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Skinner Opus 327 recital

In this 150th anniversary year of the birth of Ernest M. Skinner (1866–1960), the “Opus 327” foundation of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois, presents Nathan J. Laube May 27 at 8 p.m. The concert is a fundraiser for the benefit of “Opus 327,” a not-for-profit organization for the promotion and stewardship of the 1922 four-manual E.M. Skinner organ.

Herbert E. Hyde, St. Luke’s organist and choirmaster from 1920–46, drew up the specification for the organ in consultation with William Zeuch, vice president of the Skinner Organ Company, and Joseph Bonnet, organist of St. Eustache in Paris. The organ was restored by A. Thompson-Allen in 2002. (See The Diapason, January 2003: “Ernest M. Skinner Opus 327, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois,” by Richard Webster.)

For further information: www.stlukesevanston.org.

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Ernest M. Skinner Sesquicentennial Conference, April 24-25, 2016, Evanston, Illinois

Stephen Schnurr
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In January 2015, The Diapason partnered with the Chicago and Fox Valley chapters of the American Guild of Organists and the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society in presenting a Midwinter Pipe Organ Conclave, a two-day event of recitals, lectures, and workshops in La Grange, Illinois. In 2016, our team, now joined by the North Shore AGO chapter and the Music Institute of Chicago, will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the birth of one of America’s best-known organ builders, Ernest M. Skinner (1866–1960). Our conference will take place April 24–25 in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb immediately north of the city of Chicago. Subscribers of The Diapason are invited to join us; those traveling from a distance will find Evanston has easy access to both of Chicago’s airports (O’Hare and Midway) as well as the many interstate highways that lead to our metropolitan area. There are several hotels a short distance from downtown Evanston.

The conference opens Sunday evening, April 24, with a concert by Chicago’s premiere professional chamber choir, Bella Voce, in historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. The choir’s program, “Faire Is the Heaven,” will feature Anglican masterpieces for choir and organ by William Harris, William Walton, H. Balfour Gardiner, and Herbert Howells. The award-winning group, founded in 1982 as His Majestie’s Clerkes, has recordings available on the Centaur, Harmonia Mundi, Narada, and Cedille labels. Andrew Lewis is artistic director of Bella Voce, as well as choirmaster for St. Luke’s Church.

The gothic architecture of St. Luke’s Church is one of the ecclesiastical jewels of the Chicago region. Designed by John Sutcliffe, construction for the building began in 1906, and the nave was finished some eight years later. In 1922, the Skinner Organ Company installed its Opus 327, a large four-manual organ. In the 1990s, the organ was restored by the A. Thompson-Allen Company of New Haven, Connecticut. The organ will be featured during the Bella Voce concert.

Monday morning, April 25, opens with a lecture by Stephen Schnurr at First Congregational Church. Editor-at-large for The Diapason and director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church of Valparaiso, Indiana, Schnurr will discuss the work of Ernest Skinner in Chicago.

Later that morning, Andrew Schaeffer will present a recital in the sanctuary of First Congregational Church. The building, finished in 1927 to the designs Tallmadge & Watson, one of Chicago’s premier firms of that era for Protestant churches, is distinctive for its American Colonial style. Schaeffer will play Skinner Organ Company Opus 616, a three-manual, 32-rank organ. A Chicago native and one of The Diapason’s “20 under 30” Class of 2015, Schaeffer is working on a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance at the University of Oklahoma.

After a catered luncheon, we will then hear a lecture by Joyce Robinson, editorial director and publisher of The Diapason. Robinson’s lecture will focus on the presence of Ernest M. Skinner in The Diapason, including his many letters and articles.

This will be followed by an organ crawl and open console, where registrants will be able to experience first-hand the work of Skinner within a walking distance of First Congregational Church. A short distance across Raymond Park is the Music Institute of Chicago, built as First Church of Christ, Scientist. Designed by Chicago’s Solon Spencer Beman, the neo-Classical building is home to the 550-seat Nichols Concert Hall. There we will visit the oldest playable Skinner organ in Illinois, Ernest M. Skinner Company Opus 208, a three-manual organ. A little further distant, Opus 327 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will also be available for a visit.

