Blog

St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church
Clifton, Virginia
Peragallo Organ Company
Paterson, New Jersey
Stop List

By John Peragallo III

 

Today, we inescapably find ourselves in a world of ecclesiastical change, with many venerable parishes being forced to close their doors. Fine organs that provided years of liturgical service for generations of worship are becoming available as one of the more valuable assets to be disposed of. The decision to pursue a repurposed instrument or utilize pipes from one of these vintage organs is a real choice. The possibility of ending up with a bit of history is coupled with the overall cost savings compared with a completely new instrument. Properly relocated and reimaged, these organs can find new life as the cornerstone of yet another successful music ministry. This is the story of one such happy marriage!

The new instrument at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church began life many years ago, several states north of Virginia. In 2008, the historic Bloomfield Presbyterian Church on the green in Bloomfield, New Jersey, commissioned Peragallo with the building of a new organ under the guidance of Timothy Tarantino, who was then organist of the parish. This new instrument was to contain pipework from previous instruments, including the two-manual, 33-rank L.C. Harrison & Co. organ installed in 1883 and presided over by none other than Charles Ives during his time in New Jersey. This was followed by the 1911 Austin Opus 347, a three-manual, 30-rank organ updated in 1958–59, with subsequent relocations and new pipework by the Church Organ Company in 1970. Quite a historical legacy!

The 2008 Peragallo Opus 693 was a French Romantic design of 2,881 pipes across the rear of the choir loft in chambers fronted by gorgeous pipe cases and a handcrafted, cantilevered Great casework of solid mahogany. New pipework stood alongside the vintage repurposed pipes of these various builders. When the church was closed, merely months after the organ dedication date, we were heartbroken. The congregation had spent years and large sums of money to study and stabilize the structure, only to be left with a historic space that needed extensive and costly restorations. They approached us knowing that one of the most valuable assets they possessed to get back on their feet was this new organ, and asked us to explore finding a new home for it.

Enter Mike Murphy, organ committee chair at St. Andrew’s, in search of an instrument to serve as the cornerstone of his vibrant parish music ministry in Clifton, Virginia. The Peragallo family subsequently visited the church to evaluate the worship space and discuss the role of the organ in parish worship. We immediately recognized that we had found a perfect solution for both churches.

The worship space of St. Andrew’s is far from the traditional architectural style of the classically American Presbyterian church in Bloomfield. The new space for the instrument is formed by many angled surfaces and is entered via the center of one of the long sides, with the altar and tabernacle on the opposite wall. A chapel area shares the acoustics of the sanctuary, and a majority of the room is circled by a balcony that is home to the music ministry.

Several factors made this an exceptionally inviting match: the general size of the instrument (51 ranks), the like-new condition (a 2008 completion not played since 2009), the low-profile terraced key desk (Mike Murphy is very fond of French organ literature), the scaling of the pipework (the acoustic and volume of the spaces are similar), and finally, our vision to reconfigure the existing casework within the new worship space.

The parish of St. Andrew the Apostle is most collegial, and all aspects of ministry, both old and young, were soon involved with fundraising efforts for the new instrument. Associate vicar Fr. Brigada set up a “Pennies for Pipes” drive in the school. Several evenings were held at parishioners’ homes to educate all on the positive effect a fine pipe organ can bring to a growing music program. A Sunday afternoon celebration at the local Paradise Springs Winery allowed us to unveil the reimaged organ design for the choir and interested donors. The Diocese of Arlington signed a contract with Peragallo in August 2019, launching the process of reconfiguring the organ for its new parish.

The new design consists of three independent handcrafted cases of mahogany. Each division is tonally very complete within itself. The pipes of the Grand-Orgue are positioned high in the center case, allowing the sound to follow the roofline and flood the nave with balanced tone. The larger pedal flues are in a new addition to the rear of the Grand-Orgue case. The expressive divisions are set in complementary cases, with the tonal openings positioned at an angle firing across the nave. Instead of sounding like three independent entities, this configuration creates tonal blend. Finally, these three cases set up a most welcome acoustical shell to gather and enhance tonal projection of choral music into the nave.

