Zion Moselem Lutheran Church in Moselem Springs, Pennsylvania to restore 1770 Tannenberg organ

Raymond J. Brunner

Raymond J. Brunner founded R. J. Brunner & Co. in 1981. He is a graduate of Lehigh University and a member of the American Institute of Organbuilders and the Organ Historical Society.

 

Restoration of the 1770 Tannenberg  organ at Zion Moselem Lutheran Church, Moselem Springs, Pennsylvania, was completed in September 2011 by R. J. Brunner & Co. of Silver Spring, Pennsylvania. The earliest of the nine extant David Tannenberg organs, it predates the Revolutionary War and is perhaps the oldest surviving organ built in the American colonies. As such, it is of great historic importance, and its restoration allows us to learn more about 18th-century organbuilding as practiced by Tannenberg and other German immigrants to Pennsylvania.

Tannenberg was a Moravian and built many organs for Moravian congregations in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. He also supplied organs to Lutheran, German Reformed, and Catholic congregations. His instruments ranged in size from four-stop positive organs for Moravian use to a large three-manual, 34-stop organ for Zion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. Tannenberg’s Moravian organs had a predominance of unison-pitch stops, since those organs were generally used in conjunction with other instruments. His Lutheran organs had more developed choruses that might include mutation and mixture stops, as well as reeds. The Moselem organ has eight stops on one manual, with a total of nine ranks. Built early in Tannenberg’s career, it provides an opportunity to learn more about the evolution of his organbuilding. It is the only surviving example of his organs with a walnut case.   

The Moselem organ was completed in 1770 and installed in the stone Zion Lutheran Church building, where it was located in a small gallery. This building was replaced by a new brick structure in 1894, at which time the organ was moved and rebuilt by Samuel Bohler of Reading, Pennsylvania. Bohler replaced the original bellows with an internal winding system and replaced the keydesk and keyboard. He altered the stop action and also removed the Terz and Mixtur stops, replacing them with lower-pitched unison stops. By then the walnut casework had been painted over. The casework was eventually painted white, imitating the appearance of other Tannenberg organs.  

In 2010, R. J. Brunner & Co. was chosen to undertake a historic restoration of the organ. Organbuilder Raymond Brunner was in charge of the project, and his previous research and restoration experience with several other Tannenberg organs was a valuable asset to determining how the work should be done. It was decided to restore the organ to its original form, including replacement of the two missing original stops and construction of an authentic winding system. Fortunately, the unaltered 8-stop Tannenberg organ at Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia provided many of the answers. Although built 32 years later, it has an original pair of wedge bellows that could be copied for the restoration. Another fortunate event was that Brunner was able to obtain parts of two different period wedge bellows sets, once used on Pennsylvania German organs that are no longer extant. Using these historic fragments from other organs enabled the recreation of an authentic set of bellows like the original winding of the organ. An electric blower provides an alternate source of wind.

Twenty-five pipes of the Principal 8′ and ten pipes of the Principal Octav 4′ are in the façade. The Flaut Major 8′ and Flaut Minor 4′ are identical open wood ranks made primarily from pine and walnut. The rack board for the Terz shows that this rank did not contain a break. 

The restoration required making a new keydesk and stop action, as well as a new keyboard. The keyboard was copied from the Madison instrument, with the natural keys covered with ebony, while the walnut sharps are capped with reclaimed ivory from old keyboards. Removal of several layers of paint revealed the beauty of the walnut casework and the fine quality of this master organbuilder’s work. The façade pipes were restored to their original appearance by removal of ears that had been applied when Bohler rebuilt the organ. A metallurgical analysis of the pipe metal was done to determine the proportions of lead and tin, as well as the amount of impurities in the metal. New Terz and Mixtur pipes were made for the organ by the Paul Fritts shop in Tacoma, Washington. Restoration of the original pipes and voicing of the new pipes was done by Hans Herr in the Brunner shop.   

The organ was re-dedicated on October 2, 2011 with a concert played by Philip T. D. Cooper; it was hand pumped for the entire concert. Mr. Cooper also assisted in historical research for the restoration and was instrumental in encouraging the church to undertake the project. The fine sound of the organ delighted the large crowd in attendance, and Zion’s organist Nancy Keller has been using the organ on a regular basis. This instrument should serve the congregation of Zion Moselem Lutheran Church well for many more years, and the organ can be heard once again as David Tannenberg intended.

 

 

Malcolm Wechsler

Malcolm Wechsler was born in Da Bronx, but grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, totally unexposed to the sound of a pipe organ, but"taking" piano with a local private teacher. Entering Oberlin College, not Conservatory, in 1953, he studied piano as a college elective withthe late Emil Danenberg. Finally, attending student recitals, he experiencedthe sound of a pipe organ, and a passion developed that has continued over theyears. He became an organ student of Fenner Douglass in 1955. Wechsler enrolled at Juilliard in 1958 for graduate study in organ and church music, with Vernon deTar as his major teacher. He earned a Master of Science degree in organ and church music in 1963. After years of teaching and of church appointments inCanada and the U.S., he is now North American Representative of Mander Organsof London (since 1987), and Director of Music at Trinity Church, Stamford,Connecticut.

The 2003 national convention of the Organ Historical Society took place June 19-26 in South-Central Pennsylvania. It was a long, sometimes grueling week, but without question, a week of many happy surprises: organs, organ music, and organists. And let me not forget the opportunity to meet old friends, and to make new ones. There is nothing quite like an OHS convention, and I will attempt to report on it accurately and with balance.

Grand opening of the convention, Thursday, June 12

Erik Wm. Suter

Mr. Suter holds degrees from Oberlin and Yale, and is organist and associate choirmaster at Washington National Cathedral. His recital took place at St. Paul the Apostle R. C. Church in Annville, Pennsylvania, a building in which organ music looked to be contraindicated, partly thanks to heavy carpeting widely applied! However, the early 20th-century builders knew about building effectively for bad acoustics, and the 1902 E. W. Lane tracker organ proved a gentle but projecting instrument. The wind was pleasantly relaxed. The console is at the left side, and the instrument was restored by R. J. Brunner & Company in 2002. The program: Placare Christe Servulis (from Le Tombeau de Titelouze), Dupré; Prelude & Fugue in G Minor, Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, Schmücke dich (on a single, beautiful flute), Brahms. The hymn, Schmücke dich (of course), was wonderfully sung and played. Then, Sonata IV, Mendelssohn; Torah Song, Craig Phillips (a very fine piece, toying with dissonances and clusters in a completely intelligible way); next, from Book 1 of Gospel Preludes by William Bolcom, "Just as I am," and "What a friend we have in Jesus"; the Duruflé Prelude on the Epiphany Introit; Adagio and Final (Symphony VI), Widor. This E. W. Lane instrument of 19 stops really does wonderfully well in this quite dry acoustic, but a genuine Cavaillé-Coll it is not, and a sort of heavier, more sustained, compensatory approach might have better suited the Widor. All that notwithstanding, this was a wonderful recital, and a perfect opening to yet another splendid OHS convention!

First full day, Friday, June 20

Agnes Armstong

Friday, June 20, was the first full day of the convention, and it began with a very fine lecture by Frederick Weiser. The topic was Pennsylvania German Culture, a perfect orientation to so much that we would see and hear throughout the week. Then buses took a long journey to Lititz to hear Agnes Armstrong in the Chapel of the Lindenhall School for Girls, the oldest boarding school for girls in the U.S. She played on a 7-rank, 1904 Hook & Hastings, restored (in 1998) by Patrick Murphy, whose ties to the OHS go back a long way, he having been the first E. Power Biggs Fellow.

Agnes Armstrong plays in two churches on Sunday--one of which, St. John's Lutheran in Altamont, New York, has a new French organ by Cabourdin. She has advanced music degrees from SUNY, the College of St. Rose, and New York University, has concertized a great deal, and her CDs are available through the OHS. As for Lititz, where the next three recitals took place, here is a quote from one of the many websites devoted to the place: "Located in the heart of beautiful Lancaster County, Lititz has an eclectic history dating well beyond its founding by Moravian missionaries in 1756. Situated among the rolling hills, quiet streams and lush farmlands of Pennsylvania Dutch Country . . . ." Other than the fact that the four days of rain had begun by now in earnest, this is a wonderful part of the world, and as the week unfolded, we learned also of its organic treasures, and I don't mean vegetables.

Agnes Armstrong played beautifully and sympathetically on wonderful and gentle sounds: Prelude in D, Vogler; Voluntary on a Moravian Hymn, Abraham Ritter (1792-1860); Largo in A-flat, Elizabeth Stirling (1819-1895); Will o' the Wisp (Scherzo-Toccatina), Gordon Balch Nevin; Postludium, Adolph Friedrich Hesse (1808-1863). The program ended with a hymn, as does every recital at these conventions, a moment to be looked forward to and savored: "We who here together are assembled," the tune, Covenant, by Christian Gregor, the words by Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf. What a lovely beginning to a fine first full day.

Robert Barney, the Chapel of the Single Brothers' House

Robert Barney drew the task of playing this tiny and quite delicate Tannenberg from 1793: four manual stops, no pedal. He did battle with it manfully, it having a very difficult and delicate action to play. The stops are 8' Gedackt, 8' Gamba (with 17 basses common with the Gedackt), 4' (Open) Floet (spelled thus), and a 2' Principal, lower 29 pipes in the façade. It is all very gentle, and in the first piece, Voluntary in G of Purcell, the clattering of the action nearly drowned out the music! Then followed a Pachelbel Choralthema in D Major with eight variations on the tune Alle Menschen müssen sterben. To me, the pleasures of the hymn singing we do at these conventions are greatly enhanced when we can sing in harmony, as we did this day. The tune is Gregor, in honor of Christian Gregor, who wrote the words "My portion is the Lord." The anonymous tune is from the Choral Buch of the Hernnhut Moravian community in Germany. The program offered next Will o' the Wisp of Nevin (Robert announced what we had all guessed, that this piece, not part of his plan at all, slipped into the book in mysterious ways, obviously from Agnes Armstrong's program just before); then Four Voice Fugue on the name B-A-C-H by Johann de Deo Beranek (1813-1875). Barney is organist at Trinity Episcopal Church, Concord, Massachusetts and associate director of the Treble Chorus of New England. He has an active performing and teaching life in the Boston area.

This organ had been built for a Moravian church in Frederick County, Maryland, which, in 1957, decided to set the instrument free. The Lititz Moravian community got it and packed it off to M. P. Möller for repairs and the move. In recent years, James McFarland & Co. have done further restorative repairs.

Ray Brunner, Auditorium of the Linden Hall School for Girls

This was a lecture that was certainly music to my ears--"Pennsylvania German Organ Building, David Tannenberg's Legacy." Any précis of this wonderful non-stop appreciation of such a strong artistic vein in the history of organ building would require reproducing the entire speech. Nothing could be left out. My small knowledge and experience of Tannenberg's work all came from books and articles. Obviously, by the end of this week, that all changed dramatically, and for me, one of the highlights, almost an emotional experience, was hearing and seeing David Tannenberg's very last organ, built in 1804, now safely situated in a small auditorium at the York County Museum. More about that later.

