TAO Article

Last Modified on July 17, 2015

Carl G. Harris Jr.: Trailblazer in Choral Music

By Roy L. Belfield Jr.

Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of The American Organist

For 42 years, Carl G. Harris Jr. was the consummate choral conductor. His versatility as a musician too was masterful, and a matter of record. I met Harris in 1979, when he was a professor of music and choral director at Virginia State College (now University) in Petersburg, Virginia. A skilled organist, he was my first organ teacher, from 1980 to 1985. He became my mentor and longtime friend. Our close relationship afforded me an exclusive opportunity to reflect with him on his extensive career as choral conductor, music educator, organist, pianist, accompanist, lecturer, and church musician. Throughout his 57 years of teaching, Harris strove for perfection and achieved excellence. I interviewed him in summer 2012, before he passed away on June 23, 2013. It has been my honor and privilege to learn more about Carl Harris—a trailblazer, choral music pioneer, and musical historian

Carl G. Harris Jr.

Harris was born on January 14, 1935, in Fayette, Missouri. He attended public schools in St. Joseph and graduated with honors from Bartlett High School in 1952. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in music from Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1956; a master of music degree in music history from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1964; and a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music in 1972. Harris was the first African American to receive the doctorate in music from the Conservatory of Music. His choral conducting teachers included Thomas Mills, Ferdinand Grossman, Jay Decker, Gunther Theuring, and W. Everett Hendricks.

As a choral director, Harris taught at the following high schools and colleges: Walker High School, Magnolia, Arkansas (1956–59); Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas (1959–68); Hickman High School, Columbia, Missouri (1963–64, while completing his master’s degree); Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas (1969–71); Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia (1971–84); and Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia (1984–97). Harris also served as chair of the music departments at Virginia State University (1977–84) and Norfolk State University (1984–97). From 1998 to 2013, he was on the faculty at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, where he taught music history, advanced conducting, piano, organ, and accompanied the Hampton University Choirs as well as departmental recitals. From November 2011 until May 2012, he was interim director of the Hampton University Choirs, following the untimely demise of his mentee and colleague Royzell Dillard (1961–2011), director of the Hampton University Choirs from 1988 to 2011. As an active and gifted choirmaster and organist, Harris served four churches, all of which are known for their rich traditions of music: Wesley United Methodist Church, Little Rock, Arkansas (1960–63); Centennial United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Missouri (1968–71); Gillfield Baptist Church, Petersburg, Virginia (1974–85); and Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church, Norfolk, Virginia (1985–2005). Until his death, Harris continued to serve as a substitute choral director and organist in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.

At the time of our interview, I knew very little about Harris’s earliest musical training, so I asked him to share some of his musical experiences from childhood and as a young adult. He remembered playing hymns from Gospel Pearls and improvising during worship services at his home church, First Baptist Mount Union in St. Joseph, Missouri. Also, he recounted accompanying the St. Joseph Gospel Chorus, under the direction of Ernest Hawkins. During this time, Harris also studied piano and organ with Elsie Barnes Durham at First Baptist Church, also in St. Joseph. It was there that he took his first organ lessons on a 45-rank Austin. While at Bartlett High School from 1948 to 1952, he played trumpet in the band and accompanied the school choir. Harris enjoyed remembering his days as accompanist for the Philander Smith College Choir and performing in the band and jazz ensemble. The choir, which performed mostly in Methodist churches at that time, toured the Midwest and East Coast to recruit students and raise money for the college. Each year, the choir made a recording that was played over a nationally broadcast college-choir series sponsored by the United Negro College Fund.

Harris’s first teaching position was at Walker High School. This was also his initial experience as a choral director. Under his direction, the choir performed for community events and school functions, and received superior ratings for three consecutive years at the Philander Smith music festival. During that time, black schools were not permitted to attend state-sponsored music festivals. After desegregation in Arkansas, Harris was invited to adjudicate choirs in both regional and state festivals.

Carl G. Harris Jr. (front, center) with the Virginia State College Choir in the mid-1970s — Carl G. Harris, Jr. (front, center) with the Virginia State College Choir in the mid-1970’s

* * *

I asked Harris how he chose choral conducting as a career. He replied that it chose him. At Philander Smith, he was a piano major. After receiving his BA degree, he went to Magnolia, Arkansas, to teach English and music, which included the high-school choir. After three years, he was asked to return to Philander Smith, to conduct the summer commencement choir–and he stayed for nine years. Harris warmheartedly remembered his earliest mentors and how they influenced him. He noted that Elsie Barnes Durham, his piano and first organ teacher in St. Joseph, Missouri, was his first mentor. She nurtured him in piano and organ studies and also in music theory, music history, and basic musicianship. Stanley Tate and Otis D. Simmons, who were choir directors at Philander Smith, introduced him to the great hymns and anthems of the church at chapel and vesper services on campus, where they faithfully used the 1935 Methodist Hymnal. Tate and Simmons also instilled in him a love and appreciation for African-American spirituals through choral arrangements by Ruth Gillum (1906–91), another Philander Smith choir director. Harris’s other mentors included Thomas Mills, choral conductor at the University of Missouri- Columbia, and W. Everett Hendricks, conductor of the Heritage Singers at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. These two choral legends introduced Harris to choral masterworks and carefully guided him through the stylistic preparation and performance of each work.

* * *

Harris spoke often of his close friendship with renowned composer Undine Smith Moore (1904–89). His insightful memories and stories of Moore were greatly detailed with a cherished perspective into her life as a teacher, composer, and friend. He affectionately recalled how Moore was on the faculty at Virginia State College when F. Nathaniel Gatlin (1913–89), then-music department chair, invited him to join the faculty as choral director in January 1971. Harris had conducted Moore’s “Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord” and “Striving after God” with the Philander Smith College Choir. Also, he performed the first work as assistant conductor of the Heritage Singers at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Eventually, Moore and Harris developed a mutual admiration and respect for each other. Together, they worshiped at Gillfield Baptist Church, where she was a faithful member and the organist. Harris and Moore often enjoyed brunch together after Sunday services at Gillfield. They discussed her choral music, African-American spirituals, texts for sacred and secular choral works, larger extended works, and performances of many genres of music, but mostly choral performances.

