to 1994 served as maintenance coordinator for the
Andover Organ Company. His lecture was a wonderful appreciation of a once great
company, from one who has had extensive hands-on personal experience with their
output. A great story, well told.

After the lecture, we did our three-way split to accommodate
one very small but beautiful venue in Historic Bethabara within Winston-Salem,
the "Saal" of the 1771 "Gemeinhaus," the meeting room in
which services were held in the Congregation House. While one part of the group
was hearing the recital, the other two parts were visiting the historical exhibits and enjoying the beautiful grounds. The little three-stop, single-manual organ in the "Saal" is by Charles McManis, built in 1971 after a 1772 organ by North Carolina builder Joseph Bultischek, an instrument that perished in a fire in 1942. Sadly and strangely, no one knows what the specification of that organ was, so Charles McManis, fortified with some knowledge of other very small organs used by the Moravians, settled on an 8' Gedact, 4' Principal, and 2' Octave.

Michael Rowland is director of music at Ardmore United
Methodist Church, and staff accompanist at Salem College. He played an
18th-century program beginning with Four Preludes of the English Moravian,
Christian Latrobe (1758-1836), followed by three Bach chorale preludes: Erbarm dich mein (BWV 721), Gelobet seist du (BWV 697), and Allein Gott (BWV 717). We then sang Allein Gott, two stanzas with harmony provided--sheer joy in that lovely place. Mr. Rowland was then joined by Lauren Kossler, a fine violinist, and together they played a suite for violin and keyboard by John Stanley. Thanks to them both for a perfect program for a most attractive and historic place.

Andrew Unsworth played an 18-stop Hook and Hastings
instrument of 1924, with no stop over 4', in a quite dead acoustic at Calvary
Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. Both Unsworth and the organ conquered all,
aided, no doubt, at times by the 73-note chests and attendant super coupler.
Currently organist and choirmaster at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Durham, he holds a Ph.D. in performance practice from Duke. The program began
with two pieces by Henry Dunham (1853-1929), who taught organ at New England
Conservatory for 52 years: from the First Sonata in G Minor
style='font-style:normal'>, op. 10 (from 1882), an Allegro moderato, followed
by
Impromptu from a set of 12
pieces of 1912, op. 24; next, "Vision," Rheinberger, a lovely piece
requiring some dexterity at registration changes, which were very deftly
handled. The last of the organ pieces was the
War March of the
Priests
, Mendelssohn, played with great
flair and a fat and powerful registration--very satisfying indeed. Unsworth
proved himself to also be a very fine hymn player, giving really good support,
and doing clever bits of descanting, with a rather nice reharmonization of the
last verse of the hymn Redeemer of Israel, to a tune by Freeman Lewis.

Lunch was served at Centenary United Methodist Church,
Winston-Salem, following which we bused to Old Salem where we again broke into
three groups in order to accommodate the limited capacity of the "Saal" in the Single Brothers' House. While one group was at the recital, others were touring Old Salem. In the "Saal," Lois Regestein played her excellent recital three times in order to fit everyone in. The organ, by David Tannenberg, 1798, is gentle and sweet, and comprises five stops. The console is slightly detached and reversed. The instrument was rebuilt by Charles McManis in the mid-60s. The program: Organ Obbligatos to an Anthem, by Johann Ludwig Freydt (1748-1807); Fuga, by Johann Gottfried Gebhard (1755-?); Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, Prelude No. 6 in E-flat, by Christian Latrobe; Nun rühen alle Walder, by Ernst Immanuel Erbe (1854-1927), then another "Chorale Verse" based on the same tune, by Carl Anton Van Vleck; Voluntary IV in G, op. 7, by John Stanley; and then the hymn Morning Star, written in 1836 by Francis Florentine
Hagen (1815-1870). James Boehringer, former director of the Moravian Music
Foundation, and Kevin Brown, present administrator of the foundation, were both
acknowledged as having provided help in organizing the program.

We next walked to Home Moravian Church, where Paula Locklair
presented a most interesting slide-talk about the work of David Tannenberg and
his relationship with the Moravians in North Carolina. Mrs. Locklair has worked
with the various collections at Old Salem since 1975, and has been director of
collections since 1987, and is married to composer Dan Locklair. After her
talk, she introduced John Boody of the firm of Taylor & Boody, who gave a
slide-talk presentation about the company's project for restoring the 1799
Tannenberg organ for the Home Moravian Church. This is the oldest American-made
two-manual instrument extant. (For information on the project:
<www.taylorandboody.com&gt;.)

We then moved upstairs to the church, where the Piedmont
Chamber Singers, directed by James Allbritten, and accompanied by David
Pulliam, led us in a Singstunde, which is just what it sounds like--a wonderful
hour of singing, much of it done by us, with some choral works sung by the
Chamber Singers. We sang hymns that would be known to a Moravian congregation,
but not necessarily to us, and thus learned some new and quite interesting
hymns.

OHS planners always try to find occasional experiences other
than organs and organ music, and tonight was the night. We bused quite a long
way out of town to the Pollirosa Restaurant, obviously a very popular spot.
There was a long line and the place was really packed, but they were ready for
our group, and we had some wonderful barbecue and lots of other good things,
all accompanied by bluegrass music, live, on stage. There were also hayrides
available, but I did not notice any of our group indulging. We had six buses,
and they left for the hotel at intervals, so you could leave when you had had
your fill of food--and possibly of bluegrass. A lot of our gang really got into
it, singing and dancing up a storm, and me without my camera!

Wednesday, June 27

This penultimate full day of the convention featured an
array of various instruments. Here is the pipe count for the day: 362, 363,
951, 4926, 1038, and finally 6663. The day began with an almost two-hour bus
ride to New Hope Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, to hear Steve Barrell play
the 1987 one-manual organ by John Brombaugh. The program: Pieter Cornet (c.
1560-c. 1630), Four Versets on "Regina Caeli," featuring various combinations of sound, some of the fuller
bits somewhat on the harsh side, some individual voices quite beautiful.
Divided stops make possible solo and accompaniment, used to good effect. Then,
Johann Pachelbel (from
Hexachordum Apollinis
style='font-style:normal'>, 1699),
Aria Prima with Six Variations, the second variation on a beautiful Flute with tremulant. For something entirely different, we sang the hymn "Were you there," with a harmony of Barrell's own devising, based on the music of Fats Waller.

A very short bus ride brought us to Hillsborough and St.
Matthew's Episcopal Church for a recital by Grant Hellmers, an Australian by
birth, who has been at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond for 20 years,
and was assistant for the four years before that. Before his time in Richmond,
he held church positions in Australia and in Vienna. The two-manual Hook &
Hastings stock model organ dates from 1883. The program: Humoresque (L'organo
primitivo), Toccatina for Flutes
, Pietro
Yon; the beautiful Schübler
Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten, Bach, after which we sang the two stanzas given for the chorale, one in harmony, and the second in unison with a very nice reharmonization. The power of even half of an OHS convention was just too overwhelming (we were split in two groups at this point)--every stop was indeed on! Following the hymn, three charming pieces by Leopold Mozart, from Der Morgen und der Abend (Morning and Evening); then, "Lied" (from 24 Pieces in Free Style), Vierne, with the lovely Open Diapason for the melody; Percy Whitlock, Divertimento (No. 2 from Four
Extemporisations
); and finally, Allegro
(Number 6 of
Six Short Preludes and Postludes, Set 2, op. 105) of C. V. Stanford. Well conceived and beautifully played was this program, and the little stock organ really is
lovely.

Both New Hope Presbyterian and St. Matthew's Episcopal
provided lunch for their half of the convention party, after which we gathered
at the Chapel of Peace College in Raleigh, where Rosalind Mohnsen played her
16th OHS convention recital. The organ is a transplant, a gift to the college
given by Christ Church, Raleigh. I don't know how many intact organs by
Pomplitz & Company are extant. Here at Peace College, this 17-stop Pomplitz
found an excellent home, and it and the college were presented with an OHS
Plaque in recognition of this. It was accepted by the president of the college,
who said a bit about how much she enjoys this instrument. With only 17 stops,
this two-manual organ nonetheless has both a 16' Double Open and a Bourdon, and
is quite robust in other ways as well. The program began with March from Ten
Progressive Pedal Studies
of George
Whitefield Chadwick; then,
Gavotte Pastorale by Frederick N. Shackley (1868-1937); Prelude
in E-flat Minor
(op. 66-1911), Vincent
d'Indy (1851-1931);
Prelude and Fugue in B Major
style='font-style:normal'> (op. 99), Camille Saint-Saëns;
Pastorale in D Major, op. 13, William Wolstenholme (1865-1931); and finally an Allegro Moderato in D by Henry Smart (1813-1879). The recital came to a rousing close with the hymn "The Day of Resurrection" in glorious harmony to Henry Smart's well-known tune Lancashire
style='font-style:normal'>.

A bus ride brought us to the beautiful campus of Duke
University, with a chapel boasting three remarkable organs, upon each of which
we heard what could only be described as a perfect recital, tailored to match
the qualities of the instrument. We began at the west end of the chapel with
the famous four-manual Flentrop of 1976, with Mark Brombaugh offering a recital
of Buxtehude, Scheidemann, de Grigny, and a partita by James Woodman,
commissioned by Brombaugh in honor of his father. Woodman's Partita on
"Spanish Hymn
" was written in
1999 and comprises seven sections: Prelude, Chorale, Bicinium, Trio, Aria,
Fughetta, and Canon. The program ended with the hymn "Spanish Hymn,"
complete with three harmony verses and even a bit of a descant! The Flentrop
organ had a robust sound in the louder works and permeates the building wonderfully. The chapel's walls have been treated with several coats of sealant with excellent results. Equally impressive were the clarity and color of the quieter sounds.

