Organ Committee Report to Vestry September 15,...

Organ Committee Report to Vestry September 15, 2011

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................................................I Mandate...........................................................................................................................................................i Starting Point ...................................................................................................................................................i Options.............................................................................................................................................................i The Way Forward............................................................................................................................................ii Committee Preference ....................................................................................................................................ii

ORGAN COMMITTEE REPORT .....................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Procedure ........................................................................................................................................................1 Scope and Guidelines ......................................................................................................................................1 Background .....................................................................................................................................................2 Current Condition of the Organ.......................................................................................................................2 Findings & Future Options...............................................................................................................................7 Appendix A: Discussion of an Electronic (or Digital) Organ...........................................................................10 Appendix B: Murphy Assessment ..................................................................................................................15 Appendix C: Storey Assessment.....................................................................................................................27 Appendix D: Some Organs Now in Use in Diocese or On / Near Capitol Hill .................................................36 Appendix E: Cross-‐Section of an Organ .........................................................................................................37 Appendix F: Glossary of Organ Terms ...........................................................................................................38

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Mandate

In March, 2010, the Vestry asked the Christ Church Organ committee “to examine options for ensuring the long term availability of a quality organ for the church.” This constitutes the committee’s final report.

Starting Point

The committee began by asking several experts to assess the condition of our 110-year-old organ. They concluded that the instrument is aging, idiosyncratic, hard-to-play, extremely difficult-to-maintain, and physically a less-than-ideal fit for our space. Due to alterations and repair work, its historical integrity has been compromised. The present configuration of the console requires the organist to play with his back to the choir and choir members to sit with their backs to the altar. This could be remedied by using a mobile console, which is not possible with our current organ. Also, the pedal board is an anomaly, having 27 keys (compared to the modern standard of 32) and a flat, as opposed to a concave shape. Unless renovated or rebuilt, the organ does not provide a long-term solution for our church. To fulfill its mandate, the committee prepared a set of guidelines to help shape the options it would consider. Given the guidelines and assuming that the parish would like organ music to remain an important part of our program of worship, we present five options for consideration by the Vestry:

1. Identify and purchase; 2. Restore our current organ to its original design; 3. Rebuild and modernize our current instrument with electrified action and a new

configuration; 4. Commission a new pipe organ; 5. Commission a new electronic (digital) organ.

Options.

The following table arrays the options considered against the guidelines. The full text of the guidelines is found at page 1 in the full report. The table provides a general idea of how these options conform to the criteria identified as desirable, leaving aside for a moment the very significant question of cost.

Guideline Restore to H&H Original Design

Rebuild and Modernize

New Pipe Organ New Digital Organ

Long-term solution ? Conforms to AGO1 standards1

Size suited to space Sound quality/balance ? Appearance ? Ease of maintenance ? ? Maintenance costs ? Organist’s sight lines NOTE: The option of a used organ, although quite viable, is not included because there are too many unknowns. We should only consider acquiring a used organ that meets most of the criteria listed.

1 AGO = American Guild of Organists

Executive Summary

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Precise cost estimates are not possible for any of the various options, but it is fair to say that none are cheap. Commissioning a new pipe organ would have the highest initial price tag, while rebuilding the current organ would cost nearly as much. The other options would cost less in the short run. Of course, near-term costs should not be equated with value—which will also be influenced by quality of performance, suitability of design, maintenance issues, longevity, and other factors. The pros and cons of each option are summarized on the following page. [Note: “Non-organ” options, such as a piano or some other instrument(s), were outside the committee’s original mandate. However, in light of the Vestry’s interest in less-expensive options, the committee notes that a first-rate piano could be purchased for less than $100,000. Exercising this option would put Christ Church outside the norm, as according to a recent Episcopal Church survey, 91 percent of congregations either always or often use organ music in worship.]

The Way Forward

Christ Church has not had a new pipe organ since 1880. The current organ was never intended to be a long-term solution, but has continued to serve in the absence of the parish’s ability and willingness to develop an alternative.

Drafting a blueprint for future action on the organ is an integral part of the church’s current five-year strategic plan. Implementing such a blueprint might logically be a core element in the successor plan (2013-2017). We suggest the following action steps:

1. Develop a specific action plan based on additional guidance (i.e. a narrower list of options) and a broader mandate (the inclusion of funding ideas, authority to hire consultants etc.)

2. Begin an education/discernment process to determine the likely level of financial and other support for any or all of the options listed; and/or

3. Incorporate the implementation of an action plan for the replacement or rebuilding of the organ as a specific objective in the parish’s overall strategy for 2013-2017.

Committee Preference

The committee is aware that there are diverse opinions within the parish about the importance of organ music in our program of worship. That is why we believe a discernment effort is necessary and why this report is designed primarily to provide a basis for decision-making, not to recommend a particular alternative. However, we feel there might be some interest in the committee’s consensus, which is the following: The parish should move forward simultaneously to 1) explore further the option of commissioning a new pipe organ; and 2) make an active effort to identify a quality used pipe organ that provides value and meets our other needs. If such a used organ can be identified, problem solved. If not, and if there is sufficient support within the parish for commissioning a new pipe organ, we should make a commitment to doing so. This process of discernment and exploration should be completed within two years.

Obviously a decision to fully rehabilitate the organ or to contract for a new one would require a major commitment of money and oversight. Such a step should not be taken lightly. However, a failure to act could leave us without a working organ and in a position where decisions about a replacement would have to be made in crisis mode. The fact that there are no easy answers has been used for decades as a rationale for delay; the problem is that answers become more, not less, difficult with the passage of time.