Harris conducted many of Moore’s arrangements and compositions with the Virginia State College Choir. Frequently, they were privileged to rehearse and perform these works before final manuscripts were sent to a publisher. When Harris arrived at Virginia State, Moore was finishing her anthem “Lord, We Give Thanks to Thee,” which was composed for the centennial celebration of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Harris also stated that in 1974, Moore composed a setting of Donald Hayes’s poem “Benediction,” which was dedicated to him and the Virginia State College Choir. Although it was never verbalized or suggested by Moore, this unpublished favorite of Harris’s was written in grateful appreciation for the 1974 recording of the Undine Smith Moore Song Book by the Virginia State College Choir. In 1980, Harris was honored to play a part in the Virginia premiere performance of Moore’s largest opus, Scenes from the Life of a Martyr, a cantata based on the life, work, and death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For this premiere,the choirs from Virginia State, Norfolk State, Hampton Institute (now University), and other Virginia colleges joined forces with members of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra; however, the unofficial first performance of Moore’s masterwork took place in 1979 at Gillfield Baptist Church. The Harry Savage Chorale,under the direction of Savage (1912–92), was accompanied by the composer at the piano using her unpublished manuscript.

Carl Harris lectured frequently on the life and works of Undine Smith Moore and, specifically, what influenced her choral music. He stated that Moore was born in Jarratt, also known as Southside Virginia. Her music was greatly inspired by family members who sang spirituals and work songs in the kitchen, field, and garden. She thought this music was beautiful, yet different. Moore entered Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1922 and never forgot those unique melodies she heard as a child. It was at Fisk that she began documenting those unfamiliar tunes heard only in Southside Virginia. While at Fisk, Moore studied theory and composition with prominent teacher and composer John W. Work II (1873–1925). Harris recalled from conversations with Moore that Work encouraged her to notate those tunes she heard while growing up in Virginia. Undoubtedly, she was influenced by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who were known for singing spirituals nationally and internationally. One of her classmates was John W. Work III (1901–67), who was also known for his preservation of African-American folk music.

In 1927, Undine Smith Moore joined the faculty of Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in Petersburg, where she taught theory, piano and organ, and continued to arrange and compose for the college choir. Harris added that Moore began directing the choir when director J. Harold Montague (1907–50) joined the army. She began composing out of necessity: oftentimes, there was no money to purchase music; so she would write her own choral compositions. Much of her choral music was written for and debuted by the Virginia State University Choirs. Harris added that Moore frequently shared her music with other colleagues who influenced her: R. Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943) of Hampton University and Noah Ryder (1914–64) of Norfolk State College. Harris emphasized that Moore did not try to make the folk melodies better in her compositions, but wanted to notate them as close to what she heard as a child. Her music was certainly sophisticated in form, but sensitive to the essence of authentic folk music. She wished to preserve those melodies her mother and other relatives sang at home and in church. As a verified authority on Moore, Harris recognized her as a brilliant music theorist who used her skillful craft to enhance the pure spiritual melodies she heard as a child in Virginia.

From 1928 to 1931, Moore completed graduate work at Columbia University in New York during the Harlem Renaissance, where she became personally acquainted with poet Langston Hughes. As a result, several of her choral works are based on his writings. Carl Harris knew personally that Moore was an avid reader and also enjoyed the writings of Thomas Blake, Donald Hayes, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Claude McKay.

Harris finally expressed how Undine Smith Moore’s teaching, composing, and performing were greatly influenced by her colleague and close friend Altona Trent Johns (1904–77), who was an outstanding pianist and music educator in her own right. Harris affirmed that Johns’s musicianship, research, and teaching were equally superior and merited the utmost respect. Johns and Moore worked closely together for 20 years at Virginia State University, where they established the Black Music Center, which brought a series of seminars on black music, art, dance, and drama to campus. The pair also traveled to Africa in 1972 and collected musical ideas that influenced some of Moore’s choral writing. Without a doubt, Harris knew that Moore had the support of Johns, who encouraged and inspired her to preserve the music of her childhood.

* * *

In our conversations, Harris identified other choral conductors, composers, and arrangers who significantly shaped his career and perspectives on choral music. He acknowledged that his essential philosophy of choral music was influenced and represented by two of the foremost American choral schools of thought: the Westminster Choir, founded by John F. Williamson (1887–1964), and the St. Olaf College Choir, founded by F. Melius Christensen (1871–1955). Harris indicated that his choral conducting style was a melding of the performance practices advocated by these choral pioneers, along with the rich choral traditions of the African-American churches and colleges and universities he served, and the countless musical geniuses who also served these institutions.

Harris traveled and performed extensively as a choral conductor. He treasured the annual tours with the choirs of Philander Smith College, Virginia State, Norfolk State, and Hampton universities—which gave him an opportunity to travel throughout the United States and Canada. In summer 1969, Harris traveled for six weeks with the Heritage Singers of the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music. They traveled to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, where the singers participated in a choral symposium of music from the classical period. The final concert was a performance of Franz Joseph Haydn’s The Creation, which featured five American university choirs and a symphony orchestra, under the direction of Gunther Theuring. In 1972 and 1973, Harris returned to Europe as a faculty member of the U.S. Army’s Protestant Church Music Workshop in Berchtesgaden, Germany. In 1974, he was selected by the president of the American Choral Directors Association as one of 36 American choral conductors for the American’s People-to-People six-week goodwill tour of Eastern and Western Europe. They toured Austria, England, France, Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union. Throughout this tour, American conductors worked with their European counterparts. While in France and Germany, Harris conducted spirituals in their native language. While in Paris, he met celebrated composer and teacher Nadia Boulanger; and in London, he met Ursula Vaughan Williams, widow of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Harris also attended conducting masterclasses with Helmuth Rilling in Germany and Marcel Courand in France. During 1976 and 1977, Harris took a sabbatical leave from Virginia State College to serve as music consultant for the Chaplain’s Corps of the U.S. Army in Europe. For six months, he toured several U.S. Army bases in Belgium, Germany, Greece, and Italy. He served as workshop leader for military chapels, and attended concerts, operas, ballets, and recitals in Europe. He also played piano recitals in Germany and Italy, which enhanced his performance practice techniques and musicianship.

