TAO Articles

United Church, Canandaigua, NY
Parsons Pipe Organ Builders, Canandaigua, NY

By Richard Parsons

History

Located in Upstate New York’s picturesque Finger Lakes region, United Church is situated in the heart of Canandaigua’s downtown historic district. The church was built in 1871 and dedicated in 1872 to house the newly formed First Presbyterian Church of Canandaigua. Constructed in the eclectic style of religious architecture common to the latter part of the 19th century, the edifice features a charming blend of Romanesque and Gothic Revival influences. On December 13, 1942, the neighboring First Baptist Church of Canandaigua was totally destroyed by fire. In 1947, First Presbyterian suggested that the two churches worship jointly using the Presbyterians’ facilities, and their offer was accepted. In 1961, the church’s official name changed to become the United Church (Presbyterian- American Baptist) of Canandaigua. While unique in terms of its governance structures, the arrangement at United Church works well, and is among several factors responsible for a growing and vibrant congregation.

The Discernment Process

The new three-manual and pedal Parsons pipe organ (Opus 41) at United Church replaces M.P. Möller Opus 3107, a three-manual and pedal 18-rank duplexed organ built in 1923 as a practice instrument for the Eastman School of Music. After the organ’s installation in the church in 1950, attempts were made to adapt the organ to perform successfully as a liturgical instrument. While marginally serviceable in its new role, the specification posed difficulties with registration and with issues related to balance and choral accompaniment. In fact, use of the organ to accompany the choir was, for the most part, abandoned. As is generally the case, organists faced with this or other similar situations commit themselves to overcoming the deficiencies of their respective instruments and to supporting the musical requirements of their congregations regardless of the peculiarities of the instruments they play. It is only when the organs begin to fail that the opportunity is taken to explore underlying deficiencies.

Beginning in 2010, trustees at United Church were made aware that the Möller was becoming increasingly unreliable and consideration should be given to finding a solution. Because governing bodies are so rarely called upon to deal with major pipe-organ-related issues, they tend to find themselves in a difficult and somewhat uncomfortable position. While they hope to find the best solution, they don’t typically possess the body of knowledge that allows them to formulate the requisite questions. In this situation, the trustees initially assumed that, like any other church fixture, the organ should simply be repaired. Not unlike repairing a roof or boiler, once “fixed,” the organ could continue to serve the church as it had for the past 65 years.

To their credit, the trustees also recognized that there were other, perhaps more important issues that needed further exploration. Specifically: not only had musical requirements changed, but, more importantly, in years past, the Möller had been altered and poorly rebuilt by inexperienced technicians, making a standard restoration impossible. Given this situation, the trustees assembled a small group of highly committed individuals to study the issues. One of the first actions taken by this group was to hire a competent organ consultant, Robert Kerner, because they recognized that without his expertise, there was little framework on which to base their discernment process.

Kerner was able to pinpoint key considerations that participants hoped would eventually lead to the best and most appropriate decision. This is not to say that the process was without difficulty. The question of repairing the organ “as is” versus attempting to augment or replace the organ altogether engendered moments of creative tension that eventually led to the formation of a larger and more formal committee. Once assembled, the committee moved quickly to identify the underlying issues as defined by the following questions: What do we want to achieve musically? If repaired, will the organ (in its existing configuration) meet our needs? Is it possible, and does it make sense to expand the existing organ, or are we better off considering a new organ? Should we purchase an electronic organ? Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, what do we want to put in place for the future? It should be said that the success of this particular committee was not based on the participants’ desire to reach consensus quickly, but in the corporate sense to keep an open mind, to consider all the possibilities, and to eventually suggest the option that would best meet the needs of the congregation.

Given the limitations of the Möller, the committee rejected the idea of simply repairing the organ. The input of the organist and choir director was indispensable in helping the committee understand the machinations required to produce even moderately acceptable combinations of stops. After rejecting the idea of an as-is repair, the consultant worked in tandem with the committee to write a request for proposal designed to channel builders’ proposals in the direction of a new or rebuilt mechanism, and to include a modest restructuring and augmentation of the existing tonal resources. Site visits followed, to evaluate each of the builders’ installations, including opportunities to hear electronic instruments. For the purposes of the United Church project, electronic instruments were judged to be inappropriate, both in terms of tone quality and stewardship of church resources. In consultation with consultant and builders alike, it was determined that the vision for United Church should be expanded to include a larger, more comprehensive pipe organ. Following this decision, the committee recommended that the contract to build the new organ be awarded to Parsons Pipe Organ Builders.

Beyond the process of defining the project and selecting the builder, the official board at United Church determined that separate committees should be formed to deal with the upcoming capital campaign and ancillary construction issues. By separating the responsibilities, the board felt that each committee could focus their efforts more successfully, and in doing so ensure a superior result. Communication between the three committees took place on a regular basis, allowing the overall project to come together in flawless fashion.