We will all gather once more in the nave of the First Congregational Church for our final event, a recital by David Jonies. Jonies is associate director of music for the Cathedral of the Holy Name in downtown Chicago.

Registration for the entire conference, including Monday’s luncheon, is only $70. We are sure you will want to join us for this springtime event of music and learning! To register, visit www.skinner2016.org.

Ernest M. Skinner Opus 327

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois

by Richard Webster
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St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois, has recently completed a year-long celebration of the restoration of its E.M. Skinner organ, Opus 327. The series of events began with a re-dedication recital by Marilyn Keiser on September 12, 1999, and continued: Gillian Weir, November 14; Karel Paukert, February 4, 2000; a Hymn Festival, March 5; and Richard Webster, April 9. The restoration was done by the A. Thompson-Allen Company of New Haven, Connecticut. The phased restoration of Opus 327 began with the Swell organ, completed in 1994, with the remainder of the instrument completed in time for Christmas 1998.

 

A brief history

St. Luke's Church building, regarded as the magnum opus of architect John Sutcliffe, was built in several stages between 1904 and 1914. Upon completion of the nave to its present height of 65 feet, it became obvious that the original organ would be inadequate for the finished space. Bishop George Craig Stewart, Rector of St. Luke's and later Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, led the parish in the effort to secure an organ worthy of their building and their fine organist. Herbert Hyde was hired as organist in June 1920. Dr. Hyde had studied with Charles-Marie Widor and Joseph Bonnet, had held posts at Church of the Ascension and St. Peter's in Chicago, and was organist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hyde had studied the great romantic organs such as those at St. Sulpice and St. Eustache in Paris, built by Cavaillé-Coll, and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, built by Henry "Father" Willis.

On June 4, 1921, St. Luke's Church signed a contract with the Ernest M. Skinner Company of Boston. Dr. Hyde prepared the specification in consultation with Joseph Bonnet. About 18 months were required for construction and assembly in the Skinner factory. The organ was then disassembled, labeled, and crated for shipment in 12 boxcars to Evanston's Main Street railroad siding, two blocks from the church. Crews then worked for six months to install the organ in its three-story-high chamber, and to regulate and tune all 3,800 pipes. Upon completion the organ housed more than 10,000 parts made of wood, metal, and leather, and weighed more than 20 tons.

The week of dedication recitals, in October 1922, was enthusiastically received. Programs ranged from Bach to orchestral transcriptions to the symphonic organ works of Guilmant, Bonnet, and Widor. The Skinner organ, Opus 327, was found to be capable of everything expected of a great romantic American organ.

For the next 35 years the organ performed admirably as a significant component of the parish's reputation for excellent music integrated into the worship of the church. In its dignified yet stirring way, it proclaimed Easters and heralded Christmases, accompanied countless eucharists and evensongs, weddings and funerals, and gave voice to a wide range of organ literature.

Over time, as is always the case, musical tastes changed. The widely accepted view of the 1950s, 60s and even 70s was that these romantic instruments, with their large scales and grand sounds, had become outmoded. One critic referred to them as "green slime machines." Most organs the size and quality of Opus 327 were drastically altered or completely replaced. Some have been lost forever.

The alterations and additions to the St. Luke's organ over the years have not been drastic and have not radically altered its original character. In the Great division, the original enclosed Mixture was removed and lost, replaced with a brighter, more forward stop. The Swell Mixture was recomposed to a new pattern, and the Swell and Choir divisions had their 2' stops swapped. Also in the Choir, three stops--the Melodia 8', Flute d'amour 4', and Dulcet II--were replaced with more Baroque style sounds. Fortunately, their pipework was removed to the attic just above the south transept, where it lay for the next 40 years. What was known as the Echo organ was originally the 1909 Casavant in the Lady Chapel. This instrument was replaced in 1958 by a 14-rank M.P. Möller. Both chapel instruments were playable from the main Skinner console. In 1986 the Möller was sold to Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Rosemont, Illinois, and a new 4-stop portative organ by Karl Wilhelm took its place.