As with most Peragallo installations, one expects to find a chamade—whether a chorus reed or a decorated commander in chief! The solo reed is mounted in a clustered design and is indeed a true leader on high wind pressure. The resonators are large-scale, with big flares and Willis shallots. The tone is rounder than the complementing French Bombarde of the Choeur division.

Worthy of special mention is the uniquely designed Chapel/Cantor Chancel Organ. This division speaks from an alcove on the far end of the sanctuary, allowing the Walker digital voices to speak nicely into both the chapel and the sanctuary. The stop selection of this organ is purely functional—to accompany the cantor in the sanctuary without the congregation hearing the organ first. Rather than placing the stops all on one floating division, we have considered the implementation of the sounds in worship. The Chancel Récit features two gorgeous solo stops—the Corno di Bassetto, and the Flauto veneziano to intone the psalm refrain. The Chancel Choeur includes a two-rank Cor de chamois céleste to accompany the psalm verses. Finally, the Chancel Grand-Orgue is home to a small principal chorus to provide congregational accompaniment in the chapel.

The integration of the organ in the new space was a truly collaborative experience. Parishioners Mike Murphy and Mike Hadro brought unrelenting energy to assure that this project would become a reality. We thank recently installed pastor Fr. Robert Wagner and Diocese of Arlington representative Mike Thorton for their patience during all the challenges brought with the installation of this organ during the coronavirus pandemic.

It is our sincere hope that Opus 693/762 will provide a firm foundation for the musical faith life of this wonderful parish for many years to come.

John Peragallo III is president of Peragallo Organ Company. Website

Photography: Clarence Butts

 

The Liturgical-Symphonic Organ, or A Tale of Two Austins
St. John Vianney Catholic Church
Houston, Texas • Austin Opus 2798

Connelly Chapel, DeSales University
Center Valley, Pennsylvania • Austin Opus 2800

By Michael B. Fazio

 

 

Background

Many of us remember the American Classic tonal concept as espoused by Aeolian-Skinner and others. It was born of the Orgelbewegung (also called the Organ Reform Movement) that began in Europe during the 1920s. Coming across the pond, it was tempered by American sentiments. Each major builder had their own take on the idea; while some considered it as simply a marketing scheme, others assumed the mantle proposed by the movement with unwavering devotion. G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner conceived the American Classic organ as a single instrument that could convincingly play music of all styles and eras with equal facility. Meanwhile, in Hartford, Connecticut, Austin Organs followed its own slow and carefully measured path; Austin was never an early adopter.

Robert Pier Elliot, a director of the Austin Company at the start of the 20th century, was instrumental in bringing an Englishman to the company in 1903. This individual, Robert Hope-Jones (1859–1914), installed as vice president, would have an extremely brief tenure in Hartford, but would become known as a controversial character in the organ world in short order. He eventually worked for the Wurlitzer Company, and he is rightly credited with the invention of the theater organ. His guiding principle was that the organ would encompass the instruments of the orchestra and, in fact, could emulate and thus become a complete orchestra unto itself. To this day, many of the orchestral or color stops we find in our instruments echo his vision in this respect. Austin published a pamphlet in 1911 exemplifying their version of the “unit orchestra” for hotels, theaters, and various public venues. Orgelbewegung followers later vilified these concepts in both tonal and mechanical aspects.

In the early 1930s, James Jamison (1905–57) was considered Austin Organ Company’s de facto tonal director, as this role had not been part of Austin’s operation to date. While he never maintained an office at the factory in Hartford, he lived in California, designing instruments in diaspora. Jamison had certain ideas with respect to tonal design; they are embodied in his book, Organ Design and Appraisal, published in 1959. Many Austin installations, from Connecticut to Hawaii, are examples of his designs. The most significant impact he had on Austin Organs was his work involving the scaling of the diapason chorus. It was developed from specifications found in The Art of Organ-Building by George Ashdown Audsley, published in 1905. Within the pages of our ancient office copy, one can find notes in the margins by Jamison and Basil Austin. The result was a “new” chorus, and it was debuted in the Austin showroom in 1933 to “critical acclaim of local and visiting organists.”