It was not just in this talk that we heard from Ray Brunner. It was also in the beauties of quite a number of organs heard in this convention, organs that his firm, R. J. Brunner & Company, had restored, repaired, and even rescued. [Ruth Brunner, wife of Ray Brunner, and a master organbuilder in her own right, died of cancer at the age of 45, on November 6, 2003. She worked hard planning this convention, and though clearly ill, kept things in order as the convention progressed. She is missed!] Ray and Ruth were a huge part of putting together and maintaining this distinguished convention. At one of our venues, they were both given an award for distinguished service to the OHS, this presented amidst cheers.

James Darling, the Fellowship Hall of the Single Brothers' House

It is now 1:45, and I must mention that we had a beautiful box lunch which would have been eaten out of doors, were not the heavens continuing to open up. James Darling is perhaps known to many who have made the pilgrimage to Colonial Williamsburg, a wonderful place to visit. He is at the center of a lot of musical activity there, particularly in Bruton Parish Church, where he has served for almost 40 years. Here, he was playing a much-traveled single-manual Tannenberg of nine stops, built in 1787. It found its way to the Fellowship Hall of the Single Brothers' House in 1983, restored and reconstructed by James R. McFarland & Co. The organ had suffered mightily from various forms of ill treatment including a fire, and required extensive work. The 20-note pedalboard has two stops of its own, a Sub Bass at 16' and an Open Wood Oktav Bass at 8'.

The program: Allein Gott, settings by Bach and Pachelbel; Fugue & Chorale, Pachelbel; four Preludes by the English Moravian, Christian Latrobe (1758-1836); the event of the day was the hymn, "Morning Star, O cheering sight," to the tune Hagen, by the Rev. F. F. Hagen, with a very young singer from the Lititz congregation as the excellent soloist; two preludes and fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, and closing with a Pachelbel Prelude in D.

Bruce Stevens, Salem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, Pennsylvania

At 2:30, we said goodbye to Lititz and traveled about an hour to Lebanon. Bruce Stevens played on a rather amazing organ of 1888, built by the builder who bid lowest in a competition among many, the Miller Organ Company of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The Organ Handbook gives the names and bids of the six other builders; Miller's bid was $3,300, for which they produced a lot of organ, 31 ranks on three manuals. The Great is founded on an independent 16' Double Open, the bottom four pipes of which are stopped wood, space clearly being an issue. The Pedal also has an independent Double Open, Bourdon 16', and 8' Violoncello. The Great Trumpet is the only commanding manual reed. The Swell has only a Bassoon Oboe at 8' and the Choir has a Clarionet at 8', yet this organ makes a mighty sound, full of excitement. It is also a beautiful visual presence in the room, if a bit unusual in its presentation.

Bruce Stevens is organist of Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Richmond, and is director of the OHS European Tours, this year's heading to Sweden. His degrees are from the University of Richmond and University of Illinois, with further study in Denmark with Finn Viderø and Gretha Krogh, with Anton Heiller in Vienna, and at the Royal School of Church Music, then in Croydon. He has played recitals internationally and at 12 OHS conventions, and his CDs are available from the OHS Catalogue. The program began with the March on a Theme of Handel by Guilmant; Mein junges Leben, Sweelinck; Second Sonata, Mendelssohn; the hymn, "O Christ the Word Incarnate" (so listed in the Supplement, but as "O Word of God Incarnate" in the printed program), in Mendelssohn's harmonization, connecting us back to the Sonata. At this point, wanting to be sure that we had a complete tour of the organ, Bruce showed us the somewhat audible Choir Dulciana and the gentle Swell Viola, knowing that they would be swamped in the registrations of any pieces on the program. Then, Moderato from Tre Tonstykker, Niels Gade; Fugue (Sonata 11), Rheinberger; three Chorale Preludes, Pepping; and to conclude, the Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. Following this recital, the entire convention was fed sumptuously in one of the great spaces in these spacious buildings.

Lorenz Maycher, the Memorial Chapel of Salem Lutheran Church, Lebanon

We then moved from the original church to what began as a memorial chapel, but is now really the more used of the two buildings. It is larger as well, and sounds different, too. This place is referred to as Salem Lutheran Church (Memorial Chapel). The organ is Ernest Skinner Opus 683 of 1928. Lorenz Maycher is organist-choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and teaches at Lafayette College in Easton. He was an OHS Biggs Fellow in 1990, and has played for six OHS conventions. Having relaxed over dinner, I was slow to enter the chapel; as I arrived the Bach C Minor Fantasy and Fugue was beginning. Whatever do my ears hear? I have not heard Bach on this kind of sound for years--a 26-stop organ, 73-note chests on Swell and Choir, thus supercoupled to be sure, fighting its way out of a chamber on one side of the chancel. The playing was the kind of legato that matches all of this. Next a wonderfully orchestral performance of the Handel Concerto in F; the d'Aquin Cuckoo; Dreams, Hugh McAmis; Suite in E Major, Everett Titcomb; Fanfare d'Orgue, Harry Rowe Shelley; the hymn, "Lord Jesus, we humbly pray" to a tune by Ignaz Pleyel; Grand Choeur No. 2, Alfred Hollins; three Songs of Faith and Penitence, by Leo Sowerby (sung dramatically by Linda Laubach, and Maycher's accompaniments were nothing less than superb); then, Impromptu, Gaston Dethier (1875--1958); and lastly, Improvisation on an Irish Air, by Norman Coke-Jephcott, one-time organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

And here endeth a very long first day of the convention. A one-hour trip brought us back to the hotel for visiting, drinking, and buying music, books, and CDs.

Second full day, Saturday, June 21

Justin Hartz at St. James Presbyterian Church, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

We began this day with a short bus ride to Mechanicsburg. St. James Presbyterian Church is a large classroom or assembly sort of room, but with something of a raised ceiling, kind of a square dome effect. There is some acoustic to be enjoyed, not a huge amount, and we were hearing an old instrument (mid-19th century) by William H. Davis, a single-manual with a pedal Bourdon and coupler. This much traveled, much troubled instrument was rebuilt and refurbished by R. J. Brunner & Co. in 1989, including a brand new and very handsome case of simple design. Wow! What projection and richness of sound!

Justin Hartz is organist and choir director at Church of the Incarnation, Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and also frequently appears at the Aeolian organ of Longwood Gardens. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, he has a master's from Juilliard, and was a Biggs Fellow. The program: Voluntary No. 29, Andante (from American Church Organ Voluntaries, Cutter and Johnson), the 8' Open having a lovely sound and a fulfilling projection; Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, Buxtehude; Voluntary 25, Moderato, from Ryder's Short Voluntaries; Andante, K. 616, Mozart, a lovely gem of a piece, and the fluty sounds of the organ were divine; the program closed with a rather quick accompaniment to our robust singing of "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven." This was a fine recital on a worthy little organ, by a fine organist who looked like he was having fun, the fun being happily contagious. Now, back on the buses to warm up a bit, for the short trip to Camp Hill.

Mark Brombaugh, Peace Church, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

The organ here has a single manual with six stops, built by Conrad Doll in 1805, and lovingly restored by the Noack Organ Company in 1974. It is gentle but it is lovely, and looks down from a balcony in a truly beautiful church built in 1799. Mark Brombaugh holds degrees from Oberlin College, the University of Louisville, and Yale University. He is director of music at United Church on the Green in New Haven, and is a past national secretary of the OHS. The program: Praeludium and Fugue in A Minor (Clavier Übung 1728), Vincent Lübeck, wonderful sounds, so fresh and clean, with playing also so clean and gently driven; Partita on the Aria Jesu du bist allzu schöne, Böhm; Toccata in C, Sweelinck; Fairest Lord Jesus (five variations) by James Woodman (b. 1957), which really worked well on this small organ. All subtleties were made perfectly clear. We were well prepared, and after the fifth variation, we instantly sang, with the middle stanza in glorious harmony, thrilling in this building. Time for a fairly long bus ride to Mount Pleasant Mills, the tedium beguiled a bit by a very nice box lunch on board.

Susan Hegberg, St. Peter's Lutheran & UCC Church, Freeburg, Pennsylvania

This recital recalls the Bible quote, "it maketh the heart glad." Dr. Susan Hegberg holds degrees from St. Olaf College, the University of Michigan, and Northwestern University, and is professor of music and university organist at Susquehanna University. In addition to what turned out to be a splendid recital, we were also about to hear one of those good, old Möllers (really!). Those turn-of-the-century Möller trackers (in this case, 1904), were really lovely to hear and to behold, and this organ was reasonably substantial at 13 stops and two manuals. And, on top of all that happiness, this church greeted us with an unexpected reception, good things to eat and drink, a great kindness. The program: Sonata in D Major, C. P. E. Bach; I want Jesus to walk with me, in a fairly mild jazz setting by Joe Utterback, written for Susan Hegberg in 2002; Variations on Leoni, by Frank Ferko; after the Finale (the sixth variation), we cleverly picked up our cue, and began to sing Leoni. The whole recital was a model: the playing was solid throughout, and the program was interesting to all. Back on the bus, headed for Mount Pleasant Mills, a 30 minute journey.

MaryAnn Crugher Balduf, Botschaft ("Grubb's") Lutheran Church, Mount Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania

Well, to begin, what's a Botschaft? My Cassell's says it's Tidings, or News, or a Message. I suppose "Tidings" has the most promise as a church name. Improbably enough, Grubb's refers to someone who actually owned the church at one time, but his name was really Kruppe--that is quite a morph. This was a Reformed congregation, but they became quite weak, and in 1934, the Lutherans took over the church, buying the building for $1, which was worth something in those days, but surely not as much as a church. The organ was built circa 1865 by John Marklove of Utica, New York. It was discovered by the Organ Clearing House, and in 1978 James R. McFarland & Co. relocated it and did the work of reconstruction and restoration.

MaryAnn Crugher Balduf is an old OHS hand, having played many a convention recital over the years. She has a reputation for presenting interesting programs on single-manual instruments, and that is what she got this year (7 stops and a pedal Bourdon): Processional, Grayston Ives (b. 1948); Cornet Voluntary in F, John Humphries (1707- 1730?); Entrée (Messe Basse, op. 30), Vierne; Koraal (Suite Modale, op. 43), Flor Peeters, Andante No. 2, Henry Stephen Cutler (1825-1902); Improvisato (op. 37, no. 6), Arthur Bird (1856-1923) [see "The Organ Works of Arthur H. Bird," The Diapason, February, 1995]; Hommage (Twenty Four Pieces for Organ) and American Folk-Hymn Settings for Organ (which incorporated five stanzas of "Amazing Grace"), Jean Langlais. Not on the printed program was the Sortie of Theodore Dubois, an exciting finale to an interesting recital. On the bus to Danville, for a ride of approximately one hour.