The next event generated something akin to hostility. I
suppose the behavior of a few of our colleagues might be compared to the
reactions of some who demonstrated their opprobrium at the first performance of
Rite of Spring. Well, in truth, no
tomatoes were thrown on this occasion, but it saddens me to report that a
number of people left the building, saying things like "I don't have to
listen to this." Some even said things like: "I listened to the damn
Flentrop, but this is too much!" Meantone is not nearly as sinister as it
sounds! I heard Margaret Irwin-Brandon at OHS Boston the previous summer, where
she had the assignment of playing the Charles Fisk dual-temperament instrument
at Wellesley College. The anti-anything-different folks were in evidence there,
too. As at Wellesley, she chose a program absolutely perfect for the instrument
at hand: Frescobaldi,
Toccata Sesta, Bk. II, per l'organo sopra i pedali, e senza; Canzona Quarta; Toccata Quinta, Bk. II, sopra i pedali per l'organo, e senza. Then we sang "Savior of the nations, come" (Nun komm der Heiden Heiland), five harmony stanzas in our hymnlet, which means we all sang in meantone without any permanent injury, with the exception of stanza 3, which got switched amazingly into a triple meter, which we all managed quite well. Then Canzona II of Froberger, followed by Ballo della Battaglia of Bernardo Storace. Now, if anyone was in doubt about the personality of meantone tuning, the Frescobaldi works left no doubt. There are intervals that jar our "well"-conditioned brains and ears, and I found myself, as at Wellesley, looking straight up at the organ and listening with as much attention as I could muster--this contemplation coupled with a totally relaxed attitude. This is edgy, this is somewhat unsettling, but I can get used to it, and find these sounds more of a condiment than a threat. The very gentle beauty of this Brombaugh organ at Duke beguiled me into complete acceptance, and pleasure at having the opportunity to hear something from the history of our instrument. The Froberger was wonderfully gentle and sweet, and then the Storace was, well, a battle, with the little Regal on the Brustwerk doing yeoman service!

The journal of the Organ Historical Society is called The
Tracker, and back in the very early days, this was the perfect name.
Conventions included visits to, if not totally exclusively, almost exclusively
mechanical-action instruments. The broadening happened gradually, and now
convention goers visit historic E. M. Skinner organs, on which are often
conferred OHS plaques in honor of their preservation and maintenance. We have
often even visited new organs of note, no matter what mechanism makes the pipe
speak, e.g., the new Létourneau instrument at the first recital of this
convention! Welcome, I think, to the real world, with a broader view of real
excellence. I have not, and I know others who are driving the work of OHS have
not, abandoned a belief in the great virtues and advantages of tracker action.
This does not prevent me from thrilling at the sound of the Wanamaker Organ,
for example. The full circle we have made was brought into full view by all the
buzz and almost palpable anticipation of the next event, a recital on the
Aeolian organ in the east end of the chapel, an organ so reviled in times past
that there was a powerful movement to junk it. It makes the heart glad to know
that the OHS had a role in the campaign to save it, so there was some reveling
in all of this as we settled down to hear Ken Cowan give a convincing
demonstration of this instrument: Allegro vivace from the Widor 5th; Ave
Maria
of Marco Enrico Bossi (1861-1925) demonstrating the ravishing strings of the instrument; Roulade, Seth Bingham; Overture to The Flying Dutchman, Wagner; the hymn "In our day of thanksgiving one Psalm let us offer," to the glorious tune St. Catherine's Court, with harmony. (Let it be here stated that Ken Cowan does know how to accompany a hymn. I wrote in my book: "What an accompaniment!!") Words won't do in describing Cowan's simply stunning performance of a perfect piece for right where we were, the Liszt Ad nos, ad salutarem undam.

Thursday, June 28

The last day of the convention began with Rachelen Lien from
New Orleans, a regular performer at OHS conventions, giving a preview of a
January 2002 mini-convention entitled "A South Louisiana Organ
Odyssey." This event, to be held January 3-5, was to include tours of
plantations, monasteries, and convents, as well as the famous French Quarter.

A 45-minute bus ride brought us to the First Presbyterian
Church of Lexington, for a recital by Edward Zimmermann, a native of North
Carolina, now teaching at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. The organ, Opus
499 of Geo. S. Hutchings (1900), was relocated to this church through the Organ
Clearing House and members of the staff of Andover Organs, which company
rebuilt and enlarged the instrument in 1994. The program consisted entirely of
works by Otto Dienel (1839-1905), beginning with a chorale prelude on Lobe
den Herren
, for which Zimmermann used only
original Hutchings stops; we then sang just one stanza of the chorale. This
two-manual instrument of 23 stops and 28 ranks is very fine. There followed
three more chorale preludes:
Komm, O komm, du Geist des Lebens; Mach
dich, mein Geist, bereit
; and Wer
nur den lieben Gott lasst walten
. The
program ended with a three-movement
Grand Sonata No. 3 in F Major, op. 18, on the chorale Wie gross ist des Allmaecht'gen Guete. At some of the convention recitals, we are joined by varying numbers of members of the
congregation, which suggests the good news that there is interest in the organ.
From this church, there were many congregants, and I am sure they had their
interest and pride in the instrument strengthened.

After lunch in Winston-Salem, we moved on to another
surprisingly effective organ, speaking out of a very small rectangular hole
high on the east wall, looking for all the world like a large
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  
speaker enclosure. No date is
given for this Kilgen unit organ of 11 stops and 13 ranks. The church was built
in the early 1930s by a Presbyterian congregation, and the organ would seem to
be of the same period. In 1964, the congregation of St. James A.M.E. Church
bought the building. The organ was last played publicly 30 years ago. The last
time it was played at all was 20 years ago. At some point, before the organ
ceased to be used, some tonal changes were made under the direction of John
Mueller, which now, at this time of our organic thinking in the 21st century,
will either bring cheers or jeers. The Great 8' Open was replaced by a Mixtuur
III. The 8' Clarabella became a Gedeckt. The Dulciana became a 4' Octaaf. On the
Swell, the Vox Humana became a 2' Vlakfluit. When members of the convention
committee went to inspect this instrument, it was not playing at all--there was
no longer electricity to the blower. John Farmer and a crew, along with a
licensed electrician, got it all cooking again. There were a few members of the
congregation around for the recital, and I hope they might be persuaded to make
some use of the instrument, now that it can be played again. Those there seemed
impressed. Here we were treated to a concert by bass-baritone John Williams and
organist Max Smith. The program: Handel, Thanks be to Thee
style='font-style:normal'>; Mendelssohn (
Elijah
style='font-style:normal'>), Lord God of Abraham (preceded by the recitative);
Margaret Vardell Sandresky,
O God, my heart is fixed on thee
style='font-style:normal'> (Psalm 108); for organ alone: Adagio from Widor
Symphony No. 6; "I Stood on the River of Jordan," arr. Harry Burleigh; "Let Us Break Bread Together"; provided with full harmony, we happily sang "Fairest Lord Jesus" to the tune Crusaders' Hymn.

A 45-minute bus ride brought us to the third and last
"stately home" of the convention, the Chinqua-Penn Plantation,
devised and built by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Penn. A Skinner organ,
Opus 565, was installed in 1926. The pipes are in the basement, speaking out
into the great living room through large grates. For this visit, we were
divided in two groups to avoid crowding in the room where the organ resides.
While one group was walking the extensive and interesting grounds, the other
was listening to a recital, well played and chosen for the organ and venue, by
Mary Gifford, who is director of music at St. Leonard Catholic Church in
Berwyn, Illinois. Her program was perhaps a reproduction of at least the spirit
if not the specifics of what might have been heard by the residents of this home. There were four charming Edward MacDowell piano works arranged by Ms. Gifford: Hunting Song, An Old Love Story, To a Humming Bird, and the inevitable To a Wild Rose; next A Southland Song by William Lester, an English organist who settled in Chicago in the early part of the 20th century, and was for some years a reviewer for The Diapason; then we attempted to sing "When Mother Played the Organ," by George B. McConnell (text by Dick Sanford) and did not do
too badly at all. The perfect closer was the Mendelssohn
War March of
the Priests
arranged by Theodore Dubois.

After dinner at the plantation (one could get used to that),
we hopped on the bus for a one-hour relaxing trip to Greensboro, and West
Market Street United Methodist Church, where Peter Sykes played the final
recital of the convention. Organist at First Church in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, Sykes teaches organ, harpsichord, and chamber music at the Longy
School, and serves on the faculty of the extension division of New England
Conservatory. The organ at West Market Street is by Dobson in collaboration
with Manuel Rosales. Quoting from the Organ Handbook: "In the final
equation, Dobson designed and constructed the organ; Rosales provided basic
scaling with input from Dobson; and both companies shared equally in the
voicing and tuning process." Key action is mechanical, stop action,
electric. Some Pedal ranks are on electric action. There are three manuals and
39 stops, the third manual being a small Solo Organ, with an Harmonic Flute, a
5-rank Tenor G Cornet, an 8' Trumpet and an 8' Clarinet. The program:
Mendelssohn, Sonata No. 3 in A Major; a five-movement "suite" by
James Woodman, All Creatures of Our God and King: Sister Moon, Brother Sun, Mother Earth, All of Tender Heart, and Alleluia; the tune Lasst uns erfreuen appears here and there. Then, Tocccata in F (Bux 137); Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537, Bach; three "Tonstücke," op. 22 of Niels Gade; and to close, Duruflé Prélude, Adagio, et Choral varié on Veni Creator. The last hymn to be sung at this convention followed, a rather angular but ultimately attractive and singable tune by Derek Williams (b. 1945) to the text, "Give us the wings of faith." The Dobson/Rosales instrument, though not large, provided plenty of variety and color for such a varied program. There were, for me where I was sitting, a very few overpoweringly loud and harsh moments, and I thought it had to do with the Great Reeds, 16, 8 & 4, but others will have felt differently, I am sure. The instrument is surely a great success, and Mr. Sykes' performance was superb. The buses soon departed for the hotel, and one last look at the exhibits and the convivial bar  and it was all over for another year.

This was another wonderful OHS convention! Readers please
note: the 2002 OHS national convention will take place June 25-July 1 in
Chicago, Illinois. For information: 804/353-9228;

<www.organsociety.org&gt;.

Organ Projects

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J. Allen Farmer, Inc., Opus 58R

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Hook & Hastings Opus 1801

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

This instrument was recently restored and installed in the rear gallery of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church by J. Allen Farmer, Inc. It was originally built in 1898 by Hook & Hastings for the Winslow Congregational Church in Taunton, Massachusetts. The church passed through several owners starting in the late 1980s. By 2005, the city condemned the building, and it was demolished.

The late Alan Laufman, founder of the Organ Clearing House, was desperate to find a new home for the organ before the wrecking ball did its work and set about contacting every organ builder and organist in his little black book hoping to find someone able to rescue it. John Farmer got wind of its availability, made a hurried visit up north to examine the instrument, and was immediately convinced that in spite of its broken trackers, layers of coal dust, and silent pipework (power had been cut to the blower), it was a musical gem in a completely unaltered condition by Hook & Hastings, the firm that so dominated the American organ landscape of the last half of the nineteenth century. In a few months’ time, John negotiated its purchase and later organized a crew to dismantle the organ, have it packed into a large semi-trailer, and then delivered to Winston-Salem, where it was safely stored in the Farmers’ large basement for several years, awaiting a new home.