I was very interested in some of Harris’s most significant accomplishments during his career as a choral conductor at Philander Smith, Virginia State, and Norfolk State. At all three schools, and Hampton University, Harris had the good fortune to mentor countless students who continue to make beautiful music as teachers, church musicians, and performers. He noted that one of the joys of teaching was the opportunity to engage and collaborate with students pursuing master’s degrees, and supervise theses, terminal projects, and recitals. Ultimately, Harris’s task was to successfully master the art of being an effective choral conductor, music educator/administrator, and church musician, all at the same time.

* * *

Harris was a true and constant advocate of the African-American spiritual. I asked him to detail his thoughts on the evolution of the arranged spiritual. He readily stated that, in addition to Undine Smith Moore, R. Nathaniel Dett, Noah Ryder, and John Work III, it was Edward Boatner (1898–1981), Harry T. Burleigh (1866–1949), and Hall Johnson (1888–1970) who made the spiritual accessible and universal to all choirs with their published arrangements. He added that the early choral music of William Dawson (1899–1990) also helped make this music sound authentic. Harris had the
good fortune to meet and work with Dawson at several American Choral Directors Association conventions, where Dawson shared his perspectives on the arranged spiritual through numerous lectures and presentations. According to Harris, Edward Margetson (1892–1962), Clarence Cameron White (1880–1960), and Ruth Gillum, who were perhaps lesser known, also arranged spirituals. Harris pointed out that so much of this early choral music by black composers and arrangers was published by Handy Brothers Music Company Inc. in New York.

In addition, Harris remembered listening to spirituals as sung by the Wings Over Jordan Choir, under the direction of Glynn Settle. During the 1950s, this choir sang spirituals on a weekly Sunday-morning radio program. There was also a national broadcast on Sunday mornings that featured black college choirs during the 1950s and 1960s. It was this kind of attention that gave the a cappella spiritual arrangement its celebrated appeal. Harris identified early sources on the spiritual: American Negro Songs and Spirituals by John Work III and The Books of American Negro Spirituals: Two Volumes in One, edited by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938), with arrangements by J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954).

In Harris’s opinion, some of the more recent arrangers of the spiritual are moving away from the purity of this music. He further suggested that many contemporary spiritual arrangements are over-arranged: the dialect and rhythm are overly exaggerated, resulting in the loss of spirit of the true spiritual. Harris strongly felt that the language and the rhythm of the spiritual should be natural and worshipful. He proudly stated that choral conductors would certainly find these elements in the numerous published spiritual arrangements by Undine Smith Moore.

* * *

As I reflected with Harris on his vast career, I wondered if there was anything he would do differently. He quickly replied that he thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the diversity his career gave him for nearly 60 years. Conducting his choirs was a particularly important part of the driving force of an extraordinarily fulfilling life. In his final years of musical creativity and activities, Harris smiled and said he had not missed having a choir to rehearse and conduct, or tour with, on a regular schedule. He admitted that serving as interim director of choirs at Hampton University brought back fond memories of all of the college choirs he had conducted; however, he found joy in accompanying the famed Hampton choirs. His work there also allowed him to teach piano and organ, and serve as university organist, a title and position he so enjoyed.

Harris told me that my interview with him triggered remembrances of all the talented and generous teachers, mentors, and musicians who taught and inspired him over the years. He was truly thankful to God for his students and all others with whom he had been able to share his talents within the classrooms, rehearsal and concert halls, studios, and sanctuaries.

I have admired Carl Harris and his remarkable career for more than 30 years as he combined the areas of teaching, administration, and performance. When I asked if he intentionally varied his professional experiences, he acknowledged it was by choice and perhaps out of financial necessity that he became a music teacher. Becoming a choral conductor, music administrator, performer—and, yes, a church musician—was all the result of having teachers and mentors who encouraged and emboldened him. He also felt it was important to include Georgia Atkins Ryder (1924–2005), widow of Noah Ryder, to his list of mentors. Ryder, who served as dean of the College of Arts and Professions at Norfolk State University, invited Harris in 1984 to join the music faculty as choral director and chair of the music department. In each assignment, Harris was given the chance to prove his competence and preparation— and, in the end, he was immensely grateful for the assurance that God’s amazing grace had been with him along his musical journey. Having taught for more than half a century, he was convinced that his life seemed to come together with time and patience, with each experience falling into place to make the total picture a bit clearer and complete.

Finally, I asked Harris what advice and wisdom he would share with me and other young choral conductors. He strongly urged us all to be true to ourselves and to be champions for quality choral music in our schools, churches, and culture. As an expert and sensitive choral conductor, he understood that one must be a dedicated musician and teacher, a lifelong learner, linguist, psychologist, and historian— and, above all, a friend to the singers in one’s care.

In her 1958 setting of “Striving after God,” Undine Smith Moore utilized Michelangelo’s poignant text, which constantly inspired Carl G. Harris Jr. and captured the complete essence of his life:

True art is made noble and religious by the mind producing it. For those who feel it, nothing makes the soul so religious and pure as the endeavor to create something perfect. For God is perfection, and whosoever strives after perfection, is striving after God.

Roy L. Belfield Jr., a native of Petersburg, Va., earned a bachelor of arts degree in music from Morehouse College in Atlanta, master’s degrees in music education and organ performance from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and the doctor of musical arts degree in organ performance from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He is associate professor of music and director of choral activities at Texas Southern University in Houston.

Photo of the Virginia State College Choir courtesy of Virginia State University Libraries, Johnston Memorial Library, Special Collections and University Archives

Last Modified on March 18, 2015

January 2015 TAO Feature Article

Zion Lutheran Church, Baltimore MD
Patrick J. Murphy & Associates Inc., Stowe, PA

PJM’s signature low-profile console

Zion Lutheran Church of the City of Baltimore is located directly across the square from City Hall, just a short walk from the celebrated Inner Harbor. This historic German congregation was founded in 1755 and obtained its first instrument from the celebrated Pennsylvania organbuilder David Tannenberg, who was paid £375, or $600 in “Pennsylvanisch money”—roughly three times the pastor’s annual salary. The original receipt survives today. Regrettably, the Tannenberg instrument was lost to a fire in March 1840 and was replaced with a Henry Knauff instrument of two manuals and 30 stops, which was rebuilt in 1924 by M.P. Möller.

