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Schantz rebuilding project

Schantz Organ Company announces the start of a project for St. Bernard Catholic Church, Akron, Ohio.

Removal of this III/39, originally built by Schantz in 1905 for the then new church building occurred the first week of June. In its original configuration, the organ had mechanical key action and tubular-pneumatic stop action and offset chests. Schantz returned to the church in 1916 and 1926, when the organ was converted to all tubular-pneumatic action. In the 1950s, a local builder provided all new electro-pneumatic action and a supply-house console with relay.

The present work includes the complete rebuilding of the 1950s windchest mechanisms, slight layout modifications, a new console and relay, a thorough rebuilding of the 1905 pipework (including the facade), a new Swell Mixture, and a new Great/Pedal 16′/8′ Trumpet.

The organ is located high in the second gallery of this historic ecclesiastical edifice. The accompanying photograph is looking down the nave from the organ gallery.

For information: www.schantzorgan.com.

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Cover feature

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Bedient Pipe Organ Company, Roca, Nebraska

St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral, Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings, Nebraska, 1927. While Edwin Perkins was perfecting the final collection of ingredients that was to become “Kool-Aid,” a few blocks away on North Burlington Avenue workers were assembling a limestone building that would become home to one of our more unusual projects.

Erected from 1921 to 1929, St. Mark’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral was designed by Ralph Adams Cram, America’s leading Gothic Revival architect. This is the man who established Gothic as the standard style for college campuses across the country during that period. In fact, the Boston architect and writer served as consulting architect for Princeton when he drew up the plans for St. Mark’s in 1919.

Displaying characteristics of English Gothic churches, the building looks like a little piece of Europe relocated to the middle of the Great Plains. As described by the Adams County Historical Society, Cram’s design “emphasizes length, a moderately pitched roof, stepped rectangular apses, and a tower over the crossing.” Cram’s Gothic vision extends to the interior, which features post and beam construction, plastered walls and a vast array of stained glass windows.

However, when workers pulled down ladders and packed away their tools 77 years ago, the nave still lacked a very significant element. Cram had also provided a drawing for a grand pipe organ façade, the construction of which had to be delayed until funds were available.

When the congregation did raise money for a 21-stop Austin organ in 1931 (which they combined with an older organ), the instrument was squeezed into the organ chamber above the nave and bore no visual resemblance to the plans Cram had in mind. It was not until 72 years later, following a succession of repairs and attempted improvements, that the church conceded it was time to start over.
Although several builders were being considered, St. Mark’s chose Bedient following a tour of the interior of Opus 70 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Impressed by the attention to detail on general layout and structure, “they felt that indicated how meticulous the builder would be in other areas,” said Dr. Dan Schmidt, director of music. Our proximity to the project played a key factor, as well as our 36 years of experience building and renovating mechanical and electric action instruments, and our proven proficiency with electro-pneumatic slider chests.

The Bedient organ at St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral was a challenge on several levels. Due to the general age and condition of the organ, and a questionable rebuild in the 1980s, we faced many issues that needed to be resolved. The original layout of the Austin organ was fine for the time, but the need to update the organ tonally necessitated a new, more accessible design.

One concern was the appearance of the organ. The congregation was initially hesitant to make any significant changes to their worship space—understandably so, as their church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fortunately, Cram’s original blueprint for the organ was discovered in the St. Mark’s attic during a search for drawings for a renovation project. All involved decided that plan would be our guide.

Working from Cram’s drawing, Bedient designer Alan Baehr developed a façade design that closely resembles the 1919 plan. Where the previous organ was tucked into the chamber nearly out of view, the new white oak casework now projects three feet into the nave and towers more than 26 feet above the congregation. Bedient designers accentuated the projection by including an en chamade Trompette, one of the few modifications to the original façade design.

Pipe shades and ornamental carvings featured in the plans provided inspiration for our woodcarver, Todd Znamenacek, who closely followed Cram’s original organic/geometric style. Using the symbol of St. Mark, Znamenacek appropriately enhanced Cram’s design with the addition of two winged lions perched atop the instrument. Prior to their installation, many of Znamenacek’s Opus 74 carvings spent two months on display at the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Nebraska as part of the “Wings Over the Platte” exhibition. Because Cram’s façade would project outward from the organ chamber, it would also provide additional space for the inclusion of an independent Great division, which the organ never had.
Another layout concern was where to place the ubiquitous Austin 16¢ wood open pipes that were lying in a heap on the floor right where the new Great windchest needed to go. We solved that problem by refurbishing the pipes, painting them the same color as the wood ceiling of the church, and hanging the largest ones from the transept ceiling directly outside of the organ chamber. This was a very successful idea. It not only got the pipes out of our way, but their sound is much more present in the nave, a desirable achievement.

The new Great division and the new Swell division windchests are all of major third layout. They are slider windchests with rectangular electro-pneumatic key action valves, and the sliders are operated by magnetic solenoids.

One of the inherited problems with the old layout was the jumbled arrangement of the 16¢ Bourdon pipes on top of the Swell box and other places. We thought that the idea was good but the arrangement left a lot to be desired. The new arrangement is much more orderly, with good access to all of the pipes for tuning.

The remaining Austin Universal Windchest is that of the Choir chest, which was originally duplexed to be a Great and Choir division. It now serves only as the Choir division and has been augmented in size, including space for future additions.

The weakest remaining element of the organ is the Pedal Bombarde 16¢/Trumpet 8¢ unit by Austin. The sound is simply not large enough, and it is hoped that one day in the future, this stop can be replaced by a new one as was originally proposed.

Because the Austin console had some nice cabinetry details and the church was attached to it, we retained the keyboards, unit key contact assemblies and the shell. The console features a new Peterson Master Stop Processor combination and key action relay system. It was revised to have a tilting tablet stop action system by Harris. The original pedalboard, toe studs, and pistons were also retained.
As the “before and after” pictures reveal, this unique organ experienced a marvelous transformation. We are honored that St. Mark’s gave us the opportunity to resuscitate a dilapidated wallflower into a magnificent instrument worthy of their building’s historical stature. Organists’ reactions to the sound of this reborn instrument confirm the project a success on all levels.

Dean Rich Martindale of St. Mark’s summed up the project this way, “I want to thank you so much for all your efforts to restore and enhance this wonderful component of our worship here at the Pro-Cathedral. The entire parish is grateful for your skill and your dedication in helping us complete this project. Thank you again for your help in making our splendid new organ a reality.”

—Gene Bedient and Jon Taylor


Bedient staff

Alan Baehr, design and management

Jasmine Beach, financial administration

Gene Bedient, president, design and voicing

Gwen Bedient, administration

Duane Grosse, head pipe maker

Chad Johnson, project manager, woodworker and voicing

Paul Lytle, vice president and sales

Mark Miller, vice president of field operations and sales

Dave Musfeldt, woodworkerv
Eric Smith, pipe shop

Jason Smith, pipe maker, safety coordinator, and machine shop supervisor

Ed Stibal, head woodworker

Jon Taylor, woodworker, marketing, purchasing

Donna Varney, voicing, marketing, sales and service

Fred Zander, woodworker, chest builder

Todd Znamenacek, woodworker, carver

St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral

Bedient Opus 74

GREAT

16' Bourdon

8' Principal

8' Rohrflute

4' Octave

4' Spitzflute

22⁄3' Quinte

2' Octave

Mixture IV

8' Trompete

8' Dean’s Trompette (TC)

Carillon*

Great 16

Swell/Great 16

Swell/Great 8

Swell/Great 4

Choir/Great 16

Choir/Great 8

Choir/Great 4

SWELL

16' Bourdon*

8' Stopped Diapason*

8' Salicional*

8' Voix céleste*

4' Prestant

4' Harmonic Flute*

22⁄3' Nazard

2' Doublette

13⁄5' Tierce

16' Basson

8' Trompette

8' Hautbois*

8' Dean’s Trompette (TC)

4' Clairon

Tremulant

Swell 16

Swell Unison Off

Swell 4

CHOIR

8' Bourdon*

8' Dulciana*

8' Unda Maris

4' Prestant (prepared)

4' Flute d’Amore*

2' Principal

Sesquialtera II (prepared)

Cymbale III

8' Trumpet*

8' Dean’s Trompette (TC)

8' Cromorne*

Carillon*

Choir 16

Choir Unison Off

Choir 4

Swell/Choir 16

Swell/Choir 8

Swell/Choir 4

Zimbelstern (prepared)

PEDAL

32' Resultant*

16' Open Diapason*

16' Bourdon*

16' Lieblich Gedackt*

8' Open Diapason

8' Flute*

4' Choral Bass

16' Bombarde*

8' Trumpet*

Great/Pedal 8

Great/Pedal 4

Swell/Pedal 8

Swell/Pedal 4

Choir/Pedal 8

Choir/Pedal 4



* 1931 Austin stops

Cover feature

Thomas Prentice Sanborn (1892)

Goulding & Wood, Inc. (2011)

Cook Grand Hall

Indiana Landmarks Center, 

Indianapolis, Indiana

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Thomas Prentice Sanborn (1892)

Goulding & Wood, Inc. (2011)

Cook Grand Hall

Indiana Landmarks Center, 

Indianapolis, Indiana

Downtown Indianapolis is home to a number of architecturally distinguished churches from the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In addition to locations within the mile square of the city’s planned downtown, a few “sub-urban” churches line the periphery of the historic district. One of the latter is on Central Avenue, one of the city’s main conduits, a mile and a half from city center. Built as the Central Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, the building was the second church to serve the congregation. Following a tornado that severely damaged the original wooden structure, the congregation began planning the current church in 1886. The cornerstone was laid on 12 September 1891, and the building was completed in the following year.

