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The Episcopal Church of SS. Andrew and Matthew
Wilmington, Delaware
Quimby Pipe Organs Inc. • Warrensburg, Missouri
by T. Daniel Hancock
Cover photo credit: Danny Schweers

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The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM) is a vibrant faith community located on the southwestern edge of downtown Wilmington, Delaware, where the center city district gives way to the historic Quaker Hill neighborhood. Founded in 1996, SsAM is the result of a carefully considered and executed combination of two Episcopal parishes: St. Andrew’s Church, founded 1829, and St. Matthew’s Church, founded 1846. St. Andrew’s was primarily a white congregation, while St. Matthew’s was predominately black; both parishes were rich in formational historical ties to Wilmington and the Diocese of Delaware.

In the new venture, constituents of both parishes emphatically avoided the use of the word “merger” and all of the negative connotations and imagery that can accompany it. Rather, the vision for the parish was one of a multifaceted but united identity; one that fully recognized the unique heritage of each parish while also uniting the new community in “Christian fellowship, racial diversity, and advocacy for justice.” The results are evident to any visitor: an eclectic, honest parish with real compassion and heart; actively engaged in the community.

Almost from the beginning, the idea of a new pipe organ—one that would be a symbol of the new parish—was considered, and groundwork laid for this reality. Although the new parish inhabits the former St. Andrew’s facility, ranks of pipes were removed from the St. Matthew organ, a 1955 Möller, with the idea that perhaps pipes from both church organs could someday be utilized in the creation of a new instrument.

The St. Andrew organ, a 1945 Möller, had five 16′ stops in the Pedal, ingeniously engineered for concise placement within a comparatively small organ chamber. The Möller retained several ranks from the previous organ, a 1906 C.S. Haskell, which in turn most likely possessed mid-to-late 19th-century pipework from a previous organ. In 1957, a seven-rank Gallery division was added.

In 2012, the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John in Wilmington was closed, and many of the cathedral parishioners made their way to SsAM, further contributing to the diversity of the parish fabric. Accordingly, plans were made to include pipes from the cathedral organ, a 1920 Möller, in the new organ.

Thus, the music program at the church is wide-ranging, and the choir, under the leadership of organist and choirmaster David Christopher, can turn on a dime from Palestrina to spirituals, or from Howells to gospel music in a convincing fashion.

The new organ, our Opus 72, is just as flexible, and serves as an up-front, tangible symbol of the successful creation of one new entity from many disparate parts. It is a 46-rank instrument with three completely enclosed manual divisions in the chancel, and an unenclosed Antiphonal division in the location of the former Möller gallery division.

A new chamber was constructed to house the Choir division, opposite the existing organ chamber, where it is fronted on two sides (altar and nave) with new nonspeaking pipe facades that are mirror duplicates of the 1906 C.S. Haskell facade fronting the Great and Swell. Although the early 20th-century facade is dominating, with pipes of considerable overlength, its appearance is tempered by the presence of a beautifully carved stone arcade with three low-sprung arches in front of the altar and choir loft, visually and acoustically bisecting the nave from the organ chambers and choir.While visually arresting, this stone arcade creates an acoustical obstacle course behind which is a relatively high plaster ceiling. For the choir, it serves a kind of mixing chamber that aids in creating ensemble and blend; for the organ, it works as a tone trap, especially for the Great division, which is located high in the chamber, over the Swell and Pedal.

We developed a solution that meets this challenge both with generous scaling and characteristic, harmonically rich voicing, both of which give the instrument a sense of presence and colorful vitality which are almost overwhelming in the choir loft, but ultimately supportive and present in the nave for congregational song. Because all the chancel divisions are completely enclosed and separately expressive, this also allows for effective choral accompaniment.

The existing pipework was generously scaled and of excellent construction, especially the 16′ stops, all of which were included for reuse in the new organ, and which remain enclosed together with the manual divisions; many of the unit Pedal windchests from the 1945 Möller were restored for reuse because of the ingenious, compact layout. New electropneumatic slider windchests in the Quimby-Blackinton style were constructed for the manual divisions, with new electropneumatic windchests for reeds and extended stops. Our slider windchests allow remarkable efficiency for placement of pipework, and this has further enabled the rank count in the Great and Swell to exceed what it previously was.

