Frits Elshout, recently-retired Director of Flentrop Orgelbouw in the Netherlands, discusses his experience leading one of the most important firms for organ building and restoration of modern times in this interview with Vox Humana Associate Editor Bruce Shull.
Link: www.voxhumanajournal.com/elshout2019.html
Dennis Akerman
Bill Bakeman
Alexander Birch
Hazel Boerner
Alphonso Brown
Andrew MacKinnon Brown
Olivia Brownfield
Timothy Bullara
Lucas Aranha Carvalho
Miguel Castro
Olivia Connors
John R. Crawley
Deborah Dickman
Benedikt Ehrhardt
Lindsey Fugill
Pamela Fuller
Rouzan Gevorkian
Janet E. Guetle
Joe Hickman
Patrick M. Hogan
HyeSung Hwang
Brad Jackson
Chan Gyu Jang
Lucas Jindra
David Joder
Jakob Johnson
Deagan Jones
George Kayes
Karen Khanagov
James Kimball
Bill Kurzdorfer
John Landis
Enoch Laudie
Aaron Lauper
Justin V. Lee
Ju Young Lee
Gloria Lemus
Claudia Loethen
Adam Lutz
James J. Maynard
Patrick Meaden
Walter J. Miklas
Angela Morgan
My Linh Mueller
Robert H. Myers
Ruben F. Navarro
Timothy Nicholson
Marcus Oldham
Mercy Olson
Hayden Osborn
Ellie Palmer
Hae Hyun Park
Luke Pavliga
Evan Pechacek
David Perez
John A. Perry
Ryan Peteraf
Waldo Potgieter
Robert Richter
Audrey Rose
Lydia Sander
Nathan Daniel Schafsnitz
Simon Scheessele
Keith Shiver
Kenneth Simon
Tucker M. Smith
Aaron Stewart
Valerie Stone
Peter R. Stopher
Alexandra Taggart
Nhat M. Tong
Brandon Tuomikoski
Steven V. Villavicencio
Sharon P. Voight
Carol E. Werner
Paul L. Wiegman
Todd Williams
Bonnie E. Wilson
Patrick A. Winningham
Christopher R. Witte
Amy Ahui
Davian D. Alleyne
Michelle Andersen
Kevin Anderson
George Arrigotti
Alek M. Bacon
Jonathan D. Bading
Janean Baker
Daniel G. Baker
Richard P. Baks
Emily B. Ballentine Erb
Kathleen Bandel
Joshua Bandish
Sarah Barclay
Patricia M. Barnes
Madalyn Ryann Bartz
Emelyn Beaster
Grace Beaster
Alexander Bednar
Christine Beesley
Dallas E. Bell, Jr.
Brian Benison
Christina Benson
Nyeal Robert Biedenstein
Tracy Boswell
Laura Bottei
Michele Bowers
Jane Bowie
Ivelen Branum
Rona Bresnahan
Charles W. Broadbent
John Dudley Brockett
Elena Brooks
Fern Brooks
Tony Brooks
Marcus Browning
Alexander F. Buiel
Grahm A. Burns
R. Morgan Burrow, Jr.
Evan Bursch
Richard Burton
Kayley Byers
Cathy Caldwell
David Campbell
John Caraway
Kristen Carlson
Timothy Carr
Terry Carter
Sum Yi Chan
Ting Kwong Chan
Yat Long Ariel Chan
Cheuk Lam Chu
Lauren Cisna
Jo Clawson
Janice Clayton
Johnathan D. Clayton
Owen Cody
Christopher J. Cooper
Bruce Cornely
John D. Cornish
Ron B. Cornwell
Tricia Craft
Anastasia Curtis
Mary K. Dailey
Henry T. Dangerfield
John Paul Daniele
Susan Davidson
John T. Davies
Evan de Jong
Ann DeFrancis
Pamela Della Santina
Landon Denham
Ashlyn Noelle Dewberry
Lisa Dillard
Garry L. Dowell
Jason Durfee
Kaitlin Earl
Brittany Elmer
Kathryn Everts
Justin Feild
Tracy Fleenor
Tonya Flores
Caroline Ann Foppe
Janet Frampton
Rachel Frandsen
Teresa Freitas
Benjamin R. Garcia
Daniel J. Gauger
Fr. William Geiger
Mason C. German
Cheryl Gerson
Jared Gist
Jason Grace
Seth Grasteit
Marcy Greenfield
Sarah Greicar
R. Shawn Griggs
Abigail A. Grosnick
Juan J. Gutierrez
Chris Gutschlag
Kylin Hahn
David Hammond
Haley Hanzon
Abi Mae Hardy
Cindy Harmer
Walter Harwood, III
Marta Hatch
Benjamin Hintzman
Christopher A. Hodges
Chris Holmberg
Michael Hooper
Celine Sarah Hooper
Mike Hutchins
Preston C. Iser
Brayan Jaaskelainen
Mary Ellen Jackman
Scott Jacobs
Patricia Jarvis
Mary Jenkins
Patrick W. Jennings
Corey Jensen
Seth Jines
Angela Johnson
Stephen Johnson
Easton C. Johnson
Katherine Kelly Jolliff
Marquise Jones
David Kaag
Tasha Kapp
Karissa Kee
Prisca Kim
Hee-Sook Kim
Jeffrey Kirchner
Elizabeth Anne Kleitz
Robert W. Kneece, Jr.