Michael Britt, St. Paul's-Emmanuel UMC, Danville, Pennsylvania

Heretofore, on this day, the convention had been divided in two, but before we heard Michael Britt's fine recital, we were all driven to First Baptist Church, reunited with the other half of our convention and fed a fine dinner. It was then just a short ride to St. Paul's-Emmanuel UMC. Michael Britt is native to Baltimore, and graduated from the Peabody Conservatory. He concertizes as both a "classical" and a "theatre" organist, being a frequent performer at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. His assigned organ this week: a really fine 19-stop A. B. Felgemaker of 1892, Opus 584, a wonderful looking instrument in addition to being distinguished tonally. The program: American Rhapsody, Pietro Yon (this was Yon at his most exploitative, a bag full of American patriotic melodies crowned at the end by the "Star Spangled Banner," assuring a standing ovation every time!); Count Your Blessings, Dan Miller (b. 1954); Hymn Prelude on the tune Bethany (op. 38), Seth Bingham; world premiere of Prelude on Marching to Zion, Wayne Wold (b. 1954), a fine work, clearly from our century, and totally digestible. The composer was in the audience, and was well cheered by all. Of course, we next sang "Marching to Zion," and the entire convention roared full throat--"We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion; we're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God!" It was really something, and it would not have been possible without a rather incredible accompaniment from Michael Britt. What a great concert! For our next venue, no muss, no fuss, no bus, Gus. With a police escort by the entire police force of Danville, all one of them, we walked across the street to Mahoning Presbyterian Church where Bruce Cornely made a bit of OHS history.

Bruce Cornely, Hymn Sing, Mahoning Presbyterian Church, Danville, Pennsylvania

I'm not sure this evening's event was a "first," but certainly I don't remember anything quite like it at an OHS convention. It was a Hymn Sing that really was a SING. We hardly stopped, and I don't think I was alone in enjoying just about every minute of it. The whole evening was created and "executed" by Bruce Cornely. He is a long-time member of OHS and a strong presence on the Pipe Organ lists. He has studied organ with Ronald Rice, William Weaver, Robert Bennett, Robert Jones, and William Barnard, and is organist at First Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida. The church was packed with our entire convention and many parishioners. We were well supported by Hook & Hastings Opus 1073 of 1882, a quite powerful 22-stop instrument. The Great has a 16' Bourdon, extended from the 8', a three-rank Mixture, and a Trumpet; the eight-stop Swell contains a Cornopean and a Bassoon/Oboe at 8' pitch; the Pedal has a 16' Open Wood, a 16' Bourdon, and an 8' Violoncello. Bruce varied these resources deftly, with registrations that kept us interested through the entire program. The 17-page booklet we were handed as we entered the church was beautifully organized, and cleverly, too. One could hold the booklet under the hymnal, and with the directions, like unison stanza one, etc., written way over to the left of each sheet, it was possible comfortably to read both the directions and the pages of the hymnal.

"Wind who makes all winds that blow," (Aberystwyth)--as an introduction, Bruce played a Chromatic Fugue by Johann Pachelbel; "Bless the Lord, my soul and being" (Rustington); "New songs of celebration render" (Rendez a Dieu), as introduction, No. 29 of 29 Short Preludes by Carl Nielsen; "With joy I heard my friends exclaim" (Gonfalon Royal), as a prelude, excerpts from Communion by Theodore Dubois; "Give praise to the Lord" (Laudate Dominum); "Let the whole creation cry" (Salzburg); "All praise to God for song God gives" (Sacred Song); "Called as partners in Christ's service" (Beecher); "As those of old their first fruits brought" (Forest Green); "The church of Christ in every age" (Wareham); "We all are one in mission" (Woodbird); "In Eden fair" (Aldersgate), with text and tune by Bruce Cornely. Finally, a somewhat solemn moment: another tune and text by Bruce, Laufman, in honor of the late Alan Laufman, for so many years director of the Organ Clearing House, and also editor of the yearly Organ Handbooks. This was good, and was well sung by all. Despite occasional problems in this massive undertaking, I thought it was a really rich and meaningful event, and lots of fun as well.

Third full day, Sunday, June 22

This was a gentle day, beginning with the Annual Meeting of the Organ Historical Society in the hotel at 9 am. From this meeting, one can always learn a great deal about the workings of the Society, and of the great scope of its influence and importance to us and to our chosen instrument. Michael Barone passed the office of president on to Michael Friesen, who will continue the other Michael's always wise and steady shepherding of the organization. I note with pleasure, as I have been able to do in the past, the large number of members interested enough to awaken early to attend the proceedings. Some slipped away at the Holy Hour of 11:00 to attend church in downtown Harrisburg.

Vaughn Watson, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, "Conewago Chapel," Hanover, Pennsylvania

After a good lunch at the hotel, we took a relaxing post-prandial bus ride to the historic "Conewago Chapel," or really, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Hanover, Pennsylvania. "Conewago" comes from a settlement near the St. Lawrence River in Canada, and a similarly named creek that runs somewhere near the church. The present, impressive, building was finished in 1787, and was then the largest church yet built in the United States. It is the oldest Catholic church in the U.S. built of stone. Neither the acoustic nor the organ are shy. Looking at the stoplist of this 10-stop Hook & Hastings instrument, Opus 1866 of 1900, one has to ask whence cometh this wall of sound. The Great has four stops, an Open Diapason, possibly the scale of a smoke stack on the Queen Mary, a Viola da Gamba, a Doppelfloete--all these at 8' pitch--and a 4' Octave. The Swell has five stops, a Violin Diapason, a Stop'd Diapason, and a Salicional, all at 8', and a 4' Flute Harmonique. There is an 8' Trumpet, for reasons unspecified, not the original, but a Hook & Hastings replacement. The sole Pedal stop is a large Open Diapason 16'; oh, and there is an intermanual supercoupler!

Vaughan Watson is a graduate of Fordham University, and has studied for a number of years with William Entriken at First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Since 1992, he has been director of music at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Fort Salonga on Long Island. His program: Prelude (Three Pieces for Organ, op. 29), Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937); Lo, how a Rose and Herzliebster Jesu (Opus 122 Chorale Preludes), Brahms. Looking at the specification, one sees (and hears) the beauty of the five relatively quiet 8' stops, not, of course, counting the Open Diapason in that. This served both Brahms works wonderfully well. Sortie in E-flat, Lefébure-Wély; Prelude, C. S. Lang; the hymn: "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus," a highly sentimental-sounding tune by a Jesuit, just identified as Fr. Maher, S.J.; Nos. 3 and 5, both in D Major, from Six Little Fugues, Handel; from Three Characteristic Pieces of Langlais: 1. Pastoral-Prelude, an absolutely charming work, and the lovely and introspective Interlude, both perfect choices for the organ and the space; lastly, Variations sur un Noël Bourguignon, André Fleury (1903-1995). After the program, we sang "Faith of our Fathers," all in unison; I guess it was a special favor to someone. Anyway, unison sounded quite o.k. in this building. This was an interesting program, a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There were nervous moments, but all in all this was very nicely done, and one is grateful for the chance to hear some music "less traveled."

At this point, a relaxing and short bus ride took us to St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Hanover, which we visited just for a very nice church supper. We were well looked after here, which gives me a chance to point out that, while registration for OHS conventions is a bit higher than is the case with AGO conventions, all meals are included, which is a great time saver for convention-goers, and the food is always well done. Usually, perhaps once when we are at concerts in the downtown area of a large city, we might have lunch on our own--a nice chance to explore restaurants in the area. This happened once during this week, and it was indeed a nice experience. Now, on to New Freedom--sounds good to me.

James Hildreth, St. John the Baptist R. C., New Freedom, Pennsylvania

Since 1987, Mr. Hildreth has been organist at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio. He is also organist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. I believe this is his first performance for an OHS convention, and I hope not his last. In a church packed with convention attendees, parishioners, and the larger community, he gave a performance that really satisfied all, both connoisseurs and amateurs alike. We were beguiled by his chosen program and the total competence of his playing; those less familiar with the organ and its repertoire also responded to his spoken comments. Well, we did too. The organ is Opus 2024 (1904) of Hook & Hastings, relocated and rebuilt by R. J. Brunner & Company, purveyors of much organic good in this part of the world. They converted the old tubular pneumatic action to electric action, which made it possible to make the console movable within the small space of the choir area. This organ is not small, with 26 stops on two manuals. Given the great numbers of parishioners present, one would assume that organ recitals here have been popular.

The program began with a solid and exciting performance of the Guilmant Grand Choeur (Alla Handel), op. 18, no. 1, our first experience of the really exciting full sound of this instrument; two Orgelbüchlein chorals, Ich ruf zu dir and Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sein; Trumpet Voluntary in D, John Bennett; Prelude & Fugue in G Major, Mendelssohn; Souvenir (op. 27, no. 1), Marcel Dupré, published in 1931; Nocturne, Arthur Foote; Thunderstorm, Thomas P. Ryder (no Orage pedal in sight, we had pedal clusters in abundance); Festival Toccata, Percy Fletcher (1879-1932). We sang the hymn "By all your saints still living" to the tune St. Theodulph. The evening ended with a breathtaking improvisation, merging the tune St. Theodulph with Ut Queant Laxis, the hymn of St. John the Baptist, clever and wonderful in every way. What a great recital.

Fourth full day, Monday, June 23

Thomas Lee Bailey, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, New Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania

This day began with the earliest morning bus departure of the convention: 7:45! Thomas Lee Bailey is organist and choirmaster of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York. He holds a bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary. The organ is by Samuel Bohler, and is now 110 years old! It was built for Zion Union Church, Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, and in 1950 was moved to St. Paul's, with some repairs, by Justus Becker. Just this year, it was restored, including a recreation of the original reservoir and wind trunks, by R. J. Brunner & Company. There are 12 stops, with the Pedal containing only a 16' Sub Bass.

The program: Scherzo in Sol Minore per Organo, Marco Enrico Bossi; Prelude in E-flat Minor, Vincent D'Indy; "Humoresque" from L'Organo Primitivo (Toccatina), Pietro Yon; the hymn, "O Master let me walk with Thee," tune de Tar by Calvin Hampton; Andante with Variations (posthumous), Mendelssohn; Roulade, Seth Bingham. (1882-1972). This was a splendid recital.

Rosalind Mohnsen, Old Belleman's Church, Mohrville, Pennsylvania

Rosalind Mohnsen's biography in the Organ Handbook mentions that this was her 17th appearance at an OHS convention! She holds degrees from the University of Nebraska and Indiana University and later studied with Jean Langlais in Paris, and is director of music at Immaculate Conception Church in Malden, Massachusetts. The organ, single-manual with 13-note pedalboard, surmised to be of the 1870s, is also surmised to be the work of Samuel Bohler, and Ray Brunner gives cogent reasons for making this assumption. The disposition is interesting. The manual compass is 54 notes, and the four 8' stops share a common bass, each thus having 37 pipes of its own; all 8': Open Diapason, Clarabella, Dulciana, and Stopped Diapason. One then draws the Stopped Diapason Bass, with its 17 pipes, to provide the lower octave and a bit. There is also a 4' Principal, Twelfth, and Fifteenth. The Pedal has a stop at 16' simply called "Pedal Bass," with 13 pipes, and there is also a pedal coupler. This handsome church is no longer in regular weekly use, but holds four annual services, and is also used for weddings. In this lovely program of ten pieces, I knew only two. There were five composers whose music I had never heard. I present this as a virtue, as none of the music was dull, or less than convincingly played: Concerto in G, Christoph Wolfgang Druckenmueller (listed as from Das Husumer Orgelbuch); Praeludium (from Three Character Pieces, op. 64, no. 1), Rudolf Bibl (1832-1902); next a selection of five quite varied chorale preludes, all of which managed to sound quite fine on this little instrument: Jesu, meine Freude (Neumeister Collection), J. S. Bach; Wo Gott der Herr nicht bey uns haelt, Johann Christoph Oley (1738-1789); Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, op. 78, Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933); Herzlich tut mich erfreuen (alla Giga), Gerhard Krapf (b. 1974); Ein' feste Burg, Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718-1795), something of a charming gallop on "full organ"! The hymn was a bit different: we sang "What a friend we have in Jesus" to the familiar tune, but in "Pennsylvania Dutch" or German, perhaps we should say. We had the words and knew the tune, so off we went in glorious unison, stumbling over the words a bit. Next, Fugue in 3 Voices, Charles Zeuner (1795-1857); Impromptu, J. Frank Donohoe (1856-1925); the program ended with Open Diapason March (1879), by Louis Meyer, in three words: corny but effective. It made a fun ending to a most interesting and rewarding recital.