The tonal characteristics of Opus 72 are idiomatic of QPO work in recent decades: heroically scaled diapason choruses, inspired by the work of 19th-century British organbuilder T.C. Lewis, voiced so that each stop is harmonically rich and colorful, which also enables individual voices to blend and meld together in ensemble. These are matched or exceeded by chorus reeds that are at once brilliant and foundational. If the reeds dominate the full ensemble, it’s not because the flues are weak; rather, the voicing and timbre of reeds constructed and voiced by QPO enables them both to stand on their own in chorus, and to effectively lock together with the flues in an exciting and powerful manner.

The Swell reed chorus includes an 8′ Trumpet and 4′ Clarion along French Romantic lines, with adaptations made in construction and voicing for success in American acoustics: here, brilliance and fire are combined with a foundational quality well suited to a less reverberant acoustic. By contrast, the Great Trumpet is inspired by English Romantic work, but is in no way iron-clad or tromba-esque.

The flue and reed chorus-work is contrasted by a variety of strings, flutes, and lyrical reeds that provide characteristic color voices for use in a wider range of solo and ensemble possibilities. There is considerable diversity in unison flues and reeds that are colorful, individually articulate, effective for smaller finely graded ensembles, and yet capable of creating a flood of foundation tone.

The Antiphonal is unenclosed in the gallery tower alcove; it frames a rose window at the rear of the church. It lends additional foundational presence in the nave for congregational singing, and colorful voices provide opportunities for antiphonal effects. This division contains the 8′ Harmonic Trumpet, a powerful reed with a commanding solo voice that can be heard over the full organ ensemble and exhibits a mix of fire and restraint; its forceful presence is not in the least offensive or startling, as so many loud solo reeds are.

The new three-manual and pedal console is constructed of paneled oak, finished to match church wainscoting, with a dark-finished walnut interior. The design of the console, with rocking stop tablets on angled jambs, is modeled on a particularly compact and elegant three-manual console built by the Aeolian Organ Company in 1930 for Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. This was selected because it allowed for maximum flexibility for placement at several locations on the chancel platform, and it is so attractive, we hope that it will serve as a prototype for future QPO instruments, alongside our standard drawknob console design.

Just as the completed instrument is a symbol for the interwoven yet cohesive fabric of the SsAM parish community, so was the campaign to fund the work. The organ campaign was linked to one raising capital for the renovation of the parish kitchen. In the end, 400 donors from the parish and the larger community made individual donations of $5 to over $200,000. Credit for this is due in large part to the unflappable persistence and leadership of Patricia Saunders, campaign chair. The result, in an age when organ projects are more often than not largely funded by one or a few individuals, is an instrument that is already well beloved by parish and community, and bestowed with a widely shared sense of pride and ownership.

The organ was dedicated on February 19, 2017, with an inaugural recital played by Ken Cowan on February 25.

T. Daniel Hancock, AIA, is president of Quimby Pipe Organs Inc.

 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Auburn, New York
1890 Carl Barckhoff Pipe Organ
Restored by Parsons Pipe Organ Builders
by David McCleary

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The 1890 Carl Barckhoff organ at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Auburn, New York, is thought to be the builder’s largest extant organ, and unlike most of the organs of its period, survives in relatively unaltered and undamaged condition. These two factors, combined with Barckhoff’s exceptional tonal design and the fact that the organ continues today as the primary instrument of the parish, made it imperative that it receive the restorative attention necessary to continue its mission.

When we approach any restoration project, we weigh the value of restoring the instrument as a historic artifact. Restored in this manner, we would first divest the Barckhoff of any modifications and then preserve or reintroduce the organ’s originally-specified components, all using historic methods and materials. In contrast, we also consider the value of a restoration that would be respectful of the historic nature of the organ, yet would incorporate a limited amount of modern materials in crucial areas to improve its longevity and function. This second approach would not jeopardize the organ’s Organ Historical Society Citation (No. 397), nor the unique historic character and function. In consultation with the pastor and director of music and considering the organ’s rigorous schedule at St. Mary’s, we arrived at a consensus that it should be restored according to the second approach.