Central Avenue Methodist Church continued to grow in the early part of the twentieth century, and by the 1920s it was the largest Methodist congregation in the state of Indiana. Accordingly, it played a large role in local Methodism, and two of its pastors later became presidents of DePauw University in nearby Greencastle, Indiana. Although the changing demographics of the neighborhood brought a steady decline in membership in the second half of the twentieth century, the striking architecture of the building and the ardent commitment of the membership maintained the church as an important institution in downtown Indianapolis. 

The church interior follows the Auditorium Plan popular in mainline Protestant churches in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The original intent of this architectural design was providing a speaker with unobstructed visual and aural access to a large number of people. The sanctuary achieves this admirably; even without electronic amplification, a speaker in the pulpit can be heard clearly throughout the 1,300-seat room. Curved walls, a rigid dome ceiling, and avoidance of absorptive material all contribute to the efficacy of the acoustics for this purpose. The room is then finished in an appropriate and aesthetically pleasing manner, with graceful carved elements in the chancel furnishings and pews and elegant stained glass windows. The organ, which stood behind the pulpit, shares the most prominent position in the room, visually and acoustically. Although the room is clearly designed for worship in the mainline, non-liturgical Protestant tradition, it also supports musical performance involving the pipe organ. 

The pipe organ was present at the dedication of the building in 1892, with indications that the instrument was new rather than retained from the previous building. The prior church building held an organ built by William H. Clarke & Co. of Indianapolis, and this organ had been relocated there from another house of worship. The organ in the new 1892 church was misattributed to Clarke for many years, and identification of the builder was further clouded by the fact that after less than thirty years of service, the organ’s mechanics were significantly altered. Any builder’s plate or other placard naming the builder seems not to have survived this project. Several identifications within the organ led conclusively to identifying the builder as Thomas Prentice Sanborn. 

Sanborn worked as the shop foreman for William Clarke, and it makes sense that he would have been familiar with the church. Unfortunately, little is known about Sanborn other than the fact that he did go on to work under his own name at a shop on Massachusetts Avenue, the same address of Goulding & Wood. It is unclear how many organs he built after he left Clarke, and only one other extant instrument is known to be by him. Sanborn did sign many of the pipes in the organ, either with his full name or his initials, a practice he did not follow on instruments he built with Clarke. 

The organ is quite large for its time, and it has many classical elements that were atypical of late-nineteenth century tastes. Both divisions feature complete principal choruses, including mixtures. The Great chorus is based on 16 pitch, and the Swell on 8 pitch. The stoplist includes a wide variety of flutes, both stopped and open, as well as an interesting choice of reed stops. The manual compass is 61 notes, which was quite forward looking, while the Pedal compass is much more typical of its time, with a 27-note span. It is tempting to imagine that Sanborn was eager to make a bold impression with this well-designed and robust organ. Perhaps he even thought of it as a crowning achievement, a testament to his skill, as well as a calling card to attract more customers. 

In 1921 the church engaged the Seeburg-Smith Co. of Chicago to modify the mechanics of the organ to employ electrical switching. Justus Percival Seeburg was a Swedish-born piano maker and Frederick W. Smith was an English-born organ builder who apprenticed with Robert Hope-Jones. Their partnership, which lasted from 1916 to 1921, combined Seeburg’s skills as a piano builder and Smith’s knowledge of contemporaneous English organ building, equipping them for building and maintaining theatre organs, player pianos, and orchestrions. Evidence of their work on church organs is sparse, and the timing of the Indianapolis project near the dissolution of their firm may imply that they were willing to accept work outside their focus since the firm was in trouble. They removed all of Sanborn’s console controls and whatever actuating system interfaced with the windchest mechanics. In their place, they installed a cumbersome electrical switching system and electro-pneumatic action for the chest mechanics. They also installed a new detached console that is not extant. Their work shows a fair degree of competency and care, although the design of their mechanical systems lacked responsiveness, reliability, and sensitivity. 

The congregation at Central Avenue UMC dissolved in 2006, and the unused room fell into disrepair until Indiana Landmarks, a historical preservation foundation, took interest in the building. Bloomington, Indiana philanthropists William and Gayle Cook funded a comprehensive restoration project, including completely refurbishing the interior and exterior of the church along with the pipe organ. The building now serves as a civic performance space and as Indiana Landmarks’ headquarters. In 2010 Bill Cook and Indiana Landmarks chose Goulding & Wood to carry out a project to bring the organ back into usable condition.

The first step in reviving the organ was to assess its history and current condition. The sole known photographic documentation of the installation prior to any alteration does not depict the console controls with any usable clarity. One of the first questions, then, was the original placement of the console in relation to the organ case. Nineteenth-century organs typically have keydesks en fenêtre, that is, placed within the apron of the instrument’s front façade case. Given that Thomas Prentice Sanborn was a local builder of limited accomplishment, it is unlikely that he would have had the technological proficiency to engineer a detached mechanical console. On the other hand, the façade paneling in the apron seems to be original. There is no visible sign of alteration in the central panel, and its carving detail, wood grain, stain, and condition match exactly the panels on either side. If the organ initially had a keydesk en fenêtre, the central panel must have been entirely replaced. Given the quality of the first renovation work from 1921, it seems unlikely that the Seeburg-Smith Company had the woodworking resources to match the rest of the paneling with such precision. 

If the console controls were remote from the main body of the organ from the beginning, and if the mechanical engineering required of a mechanical action arranged thus would have been beyond Thomas Sanborn, the natural conclusion is that the organ was never purely mechanical. Sanborn is known to have been awarded a U.S. patent No. 465,208 for a valve mechanism that was a mechanical-pneumatic assist, facilitating playing keys that operate large pallet valves from a distance that would otherwise cause heavy action. Such pneumatic assists were somewhat common in the late nineteenth century as organ builders endeavored to make instruments of unprecedented size and in arrangements that would have been impossible for purely mechanical key action. Another pre-electrical innovation to address these issues was tubular pneumatic action, whereby key action is conveyed to the pallet and slider windchests via lead tubes. Due to the complicated and elaborate nature of this action, plus its dependence on lead for semi-flexible tubing, this system remained in use for a very short period. 

Although the other known Sanborn organ is a tracker instrument, it is entirely possible that he would have had an awareness of tubular pneumatic organs. Indeed, given the implication of his mechanical leanings as suggested by his procurement of a patent, Sanborn may have had motivation to employ the most recent design technology in such a prominent instrument. Unfortunately, the restoration project yielded no evidence in the organ that either proves or disproves the original actuating mechanism. One can only surmise, given the apparent placement of the console and the size of the organ, that a purely mechanical installation was never in place. 

The Seeburg-Smith electro-pneumatic actuating system was obviously a retrofitted attempt to incorporate electricity into the action of the organ. Aside from telltale signs such as a difference in wood species used, the interface between the Seeburg-Smith mechanics and the Sanborn mechanics was clumsy and contrived. This work was done near the advent of using electricity in organs, and the action has a rudimentary design. The practice of retrofitting an improvised action onto tracker action chests was somewhat common during this period, but rarely was the attempt successful. The tolerances of the added action are so slight, a product of working within a predetermined spacing of the existing chest, that the new actuating systems rarely operate the chest actions properly. It is likely that the Seeburg-Smith mechanics never worked entirely satisfactorily, although they did permit the use of electrical key contacts in the console, thus reducing the weight of the keys for organists. In sum, however, these components compromised the organ’s action. 

With restoration of the original chest action impossible, Indiana Landmarks elected to replace the windchests. Goulding & Wood’s electro-pneumatic slider chest design shares much in common with tubular pneumatic action, in that a traditional chest grid interfaces with remotely actuated pallets and sliders. This choice then restored the instrument to a similar musical condition, as pipes receive wind much as they did originally.

On early site visits a harp stop was discovered, although no written documentation of such an addition has been found. Given the wood species and stain color, it seems that this unit was installed with the other Seeburg-Smith components. Seeburg-Smith built theatre organs and orchestrions, thus the addition of a harp is solidly in line with their main output. While it is clearly not original to the organ, the donor and oversight committee elected to retain this interesting addition. Fellow Indianapolis organ builder Carlton Smith Organ Restorations refurbished the 37-note harp unit.

The pipework throughout the organ was in reasonably good condition, considering the age of the instrument. Most of the pipes were cone tuned, and a century of routine maintenance had taken its toll on the tops of most of the pipes. Surprisingly, most of the scroll-tuned pipes were in very good condition, and in general, the pipes were well built and very well racked. 

Work began in February 2010 with the removal of the organ. The building had no heat or power, and the roof was collapsing. The Goulding & Wood crew, led by Mark Goulding, thus worked in heavy winter coats using only flashlights for illumination. In the following year, each pipe was washed, given new tuning sleeves, and regulated by G&W voicer Brandon Woods. The organ was preserved tonally, with only two slight pedal additions. The original specification included no independent pedal reed despite a large manual disposition including four reed stops. Goulding & Wood recommended extending the three original pedal stops from 27 to 30 notes and adding a metal-resonator 16 Trombone built by A. R. Schopp’s Sons, Inc.

From the photograph of the church that was taken in 1910, it is clear that the display pipes were originally stenciled. They were subsequently painted a solid gold color on the front half of the pipes, but the original stenciling was still observable along the edges of the newer paint. Conrad Schmitt Studios of Milwaukee, the firm responsible for restoring the sanctuary interior, re-stenciled the pipes and added gold leaf.

Goulding & Wood restored all of the original casework, re-staining and toning the woodwork with only minor repairs required. The crew extended the apron paneling, including the whimsical carved motif, on either side to accommodate room modifications and constructed matching podiums for the platform. Staff draftsman Kurt Ryll designed a new two-manual console patterned after extant consoles from other tubular-pneumatic organs. The terraced layout and richly ornamented cabinet lends a strongly contemporaneous appearance, defying the anachronistic solid-state control system provided by Solid State Organ Systems. 