In 1959, a new Möller of three manuals and 29 ranks was installed in the newly built west gallery chambers. Organist-choirmaster John Heizer writes,

By 2005, the instrument had become almost unplayable after years of failing leather, the result of water damage from roof leaks. There were several attempts to get an organ project under way, but a stumbling block always reared its head. Nevertheless, I continued discussions with several builders and finally found Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, a small company where everyone was involved in the process of building the instrument, from the start of the project to the final installation. After a group of parish members and I visited the workshop and some of Murphy’s local instruments, we were impressed with the workmanship and quality of sound. As one committee member said, “The entire staff showed such concern and love about the quality of their work.”

Finally, in 2009, the church council requested that its organ restoration task force review options for the repair or replacement of Zion’s 1959 Möller organ. They recognized that the dollar amounts for an organ of any kind were likely to produce a “stickershock” reaction. The committee considered several objective factors other than price alone, including worship and music requirements, maintenance requirements, legacy for the future, investment value, and vendor reliability. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that the organ contract was signed, after a lengthy funding process that had started in the early 2000s. Heizer noted,“This may have been one of the longest organ projects in history, but Murphy & Associates were most patient with Zion as the church continued to research and raise funds for the project.” The ten years of fundraising for this instrument fell within a period of drastic and extremely rapid change in the organbuilding marketplace. Well into the final decade of the 20th century, it was assumed that almost every worship space would house an organ of some sort, and a completely new pipe organ was the norm. Even those builders who incorporated some tonal material from a previous instrument did so mainly as a sentimental gesture rather than for artistic merit.

By the time Zion signed a contract with our firm in 2012, the organ world looked out at a far different landscape. Faith communities now use a huge variety of worship styles, only some of which find organ music suitable. Historic awareness, economic realities, and a deeper understanding of the connection between natural resources and sustainability of the planet, have taught us to listen carefully and think twice before routinely filling up our landfills with quality pipework that through imaginative and skillful repurposing can continue to serve with artistic integrity. Turning that idealism into pragmatic reality, however, involves far more than simply collecting random sets of pipes from some defunct organ and reinstalling them in another location. There are many projects where reusing any existing pipework is clearly not an appropriate choice. Some of you reading this article may find yourselves in a similar situation of considering options of replacing, rebuilding, or repairing an ailing instrument. So, it may be a helpful exercise to present a rather candid view of how we go about deciding what to keep, what to replace, and what to reuse but in a totally different guise.

Our most important first step in any project is listening to our clients. Communication is critical to the collaborative process that insures, at completion, an instrument that is uniquely suited to the needs of that congregation for years to come. It begins at the conception of a new instrument and continues throughout the project.

Finding words to accurately communicate an aural concept from one mind to another can be a daunting if not impossible task, and some organists are intimidated at the attempt. So we frequently ask our clients instead to talk in terms of repertoire. What anthems do they need to accompany effectively? What organ piece or pieces do they dream of being able to play? What are the congregation’s best-loved hymns? How often does the organ need to lead a “full” congregation, and what is a “normal” congregation the rest of the time? Is the organ used with other instruments: piano, handbells, brass, or strings? It is this conversation that we find most helpful in determining how to turn a client’s dream into a successful reality.

This collaborative process reinforces the notion that selecting an organbuilder should be based as much on trust and the comfort level between both parties, as it is on competency. A client must trust that the organbuilder is committed to listening to the needs of the congregation and will use that communication, coupled with his skill and experience, to tailor a pragmatic solution (the perfect instrument) to the unique circumstances of this particular client. Out of that continuing dialogue, a specification begins to take shape that will produce the desired sound within the real-world context of available space and acoustics. It is important to acknowledge here that every organ project, large or small, will be affected by financial considerations. The wise client, however, will first concentrate on clearly defining and producing the desired musical result, and only then look for ways to reconcile any financial disparities.

Large 16′ Pedal stops such as Bourdons, Open Wood Diapasons, and Violones represent correspondingly large amounts of material, labor, and a hefty price tag. They serve fairly consistent functions from one organ to the next, and once scaled and properly voiced to a particular room, there is little reason to replace them with new pipes.

Next, we explore any stops or combination of stops that have already been fulfilling a particular function exceptionally well. If that sound will serve the same function in the new specification, a strong case can be made for refurbishing the pipes and giving them a second life. Some strings, flutes, and color reeds fall into this category.

Occasionally, rescaling a rank or even a portion of a rank can help a marginal stop make a much more effective contribution to the big picture. In much of our work, we find that the principal choruses, mixtures, and chorus reeds are the most significant contributors to our signature sound, generally leading us to make these pipes new to our own scaling and voicing practices. The most important consideration of all is that every stop in the instrument, whether it comes with “previous experience” or is newly made, must work together to produce a cohesive sound of compelling musical integrity and artistic merit.

Matt Farrell and daughter Megan racking the 16' Violone — Matt Farrell and daughter Megan racking the 16′ Violone

The most successful instruments are those that are born out of a truly collaborative relationship—a back-and-forth, artistic and pragmatic discussion about the needs, desires, dreams, and limitations regarding the project. A dialogue where the client provides honest input on a wide variety of topics, and the organbuilder applies this information in the development of their instrument. John Heizer, Zion’s organist-choirmaster, was particularly adept at creative dialogue, answering our questions with very specific examples. “Bainton’s And I Saw a New Heaven; [B-flat chord] . . . ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God . . . ’ with a choir of twelve semi-pro singers” conveys more useful information than “I want a full Swell belching black smoke.” In discussing the relative balance of the upperwork to the foundations, his imagery of having “the mixtures blossom out of the top of the foundations rather than building upon them brick-by-brick” was easy to interpret. He insisted that full organ should be satisfying but not overly loud, giving him the freedom to use any or all of the organ’s resources at ordinary services. He noted, “I always have brass for those big Christmas Eve and Easter services.”