John and his wife, Kristin (whom some readers might remember as a past president of the Organ Historical Society) are members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and were instrumental in shaping the interior design and four-second acoustic of the then newly constructed sanctuary (2000) that was served by a large one-manual instrument: lovely indeed, but insufficient to support a growing music program and 350 hymn-singing parishioners. John Farmer decided to create a unique opportunity for his home parish by donating the Hook & Hastings with only one condition: another organ shop would have to undertake its restoration. Only in this way would that small cloud of suspicion be removed from the project.

After some lengthy discussions, a St. Timothy’s organ oversight committee was formed and vested with making recommendations for the future of the gift. The committee recommended to the vestry that a fundraising project (outside the normal church budget) be undertaken to restore the organ and have it installed in the rear choir gallery of the sanctuary. A very successful campaign quickly raised all the funds for this ambitious project. At the same time, a series of “after service meetings” were held to apprise the congregation of the special opportunity that the church had been given. Bids were solicited from several respected organ restoration firms, but the committee insisted the Farmer firm be given an opportunity to bid as well. In the end, the contract was awarded to J. Allen Farmer, Inc.

Early in the process of restoring the organ, the committee made the decision not to embark on an item-by-item restoration but to preserve its essential elements and at the same time make those adjustments and additions that should be expected in a good modern instrument. To this end, they decided to preserve and restore the mechanical key action of the manuals, change the pneumatic stop action to electric stop action (thereby eliminating a sluggish system and its excessive wind noise), and add a modern combination action. The only stop to be added was a full length Trombone 16. However, this presented the builder with a challenge since the only available space for the stop was a low ceiling alcove behind the casework. The solution was simple: move the existing pedal Bourdon 16 onto new electric offset chests (1–12 mounted horizontally) and in its place, plant the new Trombone 16 on the original pedal slider chest at the left side of the case, which has ample height for those very tall resonators. This also created the opportunity to make a 32 acoustic stop using 12 new 1023 pipes in conjunction with the electrically fired Bourdon 16—a useful, economical, and clever use of the space. The massive double horizontal-rise bellows (12 x 6) also came with two feeders that allowed the instrument to be hand pumped, albeit with considerable effort. However, a blower was provided if you did not want the exercise.

For an instrument over a hundred years old, it was in quite good condition. The pipework, cone tuned up to 1 pitch, had suffered only minor damage through its tuning history. Yes, a thorough cleaning of all pipes, parts, and casework was mandated. Decades of heating the church with coal had covered every nook and cranny with a thick layer of soot. It was this task that members of the church were given. Over the course of the project, some 50 parishioners volunteered over 800 hours of work: cleaning, moving, and organizing the tens of thousands of organ bits and pieces. The Farmer shop tries to involve parishioners with all their projects. Not only does it reduce cost, but more importantly it gives people a real hands-on experience that conveys a pride of ownership not possible any other way. 

The organ fits in the gallery as if the space had been planned for it. Kristin Farmer, the shop’s specialist in pipe stenciling and gilding, was responsible for restoring the organ’s polychrome façade. Even though the original paint had faded, she was nonetheless able to determine original colors and patterns. The façade makes a very elegant and dazzling statement.

The Hook & Hastings has proven to be a musical jewel in every respect. Possibly due to its relatively low wind pressure, it is not oppressive in its highly reverberant environment. The softer stops, flutes, strings and celeste, are particular delights. Among the reeds, the Clarinet stands out. To quote Mr. Farmer, “Although a clear reflection of the late nineteenth-century musical style, this 1898 organ also exhibits many of those qualities later exhibited in the American Classic style of the twentieth century—a very handsome organ to the eye and ear that I think successfully straddles both schools.”

Jack Mitchener, professor of organ in the Townsend School of Music at Mercer University, played the dedication recital in February 2015 to a standing-room-only crowd of over 500.

—John R. Shannon

Professor Emeritus

Sweetbriar College

 

GREAT (61 notes, unenclosed)

16 Dbl Open Diapason  61 pipes Open metal, façade

8 Open Diapason 61 pipes Open metal

8 Viol da Gamba 61 pipes Open metal

8 Viola 61 pipes Open metal

8 Doppel Flute 61 pipes Stopped wood

4 Octave 61 pipes Open metal

3 Twelfth 61 pipes Open metal

2 Fifteenth 61 pipes Open metal

113 Mixture III 183 pipes Open metal

8 Trumpet 61 pipes Tapered metal

SWELL (61 notes, enclosed)

16 Bourdon (treble) 44 pipes Stopped wood

      Bourdon (bass) 17 pipes Stopped wood

8 Open Diapason 61 pipes Open metal

8 Stopped Diapason 61 pipes Stopped wood

8 Salicional 61 pipes Open metal

8 Voix Celeste 61 pipes Open metal

8 Aeoline 61 pipes Open metal

4 Flauto Traverse 61 pipes Open wood

4 Violina 61 pipes Open metal

2 Flautino 61 pipes Open metal

3 Dolce Cornet 183 pipes Open metal

8 Vox Humana 61 pipes Stopped metal

8 Oboe 61 pipes Tapered metal

8 Cornopean 61 pipes Tapered metal

Tremolo

CHOIR (61 notes, unenclosed)

8 Geigen Principal 61 pipes Open metal

8 Melodia 61 pipes Open wood

8 Dulciana 61 pipes Open metal

4 Flute d’Amour 61 pipes Stopped wood

4 Fugara 61 pipes Open metal

2 Piccolo Harmonique 61 pipes Open metal

8 Clarinet (TC) 49 pipes Open metal

PEDAL (30 notes, unenclosed)

32 Grand Bourdon 12 pipes 16 Bourdon & 1–12 1023 Quint

16 Dbl. Open Diapason 30 pipes Open wood

16 Bourdon 30 pipes Stopped wood

8 Violoncello 30 pipes Tapered metal

16 Trombone 30 pipes Wooden resonators, full length

 

2,194 pipes, 38 ranks

 

Accessories

Couplers: Sw. to Ped., Gt. to Ped., Ch. to Ped., Sw. to Gt., Ch. to Gt., Sw. to Ch.

Combination Action: 8 general thumb & toe pistons

12 divisional pistons

Set and Cancel pistons

Tutti

Great to Pedal reversible

99 memory levels with LED display

Sequencer

Zimbelstern

Balanced Swell shoe

Crescendo shoe

Lights: music rack & pedalboard

Wind pressure = 3½ inches

Wind indicator

Blower on/off toe stud

Adjustable dogleg bench

Cone-tuned pipework 

Equal temperament, a = 435

 

Organ Historical Society Convention

July 12–18, 2005

Ronald E. Dean

Ronald E. Dean is Organist and Choirmaster at the Church of the Holy Cross (Episcopal), in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Professor of Music, Emeritus, at the Hurley School of Music, Centenary College. A graduate of Williams College and The University of Michigan, his organ study was with Frederick Kinsley, Robert Barrow, and Robert Noehren.

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The fiftieth convention of the Organ Historical Society was itself an historical occasion and was held in an appropriately historical locale in Massachusetts, the “Old Colony,” part of which had been the center of the first permanent English settlement of colonists who came to New England in 1620. Headquarters was the Radisson Hotel in Brockton, a convenient departure spot for the many bus trips to the week’s events. Keywords for the convention were “History” (lots of it), “Heritage” (cultural, sociological and organ), and “Hope” (one senses an optimistic future). To these three “H’s” should be added “HOT,” since the afternoon and evening programs were accompanied by one of the famous New England summer heat waves, creating some very uncomfortable conditions for both listeners and performers.

Tuesday

Even though most of the week’s activities centered around the larger metropolitan areas of the “Silver City” of Taunton, the Fall River of Lizzie Borden and her axe, and the New Bedford of Herman Melville and Moby Dick, the first event took place in Providence, Rhode Island. Peter Krasinski played a recital on the 3-manual Hutchings-Votey, Op. 1637 of 1912, at First Church of Christ, Scientist. The imposing and dignified structure is located in the historic College Hill section, which is noted for the outstanding architecture of its many residences as well as being the site of Brown University. His program: chorale prelude on the tune Freedom, improvised by Krasinski; the hymn “Saw Ye My Saviour” sung to the tune Freedom; “Thine Is the Greatness,” Galbraith, sung by soprano Gina Beck; Lyric Rhapsody, Wright; the hymn “Come, Labor On” sung to the tune Qui Laborat Orat, followed by Krasinski’s improvisation on the same tune. This first half was based on the order of the Christian Science service. Post-intermission selections were Allegro (Symphony No. 5) and Serenade, both by Widor; Fantasia in E-Flat, Saint-Saëns; selections from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Grieg, followed by an encore: Arab Dance, also by Grieg. The much-rebuilt organ contains the color and hefty dignity associated with a late Hutchings but seemed unable to take advantage of the rather good acoustical setting offered by the tastefully appointed Beaux Arts style interior. One conventioneer was heard to mutter, “ . . . the chamber must be lined with Celotex!”