As with all new organs by Goulding & Wood, the entire instrument was set up in the shop for testing and regulation. Given the heavy local interest (the church is less than a half mile from the shop), many visitors stopped in to see the progress, and the shop hosted festive open houses once the organ was playing. 

With room renovations complete, Goulding & Wood reinstalled the organ in spring 2011 in time for the facility’s grand opening. Many celebratory events marked the entire project, and the organ was featured in many varying roles. Sadly, Bill Cook, the donor whose vision and generous financial backing made the project a reality, passed away days before the dedicatory events. Tributes to the Cook family, all of whom are long-time patrons of historical preservation, took on added significance during the celebrations in the newly renamed Cook Grand Hall.

Although the activity inside the building has changed dramatically over the past century, its place as an anchor to the wider community continues. Cook Grand Hall is now a venue for concerts, recitals, weddings, and other community events. Many functions feature the organ, which contributes its unique and colorful voice as an echo from Indiana’s past. Through such public prominence, the instrument is also contributing to the future of the pipe organ in the cultural life of the city.

—Jason Overall

 

Cover photo: Susan Fleck Photography

 

The organ at St. James United Church, Montréal

The genealogy of a restored instrument

Andrew Forrest

Andrew Forrest began with Orgues Létourneau Limitée in February 1999 and in his current position as Artistic Director, oversees all of the company’s projects. He travels regularly to meet with clients, architects, and acousticians, as well as to supervise the company’s on-site tonal finishing. Mr. Forrest has a keen interest in the art of pipe scaling and has completed studies of the String division of Philadelphia’s Wanamaker Organ and the 1955 Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ at Winthrop University among others. He served on the local organizing committee for the joint AIO-ISO 2010 convention held in Montréal, and in October 2011, Forrest was elected to the American Institute of Organbuilders’ Board of Directors for a three-year term. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and economics from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. An organist himself, Andrew Forrest has two children and lives in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Québec.

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The present pipe organ at St. James United Church is unique among Montréal’s many interesting organs because much of the organ’s pipework dates back to an 1889 instrument by E.D. Wadsworth & Brothers, Organ Builders. Edward Wadsworth opened his own organbuilding company in Manchester, England, in 1861 after apprenticing with Kirtland & Jardine; his family subsequently continued in the organbuilding trade under various forms of the Wadsworth name until 1946, when the company was absorbed by Jardine & Company of Manchester. Present-day British organbuilding colleagues have suggested that earlier Wadsworth organs with mechanical actions are superior to the later pneumatic examples, but it remains clear that the Wadsworth name never achieved the status of other British builders during the latter half of the 19th century, such as William Hill, “Father” Henry Willis, or T.C. Lewis.

Perhaps sensing new business opportunities, Edward Wadsworth moved to Montréal in 1887 to establish a branch office of the family company at 298 Craig Street (which today is called rue St-Antoine). The company built two instruments in Canada, the first being a small tracker organ of ten stops for Trivett Memorial Church in Exeter, Ontario, in 1888. The second project for St. James Methodist Church (as the church was originally known) was on a grander scale; the handwritten contract dated June of 1888 was for a grand pipe organ of 49 stops with “tractile” key action. The price for the new organ was established at $11,550, less $2,375 for the church’s old pipe organ. For reference, the signing of the Wadsworth contract took place at the same time as construction was ongoing in the workshops of Samuel and Claver Casavant of a 73-stop instrument for Montréal’s Basilique Notre-Dame; the price for the Casavant organ was some $24,800.

With a 32 flue stop in the pedal division and two divisions on each of the three manuals, the Wadsworth organ was a novel and complex instrument. The two divisions per manual could be played separately, or coupled together by the touch of a thumb piston under each manual. In addition, each manual had its own drawknobs for appropriate pedal stops and a dedicated “pedalier” thumb piston to bring the selected registration into play as one moved from manual to manual. The middle manual controlled the Great and Back Great divisions, while the Solo—in its own swell box—was partnered on the lowest manual with the unenclosed Choir. The Swell and Echo divisions, playable from the third manual, were enclosed together.

A comparison of the 1888 contract to the instrument’s final specification shows that two optional stops—a 16 Lieblich Gedackt for the Choir and a 16 Contra Fagotto for the Solo—were added as the organ was being built. Stops were equally rearranged within the specification, presumably for a better musical result: The 16 Contra Fagotto was moved to the Back Great division with the Great 8and 4 reeds, permitting the reeds to be brought in or retired collectively in a ventil-like fashion via the thumb pistons under the Great manual. The 8 Vox Humana likewise migrated from the Solo division to the Echo, while the 8Gamba and 8 Voix Celeste stops came together in the Solo from their separated locations in the Swell and Echo divisions respectively.

Lynnwood Farnam served as organist for St. James Methodist Church from 1904 to 1905, and was well acquainted with the Wadsworth instrument. His notebook entry on the organ provides many details on the as-built stoplist and forms the basis for our understanding of the completed 1889–91 Wadsworth instrument. Though Farnham’s pages on the St. James organ are typically meticulous, it is unclear what kind of key action or key actions Wadsworth employed in his instrument; but it seems highly unlikely that the organ had purely mechanical key action. At the least, some form of pneumatic action would have been employed to manage the complexity of two divisions per manual. Farnam does list all couplers as operating pneumatically, with the console having the six usual unison couplers along with sub and octave couplers for the Swell manual, and a Swell to Great Sub coupler.

Unfortunately, the luster literally wore off the Wadsworth instrument at St. James Church within two years of its completion in 1889. The new organ was frequently crippled by problems arising from humidity and heating within the new church building. The church acknowledged this in an indenture document signed with Wadsworth in June  1891, wherein the complaint was also lodged that the organ’s “exterior has not preserved its absolutely fresh appearance.” The agreement offered Wadsworth an additional $1,000 to repair and otherwise complete his instrument, which, according to the document, had already been in place for two years.

The results of this remedial work were proclaimed satisfactory in a letter dated September 23, 1891, from the agreed-upon arbiter, Frederick Archer, to John Torrance, Secretary to the Trustees of St. James Methodist Church:

 

My dear Sir,

I have this day examined in detail the organ erected by Mr. E. Wadsworth in St. James Church, Montreal with the following results.

I find the wind supply is now ample for every possible purpose, its transmission to every junction of the instrument with uninterrupted “steadiness”. The wind trunks, sound boards, etc. are perfectly air tight and the whole of the mechanism is in thoroughly satisfactory condition.

The repairs have been carefully and substantially done in full accordance with the agreement entered into with him in June last, and with ordinary care and attention, the instrument will, to the best of my knowledge and belief, be now found entirely adequate to all legitimate demands made on it.

. . . I am pleased to be able to report so favourably, but as Mr. Wadsworth has evidently done his work of renovation in so conscientious and thorough a manner, it is but one to him that I could bear witness of the fact. 

 

Archer was a renowned English organist and choral conductor living in the United States, with a reputation as an expert on pipe organs that extended as far as Montréal; he played three dedicatory concerts on the Casavant organ at la Basilique Notre-Dame in May of 1891.

If the Wadsworth instrument was indeed playing as early as 1889, this raises questions about how such a large pipe organ was built within a year by an organ builder who had only arrived in Montréal a few years earlier. For example, from where did Wadsworth obtain his pipework for the new St. James organ? One distinct possibility is that he purchased pipes from another builder such as S.R. Warren & Sons or from a supply house. Similarly, Wadsworth may have ordered pipes from the family workshops in Manchester, England, and had them shipped to Canada. Having said that, Wadsworth was accused of using old pipework in the new organ for St. James Church, including the Pedal 16 Trombone and the Echo 8 Hautbois. Our survey of the organ’s present pipework suggests that some ranks pre-date 1889: the f#19 pipe of the Great 16 Double Diapason, for example, is clearly scribed “1881”, some seven years before the organ’s contract was signed.

Considering the spatial volume of the sanctuary at St. James’ Church and the organ’s recessed location within the chancel, the scaling of the Wadsworth pipework is surprisingly modest in comparison with the large organs of, say, William Hill. The original Great 8 Open Diapason approaches the Normalmensur (NM) standard around 4 C and again in the 1 octave but never exceeds it. The Great 4 Principal is consistently two to three pipes smaller than the 8′, and it is only in their uppermost octaves that the Great 223 Twelfth (a tapered rank) and 2Fifteenth ranks exceed NM. These statements are slightly complicated by Warren’s re-scaling and re-pitching of the original pipework in their later reconstruction, but it remains that the scalings of Wadsworth’s principals and choruses were unexpectedly reticent. The quality of the Wadsworth pipes is unremarkable when compared with the later Warren and Casavant pipes, and while most of Wadsworth’s metal pipes were made from spotted metal, the metal itself is quite thin. The Swell 8 Viola Ætheria is an extreme example: the spotted metal in the bass octaves is so thin that lifting the pipe carelessly from the top can easily deform the pipe’s body. The effect produced by these moderately scaled pipes sounding on generous wind pressures and having been voiced to fill a large room is one of surprising brilliance and great clarity.

Wadsworth’s wooden stops throughout the organ were unvarying, with stopped bass and tenor octaves that transition to open pipes with inverted mouths at c25, similar to a Melodia. The Solo 8Concert Flute and the Choir 8 Lieblich Flute are traditional in the sense that the open pipe bodies are deeper than they are wide, but the proportions for the Great 8 and 4 flutes are notably wide and shallow. The present Choir 8 Flute Celeste originally served as Wadsworth’s 8 Echo Flute and also features this type of wide mouth construction. Like the metal pipes, the quality of construction is adequate but unexceptional; the thickness of the wood is consistently thinner than the later Warren pipes, and the quality of the joinery is slightly coarse and uneven.