With such clear direction in our mind’s ear before the Möller instrument was removed, it was a relatively simple process of sorting out which of its stops would be retained with little or no alteration, which would benefit from rescaling and/or revoicing, and which could make no beneficial contribution to the new tonal design. The retained Möller pipes would be combined with new pipes into a cohesive instrument with its own unique voice and tonal integrity.

In Heizer’s words:

Pat Murphy and Fred Bahr met with me at Zion, and we made a thorough assessment of the old organ, had a lengthy discussion as to overall sound, voicing, liturgical music expectations, the console requirements, etc. Without a doubt, all expectations have been met. The voicing and scaling have allowed a very warm, unforced sound and an extremely smooth crescendo. Full organ is exciting, but not overbearing; individual stops are lovely by themselves and in ensembles. They did an amazing job in rescaling the old pipework that was reused, and blended all that with the new pipework. The organ now has a principal chorus, a secondary chorus, reeds, and solo possibilities in all divisions. I find the console very comfortable and the Virtuoso control system easy to use. Accompanying the choir and playing the great organ repertoire are once again a great joy. Hymn playing has new vitality and the congregation’s singing has been greatly enhanced!

The new PJM instrument, our Opus 60, has three manuals and 43 ranks operated on Blackinton-style slider windchests. A new chassis and layout places all of the pipes within easy reach for tuning access. Twin facades containing pipes of the 16′ Violone and Great and Pedal 8′ Principals, form the fronts of the angled side chambers, a marked improvement over the perfunctory grillwork that preceded them.

The low-profile design of the movable PJM signature console is comfortable and allows easy visual communication between the organist and other musicians. The easy-to-navigate Virtuoso control system by IOTI provides all the features expected today in a premier quality instrument. All of the console cabinetry, facade woodworking, chassis, and interior mechanical systems were engineered and produced in-house by PJM staff.

Installation of the organ began in January 2014, and the instrument was used for the first time in March. The dedication recital on September 21 was played by Eric Plutz to a capacity audience, and John Heizer asserts, “I think every pipe was heard! The organ received much praise for its voicing and expressive qualities.” AGO President John Walker commented on the success of the instrument, noting, “This organ will be a great blessing—not only for the parish, but also for the entire city.”

Frederick Bahr, Tonal Director
Patrick J. Murphy, President and Artistic Director

Last Modified on November 2, 2015

December 2014 TAO Feature Article

The Kotzschmar Organ, Merrill Auditorium, City Hall, Portland, ME
Foley-Baker Inc.

Portland’s Kotzschmar organ stands out as one of the most resilient of public organs, a foot soldier of front rank in the campaign of organ awareness. In the century between its 1912 dedication and its 2012 dismantling for renovation, Austin Opus 323 always played, often frequently. The original donor, publishing titan Cyrus H.K. Curtis, gave additional funds in 1927 for more stops and percussion. A municipal commission and city dollars established the position of municipal organist, with early prominent players including Will C. Macfarlane and Edwin H. Lemare.

The organ’s first decades were not without contention, particularly during the Depression. But, during a decade when many such instruments fell silent, Portland’s kept going, through pluck and the good spirit of the players. After the war, other challenges arose. A 1968 renovation, intent on increasing stage size while reducing seating, forced an unfortunate relocation of the instrument. In the process, two original 32′ stops, the Bombarde and Magnaton, were lost, although an Austin half-length 32′ was installed in compensation.

Kotzschmar-pipes_bust_web_sized — Bust of Hermann Kotzschmar (1829–1908)—a teacher, composer, and conductor active in Portland—in whose memory the organ was given in 1912

A second renovation of the auditorium in 1995 further diminished room reverberation and seating (now at 1,900), and once again remodeled the stage. This effort required complete removal of the Austin; it was reinstalled in 1997 with minimal repairs. Over the next years, curator David Wallace continued to address leakage and stabilize the installation, in the process installing a 32′ Magnaton from the 1910 Austin at Smith College and a 32′ Bombarde of his own manufacture using the original 1912 32′ Bombarde boot assemblies that had survived. Austin returned to provide a new, five-manual console in 2000, a bit of re-actioning in 2003, and a few tonal changes.

FOKO
Meanwhile, in 1981, in a series of budget cuts, the municipal organist position was eliminated. In response, a nonprofit group formed to maintain the position and the organ series. Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ (FOKO) has grown into a model organization of its type, supporting the organist and a full-time director, who, with volunteer and board assistance, runs the series (between 16 and 18 concerts annually), coordinates artists and publicity, publishes a newsletter, and maintains a website. By 2005, the organ had come almost a full century with occasional repairs
but never any systematic overhaul. Many on the FOKO board believed the instrument had arrived at a solid place, with more repairs being undertaken as funding came in. And, under the right hands, the instrument certainly continued to give an illusion of virility, particularly with such an able ambassador, municipal organist Ray Cornils.

NECN Video: Restoration of the Kotzschmar Organ

A Turning Point

Continued dissatisfaction with the 32′ situation led to a survey by reed voicers David A.J. Broome and his son Christopher in January 2006. Their visit turned out to be a critical turning point in how the organ and its needs were addressed. While the Broomes made recommendations about the various 32′ voices, they were unwilling to work on the organ as they found it. This assessment drew fresh attention to the fact that the organ’s condition was not what it should be. The situation was one not of poor workmanship or lack of dedication from FOKO, but of a gulf between a patch-repaired organ seen against the growing number of superbly restored and renovated pre-WWII American organs dotting the national scene.

One board member, organ technician John Bishop, saw a way to resolve the dichotomy. In September 2007, he organized a symposium, drawing together respected players and restorers specializing in instruments of the era. A comprehensive survey followed, in January 2008, that I undertook together with longtime Austin organbuilder Victor Hoyt. Our report built a detailed picture of the organ’s condition and developed a suggested workscope and budget.