In 1954, Richard Piper (1904–78) became Austin’s first resident tonal director. Jamison was still in California, selling and designing organs, often different in approach, yet similar in result. David Broome (1932–2013), also an émigré from the U.K., arrived at Austin in 1959, working primarily as a reed voicer. Early on, he began working with Piper, whom he had known in England. Piper retired in 1978, and Broome continued the same basic trajectory, maintaining full confidence in the American Classic ideal.

In 2005, after 112 years of family proprietorship, the current owners purchased the Austin company. Analyzing current trends, we came to the conclusion that the organ tonal pendulum was swinging yet again. The bob was pointing back toward an earlier time, and we were happy about that. We have always been fond of signature orchestral voices such as the French Horn, Tuba, and Cor Anglais, not to mention big flutes and spicy strings; so we welcomed the opportunity to build in this style. The question on our lips was “What are we building?” The answer became clear: It was a tempered amalgamation of the best of the American Classic virtues, integrating the most useful (given space and budget limitations) orchestral/symphonic voices and associated scaling requirements. Perhaps in this instant, Austin was an early adopter of a new concept? The real question was “How can we make this tonal scheme viable for the service of the church?”

The senior staff at Austin has several veteran and current church organists; four of us have served at Roman Catholic and Episcopal cathedrals. From that background, we felt as though we had a strong grasp on what would prove useful for regular corporate worship, choral accompaniment, and performance of literature in the liturgical setting. Our critical focus was on the desire to get it right and not chance experimenting with a church’s trust.

Renovation projects over the past decade have involved several vintage Austins. This is always an emotionally rewarding venture for us. Instruments from the 1960s are often thin and somewhat lacking in character. In these cases, rescaling the diapason choruses, including some colorful reeds and flutes, gently increasing wind pressures, and general voicing yield exceptional results. Instruments from the early 20th century often need more clarity and tonal cohesion. One instrument in particular was Austin Opus 1702, built in 1930 for Old St. Mary’s Church in Cincinnati. In 2012, we embarked on a complete mechanical and tonal reconstruction. One interesting stop, a somewhat tired set of pipes marked 8’ Bassoon, caught my attention, because we often think of a Bassoon as a 16’ stop. It carried the opus number of the long-gone Austin installed in the Cincinnati Music Hall: Opus 1109 (1919). In reviewing the details from that instrument’s construction, we found that the Bassoon was patterned after a stop of the same name from Opus 1010 in the Eastman School of Music auditorium. This organ, monstrous by theater organ standards at 134 ranks, was laid out by Harold Gleason according to concepts as promulgated by Audsley. The orchestral element was strong, but as a balance, it also had a plethora of upperwork. The Bassoon was unique. I asked our pipemaker if he had ever heard of one while we were examining the pipes from Cincinnati. He told me that we had some patterns in the basement used for small trumpets in the 1970s that might work. Sure enough, those old patterns were engraved with their first use—Opus 1010! We have built three of these 8’ Bassoons since.

Opus 2798

An exceptional opportunity to build an instrument in this expansive new style presented itself at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston. The process began with a phone call from Clayton Roberts, the church’s principal organist. It was clear from the outset what kind of instrument he wanted to build, and Austin was up to the challenge! The manual divisions of the organ would be enclosed; in fact, we discussed the possibility of building a double enclosure (two sets of shades in front of Great, Swell, and Choir organs) from the start. One set of louvers would serve as master expression (a single pedal opening all three primary divisions). The secondary set of shades would be controlled by individual swell pedals for each department, with stop controls to separate the primary shades also. Also, a master All Swells to Swell control would be available. The Solo division (installed in a chamber to the right of the main organ) would have a single set of shades operated by a dedicated pedal.
While each division has a specification typical of what one might expect in a liturgical instrument, there are stops that are unique to symphonic design. In the Great, along with a plethora of foundation stops, we see an 8’ Bassoon, similar to the pipes found in Opus 1010, except that this stop is capped and voiced rather sweetly, and so it carries the name Cor d’Amour 8’. The Swell reeds are effectively symphonic and carry broad tone. Notable also is the Vox Humana, one of two in this instrument. The Choir boasts a grand Trumpet, brighter than the Swell reeds, but of a slightly demure dynamic. The Solo speaks clearly from the right chamber, of bold character but not overbearing for the space. The chamade is built to our Waldhorn specification—commanding, but not bombastic. The four-manual drawknob console on an enclosed dolly is built to Austin’s standard, playing through a Solid State Organ Systems control system.