Organbuilders at Parsons devoted some 7,000 hours to the restoration. The work included restoring deteriorated pipework and repairing severely cracked wooden parts, strengthening key and stop-action components to ensure reliable operation through seasonal changes, replacing missing components, replacing crumbling and rotted leather, stabilizing and strengthening structures such as windchests, pipe racking, and internal passage boards, and finally, refinishing the chassis.

With the exception of the electric blower, the Barckhoff organ operates entirely without electricity, using thousands of mechanical parts. During the restoration, each of these sensitive wood, metal, and leather parts was painstakingly adjusted, cleaned, and rebuilt so that each note plays quickly and evenly. Pallet springs were regulated and wooden tracker guides were precisely modified and relocated for optimal performance. Dilapidated and tired felt tracker square bushings were replaced with a modern, friction-free material, and felt bushings were removed from specific action points to make the key action more responsive. In each instance, as much original material was retained as possible. All parts were cleaned, adjusted, repaired, and renewed during the restoration.

In addition to the straightforward restoration of existing components, we were challenged to address a known shortcoming of the organ: the lack of accompanimental bass stops to balance with the otherwise bold sound of the organ. The Swell 16′ Bourdon was incomplete, lacking its all-important bottom octave, and the Pedal division did not include any reed stops. To gain insight into the appropriate construction and positioning of these pipes, we visited this instrument’s sister organ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Following this visit, we provided new pipes to complete the Swell 16′ Bourdon, matching Barckhoff’s scaling, materials, and construction techniques.

Adding the 16′ Trombone to the Pedal division presented a bigger challenge. To start, we located and restored a rank of vintage 16′ Trombone pipes with wooden resonators. Through careful planning, the Trombone was added to existing Pedal chests by building a new toeboard that accommodates both the existing 8′ Violoncello and the new 16′ Trombone. The toeboard is situated at the front of the windchest, with both stops sharing a single stop mechanism. Pulling the stop drawknob halfway engages the Violoncello alone, while a full draw adds both the Trombone and the Violoncello. In this way, we were able to add the 16′ Pedal Trombone tastefully and respectfully, without any significant visible alterations to the original console or drawknobs, and with minimum alteration to the windchests and internal stop actions.

AGO MEMBERS: Read the complete October issue of TAO online

An electric blower generates wind, which first passes into a preliminary pressure regulator known as a static reservoir, which quiets and stabilizes the wind supply. Both blower and static reservoir are located outside the organ case in a remote, climate-controlled room. From the static reservoir, wind passes through wooden wind ducts to the newly constructed double-rise reservoir described below, where pressured air is stored and stabilized for the manual divisions, and to a separate reservoir for the Pedal division.

Some history is needed to understand the changes to the winding system. In the early 1950s, when the Barckhoff’s original double-rise reservoir failed, the technicians had elected to replace the large and bulky reservoir with several smaller single-rise reservoirs, because it would have been impossible to restore the large double-rise reservoir without dismantling the entire organ. At the same time the original reservoir was broken apart and removed, some of the original wooden wind ducts were also removed and replaced with metal ducts. Because the winding system is the “lungs” of the organ and affects tone, Parsons felt that it was critically important for the winding system to reflect the original builder’s intent. New wooden wind ducts and a new double-rise wind reservoir were crafted to serve the Swell and Great windchests after the style of Barckhoff’s other extant organs. A separate reservoir for the Pedal windchests was retained for wind stability. To prevent the dilemma that had occurred with the original double-rise reservoir, Parsons specifically engineered the new double-rise reservoir to offer access for repair and restoration in place.

Over the years, previous repairs had resulted in an unresponsive and unreliable stop action. In addition, the original Barckhoff tremulant was present but unable to function correctly, due to the introduction of an oversized flexible wind duct and springs on the reservoir added in the 1950s. In our restoration, we replaced the flexible duct to the tremulant with an appropriately sized zinc duct, and with the return of a weighted double-rise reservoir, the restored tremulant functions as Barckhoff intended, and provides the desired undulating effect that had not been heard in years. Pneumatic stop actions were carefully restored to the original Barckhoff specifications. The pre-set, all-mechanical combination pistons and mechanism were restored, and the original piston settings were put into place. In sum, the original Barckhoff stop action, wind system, and various mechanical parts were restored, not simply as separate parts, but as a functional, integral whole, keeping an eye to Barckhoff’s original intent, nonetheless insuring complete reliability and function.