The Cymbala, a set of four Swiss bells, was added in 1958, and the antiphonal Fanfare Trumpet, which extends horizontally from the west wall, was added by the Aeolian-Skinner Company in 1959.

The 1960s saw the increasing deterioration of the organ, to the point where it was at times unplayable. Following a 1968 visit to St. Luke's, the president of one prominent organ company wrote to the Rector proposing that the original Skinner be replaced with a new organ, citing "the present instrument (as) inadequate to meet the needs of your congregation." Fortunately, because of parish financial constraints, this was never a viable option.

During the 1970s, some cleaning and releathering of the organ and refurbishing of the console took place. Though this kept the instrument running, certain stops, such as the Tuba Mirabilis and the Harp/Celesta, remained silent for two or three decades.

In 1986 the parish undertook a major restoration of the building. In addition to cleaning the interior of the nave and sanctuary to remedy the damage caused by a leaking roof and a boiler fire in the 1940s, four-inch thick horsehair and burlap padding was removed from the wooden ceiling. The padding had been put in place in 1914 to stifle reverberation and help clarify the spoken word. The restored reverberation of nearly four seconds has dramatically improved choral and congregational singing, and has served to amplify the grandeur and subtlety of the organ.

By the late 1980s, the organ and its leather had deteriorated to the point where many stops were either completely dead or had so many dead notes that they were unusable. The combination action in the console became increasingly unreliable. The situation became critial. At the time, an historically accurate reproduction of the organ was estimated to cost at least $1.5 million. A new mechanical action instrument of the size required by the space may have run to $1 million or more. Realizing that Skinner's Opus 327, registered by the Organ Historical Society, was such an outstanding instrument, part of America's musical heritage and a worthy testament to Mr. Skinner's vision, the Vestry of St. Luke's concluded that a complete restoration of the instrument was the most responsible option. In 1990 a contract was signed with the A. Thompson-Allen Company, Curators of Organs at Yale University, and widely renowned for their work in the restoration of E.M. Skinner organs.

Over the next several years, the work was accomplished in two phases. The Swell was completed in 1994, the organ's other four divisions and console in 1997-98. In stages, the organ was completely dismantled, leaving only the largest of the 32' pipes in place. Pipework, chests, wiring, tubing, and the like were transported to the Connecticut shops where components were cleaned, broken mechanicals repaired, and worn out parts replaced. The 3,800 leather pouches were releathered.

Every pipe received individual attention. Metal ones were washed, lacquered ones stripped and refinished. New tuning sleeves were installed throughout, and dents removed as necessary. Voicing was redone according to Mr. Skinner's intentions. The pitch of the organ, which had dropped over time because of tuning difficulties, was brought back to A-440. The console, with its complicated and ingenious electro-pneumatic action, was completely dismantled and reconstructed, replacing all leather and other worn out parts. The walls of the organ chambers were replastered and painted, and the ceiling cleaned and revarnished, thereby creating hard, sound-reflective surfaces. The organ's many reservoirs were also releathered and reassembled.

The Spencer Turbine "Orgolo" centrifugal blower, standard for all Skinner organs, still functions reliably after 77 years. It has terrified generations of choristers who have happened to be passing through the blower room as the organ was coming to life. To this day, the lights in the entire building respectfully dim any time the organ is switched on. As a safely measure, a new protective housing was constructed around this mamouth blower in its basement room.