Walter Krueger, Christ Little Tulpehocken UCC

While waiting for Dr. Krueger to begin his recital, we were edified by an attendance board prominently displayed: Attendance today 31, Offering $39.40. [Slightly better than a dollar per person!] Attendance last week 32, Attendance one year ago 26, Enrolment 50. Walter Krueger holds a doctorate from Northwestern University. He teaches music at Portland (Oregon) Lutheran School, is an adjunct professor at Concordia University in Portland, and is director of music at Trinity Lutheran Church, Portland. The instrument, in a high gallery, was built in 1862 by Joel Kantner, and while that is all that is known, there are many mysteries about this organ. It looks in several ways to be an English instrument, and as the Organ Handbook notes point out, and as many noticed early on, it can sound a bit like something out of 1962! There is lots of articulation, and the 4' Principal is louder than the 8', for starters. The tone is, however, gentle and singing, not always a 1962 characteristic. There are eight stops on its single manual, built, fortunately, on an 8' Open Diapason, ending with a 12th and 15th. There is no Pedal. For the perfect beginning, a lovely Toccata in the Aeolian Mode, by Sweelinck; Toccata for the Elevation (Fiori Musicali), Frescobaldi; Fugue on the Trumpet, François Couperin; La Romanesca with Five Variations, Antonio Valente (1520-1580); Berceuse (24 Pieces in Free Style), Louis Vierne; Gehende and Schnelle (from Thirty Pieces for Small Organ), Hugo Distler (1908-1942). The program ended with an attempt to meld a Johann Gottfried Walther Partita with the hymn (chorale) we were to sing. The partita was splendid--the melding process did not work too well, as in each of the three stanzas we were to sing (Jesu, meine Freude, Bach harmonization), we were really left uncertain about where to begin. The whole process began with Dr. Kreuger playing the chorale, as Walther harmonized it. Then we sang stanza 1. The second part of the Partita was played on 4' stops alone, the third on just flutes. Then we sang stanza 2. The Partita continued with part four, in sixteenth notes. Part five was on the softest stops in the organ, and part six was on two manuals. At this point, we sang stanza three of the chorale, followed by part seven of the Partita, on "full organ," an apt ending for a most pleasant concert.

Sally Cherrington Beggs, North Heidelberg UCC Church, Robesonia, Pennsylvania

Upon entering this church, one was immediately plunged into a mood of serenity and expectancy. Something lovely had to happen in this place, and it did, beginning with the visual impact of the late afternoon sun highlighting the gold in the stenciled organ case. Then, the gentle and beautiful qualities of the 1892 single-manual (and pedal) organ by Samuel Bohler. A Pennsylvania native, Sally Cherrington Beggs holds degrees from Susquehanna and Yale universities. She is presently college organist and chairs the music department at Newberry College in South Carolina. In honor of the fact that this church began life as a Moravian congregation, we first heard, from Nine Preludes for Organ of Christian Latrobe (1758-1836), Preludes 2 and 3; Variations on God Save the King, Charles Wesley (1757-1834); Adagio and Scherzo (for mechanical organ), Beethoven; Mozart Changes, Zsolt Gardonyi. Dr. Beggs had been served during this recital by a quiet and efficient page turner and stop puller. He (Stuart Weber) now became soloist, playing a Native American flute in a chorale prelude by Emma Lou Diemer, based on the Native American tune, Lacquiparle; then, Sketch No. 3 in F Minor, Schumann; the hymn, "Jesus makes my heart rejoice."

Following this recital, we hopped on the buses for an hour's ride to Annville, the home of Lebanon Valley College, which provided a very nice dinner in the college dining hall. Many of us managed to get over to the chapel, and some managed to get the Schantz wound up and going. It lacked the historicity needed for us to notice it, but I am glad we got a chance to visit the chapel and organ nonetheless. After dinner, it was back on the buses, heading for Hershey, and the Hershey Theater.

Matthew Glandorf, Hershey Theater, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Matthew Glandorf grew up in Germany, and at 16 entered the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, studying with John Weaver and Ford Lallerstedt. He presently teaches at both Curtis and Westminster Choir College. We were in a rather opulent theater with a 1932 Skinner organ, probably unlike any other, full of brassiness and with a killer Pedal division. Harrison's name is on the console, but it would seem that Skinner was actually responsible for the job, but under the thumb of Hershey's consultant, Dr. Harry Sykes of Lancaster, who probably has a lot to answer for. Certainly, what we heard this evening would not have pleased G.D.H., and possibly not E.M.S. either! Matthew Glandorf offered a mixture of a bit of organ music, several transcriptions, and one very impressive improvisation. I thought the improvisation was the most successful. The room has the deadness of any large theater, with carpets and plush seats. The program began with Sonata Eroïca, Joseph Jongen. I found it unsatisfactory on this instrument, given the over-brassy quality of the sound, which seemed to clash within itself. Glandorf's own transcription of the Rachmininoff Vocalise seemed to work quite well. It was an island of tranquility, and, I think, the sort of piece that survives transcription relatively untarnished. From then on, all hell broke loose. On to two more transcriptions of Rachmaninoff works, the first done by Mr. Glandorf himself of the famous C-Sharp Minor Prelude. With Full Organ engaged most of the time, much of the detail in the piece became muddled. Next, the Prelude in G Minor, transcribed by "G. Federlein," which could be either father (Gottlieb) or the son (Gottfried) who was organist at Temple Emmanuel in New York for many years. When it was over, I still longed for the Steinway, and in the Wagner transcription which followed, the Liebestod, transcribed by Lemare with some Glandorf additions, I wanted a full symphony orchestra to emerge on stage. Next was a brilliant performance of the Dupré Allegro Deciso, the third part of the symphonic poem, Évocation, of 1941. And then, Mr. Glandorf's towering improvisation on The Star Spangled Banner, done brilliantly, and I will happily hear him improvise again--and again. For the "hymn of the day," we then sang, of course, the "National Anthem," quite lustily, and then, it was on the buses for the Crowne Plaza, our home away from home.

Fifth full day, Tuesday, June 24

Gerald E. Mummert, York County Historical Society Museum

Today, the convention was split in three, some going to hear a 1995 organ by Ray Brunner in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, some going to the Museum of the York County Historical Society in York, and some visiting the National Clock and Watch Museum in Columbia. I frankly regretted the forced choice, wanting to hear Ray's instrument, plus the last Tannenberg, and to visit also the watches and clocks. The strongest contender in the Must Hear category was the Tannenberg in York, and that is where I chose to go. The organ is on display at the front of a small auditorium, and to me, even though simple, it was breathtaking. Ray Brunner, who has done considerable restorative work on this instrument, gave an introduction to it, before, I presume, rushing over to Mount Joy. Quoting Ray Brunner:

"Although 76 years of age and in failing health, Tannenberg completed an organ for this large Lutheran congregation in York. The wagons carrying the organ arrived in York in late April, 1804, and Tannenberg and his assistant began the installation. May 17th, while standing on a bench or scaffold tuning the organ, Tannenberg had a stroke and fell. He died two days later; the organ was finished by his assistant John Hall."

There were eleven stops, nine manual (54 notes) and two pedal (25 notes), but the Trumpet went missing at some point. There are apparently no examples of a Tannenberg Trumpet around to copy, so no attempt has been made to add one so far. The organ survived in original condition for a century, with Midmer doing a rebuild in 1905, and that is how Ray Brunner found it in 1990. There is more restorative work he hopes to do, as budget permits, but at present, the instrument is lovely to behold and to hear.

Gerald Mummert has been since 1971 director of music in the church for which the Tannenberg was originally built, Christ Lutheran Church in York. He holds degrees from Susquehanna and Indiana universities, and is adjunct professor of music at York College of Pennsylvania. A splendid player, he offered an imaginative and interesting program, one well calculated to suit the organ wonderfully. He proved yet again that wonderful music can be made on a single-manual organ, a fact well-known to OHS members. The program began with "Hampton" by The Rev. Johann Georg Schmucker, who was pastor at Christ Lutheran from 1802 to 1836; next, Herz nach dir gewacht, by Michael Bentz, who was organist of Christ Lutheran Church, Lancaster, when the Tannenberg was installed, or possibly a bit after that. Sublime is the only suitable word for the combination of the performance, the Tannenberg, and the Brahms setting of Schmücke dich; then, Elegy (Three Pieces for Organ), William Walton; Versets, Daniel Pinkham; and we closed with a hymn by Michael Bentz, Der Herr ist Sohn und Schild, sung in three parts (SAB), arranged by Gerald Mummert, a lovely ending to this really fine recital.

Scott Foppiano, Covenant UMC, Lancaster

After the sweet gentleness of the very last Tannenberg, the next recital gave something of a jolt--from both the instrument and the player. The organ is a Casavant from 1926, and not a great deal has been done to it since its installation. There was a releathering in 1959, and another in the late 1980s. In 2002, Columbia Organ Works rebuilt the console, and "at the church's insistence" made some additions at that time. The additions were, on the Great: 2' Super Octave, and 4-rank Mixture, and on the Swell, 5-rank Mixture. The given specification fails to list couplers, other than those that have reversible pistons. However, one can surmise from 73-note chests on Swell, part of the Choir, and all of the Solo, that these have super couplers to the Great. The fact that the Great has only 61-note chests comes as a relief.

Mr. Foppiano is from Memphis, where he now serves as director of music in a church not named in his program biography. After studying in Memphis, he was a student of both John and Margaret Mueller at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Further study was with Donna Robertson, David Lowry, Thomas Hazleton, the late William Whitehead, and Gregorian Chant with Dom Daniel Saulnier from Solesmes. The program: Suite for Organ, John Ireland; Prière, Rene Vierne; Tuba Tune, C. S. Lang; the hymn, both text and tune, was written by Benjamin R. Hanby (1833-1867), a pastor in the Church of the United Brethren; Prière à Notre Dame, Boëllmann; Will 'o the Wisp (Scherzo-Toccatina), Nevin; Fest-Hymnus, op. 20, of Carl (or Karl) Piutti (1846-1902). This was a most interesting program, not all the "usual stuff." So, thank you, Scott.