Wednesday

The first full day of the convention began at the North Congregational Church in the charming small town of North Middleboro. Cheryl Drewes played on a somewhat earlier Hutchings 2-manual tracker, Op. 339 of 1895, as restored by Roche in 1992. The small organ sang out its rich and colorful sounds as Ms. Drewes performed expertly. Her husband, organ builder and organist Tim Drewes (to be heard later in the convention), assisted at the console. The program: Concerto in C Major, BWV 595, Ernst/Bach; Three Partitas from Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig, Böhm; the hymn “Come Down, O Love Divine” sung to Down Ampney; Response, Chadwick; The Baltimore Todolo, Blake; Offertorio, Petrali. Drewes did a fine job of displaying the musical versatility of this little nine-rank jewel, which sounded superb in spite of being in a totally carpeted and cushioned room. The United Methodist Church in Bridgewater hosted the next recital—yet another demonstration of the potential of a small tracker (only six ranks this time). This Hook & Hastings 2-manual, Op. 2325 of 1913, was the first of 14 Hooks to be heard during the convention. This great little organ, restored and somewhat repositioned by the Andover Organ Co. in 1998, benefits from a sympathetic acoustical environment and proved once again that a small instrument, well voiced and well maintained, can serve a wide variety of literature. This was amply demonstrated by the wise programming and artistic playing of organist Steven Young and trombonist Douglas Wauchope in the following program: Old Hundred, op. 49, no. 2, Buck; Variations to the Sicilian Hymn, Carr; Solemnities for Trombone and Organ, Pinkham; the hymn “Break Thou the Bread of Life” sung to the tune Bread of Life; and Sonata II in C major, op. 5, Thayer.
Since the previous two programs were presented in churches with limited seating capacity, the convention had split into “A” and “B” groups with the performances repeated. The entire group reassembled in the historic 1845 Meeting House of the First Parish Church (UU) in Bridgewater where Marian Ruhl Metson played the following program on an Andover reconstruction of what had been a highly altered E. & G. G. Hook 2-manual tracker, Op. 132 of 1852: Voluntary in A Major, Selby; God Save the King with New Variations, Wesley; “Voluntary for the Cornet” (from An English Suite), Dahl; Chorale, Aria and Toccata, Sandowski; “Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele” (from Eleven Chorale Preludes, op. 122), Brahms; Pavane, Fauré, arr. Paxton; Flowers of the Forest, anon.; Newburyport Polka, Johnson; Le Cygne, Saint-Saëns; Toccatina, Whiting; and the hymn “A Fierce Unrest” sung to the tune Salvation. Ms. Metson, as usual, had the organ give a good account of itself in the somewhat dry acountics of the very interesting building. The ceiling has acoustical tiles (certainly not an original 1845 item!) and wall decorations that at first glance appear to be applied architectural features, but are instead expertly executed trompe-l’oeil painted simulations. Behind the high central pulpit (a feature of many Protestant churches of the era) there is a dramatic painting of a scene that brings one’s eye into a perspective of considerable depth.
The group then walked across the street to Tillinghast Hall on the campus of Bridgewater State College for a buffet lunch and the official Annual Meeting of the Organ Historical Society. Prior to both events, Lisa Compton, a professional historian as well as a musician (and wife of convention co-chair Matthew Bellocchio), gave a slide-lecture on “Old Colony Origins, Organs and Oddities.” Her presentation was at once scholarly, entrancing, humorous, and informative—a tour de force result of deep and intense research coupled with an obvious love of the topic.
The business meeting was handled with reasonable dispatch since written reports had already been distributed to the membership. During this period, Derek Nickels made the formal introduction of this year’s Biggs Fellows, Bradley Althoff from St. Paul, Minnesota; Christopher Deibert from South Amboy, New Jersey; and Rachel Tissue from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The results of the election of officers and councilors were read from the podium and are published in The Tracker. Two items deserve special mention here: first, the Distinguished Service Citation presented to Rachelen Lien of New Orleans, a true “spark plug” and enthusiastic member, promoter and councilor of the OHS for many years; and, second, the announcement of the “hot off the press” publication of a festschrift written in honor of Barbara Owen. She is one of the nation’s most knowledgeable scholars of American organ history and the first president of the OHS. The beautiful volume, titled Litterae Organi, contains a variety of articles by 15 distinguished authors. Published by the OHS Press, it is available from the Society (www.ohscatalog.org). Both honorees were genuinely moved and obviously totally surprised by the awards. Their reactions proved that secrets can indeed be kept!
A more somber announcement concerned the fact that long-time OHS member and former editor of The Tracker, John Ogasapian, had died on Monday that week as the result of a mercifully short battle with cancer.
The group then split again to hear two short recitals in the historically important town of North Easton, known for its large collection of 19th-century buildings designed by the noted Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Convention co-chair (and indefatigable tour commentator) Richard Hill played the following program in Unity Church (UU) on a much-rebuilt Hook & Hastings, Op. 786 of 1895, as modified by Aeolian-Skinner and others: the hymn, “Rank by Rank Again We Stand” (get it?) sung to the tune Reunion; Festal March, Clark; Minuetto, Shelley; and Ballet Egyptien, Luigini, arr. Feibel. The building, unlike many rather stark and unadorned Unitarian churches in New England, is a highly decorated Victorian neo-Gothic delight that features elaborate wood carvings (added later) and two magnificent large LaFarge stained glass windows at the ends of both transepts. Since the organ console is directly opposite the “Angel of Help” window (said to be LaFarge’s masterpiece), Hill admitted to being so entranced by the changing colors and moods of the window, that he frequently is distracted from his organ practice by its overwhelming beauty. Since Hill has been organist of the church for 28 years, he was able to demonstrate effectively the color and power potential of the small 2-manual instrument in spite of the fact that it must speak through some of the openings in the spectacular wood carvings located at the front of the church.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in North Easton was the site for a short recital by Kevin Birch on a 3-manual Hook & Hastings tracker, Op. 254 of 1859, that had been added to and rebuilt several times prior to its relocation to Holy Trinity in 1982. Andover Organ Company accomplished a very effective restorative transplant into the rear gallery of a typical 1950s A-frame church. The organ has both a visually and sonically splendid presence in the room whose fine acoustics are enhanced by its high peaked roof. Birch, a superb player, presented the following program: Variaties over “Ontwaak, gij die slaapt,” Bolt; the hymn “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray” sung to the tune Straf mich nicht; Cantilena in G, op. 71, no. 1, Foote; and Prelude No. 3 in d, Mendelssohn. The result was distinguished playing on a terrific instrument.
After a short time to explore the sights of North Easton, we returned to Brockton and the hotel for dinner and then departed for the evening program—a recital by Bruce Stevens at St. Jacques R.C. Church in Taunton. The organ, a 2-manual Hook & Hastings tracker, Op. 1595 of 1894, was originally installed in St. Mathieu R.C. Church, Fall River, then restored and moved to St. Jacques by the Delisle Pipe Organ Co. in 1989. Fr. Thomas Morrissey, who gave a warm welcome to the conventioneers and the many other listeners, noted that he had also served St. Mathieu when the organ had been there, and that the organ “ . . . fits [the church] like a glove” and that [it] “ . . . sounds even better here than it did at St. Mathieu.” The lively acoustics, enhanced by the high barrel vault ceiling, and the fine installation all responded to Bruce Stevens’ expert, dramatic, yet always flexible, playing. The result was a wonderfully satisfying musical experience with which to end the first full day of the convention. His program: Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, Böhm; Partita on Werde munter, Pachelbel; Four Pieces for Trumpet Clock, W. A. Plagiavsky Mozart; Toccata, Adagio and Fugue, BWV 564, Bach; the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” sung to the tune Hyfrydol; Benedictus, op. 59, no. 9, and Scherzo, op. 65, no. 10, Reger; and Sonata 13 in E-flat Major, op. 161, Rheinberger. The quasi-Mozart piece was a whimsical bit of musical entertainment in the guise of a serious musicological discovery of great importance—it ended with a movement titled “Rondo alla Turkey,” an obvious reference to one of Mozart’s most well-known piano movements. It was accompanied by a set of program notes done up in the best academic garb to trap the unwary.