Executive Summary

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Organ Options -- Pros and Cons

Options Pros Cons Purchase used pipe organ & repair/renovate as needed ($100,000-‐200,000) Offer current organ for sale

• Potential to meet essential requirements at significantly lower price than some other options

• May be difficult to locate organ that fits well with our church

• Organ may contain flaws that are not evident at time of purchase

• Future maintenance costs likely to be higher than with other options

Major repairs to current organ, without altering its present configuration ($100,000 – 180,000)

• Improve performance of the instrument, thus preserving lively sound at a cost that is less than some other options

• Perceived value from standpoint of historic preservation

• Existing issues with respect to the size of the organ’s footprint and the absence of a standard pedal board would remain

• No flexibility in use of choir space. • Choir remains with back to congregation; organist with back to choir

• Depending on the scope of work, may or may not solve problem of inadequate access for maintenance

• Ongoing maintenance costs may be significant

Complete rebuild of organ with electric action and new configuration; i.e. a mobile console, standard pedal board, and some rearrangement of pipes ($300,000 -‐ $450,000)

• High-‐quality and versatile musical accompaniment

• Better access for maintenance, • Enable choir to face front of church and organist to face choir.

• Retention of some parts from present organ may have perceived value from standpoint of historic preservation

• Price could be comparable to that of commissioning a new organ

• Might actually increase the size of the footprint of the organ.

Commission a new pipe organ tailored to our requirements ($300,000 – 500,000 +) Offer current organ for sale

• High-‐quality and versatile musical accompaniment

• Improve use of space, better access for maintenance.

• Enable choir to face front of church and organist to face choir

• Lower ongoing maintenance costs than some other options

• Longer anticipated life span than other options

• Expensive. Price will vary depending on the design we select

• Delivery times can be fluid

Commission a new digital organ tailored as much as possible to our requirements ($150,000 – 225,000) Offer current organ for sale

• Versatile musical instrument • Improve use of space, less complicated maintenance.

• Enable choir to face front of church and organist to face choir

• Initial maintenance costs should be low

• Questions about quality of sound. • Would require installation of speakers • Shorter anticipated life span than a new or rebuilt pipe organ

• Evolving technology could lead to obsolescence or unforeseen maintenance issues/probable need to continually update and purchase software

Organ Committee Report to Vestry

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Organ Committee Report

“Behold the marvelous art of Archimedes, I allude to the Hydraulic Organ; so many members, so many parts, so many joints, so many sound conduits, so much tonal effect, so many combinations, so many pipes, and all at one touch." –Tertullian (c. 200)

Introduction

At its March 18, 2010 meeting, the Vestry authorized creation of the Christ Church Organ committee, with a mandate “to examine options for ensuring the long term availability of a quality organ for the church.” In so doing, the committee was to consider ideas “for the repair, upgrading, and/or replacement of the organ” and to identify “the associated costs for each option.” As instructed, the panel provided an interim report to the Vestry in November 2010. At its meeting on January 13, 2011, the Vestry asked the committee to consider additional options, including an electronic (or digital) organ and such other relatively low-cost alternatives as it might deem appropriate. This constitutes the committee’s final report unless instructed and authorized by the Vestry to take additional action.

Procedure

All members of the parish were invited to serve on the committee, and all are welcome at its meetings. There is no official list of members. Parishioners who have participated regularly include: Andrea Harles (co-chair), Bill Woodward (co-chair), Marian Connolly, Charles Floto, Roc Lee, Bob Lester, Dave McCahan, Linda Mellgren, John Payne, Ruth Pontius, Judy Schneider, David Taylor, and Jean Turkiewicz. In addition, Richard Thibadeau, the Director of Music Ministries, has served as an expert adviser. The committee met monthly from April until October 2010, and has had several meetings in 2011. Representatives have also made field trips to the annual convention of the American Guild of Organists (held in Washington in July 2010) and to a number of area churches for the purpose of hearing and gathering information about various organs.

Scope and Guidelines

In order to fulfill its mandate of ensuring the long term availability of a quality organ, the committee prepared a set of guidelines to shape the options it would consider. The guidelines are as follows: CCWP is weighing alternatives for repairing, rebuilding or replacing its 1901 Hook & Hastings organ. We seek an instrument that will be capable (in order of priority) of leading the congregation in a comprehensive program of Anglican worship, accompanying the choir, and supporting a wide repertoire of organ music. More specifically: • Solution should be long term – no further major renovation or repairs anticipated for at least

35 years. • The organ’s console should conform to the American Guild of Organists’ standards. No major

adjustments of technique should be needed before a competent professional organist is able to play the instrument.

• The organ’s footprint and location should be well-suited to the sanctuary space and should preserve the view of the tower window from the altar.


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• The organ should provide a strong, lively and versatile sound that is acoustically well-balanced within the space.

• The organ’s appearance should be consistent with the sanctuary’s architectural style. • The organ’s design should allow for ease of access for purposes of maintenance. • Expected routine maintenance costs should be reasonable. • The organ’s design should take into account the desirability of good sight lines between the

organist and the choir, and instrumentalists. [Note: “Non-organ” options, such as a piano or some other instrument(s), were outside the committee’s original mandate. However, in light of the Vestry’s interest in less-expensive options, the committee notes that a first-rate piano could be purchased for less than $100,000. The committee notes that the actual cost to the parish would be much higher if the absence of organ music were to have a negative impact on church growth. According to a recent Episcopal Church survey, 91 percent of congregations either always or often use organ music in their worship services.]