The Organ

From the onset of this project, Parsons was concerned that, although the sanctuary possesses a sympathetic acoustic, the existing organ chambers and sound-absorbing chancel carpeting would prove to be barriers to a successful installation. Fortunately, the various committees and the church membership responded in a positive fashion, and it was determined that, under the builder’s direction, new and larger chambers would be built, providing hard, sound-reflective surfaces with larger front and side openings consistent with the height, length, and width of each chamber. In addition, easy access through a separate “winding” room spanning the full width of the sanctuary was constructed behind the chambers, allowing ample space for blowers and twin wedge-bellows. “Micro-climate” systems were installed in both chambers, to continuously circulate air throughout the organ and to optimize tuning stability. Stationary choir risers and chancel carpeting were replaced in favor of open space and hardwood flooring. Given the extent of modifications required in the organ chambers and the church’s desire to improve the acoustical and visual nature of the worship space, the church elected to engage Bero Architecture— a firm that specializes in historic buildings and is sympathetic to acoustical issues and the importance of music in worship—to work in collaboration with Parsons. Bero’s specifications for engineering, electrical, HVAC, and architectural designs proved invaluable to the success of the project.

Parsons Opus 41 consists of 35 registers, 51 stops, and 40 ranks for a total of 2,467 pipes distributed over Great, Swell, Choir, and Pedal divisions. The organ utilizes electric slider and tone channel windchests with unit stops placed on direct-pallet windchests. While a small number of registers from the original Möller were refurbished and revoiced, the majority of the organ’s voices were painstakingly selected from vintage sources, or are of new construction. New wood pipes were built by Parsons of Douglas fir. Reeds were rebuilt by Broome and Co.

Designed by Peter Geise in collaboration with Russell Barr, the twin pipe facades provide a striking addition to the visual components of the sanctuary. The facades incorporate architectural elements (brackets, rosettes, finials, and egg-and dart moldings) that are featured prominently throughout the room. The stenciling incorporated within the casework mimics the stenciled sanctuary ceiling, both in design and color. During the design process, every effort was made to respect the visual character of the sanctuary while creating a visual statement proclaiming the existence of the organ. The polished zinc facade pipes speak, and were constructed in Germany by Aug Laukhuff.

The three-manual and pedal console features the Parsons company’s distinctive, low-profile, terraced drawknob design. The console exterior is constructed of black walnut. The console interior and accents are constructed of bloodwood. Custom-designed keyboards imported from P&S Organ Supply Company in England feature unbleached bone naturals and ebony sharps. The music rack is a book-matched walnut burl with bloodwood accents. The highly specialized Virtuoso solid-state switching system provides unlimited levels of memory, an integrated record/playback system and a plethora of advanced features too numerous to mention. The Virtuoso control panel is conveniently located directly beneath the lower right-hand terrace. The console also features a built-in custom-designed steel dolly with casters for ease of mobility. The console communicates with the mechanism of the organ via fiber optic cables.

This pipe organ was built to lead and inspire the congregation through all facets of worship. When we step back and consider all that God has accomplished through us, we remember that it is for His glory and honor that we seek to build these instruments of praise.

Richard Parsons is president and artistic director at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. A colleague member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, he serves as president of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America.

From the Organ Committee

Today, as we participate in worship, we know that we have arrived at our vision’s goal, a place where the sight and sound of this new, magnificent pipe organ impressively enhances our worship experience.

Stopping for a moment to reflect on this five-year project, we who served on the various committees were afforded wonderful learning experiences and found the process as a whole to be extremely gratifying. Committee members worked in cooperative fashion and helped each other to learn and to make good decisions as we moved toward our shared goal. Early on, we agonized over issues such as the selection of a builder, whether resources should be devoted to improve acoustics, and whether it was really necessary to provide the means to control humidity and air circulation. In due course and with the help of the consultant and organbuilder, these issues proved to be less daunting than initially imagined. In fact, we came to realize that trust, where it concerns the ethics and capabilities of the builder, is paramount to tackling any issue that might arise. Once we selected the builder, making decisions became much easier. We listened and learned and placed our trust in Parsons Pipe Organ Builders and are delighted with the results. With trust, everything else followed. Isn’t that also the way of our faith?

Ronald Fulle, Organ Committee Member

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Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Bryn Athyn, PA
Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, Hartville, OH

By Charles Kegg

The Bryn Athyn Cathedral organ has been one of the most fascinating and challenging instruments in the history of the Kegg firm. The donor, Oberlin graduate and active Philadelphia organist Fred Haas, has always admired the work of Ernest Skinner. In the discussion of the new organ for the cathedral, all roads led to a recreation of Skinner’s work. We were asked to marry two modest E.M. Skinner organs, expand the combined instrument in Skinner style using new or vintage pipe work, and add a dramatic fourth manual division that complements the theology of the congregation and the dramatic building architecture— all while creating new structure, winding, expression, electrical systems, con sole, and facade as a new instrument. The result is not a restored Skinner organ but a new instrument in his style, with some unusual Kegg touches.

It is interesting to note that the archives of the church revealed plans for a large Skinner organ when the structure was being built in 1917. This organ was never built, due to the conditions resulting from World War I, and a “temporary” small unit organ was installed that served for about 50 years. The design of the Skinner-Kegg organ was largely complete when the plans of the original large Skinner were discovered; the specifications of the two organs are remarkably similar.