Peter Stoltzfus, Otterbein United Methodist Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Peter Stoltzfus is organist and director of music at All Saints' Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, and was returning to the church in which he grew up and where, for a time, he was organist and choirmaster before heading east. He introduced to us the lady who was his teacher and exemplar at Otterbein, and later in the program, played a piece that she had played all those years ago, a piece that turned him on to the organ, a chorale improvisation on the tune Deo Gratias by Paul Manz, and he managed to play it using the same registration that his teacher had used. The organ is Skinner Opus 805 from 1930. It has four divisions, the usual three with a small two-stop Echo, all of this in only 25 stops, 28 ranks.

The program: Trumpet Tune in D, David Johnson; Deo Gratias, Paul Manz; Gavotta, Padre Giovanni Battista Martini (1706-1784), arranged by Guilmant; Requiescat in Pace, Leo Sowerby; Allegro (Symphony V), Widor. One of the few composers in the tradition of the United Brethren in Christ denomination was Edmund S. Lorenz (1854-1942). In 1890, he established the famous Lorenz Publishing Company, and was also at one time president of Lebanon Valley College. We sang one of his hymn tunes, with a text also possibly by him: "Tell it to Jesus." It is in the gospel song tradition, and the convention no doubt gave it one of the best performances of its life. We were unrestrained in our enthusiasm, and then were similarly unrestrained in saluting Peter Stoltzfus for his good work past and present, including his fine performance of this evening.

Karl Moyer, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

This evening's concert by Karl Moyer put the singing of the hymn first, "Holy God, we praise thy Name," to a tune whose composer is unknown. Karl established his credentials, as if he had to, as a consummate accompanist for a singing congregation. Not many are so established! Dr. Moyer spent much of his long career on the faculty at Millersville University, while serving several major parishes in the area, most recently Grace Lutheran Church in Lancaster, from which he retired a year ago. He holds degrees from Lebanon Valley College, Union Theological Seminary, Temple University, and has his doctorate from Eastman. He has also run the Boston Marathon!

The organ is a fine Barckhoff instrument from 1891, with mechanical key action and pneumatic stop action. At 26 stops, it is a quite complete two-manual, anchored by a not slender 16' Double Open and a 16' Trombone, the latter added by James McFarland in 1985 at the time of a general restoration. Columbia Organ Works later added a new blower and did further restoration work.

The program: Prelude and Fugue in G (BWV 541), Bach; Ronde Française (op. 37), Léon Boëllmann; As the Dew From Heaven Distilling, Joseph Daynes, (1851-1920), arr. Alexander Schreiner; three movements from Sonata No. 5 in C Minor of Guilmant, 1. Allegro appassionato, 4. Recitativo, and 5. Choral and Fugue; Adagio & Fugue for Violin & Organ (op. 150, no. 6), Josef Rheinberger (with violinist Scott Hohenwarter); Wir glauben all' in einen Gott, Vater, attributed to Johann Ludwig Krebs; two Bach Two-Part Inventions, with an added voice by Max Reger: No. 3 in D and No. 14 in B-flat; Claire de Lune (Three Impressions, op. 72), Sigfrid Karg-Elert; the program closed with two settings of Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, first by Paul Manz, and second, the stupendous setting by Max Reger--a grand, high octane performance, sending us out into the night most cheerfully. What a great program, and what a great organist, a man who had much to do with the success of this convention, and still had time to give us this evening.

Thus ended the fifth full day of this great convention.

Sixth full day, June 25, 2003

Ann Marie Rigler, St. John's UCC, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Boalsburg is one of many historic towns in this part of Pennsylvania, and one of its claims to fame seems to be as the birthplace of Memorial Day. In late May, 1864, two families by coincidence met at the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of loved ones who had died in the Civil War. They later decided to meet again at the same time the next year, and others from the community joined them in the same observance. The idea soon spread to other communities, and that is how it all began. St. John's UCC Church was built in 1861, and by 1868 it became the home of the very first church organ built by Charles Durner. Durner was born in Germany in 1838 into a five-generation family of organbuilders. At age 21 he came to Pennsylvania and set up shop. The St. John's organ has 14 stops, including a Great 16' Bourdon (only to tenor g#) and Principals to the Fifteenth, including a Twelfth. The Swell offers two 8' Flutes and a Dulciana, 4' Flute and Vox Humana to tenor C (really a Clarinet). In the Pedal, 16' Sub Bass, and 8' Violin Bass (Open Wood). The organ had been in a west gallery, but at the turn of the century was brought down to a chamber in front. In 1971 Hartmann Beatty rebuilt the instrument, bringing the pedal to 30 notes from its original 20, and in 1990 R. J. Brunner did a proper restoration. This congregation has lovingly cared for the instrument, and has produced a fine booklet about its history.

Ann Marie Rigler is both instructor in music (organ and music appreciation) and reference librarian at the University Park campus of Penn State University. Prior to coming to Pennsylvania, she taught at a number of well-known universities, and has a long list of performance credits, including at AGO conventions. She holds undergraduate and doctoral degrees in organ performance from SMU and from the University of Iowa respectively, and a master's degree in library and information science and musicology from the University of Illinois. Generally, it takes me about five bars to figure out what kind of recital is in store. Dr. Rigler set me at ease in perhaps two bars, with her great musical assurance and musicality, and the program began with the Mendelssohn G Major Prelude (op. 37, no. 2), rather the perfect beginning for a recital on a not very large but totally unforced and honest instrument. It was beautiful sound combined with beautiful playing. Next, Canzonetta (op. 71, no. 4), Arthur Foote; Concert Variations on the Austrian Hymn (op. 3), John Knowles Paine (1839-1906), who was Foote's teacher; we finished with the expected hymn, chosen by the recitalist--in this case, Austrian Hymn, of course. Dr. Rigler's accompaniments were just right. She led us without crushing us. She was under us with just the right amount of support, leaving room for us to hear and enjoy our own singing together.

Following this recital, we strolled around the town's historic district while the other half of the convention heard the same recital. Then buses picked us all up for a short trip to State College, Pennsylvania and lunch at the elegant Nittany Lion Inn.

David Dahl, St. John's Episcopal Church, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

This, the penultimate day of the convention, is about as perfect a day of music as one could hope for, and not the only such day in this convention, or in other conventions. Please, even if you have never done it before, give serious consideration to attending this summer in Buffalo, New York, July 13-20. You will not believe the roster of artists and the distinguished collection of organs arranged for us by Joe McCabe and his committee. Go to and click on Conventions.

The 15-stop mechanical action organ at St. John's Episcopal Church was built circa 1892 by J. W. Steere & Sons. It is an untouched original, other than for routine maintenance and tuning, and it is in perfect working order. David Dahl's program began with the Buxtehude Toccata & Fugue in F, impeccably and beautifully played; Du, O schönes Weltgebaude, Ethel Smyth (1858-1944); Concerto Voluntary-Homage to John Stanley, David Dahl; Calvin Hampton's lovely Hymn Prelude on America, the beautiful-Materna served as a prelude to our, as always, spectacular hymn singing. We were given the directions we like to have: Stanza 1, Unison; Stanza 2, Harmony, sung quietly; Stanza 3, Harmony, sung boldly. There was not a dry eye to be found. Then, Allegro in C Major (for Flute Clock Organ), Haydn; Sidste Vaar (The Last Spring), Edvard Grieg, arr. Hans Olaf Lien; Toccata in G, Theodore Dubois, a very exciting end to this splendid performance. David Dahl recently retired from Pacific Lutheran University, and continues as director of music ministries at Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma, Washington. His list of performances in this country and abroad is a long one, and there are numerous recordings.

Kola Owolabi, Trinity United Methodist Church, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

I first heard Kola Owolabi in Spivey Hall outside Atlanta in 2002. He was a semi-finalist in the Calgary International Organ Competition. He has a bachelor's from McGill, a master's from Yale in organ performance and choral conducting, and is now enrolled at Eastman. In 2002, in Philadelphia, he was awarded Second Prize and the Audience Prize in the AGO National Organ Performance Competition. A published composer, he has received commissions from the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Royal Canadian College of Organists. For his performance here, he played a 1902 Hook & Hastings Organ of 16 stops, Opus 1893, restored by R. J. Brunner & Co. in 1991.

The program: Sonata III in A Major, Mendelssohn; here followed the hymn, Aus tiefer Not; from the Six Canonic Studies of Schumann, we heard No. 4 in A-flat major; Voluntary No. 4, William Russell (1777-1813); O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good (from Portraits from the Psalms), Kola Olowabi; this music is unique and wonderful, while yet accessible to all. Do watch for this name--I know there will be more music. This muse cannot be stilled.

Ken Cowan, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona, Pennsylvania

Ken Cowan's recitals always create a great buzz of anticipation. What marvelous new delights will he unleash this time? Then, add in an organ not heard by many previously, but an instrument of incredible importance in organ history. It's an unbeatable formula. We certainly were not disappointed in the least with either organist or organ. The organ at the cathedral was built in 1931 by G.F. Steinmeyer & Company of Oettingen, Bavaria, Germany, as their Opus 1543. It comprises 83 ranks over three manuals and pedal, and a fourth manual and couplers were provided for a Sanctuary division, prepared for in 1931. The organ was restored in 1990-92 by Columbia Organ Works. Cowan began his recital with the Franck E Major Choral, which sent chills down our spines. This organ is capable of tremendous volume, but it all fits incredibly comfortably in the building, so no one is overwhelmed but all are moved powerfully. Next, Variations on Weinen, Klagen, Liszt, arranged from the original piano version by Alexander Winterberger (a pupil of Liszt), and by Ken Cowan; Valse Mignon, Karg-Elert; Max Reger's transcription of the Bach Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue for harpsichord turns it into a big Romantic affair, and it got a blaze of glory at the end. After intermission, we sang Calvin Hampton's tune St. Helena to the text "There's a wideness in God's mercy;" then, O Lamm Gottes (BWV 656), Allein Gott (BWV 664), Bach; and, finally, Hallelujah, Gott zu Loben, Reger. The ovation that followed is best described as tumultuous. It just would not stop, until Ken made it clear he was to offer up one more piece. The "Jig" Fugue was the perfect encore.

Last day, Thursday, June 26

The 2003 convention's last day featured single-manual organs. Over the years, the OHS has taught many organists that for the careful listener, wonderful music can be made on an organ of only one manual and a very few stops. While we miss here a large palette of stops of differing colors, we hear the music, its quality adorned by a mere handful of stops, themselves, hopefully, of great beauty. I have heard people say of, perhaps, a particular 8' Principal or a Flute, that "This is a sound I can listen to all day." It's this kind of experience that validates a day with four recitals on single-manual organs by builders of unquestioned quality, along with players who know how to best exploit them.