The three Choir division stops that had long languished in the attic now sound forth in their original locations in the organ, as do the Chimes, Harp, and Celesta. The Philomela 8' (Solo division), which had also been removed, has now been restored. As for the original Swell and Great Mixture stops, whose pipework no longer exists, Thompson-Allen has created faithful reproductions of Skinner mixtures from the 1920s. Their more gentle, "sunbeam"-like character complements and completes the rich, warm foundation tone of the organ. The Fanfare Trumpet stop, though not original to the organ, has been slightly revoiced to produce a fiery, commanding sound without being assaultive.

 

GREAT (unenclosed, 71/2≤ wind)

                  16'          Diapason (73)

                  8'             First Diapason (73)

                  8'             Second Diapason (73)

                  8'             Third Diapason (73)

                  8'             Erzähler (73)

                  4'             Octave (61)

                  IV            Chorus Mixture1 (244)

                                    enclosed in separate box

                  8'             Claribel Flute (73)

                  4'             Harmonic Flute (61)

                  22/3'      Twelfth (61)

                  2'             Fifteenth (61)

                  III            Mixture (A-9)2 (183)

                  16'          Trombone (73)

                  8'             Trumpet (73)

                  4'             Clarion (61)

                                    Chimes (Solo)

SWELL (enclosed, 71/2≤ wind)

                  16'          Bourdon (73)

                  8'             Diapason (73)

                  8'             Salicional (73)

                  8'             Voix Celeste (73)

                  8'             Gedeckt (73)

                  8'             Spitz Flute (73)

                  8'             Flute Celeste (TC, 61)

                  8'             Aeoline (73)

                  4'             Octave (61)

                  4'             Traverse Flute (73)

                  2'             Flautino (61)

                  III           Mixture (C-14)4 (183)

                  16'          Contra Posaune (73)

                  8'             Cornopean (73)

                  8'             Oboe (73)

                  8'             Vox Humana (73)

                  4'             Clarion (61)

                                    Tremolo

                                    Harp (Choir)

                                    Celesta (Choir)

CHOIR (enclosed, 6≤ wind)

                  8'             Diapason (73)

                  8'             Dulcet II3 (146)

                  8'             Melodia3 (73)

                  8'             Kleine Erzähler (celeste TC, 134)

                  4'             Flute d'amour3 (61)

                  22/3'      Twelfth (61)

                  2'             Piccolo (61)

                  13/5'      Tierce (61)

                  8'             Clarinet (73)

                  8'             Orchestral Oboe (73)

                                    Tremolo

                                    Harp (61 bars)

                  8'             Fanfare Trumpet5 (71/2≤                                                                wind)(61)

SOLO (enclosed, 10≤ wind)

                  8'             Diapason (73)

                  8'             Philomela3 (73)

                  8'             Gross Gamba (73)

                  8'             Gamba Celeste (73)

                  8'             French Horn (73)

                  8'             English Horn (73)

                  4'             Tuba Clarion (61)

                                    Tremolo

                                    Chimes (25 tubes)

                  8'             Tuba Mirabilis (20≤ wind)(73)

PEDAL (6≤ wind)

                  32'          Diapason (ext 1st, 12)

                  16'          First Diapason (wood, 32)

                  16'          Second Diapason (metal, 32)

                  16'          Violone (wood & metal, 32)

                  16'          Bourdon (wood, 32)

                  16'          Echo Bourdon (Sw)

                  8'             Octave (ext 1st, 12)

                  8'             Cello (ext, 12)

                  8'             Gedeckt (ext Bdn, 12)

                  4'             Super Octave (ext 1st, 12)

                  4'             Flute (ext Bdn, 12)

                  32'          Bombarde (ext, 12)

                  16'          Trombone (15≤ wind, 32)

                  8'             Tromba (ext, 12)

                  4'             Clarion (ext, 12)

 