The crux of the matter came in the condition of the Universal Air Chest—that giant box filled with wind, inside of which anyone can walk, while the organ is functioning, to observe the action in operation and make adjustments. The Air Chest is both the trademark and the bedrock of any Austin. While instruments like this have a reputation for muscular invincibility, in truth, any instability in the Air Chest’s structural soundness or wind system will cause the tone and action to suffer. And in a very real sense, the Air Chest is the organ. Typical of Austins from this period, every pipe sat upon the Air Chest, from top C of the Fifteenth to 32′ C of the Bourdon and Bombarde. Given the organ’s two physical disruptions, the Air Chest had been severely compromised. Had it been in original shape, a renovation might have been easier. Making the windchest anew meant complete dismantling, and with it the inevitable but expensive desirability of a thorough renovation.

The new replica 7' Air Chest (left) as built by Foley-Baker and the original Air Chest (right) as it had been reduced to 5' (drawing by Jim Bennett, Foley-Baker Inc. shop foreman) — The new replica 7′ Air Chest (left) as built by Foley-Baker and the original Air Chest (right) as it had been reduced to 5′
(drawing by Jim Bennett, Foley-Baker Inc. shop foreman)

Gaining Momentum

To its eternal credit, the FOKO board swallowed the hard news and got to work. The budgetary guidelines we had supplied were placed within the context of a new $4 million fundraising objective—one that sought not only to fund a project but also to endow maintenance, salaries, and programming. The board built further bridges with city officials and explored every avenue for public and private funding. The city council was sufficiently won over that it unanimously approved a $1.5 million bond dedicating $1.25 million match toward the renovation effort, to be satisfied by a $2 surcharge for all tickets to Merrill Auditorium events. After soliciting proposals, FOKO selected Foley-Baker Inc. (FBI) to handle the job. While the firm had never renovated a large Austin, FBI had an enviable record with other large organs, and clearly possessed the skill and experience to get the job done without compromise. Moreover, the company had worked with challenging schedules before, a necessary skill for Maine’s premier arts venue.

In many ways, Foley-Baker treated the job as a new organ project. They began by drawing out the entire organ in CAD, and from there planned the construction of the new Air Chest to include two new original-sized 12′ expansion board regulators. This approach allowed the air box to be built in advance of the organ’s removal and to original Austin specifications gathered from onsite reconnaissance work with similar period Austins. (Indeed, this may be the only Austin Universal Air Chest to be built outside of Austin’s factory.) With that opportunity came the chance to reconsider the organ’s layout. While the manual departments remained as they were, the 32′ Bourdon and new 32′ Open Wood were placed on unit chests against the solid concrete stage walls, for maximum reflectivity. All nontonal percussions were removed from an already crowded upper-level percussion chamber (added in 1927) and made unenclosed, in a location more normally encountered on theater organs. And, knowing that thousands of visitors would be filtering through the instrument, FOKO member David Wallace provided a handsome walkway and stairs, allowing Air Chest tours to safely include a close-up look at freshly restored manual and pedal pipes, without fear or favor.

Inside the Universal Air Chest, originally and today, with expression engines on the left, large regulators and control systems on the right — Inside the Universal Air Chest, originally and today, with expression engines on the left,
large regulators and control systems on the right

Tonal Work
While the terms “renovation” and “restoration” are often used interchangeably, they mean considerably different things as applied to old organs. In a restoration, as little as possible is changed, not even the console. Thus, renovation is the correct term for this project. The organ’s 1912, 1918, and 1927 consoles are long gone, the room itself is twice changed, the facade slightly modified. As the organ’s tone had evolved somewhat since 1927, the opportunity was taken to effect a few more tonal changes while putting every pipe on a fresh tonal footing—in particular, ensuring a clear treble. When Austin refurbished the Great mechanism in 2003, the workers were able to compress the chest sufficiently to include a four-rank Mixture. In FBI’s project, that stop has been replaced with a new five-rank register more in keeping with the organ’s tonal language. The Swell 16′ Quintaten has made way for a new 4′ Octave, while the Vox Humana has been relocated to its own windchest (itself a vintage Austin “Vox Box” with built-in tremulant) and a new 4′ Clarion installed in that position, built by A.R. Schopp’s Sons and voiced by Christopher Broome.

Of the three original 32′ registers, by 2012 only the Bourdon remained, badly cracked and unhappy. FBI spline-repaired these pipes, relocated them against the rear wall, cut the mouths higher and drove them harder for more impact. The organ’s original 32′ Magnaton remains a mystery; Austin applied the term variously to reeds and diaphones, and the record offers no clue to which sort this organ had. A 1910 Magnaton from the Austin at Smith College had been installed several years ago, pipes of diaphone construction that didn’t work very well and wouldn’t come to pitch. Unwilling to discard these fascinating pipes, FOKO requested that they be stored. In their place has been installed a new 32′ Open Wood, built by Organ Supply Industries using Haskell construction. Like the Bourdon, these pipes are mostly located against the rear wall, for maximum reflection. Finally, a heavy zinc Pedal reed extension, built by A.R. Schopp’s Sons and voiced by Christopher Broome, restores a tonal element not heard in almost 50 years—a solid and impressive 32′ and 16′ reed bass more usually associated with wooden resonators. Apart from that, the organ’s pipes have been intensely reconditioned: tidying up slots, fitting scroll-tuned pipes with slide tuners, and checking all pipes for structural soundness and good speech.

Wurlitzer toy counter located and rebuilt by FBI (for special effects—such as horses’ hoofs, car horn, train whistle, fire gong, and doorbell—used for silent movies) — Wurlitzer toy counter located and rebuilt by FBI (for special effects—such as horses’ hoofs,
car horn, train whistle, fire gong, and doorbell—used for silent movies)

Reeds
In dealing with reed stops, for many years, FBI has partnered with Broome & Co. LLC, for both reconditioning and new work. This organ had 16 existing reeds to be considered, and, as with the rest of the instrument, decline was greater than that typically encountered. Reeds were reconditioned in the manner developed by the late David A.J. Broome: complete cleaning of all parts, installing new tuning wires and new metal inserts and slots, and checking tongues and curvature for consistency. Although Austin always employed brass reed wedges, many in this organ were pushed in flush with the block. Thus, new wedges were introduced, some slightly larger in the treble. The high-pressure Tuba Magna, built more along Trumpet lines, had been radically revoiced in the 1960s. It was restored to a more conservative Tuba sound.