Background

Christ Church’s organ, vintage 1901, was built in Boston by the prestigious firm of Hook & Hastings. The instrument was originally installed at St. Cyprian’s Roman Catholic Church which, in 1969, was closed and merged with Holy Comforter. The organ was purchased for $500 and relocated to Christ Church in 1972. The expectation at the time was that parts from this organ would be combined with components from another (a Henry Knauff instrument purchased from St. James for $1) to create a 3-manual organ mounted on the south wall of the sanctuary. This reconstruction plan was never implemented. Instead, supposedly temporary modifications were made to the Hook & Hastings organ, adding 6 ranks salvaged from the Knauff, the rest of which was discarded. The Christ Church Hook & Hastings organ has 2 manuals and 18 registers, of which several are inoperable. Significant alterations have been made in the many years since it was installed. For example, in 1976, stop additions were installed with electro-mechanical wind chests. Prior to the sanctuary’s 1995-1996 renovation, some thought was given to undertaking long-deferred repairs and installing a mobile console that would allow the music director to face the choir. For financial reasons this concept was not pursued. Historically, church archives indicate that CC+WP has relied primarily on pipe organs for its musical programs. The church’s third pipe organ, also a Hook and Hastings, was contracted for in 1880, at a cost of about $1550. After more than five decades of service, that instrument was sold in 1935; it was enlarged and used for many more years at a Methodist church in Manassas, Virginia. The old Hook and Hastings was replaced at Christ Church by a Hammond electronic -- which was in use until the present organ was installed.

Current Condition of the Organ

In order to identify future options, it was necessary to gather detailed information concerning the present condition of the organ. To this end, the committee solicited the views of the director of music ministries and of Dave McCahan, a parishioner who is an expert on organ maintenance and repair. The committee also asked several professional organ building and repair companies to inspect the organ and to recommend future steps. This process generated a number of observations including the following:

General:

Our current H&H organ was made for a much larger space than CCWP.


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The historical integrity of the instrument has long since been compromised by alterations and repair work undertaken to keep it operating. Only the talent of our current organist disguises the fact that the organ is in, at best, fair to poor mechanical condition. Its idiosyncrasies make it both exceptionally difficult and physically demanding to play. This limits our ability to have guest organists and creates a challenge for our own organist to re-adapt to instruments elsewhere. The present arrangement of the console requires the organist to play with his back to the choir and choir members to sit with their backs to the altar. A mobile console would enable the choirmaster to direct the choir from in front, thus allowing the choir to face the chancel. A replacement console could be both mobile and smaller:

The interior of the organ is very dusty and dirty, which further impairs organ operation. Because access for purposes of maintenance and repair is extremely limited, there is no simple remedy to this problem.


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Servicing the organ is difficult because the space inside the organ is so tight. The Swell Box is also hard to access for tuning. This contributes to deterioration of the instrument and increases the cost of maintenance. Ideally, one should be able to walk erect behind the organ. A working space that is twenty-four to thirty-two inches wide would be adequate. If we retained our present organ this would require moving it forward, thus encroaching further on space in the sanctuary. The organ is somewhat limited in the musical styles and repertoire it is able to play. It lacks the versatility, for example, to serve as an appropriate and creative accompaniment to concert performances or orchestral works that we might host to increase community visibility and attract new members. Our organ can play loud music well, but soft not so much. The pedal board has only 27 keys and is a straight, flat pedal board. While this is not impossible to play, it can be difficult for an organist who is familiar with the standard concave and radiating pedal board with 32 keys. A full pedal board would be highly desirable, but expanding the pedal key action to 32 notes and adding a modern pedal board cannot be accomplished on this organ. The tenuous condition of the organ gives it an uncertain life span; the steady accumulation of problems means that we may well be living on borrowed time.

Pipes:

Most of the pipework in the organ is original and in fair condition, however a few ranks have been irreparably altered, and others have been replaced. Some have been re-voiced and no longer have the characteristic Hook & Hastings tone. The façade pipes have been partially stripped of their late Victorian stenciling and colors. The treble pipes have taken a beating over time and most will now need their tops cut off and new tuning slides installed. Pipework in the Great and Pedal may be tuned with relative ease but pipes in the Swell are difficult to access without dismantling the swell box. The issue of limited access and the unsteady speech of the small pipes results in the organ going out of tune easily. The wood pipes are durable and appear to be in better than fair condition. However, all the pipes need to be evaluated for repair or replacement.

Chests2:

The original manual chests appear to be in fair condition. They seem to be functioning reasonably well for 100-year-old wind chests that have never been rebuilt. There are splits and cracks across the tops of the chests causing pipes to “murmur” when an adjacent pipe is played. Murmurs—which are especially apparent during the dry heating months of fall and winter--contribute to the organ sounding dull and out of tune, and are disconcerting for anyone playing the instrument. The Pedal Subbass chest on the right side of the organ works reasonably well. All the electric chests and pipes associated with them should be removed. The original pallet and slider windchests must also be removed, completely dismantled and rebuilt to be reliable and trouble free. There is nothing that can be done to them in place to achieve a satisfactory level of performance.

2 A box (literally a chest) of wood, with airtight joints, having holes bored in its top, over which rest the pipes of the organ.


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Key and stop action3:

The mechanical key action exists mostly unaltered and works reasonably well. However, the 19th and early 20th century tracker organs had no self-regulating mechanisms and therefore require periodic attention to keep them functioning correctly. The Swell action is difficult and heavy to play, leading to stuck notes. This irregularity affects the music as the organist plays. Mechanical actions have hundreds of moving parts. It appears that these key actions have never been restored and suffer from neglect and excessive wear and age. The action cannot be properly regulated until all bearing points are restored, a lengthy and costly project. There are some new wood trackers in the organ for the Swell division; however many of the trackers elsewhere are made of aluminum wire. These are generally rattly and bent, contributing to an irregular and insensitive key action. The original stop action mostly works as it should despite its looseness. Some of the loose joints are bound in cloth rags to keep them quiet. The wear on the bearing points creates lost motion preventing the slider from moving to the same off or on position each time it is moved. This has a negative effect on tuning. The Forte and Piano combination pedals are improperly adjusted and the stops they move do not produce the desired effect. They are now an accessory with no function. The Pedal key action is in fair condition, but many of the parts are wearing out.