Though E.D. Wadsworth & Bros. was still advertising in the Montréal area as late as 1902, it is unclear what happened to Edward Wadsworth after the completion of the St. James organ in 1891. Wadsworth did not achieve fame or fortune with the St. James’ organ: within days of Frederick Archer’s note pronouncing the organ complete in September 1891, Wadsworth sent the church trustees a handwritten note requesting an advance of $30 as he found himself “rather short.”

The Wadsworth organ served the church for eighteen years, a period that included Lynnwood Farnam’s tenure as organist. It was replaced in 1909 with a pipe organ by the Warren Church Organ Company, reusing a majority of the Wadsworth pipes, at a cost of $6,000. The Warren Church Organ Company was established in Woodstock, Ontario, in 1907 by Frank, Mansfield, and Russell Warren, and can be considered the last vestige of the once-proud Warren name in Canadian organbuilding.

The Warren organ added a number of new stops and redistributed most of the Wadsworth ranks throughout the instrument. A massively scaled 8 Open Diapason was added to the Great, displacing Wadsworth’s original to secondary status. The Choir division was enhanced by a new 8 Cor anglais with free reeds; this stop was likely purchased from a supplier, as its construction details are unlike anything else in the organ. A new Solo division was also provided on some 10′′ of wind and included new Stentorphone, Doppelflöte, German Gamba, and Tuba stops.

It appears Warren provided all-new wind chests rather than reusing the Wadsworth chests; this conclusion is based on Farnam’s description of the operation of the sub octave (G) and octave (A) couplers for the Great division and the general increase in the number of stops per division. The rearranging of the Choir to reside within the same expressive enclosure as the Swell, and likewise the Echo with the Solo, is further confirmation that the 1909 instrument represented substantial change behind the original Wadsworth façade.

The new Warren console of four manuals provided a new level of flexibility for organists, with each piston being adjustable by drawing the desired stop combination and then pulling the piston head out by a fraction of an inch. There were a total of four pistons operating on the entire organ and between three and five pistons operating on each division. The console also featured a pédale à bascule (a balanced pedal) providing a general crescendo and diminuendo effect.

Our examination of the pipework suggests that the pitch of the Wadsworth pipes was sharp of modern concert pitch (A=440Hz). To lower the pitch, Warren moved all of the Wadsworth stops up by one note and provided a new low C pipe for each stop; this served to increase the scale of each stop by one pipe in the process. The Warren company also filled out the gaps in Wadsworth’s numerous short-compass stops, such as the Great 16 Contra Fagotto, Choir 8 Clarionet, Echo 8 Echo Flute, Choir 8Dulciana, and the Choir 8 Voix Celeste.

Warren went beyond re-pitching the organ in some cases and rescaled several ranks, likely to achieve a fuller sound. It is equally possible that Wadsworth himself may have engaged in some re-scaling to suit his purposes, if one allows he recycled older pipework in his 1889 instrument. For instance, the Choir 4Flûte Octaviante and Great 4 Principal ranks both have many pipes marked with three successive pitches, suggesting that the original scale was too small. In the same way, the Swell 8 Open Diapason and 4 Octave stops have been rescaled no less than three times by their fourth octave. As with adjusting the scales of various stops, there is no reason to think Warren would have hesitated to increase wind pressures and/or revoice the Wadsworth pipework as needed.

The Warren company was equally revisionist with the organ’s reed stops. The scales for Wadsworth’s original Great reed chorus were surprisingly thin—notably smaller than the Swell chorus—so Warren replaced the Great 8Trumpet with a new stop of larger scale. The original 8 Trumpet was reworked into a 16 Bassoon for the Swell division, with Warren providing twelve new half-length pipes for the bottom octave. Warren also added eighteen new full-length pipes to complete the missing bass of the Great 16 Contra Fagotto. In fact, the only Wadsworth reed stops to emerge from the Warren workshops relatively untouched—beyond being shifted up one pipe as part of re-pitching the organ—were the Swell 8 Cornopean, the Great and Swell 4 Clarions and possibly the Swell 8 Vox Humana (which disappeared in 1956). Most of Wadsworth’s color stops were replaced outright, though the 8 Clarionet was rebuilt with new shallots, blocks, and boots, as well as equipped with new adjustable bells for tonal regulation. The 1889 organ had two oboe stops—the Solo 8 Orchestral Oboe and the Echo 8 Hautbois—though Farnam’s notes state that the Orchestral Oboe’s pipes had been “taken out” by the time of his visit. Neither stop survived; the pipes for both the present Swell 8Oboe and the Solo 8 Orchestral Oboe are consistent in terms of construction and materials with Warren’s other work.

Farnam returned to St. James Methodist Church on February 15, 1910, to play the new Warren organ, and his notes again provide useful details about the changes that were wrought. Farnam did not seem entirely pleased with all of the changes made to the instrument, noting that the “32-foot has been quite ruined…” and all of the 2 stops seemed very “spiky,” especially the 2 Fifteenth in the Great. He praised the new electric key action, though went on to mention the Swell action was very noisy from inside the instrument.

After nearly thirty years of service from the Warren organ, St. James United Church—note the change in name—signed a contract with Casavant Frères in July 1938 for an organ that reused almost all of the old pipework on new windchests. As stipulated in the purchase agreement, the organ would be installed by December 18, 1938—some five months later—at a cost of $16,000. Wadsworth’s 16 façade was to be preserved, though Casavant successfully lobbied to have the façade moved two feet towards the nave to accommodate the enlarged instrument. The short amount of time between the contract signing and the project’s anticipated completion may reflect the lingering effects of the Great Depression; it is likewise indicative that Casavant agreed to finance nearly half of the contract amount over a three-year period after the organ had been completed!

Casavant’s Opus 1608 incorporated their state-of-the-art electro-pneumatic windchests with pitman-type stop actions built into the pouchboards for instantaneous registration changes. The compasses of the manual divisions were increased from 61 notes to 68 notes, and the number of pedals increased from 30 to 32 notes. The organ’s wind system was comprehensively redesigned, reusing old wind reservoirs and their cone-valve regulators where practical. A new four-manual console was also provided, incorporating Casavant’s pneumatic combination action and trademark furnishings. Like Warren, Casavant consolidated the instrument’s specification from five manual divisions to four—eliminating the Echo division—and transferred several stops between divisions in the process. The Swell, Choir, and Solo divisions were furnished with independent expressive enclosures, each operated by Casavant’s 8-stage pneumatic motors.

A new Nazard 223 made up of stopped pipes was added to the Choir, while a 4Violina—made up largely from repurposed pipework—was added to the Solo division. The Pedal division was augmented through new extensions to the existing stops, though the Wadsworth 16–8 Violone rank appears to have been entirely replaced in 1938 with new pipes. The original Pedal 16 Trombone with its wooden shallots was extended downward by twelve full-length pipes to create the 32 Bombarde stop, with the entire rank sounding on 7′′ wind pressure. The Carillon (or Chimes) tubes were maintained from the 1909 instrument but provided with a new striker rail, and a new 61-note Harp was added. Finally, whatever was left of Wadsworth’s “ruined” 32 Open Diapason was eliminated, and a new 32Acoustic Bass stop was provided with twelve independent pipes sounding at the fifth to create the 32 effect.

The Wadsworth-Warren instrument would have been a comfortable fit with the tonal inclinations of Stephen Stoot, Casavant’s technical director in 1938. An Englishman, many of Stoot’s instruments drew from this heritage, and in this sense the Wadsworth and Warren materials would not have seemed particularly foreign—though there may have been some disappointment with their quality. As one example, the placement of reed choruses on separate windchests was a trend in English organbuilding during the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, enabling higher wind pressures for the reed stops for a smoother tone. At St. James, the Great and Swell reed choruses were indeed separated in this manner, but the similar wind pressures between flues and reeds ultimately made this something of a hollow gesture.

After 1938, the organ saw a few changes prior to the restoration undertaken in 2011–12. The 8 Vox Humana in the Swell division was replaced during the mid-1950s with a stopped 223Nazard rank. In the 1980s, the original Great mixtures were replaced with two new stops that were poorly suited to the instrument’s aesthetic. Likewise, the Great and Swell reed choruses were modified to give a brighter tone, with the resonators being cut to length after the original regulating slots had been soldered shut. One other significant change relates to the instrument’s appearance: church photos show a heavy drape hung above and to the sides of the Wadsworth façade, serving to hide the windchests and pipes from the Great and Pedal divisions. This drape was in place until possibly the early 1980s but it is unclear when exactly it disappeared; Philip Crozier, Director of Music at St. James, relates the drape had been removed by the time he was hired in 1986. The drape’s disappearance would have surely had some effect on the sound of the organ, tilting the organ’s tonal balance towards an even more present and brilliant sound—though to what degree can only be guessed.

The restoration work undertaken by Orgues Létourneau Limitée over a twelve-month period included re-leathering all of the electro-pneumatic windchest actions; restoring all of the wind reservoirs and other wind system components; and documenting in detail the instrument’s pipework. Forty ranks from the original Wadsworth instrument have survived, though many ranks have been subsequently rescaled or rearranged as described above.

As part of the restoration effort, two new mixtures were built for the Great division to replace the unsuitable examples added in the 1980s. In the absence of information regarding their original compositions, the new mixtures’ breaks follow English examples contemporary to the Wadsworth instrument, while the scalings follow progressions established by the Great 2 Fifteenth and the original Swell mixture. The mild Swell mixture (containing a tierce rank) was restored to its original specification, with the two breaks returning to their original places at c25 and f#31. Finally, a new slotted 8 Vox Humana in the style of Father Willis was developed and installed in the Swell division.