The 2000 Austin console was stripped to bare bones for remedial structural work, and the many different solid-state controls systems unified into a new Artisan Classic unit. With advice from Peter Conte, certain features have been incorporated to aid in complex playing, including settable Pedal Divide and All Pistons Next. In the organ’s mechanical refurbishment, Austin Organs Inc. collaborated in many ways, principally in providing factory-authorized replacement actions.

The organ has a mixture of tremolo types. Austin’s customary revolving fan is found in the lower Swell, Orchestral, and Solo departments. The Echo and Antiphonal were always fitted with valve tremulants, and now refurbished, they continue to provide the more traditional (i.e., non-Austinian) vibrato, as does the 1927 portion of the Swell.

Gala Rededication
At the point when funding was finally secured, too little time was available to renovate the organ for the organ’s centenary. Instead, FOKO turned that occasion into the renovation kickoff. In August 2012, following a grand final concert, the FBI crew started removing the facade pipes just minutes after the final notes. Determined not to let the organ slip from public awareness, FOKO developed an intensive education and publicity initiative. While people might not hear the organ for two summers, they couldn’t fail to know that FOKO and the organ were very much still in the picture. In summer 2013, FBI returned all the mechanism. This past summer saw installation of all the pipes, with tonal finishing and final tuning in August and early September.

On September 27, members of the sold-out audience took their seats to see a stage covered in scrim. On the stroke of 7:35 P.M., a row of white-hard-hatted workers became apparent through the black. On the count of three, the scrim dropped to a beautifully restored facade, the rebuilt five-manual console, a brass troupe, municipal organist Ray Cornils, and guest organist Peter Richard Conte. A commissioned work by Carson Cooman, creatively depicting the instrument awakening from its 24-month slumber, opened the program, which continued on to more familiar fare, both serious and light. Showers of applause greeted the musicians, particularly for FOKO, Cornils, and the FBI crew.

Organist Ray Cornils plays Toccata from Suite Gothique on the Kotzschmar Organ

In strict terms, the municipal organ is a relic of a bygone age, when it was rare to hear music made on the grand scale outside of the largest cities. Such organs allowed a single person to substitute for many, and gave satisfaction to a public hungry for music. Today, music infiltrates our lives in a manner unthinkable a century ago, as formerly hushed bank and elevator interiors are now equally awash in banal stylings. Maintaining the interest, funding, and audience for any public organ in the 21st century is a heroic feat. Portland remains a gold-star example of how to do it.

For the stoplist and other technical details, visit Foko.org.

Last Modified on July 17, 2015

November 2014 TAO Feature Article

Dahlgren Chapel, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Schoenstein & Co., San Francisco, CA

Schoenstein_delivery — Delivery day during snowstorm

In the heart of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., stands Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, built in 1893 and the gift of Sarah Dahlgren, whose husband was Admiral John Dahlgren. The Jesuit religious community that founded the university takes great pride in this chapel, which is the spiritual gathering place for Roman Catholic liturgies on the campus. In 2011, a renovation was launched to reinforce the chapel’s structural foundation and to preserve and enhance both its interior and exterior. The blessing of the renovated chapel took place in April 2014.

I was pleased to serve as consultant in this project, assisting the university in reviewing proposals from several organbuilders for a new instrument for the chapel and helping to determine the characteristics of the organ that would best suit its needs. I also helped the community understand the language of the organ and engaged them in planning for and welcoming its arrival.

Schoenstein & Co. was chosen to build the instrument, and Dahlgren Chapel is now home to the new Lewnowski Family Organ with 19 ranks, three manuals, and double expression on some stops of the Swell division. The inaugural recital program that I will play on November 7, 2014, is designed to feature all the colors of this versatile instrument. The organ meets the needs of liturgy and concert, and is scaled to produce a balanced tone that fills the room. An instru- ment such as this, located at the center of the university campus, attracts the attention of students, faculty, alumni, visitors, and the local community. Their fascination with the visual and aural aspects of the organ leads to appreciation of this prominent artistic element of the chapel. It is the fusion of pastoral and academic disciplines that provides excel- lent ground for the appreciation of the instrument in this setting.

Once the organ installation was complete, I took the opportunity to converse with the chapel music director, a university student, the vice president for mission and ministry, and the organ-builder. Here are some of their thoughts.

Lynn Trapp

James Wickman is director of music, liturgy, and Catholic life, in the Office of Campus Ministry.

LT: Georgetown University does not offer a music degree, though there is an active choir program, including the chapel choir, under your direction. How might the organ serve as an instrument of formation for students participating in music at the university?

JW: In general, the organ is an instrument for the celebration of the liturgy. Because of the high quality of the instrument and the commitment by the University to fund and install such an instrument, the students are shown by example that the liturgy has a central role in the life of such a large and important organization as Georgetown University. Also, the new organ serves a purpose for students who are interested in providing music in the liturgy. I have already seen a rise in interest in playing the organ; we have two student organists,and others have expressed interest—and we have just barely begun to use the instrument! These are not students who are getting degrees in sacred music or organ, but students from all parts of the university who are interested in expressing their faith through music. An instrument like this attracts them in a new and exciting way, and will open that door even wider.

LT: Describe the types of music the organ serves in the chapel.

JW: The new Schoenstein organ is the anchor of our liturgical music program. It is used for Sunday night Masses that students attend—to lead liturgical music and accompany the University Chapel Choir—and at special services throughout the year. In addition, this instrument will expand the resources and opportunities of the university’s choral program. Performances inside the chapel are limited to sacred music, so some of Georgetown’s choirs are now turning to sacred literature so they can use the organ as part of their repertoire.

LT: How is the organ serving as ensemble instrument with choir, piano, guitar, obbligato instruments?