Console:

The original attached Hook and Hasting console has been extensively modified to the point where it has become unwieldy to navigate and repair. While it was built before standards were set forth by the American Guild of Organists (AGO), it nonetheless can be restored and utilized. Installation of a modern combination action is possible if a restoration were to be considered.

Wind system:

The original large double-rise bellows have been lost from the organ. The bellows undoubtedly also contained a hand pumping mechanism to manually raise the wind. A rather small floating top bellows now takes its place. A German-made blower of high quality supplies the wind, but the blower is not in a muffler box and as a result the noise of the machine is noticeable. This detracts from the effectiveness of the organ when used in quiet registrations and when the instrument is “on” but not being played. The blower does supply an adequate amount of wind at sufficient pressure to support the pipe work. However, the added stops have pushed the blower to about maximum capacity. The loss of the original bellows has reduced the historical value of the organ.

Overall function:

The overall mechanical function of the organ is poor to fair. The Hook & Hastings organs were known for sensitivity, uniformity, and reliability. These characteristics are lost from this organ. It would take a major restoration project to regain those attributes. The unpredictable nature of the mechanics makes the organ much more difficult to play than it should be.

3 A group of pipes or voice, which can be made to sound or be silenced by moving the stop knob to an on or off position.


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Findings & Future Options

Findings:

In the absence of major renovation, the current organ does not provide an acceptable long term option for the church. It is a patchwork instrument, full of idiosyncrasies, hard to maintain, in uneven condition, and of less than ideal appearance. Although indisputably old, the organ is not of significant historical value as a musical instrument given its condition and the diverse repairs and changes it has undergone. The church does not need an organ that is as physically large as the current Hook and Hastings. A smaller instrument with appropriate flexibility and proper voicing would be better scaled to the dimensions of the sanctuary. It would be highly desirable to change the configuration of the organ and console so that the music director is able to face the choir and the choir is able to face the front of the church. We should explore configurations that will reduce the amount of space the organ consumes within the sanctuary, while also providing easier access to the inside of the organ for purposes of maintenance and repair. The most important criteria in selecting an organ are reliability and quality of sound; it should not matter whether the instrument is tracker (fully mechanical), electro-pneumatic, or direct electric action, which are various ways of getting the pipes to sound.

Future Options:

Two potential options would be to continue with “business as usual” or to recommend a modest intensification of routine maintenance. We have not included these options because they are inconsistent with the committee’s mandate to recommend a viable long-term solution.

Option 1. Seek to identify a used pipe organ that would fulfill the needs of the church. The purchase and installation of such an instrument would likely require outlays for transportation, repair, and adaptation that would be in addition to the purchase price. Overall costs would be substantial but almost certainly less than that of a major renovation or total replacement. In the best case, a used instrument will become available that meets all or most of our needs for a reasonable and perhaps even a bargain amount. However, it is far from certain that a truly appropriate used organ can be found. The committee has already explored several possibilities that did not prove suitable, and a preliminary look through offerings listed by the Organ Clearinghouse did not yield a positive result. In addition, there are always risks that hidden flaws in a used organ will assert themselves. Estimated costs would vary widely depending on the type and condition of the instrument. A ballpark estimate would be $100,000 to $200,000.

Option 2. Restore current organ to its original Hook and Hastings design. This would involve substantial off-site work designed to remedy the most serious problems that are susceptible to repair. This option would result in improved performance of the instrument at a cost that is less than some other options. However, it would not resolve issues with respect to the size of the organ’s footprint, the lack of a mobile console, and the absence of a standard pedal board. Depending on the scope of work, it may or may not remedy the problem of inadequate access for maintenance. Estimated cost: $100,000 - $180,000.


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Option 3. Completely rebuild and modernize the instrument with electrified action and new configuration.

This would include a mobile console with electrified (as opposed to tracker) action, and a standard pedal board. Hook and Hastings sound would be maintained. New configuration would allow for improved maintenance. Estimated cost: (15-22 stops) - $300,000 - $450,000.

Option 4. Commission a new pipe organ. This option would make it possible to have an organ that fits our church’s needs in sound and physical space, including a reduced footprint and a mobile console. Most builders provide a ten year warranty that would cover repair expenses for the first ten years. Estimated cost: a minimum of $20,000 - $25,000 per stop – or $300,000 to $500,000 total. Depending on the design selected, the final price could be higher.

Option 5. Commission or Purchase an electronic (digital) organ. A custom-designed digital organ has the potential to provide a musical experience comparable to that of a new pipe organ at a lower cost. The organ footprint would be smaller and the question of configuration could be addressed. However, the life expectancy of a digital organ is shorter than that of a pipe organ and there are uncertainties related to sound quality, the availability of replacement parts, early obsolescence, and unforeseeable issues of maintenance. (A more comprehensive discussion of this option is included as appendix A of this report.)