John Charles Schucker, Salem United Church, Bethel, Pennsylvania

The first recital of the day was played by John Charles Schucker, a name new to me, and a person I hope to hear again. He was at one time an organ student of Karl Moyer, who was perhaps responsible for bringing him to this convention. Mr. Schucker holds bachelor and master's degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied organ with Vernon deTar and piano with Earl Wild. He is now pianist and organist with The American Boychoir in Princeton, New Jersey. The organ was built in 1872 by the distinguished Pennsylvania German organbuilder, Thomas Dieffenbach. It is one of two instruments we will hear today that has a Pedal division, in this case, a 16' Bourdon, a coupler, and only 13 pedal keys. The manual division is fairly complete with three 8' stops--Open Diapason, Flute, and Dulciana--a Principal, Flute, and Stopped Diapason at 4', and a 2' Fifteenth. The console is detached and reversed. The Wanamaker organ it is not, but for the careful listener, there is much beauty to be found.

Mr. Schucker's program: Sinfonia in E-flat major, BWV 791 (Three Part Inventions), Bach; two settings of Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, by Telemann and Jacob Friedrich Greiss; Andantino in E Minor (L'Organiste), César Franck; O Gott, du frommer Gott, Brahms; we also sang the chorale, in Bach's glorious harmonization; Fugue on the name Julian (Three Fugues in honor of Thomas Julian Talley), David Hurd; two choral preludes on Vom Himmel hoch, by Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau (1663-1712) and Helmut Walcha (1907-1991); Fugue in C, Buxtehude. How wonderful, and what a fine recital, resourceful in its choice of music for the instrument, and played with both verve and sensitivity.

Lou Carol Fix at Peter Hall, Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

After a relaxing, snoozing trip to Bethlehem and Moravian College, the convention divided into two parts, one having an early lunch, while my group headed upstairs to Peter Hall, with its wonderful little late 18th-century organ by Samuel Green of London. This is smaller than the Dieffenbach instrument, having no pedal division at all, and only four stops. It is also approximately 100 years older! There is an 8' Open Diapason and an 8' Stopped Diapason, a 4' Principal, divided Bass and Treble, and a 2' Fifteenth, also divided. So, smaller instrument, but a new flexibility, reflected in Ms. Fix's fine program. Ray Brunner (R. J. Brunner & Co.) meticulously restored this instrument in 1998.

The organ has an ingenious wind supply system. There is a wooden handle at the back right which can be pumped easily from there, but there is also a foot pedal which is movable. It can slide over to the right side of the case front where the pumper can both pump and, with hands free, turn pages or pull stops. However, this clever pedal can also be moved close enough to the organist so he or she can pump and provide wind while playing the organ.

Lou Carol Fix is artist/lecturer at Moravian College, teaching organ, recorder, and music history since 1985. She has degrees in organ and musicology from Salem College and Indiana University, and is organist and director of music at Peace-Tohickon Lutheran Church in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. The program began with a familiar Moravian hymn by Christian Gregor, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes . . ." Next, a hymn setting, thus called to set it apart from a simple chorale prelude. This was an historic manner of accompanying a hymn, Allein Gott, by Van Vleck; Prelude III (Nine Preludes, 1806), Christian Latrobe (1758-1836); the divided stops came into their own in a Trumpet Voluntary by John Bennett (c. 1735-1784); Toccata Terza (The First Book of Toccatas, Partitas), Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643); the mean tone temperament of this instrument combines with this early 17th-century work to create sounds of a rare beauty. The concert ended with Voluntary for the Organ by Benjamin Carr, born in England in 1768, but coming to the U.S. in 1793, and settling in Philadelphia. And so ended a second fine recital on this final day of the convention.

Thomas Dressler, Moravian Historical Museum

Next was lunch and a stroll around the grounds, before hopping on the bus for Nazareth and Whitefield House of the Moravian Historical Museum. The organs are getting smaller! Not so much, actually, as this organ by Tannenberg has four stops as did the Samuel Green instrument, but here the stops are not divided, and there is not an 8' Open Diapason, but rather a Flute Amabile, an open stop beautiful in its own right, but without quite the strength that a Diapason would have. The honor of playing this lovely instrument went to Thomas Dressler who studied as a teenager with James Boeringer, later earning a Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, at Susquehanna University, and then a Master of Music degree in performance, with honors, at Westminster Choir College. His teachers at Westminster were Mark Brombaugh and Joan Lippincott.

The program began with our magnificent singing of a hymn in glorious harmony, a hymn that is apparently of tremendous significance in Moravian congregations, "Sing hallelujah, praise the Lord" to a tune by Bishop John Bechler (1784-1857); next, Trip to Pawtucket, Oliver Shaw; Voluntary #1 (from American Church Organ Voluntaries, 1856); Rondo, Oliver Shaw; Voluntary in C (Century of American Organ Music 1776-1876, Vol. 3), James Cox Beckel (1811-1880); The Bristol March, Oliver Shaw; Partita on Gelobet seist du, and Capriccio in D, Georg Böhm (1661-1733).

After a suitable interval, we found our way to the buses, heading for Shartlesville, for The Pennsylvania Dutch Dinner at the famous Haag's Hotel. We then were given the choice of taking the bus or a short walk to Friedens Church, still in Shartlesville.

Lois Regestein, Friedens Church, Shartlesville

The final recital of the day, and also of the convention, was given by Lois Regestein, an OHS regular of long standing. She began with the lovely Prelude in F of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847); Pastorale, Bach; The Nines, a most interesting piece written in 1992 by a well-known member of the OHS family, Rachel Archibald; Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein, Ernst Pepping (1900-1981); a lovely Polish carol, Pospieszcie pastuszki do stajenki, Stefan Surzyuski; Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle, Pepping; The Nighting Gall, Henry Loosemore, (c.1605-1670); The Thunder Storm, Thomas P. Ryder (1836-1887); we sang the hymn quoted in the last movement of the Ryder, the well-known Vesper Hymn, to a tune attributed to Bortniansky. The organ was by Thomas Dieffenbach, built in 1891, one of his last instruments. Like the Dieffenbach we heard first today, the console is detached and reversed. The manual division of this instrument has eight stops, four at 8' (Open Diapason, Stopped Diapason, Flute, and Dulciana); at 4', Principal and Stopped Diapason, Quint (shown as 3' here) and 2' Flauto. There are 20 pedal notes, and the two stops are a 16' Sub Bass and an 8' Violin Bass, plus a coupler.

Mrs. Regestein holds degrees from both Oberlin and the Yale School of Music. Since 1983, she has been organist for the First Congregational Church in Winchester, Massachusetts. In 1987, the OHS conferred on her The Distinguished Service Award for her efforts to protect the splendid 1863 E. & G.G. Hook Organ in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Boston, from threatened damage or removal.

2004 Convention

Let us all gather in Buffalo this summer, from July 13th through the 20th for the 2004 Convention of The Organ Historical Society. For information: 804/353-9226; www.organsociety.org.

Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company, St. Louis, Missouri

Opus 104: Zion Lutheran Church, Portland, Oregon


From the Organbuilder

In March of 2000, Mrs. Helen Hollenbeck, director of music at Zion Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, contacted our company about a new pipe organ. I was invited to come to Zion Lutheran Church to see the facilities and to meet with the organ committee.

In July of 2000, I visited Zion for the first time. I was impressed with the fine architecture of Pietro Belluschi—his design of the church is outstanding. At the time the new church was built, limited funds for a pipe organ were available. Zion decided to purchase a used organ. Mr. Belluschi installed this instrument on the choir balcony behind a radiating wall; the radius of this wall is 30 feet.

The organ committee, under the advice of their design architect, Mr. Joachim Grube of Portland, expressed their wish to keep the design of the new organ as Mr. Belluschi had originated. I agreed with the committee’s intention, and shortly after our meeting I submitted a proposal for the musical needs of Zion along with a visual design drawing. I kept the visual design simple but elegant. The new organ is now located again behind the radiating wall. A newly constructed organ chamber houses the organ apparatus and the pipes. The previous openings in the wall have been greatly enlarged, and the new organ case features the pipes of the Hauptwerk Prinzipal 8' and some pipes of the Pedal Oktavbass 8¢ exposed in the façade.

The layout of the divisions is symmetrical: the Great division is to the left and right side behind the façade pipes; the Swell division is centered above the keydesk of the organ; the Pedal division, which has the tallest pipes, is to the back of the organ chamber and centered behind the Swell division. The tonal design will support the strong musical tradition of the Lutheran church. The instrument is flexible and will be able to support congregational singing, choral anthems, and solo organ literature for preludes and postludes. The façade pipes are 75% tin, which contributes to the bright sound. The wooden pipes are made of poplar, spruce and mahogany.

We are especially grateful to the congregation for their enthusiasm and assistance. Many members spent a hot Sunday afternoon unloading the organ with our organ builders. We are thankful to the organ committee who facilitated the organ building process.


The following craftsmen participated in the construction of the organ for Zion Lutheran Church, Opus 104:


Alexander I. Bronitsky

James Cullen

William Dunaway

Eileen M. Gay

Bryan Hanlen

Alex D. Leshchenko

Richard Murphy

Martin Ott

Sascha Ott

Inna Sholka

Jeffrey Spitler

—Martin Ott

Orgelbaumeister

From the Director of Music and Organist

“You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.” (Psalm 104:29)

As we gathered at Zion for the organ dedication, we were reminded of the many blessings that God showers upon us. We celebrated the gift of a new pipe organ—an instrument that will be used to praise God, lead His people in worship, give opportunity for teaching music and organ playing, and provide outreach to the Portland community. This was a huge undertaking for Zion Lutheran Church and, for most of us, a once in a lifetime experience.

When I became director of music and organist at Zion in 1998, I never dreamed that I would become involved in a pipe organ building project. What a journey it has been! The search committee spent hours researching and visiting instruments. There were endless meetings, much prayer, and lots of hard work needed to define the type of instrument that would best serve Zion’s congregation. One of the most critical elements was the historical nature of Zion’s building. The elegant simplicity of the Belluschi architecture would, without a doubt, become the inspiration for the design of the new organ case. Also, the tonal resources would need to be eclectic so that all styles of music—from Renaissance to the twenty-first century and beyond—could be played authentically. It was important that the organ live for the future, as well as for the past and present. With this in mind, the search went out to find a builder who would work with the specific needs of the Zion congregation. Martin Ott immediately connected with us by his understanding of Pietro Belluschi’s design philosophy.

I first became familiar with Martin Ott and his work when I attended the dedication of the two Ott pipe organs at the Mt. Angel Abbey in Mt. Angel, Oregon. Later, when I was preparing to complete work on my master’s degree, I chose to perform my graduate recital on the gallery organ at Mt. Angel Abbey Chapel. The Ott Opus 104 at Zion is just as inspiring and a great blessing to play.

It has been such a privilege to be part of this project. It took an enormous team effort. For this, I am grateful for the support and encouragement of Zion’s members and friends, as well as Zion’s pastors—Stephen Krueger, Paul Hilgendorf, and Ty Miles. I am also extremely thankful for the fundamental understanding that is present here at Zion, for the importance of music in the life of this congregation that was so critical to the building of this new organ. For all of this, God is to be praised and glorified! We have indeed been “filled with good things.”

—Helen Hollenbeck

From the Architect

I hope my work has gone unnoticed. As people experience the sound and sight of the new organ and appreciate the improved lighting and the renovated choir loft finishes I hope it never appears that any design work occurred.