Gt Dia chorus — Swell Stopped Diapason and Oboe

JW: This is an area of great growth and potential that we are just beginning to explore. I think the instrument has strong possibilities for many combinations of instruments with all of our liturgical choirs. The combination of guitar and organ, or using the pedals only with the piano and other ensemble instruments, or playing obbligato parts when one of the instruments is not available . . . there are many possibilities.

LT: What specific opportunities does the organ offer for orchestration in the liturgy?

JW: Both manuals are under expression, and four stops of the Swell are in an additional swell box. It is extremely flexible for an instrument of its size. The Cymbelstern and the digital Harp and Chimes also enhance the instrument. I anticipate a rise in the quality of our performance repertoire in general, in sacred music concerts, choir anthems, prayers services, and recitals. This instrument offers an expansion into new repertoire that is exciting for me and for the students. It will inspire them to reach higher musically and prayerfully!

Stephen Gliatto is a student in the chapel choir

LT: What does this organ bring to the music making of the chapel?

SG: The location of the instrument behind the sanctuary altar, where the choir and instrumentalists gather, heightens the leadership of music ministry. The pipework surrounds the choir area and provides for clean and rich accompaniment.

LT: Have you observed interest by other students in this instrument?

SG: Students here seem very interested in the organ. The renova- tion period was followed very closely by the faith community at Dahlgren Chapel, and the installation of the new organ was greet- ed with enthusiasm. Most telling are the positive reactions from alumni who have not visited Georgetown for some time. They de- scribe the chapel and organ as stunning, breathtaking, and amaz- ing, and see it as a wonderful new asset to the faith community.

LT: What knowledge did you have about the pipe organ before experiencing the Schoenstein organ, and what about this instrument have you found most notable?

SG: I knew nothing about the design or construction of a pipe organ before this project. By far, the most noticeable feature for me is the presence of its sound. When I was first directing the choir from the podium, the effect of organ and choir together was tremendous—like I was being washed away in a cohesive sea of music, in which I could feel and harness the power of God.

The Rev. Kevin F. O’Brien, SJ, is Vice President for Mission and Ministry.

LT: How does the addition of the Schoenstein organ contri- bute to the liturgical life of the campus community?

Ped 16 Op Wood — Pipework of the Great Diapason chorus.

KO: The organ resounds beautifully in the worship space. The many different types of communal services that take place in the chapel throughout the liturgical year will benefit from the sound of the organ, and congregational song will be fortified.

LT: Describe the overall approach to the renovation of the chapel, and the organ’s role in blending with the visual and aural aspects of the project.

KO: We wanted to maintain the chapel’s familiar appearance, yet re- fresh many of its worn features. The chapel is a warm and welcoming sa- cred space, and we wanted to main- tain that hospitable atmosphere. A central feature of the chapel is the stained-glass window behind the al- tar, beautifully depicting the devo- tion to the Sacred Heart (thus the name of the chapel). It was impor- tant that the casework did not de- tract from the breathtaking visual of the vibrant window. The organ was constructed to both blend into the architectural features of the chapel— especially the vaulted roof—and also highlight the centrality of the win- dow. It is as if the organ has always been there.

LT: What has been the response of the campus clergy regarding this instrument?

KO: The organ has been well received. The former organ in the space was in the rear of the nave, and Jesuits applauded the place- ment of the new organ at the front of the chapel. Presiders for liturgy have expressed appreciation for how the organ sounds in the space.

Jack Bethards is president of Schoenstein & Co.

LT: What is unique about the tonal design and versatility of this organ?

JB: First, with exception of the principal chorus, we have avoid- ed duplication of any tonal colors, thus resulting in a boldly dif- ferentiated palette. One each of every major type of flute and reed is included. Although a luxury on a solo repertoire organ, two highly differentiated celeste stops seem to us a necessity in a church organ of even modest size. We have a pair of bold strings in the Swell and a pair of strongly tapered hybrid stops in the Great. A unified echo principal (Salicional) in the Swell gives the division a clear tonal backbone. Unusual for an organ of this size are four 16′ stops of varying power and color. Second, these re- sources are almost entirely under expression, with the Swell em- ploying our double expressive system, wherein the high pressure Tuba and strings are separately enclosed within the Swell. This al- lows these stops to play several musical roles. The strings can be normal Swell strings, more ethereal in quality with both sets of stops to a third manual pro- vides options for registration flexibility especially important in service playing.

LT: Each organ installation requires your expertise in suiting the instrument for the space and its use. What in particular about the Dahlgren Chapel organ called upon the special skills of your company to meet the goals of this project?

JB: Finding space for the pipes and making them a welcome addition, rather than an intrusion, was a tough problem here. Dahlgren Chapel has been a much beloved center of the university for generations. No space whatsoever was provided for an organ, and the focal point of the sanctuary was a very wide and tall east-end window. We had to find a way to place the organ on either side of the sanctuary without crowding the window and make it look as though that had been the architect’s plan all along. By double-decking the main divisions and placing the 16′ Open Wood pipes horizontally under the window, our engineer, Glen Brasel, was able to include everything while maintaining good maintenance access. We have been complimented that visitors new to the chapel think that the case, featuring unenclosed diapasons of the Great and Pedal, has been there for decades.

LT: Given your experience in building organs for Catholic university chapels, what can you share with others consider- ing a new instrument in their campus chapel?

JB: In addition to Georgetown University, we have been fortu- nate to build for the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, (1998), and Fordham University in New York City (2012). The musical job description for a university organ is quite demanding. In addition to the usual Catholic liturgies, there are many major celebrations (ordinations, baccalaureates, etc.), a very large number of weddings, various nonstandard liturgies as part of the academic program, and use by the music department as a recital, ensemble, and teaching instrument. Two vital characteristics for success are power and variety. If the organ can’t project an atmosphere of grandeur and doesn’t hold the musical interest of a lot of highly educated people, it will be a failure.

View the Stoplist

Lynn Trapp (Lynntrapp.com) is active as a recitalist, conductor, composer, and clinician. Since 1996, he has served as director of worship and music, organist/pianist at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minn.

New Holland Church Furniture staff installing the organ's casework — New Holland Church Furniture staff installing the organ’s casework