Thursday

Again, we split into two groups for the morning’s events in Swansea. Robert Barney played a short program on a somewhat altered, small 2-manual Hutchings tracker, Op. 515 of 1900. The instrument is in a chamber on the Epistle side of the chancel of the elegant and intimate Christ Church (Episcopal). The façade of the organ (designed by Henry Vaughan) is exquisitely designed as is the entire church. Unfortunately, much of Barney’s well-chosen program was marred by the sound of hammering and sawing from a building next door. Thanks to co-chair Richard Hill, who dashed out to get the workmen to cease their activities, Barney was able to soldier on through the following program: Fantasia und Fuge in c moll, Wq 119, no. 7, C.P.E. Bach; Andante in G, S. S. Wesley; Fiat Lux (from Twelve Pieces), Dubois; and the hymn “When in Our Music God Is Glorified” sung to Engelberg.
The next program was in the First Christian Congregational Church where Thomas W. D. Guthrie played its one-manual, eight-stop E. & G. G. Hook, Op. 460 of 1868, as restored by Andover in 1963. The little organ sang out its wonderfully bright yet warm sounds in the following selections: La Marseillaise, Rouget de Lisle (performed in honor of “Bastille Day,” July 14, the day of this program); Liberty March, Frysinger; Fanfare, Mason; Nachspiel, Bruckner; Navidad (from Seis Piezas Breves), Torres; Welcome the Nation’s Guest (“A Military Divertimento, Composed & Respectfully Dedicated to General Lafayette on his visit to Providence”), Shaw; and the hymn “Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve” sung to the tune Christmas. Tommy Lee Whitlock provided narration in the naïvely charming Shaw tribute to Lafayette while attired in appropriate 18th-century costume. Guthrie did an outstanding job of providing a program that allowed the fine little instrument to display the surprisingly large variety of registrational effects available from only eight ranks.
The whole group then assembled in Fall River and the freshly redecorated St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, where Kimberly Hess played on a highly altered example of a rare 2-manual tracker originally built by W. K. Adams & Son of Providence in 1883. The organ had suffered some damage in the 1980s by some unfortunately placed scaffolding. It was returned to at least a modicum of playing condition by the valiant work of some OHS members and others. Ms. Hess did a fine job of music-making in the following program: the hymn “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” sung to Lobe den Herren; Elevation No. 2 in c minor, Batiste; Reverie and Elegie, Still; Petit Prélude in g minor (Aria), Jongen; and Postlude on a Theme by Handel, Guilmant.
The undercroft of Good Shepherd Parish (R.C.) in Fall River was the site for lunch after which we went upstairs into the vast, high, and beautiful main church for a particularly fine recital by Kevin Kissinger on yet another transplanted instrument: what had been a large 2-manual Erben of 1863 originally in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Providence and later moved to Fall River. Welte-Whalon did some alterations and reconstruction in 1954. Organbuilder Ray Whalon, the present organist of the parish, was introduced and justifiably commended for his fine work. The organ, enhanced by the church’s superb acoustics, was masterfully handled in Kissinger’s program: the hymn “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” sung to Old Hundredth, then selected portions of Concert Variations on Old One Hundred, Paine; then Celeste (which also features the Melodia stop), Kissinger.
A rare treat followed with Mark Steinbach playing a true historic survivor, an original 2-manual, nine-rank Möller, Op. 864 of 1908, in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. It has been wonderfully maintained and sounded out proudly in the following eclectic program: Sonatina per offertorio e postcommunio, Bergamo; Le jardin suspendu, Alain; “The Cat” and “Grandfather’s Wooden Leg” (from Fireside Fancies), Clokey; the hymn “By All Your Saints Still Striving” sung to King’s Lynn; and Rondo and Winslow Blues Bugle March, Shaw. Some unfortunate ambient rumbles (not from the organ) failed to swallow up the delicate effects of the more subtle voices. Steinbach (Brown University Organist) played especially musically on the entire program. The Alain was particularly effective on what one might think of as an unlikely instrument for that piece—it worked.
The final event of the afternoon was a recital in First Congregational Church where perennial OHS favorite Lorenz Maycher played superbly on an early and very fundamental-sounding Ernest M. Skinner, Op. 191 of 1911, with some minor tonal revisions done by Aeolian-Skinner in 1964. The organ had a more complete restoration in 2002 by Emery Bros. of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with assistance by Charles Callahan and Maycher. The rear gallery location (which at first gives the impression of a free-standing case) allows the instrument to gain at least some sense of projection in a room with wall-to-wall carpet and thus very dry acoustics. The high ceiling together with the organ’s placement helped somewhat to overcome the “sofa cushion” effect of an otherwise visually stunning and richly furnished room that contains, among other treasures, windows by both Tiffany and LaFarge. Maycher’s program: Allegro vivace (Symphony No. 6), Widor; Musician’s Hymn, Jackson; Adagio cantabile, Bach, arr. Perry; Solo de Flûte (from Three Miniatures), Lemmens; A Fancy Sketch, Frost; Capriccio (On the Notes of the Cuckoo), Purvis; Harmonies du Soir, Karg-Elert; Requiescat in Pace, Sowerby; and Carillon de Westminster, Vierne. Typically smooth early Skinner reeds were featured mostly in the vigorously played opening and closing French works, with the other orchestral colors displayed in the remainder of the enthusiastically received and well-chosen program.
We then took a short walk to what had been the Victorian Gothic Central Congregational Church, now the location of the Abbey Grille and its Great Hall. We were served a gourmet dinner by students of the International Institute of Culinary Arts, whose headquarters is in the former church complex. Located prominently in a corner of the large room (formerly the main church) is an eye-catching monumental organ case of carved black walnut behind which are the remains of a large 2-manual E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings, Op. 806 of 1875, later enlarged and electrified by Hook & Hastings as their Op. 2388 in 1916. Though the instrument is currently unplayable, it could be restored. What a fine and unusual adjunct to the restaurant and reception hall that would be!
Buses then took us to the huge, sumptuous, and beautifully maintained St. Anne’s R.C. Church, also in Fall River. Located on a high spot of land and fronted by twin towers soaring over 150 feet into the air, the church is one of the most commanding pieces of church architecture in the city. The program was a change of pace in that the organ here is neither old nor a rebuild of a vintage instrument, but rather a 3-manual Phelps Casavant, Op. 2796 of 1964, voiced strongly and with many high-pitched stops and speech attack that take advantage of the outstanding acoustical environment afforded by the large enclosure. The high rear gallery location allowed for clear and reflective sound projection down the very long nave. The following program featured the Sine Nomine Chamber Choir directed by Glenn Giuttari with organist Andrew Galuska: three motets, Coelos Ascendit Hodie, Beati Quorum Via, and Justorum Animae, Stanford; Christus Pro Nobis Passus Est, Klemetti; I Am the Rose of Sharon, Billings; Followers of the Lamb, Shaker Tune; the hymn “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” Azmon; followed by the Gregorian Salve Regina, each verse alternating with improvised sections in the manner of a French symphony; Salve Regina, Poulenc; organ improvisation on Salve Regina; and Gloria by Poulenc. The performers were awarded protracted applause for their presentation of a demanding musical offering.

Friday

The day began in a “picture postcard” setting: Middleboro’s First Congregational Church—the “Church on the Green.” The 1828 building houses a 2-manual S. S. Hamill tracker of 1887 reworked by F. Robert Roche. The beautiful old structure still has its box pews with doors and a rear gallery from which the organ speaks clearly and with authority under a shallow barrel vault ceiling. The interior is enhanced by more examples of fascinating trompe-l’oeil decoration. SharonRose Pfeiffer played with both verve and sensitivity in the following program: the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” sung to the tune Foundation, then Adler’s setting of the same tune from Hymnset; Arietta, Elegy and Melody, all by Taylor; winding up with “Deep in Our Hearts,” also from Hymnset. This was an auspicious beginning for the day’s events—a fine program in an historic old New England Congregational church.
Another Congregational church, Central in Middleboro, was the spot for David Chalmers to demonstrate the features of what had begun in 1925 as a 2-manual Hook & Hastings, Op. 2503. After a couple of reworkings, it retains the remains of the case of the church’s previous organ, a George Stevens of 1871 that had been situated in a rear gallery. After much remodeling of the interior, the organ was moved to the front of the church and had more case wings added. Chalmers showed that he understood both the potential and limitations of the instrument in the following program: Veni Creator, Spiritus (Praeludium), Sowerby; Prelude, op. 50, no. 5, Foote; “My Soul Forsakes Her Vain Delight” and “Do Not I Love Thee, O My Lord” (from Eight Preludes on Southern Hymns, op. 90), Read; ending with the hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” sung to the tune Coronation. The organ has a firm and generous tone with the building offering no reverberation whatsoever. Fortunately, it is located in a front choir gallery and thus speaks down the room’s central axis. We rarely hear examples of the late work of Hook & Hastings, but there were three examples available at this convention (one a transplant).
The charming elliptical Rochester civic “square” contains a library, town offices, and the ubiquitous First Congregational Church, in whose Parish Hall we ate our box lunches. This was a refreshing time to enjoy a lovely spot and soak up some small town ambiance. Peter Crisafulli played a masterful program on the altered, bold, bright, and lively 1-manual E. & G. G. Hook, Op. 387 of 1866. The rear gallery location allowed good projection of the organ’s delightful sound, although the somewhat cramped location meant that the organ bench (and Crisafulli) were perched precariouly close to the edge of the rail. His program: Voluntary in A, Selby; Jesu, meine Zuversicht, Zeuner; Variations on “Fairest Lord Jesus,” Woodman; the hymn “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” sung to Crisafulli’s own tune New Mercy.
One could not imagine a more apt example of a close-knit country congregation than that found at the little United Methodist Church in Marion, Massachusetts. The delightful and intimate building (complete with embossed tin interior walls and ceiling) houses a much traveled and altered 1-manual organ of uncertain manufacture, but presumed to have been built by Giles Beach of Gloversville, New York in the mid 1860s. Judith Conrad, who obviously fell in love with the tiny instrument and its intimate sounds, arranged the following appropriate program to display its captivating qualities: Fantasie in the 6th Tone, Carreira; Hexachordum Appo-linis, Pachelbel; Voluntary and Fugue in D, Wesley; Ave Maria by Arcadelt, Liszt; the hymn “The Day of the Lord Is at Hand” sung to the tune Remember the Poor; and concluded with two Lemare transcriptions: “Old Black Joe” and “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.” Both her playing and the instrument suited the friendly small building. One hopes that this worthy gem will receive a well-deserved museum-quality restoration.
The remaining three events of the afternoon took place in the once-affluent city of Fairhaven and featured several examples of the civic generosity of its greatest benefactor, Standard Oil magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers. The first of these was the incredibly beautiful Memorial Unitarian Church. Forget any ideas of the usual stark and understated New England Unitarian building—this one is an example of architectural magnificence done up in the lofty English neo-Gothic style. There are delights for the eye everywhere. The organ is a 1904 3-manual Hutchings-Votey, Op. 565, as reworked in 1971 by F. Robert Roche, and must be regarded as the local (nearby Taunton) builder’s magnum opus. The twin cases are lavishly carved and contain gilt façade pipes that are themselves highly decorated with elaborate stencil work. As if all of this were not enough, more woodcarvings abound as do Tiffany windows. Dwight Thomas, the incumbent musician of the church and a very fine organist, played a program that suited the church’s great acoustics: Woodland Flute Call, Dillon; Trumpet Tune, Swann; The Squirrel, Weaver; the hymn “Let There Be Light” sung to the tune Concord; and Dawn by Jenkins. His altogether too short performance showed off the beautifully balanced sound of this very colorful instrument. The whole experience was magnificent.
A short stroll down Center Street brought us to the restored Fairhaven Town Hall and a short lecture by Christopher Richard on Henry H. Rogers and his architectural gifts to the city. In addition, we all were able to take a short tour, both verbally and later in person, through the nearby portions of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
The multi-talented George Bozeman then gave an outstanding recital in the First Congregational Church, built in 1845. The organ is what can best be described as an “assembled” instrument of two manuals rebuilt and reconfigured by Roche in 1977. The visual aspect (reminiscent of much of the original case), as well as the sound, is very much in the style of a mid 19th-century instrument. The rear gallery location allows the sound to blend and project well. Curiously, in the front of the auditorium there are two matching pipe fences that at one time formed a façade for a small 3-manual Kimball, Smallman and Frazee of 1911. These quite uninteresting flats were said to have been designed by E. M. Skinner. Bozeman’s program: the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” sung to Melita; Concerto in d minor, Vivaldi/Bach; Dolce and Scherzo (from Symphony No. 4 in f minor), Widor. As usual, Bozeman displayed his customary musical playing, which is always propelled by a telling rhythmic liveliness.
We returned to Brockton for the final event of the day, a recital by Ray Cornils, Municipal Organist of Portland, Maine, where he continues his distinguished tenure (among other appointments) presiding over the monumental Kotzschmar Organ (Austin, Op. 323, 1912) in the Merrill Auditorium. His recital here was on a 2-manual 23-rank Hook & Hastings, Op. 2461 of 1923, which had been transplanted from Brockton’s Olympic Theatre to the rear gallery of St. Casimir’s R.C. Church where its robust tones sounded out vigorously in the fine acoustical setting of the 1950s room. Cornils displayed his usual blazing verve as he let the Hook “rip” in the following program: Carillon de Westminster, Vierne; Rosace (from Byzantine Sketches), Mulet; “You Raise the Flute to Your Lips” (from Four Eclogues), DeLamarter; Will o’ the Wisp, Nevin; The Leviathan March, Kotzschmar; Melody in Mauve, Purvis; the hymn “For All the Saints” sung to Sine Nomine; and Variations on “Sine Nomine,” Weaver. That this was one of the loudest instruments to be heard in the entire convention, there can be no doubt. Many conventioneers were heard to remark that hearing more of the available subtler sounds would have been welcome. Unfortunately, Cornils decided to play a “full bore” romp on Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor as an encore. It could well have been omitted as we already had heard a surfeit of fortissimo.