Opus 2800

In keeping with DeSales University’s Roman Catholic–Salesian tradition, Connelly Chapel sits on the top of the hill, keeping watchful eye over the entire campus. The worship space is intimate but reverberant, as the room is shaped somewhat like the inverted hull of a massive schooner: tapered at each end, with ample belly in the middle. This curious pattern delivers an auditorium where one cannot find a bad seat for hearing either voice or organ clearly. That said, the architect did not plan space for an organ at either end of the chapel, but by clever repurposing of a small side chapel and the music library on the opposite side of the chancel, we were able to create space for the two enclosed divisions. The design parameters specified by Dennis Varley, director of liturgical music and creator of the new Catholic Liturgical Music Scholars program, called for a modest three-manual specification. We proposed an exposed Great comprising a rich diapason chorus, and a Swell that delivers not only the essence of a classic English full Swell, but meets the requirements of adequate performance of the literature. The Choir/Orchestral organ fulfills some of the middle ground. Its ensemble will serve as a tertiary chorus of sorts, while it maintains many solo voices and colors required for symphonic rendition of transcriptions. Due to space limitations, much of the Pedal depends on the generosity of its neighbors. The three-manual drawknob console is movable, built on an Austin enclosed dolly system.

Summary

These two specifications are rather different in scope and size, yet similar in approach. Each boasts clear diapason choruses, a plethora of color stops, and stops with symphonic character. Yet each instrument delivers tonal clarity and appropriate strength in respective departments. Each specification can play a diverse range of literature while supporting congregational song and, perhaps most importantly, the ever-expanding needs of the liturgy.

Michael B. Fazio is president and tonal director of Austin Organs Inc. Website.

 

Boston Avenue United Methodist Church
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Foley-Baker Inc. • Tolland, Connecticut
By Mike Foley

We were working in Tulsa when I spotted a unique Art Deco building standing tall at the end of the city’s princely Boston Avenue. It looked like a small version of the Empire State Building. I was told it was Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, designed by a most talented local artist and teacher, Adah Robinson. It opened in 1929 and indeed was meant to look as strikingly strong and elegant as it does. The interior is very large, with meeting rooms and offices everywhere, including the senior pastor’s at the top of the tower. The focal point is the 1,358-seat sanctuary-in-the-round, accessed by a spectacular narthex. The entire place is an Art Deco paradise.

Kilgen was contracted to install the original four-manual, 51-rank organ in the four chambers located to the left and right of the choir pews. In traditional settings, this would be a typical arrangement, but the wide, theater-like sanctuary meant that chambers were considerably separated. Despite being hidden behind heavy plaster grilles, with its big scales and high pressures, the Kilgen’s sound was doubtless quite heavy. It all went away in 1961 when the church purchased Möller Opus 9580 (four manuals, 71 ranks). Nearly a knee-jerk reaction to the sound of the Kilgen, the Möller was well built but typical for the ’60s: low pressures, thin, and brilliant. In 1986, Möller returned to broaden the sound, and they added another 34 ranks. The work also saw half the chambers and their openings enlarged. The restrictive grilles were replaced with new facades, thereby allowing the larger specification as well as improved tonal egress. The added stops did indeed broaden the tonal palette, but the process left the chambers so stuffed that the layouts were a cacophony of pipes, chests, wind lines, and wires. Plain and simple, they looked like Grandma’s attic. Tuning access was difficult; service was in places impossible.