It was the goal of the renovation plans to restore the design of the building’s original architect and to feature the work of the organ designer without introducing any additional aesthetic elements. A significant effort has been made by the design and construction teams to affect this transformation, but I hope this work appears transparent. I hope that the sanctuary will continue to be viewed as the work of Pietro Belluschi, now featuring an organ by Martin Ott.

Architectural consulting for this project was begun in 2000 by Joachim Grube of the Portland firm Yost Grube Hall. Mr. Grube collaborated with Pietro Belluschi in designing several Portland churches and has served Zion as a friend and advisor since Belluschi’s death in 1994. Mr. Grube assisted the congregation’s organ committee in selecting an organ design that would be complementary to the distinctive architectural character of the space. Following this preliminary planning, while the organ awaited fabrication, I began the work of planning and preparing the second floor of the sanctuary for the instrument’s arrival.

Renovation of the choir loft and organ chamber began following Easter services in 2005. Two weeks were spent removing hazardous materials that were used in the building’s original construction and following this abatement the rear wall of the choir loft was removed in order to extract the old organ. Marceau and Associates Pipe Organ Builders recovered all of the original pipes to be reused in other organs, while the largest rank of pipes was stored and reinstalled in our new instrument. Further demolition was done in the organ chamber before the curved wall was rebuilt in a configuration to accommodate the new organ.

Rebuilding these spaces provided an opportunity to improve lighting and accessibility of the choir loft for use in performances. The original risers were removed and the original tile floor finish was replaced to provide a uniform floor level allowing flexibility of movement by the choir and instrumentalists. A select group of original light fixtures was removed and replaced by improved fixtures and controls that will allow for multiple lighting scenes, which can be adjusted to complement varying musical arrangements.

Thank you to all of the members of the design, construction and organ building teams for your efforts and cooperation in providing this wonderful improvement to Zion’s worship space.

—Craig Rice, AIA

History of Zion’s New Organ

In 1999, the new organist/choir director and minister of music, Helen Hollenbeck, presented an evaluation of Zion’s current organ. Her personal experience with the instrument, in addition to her discussions with previous Zion organists, especially Tim Drews, pointed up major deficiencies in both the physical and musical quality of Zion’s pipe organ. Its condition had been deteriorating over the previous decade so that it was no longer possible to maintain it as the fine instrument it once was.
The board of trustees formed a committee to determine the possibility of getting a new organ for Zion. The question was whether Zion should purchase a used instrument, as it had done in the past, and attempt to fit it to our sanctuary, or contact a builder and have a new organ built to fit our needs and the marvelous acoustics of our church. In order to best serve the needs of the congregation, it was decided that a new organ be built, if possible.

The committee began to contact builders, not only in the Portland area, but also in the Northwest and in other areas of the country. Builders who expressed an interest in working with us were contacted. Not only did they come to Zion to see the building and experience its sound, but the committee in turn visited several of their instruments to see and hear how the organs fit their surroundings, both visually and musically. Because Zion is listed on the National Historic Registry, it was necessary that the builder produce an instrument to fit our musical and visual aesthetics as well as remain within our financial means.

Three organ builders were chosen and asked to submit proposals. The builder who seemed to fit us best in all categories was the Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company of St. Louis. In September 2001, the board was presented with the committee’s findings and at the same meeting they charged the committee to contract with Mr. Ott to begin work on the Zion instrument, to begin raising the money for the purchase of the new organ, and to handle the remodel of the balcony to accommodate the organ. Delays in fund-raising and getting approval from the State of Oregon for the renovations pushed back the date of the new instrument.

In spring of 2005, a contractor was engaged to work with Zion and Martin Ott Pipe Organ Company to assure that the balcony would accommodate the new instrument. The organ was delivered to the church on Sunday, June 5, and the congregation was there to greet it and help unload the thousands of pieces that make up this musical puzzle. Assembly began the very next day, June 6, 2005. Tonal finishing was begun on July 17 and the organ was consecrated to the Glory of God and the edification of all on Sunday, August 14, 2005.

The inaugural concert was played by David Dahl on September 30. Concerts continue this season: November 20, Helen Hollenbeck; February 19, Portland AGO chapter members; April 30, Tim and Nancy Nickel, Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf; June 18, Jonas Nordwall.

—Charles P. Kovach

Chair, Zion Organ Committee

Ott Opus 104

30 stops, 40 ranks

HAUPTWERK

16' Bordun 56 pipes

8' Prinzipal 56 pipes

8' Rohrflöte 56 pipes

4' Oktave 56 pipes

4' Nachthorn 56 pipes

22/3' Quinte* 56 pipes

2' Oktave 56 pipes

13/5' Terz* 56 pipes

Mixtur IV 224 pipes

8' Trompete 56 pipes

Tremulant

SCHWELLWERK

8' Viola 56 pipes

8' Viola Celeste TC 44 pipes

8' Bordun 56 pipes

4' Prinzipal 56 pipes

4' Traversflöte 56 pipes

Kornett II TC 88 pipes

2' Flöte 56 pipes

11/3' Quinte 56 pipes

Mixture IV 224 pipes

16' Bombarde* 56 pipes

8' Trompette 56 pipes

8' Krummhorn 56 pipes

Tremulant

Zimbelstern

PEDAL

16' Offenbass 30 pipes

16' Subbass 30 pipes

8' Oktavbass 30 pipes

8' Pommer 22 pipes

4' Choralbass 30 pipes

Mixtur IV 120 pipes

16' Posaune 30 pipes

8' Trompete* 30 pipes



*prepared for

Couplers

HW/Ped with reversible thumb & toe pistons

SW/Ped with reversible thumb & toe pistons

SW/HW toe piston

Accessories

Attached keydesk, AGO standards

Case made of oak

Mechanical key action

Electric stop action

Combination action with 128 levels:

HW 1-2-3-4-5-6 thumb

SW 1-2-3-4-5-6 thumb

PED 1-2-3-4-5-6 thumb & toe

General 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 thumb & toe

Cancel–thumb

Set–thumb

Tutti–thumb & toe

Tuning after Fisk I

A History of the Organ of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile, Paris

Laura Potratz

Laura Potratz studied organ and art at Valparaiso University before completing a four-month period of study in Paris of French, contemporary art, and organ restoration. She is currently pursuing experience as an organ builder with Goulding & Wood Inc. in Indianapolis.

A strange sequence of events in September 2004 landed me in the choir balcony of a Parisian church that has always been shadowed by the City of Light’s bigger and more famous cathedrals. I found myself there at Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile in the ninth arrondissement standing beneath a craftsman’s lamp. In the light stood Olaf Dalsbaek, owner of the Dalsbaek-Merklin organ building company, who had been charged with nurturing the 1855 Merklin organ back to health. In that moment, my awareness of my reasons for packing my life into a jet bound for Paris congealed into a cloud of gray. I had intended to contribute to my college education, learn the French language in its natural habitat, and quench an unsuppressed and unsatisfied thirst for French art and music. But when I begrudgingly departed from my new home in December, I was equally sensitive to how life had metamorphosized my intentions into quiet distinctions: a love for small bakeries and outdoor markets, a mind voraciously hungry for a respite from American commercialism, and a new daily momentum driven by the spirits of organ building. It was within this context, and inseparable from it, that I received and eagerly embraced my twofold mission from Touve Ratovondrahety, organist of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile: work with Dalsbaek-Merklin to reassemble the instrument, and chronicle its spirited story.

Construction in an era of Universal Expositions

The natural point from which to begin my exploration was the church building itself, which, in this case, is an inseparable contemporary of the organ it shelters. The stony façade of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile houses a wonder of nineteenth-century architecture, all credited to Louis-Auguste Boileau, architect made world-famous for applying the industrial revolution’s metal processing to the framework of buildings. With Saint Eugène (as it was originally called), Boileau set the standard for a new era of musical acoustics by building a structure ribbed with an unprecedented iron frame. This advancement occupied a natural place in an era plastered with back-to-back and sometimes even simultaneous Universal Expositions and National Expositions. The second half of the 1800s exploded with innovation and ingenuity to outwit and outnumber every precept of the previous exposition. Exhibition categories existed for the latest in everything from fashion to metallurgy alongside the categories for musical breakthroughs that unveiled the advent of the saxophone, pistons for brass instruments, and the famed pneumatic Barker machine. Built for the 1855 Universal Exposition, Saint Eugène’s cutting-edge architecture and the treasure of its pipe organ were no exception in these witty free-for-alls.

Despite the major political events of the time (namely the Crimean War), Napoleon III still managed to commission a new church in the name of Saint Eugène1 for the 1855 exposition to be held in Paris. Inspired by Paris’ famous Sainte Chapelle, the colors of the rectangular room come alive both in stained glass and in the penetrating color of every wall, rail, arch, and vault. The first metal-frame church in the world, only the walls and balcony floor are stone—even the floor of the nave is wood. In contrast, therefore, to most large Parisian churches, the nave of Saint Eugène is held up not by massive sound-deflecting stone pillars, but by slender iron columns that allow bloom of sound in its vaults without introducing reverberation.

Merklin’s debut in France

Such was the space for which Boileau would also have the honor of designing a new neo-gothic organ case for installation at the end of the exposition.2 As the church was being constructed during 1854 and 1855, simultaneously across town in the Palais d’Industrie,3 the main site of the exhibits and festivities, organ builder Joseph Merklin and his brother-in-law Frederich Schütze were at work on an instrument like none that France had seen before. The parish of Saint Eugène had commissioned them to build a new organ for the new church, and the builders decided to display it first at the exposition to establish their company’s recent move to Paris early in 1855, though they still exhibited as the only organ builder in the Belgian section that year. Though previously centered in Ixelles-lez-Bruxelles, a suburb of Brussels, in its heyday Merklin-Schütze & Company oversaw 150 technicians building organs not just in Belgium, but also in France, Germany, Russia, and other European nations. They were indeed, as Merklin historian Michel Jurine offered in the title of his comprehensive thesis, not builders categorized by nationality, but European organ builders.4 This company then was a natural for Paris’ first Universal Exposition, building a 32-stop mechanical organ with the first cone chest in France.

The console

This, Merklin’s first organ in France, is an instrument with three manuals of fifty-six keys (C–g3) with two-millimeter-thick ivory for the naturals, ebony for the sharps, and a flat rosewood-topped oak pedalboard of twenty-seven notes (C–d1). The console is primarily stained and natural oak with elegant scrolls of rosewood for its keycheeks, and earthy drawknobs of rosewood and porcelain with pearwood shafts. The three manuals are labeled Grand Orgue, Trompettes,5 and Récit, but that’s roughly the extent of traditional organ building in this instrument. The console faces away from the organ and towards the altar, affording the organist more ready participation in the ritual below without the use of mirrors. Effects of this reversal include harder key action (as the trackers need more changes in direction), and the reversal of the C and C# sides of the instrument due to the new position of each C and C# key in relation to the case.

Also of curiosity at the console are the three rows of terraced stops mounted against springs. When the organist pulls a stop, it slips down into a hitch that holds it open. To cancel, the organist needs only to tap it up out of the hitch and the spring pulls it in, making registration changes slightly more fluid, though admittedly a bit noisy.