Discussion

Christ Church has not had a new pipe organ since 1880. The current organ was never intended to be a long-term solution, but has continued to serve in the absence of the parish’s ability and willingness to develop an alternative. Drafting a blueprint for future action on the organ is an integral part of the church’s current five year strategic plan. Implementing such a blueprint might logically be a core element in the successor plan (2013-2017). A decision to fully rehabilitate the current organ or to contract for a new one would require a major commitment of money and oversight from the parish. Such a step should not be taken lightly. However, a failure to act could leave us without a working organ and in a position where decisions about a replacement would have to be made in crisis mode. The fact that there are no easy answers has been used for decades as a rationale for delay; the problem is that answers become more, not less, difficult with the passage of time. In assessing the available options, the parish is encouraged to think of this investment as a multi-generational proposition. It is an investment that will pay dividends quite possibly for the remainder of this century. Similarly, the Vestry is encouraged to consider the impact of the organ on church growth. This is significant in terms of the mission of the parish, but also has a financial dimension. The difference of one average pledging unit over a period of 25 years is roughly $75,000 in current value. An organ that assists growth helps to pay for itself, while a music program that limits or retards growth would be far more costly than it might seem. The quality of the organ over the long term is also likely to have a measurable impact on the church’s ability to attract and to retain first-rate leaders of our music ministries. An organ that is able to provide suitable accompaniment to a range of musical styles could help make CC+WP more of a center for community concerts and similar events.


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Options two (restoration) and three (rebuilding) would require removal of the organ from our church for a period of time while work is done. Other options would entail less disruption, since time would be needed for installation purposes only. If a decision is made to purchase a new or used organ, the church should seek to sell the current one via the Organ Clearinghouse or a similar organization. The Vestry might choose to hire a consultant to assist in the process of identifying an organ (including a used organ) that meets the requirements of the church.

The Way Forward

The church’s current five year strategic plan calls for the development of a blueprint for the future of the organ. This report can provide a basis for such a blueprint, the implementation of which might logically be an objective for the follow-on plan, to begin in 2013. To enable this, we recommend the following action steps: Develop a specific action plan based on additional guidance (i.e. a narrower list of options) and a broader mandate (the inclusion of funding ideas, authority to hire consultants etc.) Begin an education/discernment process within the parish to determine the likely level of financial and other support for any or all of the options listed; and/or Incorporate the implementation of an action plan for the replacement or rebuilding of the organ as a specific objective in the parish’s overall strategy for 2013-2017.

Alternatively, the Vestry could suspend the effort to identify a long-term upgrade or replacement for the organ.

Appendices

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Appendix A: Discussion of an Electronic (or Digital) Organ.

In the past two decades, digital organs have developed as an alternative for churches seeking to retain the traditional sound of a pipe organ but either unable to afford such an instrument or facing architectural issues that make a pipe organ impractical. Although electronic organs of various designs have been available since World War II, the development of software-based digital church organs extends back only to about 1990. Currently, the best digital organs are able to generate sounds that advocates say are identical to those produced by a pipe organ. In the United States, the majority of these instruments employ a technology known as sampling that uses sound files previously recorded from various ranks of organ pipes. Others employ a process of synthesis where the pipe wave shape is created without using an actual sample. Below is a fuller explanation of the two systems:

Digital sampling: The waveform emanating from the pipe is recorded, then digitized (its voltage amplitude is converted to a series of numbers.) These numbers are permanently stored in ICs (integrated circuits.) When that particular note is called for (by actuating the specific stop and pressing the specific key), the central processing unit sends a signal to the ICs to read out those numbers. Then the original waveform is regenerated by a converter. Real-Time Digital Synthesis: Each note is created in real-time, not stored on a chip. Nested sinewave algorithms compute and generate each note’s array of harmonic content each time a key is depressed, creating an overall envelope. Also known as “active” tone generation. The console of a digital organ may look almost identical to that of a pipe organ. A number of advanced technologies have been harnessed to mimic the complexities and variations that typically occur in the sound of a pipe organ. Supporters praise the realistic and complex sound of good digital organs, the elimination of wheezing and humming that may exist with an older pipe organ, and the relative ease of maintenance. Skeptics suggest that digital organs lack the richness and variability of pipe organs under actual performance conditions – and that, in any case, much depends on the proper placement of speakers and the overall quality of installation. Although a digital organ is less costly than a comparable pipe organ, a digital organ that is “customized” and voiced for a particular church space will nevertheless require a substantial investment. A custom design still relies on a standard organ model, but also emphasizes the appropriate esthetic appearance of the instrument and the proper placement of speakers. According to one builder, “Differences in organ literature, personal taste, acoustic specifications of the room, application of the organ, musical style, and architectural proportions all determine the final specification, size, and disposition of the instrument.” The companies with the best reputation for reliability are also the companies that offer the most expensive organs. Digital organs come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and prices. It does not seem possible to obtain firm pricing information for a customized digital organ without inviting a company representative to visit the church and provide an estimate. Anecdotal information suggests that prices may vary from $20-30 thousand at the low end of the spectrum to as much as $1 million at the other extreme. For our church, a ballpark estimate of $150 thousand to $225

Appendices

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thousand might be reasonable. One commentator suggests that the life expectancy for an electronic organ should be projected as about one-fourth that of a traditional pipe organ. Although some organ companies claim that advanced digital organs do not require periodic maintenance and tuning, firms that specialize in repair and maintenance do not agree. All the moving parts of an organ can wear out; key contacts get dirty easily; pedal springs can lose their action; speaker systems are vulnerable to dust and wear; circuit boards can fail because of oxidation. A new digital organ would typically come with a ten year warranty for parts. The new organs use a modular design that, manufacturers say, ensures the quick and easy replacement of failed components. It should be emphasized that the technology used in digital organs has continued to evolve rapidly. Electronic organs built more than twenty years ago used analog technology and are considered useful now only for purposes of practice. A 1990 organ might fairly be viewed as an antique. Unlike pipe organs, which have used the same basic technology for centuries, there is considerable uncertainty about how long a digital organ is likely to remain “top of the line.” This raises unanswerable questions about whether replacement parts will remain available twenty, thirty or fifty years into the future. Many digital organs sold in the past twenty years were manufactured by companies that are no longer in business. According to one repair representative:

The electronic church organ market is in a volatile state. Some manufacturers have closed their doors, and others are on their way out. In order to survive, some companies have begun using their manufacturing facilities to produce circuit boards for other companies or moved their production facilities overseas, or quadrupled their parts pricing structure, or supplied their American name to an overseas manufacturer’s product…While very few electronic organ manufacturers are striving to increase reliability and maintain their level of quality, most are trying to increase profitability by using cheaper components. Rubber tactile contacts are a perfect example, since they are now being used in a large number of electronic church organ keyboards and draw knobs. In one well-known brand, I have seen them deteriorate into non-working condition in only 2 years…One major electronic organ manufacturer uses cheap plastic thumb pistons that actually melt into deformity from the heat of the internal lamp, and plastic draw knobs that crack and come apart during normal use.

Digital Organ Pros and Cons:

Pros: A custom-designed digital organ could provide a musical experience comparable to that of a new pipe organ at a significantly lower initial cost. Digital organs can be upgraded throughout their lifetimes via changes in software in the same manner that computers can be upgraded. Ongoing maintenance expenses should also be lower than with a pipe organ. The organ footprint would be smaller than with the existing organ, and the question of configuration could be addressed in accordance with the wishes of the parish. Cons: The life expectancy of a digital organ is likely to be far shorter than that of a pipe organ. There are a number of other uncertainties related to digital organs including the availability of replacement parts, ensuring the proper placement and appearance of speakers, and unforeseeable issues of maintenance. In addition, some parishioners will no doubt question whether a digital organ is an appropriate instrument for a historic parish, such as Christ

Appendices

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Church. Some may argue, as well, that a quality pipe organ is more likely than an electronic organ to attract first-rate musicians to our parish to serve as the director of music ministries. If the option of an electronic organ is pursued, it would appear wise to select only among the largest and best-established manufacturers and to scrutinize carefully all contractual provisions related to maintenance and repairs.

Hybrid Organ

A hybrid organ is, as one might suspect, a combination of a pipe organ and a digital organ. This is a relatively new technology, dating back—in its current form—only about ten years. Hybrid organs appear be most suitable for churches that require a more versatile organ than they have, but lack the space to expand the number of pipes. In such an instance, an organ builder will supply a digital unit that contains the desired additional voices along with necessary loudspeakers. Manufacturers assert that, with current technology, they can assure that the response of digital stops will perfectly match that of the pipes, so that listeners are unable to tell the difference. Advocates argue that a hybrid can allow a church to retain the sound and appearance of a traditional pipe organ at a more affordable cost, with easier maintenance, and while consuming less space. Critics question hybrids’ durability, artistic integrity, quality of sound, and long-term cost-effectiveness. The absence of an extended track record complicates the challenge of gauging who is right.

Committee visits 1) Ascension , Silver Spring; February 27, 2011

Committee/choir members attending: Marian Connolly, Charles Floto, Andrea Harles, David McCahan, Linda Mellgren, John Payne, Judy Schneider, Richard Thibadeau, Jean Turkiewicz, Bill Woodward Organ Type: Renaissance Quantum Allen, four manual, digital Choirmaster/organist: David Cato Choir: about two dozen volunteer singers from the parish Background: The prior pipe organ was terrible. The pipes were installed in the front and facing the side wall. The sound did not carry throughout the church. The digital organ was purchased because they could not afford a good pipe organ, and because of the configuration of the space there was no way to install the organ pipes so that the sound would carry throughout the church. Speakers for the digital organ were placed in the front and in the back, but the back speakers were not working properly when we visited. The organ can be programmed, to the extent that an organist need not be present at the service. Cost and maintenance: Built in 1995 for $140,000. Purchased used in 2008 for $40,000. Adjustments and maintenance have been continuing problems. Although only 15 years old the technology is now out of date. Music director estimated that the price of a comparable organ today would be $200-225,000. He compared the instrument to driving a Pontiac instead of the Mercedes of a pipe organ, but says that digital is a good choice for those who cannot afford something more expensive. He said that Ascension could have found the money for a used pipe organ but not the anticipated maintenance costs.

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Committee assessment: Sound did not carry evenly throughout the church. The malfunctioning of the back speakers was very noticeable. On the demo tape that David Cato played, the different voice lines were very hard to distinguish, as the sound was muffled rather than distinct. The sound was not live, that is, it did not reverberate throughout the space. On the whole, the sound was that of a monophonic recording on a rather ordinary player. 2) Christ Church, Georgetown; June 26, 2011 Committee/choir members attending: Marian Connolly, Andrea Harles, David McCahan, Linda Mellgren,, Jean Turkiewicz, Bill Woodward Organ Type: Allen digital with pipe facade Choirmaster/organist: Michael Lindstrom Choir: Twelve paid professional singers Background: The organ was purchased in 2002 when it became clear that there was nothing they could do to improve the sound of the pipe organ they had built for the space many years earlier. Like Ascension, the problem was that the pipe installation was limited by the structural design of the nave. At Christ Church the nave is high and narrow with side transepts that have a much lower ceiling. The organ pipes were not open to the center nave sections but set facing one of the transepts. Michael indicated that it was very difficult for the sound to travel from the pipes throughout the church. Fixing the sound problem would have required reconfiguring the interior of the sanctuary. Michael indicated that the decision to go digital was based on these structural constraints. He said that Allen has been very responsive to problems, such as the need to redo the keyboard because of a tiny measurement error. Cost and maintenance: The console cost $100,000 and was originally built for their pipe organ. The speakers with software cost another $100,000. The acoustical enhancement to the nave cost an additional $25,000 but Michael had the technical skills and did the installation and continues to do the maintenance for the acoustical enhancement. Committee assessment: The sound carried well throughout the central nave part of the church, but less well under the transepts. Ability to hear the voice lines on hymns was variable with committee choir members with stronger musical skills able to hear the lines more distinctly than the less skilled committee members. (This is not an issue if you have a paid professional choir like Christ Church Georgetown.) In contrast to CC+WP it was interesting that although the church was full, only a couple of people (outside of the committee folks present) stayed to listen to the postlude.