The main organ is a three-manual instrument with a specification typical of Ernest Skinner circa 1928. While this organ is indicative of the Skinner company, there are several stops and features that bear closer inspection. The Swell is complete with all that might be desired in such an instrument, including Skinner’s magical Flute Celeste and a reproduction Skinner 16′ Waldhorn. The Mixture in this division is one of the first that Skinner built after his historic visit to Great Britain, where he learned of the work of Henry Willis III. This Mixture, the only one in the organ, is bright and more aggressive than might be expected and has a most interesting texture. It retains its original voicing as does all the Skinner pipework in the organ and is impressive. The Great has no mixture and tops out at 2′ , which is quite typical of instruments of this size at this time.

The Choir division includes signature Skinner color reeds as well as a new Tuba, which is a lyrical stop, both bold and sweet. Its scale accelerates in the bass to provide the main Pedal 16′ reed line. Enclosed in the Choir box, it can be tailored to suit almost any need.

The Great is enclosed—with the exception of the First Open Diapason and the 16′ -8′ Violone-Gamba, the bass of which forms the facade. The Trumpet is a new stop and is designed to fill the coupled organ with fire and excitement in the same way that Skinner used his French Trumpet, which would normally be in the Swell along with the Cornopean. There was no room in the Swell for this additional stop, so it found a home in the Great. Of course, no Skinner-style instrument can be without a French Horn, and a restored vintage example appears here also.

The theology of Bryn Athyn Cathedral, the ecclesiastical center of a New Church denomination, includes levels of heaven, the innermost of which is called the Celestial, where meanings are the most clear and thoughts are the most innocent. When there was a suggestion of a division bearing this name placed high in the crossing tower and speaking down into the nave with both delicate and commanding voices, the church and donor readily agreed. This is the most unusual division in the organ. It contains four stops in Echo style along with solo Gambas on 10″ of wind pressure and a Flauto Mirabilis and Tuba Mirabilis both on 20″ pressure. The Tuba Mirabilis is done in Willis style, hooded, and commands attention with stately authority. The Flauto Mirabilis is a modified copy of the famous Wanamaker Clear Flute. This wood harmonic flute sings in the building as only a heroic flute of this size and wind pressure can. Flue pipe voicing on 20″ pressure is most unusual—and it was actually a pleasure for me and “enjoyed” by the entire shop as it had to be done not in the voicing room but out in the shop on the final chest. When heard at the intended distance, it is true magic. This division also contains a 14-note set of Deagan Tower Chimes installed inside the building in the Celestial chamber. These massive chimes were designed to be installed outside and to be heard throughout the community. Here we have what is believed to be one of only three installations of such chimes inside a building. The effect is one of grand and elegant dignity.

The Pedal division is modest but very much in keeping with Skinner models of its day. It enjoys a genuine newly built 32′ Bourdon. The fact that this sound is produced by real pipes is immediately apparent. Although modest by modern standards, the Pedal contains a variety of colors and dynamics well suited to underpin the manuals. The 16′ Open Wood Diapason rings in the room particularly well when the Pedal foundation needs to be prominent.

The console of the organ is new and includes hand-carved details inspired by the pulpit of the church. Its bone and rosewood keys invite you to play, and all accessories are placed where they are most useful. Special consideration to the musician’s comfort and convenience have always been a Kegg hallmark, down to the billiard clothlined pencil drawer and removable matching cup holder on the bench. The cup holder drew significant attention at the AGO National Convention in Boston, where this console console was on display. The Virtuoso control system provides all the features expected of a first-class instrument today. The console is easily movable on internal casters for use in recital and oratory.

In keeping with the magical nature of the Celestial division, we have incorporated what I believe is a first in the industry. The Celestial manual enjoys second-touch keys. Found in theatre organs, the second touch usually brings out a second voice when the key is pressed into a strong spring at the bottom of the normal key travel. In this organ, it is used not for a voice, but to engage the tremolo. The tremolo can be engaged on each note at the desired time, while instantly stopping as the organist moves from the key. When one stops on the next note of reasonable duration, the tremolo can be easily and intuitively added in the same manner as a wind or string instrumentalist. The result is much more musical than when engaged by foot with a variable-speed device, and it also leaves the foot free to shade the dynamic of the note at the same time.

The organ has evolved to be an ideal instrument for this unique parish. The grandeur of the building and grounds is a surprise to visitors when discovered. This organ, too, will surprise and, I hope, delight the organist who discovers it.

With the organ installation, the cathedral has appointed Bryan Dunnewald as assistant organist. He is a student of Alan Morrison at the Curtis Institute of Music and participated in the November 21, 2014, dedication service, joining performers Peter Richard Conte, Fred Haas, Terry Schnarr, Graham Bier, and the cathedral choir.

We would like to thank donor Fred Haas and the Wyncote Foundation for their confidence in the Kegg firm. We must also lift a glass in heartfelt appreciation to Graham Bier (music director) and Terry Schnarr (principal organist) for their unfailing support, and to the cathedral staff for raising the bar to an improbable height for hospitality to an organbuilding staff.

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Charles Kegg is president and artistic director of Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, which he established in 1985. A member of the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, he trained for eleven years with Schantz, Casavant, and A.R. Schopp’s Sons, and was responsible for the final voicing of many Schantz and Casavant instruments ranging in size from four to 132 ranks.