After nearly 75 years of service, the four-manual console was thoroughly rebuilt to discreetly incorporate modern playing conveniences, including multiple memory levels, additional thumb pistons, and a general piston sequencer. The organ’s switching system and wiring—much of it dating back to 1938—was entirely replaced with a new state-of-the-art system. Beyond the Wadsworth pipework from 1889, some of the instrument’s more intriguing tonal features include the full-length 32 Bombarde, the Solo 8 Stentorphone with its leathered upper lips, the free-reed 8 Cor Anglais, and the 61-note Harp stop in the Choir division.

The organ was tonally regulated within the church by a team of Létourneau voicers over the course of several weeks in early 2012. Shortly thereafter, the church’s offices and meeting spaces were heavily damaged in a fire, though the sanctuary and the organ were spared. The restored organ was first heard in concert during the church’s annual noon-hour series throughout the following summer, and as autumn approached, the organ served as the “home” instrument for the annual Orgues et Couleurs festival, with two major solo concerts performed by Johann Vexo and Philip Crozier. Since Mr. Crozier’s appointment as Director of Music, the organ has been heard in a continuous series of summer recitals over the past 26 years, with the single exception being the summer of 2011, when the instrument was being restored in the Létourneau workshops.

An instrument in the English Town Hall tradition, the pipe organ at St. James United Church has played an important role in Montréal’s organ scene and has hosted concerts by renowned organists such as Lynnwood Farnam, Fernando Germani, Raymond Daveluy, André Marchal, Bernard Lagacé, E. Power Biggs, Francis Jackson, and Simon Preston. More recently, the instrument has been heard in performances by Joseph Nolan and Sietze de Vries. All of us at Létourneau Pipe Organs remain honored to have been entrusted with this significant restoration project and are pleased to see this pipe organ reclaiming its rightful place as one of Montréal’s most noteworthy instruments.

The author would like to thank the following individuals for their assistance in preparing this article: John Mander, Mark Venning, David Wood, Karl Raudsepp, Bill Vineer (The Vineer Organ Library), Allen Fuller, Philip Crozier, Fernand Létourneau, and Dany Nault.

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Parkey OrganBuilders,
Duluth, Georgia
Church of the Good Shepherd,
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee

From the builder
Our first contact with Church of the Good Shepherd was with John Wigal, choirmaster/organist, in early 2006. After receiving his call and having a pleasant conversation, a trip to Lookout Mountain was scheduled to review their current situation. Lookout Mountain is a wonderful mountain plateau area just outside of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Today the mountain is host to a number of quiet neighborhoods and the famous tourist destinations of Rock City and Ruby Falls. Church of the Good Shepherd is an active Episcopal parish serving Lookout Mountain and serves as periodic host to the Chamber Orchestra of Tennessee.
The organ committee and Mr. Wigal realized the shortfalls of the original pipe organ installed in 1961, and spent considerable time in reviewing the options for renovations or replacement. We were honored by their interest in our firm, but concerned with the task of providing a suitable organ. The church nave was renovated extensively in the mid-1990s, with great attention to acoustics. The end results provided a significant improvement over the acoustics of the original nave, but the room was still limited by the
A-frame design of the building.
As discussions progressed, the committee investigated various firms for the organ project, talking with both local firms and larger organ builders. Lookout Mountain is a short two-hour drive from the Atlanta, Georgia area, making us one of the “local” builders of consideration. Our firm established shop in Atlanta in 1995, and has produced a number of projects and instruments over the last 14 years, ranging from renovations to complete new instruments. In 2003, we moved to our present location in the Norcross/Duluth area of the Metro Atlanta area. Our 15,000 square foot facility houses our operations with a modern woodworking facility, pipe voicing facility, and clean, separate erecting space. Our shop utilizes both CAD and CNC technology for modern organbuilding.
The majority of organs that we build provide the core foundation of music for church services and congregational singing. As the tonal director, I have studied extensively the designs of organs from Europe and America to draw on sounds that accommodate the appropriate denominational worship style and background. Our organs feature an eclectic base for the final ensemble, but each division is constructed with careful regard to complement the other divisions of the instrument. Our philosophy is that the sum of the parts will be the whole organ, and our performance will be judged on the whole organ and not the parts. Thus our Great divisions are often based on American standards with a solid chorus for the backbone of the instrument. Swell divisions are often heavily influenced by the French school of organ design, but with a level of treble ascendancy to improve options for choral accompaniment. The Choir and Positive divisions draw from and meld the schools of English and German organbuilding for choral and literature work. Pedal divisions are to be independent when at all possible, and should be both felt and heard in the space.
After much consideration and listening, the committee at Church of the Good Shepherd felt confident that we could handle the task of providing an organ for their parish. Visiting our instruments and shop, they expressed their confidence by selecting us to build the new organs for them. Though the present organ had many shortfalls, some materials did prove to be of quality for consideration in the new organs. Thus, some limited material was retained in the new instruments. The limited pipework retained was cleaned, repaired, rescaled and revoiced in conjunction with the new specification. The discussions of the Gallery Organ included use of an Antiphonal division for additional support of congregation singing. In our discussions, the committee conveyed their interest and desire that an Antiphonal division might yield additional benefits with a separate console as a stand-alone instrument, thus giving options for the second organ for the space. Soon it was decided that the organ project would be become two separate organs dovetailed together to function either separately or as one.
The present chambers for the Gallery Organ are located in the optimal position of the room; however, they presented some challenges with tonal egress over the gallery rail in addition to being deep with a constrictive ceiling, thus requiring creative pipe scaling. The new Gallery Organ (our Opus 8) is installed in the same position as the organ it replaced. The organ speaks on the long axis of the nave, and the Great and Pedal divisions are elevated high in the space. The Choir and Swell divisions are located on floor level of the gallery in chambers behind and below the Great and Pedal divisions.
The second of the organs at Church of the Good Shepherd—deemed the Chancel Organ—probably commanded the greatest amount of consideration for scaling and voicing. The existing reredos set the parameters for space limitations for the Chancel Organ case in addition to influencing the case design. Because no chamber space existed, we designed the Chancel Organ to be contained in two separate cases. Space did not allow for the inclusion of a swell box, so in an effort to retain independent stops as much as possible, stop selection, scaling, and voicing were crucial in balancing volume and overall ensemble chorus. In the consideration of our production schedule, one of the benefits of the Chancel Organ was that it allowed a seamless transition of instruments for Church of the Good Shepherd. Since the Chancel Organ was to be entirely new, it (our Opus 9) was actually built first. Once completed, we then proceeded with the removal of the old Gallery Organ and preparations for the new Gallery Organ. The church used Opus 9 for the interim until the Gallery Organ was installed in early 2008. The Chancel Organ was first used in summer of 2007, and made its official debut to the community with the Chamber Orchestra of Tennessee in October 2007.
The Gallery Organ (Opus 8) was completed in our shop in late 2007, and installation started in December 2007. Tonal finishing began in January 2008, and the final reed stops were installed and voiced in March. The entire organ was first heard on Easter Sunday of 2008.
The new organs feature three complete manual principal choruses between them. The Great division is the largest and richest of the foundations. The Chancel Organ features a more Germanic secondary chorus, with the third chorus located in the Choir division. The Choir principals are English in nature with more warmth and less articulation. Each division offers a colorful yet distinct 8′ flute. True to form with our tonal design, we look to our flutes to provide color and different timbre within each stop. There is no duplication of design within the 8′ or 4′ flute stops. The reed stops also provide their own color and add fire and commanding authority to the organ’s ensemble. The reeds range from a strong Germanic Trompete in the Great to a French Trompette chorus in the Swell at 8′ and 4′ pitches. The 16′ and 8′ pitches are completed with a Basson and Hautbois. A large 8′ Cromorne provides additional options for literature and solo work.
The final crown of the organ is the 8′ Fanfare Trumpet. Mr. Wigal and the committee were very clear on the design of this stop. The Fanfare Trumpet was to provide a strong solo line in both the treble and tenor range but was not to be offensive or overpowering. Therefore, the Fanfare Trumpet is voiced on seven inches of pressure, with resonators hooded to provide optimal projection from the case. Mixture work is carefully terraced across the divisions, starting with the Pedal division and proceeding through the Swell division, Great division, and Chancel division. Wind pressures range from 3″ to 33⁄4″, which allowed us to voice with prompt speech but to avoid a driven sound. All of our scaling and voicing work is handled completely in-house in our company to ensure the success of each organ. Since no two instruments or rooms are ever exactly alike, scaling and voicing strengths must always be tailored to each organ. Mr. Wigal served as the consultant for the project and provided excellent input and feedback for the development of the specification.
Mechanically, the organ utilizes electro-pneumatic slider chests with electric stop actions and electro-pneumatic unit chests. Winding is regulated through single-rise reservoirs. The casework and consoles are constructed of red oak with maple accents. The console interiors are provided in regular and burled walnut. Keyboards are done in bleached bone with ebony sharps. Drawknobs are turned ebony with laser-engraved maple insets. Tilting tablets are of solid maple. A multi-level capture and relay system was provided by Solid State Organ Systems. The rear case houses the bass of the 16′ and 8′ Pedal Principal and bass of the Great 8′ Principal. The Chancel Organ cases house the bass of the 16′ Quintaton and 8′ Principal.
The staff of our company is essential to the success of each instrument. It is through them that the organ committees and I can see fruition and success of every organ we build. We sincerely appreciate the confidence of the committee and staff of Church of the Good Shepherd for the opportunity to provide two new organs for worship and music. Additional information for these organs may be found at
<www.parkeyorgans.com&gt;.
Phillip K. Parkey
President and tonal director

Staff:
Phillip K. Parkey – president, tonal director, and voicer, tonal finishing
Michael Morris – shop supervisor, case design and chest layout, installation, tonal finishing
Josh Duncan – office manager, wiring, installation
Otilia Gamboa – chest construction, pneumatic assemblies, wiring, installation
Wayne Mitcham – case and chest construction, installation
Josh Okeson – console, case, chest construction, installation, console wiring
Philip Read – console, case, and chest construction, installation
Tom Helms – tonal finishing