Saturday

This was “Taunton Day.” It began with a gem of a recital by Lois Regestein on a genuinely historically important instrument, a 2-manual E. & G. G. Hook, Op. 764 of 1874, in St. John’s Episcopal Church. The organ, original to the building, has served valiantly throughout the years with only periodic maintenance and cleaning. A damaged Great Trumpet was replaced by a fine period-sounding one in 1965 by James Winters. Snugly situated at the front of the south aisle, the organ sounds through its original façade of tastefully decorated Open Diapason pipes. Lois Regestein is often featured on the smaller trackers during OHS conventions and knows how to choose repertoire to suit them. Her program: Motet for Organ on the Third Tone of Thomas Tallis, Schaffer; “O Gott, du frommer Gott” (from Eleven Chorale Preludes, op. 122), Brahms; “March 24: Saint Gabriel” and “November 22: Saint Cecilia” (from Saint’s Days: Twelve Preludes for Organ), Pinkham; Suite of Dances, Phalese, transcr. Johnson; the hymn “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” sung to the tune St. Columba; and “Moderato” (from Three Tone Pieces, op. 22), Gade. The Phalese dances were charming demonstrations of the sounds of individual stops. The combination of church, instrument and artist was a wonderful way to begin a very busy day.
Once again, the conventioneers split into two groups in order to be accommodated in the somewhat smaller spaces for the next two programs. The first of these was the Berkley Congregational Church where founding member and the first president of the OHS, Barbara Owen, played happily on what may be the oldest known functioning church organ by the firm of E. & G. G. Hook, a delightful 1-manual tracker of ca. 1834–1837 that had resided in several other locales prior to its settling in Berkley in 1875. Sensitively and thoroughly restored by Roche in 1983 after much research, the once-white case now displays its warm original mahogany veneer and was somewhat redesigned to reveal its now elegant proportions. Ms. Owen, internationally known both as an organ historian and an editor and compiler of organ literature, played the following program: God Save the King, with Variations, Wesley; Wie nach einer Wasserquelle, BWV 1119, Bach; O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen, Brahms; Trip to Pawtucket and The Bristol March, Shaw; Flutedance, Utterback; All’ Elevatione II and All’ Offertorio, Zipoli; and the hymn “Years Are Coming” sung to Hyfrydol. As an added bit of interest, Matthew Bellocchio was called upon to use the hand pump during The Bristol March. He had also redesigned the case modeled on two earlier Hook organs. Even though in a non-reverberant room, the organ has a bright, yet subtle and singing tone which, notwithstanding its peripatetic history and alterations, and thanks to careful tonal reconstruction, has the charming sound one associates with early Hook instruments.
Back in Taunton proper, we experienced a rare treat, an air conditioned space—Our Lady of the Holy Rosary R.C. Church, where Philip Jones played a pre-lunch program on a small 2-manual Roche organ that has portions of Estey’s Op. 2486 of 1926 and Ryder’s Op. 147 of ca. 1887 as well as new material. Though certainly far from being an historic instrument, it is an effective example of what can be done to provide a workable pipe organ for a small parish church. The program: Ciacona, Buxtehude; Two Preludes on Asian Hymns, Jones; Jesu, Jesu, Thou Art Mine (three variations plus chorale by Bach), Fedak; Spiritual Needs, Fletcher; the hymn “Father, We Praise Thee” sung to Christe Sanctorum; and Two Hymn Preludes (“The Kingsfold Trumpet” and “A Carol for the New Year”), Fedak. Lunch followed in the Parish Hall.
Will Headlee then played an exciting recital on Pilgrim Congregational Church’s reconstructed late 2-manual Johnson, Op. 745 of 1890. The organ has been subjected to several additions and reworkings, most recently by Roche in 1995–1997. As the result of much careful work, the tonal effect is a more than reasonably good approximation of the characteristic Johnson sound. It is quite thrilling in the room, and Headlee was enthusiastic in his praise for the instrument that responded joyfully under his expert playing of the following program: “Choral” (from Quatre Pièces, op. 37, no. 4), Jongen; Three Pieces for Organ (from the film, Richard III), Walton; Reverie, Macfarlane; “Allegretto” (from Sonata in e-flat minor, op. 65), Parker; “Hamburg” (from Ten Hymn Tune Fantasies), McKinley; Ronde Française, op. 37, Boëllmann; and the hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” sung to Abbot’s Leigh. The entire program was spectacularly played, and special note must be made about his outstanding hymn accompaniment.
The next organ, that in the 1831 First Parish Church (UU), is a highly modified reworking of a 2-manual E. & G. G. Hook, Op. 348 of 1864. The lore is that the original organ was the first one with which young Ernest M. Skinner became acquainted when his father, Washington Skinner, was tenor soloist for the church during the 1870s and 1880s. Over the years, the instrument received several modifications including some work done by E. M. Skinner himself in 1949, two generations after his first acquaintance with it. Rebuilding by Roche in the 1980s resulted in an essentially new instrument behind the original façade but with enough 19th-century “accent” to sound reasonably authentic. Rosalind Mohnsen played with her usual verve, style, and understanding in spite of the room’s total lack of presence. Her program: Orgelsinfonie zum Ausgang, Tag; “Cantabile” (from Ecole d’orgue), Lemmens; the hymn “Lead, Kindly Light” sung to Lux Benigna; In Memoriam, op. 17, Dunham; Washington’s Grand Centennial March and Bristol Waltz, Shaw; ending with Postlude, Whiting. Grant Hellmers assisted at the console.
We were then offered a break in routine by having the option of the following tours: exploring the offerings of the Old Colony Historical Society located on the Green and directly opposite the First Parish Church; visiting the Reed and Barton Factory Store; or taking a walking tour of the Taunton area and seeing the house where Ernest Skinner lived as well as the building where Washington Skinner had his singing studio. From the many parcels brought onto the bus, it seemed that many conventioneers opted to shop for silver goodies.
The final event of the afternoon was an altogether too short recital played by Joseph O’Donnell in St. Mary’s R.C. Church where its lofty nave helped enhance the distinguished tone of the 3-manual Hook & Hastings, Op. 1674 of 1895, located high in the rear gallery. The instrument is the largest surviving Hook in this part of the Commonwealth. Even though it has had occasional repairs and replacement of its pedalboard, it is in essentially original condition and is obviously in need of a thorough restoration. O’Donnell’s program: the hymn “Mary, Woman of the Promise” sung to the tune Drakes Broughton; and Plymouth Suite, Whitlock. He played with both technical brilliance and musical sensitivity. What a sound! Before the major evening performance, we bused to the West Congregational Church where they have a spacious pavilion on the grounds set up for an authentic New England clambake complete with tender steamed clams, sausages and vegetables in seemingly limitless quantities, and topped off with slices of refreshing watermelon. The small church itself was open for those who wished to sample a “taste” of a very late 3-rank Hook & Hastings unit organ, Op. 2604 of 1933 (their final instrument was Op. 2614 installed in 1935).
Perennial favorite Thomas Murray demonstrated his usual astounding artistry on Taunton’s largest organ, a much-rebuilt Jardine, Op. 1257 of 1899, in historic St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Fortunately, the high vaults of the beautiful but non-reverberant Upjohn-designed building helped to disperse the sound. Murray gave some welcome informative explanatory comments during the following program: Three Pieces, op. 29 (Prélude, Cantilène, and Scherzando), Pierné; Concerto Grosso in d, Vivaldi/Bach; Six Versets on the Magnificat, op. 18, Dupré; a commissioned hymn “O God, We Thank You” sung to Coram Hall; Grand Choeur Dialogué, Gigout; Evening Song, Bairstow; and Sonata I in d, op. 42, Guilmant. Once again, the oppressive heat occasioned by both the weather and the packed nave must have been quite a challenge for the artist, who seems to be able to overcome any obstacle and produce magnificent musical results. The console is located in what is best termed a “cozy” cubbyhole on the Gospel side of the chancel. Its location must create real balance perception problems for the organist which, coupled with the presence of a large portion of the Great whose pipework extends several feet into the south aisle, must be quite unsettling. The case pipes of this division stand very close to the pulpit, and their presence may seem occasionally intimidating to the person delivering wisdom from that spot. Even near the rear of the nave, the Great division certainly makes itself felt. Fortunately, Murray has had a long association with this instrument and was, indeed, the consultant for its rebuild by the Roche firm in 1980.