Another oddity noticeable at the console is a space above the pedalboard that appears to be missing a hitch. A 1983 Dalsbaek-Merklin inventory of the instrument accounts for this with a fairly certain supposition that Merklin intended to add a Positif to Grand Orgue coupler, as the organ currently has no couplers to the Grand Orgue (or the Positif for that matter) on account of the physical strength that would be required to play.6 The only couplers are the Grand Orgue to Récit and Positif to Récit, made possible by the Barker machine that buffers the action of the Récit. That is, to play full organ, one must play with arms fully extended at shoulder height on the Récit. According to the same inventory, it appears Merklin soon intended to add a fourth manual as well, at which time all decisions on number and function of couplers would have been mapped out and subsequently installed.

Revolution within

Though the console alone is full of curiosities, the main pride of the instrument lies in the windchests. The key and stop action are both mechanical, but they do not control a slider chest. Hidden within the organ case at Saint Eugène is a cone chest. Earlier nineteenth century organ builder E. F. Walcker takes credit for inventing this type of windchest, though it certainly predates him.7 He is, however, responsible for what light was shed on this experiment that was meant to better support wind pressure in an era when organ builders were constructing instruments with larger numbers of 8¢ and 16¢ sounds and therefore installing big pipes that required hefty air supplies. Merklin apprenticed with this Ludwigsburg builder in 1837–1838 and there learned of this type of windchest that Walcker called Kegellade (literally “cone chest”). On such an instrument, pulling a stop opens a ventil, permitting wind to a chamber that runs under all the pipes of the corresponding rank(s). Pressing a key opens one valve for each pipe of that note on the appropriate division. Therefore, a pipe sounds if both its valve is open and there is air in the chamber of the rank to which it belongs. The total number of organs in France today using primarily cone chests can be counted on one hand, and they are as sparse or more so everywhere except Germany.

The Kegellade system was not, however, the only German component to this Merklin organ. Also contained within is one of the first several uses of harmonic flutes in France and, as all new gadgets are fun, Merklin included not one, but three complete ranks of them: two at 8' and one at 4'. (An additional 4' at the Récit called Flûte Harmonique is actually a chimney flute.) The two 8' ranks are identically constructed, but voiced differently with a rounder sound at the Récit. Evidence of experimental days gone by is clearly indicated in a number of the surviving original pipes that bear misplaced and filled-in holes. Another new stop for the French, if not for the entire organ-building world, was the Corne de Chamois at the Grand Orgue. Its sound, the result of a very slightly conical construction, is meant to be reminiscent of an alpine horn.

Still another strange sight within the instrument is the rank on the Grand Orgue labeled Clarinette. It begins on the second C, but doubled all throughout the range and continuing down through the bottom octave is a second set of pipes forming a metal Bourdon rank. Further inspection reveals sliders just below the toeboards that can close off the wind from the clarinet pipes leaving only the Bourdon to sound. These can only be adjusted by actually climbing up a ladder inside the case and moving them by hand. In the instrument’s initial days, the expert jury that reviewed its tonal colors and playability was delighted with the authenticity of the clarinet sound, but this rank of free reeds may sound to the modern ear more like an accordion than a clarinet. Perhaps the inclusion of such a strange back-up option was a prophecy of changing tastes on Merklin’s part!

The organ remained largely unchanged from its original form when the builders dismantled it at the end of the 1855 Universal Exposition for the move from its exhibitive state in the Palais d’Industrie to its long-term functioning existence in the church of Saint Eugène. The most notable change was the addition of the 2' Octavin in the Positif, possibly a move already at that time towards enlarging the organ. Astonishingly, without this addition, the instrument was completely devoid of 2' stops! The method by which this rank was added is noteworthy in the scope of the instrument as well: adding another wind chamber to the back of the Positif platform would have been nearly physically impossible in terms of space and wind flow. Instead, the valve under the 4' Prestant was blocked open, keeping its chamber constantly pressurized. With additional holes bored, the Prestant and Octavin were both mounted on the one toeboard with sliders underneath for independent control. These two stops require noticeably more force to activate at the console.

Initial festivities

The church of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile held its dedication ceremonies December 20, 1855, graced by music played on the usable portion of the organ that still awaited complete installation. Students of the Niedermeyer School of Classical and Religious Music8 played interpretations of chants including Veni Creator, Ecce Sacerdos, Te Deum, and Alma Redemptoris Mater. The organ received its own official initiation some four months later on May 9, 1856. Performers on the inaugural concert included first organist of the parish Renaud de Vilbac, Georges Schmitt (then organist of Saint-Sulpice), several students of the Niedermeyer School, and Joseph Wakenthaler, organist of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs and professor of organ at the Niedermeyer School. They were privileged to play both repertoire and improvisations for a full church. Since then, the parish has enjoyed a respectable heritage of organists including celebrated French pianist and composer Raoul Pugno, Clément Lippacher, opera composer Xavier Leroux, later Niedermeyer School student and composer Pierre Kunc, Roger Boucher, and Amédée de Vallombrosa, student of Vierne and Widor and later longtime choir organist at Saint-Eustache. More recent titulaires include the late Henri Morint and current organist of the Basilica of St. Denis, Pierre Pincemaille.

Years of use and misuse

Since the initial days of the parish, many years of wear and tear have taken their toll on the organ, and only in recent years have the church and instrument both begun to return to the signs of life they knew in the nineteenth century. In 1983, French organ expert Jean-Louis Coignet proposed that the instrument, as property of the state (since church and state separation laws of 1905), become a historical monument. At that time, Olaf Dalsbaek made an inventory and secured work on the instrument despite a number of other builders both within and outside of France desiring the contract to restore what many had heard of, but few had seen: Merklin’s first organ in France. Owned by Dalsbaek since 1976 and today called Dalsbaek-Merklin, it was this small company out of Lyon that discovered the organ in a bewildering state of disarray, which they believe probably happened in the middle of the twentieth century. In the Grand Orgue, the Clarinette pipes had been removed and stacked in a pile outside the swell box and replaced with some 4' and 2' principal pipes held in place by wires. Sixty pipes from the Fourniture were found piled in a box inside the organ and replaced with a Plein Jeu taken from the smaller choir organ in the west side of the balcony plus eighteen pipes from the 4' Prestant in the Positif division. Some of the pipes removed from the Fourniture made their way to the 4' Prestant and 2' Octavin in the Positif. A third rackboard was devoid of pipes altogether. In the Positif division, the 16' Bombarde rank was missing and pipes from the Récit Dolce inhabited the space for the 8' Dolciana. In place of the Dolce then in the Récit was an unknown string rank from the choir organ with the Viola di Gamba trying to be its Celeste. With rows of shoelaces straining to contain these modifications, only the Pedal division had the good fortune of bearing all the pipes too big and heavy to be easily rearranged, sold, or arbitrarily dispensed with.'
Wondrously though, with the exception of an electric blower added by Charles Mutin at the end of 1913, no organbuilder has ever altered or modernized the organ. Obviously the ideal course would have been consistent maintenance over the years, but rare are the few and lucky aged organs still functioning today that can claim such a legacy. How fortunate then that most of the puzzle pieces in the balcony of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile were merely rearranged and weathered by time, and that there were no intermittent enlargements, modifications to the console, or attempts to revoice the pipework to reflect contemporary trends. In this project, Dalsbaek-Merklin has carefully labored with nothing other than pure Merklin history.

Restoration

A decade after Dalsbaek-Merklin’s initial survey of the organ, Jean-Pierre Decavèle, technical counsel to the French Minister of Cultural Affairs for organs in the Paris region, made a second inventory of the status of the instrument during 1993 and 1994. Bureaucracy and financial issues, however, allowed dismantling of the organ only in 1996. Beginning that year, a team of several people from Dalsbaek-Merklin carried out the rebuilding of the reservoirs, blowers, and Barker machine at the workshop in Miribel, suburb of Lyon. Cleaning the case happened in Paris within the church from behind a masquerade of facemasks; cleaning the large façade pipes was a project for the sidewalk outside with sawhorses and a hose under the curious expressions of passersby.

Two years into the project, authorities realized the balcony floor beneath the instrument would also need serious work and contracted a separate company to replace it altogether. With the entire instrument including the case dismantled, Dalsbaek-Merklin therefore halted all work on the organ from spring of 1998 until near the end of the year when they remounted the freshly reconstructed blowers and windchests along with the case. No sooner had they begun again when the state suspended all work indefinitely while hunting for the money to finish the project.
Dalsbaek-Merklin closed its doors completely for about two years, the workers dispersing to other organ builders for work until the long-hoped-for green light was again given. The last stage of restoration began only in August 2004. By that time, most of the pipes and interior framework of the instrument had been subject to approximately seven years of storage in the east balcony of the church wrapped in industrial strength plastic wrap. Dalsbaek recovered a number of them damaged from unfortunate encounters with unsupervised laypeople and set to work repairing the pipework a second time.

Much of the woodwork on the entire instrument remains original from 1855, including the varnished red pine case, the woods of the console, most of the trackers, and every single wooden pipe. Other materials did not survive quite so well. A number of new metal pipes had to be constructed with tin proportions as close to original as could be ascertained, including the entire Bourdon for the Clarinette, the vast majority of the Positif Dolciana, most of the Positif Octavin, half the Grand Orgue Fourniture, and most of the Positif 16' Trompette. Despite the hundreds of fresh pipes, though, the number of usable originals is fairly remarkable considering the time and energy involved in relocating them and determining their rightful place in the instrument. The Barker machine, reservoirs, and blowers were reconstructed with fresh but historically accurate materials including cardboard, wood, sheepskin, and bookbinding paper. With governmental restrictions inhibiting changes to the organ due to its status as historical monument, the only difference resulting from the restoration process is the expansion of the pedalboard from 27 notes to 30 to facilitate performance of modern repertoire. The three new notes are available on couplers only and therefore required no additional pipes and little mechanical modification. Pedal pumps to one side of the organ case were replaced to allow the exhausting option of manually supplying the wind.

Restoration of the interior of the church was completed in 1987, well ahead of the organ, with a carillon added in 2000 (made possible by the fact that the Conservatoire de Paris moved out of its long-time residence directly across the narrow rue Sainte Cécile where chiming of bells every fifteen minutes would have been considered a nuisance). At the time of restoration, the parish name was officially changed to Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile after many years of being referred to by the name of the street on which it stands instead of its given name decreed by Napoleon III more than a century earlier. The double name preserves the honor of Saint Eugène as original patron of the parish while maintaining the familiar identity of the parish under the patron saint of music.

Today and tomorrow

Restoration of the organ was completed in March 2005. An inaugural recital will be performed on November 27 at 5 p.m. by organist Touve Ratovondrahety, titulaire of Saint Eugène-Sainte Cécile and pianist for the Paris opera ballet corps. After a tenure of accompanying from the choir organ everything from weekly evening masses to grand Easter festivals, he finally commands a reliable, colorful instrument worthy of and meant for the church’s beautiful space. Those people who have cheered this project on from the beginning, those with mild supportive interest along the way, and those who delved into its deep caverns relatively late in the story all await the first moments of festivity when the organ’s colorful sounds will return them again to the bustling, creativity-driven days of the nineteenth century, and bring together the builders, parishioners, emperors, musicians, restorers, and travelers whose journeys have intersected in this organ.