From the organist
The Church of the Good Shepherd is so very pleased with the outcome of our new organ and its contribution to our worship here atop Lookout Mountain. In 1961 when the current nave of Good Shepherd was built, the building committee made a firm commitment to a new organ at that time, and chose the firm of Hillgreen, Lane and Co. The installation of that organ was done by D. Byron Arneson of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unfortunately, the organ was plagued with mechanical problems and tonal insufficiencies throughout its life. In the 1990s, renovations to the nave saw the removal of sound-absorbing carpet and curtains as well as the removal of a portion of sound-absorbing material of the rear wall. Although each decade had brought with it attempts to create a better instrument out of the Hillgreen, Lane organ, none of these attempts were able to do much beyond making the instrument more mechanically reliable. By my arrival in 2002, it was apparent that something must be done.
Early in 2005, a parishioner expressed the desire to present a gift to the parish specifically for the improvement of the organ. A committee was quickly formed with representatives from the choir, vestry and congregation (including one former organist/choirmaster), and work was begun. The committee set out with three important goals in mind: improve the organ’s ability to lead the singing of the congregation; improve/increase the available stops for accompanying the choir(s); increase the variety of available colors.
The committee felt it was important to create an antiphonal organ at the front of the nave that could function in a variety of ways. We desired an antiphonal organ that would allow for basic accompanying of the choirs or small services from the front of the nave, serve as a continuo instrument for choral or instrumental concerts, boost the tonal presence of the organ in the front of the nave for large services, as well as be a foil to the main instrument for literature.
The committee spoke with five builders during its discussions and listened to examples from three of these. In an effort to show good stewardship, the committee desired to retain something of the old organ in any new project. During our discussions and listening sessions with Phil Parkey, it became clear to us that Phil and his firm were willing and able to accomplish our listed goals. It also became clear that Phil was listening to our requests and filtering them with his own high standards, expertise and experience to create the best result for our parish. During the planning stages, the process became very much a guided collaboration between the committee, Phil Parkey, and me, with the end result being an organ that will meet the needs of this parish for many years to come.
The organ has been an enormous success and has generated excitement both in the parish and the community for the music program at Good Shepherd. In October 2007 the Chamber Orchestra of Tennessee performed a concert with the new Chancel Organ featuring two organ concerti of Handel (op. 4, nos. 4 and 6), the Adagio by Albinoni, and the Bach Concerto for Two Violins, with the organ serving as the continuo instrument. In October 2008 the main organ was heard in a wide-ranging dedicatory recital by Professor Trudy Faber of Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio.
The Chancel Organ has led various smaller worship services and has served to support instrumental and choral concerts. The main organ has served admirably to accompany both soloists and combined choral ensembles and to provide the foundation for good congregational song. Each stop has its own timbre, distinct from the others of its family and the combinations are well balanced and complementary within and between divisions. We welcome visitors to the Lookout Mountain community to stop and hear this fine instrument.
John E. Wigal
Director of music/organist

 

Church of the Good Shepherd
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Gallery Organ, Opus 8
3 manuals, 38 ranks
Drawknob console

GREAT (Unenclosed)
16′ Contra Viola Swell
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Rohrflote 61 pipes
4′ Octave 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Quint 61 pipes
2′ Super Octave 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV 232 pipes
8′ Trompette 61 pipes
8′ Fanfare Trumpet Chancel
Chimes 21 notes
Tremulant
Great 16
Great Unison Off
Great 4
Stops: 9
Ranks: 10

SWELL (Enclosed)
16′ Bourdon 61 pipes 8′ Claribel Flute 61 pipes
8′ Viola 61 pipes
8′ Viola Celeste 56 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Harmonic Flute 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Octavin 12 pipes
2′ Plein Jeu III 183 pipes
16′ Basson 12 pipes
8′ Trompette 61 pipes
8′ Hautbois 61 pipes
4′ Clairon 61 pipes
Tremulant
Swell 16
Swell Unison Off
Swell 4
Stops: 13, Ranks: 13

CHOIR (Enclosed)
8′ English Diapason 61 pipes
8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Spitz Principal 61 pipes
4′ Koppel Flute 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Block Flute 61 pipes
13⁄5′ Tierce 61 pipes
8′ Cromorne 61 pipes
8′ Fanfare Trumpet Chancel
Tremulant
Choir 16
Choir Unison Off
Choir 4
Stops: 9
Ranks: 8

PEDAL
32′ Contra Bass (ext 16 Princ, 1–12 digital)
32′ Contra Bourdon (ext Bdn, 1–9 digital, 10–12 are in pipes)
16′ Principal 32 pipes
16′ Contra Viola Swell
16′ Bourdon Swell
16′ Quintaton Chancel
8′ Octave 12 pipes
8′ Viola Swell
8′ Bourdon Swell
8′ Gedeckt Chancel
4′ Choral Bass 32 pipes
4′ Flute Swell
22⁄3′ Mixture III 96 pipes
16′ Posaune 32 pipes
16′ Basson Swell
8′ Trompete 12 pipes
4′ Hautbois Swell
4′ Clarion Swell
8′ Fanfare Trumpet Chancel
Chimes 21 notes
Stops: 18
Ranks: 6

CHANCEL (Unenclosed)
Playable as a single division from the Gallery console
8′ Principal
8′ Gamba
8′ Gedeckt
4′ Principal
4′ Rohrflote
2′ Blockflote
II Sesquialtera TC
1′ Mixture III
8′ Fanfare Trumpet 61 pipes
(Located in Chancel case)
Stops: 9
Ranks: 1

Couplers
Swell to Great 16
Swell to Great 8
Swell to Great 4
Choir to Great 16
Choir to Great 8
Choir to Great 4
Chancel to Great 8

Swell to Choir 16
Swell to Choir 8
Swell to Choir 4
Great to Choir 8
Chancel to Choir 8

Chancel to Swell 8

Great to Pedal 8
Great to Pedal 4
Swell to Pedal 8
Swell to Pedal 4
Choir to Pedal 8
Choir to Pedal 4
Chancel to Pedal 8

Great/Choir Transfer

Chancel Organ, Opus 9
2 manuals, 12 ranks
Tilting tablet console

MANUAL I
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Gamba Manual II
8′ Gedeckt Manual II
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Flute 12 pipes
III Mixture 183 pipes
Manual II to I

MANUAL II
8′ Gamba 55 pipes
(1–6 common with Gedeckt)
8′ Gedeckt 61 pipes
4′ Rohrflote 61 pipes
2′ Blockflote 61 pipes
II Sesquialtera TC 98 pipes

PEDAL
16′ Quintaton 32 pipes
8′ Gamba Manual II
8′ Gedeckt Manual II
4′ Flute Manual II
Manual I to Pedal
Manual II to Pedal

Cover photo by Chris Crevasse

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J.H. & C.S. Odell, East Hampton, Connecticut, Opus 644

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Bridgehampton, New York

From the Rector of St. Ann’s

The committee all agreed--something had to be done. For
years the church organ had been in irreversible decline, and the time had come
to act. I regarded this to be a daunting and confusing challenge in which we
needed professional counsel. Dr. Mark Andersen guided us through the various
options and needs of the decision-making process, and by July 2004 it was
agreed that J.H. and C.S. Odell of East Hampton, Connecticut be engaged to
restore the organ. It was a decision that we would never regret.

In September 2004, Edward and Holly Odell arrived to remove
the existing organ. Pipes were carefully laid out in special boxes. Frames and
blowers were removed--and those were only the things that I could
identify! It all happened remarkably quickly, and before long the truck was
driven away leaving a large space where the console had once stood, and a
spotlessly clean church where the disassembly had taken place.

The novelty of using just piano and occasional other
instruments wore off after Christmas, and we waited anxiously for the organ to
return. Our patience was not helped by tantalizing photographs and reports sent
regularly from the Odell factory showing the new instrument taking shape!

It was March 2005 (the day I was flying off on vacation)
that the Odell team returned. It was time to put the whole thing together, but
it was only two weeks before Holy Week, and three to Easter. Could it really be
done?

Eight days later I returned to find the church in wonderful
disarray with parts and pipes everywhere, and Edward Odell looking and sounding
confident, if a little tired. Yes, of course it could be done. The project was
running according to schedule. The organ would be partly voiced by Palm Sunday
and ready for Easter.

Every part was in place and every promise fulfilled. A
magnificent new console was carefully maneuvered into position. Pipes were
ready and being expertly voiced by Holly Odell. Cables and wires were
connected. The organ had life--and was indeed ready for Easter morning. It
was resurrection in a different form!

We have not looked back since then. Not only has this
instrument enhanced our Sunday worship, it has enabled us to host a season of
superb organ recitals over the summer, and earned for St. Ann’s Church a
reputation for being a place where good music can be found.
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Working with the Odell Organ Company has been not only a
proven right decision but also a joy. From the outset we not only admired the
professionalism of Edward and Holly Odell, but also came to share in their love
of organs and sheer depth of knowledge in their field. All these things,
coupled with their warmth and sense of humor, have made the whole process one
which we can reflect on with immense satisfaction. It is never an easy task for
a small parish church to embark on such a large project and investment, but we
know that we have learned and benefited so much from choosing the right organ
and the right builder.

The Reverend Tim Lewis, Rector

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church

Bridgehampton, New York

From the Consultant

As an organ consultant for nearly 35 years, I have had the
opportunity to design a large range of instruments from the smallest two-manual
to several five-manual instruments throughout the United States, England, and
Australia.

St. Ann’s parish is that wonderful combination of
sophistication in a relaxed atmosphere. It is many New Yorkers’ church away
from home, and the organ would have to meet the discriminating tastes of
parishioners who worship in some of the largest churches in the metropolitan
area.