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders: Phillip Brown, Michael Carden, William Catanesey, Randall Crawford, Joseph Granger, Joyce Harper, John Johnson, Philip Laakso, Sean O’Donnell, Nathaniel Riggle, Dwayne Short. With special help from Robin Bier and Robert Schmucker

Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, Minnesota
Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc., Warrensburg, Missouri

By T. Daniel Hancock

The Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a striking study in early 20th-century French Classicism. Constructed from 1906 to 1915 in the best of the Beaux-Arts tradition, the building is sited atop Cathedral Hill, a commanding point overlooking the Mississippi River, where its dome, together with the nearby state capitol dome, constitute two of the most recognizable icons in the St. Paul skyline. The structure is the magnum opus of French-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray (1861–1917), who was also chief of design for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis in 1904. In addition to its status as Co-Cathedral for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the cathedral is also the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul. Despite this designation and the building’s liturgical and artistic significance, the cathedral has never had an organ equal to its status nor to match the vast size of the interior, which has one of the largest cathedral seating capacities in the United States.

In 1927, Ernest M. Skinner completed the installation of Opus 518, a modest instrument of three manuals and 30 ranks, situated behind the high altar above the sacristy. While representative of the work of one of the foremost organbuilders of the day, and artistically distinct in its own right, this organ was designed primarily for liturgical accompaniment of a subdued nature.

In a matter of decades, the Skinner organ was joined by a medium-sized gallery instrument, completed by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1963. Opus 1398 is comprised of three manuals and 42 ranks, and was located in “temporary” semi-symmetrical cases flanking an immense rose window. Installed during the advent of the Second Vatican Council, the instrument was intended to expand the tonal palette and resources of the Skinner organ according to more recent tonal ideals developed by Aeolian-Skinner. The Swell Mixture V of the Skinner organ was revised by Aeolian-Skinner at this time, in an effort to make the two instruments more compatible. The sanctuary organ was made playable from the new gallery console, and the gallery organ was playable from the 1927 sanctuary console via blind pistons.

The scaling of the Aeolian-Skinner was quite ordinary, with the chorus work being typical of the builder’s approach for a much smaller space. During tonal finishing on site, the voicing of the mixtures was increased in proportion to the whole in an attempt to help fill the vast space of the cathedral. In some ways, it succeeded in this regard. Over time, however, the combined instrument proved to be harsh and tiring to the ear for any duration, coupled with an evident lack of tonal variety. In addition, as the reforms of the Second Vatican Council filtered into mainstream ecclesiastical practice, the role of the organ broadened from “a more subservient liturgical accompaniment” to “a leader and animator of the singing of the assembly.” In this expanded role, the combined organs proved unable to support a capacity congregation in the singing of hymns.

Even though the combined instruments were modest in size relative to the volume of the cathedral, they nevertheless deservedly gained a reputation as distinctive examples of the work of two of the most notable 20th-century organbuilders, due to the reverberant and flattering cathedral acoustics. When the time came for the cathedral to consider how to address aging mechanisms and limited tonal capabilities, a consensus emerged that the instruments should be expanded while also protecting their characteristic identities. Quimby Pipe Organs was ultimately selected to do this work because of the firm’s extensive expertise in working with Skinner and Aeolian-Skinner pipe organs.

The work on Skinner Opus 518 included reversing the Swell Mixture V changes made in 1963 by Aeolian-Skinner; the new mixture is based on the Willis model that Skinner originally used. The remainder of the pipework was fully restored and returned to its location on its original windchests behind a decorative wooden grille at the rear of the sanctuary apse behind the high altar. The only addition to the specification was the extension of the Swell 16′ Fagotto in order to allow it to play at both 16′ and 8′ pitch in the Pedal. According to Michael Quimby, “If Mr. Skinner were to hear this organ today, he would immediately recognize that this was one of his creations.”

The work on Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1398 was more extensive. Models for expansion and tonal work were Quim – by’s restoration of Aeolian-Skinner Opus 150A (1954) at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and its complete mechanical restoration and significant tonal refinishing of Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1309 (1959) in the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Missouri. One of the most distinctive additions is of a fourth manual division, the Bombarde, which is comprised of new flues and reeds in period Aeolian-Skinner style. The Bombarde principal chorus is a commanding ensemble that supersedes the Great principal chorus and is based on the Great choruses at St. John the Divine and the Independence, Missouri Auditorium. The Mixture V–VII has three drawknobs; one for the five-rank composition, and two others that successively add the 17th and flat 21st harmonics. Two new chorus reeds, the 16’–8′ Trompette harmonique and the 4′ Clarion harmonique add distinctive fire to the ensemble, while at the same time becoming cohesive members of the ensemble.

The crowning glory of the Bombarde division, and indeed of the entire organ, is the 8′ Pontifical Trompette, which is playable from each of the Bombarde, Swell, and Pedal divisions. When drawn in any of these divisions, any other stops drawn with it are canceled within the division, but may be still coupled to other divisions. The Pontifical Trompette does not couple. It is voiced on 30″ of wind pressure and is a synthesis of two noteworthy stops from the Skinner tradition: Mr. Skinner’s 1910 Tuba Mirabilis and the later 1954 Aeolian-Skinner State Trumpet, both at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It is a commanding solo voice that can stand above the full organ of both instruments combined.

The composition of the other manual divisions remain largely as Aeolian-Skinner left them in 1963, but with revoicing and rescaling as appropriate to achieve optimum tone production while removing any sense of forced speech or harshness.