Sunday

After several event-packed days, the schedule allowed for a Sunday morning free for those who chose to attend local church services or who opted instead for a later start to their day.
Travel to the lovely town of Duxbury brought us to the picture-gorgeous 1840 meeting house of the First Parish Church (UU) where Frances Conover Fitch played a short program on Andover’s 1967 rebuild of the church’s Wm. B. D. Simmons 2-manual tracker of 1853. The elegantly proportioned room still includes much of its original décor, conveys an overall feeling of uncomplicated serenity, and is an ideal setting for the proud little organ’s gallery location and a bright summer morning recital. Her program: “Toccata per l’Elevazione” (from Messa degli Apostoli), Frescobaldi; Voluntary I in g minor, Stanley; the hymn “Winds Be Still” sung to Lead Me Lord; and Praeludium and Fuga, Wesley. Ms. Fitch’s exquisite playing was a fine match for both the ambiance and the rebuilt Simmons.
On we went to nearby Plymouth where we visited the large granite National Monument to the Forefathers that was erected in the 19th century. The huge figure of Faith stands atop the pedestal and faces appropriately toward the sea, which is visible from the monument’s location on high ground. At least one of the OHSers found the name of his Mayflower ancestor among those engraved on the base of the monument.
The remainder of the day was devoted to further Pilgrim matters and a visit to Plimouth Plantation, an extrordinary place that includes a living museum where one can wander through a recreation of what might have been similar to a portion of the Plymouth of 1627. Featured there are structures and events portrayed by “villagers” who will speak to the tourists as desired, but in an accent that is supposed to be like that of the Massachusetts colonists of the 1620s. We were admonished not to ask them or speak to them about anything in our current time as they would know nothing about events later than what happened in the Plymouth of 1627! Following this fascinating experience, we met for a “Pilgrim Feast” featuring 17th-century fare served by some of the same costumed and well-informed guides whom we had seen in the village. During the dinner they gave comments (in the same 17th-century accent) on the various dishes and “contemporary” ways of eating. Forget Emily Post or Miss Manners. Gentlemen, for instance, were shown the proper way to wear a dinner napkin (when one was used) in 1627—not in the lap, but slung over the left shoulder. Try it sometime—the thing really doesn’t want to stay there. The final event of the day took place in the Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth with Brian Jones, Organist Emeritus of Trinity Church, Boston, and Peter Gomes, distinguished author, theologian and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard. Jones, a native of nearby Duxbury and at one time organist at the Church of the Pilgrimage, and Gomes, a Plymouth native and former organist at Memorial Methodist Church, became acquainted as youths, long before they went on to their respective notable careers. The historic building, a good one for support of congregational singing, houses a room-filling organ rebuilt and moved several times prior to its present reconfiguration by Roche in 1991. The program consisted of congregational hymns and organ works appropriate for both the location and the general themes of the convention. Aiding in the performances was a choir of singers from the Church of the Pilgrimage, William Richter, director; and First Baptist Church, Patricia Peterson, director. Both Gomes and Jones enlivened the evening with frequently humorous comments. The program: the hymn “O God, Beneath Thy Guiding Hand” sung to Duke Street; A Song of the Sea, Matthews; the hymn “It’s Good unto Jehovah to Confess” (from the Ainsworth Psalter) sung to Old 124th; “A.D. 1620” (from Sea Pieces, op. 55), MacDowell; the hymn “The Breaking Waves Dashed High” sung to Plymouth; March of the Magi, Dubois; choral anthems, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, Shelley and Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, Maunder (conducted by Gomes); the hymn “Lead on, O King Eternal” sung to Lancashire; “War March of the Priests” (from Athalie), Mendelssohn; and the hymn “O Beautiful for Spacious Skies” sung to Materna. There was also time allotted for hymn requests, with numbers of favorites being shouted from the audience.

Monday

The final day of the convention was held in New Bedford, once the nation’s most wealthy city largely as the result of the extensive whaling industry that was centered here. Once again, because of limited seating in the first two churches, the group was split into two with the programs repeated.
Timothy Drewes, organ builder and husband of Cheryl, heard the previous Wednesday on the Hutchings at North Congregational Church, North Middleboro (q.v.), played a “whale” of a delightful program on the only surviving organ built by Charles Chadwick, his 2-manual Op. 1 of 1901 in North Baptist Church. As we entered the church, we were greeted by the ringing of the tower bell. The fine and generously-toned instrument was rebuilt with some tonal changes by Roche in 1981. The program: “The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria” and “The Pyramids of Giza” (from Ancient Wonders), Arcus; the hymn, “The Ribs and Terrors in the Whale” sung to Windham; “Pawles Wharfe” (from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book), Farnaby; “Drake’s Drum” and “Pirate Song” (from Three Nautical Songs), G. W. Chadwick; and “The War Dance Festival” (from Impressions of the Philippine Islands), Moline. The Chadwick songs (by the more well-known composer brother of the organ builder) were sung both stylishly and with drama by tenor Frederick Louis Jodry who would be heard as organist at the First Unitarian Church later in the day. The informative program notes explained the seafaring thread that ran through the pieces performed. The Moline dance, which could serve only as a grand finale, was a truly wild romp. At St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Joyce Painter Rice played a program of appropriate pieces on the oldest organ in New Bedford, a transplanted 2-manual George Stevens tracker of 1852 that had been acquired by the church in 1977 through the advice of Barbara Owen. It had some restoration by Roche in 1978. It was a delight to hear the sweet and cohesive tone of this little jewel as it sang out from the gallery of the small building. The program: Andante in D Major, Blewitt; Fugue on Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit, Stirling; “Moderato in G Major” and “Allegro in D Major” (from American Church Organ Voluntaries), pub., A. N. Johnson, 1852; Choral Song and Fugue, S. S. Wesley; and the hymn “Thou Did’st Leave Thy Throne and Kingly Crown” sung to Margaret. Ms. Rice performed with grace and skill and did not let the occasional out of tune flue rank disturb her in the least.
The final program of the morning took place in the elegantly decorated and massive St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church, which boasts the tallest spire in New England. The high, vast interior contains hardly a square inch of undecorated area and is a continual feast for the eyes. It is climaxed by 32 heroic-sized angels on pedestals that ring the room. The organ, Casavant’s 4-manual, 60-rank, Op. 489 of 1912, is located high in the second (organ) balcony at the west end of the church. It speaks with authority down the massive barrel vault and features a truly glorious crescendo. Timothy Edward Smith, assisted by Tom Murray, conductor, and Michael Calmès, tenor and narrator, presented the following program: “Sanctus” (from the St. Cecilia Mass), Gounod; Marche Funèbre et Chant Séraphique, Guilmant; Carnival of the Animals (with verse by Ogden Nash), Saint-Saëns; ending with the hymn “Angels We Have Heard on High” sung to the tune Gloria. The assembled audience formed the choir for the Gounod “Sanctus” (conducted by Murray), and Calmès narrated the clever Nash poetry that accompanied the Saint-Saëns menagerie. The hymn was an appropriate “nod” to the angels and seraphim that ringed the nave. For a final “Gee Whiz” moment we were treated to a display of some 5,500 light bulbs that enhance the curves of the many arches in the church. We were told that the local power company had to be notified in advance as to the exact time that the switches were to be thrown so that proper preparation could be made for the great power demand. Evidently all went well, as there were no reports of “brown-outs” in the city of New Bedford. Smith, justifiably long an OHS favorite, seemed quite at ease amid both the great roars and subtle tones of this terrific organ. His playing together with Calmès’s tenor and the large choral forces filled the room with glorious sound.
After lunch in St. Anthony’s large parish hall, we went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James R.C. Church for a recital by Christopher Marks on a much-rebuilt and relocated Hilborne Roosevelt, Op. 29 of 1876, that had originally been in Trinity Episcopal Church, Boston. After a couple of rebuilds there, it was moved to St. James in 1927 and installed in the rear gallery. The organ had been out of service for some time and was heard this afternoon for the first time in over 30 years. It was put into basic playing condition by a group of dedicated artisans, one of whom was seen with misty eyes during the program as the organ had regained at least some of its voice after several decades. Fortunately, there were many parishioners present who expressed their delight and appreciation at hearing the sounds from the west gallery, many for the first time in their lives. Marks, Syracuse University Organist, played the following program with great élan: the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” sung to Nettleton; “Berceuse” (from Suite Bretonne), Dupré; Concert Variations on The Star Spangled Banner, Buck. He also supplied enlightening and witty program notes that explained some of his registrations. Will Headlee assisted at the console as there is currently no working combination action. Marks is a rapidly rising young star who seemed not at all hampered by what must have been less than ideal playing conditions, but who performed with great style and assurance nevertheless. Sincere bravos go to Marks, the consortium of technicians (under the guidance of Bruce Gardzina), and to the church and its pastor, Fr. Wilson, who gave us a hearty welcome.
Renea Waligora and narrator Sean Fletcher presented the next program in the recently closed St. Anne’s R.C. Church, which together with another parish had merged to join with that of Our Lady of Guadalupe, just visited. The organ, a 2-manual Hutchings, Plaisted Op. 42 of 1874, had been in a church in East Boston, and then another church in New Bedford before being moved to St. Anne’s by Raymond Whalon in 1985. It sounded magnificent in the almost barren church. The program: “Andante” (from Sonata I), Borowski; Dinosauria, op. 16 (“A Mesozoic Menagerie for Organ and Narrator”), Dinda; and the hymn “My Life Flows on in Endless Song” sung to the tune Singing. The fine little organ with its decorated façade pipes sounded clean and colorful under Ms. Waligora’s assured and flexible playing. Dinosauria was written by Waligora’s husband, Robin Dinda, and dramatically narrated by the talented young actor, Sean Fletcher. It is a whimsical piece very much in the tradition of the Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals heard earlier in the day. As an amusing prop, Fletcher produced a small dinosaur figurine that resided on the lid of a nearby grand piano during the performance.
After a short bus ride to downtown New Bedford, we were set free to wander around the historic district and to visit some of the museums and other attractions. All paths eventually led to the large stone Victorian Gothic First Unitarian Church for a well-played program by Frederick Louis Jodry, heard earlier in the day as tenor soloist at North Baptist Church. The room holds many items of interest for the audience including its original pew doors and a stunning large Tiffany mosaic, The Pilgrimage of Life, located at the very front of the room. Jodry’s program: “Allegro” (from Sonata in E-flat Major, BWV 525), Bach; Tiento de mano derecha, Bruña; Introduction and Variations on “Nicaea,” Post; the hymn “Bring, O Morn, Thy Music” sung to Nicaea; and the Fugue in E-flat Major (“St. Anne”), BWV 552, Bach. Jodry played with great panache on the church’s 2-manual 25-stop Flentrop of 1966 located in the rear gallery. It sounds quite strong in the large but acoustically dry room and had received needed restoration work and tonal refinement by Scot Huntington in 1995.
Dinner followed at the Wamsutta Club, an elegant facility that originally had been one of New Bedford’s many opulent mansions. A short walk took us to the final recital of the convention, a brilliant performance by the popular Peter Sykes on the much-rebuilt 2-manual E. & G. G. Hook, Op. 244 of 1859, in Centre-Trinity United Methodist Church. His program: Pastorale, Franck; “Scherzetto”, Lied” and “Arabesque” (from Pièces en style libre), Vierne; “Scherzo” and “Prelude – Chorale and Allegro” (from Ten Pieces), Gigout; the hymn “Abide with Me” sung to Eventide; Sonata, op. 65, no. 1, Mendelssohn; Abide with Me (“Improvisation”, “Prelude” and “Chorale”), Woodman; Prelude and Fugue in e minor, BWV 548, Bach. As usual, Sykes, always a favorite, played spectacularly with his accustomed musical intensity, which must have been difficult to maintain given the extreme heat and humidity, especially in the organ gallery. Also, an annoying “thrumming” of an idling diesel engine just outside one of the open windows of the church interfered with the enjoyment of the Franck Pastorale and the organ’s fine Hautboy stop. Fortunately, the engine noise stopped about half-way through the piece. An extremely brisk tempo for the Bach “Wedge” left many listeners breathless.
The many events of the very busy week had many ponder whether the otherwise well-organized (no pun intended) convention may have been over-scheduled. A wealth of interesting instruments are available in this part of the Old Colony, but perhaps we were led to see too many of them, particularly since there were quite a few that could hardly be considered as “historic” in the usual sense. Nonetheless, bravos must go to the hard-working convention committee and to the many organ technicians who put the instruments into playing condition.
Special mention is due to the compilers of the Organ Handbook, 2005 for the many hours of research and writing that went into the volume. It is the largest one produced thus far (at 288 pages) and again is a beautifully illustrated and information-filled source of background material on both the instruments and their locales. The editors, under the overall direction of Lisa Compton, deserve our admiring thanks.
OHS conventions are always enjoyable, and often much of the pleasure comes from being with colleagues who share the common interest of the history of North American organ building. The 2006 convention will be headquartered in scenic Saratoga Springs, New York, and will run from June 25 through 30. It will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Society’s official founding. For further information, contact the Organ Historical Society at their website: .
(Note: Much of the background information on the instruments and their locales was distilled from the Organ Handbook, 2005, noted above. It and its predecessors offer the reader a great fund of information on the history of organ building in North America.)