3) St Peter’s, Arlington; July 10, 2011

Committee/choir members attending: Marian Connolly, Andrea Harles, David McCahan, Jean Turkiewicz, Bill Woodward Organ Type: Hybrid, Lewis & Hitchcock, three manual, with Walker digital added Organist: Michael Parrish (guest organist) Background: The instrument is a Lewis and Hitchcock three manual, 41 rank console connected to a combination of pipes and Walker digital equipment. The pipes, located in a balcony at the back of the sanctuary, are partly in use and partly for show.

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Cost and maintenance: The hybrid organ was installed in 2008 at a total cost of $155k. The console had previously been used in Fort Myers. Maintenance costs have been negligible. Committee assessment: Although the guest organist who played during our visit considers the instrument “unexciting,” it does produce a clear and versatile sound that seemed well-suited to the space, which is comparable in size to that of the CC+WP sanctuary. The parishioners we talked were pleased with the improvement over the old banged-up pipe organ they had had previously.

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Appendix B: Murphy Assessment

REPORT AND EVALUATION of the

Hook and Hastings Pipe Organ, Opus 1912 for

Christ Episcopal Church, Washington, DC

July 1, 2010 This report was prepared and is being offered as a critique of the existing conditions—both mechanical and tonally—of the Hook and Hastings Pipe Organ at Christ Episcopal Church in Washington DC. Please bear in mind that in a survey of this nature, it is impossible to uncover every fault or problem with an instrument, especially of this size. Such things as intermittent or seasonal mechanical failures and tuning problems are known best to those who have cared for and played it for many years. My findings should serve as a “second opinion” and should be supplemented by the experience of others who know this organ well. I wish to emphasize that nothing in this report should be construed as a criticism of the present and/or past maintenance technicians. I can only report what I observed. I have no knowledge of any extenuating circumstances leading to the instrument’s present condition. Historical Context and Overall View.

• Hook & Hastings Co. Boston Mass. Opus. 1912 built and installed in 1901 at St. Cyprian RC Church Washington DC. Rev. J.R Mathews contact. 2 manual 19 registers, mechanical key and stop action.

• Relocated and installed with mechanical and tonal alterations by James F. Akright of Baltimore in 1972.

• Additional alterations by Daniel M. Meyer of Alexandria Va. in 1976. Stop changes to the Great are installed with electro mechanical windchests that are a significant compromise to the integrity of the instrument.

The present instrument constructed in 1901 by the distinguished firm of Hook and Hastings Co. of Boston Massachusetts, is listed as having 2 manuals and 19 registers and was likely their catalog style “9D’. There have been significant tonal changes to the instrument. This includes on

Report and Evaluation of the Hook and Hastings Pipe Organ, Opus 1912, for Christ Episcopal Church, Washington, DC. Patrick J. Murphy and Associates, Organbuilders. July 1, 2010

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& ASSOCIATES, INC.

O R G A N B U I L D E R S

the Great, a 2 2/3 Twelfth, 2’ Fifteenth and 1 3/5 Seventeenth all on electrical mechanical windchest, and a Swell Cymbel and Pedal stops that are largely non functional. Many ranks added were in an attempt to “modernize” the sound with fair results at best. There are many voicing and regulation problems created by this substitution of pipework made for a different wind pressure and acoustical environments.

The Hook & Hastings Company was begun in 1827 by the brothers Elias and George Hook. The company grew steadily into the foremost American organ building firm of the 19th century, building the largest instruments of their time, incorporating the latest European innovations, and earning a reputation for the most refined and exciting tonal qualities while also maintaining by far the highest level of production of any company in the United States.

A Hook and Hastings instrument from this period is arguably considered by many within the pipe organ community as representing the finest instruments of its day, from one of the top builders. Much of the pipework within the instrument is in reasonably good shape (considering its age) and then as well as now, is of a very high quality. Patrick J. Murphy & Associates would be happy to assist with such a project. Our firm has a long association with work on instruments such as yours; with a particular affinity for Hook & Hastings’ instruments.

MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL CONDTIONS

In general the organ is in fair mechanical condition, considering its age and unprofessional installation. It is located at an advantageous, free standing, west end location. Physical access for much of the organ varies from somewhat difficult to extremely difficult. In addition, dirt and poor lighting make servicing and/or repair extremely difficult. Housekeeping is particularly poor.

George Hook Elias Hook

Francis Hastings


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I have included as a separate portion of this report a series of pictures that were taken during my survey that illustrates the current condition of the various components of the instrument. Please review them in conjunction with the narrative comments provided here.

Service lighting is also particularly poor. The existing incandescent, temporary lighting fixtures not only fails to provide even illumination, but the high wattage of bulbs required produce a considerable amount of heat; causing tuning to be irregular within an unstable environment. Permanent CFL lighting is recommended to improve this situation.