Additions to the Great include an extension of the 16′ Violone to play at 8′ pitch and the addition of an independent 13/5′ Seventeenth. The Swell 4′ Spitz Principal was relocated to the Choir, where it replaced a 4′ Fugara. A 4′ Octave from a period Aeolian-Skinner organ was placed in the Swell. The Choir 8′ metal Gedeckt (named “Flute ouverte”) was replaced by an Aeolian-Skinner wood Gedeckt of larger scale, and the Choir 8′ Spitz Gedeckt and 8′ Spitz Gamba were replaced by a vintage Aeolian-Skinner Viola Pomposa and Celeste. A new Mixture III was added to complete the chorus, and a new 8′ English Horn was added to provide another solo reed color.

The Pedal division was augmented through the extension of the new Choir Viola Pomposa down to 16′ pitch with new full-length pipes, which replaced a 1963 extension of the Choir 8′ Spitz Gedeckt as a 16′ Quintaten. In addition, a 4′ Nachthorn and Mixture IV were added, along with extensions of other manual stops. The most telling addition to the Pedal is the extension of the 1963 Aeolian-Skinner 16’–8′ Bombarde, which is now extended full-length to 32′ pitch. The windchests, reservoirs, and other mechanical components of the 1963 Aeolian-Skinner were completely releathered and restored to like-new conditions. The new Bombarde division was placed on new electropneumatic pitman and unit windchests in the Aeolian-Skinner style.

The “temporary” facades of the 1963 Aeolian- Skinner gallery organ were removed, and a new facade and casework were designed by Duncan G. Stroik, professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame. Stroik’s inspiration for the new facade and casework was a drawing by Masqueray for a gallery instrument that was never realized. The drawing was used as a point of departure, rather than a final design, as it would have placed the bulk of the gallery organ case where it would obscure the rose window. Instead, Stroik adroitly manipulated the formal geometry so that the spirit of the Masqueray case design was discernible while also ensuring that the visibility of the window was maintained. The case was produced by Agrell Architectural Woodworking in walnut with gilded accents, and features two angel figurines and bell-shaped domes atop 35′ cylindrical towers. A carved statue of St. Cecilia is positioned on a smaller dome in the center of the case.

Quimby constructed two new identical, movable four-manual consoles able to control the full tonal resources of both organs. Their unique configuration as two fully operational and independent “master” consoles was made possible by Integrated Organ Technologies Inc. (IOTI), who also designed and installed the solid-state switching and control systems. This has never before been achieved, as all other dual console installations operate conjointly in a “master slave” configuration, rather than the “master-master” attained at St. Paul. IOTI also provided the relay and combination action and piston sequencer; the latter has an unlimited number of memory levels. IOTI founder and president Dwight Jones provided exemplary support and proved to be an invaluable resource throughout the project —especially during installation, when he was frequently on site to assist.

Quimby hallmarks for both new and rebuilt instruments, regardless of the tonal concept, are evident in the work at the Cathedral of St. Paul: commanding principal choruses that are clear and transparent, tonal colors that are beautiful individualists and yet versatile ensemble players, chorus and color reeds built or revoiced in Quimby’s shop that exhibit distinction in voicing and tuning stability, and a responsive and reliable action. All of these stem from a great sensitivity to the lessons that are to be learned from the work of our predecessors, and a willingness to always be observing and learning.

Quimby Pipe Organs thanks the Rev. John L. Ubel, rector, and the cathedral clergy, staff, and volunteers for their roles in enabling the project to completion. The first public recital was on October 24, 2013, when Olivier Latry, organist at Notre-Dame in Paris, France, presented a program of French music to a standing-room-only audience of more than 3,000 persons. Since then, an Inaugural Year of Organ Concerts has been sponsored by the Cathedral Heritage Foundation.

Here, the sum total of the whole is great er than the constituent parts. Both the 1927 Skinner and the 1963 Aeolian-Skinner remain intact as recognizable identities; but, together with carefully conceived additions, they provide a diverse tonal palette suitable for numerous registration approaches that is emotive and majestic in full expression. The augmented gallery organ adequately fills the acoustically reverberant space with rich, well-grounded foundation tone, and the transparent, balanced choruses have the breadth required to support corporate singing for capacity crowds at Pontifical events. The sanctuary organ can serve in a similar capacity for smaller functions and maintains its original role as accompanist to the liturgy. Both organs present appropriate yet diverse vehicles for the convincing performance of many schools of organ repertoire and promise to be inspiring catalysts for new compositional work to come. The identity of both instruments as the work of distinctive 20th-century American organbuilders is maintained, and they work in tandem to produce musical effects that are entirely equal to the environment in which they are situated.

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T. Daniel Hancock, a licensed architect and member of the American Institute of Architects, is vice president of Quimby Pipe Organs Inc.

St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, IL
by John-Paul Buzard

It has been a high honor to design and build this organ for the Basilica Church of St. Vincent Archabbey. The new gallery organ of 51 stops and 72 ranks of pipes was installed beginning in July 2014 and completed in October. St. Vincent is home to the oldest American Benedictine abbey, a parish, seminary, and St. Vincent College, a coeducational four-year institution.