There was not much with which to start--an old hybrid
Möller from the ’20’s that was on its very last legs after having several ranks
replaced over the years. I designed an organ specification capable of
accompanying a proper Anglican service, but in a size and fit that matched St.
Ann’s. After requesting bids from many organbuilders, it was clear that J.H.
& C.S. Odell had the talent to see the task through with outstanding
results. Tonally the organ now fits the space perfectly and is complete enough
in specification to satisfy even the most discriminating organists. The
craftsmanship is superb, and the voicing is clear and clean, leaning beautifully
toward the English tradition. The project has surpassed my expectations.

Mark Andersen, PhD

New Berlin, New York

From the Organbuilder

Our Opus 644 began life as what could be termed a “Heinz 57”
instrument, which is to say it featured a combination of pipes and parts from a
combination of organbuilders and suppliers. The console case and most of the
wooden pipes in the organ date from a five-stop 1927 M.P. Möller instrument,
which was then rebuilt and altered in the early 1970s. It was during this 1970s
rebuild that much of the original pipework was replaced.

As we found it, the organ was a unified instrument of modest
resources, most of them well made if not terribly well looked after. It was
unrefined, but met the basic requirements. In the 1980s a German supply house
Trumpet 8’ and Mixture III (inexplicably, a Zimbel based on 2?3’ pitch) were
added, along with a polished tin Gemshorn that was used to form a façade. The
entire organ was in a single expression chamber to the right of the chancel. The
existing electro-pneumatic unit chests, made from solid mahogany, were in good
physical condition, though the installation made maintenance access difficult
in certain areas.

In July of 2004, Dr. Mark Andersen (organ consultant to St.
Ann’s) approached us with a prospectus that included a rebuild and enlargement
of the organ. In addition to new pipes and new chest work, a new 3-manual
terrace-jamb console was part of this plan.

Dr. Andersen’s proposed stoplist would add a total of nine
ranks to the organ. The scheme had an immediate appeal, as it would expand the
resources of the organ to include a full principal chorus in the Great, as well
as a new 8’ Rohrflute to contrast the existing Chimney Flute in the Swell.
“Fleshing out” the Great with six new ranks allowed us to recast the remaining
resources to work as a mostly independent Swell division. The new scheme would
also extend the existing Trumpet to 16’ pitch to play from the Pedal and add a
small Cornet (a tenor C, 2-rank 12/17 combination, scaled and voiced to match
the new Great flute).

The challenge, of course, was to now somehow fit 19 ranks in
a space that before barely contained eight. Early in the design process it became
evident that much of the precious real estate in the organ chamber could be
reclaimed if the many offset chests for various ranks could be consolidated
onto a new single offset chest that would also provide for the new Trumpet 16’.
We also wanted to ensure the new chamber layout would permit adequate access
for service and, most importantly, tuning. Rebuilding the existing expression
shades and fitting them with new expression controllers made available space
that had been previously occupied by a pneumatic motor with an unwieldy linkage
system.

We developed a new 7’4? diatonic chest scale to accommodate
the new stops and the relocated Gemshorn. The existing Principal 8’ was
carefully revoiced to give it more moderate power, and the new principal ranks
were scaled and voiced to build from this new foundation. The new Great Bourdon
8’ was voiced using a special arch cutup schedule, which lent the pipes a color
that allows the stop to work superbly as both a solo and ensemble voice. The
Swell was given its own new 3-rank mixture based on 2’ pitch, and the existing
Zimbel mixture was recomposed into a more appropriate chorus mixture based on
11?3’ pitch for the Great.

Though the action for the new chestwork was specified to be
electro-mechanical, we milled all windchest toeboards to be no less than one
and one-half inches in thickness. This, along with proper attention to voicing,
successfully offset any pipe speech problems normally anticipated with this
type of action. Our windchests were made from solid poplar, with the exception
of the toeboard for the new Swell Mixture, which was milled from sugar pine.

The new console and case, both entirely of our own design
and manufacture, were milled  in
our East Hampton shop from solid quarter-sawn white oak, and stained and
finished to match existing fixtures in the sanctuary. The console interior
(stop jambs and key cheeks) was milled from solid walnut and finished with
hand-rubbed Danish oil. The façade pipes are polished tin, made to custom
specifications we developed and submitted to our friends at Giesecke. The new
flue pipes were built to our scales by Luc Ladurantaye Tuyatier of Lac Saguay,
Quebec.

Along with the standard complement of accessories, the
console features an integrated control system with multiple memory levels,
programmable crescendo and sforzando, 12-step transposer and MIDI interface for
record and playback ability. The digital Antiphonal division was contracted and
installed separately by Artisan Instruments.

Edward Odell

J.H. & C.S. Odell

Glück New York,

New York, New York

The Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Cold Spring, New York

This historic church, known for its remarkable collection of
stained glass windows, was recently restored, with a new instrument and a
marble chancel floor included in the renewal plans. Under the direction of Fr.
Brian McSweeney, Pastor; Frances Pergamo, Director of Music; and Fr. Richard D.
Baker of the New York Archdiocese, three organbuilders were each invited to
present their vision of an appropriate musical instrument. The smallest and
most stylistically focused proposal submitted, the new Glück organ occupies a
traditional position in the rear gallery to great acoustical advantage. While
the organ looks toward the French orgue d’accompagnement of the 1860s for both
its concept and tonal palette, it is certainly not intended to be a stylistic
copy.

The manual soundboards are placed side-by-side at impost
level, with the Swell to the right, its vertical shutters operated by direct
mechanical linkage. The two large wooden pedal stops stand on their own
windchests behind the organ. The Great organ incorporates some pipework from a
mid-1870s Levi Underwood Stuart organ of undetermined provenance. Interior
metal pipes are of 70% lead alloy, except for the Swell strings, which are of
50% tin. Wooden pipework is of pine and fir. The façade pipes are built with
English bay leaf mouths arrayed in a swag pattern after Gottfried Silbermann’s
façades of the 1740s.

The walnut keydesk en fenêtre sports beveled figured maple
jambs and pao ferro drawknobs. Both pedal and manual accidentals are Brazilian
rosewood. Compasses are 56/30; there is no combination action, but the three
unison couplers are reversible by toe paddles. The case is painted in various
shades of olive, with details in sapphire, ruby, and faux marbre. Architectural
design was by Sebastian M. Glück, who executed the Neapolitan-style angel,
tower finials, and buttress niches, which are suitably polychromed and gilded.
Color photographs may be viewed at the firm’s web site at
<www.glucknewyork.com&gt;.

The structural design and layout are the work of Albert
Jensen-Moulton, general manager of the firm, who was assisted in the
construction of the organ by Dominic Inferrera, foreman. Voicing and tonal
finishing were accomplished on site by Sebastian M. Glück, tonal director. The
organ was formally dedicated in a series of three recitals by Lana Kollath, Dr.
Jennifer Pascual, and the builder.

--Benito Orso

GREAT

8’               Open
Diapason

8’               Open
Wood Flute

4’               Principal

2’               Doublet

8’               Hautboy
(from Swell)

                       Swell
to Great

                       Swell
to Great Octaves

SWELL

8’               Salicional

8’               Voix
Céleste

8’               Stopped
Diapason

4’               Harmonic
Flute

8’               Hautboy

                       Tremulant

                       Swell
to Swell Octaves

PEDAL

16’           Open
Wood Bass

16’           Stopped
Bass

8’               Octave
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
from Great

8’               Hautboy
from Swell

                       Great
to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

                       Swell
to Pedal Octaves

W. W. Kimball Op. 7231 Restoration, St. John’s Cathedral, Denver

Michael Friesen

Michael Friesen, of Denver, Colorado, is an organ historian who specializes in the history of organbuilding in America in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was President of the Organ Historical Society from 2003 to 2007.