During the course of their existence, the windchests suffered from low humidity and the effects of modern heating systems, and the original supports had proven to be inadequate in preventing warping and stress, particularly in the Pedal division. Wood had cracked beyond the point of repair causing pipes to speak when not called upon. Wind leaks had affected pipe speech and volume, and caused significant audible wind noise. To remedy these issues, critical windchest surfaces were removed, and replaced with level, high-quality void-free birch laminates designed to ensure longevity. A proper floor frame and supports were added to improve the structural integrity of the windchests, which, though robust, had been inadequate to support the weight of the organ’s pipes. Lastly, an internal humidification system was installed to keep the various wooden and leather parts stable during winter months.

Although every component plays a key role in determining the quality of the sound, nothing is as important as the pipes, with their unique construction, careful voicing, and tonal finishing. In the many years since 1890, the Barckhoff’s 1,546 all-original pipes had become deteriorated and worn. Tonal Director Duane Prill worked methodically to restore, repair, regulate, and voice each pipe, while remaining respectful of the Barckhoff voicing style. Jonathan Ambrosino assisted with the on-site tonal finishing process.

Parsons was able to restore most of the organ’s pipework, but even before the restoration process had begun, we knew from the organ’s history that, in addition to the usual deterioration of time, the speaking facade pipes had been damaged severely on one occasion, and poorly repaired over several other occasions, to the extent that few of the pipes were speaking. No repairs could reverse the damage and deterioration, so high-quality replica pipes were therefore necessary. Jacques Stinkens Pipe-makers copied the original pipes’ specifications, tone, and appearance in their workshop in the Netherlands. After the replica pipes arrived in the United States, Marylou Davis, an art conservator specializing in the conservation of painted and gilded surfaces, created an original design with an eye to the architecture and colors of St. Mary’s Church. Together with Ms. Davis, Ellen Parsons and Bridget Byrne painted and stenciled the new facade pipes over a period of three weeks in Woodstock, Connecticut. Detail of the stencil pattern can be seen in photos that accompany this article.

AGO MEMBERS: Read the complete October issue of TAO online

While our goal for this organ was preservation, not modernization, we incorporated a few select adaptations to make the organ more serviceable and reliable. Passage boards and ladders were improved to ensure safe access for tuning and repairs. To address the heavy key action and the resulting playing difficulties (indeed, a common reason so many 19th-century mechanical-action organs were “modernized” with electric action), we used modern, friction-free materials, which also will improve longevity. All of these adaptations protect the organ’s historic value and ensure its unique Barckhoff sound will be enjoyed for years to come.

We would like to thank Fr. Frank Lioi, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, and Joel Morehouse, director of music during the planning and fundraising for the restoration, for their tireless efforts, and for their full support in addressing the issues that required the attention of the church. Restoration of the 1890 Barckhoff would not have been possible without their patience, understanding, and support.

David McCleary serves as project developer for Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. His training includes process architecture and elongated sales cycles with an emphasis on collaborative relationships. He has extensive experience in the field of pipe organs, and holds memberships in several AGO chapters.

Joel Morehouse kindly contributed material to this article.

Mount Olivet United Methodist Church
Arlington, Virginia
Holtkamp Organ Company • Cleveland, Ohio
By F. Christian Holtkamp

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When approaching the Washington, DC, area in the crush of daytime traffic, it is hard to imagine what it was like some 150 years earlier. At that time, Mount Olivet United Methodist Church stood in open farm country on Glebe Road, in the same location as it stands today. When the church was founded in 1854, Glebe Road was unpaved and only wide enough to allow for the passage of horse-drawn buggies. The first church building was used as a hospital and stable during the Civil War. In the winter of 1861, much of the building was dismantled by Union troops stationed nearby in their search for firewood. The original structure was replaced in 1870, followed by two additional buildings: one constructed in 1897 and the most recent, completed in 1948.

The pipe organ first arrived at Mount Olivet Church in 1941, when a two-manual, eight-stop Möller, originally built in 1921 for Corinthian Baptist Church in Indianapolis, was moved to Mount Olivet Church. Subsequently restored by Möller and moved to the new church in 1948, it was removed and replaced by a new three-manual, 26-stop Möller in 1985.