Thomas Koch
Scott Kresge
Jacob Z. Kruzansky
James Kuzman
Yan Sheung Lam
Kevin Lamb
Isabel Cheuk Yan Lee
Yan Tao Lee
Antonio R. Leon
Ming Him Leung
Gabriella Kathryn Lindhurst
Yan To Liu
Hudson S. Lourenco
Sheila Madsen
Elise Major
Ben Malkevitch
Bonnie G. Mani
David B. Manley
Michelle Marchant-Wood
Karen Martin
George Marucci
Gary F. Mazzola
Katie Ann McCarty
Nathanael McKenzie
Cedric Meckler
Katelyn Meibos
Kathleen Merkley
Niilo Hencik Miettinen
Lorraine L. Mihaliak
Rebecca Miller
Jessica Minahan White
Ka Yan Mok
Tim L. Morgan
Adam Muhlestein
Chris J. Muller
Robin Mundey
Andrew Murray
Joseph A. Mutone
Richard Naluai
Eric Newell
Sau Yau Yola Ng
Alek Nielsen
Janet Norquist-Gonzalez
Caitlin O’Reilly
Teresa Osorio
Jason Overall
Andrew Pak
Hyunsun Suh Park
Mary Parker
Elizabeth Parsons
Christine Partna
Jean Perry
Kristina Pexton
Morris A. Phibbs
Christopher Phillips
Annie Phillips
Iisa Annastiina Pietilainen
Saara Vilpiina Pietilainen
Michelle Pinkney
David Pisarkiewicz
Robin Pitre
Phineas L. Pope
Robert W. Powell
Adrien Rauline
Elizabeth Reynolds
Patrick Rice
Marie Ricks
Ahtanya Riggs
Alex Ritter
Tom Roberts
Michelle Robinson
E. Wayne Rollins
Keith Rollinson
Ronald W. Romano
Benjamin Rosfeld
Elizabeth Rossi
Benjamin Augustine Roush
Mark E. Ruff
Jonathan Runion
Henry Rye
Glenn Ryman
Michael Salazar
Lauren Sandison
Carolyn Sargent
Ethan B. Schueler
Judith Schwager
David B. Sexton
Yu Chen Shih
Cameron J. Shippee
Gabriel R. Simerson
Kevin M. Simons
Wai Huen Sin
Wang Yat Sin
Harmony Siufanua
John A. Smiley
Dorothy Smith
Kenyon Smith
Noah T. Smith
Clayton Smith
Gary Sneide
Kevin Snow
Vernon G. Snyder, IV
Ulysses Squitieri
Brad Stacey
Murry Stegelmann
Jackson Stewart
Emily Stewart
David J. Strouse
Mark Sturgess
Loren Sweet
Kaoru Tamura
Caroline Meghan Tarpey
Ivan Tatarinoff
JoEllen Taylor
Madison Thompson
Dana Tischer
Blair C. Titze
Leah Toppen
Heather Torrie
Michelle A. Trunk
Logan Scott Van Itallie
Olivier Vernet
Heather Vogler
Josh Voiles
Dick Wagner
Jack Brendan Walsh
Benjamin L. Ward
Walter Weinzinger
Doris Weir SPC
Rosanna Lynne Welter
Kathleen Westbrook
Harrison White
Lawrence E. Wiedmann
Robin C. Wilks
Suzanne Wilson
Ronnie Wise
John Wittwer
Yat Fei Wong
Mengfei Xu
Wai Velda Yau
Yick Hei Carpus Yeung
Keith Zeliger
David J. Zengel
Harold Zimmick
Matthew Dirst, Professor of Music at the University of Houston, Artistic Director of Ars Lyrica Houston, and Organist at St. Philip Presbyterian Church, discusses his reconstructions of Bach’s concertos for organ, and his new recording of these fascinating works.