In 1998, I recommended replacement of the organ previously installed in the basilica. Mechanical failure spelled its demise; but it was only 30% as large as necessary to fill the building with sound and provide a generous variety of tone colors and volume levels to meet the abbey’s and college’s growing musical needs.

In 2007, we constructed a small apse organ and a con-sole to control it and the planned-for gallery organ. The apse organ, our Opus 40-R, is installed in two small chambers and utilizes the best pipework from the previous organ, as well as new stops. It is divided into two sections that may be coupled to any keyboard or pedalboard at any pitch—much like the divided Swells we have successfully employed elsewhere.

When the abbey was ready to build a gallery organ, the 17-year-old budget was insufficient and could not be increased. The dilemma was: if we built the organ to accommodate the budget, it would repeat the past mistake of being too small. So, we prepared the Choir division for future addition but installed the Great, Swell, and Pedal. This provides the abbey with heroic bodies of sound to support liturgical needs, accommodate a goodly body of organ literature, and accompany registrationally uncomplicated choral literature. The Choir division will feature orchestral reed and flue colors, and its principal chorus will be a secondary foil to the Great. A gallery console is also prepared for.

The Great is located on both sides of the organ immediately behind the large facades, with the Swell further back on the right; the Choir will be on the left. The 32‘ and 16‘ Trombone resonators and 16‘ Double Open Diapason basses are made of wood and installed horizontally under the window; the remaining Pedal stops, the Solo Tubas, and Trombas stand around the window. The facade pipes are made of thick, polished tin from the Pedal 16‘ First Open Diapason, the Great 16‘ Double Open Diapason continuing from the wood basses behind, the Pedal 8‘ Principal, the Great 8‘ First and Second Open Diapasons, Harmonic Flute, and the Pedal 4‘ Open Flute. The 16‘ and 8‘ octaves’ feet are lined with copper for additional strength. The manual key actions are electric-slider; the Pedal and unit actions are electric.

 

The general visual design was suggested by the abbey’s resident artistic director, the Rev. Vincent Crosby, OSB. Decorations take their cues from the basilica’s colonnades. These include 24-karat-gold-leafed interlocking rings on a deep green background between maroon and gold-leaf stripes; blue rosettes with gold-leaf highlights are centered in each ring. All the woodwork is made of 11/2“-thick solid white oak, the lower panels incorporating Romanesque arches in each opening.

Our firm’s “Classically Symphonic” tonal style (a term coined by a reviewer for The Diapason) is easy to describe, but challenging to carry out with artistic success. Buzard organs are intended to play music from nearly every historical and nationalistic school with musical éclat and flair. The difficulty is creating a cohesive, eclectic instrument with an individual identifiable musical personality. This is accomplished through the depth of experience and informed musicality of the principals of our firm, and the “refiner’s fire” of knowledge and craftsmenship, which our tonal director Brian K. Davis and his associate Jonathan Young bring to bear.

Components of just about every style of organ voicing are represented to some degree in each Buzard organ, but these elements are interspersed evenly so that a balanced eclecticism is achieved. We don’t build a “German Great,” a “French Swell,” or an “English Choir,” for example, which would be far easier. This even-handed dispersion of the style of the stops’ construction and voicing is one reason we could, in good conscience, prepare the Choir division for later.

The basilica has a sumptuous reverberation time of 6.5 seconds; bass frequencies are nicely amplified by hard reflective surfaces on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Depending upon the piece of music played, you can imagine yourself in Paris, Haarlem, or York Minster!

The organ was dedicated in a solemn service and recital attended by nearly 1,200 people on November 23, 2014. Tonal associate Jonathan Young, who is finishing up his DMA degree in organ from the University of Illinois, filled in for the Rev. Cyprian Constantine, OSB, as recitalist, due to Fr. Cyprian’s need for emergency retinal surgery. The first public recital on the new organ will be played by Alan Morrison on March 21, 2015.

Deepest thanks to Fr. Cyprian; the Rev. Donald Raila, OSB; the Rev. Stephen Concordia, OSB; the Rt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, OSB, and the entire monastic community. I am grateful for the dedicated staff of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders for their tireless efforts.

 

Two-Manual Organs in Liturgical Settings
By David C. Pike

Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2015 issue of The American Organist

As 21st-century organbuilders we face the question of how to maintain our work as desirable, central, and perhaps imperative to our greatest patron—the Church. At the Fisk workshop, organbuilding is firmly rooted in proven building practices of the past, even as we strive to create instruments that will ensure the pipe organ’s continued role as a vital and relevant part of modern-day Christian worship. Our belief is that sensitive contextual visual design, deftly conceived mechanical key action, and attentive, historically informed voicing will best serve the requirements of sacred music and its role in liturgy and worship.

While our larger commissions may be better known, the Fisk opus list includes numerous two-manual organs in liturgical spaces. In many ways, these instruments present the greater test of the organbuilder’s ingenuity and creativity—but any builder worth his salt lives for such opportunities. The settings are diverse and the challenges numerous. Yet, two-manual organs of modest specification, if well executed and smartly integrated into their surroundings, can be both versatile and transformative.