1. Added in the 1950s as the gift of Dr. William H. and Edith Barnes; pipes and chests by Tellers.

2. Replication of lost A-9 mixture; pipes by Austin, voicing by D. Kingman and N. Thompson-Allen.

3. Original Skinner stops that had been removed or altered but are now restored and reinstated.

4. Skinner-style C-14 mixture replacing lost A-9 mixture; pipes by Austin, voicing by D. Kingman and A. Thompson-Allen.

5. On west wall; blower, chests and pipes added by Aeolian-Skinner in 1959.

 

Looking Back

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10 years ago in the March 2000 issue of The Diapason
Cover: T. R. Rench & Company, Trinity United Methodist Church, Racine, Wisconsin
Third International Organ Competition sponsored by the City of Paris announced winners
Patrick Allen appointed organist and master of the choristers, Grace Church, New York City
Robert Jones appointed organist and choir director, St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Norm Kinnaugh appointed to the drafting/engineering department, Reuter Organ Company
Robert Names awarded the Medal of Honor and Diploma for Achievement by the Albert Schweitzer Society in Brussels, Belgium
Keith S. Toth received a Golden Ear Award from The Absolute Sound Journal for his CD Paris on Park Avenue
Andrew Pennells, managing director of J. W. Walker & Sons, died at age 37
“Johann Sebastian Bach and Die Kunst der Fuga,” by Herbert Anton Kellner
“Musical Rhetoric in Three Praeludia of Dietrich Buxtehude,” by Leon W. Couch III
New Organs: Glatter-Götz/Rosales, Nichols & Simpson

25 years ago, March 1985
Cover: J. S. Bach, 300th birthday
Douglas Butler appointed organist-choirmaster, St. Boniface Catholic Church, San Francisco, California
Mary Preston appointed director of music and organist, Walnut Hill United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas
Valentin Radu under the management of Artist Recitals Talent Agency
Obituaries: Robert D. MacWilliams, Rachel (nee Boldt) MacKay, and Grace Muszynski
“Symposium: The Organ Chorales of Bach, Arizona State University,” by Margaret R. Evans
“The Advent & Christmas Chorales of the Orgelbüchlein: Their Histories and Settings,” by Paul B. Boehnke
“The University of Michigan 24th Annual Conference on Organ Music,” by James Hammann
New Organs: Hendrickson Organ Co., Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.

50 years ago, March 1960
André Marchal to play and teach at Northwestern University’s tenth annual midwinter conference on church music
Catharine Crozier plays winter recital series at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Frederick Swann plays dedication recital of Aeolian-Skinner organ at Epworth Methodist Church, Norfolk, Virginia
People: Ronald Arnatt, Feike Asma, Richard Ellsasser, Bertha Hagarty, Ralph Kneeream, Gerald Knight, Marilyn Mason, Russell Hancock Miles, Ashley Miller, Robert Requa, William Teague, Everett Titcomb
Aeolian-Skinner to build 98-rank organ for Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City; specification drawn up by Charlotte Garden, Robert Baker, and Searle Wright
Aeolian-Skinner installed 110-rank organ in the Auditorium of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Independence, Missouri, designed by G. Donald Harrison and Harold Gleason
Completion of two new Aeolian-Skinner organs at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Shreveport, Louisiana
1804 Tannenberg organ restored at York, Pennsylvania Historical Socity
Illinois Wesleyan University to replace its Hinners organ with a new three-manual Schantz
Organs: Austin, Casavant, Delaware, Hillgreen, Lane and Co., Holloway, Holtkamp, Möller, Pels, Reuter, Wicks

75 years ago, March 1935
People: Paul Allen Beymer, E. Power Biggs, William C. Carl, Ralph Downes, Marcel Dupré, Edward Eigenschenk, Virgil Fox, Porter Heaps, Bernard R. LaBerge, Charlotte Lockwood, Hugh McAmis, Renee Nizan, Mario Salvador, Melville Smith, Parvin Titus, Clarence Watters, Ernest White, David McK. Williams, Nesta Williams, Pietro Yon
Organs: Aeolian-Skinner, Austin, Frazee, Kilgen, Kimball, Möller, Pilcher

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