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Patrick J. Murphy & Associates
Stowe, Pennsylvania
View the Stop List
By Patrick J. Murphy
The major renovation of this three-manual, 37-stop organ at Covenant Presbyterian Church recasts the existing 1960s-era Schlicker with a new Swell division, revoiced fluework, new chorus reeds, and a new PJM signature console. This follows what is now a typical project that retains the best of an organ’s existing assets, instilling new musical life within a given instrument with “good bones.”
The project presented an opportunity to demonstrate what can be accomplished when everyone involved works together toward a common goal. Long held as the Scranton family parish church, the building was designed in the French neo-Gothic style by L.C. Holden with furnishings provided by American School Furniture, mosaic floors by W.J. Barriscale, and other furnishings from Pellarin and J.R. Lamb. The stained glass windows are by Nicola D’Ascenzo and the Tiffany studios.
The original instrument was a 1904 Hutchings-Votey rebuilt in 1928 by Austin. In time, that was replaced by a neoclassical instrument by Schlicker, installed secondhand as a result of a merger with a neighboring Presbyterian church.
What started out as a rather modest console replacement gradually evolved into a total renovation of the organ and restoration of this grand worship space after carpeting and declining physical alterations typical from the early 1960s reduced the visual and musical splendor of the room.
Tonally, the greatest change is in the Swell division. Revoiced fluework and new reeds provide the Swell with greater accompanying power and a much wider dynamic range. Its tonal center of gravity is enhanced, making it an equal partner to the Great in building the total ensemble. The Swell also received new windchests and a new expression enclosure with shades of substantial two-inch thickness (our standard) and openings on two sides, letting the instrument speak into both the nave and chancel. The Great division is enhanced to be broader in tone, taking full advantage of the improved acoustic to embrace the congregation with warm, rich sound. The Schlicker tonal ideal of clean, clear choruses is still evident, enhancing the performance of contrapuntal organ literature.
The results of the tonal changes in the room are outstanding. First impressions upon hearing the organ start with harmonically rich voicing, which gives the organ a sense of presence and color that stretches from the chancel to the nave in seamless fashion. This rich harmonic voicing is further matched with chorus reeds that provide additional foundation and color to the ensemble. The fluework and reed choruses are contrasted by a variety of strings and flutes that provide voices of character for use in a wide range of solo and ensemble music. This enables the organist to accompany choral works with style and musicality without affecting the foundations. The results of the tonal changes in the room are ultimately noticed while seated at the console. The organ plays well in the chancel under expression with a lyrical sense, but then erupts into full ensemble with ease and majesty for hearty congregational accompaniment.
New speaking facades comprising the 16′ Principal were designed based on photographs of the original Hutchings-Votey instrument that had been installed when the church was built. Those original pipes had been discarded when the Schlicker was installed, giving the organ the “pipes in the open” appearance popular at the time.
All of the other existing chests were releathered and rewired to comply with current NEC codes. Reservoirs were releathered and all winding reconfigured for a much tidier chamber layout. Our movable console incorporates a state-of-the-art control system and combination action with all the features expected today, including multiple memory levels, transposer, and record/playback.
It was a great pleasure to work with director of music Timothy E. Smith, whose gentle encouragement helped us find ways to achieve maximum results from the minimum amount of change, and also Stephen Carter, a dedicated member of the congregation who so ably coordinated the efforts of all the various contractors in this renovation project. Thanks also to the Reverend Dr. Scott Loomer for his support and guidance throughout the project.
View stop jambs(1)
View stop jambs(2)
Patrick Murphy is president and artistic director of Patrick J. Murphy & Associates Organbuilders.
Fred Bahr
Jon Carmichael
Matt Farrell
Megan Farrell
Kitty Greer
Matt Jones
Jerry Kohl
Chris Mills
Mat Newcome
Ross Newcome
Dwayne Short
Mark Tenreiro
Michael Tondo
Cover photo: Philip Maye