During a major project on the Austin at Tulsa’s First Presbyterian Church, their organist, Ron Pearson, introduced us to Susan and Joel Panciera, the music team at Boston Avenue, and Fred Elder, a much-informed and interested retired BAM organist. Shortly after, we began including the organ in our tuning rounds. This gave us a good opportunity to get familiar with both its strengths and weaknesses. In time, we were asked to present a plan to rebuild the instrument. This would be no small task.

There was no changing the chamber placements or improving the sanctuary’s dry acoustic. Something that could be tackled, however, was the chamber wall surfaces. Dating from the Kilgen’s time, instead of projecting sound out, these soft, wood walls absorbed and retained sound. Everything from bass to treble suffered. Even swell shade effectiveness was compromised. Therefore, right after we had removed the organ, the project started with the church’s contractor stiffening the walls and covering every surface with drywall, finished glass-smooth and painted gloss-white. It worked! Whispers within them became audible most anywhere in the sanctuary. For the first time in the church’s history, these chambers would properly project sound. Excitement grew.

Over the years, the organ had grown to an unwieldy 105 ranks, some of which were redundant stops and others of which, the organists admitted, were seldom used. We determined early on that the existing chambers were more suited for a smaller instrument. Our design therefore reduced the total count to 76 all-important ranks. Each was carefully specced—or if reused, selected—to achieve the best possible tonal cohesion: the two words that determine the tonal success of any instrument.

Mechanically, new slider chests replaced Möller’s leather-heavy pitmans. Simple schwimmer reservoirs saw over half of Möller’s 31 bellows go away, clearing the decks for new and proper layouts that made for a well-laid-out and serviceable organ. The annoying pitch drift that existed between divisions was tackled with all-new insulation behind the chamber walls and ceilings. Especially subject to drift were the many speaking facade pipes, as the temperatures outside the chambers were often different from those inside. Roomier chambers saw the facades become mute and their new replacement pipes installed inside, within their divisions. Voila! No more pitch drift.

The console was gutted to the shell. New manuals, pistons, jambs, and a proper lineup of drawknobs make for a most welcome and new level of comfort for the organist. Updating and reusing the recently installed Peterson relay system offered good savings. The console was refinished with new contrasting colors and a new adjustable-height bench.

The 1929, 15-horsepower Spencer blower was completely reconditioned and reused, as was the original static reservoir. Air lines were cleaned and flanges regasketed. The rebuilt instrument uses soldered, galvanized metal wind lines throughout.

Every piece of reused equipment was completely reconditioned. Every piece of leather was replaced. Every flue pipe was washed or cleaned, repaired as necessary, and revoiced on our voicing machines. Any cracks in wood pipes were spline-repaired. Reeds were all reconditioned by Broome & Company.

Regardless of how perfectly an organ looks and works, in the end, it all comes down to its sound. As always, I am proud to offer that our tonal director, Milovan Popovic, has once more worked his magic and come up with what is without question a most desirable outcome: a musical organ. It becomes obvious the moment organists try their hand. Most seem to feel the organ makes the most of whatever they play. This medium- to large-size instrument offers three principal choruses, three different sets of strings, and a good variety of flutes. The Solo reeds satisfy any melody, plus there are two 16–8–4 reed choruses that build ensembles to massive but musical climaxes. These are capped by the new high-pressure Tuba located in the Antiphonal chamber, masked by the now unused en chamade that was dangerously inaccessible. Thanks to those hard chambers, the organ’s bass purrs or roars. The room’s floor can actually be felt shaking. The Wurlitzer small-scale Diaphone sits always in the background, but instantly, albeit gently, projecting any 16′ pedal tone.

At FBI, we can build organs, but having opportunities like this to be a Monday-morning quarterback, finally fix the wrongs, and deliver a genuinely satisfying instrument is what we’re really all about. For the record, we selectively reused and revoiced 51 percent of the Möller pipes. The bottom-line cost for the project represented an approximate 21-percent savings over the cost of a like-kind new pipe organ. A dedication program will be planned for the future.

Mike Foley is president of Foley-Baker Inc. Website.

All photos (including cover): Miller Photography Inc.

Stop List