Throughout the course of any project, we recognize the primary importance of listening:

• Listening to the desires and expectations of the musicians, clergy, and congregation;
• Listening to what the space offers acoustically and in music-making potential;
• Listening to and incorporating relevant historical tonal antecedents.

A foundation of thoughtful listening, coupled with detailed study of the distinct architectural qualities of the church, supports our common goal of creating a liturgical setting to meet the musical and worship requirements set out before us.

The three organ projects that follow answer varied requirements. They are examples of Fisk expertise, artistry, and commitment—more than building an organ, we work alongside our clients to bring liturgy, worship, and music into a rightful balance.

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CHRIST CHURCH • ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS

When we submitted a proposal for a new pipe organ at Christ Church in Andover, Massachusetts, we were especially excited because of our long acquaintance with the Rev. Jeffrey Gill and Barbara Bruns, minister of music. The 19th-century Richardsonian Romanesque church building made the project even more enticing. The tonal design of Opus 137 evolved over several months in consultation with the minister of music and the organ committee, and is the result of thorough discussions of the musical requirements of the Episcopal liturgy, the organ as accompanist of the choir, and the flexibility needed for a recital instrument.

Concurrent with the new organ project, a major sanctuary renovation was planned. The existing organ spoke from a deep chamber on the Epistle side of the nave, just forward of the chancel arch with the console on the opposite, Gospel side. The parish choir, singing from their chancel location, could not hear the organ well; furthermore, the sounds the organ produced did not encourage beautiful singing, as many of the stops were over-voiced so as to be heard by parishioners seated in the nave. The acoustics of the room offered no help whatsoever, being lifeless and utterly nonsupportive of musical expression. As beautiful as the sanctuary is architecturally, it needed help if it were to effectively support the grandeur and dignity of the Episcopal liturgy.

A design team comprising church governance and musicians, architect, acoustician, and organbuilder was tasked to study how this transformation would come about. Early on, it was decided to move the choir and the organ to the back of the nave and to construct a gallery large enough to accommodate both. The organ would thus speak unimpeded down the main axis of the nave, perfect for leading congregational hymns. Its lofty placement immediately under the ceiling would give clarity and immediacy to its sounds. The console would be detached to allow for the choir to assemble in a way that provided a direct line of sight between all singers and the organist (carbon-fiber trackers allow this with essentially no loss of sensitivity or crispness to the key actions). Custom-designed temperature destratification and humidification systems in the gallery would be included for the sake of organ tuning and stability of wooden parts. Isolation of the blower from the organ space and improvements to the HVAC system would provide a foundation of silence for worship services.

With renovations complete, the historic sanctuary has   a fresh new look and feel. A more open and expansive chancel was created, the apse windows restored, the altar brought closer to the congregation, new lighting installed, and the acoustics enhanced. While not as reverberant as one might wish for the organ, the improved acoustics offer presence, balance, life, and warmth where it was so sorely lacking. In December 2011, Opus 137 was installed, with finish voicing continuing into spring. Barbara Bruns played the inaugural recital and spoke eloquently of the long process and of her vision for music making at Christ Church: “Through countless hours of thoughtful decision-making, highly skilled labor—both professional and volunteer—and close coordination with the [building company], our new organ is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the building and our church community.”

Opus 137 Stoplist

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ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL • RIKKYO GAKUIN, NIIZA, JAPAN

Bishop Channing Moore Williams, an American Episcopal missionary, founded the Rikkyo school system in Tokyo in 1874. In 1960, the Rikkyo High School was moved to a new campus in Niiza, just outside of Tokyo. Rikkyo maintains close ties with the Episcopal Church, the Church of England, and the worldwide Anglican Communion. St. Paul’s Chapel on the Niiza campus was designed by Czech architect Antonin Raymond and built in 1963. Raymond, who worked for a time with Cass Gilbert and then with Frank Lloyd Wright, established his practice in Japan after briefly assisting Wright in the construction of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The chapel, withits striking catenary arches, serves both as a worship space and a concert venue.

In 2008, Rikkyo University’s director of sacred music, Scott Shaw, initiated the commission of two new pipe organs— one for St. Paul’s Chapel at Niiza, the other for All Saints Chapel on the Ikebukuro campus. Following visitsby the Rikkyo organ committee to numerous instruments in England and the United States, it was decided that the Ikebukuro organ’s role would be to accompany the Anglican liturgy and choral repertoire (Scott Shaw directs a very strong choral program in the Anglican tradition), whereas the Niiza instrument would be primarily French Romantic in style (with certain French Classic elements included to enable authentic performance of earlier repertoire). Proposals were submitted for both instruments, and in July 2009, Fisk was chosen to build the Niiza organ—Opus 141. The Ikebukuro project was awarded to English builder Kenneth Tickell, now deceased. Rikkyo Gakuin would receive two very different instruments from two very different builders.

Among its most striking features is Charles Nazarian’s curvaceous, bright blue, wholly nontraditional case. It is   a perfect foil to the monochromatic gray of the imposing concrete arches, and relates fittingly to the colorful hues of the stained glass surrounding the organ and throughout the chapel. The case came about in consideration of Dr. Shaw’s vision for a design complimenting Raymond’s 1960s modernist sensibility. An organ case of that era might have followed trends of the time, resulting in an angular design and open pipework. Working within a scale model of the chapel, the Fisk design progressed in a thoroughly 21st-century fashion—developing according to the unique characteristics of volume, shape, and color offered by the room itself.