In the wind . . .

John Bishop
Default

From the ashes

In the September 2005 issue of The Diapason, I wrote about the destruction of a venerable pipe organ in a Boston church. E. & G. G. Hook’s Opus 253 of three manuals and 25 stops was built in 1859 and was destroyed on Tuesday, January 18, 2005, in a five-alarm fire that gutted the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. The response of firefighters was such that the parsonage (just a few feet from the church building) and the rest of the close urban neighborhood were preserved. But the church’s loss was deeply felt in the community and in the wider world of those who appreciate historic organs. [See also “In Memoriam E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 253 (1859–2005),” by Leonardo Ciampa, in the March 2005 issue of The Diapason.]
Many professional organists and organbuilders will argue that E. & G. G. Hook was among the finest organbuilding firms in the history of the art (See Photo 1: Hook factory). Under three different names (E. & G. G. Hook, E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings, and Hook & Hastings) the firm produced over 2,600 instruments in its more than 100-year history. The factory was located in Roxbury (another of Boston’s neighborhoods) on a site now occupied by Northeastern University, about two miles from Jamaica Plain. Until the Jamaica Plain fire, three of the seven surviving pre-Civil War Hook organs were located on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain within easy walking distance of one another. George Greenleaf Hook, the younger of the Hook brothers, lived less than two blocks up a side street from Centre Street. What a neighborhood!
Television news broadcasts carried the story while the fire was burning and Boston’s organ community crowded the phone lines. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Ashlee Wiest-Laird, was prominent in both television and newspaper reporting, assuring the congregation and the community that they would rebuild. The publicity surrounding the fire included much information about the organ, making it clear that the church was well aware of its importance and the heritage it represented. Mariko Irie, the church’s current organist, past organist Leonardo Ciampa, and local organist and friend of the congregation Lois Regestein all joined Pastor Wiest-Laird in asserting the intention that the rebuilding of the church would include the acquisition of a comparable organ to replace the loss. The smoke cleared and the dust settled. A double-wide trailer was installed on the church yard providing space for worship and meetings. Committees went to work to plan the rebuilding project. It became clear that the walls and steeple of the building could be retained, but the entire interior and roof would have to be replaced. (See Photo 2: First Baptist Church)

A glimmer . . .

My work frequently takes me to New York, a city rich in great churches with wonderful organs and organists and outstanding music programs. The city is so crowded that outside the grand public parks there are few places where the actual earth is apparent through the pavement. It’s something of a surprise to see real dirt when walking past a water-main repair in progress. As such, there is precious little open land available in the city so real estate developers are perfecting the practice of adding high-rises on top of existing buildings. An institution such as a church can realize a powerful economic boost by selling air rights above their building.
In August of 2005 I received a call from The Rev. Dr. Edward Earl Johnson, pastor of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Harlem, on Fifth Avenue in New York City. His church was planning a large-scale renovation project stemming from the sale of their air rights and plans for construction of a large condominium development overhead. The back wall of the sanctuary would be drastically rebuilt to provide support for the new building—in the wall were the chambers that housed an old pipe organ they weren’t using any more. Could the Organ Clearing House help? The next time I was in the city, I visited Mt. Moriah, and what did I find but a three-manual organ built by E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings in 1872—the year that Frank Hastings was made a partner in the firm! (See Photo 3: Opus 668, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church)
Opus 668 was originally built for the Church of the Disciples on Madison Avenue in New York. It was moved to Mt. Moriah by Hook & Hastings early in the 20th century where it was installed in two chambers on either side of a choir loft above the preacher’s platform—a very unusual installation for a 19th-century tracker-action organ! Trackers assisted by a pneumatic Barker-lever machine ran more than 30 feet from the keydesk under the floor of the choir loft to the Swell division. A study of the organ’s building frames implies that the instrument was also originally installed in two locations—the free-standing structure that supports the remote Swell is “original equipment.”
I must admit that because of the unusual configuration of this organ, I had some trouble imagining how it might be relocated. But I promised Dr. Johnson that I would try to find a new home for the organ, took photographs and measurements, wrote down the stoplist, and posted the organ on the Organ Clearing House website as #2112. I gave it the headline, “the wonders of technology,” reflecting the presence of the Barker-lever machine that allowed the split installation. Look at a photo of the installation and you would never recognize this as a Hook organ. But glance at the stoplist and you’ll have no doubt. A call from Lois Regestein suggested that a colleague of hers had noticed the listing on the website and wondered if the organ might be a candidate to replace Opus 253 in Jamaica Plain. What a thought. If the organ had been installed twice in divided configurations, why couldn’t it be reworked into a more common layout and take its place in the neighborhood where it was built?

E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings, Opus 668

Great
16' Open Diapason
8' Open Diapason
8' Viola da Gamba
8' Gemshorn
8' Doppel Flute
4' Octave
3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
III Mixture
8' Trumpet

Swell
16' Bourdon
8' Open Diapason
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Viola
4' Violina
4' Flauto Traverso
2' Flautino
8' Cornopean
8' Oboe

Choir
8' Geigen Principal
8' Dulciana
8' Melodia
4' Flute d’Amour
2' Piccolo
8' Clarinet

Pedal
16' Open Diapason
16' Bourdon
8' Violon Cello

It was a poignant moment, gathering with pastor, organist, moderator, and parishioners in the temporary trailer in the shadow of the burned church building to discuss this exciting possibility. In March 2006 an agreement was signed between the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain and Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of New York for the purchase and sale of the organ. On April 24, 2006, the crew from the Organ Clearing House arrived in Harlem to dismantle the organ. One important detail remained. There were not even architectural plans for the rebuilding of the burned church. We needed a place to store the dismantled organ. It was Pastor Wiest-Laird who worked the magic. Earlier in the year a large church building on Centre Street had been vacated (the Casavant organ had been purchased by a parish in San Antonio, Texas and dismantled and shipped by the Organ Clearing House). While plans for the future use of the building were being developed, it would be available for the storage of the organ from Harlem. So just a few months after removing one organ, we placed another in storage in the same building!
Construction is under way at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Opus 668 is safely in storage in Jamaica Plain. The First Baptist Church is proceeding with their planning process. Stay tuned for future developments. Send your donations to:

The Organ Fund
Pastor Ashlee Wiest-Laird
The First Baptist Church
633 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-2526

 

The Phoenix Project

A year ago, Hurricane Katrina caused widespread destruction along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana. And in February of this year a series of fires, intentionally set, destroyed rural church buildings in Alabama. Laurence Libin, recently retired Curator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and newly elected vice-president of the Organ Historical Society, responded by conceiving the Phoenix Project, an initiative of the OHS supported by the American Institute of Organbuilders and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America. This exciting project is for the purpose of placing “redundant” pipe organs in churches that have suffered such losses. If you know of such a church that needs a pipe organ, or of one that has an organ to give away, contact Laurence Libin at .
As the Organ Clearing House is a good source for experienced pipe organs, Mr. Libin and I corresponded several times about the Phoenix Project. I would soon be in New York for the dismantling of the Mt. Moriah Hook organ, and I suggested we might get together. When I told him what I was up to, his deep appreciation of historic musical instruments got the better of him, and he volunteered to help. I told him to wear old clothes! He spent two days with us immersed in pipe organ preservation. In fact, he had pipe organ preservation all over him. If you haven’t seen it first hand, you cannot imagine how deep is the dirt in a pipe organ that has been sitting still for a hundred years in New York City. Walking through a hotel lobby at the end of the day creates quite a spectacle. (See Photo 4: Bishop and Libin)

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

When a pipe organ is made available “free to a good home,” there is almost always a string attached. The cost of relocating and renovating the organ is still there. The church that receives a free organ will likely have significant expense attached. However, that cost is typically competitive with the price of an electronic instrument, and but a fraction of the price of a new pipe organ. The Phoenix Project is a wonderful way for any church that has suffered loss through disaster to obtain a fine pipe organ.

There’s more than one way.

I believe that I am safe in saying that many readers of The Diapason share a concept of an effective church music program. There is a choir of adults, perhaps another of children, perhaps another of teenagers. There is an organ, a piano or two, a library of anthems. The organist/music director plans programming and rehearses the choirs. The congregation is used to singing three or four hymns in the course of a service. Music is offered at regular worship services, festivals, funerals, and weddings. Get the picture?
There is a lot of talk and action these days about alternative forms of musical expression in public worship. Praise bands, folk instruments, and rock-and-roll have found their place in the church. It’s here to stay. Recently I was participating in a public forum about organ music, and an audience member asked what I thought about such new trends in church music. I answered that what we consider to be a traditional music program is what works for me, that I know that many churchgoers are spiritually fed by alternative and contemporary forms of church music, and that whatever music is offered in church as part of worship should be the very best it can be—that contemporary should not be synonymous with poor quality.
If you would like to hear public worship offered in a special language, I recommend the choir of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 2050 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. You will hear a splendid Gospel choir—exquisitely trained, enthusiastic in their presentation, singing from memory, accompanied by a wizard on a Hammond organ. Terrific. They have toured churches in Brazil several times, and people come from far and wide to share their art. The night before we began dismantling the Hook & Hastings organ there, people from the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain visited New York, shared a meal with the people of Mt. Moriah, and worshipped together. A wonderful witness of the work of the wide church, and testament to the work of a great organbuilder from another age.

 

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