Files
webMar10p24-25.pdf (263.66 KB)
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St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Denver, Colorado, has announced that Spencer Organ Company, Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts will restore the cathedral’s historic 5,949-pipe organ built by W. W. Kimball of Chicago. The four-manual, 96-rank Kimball organ, Op. 7231 of the firm, was dedicated on May 18, 1938, and was the last major instrument constructed before Kimball ceased organ-building operations in 1942 after the outbreak of World War II.
Founded in 1857, Kimball was a major manufacturer and supplier of musical instruments, primarily pianos and reed organs. Pipe organ manufacture began in 1891. Altogether, the company built and installed 7,326 organs throughout the United States and abroad. Most of the firm’s large instruments have been replaced, neglected, or substantially rebuilt. The Denver Kimball is now prized because of its completely original condition (not a pipe has been changed), preserving a rich English Cathedral aesthetic popular between the wars.
Although the instrument has been well maintained during its 71 years, it has developed the mechanical problems that come to all pipe organs with age and wear through heavy use. To preserve the instrument and keep it in optimal condition, the cathedral has committed to a comprehensive restoration process. Much of the organ was removed in June 2009, not only for restoration, but also to allow repairs and improvements to the organ’s chamber (built in a part of the cathedral intended as a temporary brick structure that has since become permanent). The organ restoration will include replacement of leather components, repair and renewal of mechanisms, and a thorough cleaning and re-regulation of all pipes.
The Spencer Organ Company, Inc., founded in 1995 by Joseph Rotella, specializes in the restoration of electro-pneumatic pipe organs. The Spencer firm, with eleven employees, has been entrusted with the restoration and maintenance of numerous Skinner, Aeolian-Skinner, and Kimball organs. The Denver project is a two-year program of staged work, beginning with the June removal and scheduled for completion in fall 2011.
The Kimball restoration is part of an effort at St. John’s to improve several aspects of the building in commemoration of its 150th anniversary in 2010–11, which includes the 100th anniversary of the cathedral building itself. (The parish was founded in 1860; the current cathedral building was dedicated in 1911.) Fund-raising for those projects and anniversary programs is underway. The cathedral is considering the commission of new organs for the rear gallery and St. Martin’s Chapel, details of which will be announced later. Throughout this process, St. John’s will continue its extensive music program without interruption.
St. John’s has purchased an instrument built in 1869 by the Boston, Massachusetts firm of E. & G. G. Hook, its Op. 476, for use as a temporary instrument while the 1938 Kimball organ undergoes restoration. The Hook was formerly in the First Methodist Church of Lawrence, Massachusetts, its original home. The congregation currently using that building did not need the Hook for their worship and offered it for sale through the Organ Clearing House.
The Hook is a two-manual, 17-stop, tracker-action instrument, contained in a free-standing walnut case with Victorian-stencilled façade pipes. Co-restorers are Richard C. Hamar of Norwich, Connecticut and Susan Tattershall of Denver, with additional materials and/or labor furnished by Norman Lane and Rick Morel of Denver, Rubin Frels of Victoria, Texas, Barbara Owen of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Michael Quimby of Warrensburg, Missouri. In addition, over 1,400 hours have been contributed to the project by many parish volunteers and non-parishioner friends, from youth to adult, who have helped with various tasks, ranging from making new trackers, cleaning all parts of the organ, sanding the old varnish off the case, and re-stencilling the decorative components.
The restoration project follows the Organ Historical Society’s Guidelines for Conservation and Restoration for pipe organs. The pedal action, which was converted to tubular-pneumatic action in 1911 by the Hutchings Organ Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, has been returned to mechanical action in Hook style. Subsequent tonal alterations had included substituting a 22⁄3′ mutation stop and a 2′ flute for the 8′ Keraulophon and 4′ Violina ranks in the Swell, respectively, and a 4′ Flute d’Amour displaced the 16′ Bourdon on the Great, which was moved to a jump slide. The Keraulophon pipes were found in the organ, and have been repaired and restored to their original place; the jump slide and the Flute d’Amour were removed, with the Bourdon being returned to its original location, which required a redesign of the toeboard. The 2′ principal rank will remain in the organ for the time being until suitable replacement Violina pipes are found. The case has been given a new traditional shellac finish, and the façade pipes are being restored to their original color scheme. Thus the original musical aesthetic, mechanical functioning, and appearance of the Hook is being restored to the greatest extent possible.
Coincidentally, St. John’s had previous relationships with the Hook firm, purchasing two organs from them in succession: first, a small organ in 1875, which was used in its original church building in downtown Denver, and then a second, large three-manual organ in 1881 for the first cathedral located at 20th and Welton Streets, which burned in 1903.
The Hook organ has been placed on the floor of the nave in the back of the cathedral while repairs and refurbishing of elements of the cathedral chancel are undertaken. St. John’s began offering a recital series on the Hook in January 2010. Further concert dates will be announced. For additional information, contact the Cathedral Music Office at 303/577-7717. 

St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral
Denver, Colorado
W. W. Kimball Company
Chicago, Illinois
Op. 7231, 1938

4 manuals, 96 speaking stops, 96 ranks, 5,949 pipes

Great (61 notes, Manual II, unenclosed, except as noted *)
16′ Double Diapason
16′ Quintaton*
8′ First Diapason
8′ Second Diapason
8′ Third Diapason*
8′ Harmonic Flute*
8′ Bourdon*
8’ Gemshorn*
4′ First Octave
4′ Second Octave*
4′ Flute Harmonique*
22⁄3′ Octave Quint
2′ Super Octave
IV Fourniture
III–V Full Mixture
16′ Contra Tromba*
8′ Tromba*
4′ Clarion*
Tremolo (for enclosed labial stops)
Chimes (Solo)

Swell (61 notes, enclosed, Manual III)
16′ Contra Salicional
16′ Echo Lieblich
8′ Geigen Principal
8′ Hohl Flöte
8′ Salicional
8′ Voix Celeste
8′ Rohrflöte
8′ Flauto Dolce
8′ Flute Celeste
8′ Aeoline
8′ Aeoline Celeste
4′ Octave Geigen
4′ Traverse Flute
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
III Cornet
V Plein Jeu
16′ Waldhorn
8′ Trumpet
8′ Cornopean
8′ Oboe
8′ Vox Humana
4′ Clarion
Tremolo
Chimes (Solo)
Harp (Choir) 8′
Celesta (Choir) 4′

Choir (61 notes, enclosed, Manual I)
16′ Contra Dulciana
8′ Diapason
8′ Concert Flute
8′ Viola
8′ Dulciana
8′ Unda Maris
4′ Prestant
4′ Lieblich Flöte
4′ Viola
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Piccolo
13⁄5′ Tierce
16′ Bassoon
8′ Trompette
8′ Clarinet
8′ Orchestral Oboe
Tremolo
Harp (8′, 61 bars)
Celesta (4′, from Harp)
Chimes (Solo)

Solo (61 notes, enclosed, Manual IV)
16′ Contra Gamba
8′ Flauto Mirabilis
8′ Gamba
8′ Gamba Celeste
4′ Orchestral Flute
4′ Gambette
2′ Piccolo Harmonique
8′ Tuba Mirabilis
8′ French Horn
8′ Cor Anglais
4′ Clarion
Tremolo
Chimes (25 tubular bells)
Harp (Choir) 8′
Celesta (Choir) 4′

Pedal (32 notes, unenclosed [except for enclosed borrows])
32′ Open Diapason (ext.)
16′ Open Diapason
16′ Principal
16′ Double Diapason (Great)
16′ Geigen
16′ Violone
16′ Bourdon
16′ Contra Gamba (Solo)
16′ Contra Salicional (Swell)
16′ Echo Lieblich (Swell)
16′ Contra Dulciana (Choir)
8′ First Octave (ext. Op. Diap.)
8′ Second Octave
8′ Geigen (ext.)
8′ Cello (ext. Violone)
8′ Flute (ext. Bourdon)
8′ Stillgedeckt (Swell 16′ Echo Lieblich)
8′ Dulciana (Choir 16′ Contra Dulciana)
4′ Super Octave
4′ Flute (ext. Bourdon)
IV Mixture
32′ Contra Waldhorn (ext.)
16′ Trombone
16′ Waldhorn
16′ Tromba (Great)
16′ Bassoon (Choir)
8′ Trumpet
4′ Clarion
Chimes (Solo)

Antiphonal (Manual IV; prepared for, 21 blank drawknobs)

Antiphonal Pedal (prepared for, 7 blank drawknobs)

Summary
Division Stops Ranks Pipes
Great 18 25 1,489
Swell 23 29 1,973
Choir 16 16 1,132
Solo 11 11 791
Pedal 28 15+7 ext. 564

Total 96 96 5,949

Couplers and Accessories
# = indicator light provided

Couplers (by tabs on coupler rail):
Great Sub 16′
Great Super 4′
Swell Sub 16′
Swell Unison Off
Swell Super 4′
Choir Sub 16′
Choir Unison Off
Choir Super 4′
Solo Sub 16′
Solo Unison Off
Solo Super 4′
Great to Pedal 8′
Great to Pedal 4′
Swell to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 4′
Choir to Pedal 8′
Choir to Pedal 4′
Solo to Pedal 8′
Solo to Pedal 4′
2 blanks [intended for Antiphonal to Pedal 8′, 4′]
Swell to Great 16′
Swell to Great 8′
Swell to Great 4′
Choir to Great 16′
Choir to Great 8′
Choir to Great 4′
Solo to Great 16′
Solo to Great 8′
Solo to Great 4′
Choir to Swell 8′
Solo to Swell 8′
Swell to Choir 16′
Swell to Choir 8′
Swell to Choir 4′
Solo to Choir 8′
Great to Solo 16′
Great to Solo 8′
Great to Solo 4′
5 blanks [intended for Antiphonal division coupling to be determined]

Reversibles (by thumb piston and toe stud):
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Antiphonal to Pedal
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Solo to Great
#Mezzo Sforzando (settable)
#Sforzando (settable)
#32′ stops off
#16′ stops off

Combinations (by thumb piston):
General 1–10
Great 1–8
Swell 1–8
Choir 1–8
Solo 1–8
Antiphonal 1–6
General Set
Cancel

Combinations (by toe stud):
General 1–10
Pedal 1–8
Pedal to Combinations On/Off (all manual divisions)
Pedal to Combinations 1st/2nd Touch
Pedal Movements:
balanced Enclosed Great expression pedal
balanced Choir expression pedal
balanced Swell & Master expression pedal
balanced Solo expression pedal
#balanced Crescendo pedal
#Chimes Soft (hitchdown)
#Chimes Sustain (hitchdown)
#Harp Sustain (hitchdown)

Accessories:
Expression Pedal Adjuster
#Signal Light
#Current Light

____________________________

St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral
Denver, Colorado
E. & G. G. Hook
Boston, Massachusetts
Op. 476, 1869

2 manuals, 17 speaking stops, 15 ranks, 772 pipes

Great (58 notes, CC–a3)
16′ Bourdon [TC]
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Stopped Diapason Bass
8′ Melodia [TC]
8′ Gamba [TC]
4′ Octave
2′ Fifteenth
II Mixture [11⁄3′ + 1′]

Swell (58 notes, CC–a3,
enclosed)
8′ Stopped Diapason Bass
8′ Stopped Diapason Treble [TC]
8′ Keraulophon [TC]
4′ Flute Harmonique
2′ Principal [originally 4′ Violina]
8′ Bassoon
8′ Oboe [TC]

Pedal (27 notes, CC–d1)
16′ Sub Bass
8′ Flöte

Couplers and Mechanicals
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell Tremulant
Bellows Signal
Four Composition Pedals:
Great Forte
Great Piano
Swell Forte
Swell Piano

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