Rikkyo students have aptly nicknamed the organ “Big Blue.” During Tokyo’s notoriously hot, humid summers, Big Blue depends on a Fisk-designed, integral climate destratification system to maintain tuning between divisions.

The tonal design is a synthesis of 18th- and 19th-century French organbuilding practices—what today’s builders in France would call an “orgue de synthèse” and a mainstay of Fisk tonal design. It plays the French repertoire exceptionally well, but also does justice to a much broader range of the literature. The chapel’s acoustics, because of its concrete structure, are reverberant, warm, and nicely supportive of bass tone. Tonal finishing was largely in the hands of Fisk voicer Nami Hamada, who had just completed a one-year study-exchange, working in the atelier of Bertrand Cattiaux, the respected French organbuilder. There, she gained firsthand experience with some of the finest examples of the work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Big Blue bears the first fruit of Nami’s intensive study and serves St. Paul’s Chapel in its role as accompanist of the daily morning chapel services and as a teaching instrument for the students of Rikkyo University organist Yuko Sakiyama.

On Bastille Day 2014, Shaw posted this on his blog The View from Tokyo:

Last Saturday (July 12), the opening concert of the Fisk organ at Rikkyo University’s Niiza campus marked the end of many years of work to upgrade the chapel music facilities and instruments. Makiko Hayashima gave a brilliantly planned and played recital on the Fisk that demonstrated its multifaceted personality. As she explained before the performance, the organ may well be similar to the organ 19th-century French builder Cavaillé-Coll would have built had he lived another 20 years. It has a strong French Romantic character, yet has the brilliance and upper work of a French Classic-period organ. Playing works by Couperin, Bach, Franck, and Widor, Hayashima showed that this music all sounds great on the instrument. A capacity crowd of 350 braved intense summer heat to enjoy the afternoon.

Opus 141 stoplist

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ST. MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH • CHINA GROVE, NORTH CAROLINA

In spring 2010, we were contacted by Vincent Crist, organ consultant to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in China Grove, a small, quiet town in the North Carolina Piedmont. An unexpected bequest from a deceased chancel choir member would be used in part to purchase a new pipe organ and also for the necessary alterations that might be required to accommodate the new instrument. The gift was a great surprise, a great challenge, and finally a great blessing for the loyal congregation of St. Mark’s. We were pleased to accept Dr. Crist’s invitation to make a proposal, and, after deliberations were complete, proud to be chosen as builder. As we began tonal design discussions, Elizabeth “Libby” Staton, the cantor who presides over the music program at St. Mark’s, wrote:

This is very exciting for St. Mark’s and me. When I was in college [Greensboro College], I remember hearing Charles Fisk speak when the Flentrop was installed at Duke Chapel. Dr. [Harold] Andrews always spoke very highly of him. I never thought I would be in a position to work with your company, much less to help “birth” a Fisk organ for my church. This is pretty much like the best Christmas present ever.

As the design and construction of the instrument commenced in our workshop, the church undertook renovations to their sanctuary. Working closely with church architect Bill Burgin, Fisk designers developed a plan to move the organ from a fenced-in location at the front right corner of the sanctuary to a front-and-center placement, tucked into a shallow niche. The chancel choir would be arranged in front of, and to either side of, the attached console. The case would be built of quarter-sawn white oak, stained to harmonize with the woodwork in the rejuvenated sanctuary. Facade pipes would be of hammered lead. Tonally, the organ would be an eclectic design with the Great division primarily informed by the work of the 18thcentury Saxon orgelbauermeisters, the Swell division by the work of 18th- and 19th-century French facteurs d’orgues. Early in our tonal design discussions, consultant Vince Crist and Libby paid a visit to Fisk Opus 136 in Charlotte. Their observations of and reactions to the tonal aspects of that organ were extremely valuable as we formulated pipe scalings, pipe materials, and voicing prerogatives for the organ.

Project manager Andrew Gingery’s “Builder’s Statement” from the organ dedication brochure begins:

We are often told, when we are finished with a project, that an instrument looks “as if it has always been there,” and we consider that very high praise. At St.Mark’s, the best compliment we heard was that the sanctuary, despite the dramatic reconfiguration, still had the look and feel of St. Mark’s, the church that so many people had been attending for decades. Our involvement at St. Mark’s is illustrative of the reason we at C.B. Fisk are involved in the craft of building pipe organs. Of course, we would like to believe that Opus 143 is a beautifully crafted jewel in the church, and we also very much enjoyed working with and getting to know the people we now call our friends there and in the community surrounding St. Mark’s.

Opus 143 Stoplist

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We are reminded by these experiences that the pipe organ is not ancillary to Christian worship, but a powerful means for expression of faith and liturgical teaching. In its sacred setting, whether modest or grand, the organ speaks to the heart. Continuing Barbara Bruns’s eloquent remarks:

We continue the ancient tradition of singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach the faith. For generations to come, the new organ will be heard in its many roles as an instrument of accompaniment for choir, as a leader of congregational singing, and as a solo instrument resounding in majesty, lifting our spirits heavenward.

David C. Pike is senior vice president and tonal director at C. B. Fisk, Inc.