AGO MEMBERS: Read the complete September issue of TAO online

When Mount Olivet’s director of music ministries, Steven Shaner, first invited me to visit, we played, listened, and talked about the scales and voicing of the organ, the placement of the divisions, and their impact in the worship space. The Great and Pedal were primarily placed against the rear chancel wall, giving them good projection down the nave of the church. The Swell and Positif divisions were placed in the side chambers of the chancel and spoke across the chancel, limiting their ability to project down the nave of the church to the congregation. Pipe scales were too small for the size of the worship space. It was also clear that during installation the wind pressures were raised somewhat in order to push the pipes and make them louder. Unfortunately, this was done without any changes to pipe scaling or voicing, with the inevitable result that the pipes became harsher in tone and less stable in tuning, neither of which is desirable. In spite of the organ’s shortcomings, it was clear that it had many good and useful components. It was the wish of Dr. Shaner and the congregation that we use as much of the 1985 Möller as was possible, without compromising the quality of the finished organ.

A project such as this always begins with two basic questions. The first is “What do we have to work with?” The materials at our disposal were a console, pipes, chests, wind regulators, and a blower. From the outset we decided to eliminate the chests. They would need to be releathered in 20 years or so and they were designed for pipe scales that were smaller than those that we would need. It was decided to replace them with slider chests with electric pulldowns and electric solenoid stop actions for the manual chests, and electropneumatic unit chests for the unit stops and bass pipes. The console had been recently restored, and contained an updated combination action, so it was also retained. Additionally, we used the existing blower and many of the existing wind regulators.

The second question is “What should the final result be?” As we discussed the project we envisioned an organ of three manuals and pedal, in which all four divisions are placed in the chancel proper, and not in the side chambers of the chancel. This proved to be possible with the exception of the 16′ pipes of the Pedal and Swell. As we looked at space planning, it became clear that we could build an organ of roughly 35 stops without enlarging the size of the chancel area. With this in mind, we arrived at a specification that used the majority of the stops in the Möller organ, however, it was also clear that if we were to use the existing pipes without alteration, they would continue to be acoustically and musically inadequate. As a result we made the decision to enlarge the diameters, or “rescale,” many of the stops being reused. All but one of the existing stops were retained. Of these, four are reeds and 21 are flues. The flue pipes were all reused as is or rescaled to give the desired musical and acoustical result in the worship space. Four of the existing stops were retained: the 4′ Octave, Sesquialtera II, and both 2′ stops. The remaining 17 flue stops were rescaled as much as seven pipes. Since rescaling is not appropriate to reed pipes, all four reeds were revoiced and reused.

AGO MEMBERS: Read the complete September issue of TAO online

Last to come was the visual design. We had three parameters that guided our process. First, we could not obstruct the view of the rose window in the center of the wall at the back of the chancel. Second, we wanted the organ facade to be at somewhat of an angle to help project the sound of the choir to the congregation. Third, we wanted the organ interior to be as shallow as possible. As I sketched out preliminary designs, the same question arose: how would I detail the casework once the basic shell was established? It clearly needed to be Classical in concept, but how could I either compete with or blend in with the strong posts and capitals in the upper chancel walls and ceiling? My final solution was not to compete with it at all, but to adopt it, lock, stock, and barrel. In order to do this, we had to precisely replicate the moldings, ornaments, and capitals, otherwise it would look like an ersatz imitation of the original. This was accomplished by making rubber castings of all the critical components of the chancel detailing. These rubber molds were transferred to plaster castings. The castings were then used to make production molds to form the ornaments and capitals of the chancel. The plaster ornaments and capitals were then integrated into the wood components of the casework. The match is exact. The results are outstanding.

The project overall has been a great success. The action is quick and responsive. The sound is full and supportive without being oppressively loud. The range of timbre is much wider than the size of the organ implies. The visual design fits the church like a glove. I thank everyone at Mount Olivet Church for giving us this great opportunity. I invite you to visit and hear for yourself the seamless way in which an existing instrument can be used to create something wonderful and new.

F. Christian Holtkamp, president and artistic/tonal director of Holtkamp Organ Company, is the sixth generation of leadership at the company. He holds a master of music degree in organ performance and has studied voice in high school and as an undergraduate. He is a member of the AGO, Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, American Institute of Organbuilders, and Organ Historical Society.

Photos by Jim Coates