A clean, well lit environment in conjunction with other recommended upgrades and improved access, will result in an environment in which technicians can work more efficiently. Dirt also plays a part in the stability of reed stop tuning (Oboe, Trumpet). As dirt particulates become stirred up within the chamber, they enter the reed pipes and can cause unstable tuning over time.

Such a situation is difficult for a trained technician. It makes the situation seem absolutely hopeless at times. Sloppy surroundings lead to sloppy work and all too soon complete degradation of the instrument.

Pipework Having said this, however, the original pipework is in generally good restorable condition although some problems were apparent. The functioning façade pipes have not been properly cleaned of the gold paint and stripping solution since the installation in 1972, and do require refurbishment. Should a renovation including cleaning and regulation be considered, new tuning collars should be installed throughout. Specifically:

Great 1. In the Great division, the addition of pipework on an electric windchest is out of place

and nearly impossible to service. Gaining access to the internal components of the instrument by removing Pedal pipes is very untypical and inefficient.

Figure 1; PJM Opus #20, The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Agoura Hills, CA. Restored 1869 E.

& G.G. Hook–2 manual, 17 rank


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2. A mixture stop of unknown origin has been installed. Swell

1. Many stops of the Swell have been moved to different pitches that are beyond recognition. My examination seems to indicate that most of the pipework is original to the instrument. However, much of it is inadequately racked and not a suitable match or blend with the rest of the instrument.

2. Access into the Swell to tuning is difficult at best. No lighting.

Pedal 1. Most of the Pedal additions do not function. 2. The Pedal Bourdon is in good condition and provides suitable bass.

Blower The quality of air furnished to the organ is the major determinant of its life expectancy and performance. Proper temperature is required for tuning stability. Good humidity control promotes stability of wood and other organic products. Clean air prevents leather deterioration and promotes stable tuning. (It has been demonstrated that if pressurized air contains contaminants and particulates, delicate leather and other perishable materials will be destroyed. Pipes—especially reeds—will go out of tune.) The existing Ventus blower, installed within the last 35 years, may continue to operate. Wind System Controlling and distributing the wind generated by the blower(s) is the job of the wind system and reservoirs. Reservoirs are the hinged boxes under or near the windchests designed to provide steady ample winding much like one’s “lungs”. They must provide steady wind of adequate capacity. The original Hook and Hastings bellows have been replaced with a supply house “bag” type regulator that while it seems to operate adequately, is showing its age. Interestingly, the original hand pump is stored within the instrument. There are many small air leaks from cracks in the windlines that cannot be fixed without a comprehensive rebuilding. Windchests The windchests are the most critical components of the organs. These large “boxes” where the pipes actually sit and are filled with air and note valves that then are attached to the organ’s keyboards; which control the starting and stopping commands from the organist at the console. The existing windchests that support the instrument are in fair condition and would need a thorough refurbishing to eliminate wind leaks, identify cracks or mechanical issues in need of repair. There is evidence of random leak relief holes applied un professionally. New chest tables are recommended.


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Console The original attached Hook and Hasting console has been extensively modified to the point where it has become unwieldy to navigate, and repair. While it was built before standards set forth by the American Guild of Organists (AGO), it nonetheless can be restored and utilized as part of the original equipment of the Hook firm. Installation of a modern combination action is possible if a restoration were to be considered. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (Note: Rebuilding Options #4 and #5, assumes retaining the existing footprint of the organ.) Option #1 Do Nothing. At the present rate of deterioration, serious failures may occur at any time. As an organist myself, and being familiar with the expectations of the organ community at large, I would find it difficult to present a convincing musical performance with this instrument in its present state. Option #2 Concentrated Maintenance (glorified maintenance) - Several problems found within the present installation could be improved with “aggressive maintenance”. However, such an approach would be in vain if a first class reliable instrument were expected. While an aggressive maintenance program may improve many aspects of the present instrument, the long term costs will likely not justify the end results. Option #3 Restore the original Hook and Hastings instrument with mechanical action. I would not recommend mechanical action in conjunction with detaching the console as suggested – that is to place the console further away. This approach is difficult, expensive and history has offered mixed results of success in this approach. Restore the casework and construct new casework sides in the Hook style. Facade pipes to be painted gold. An idea of the work involved might be the following.

A. Removal and Transport. The entire instrument will be removed and transported to the workshop.

B. Manual and Pedal Windchests. 1. The Great, Swell and Pedal windchests will be retabled using quality voidless

marine grade plywood. The chests will be stripped of toeboards, sliders, gibes and pallets. 2. The old tables to be removed and grid to be trued flat. 3. Repairs will be made if needed to any cracks or splits to the bars or sponsils.


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4. Properly refit and shimmed as needed all sliders to correct any note-to-note leakage and provide for smooth movement of sliders.

5. The original pallet felt and leather will be replaced with the finest grade of materials.

6. All pallet springs will be regulated to improve key action weight. 7. The existing oil cloth to be removed and new rubber cloth will be installed over

bars and grid. 8. All bung covers and chest bottoms will be regasketed. 9. Windchests to be tested before re-installation. 10. The non original stops on electric chests would not be part of this project.

C. Key Actions. 1. All trackers will be replaced with new wood material. 2. All squares to be replaced with new wood squares having frictionless phenolic

bushings. 3. All roller boards for the manuals and Pedal action will be cleaned, repaired and

rebushed. 4. New wood trackers will be made with either threaded or linen ends to

accommodate the original connection termination. New saddle bushing to be provided. 5. All other action parts including stop action will be refelted and adjusted for

smooth operation. 6. All manual and Pedal couplers will be carefully restored.

D. Winding Systems. 1. New bellows would be constructed. 2. All wind lines will be checked for leaks and repaired. All wind lines to receive

new leather gaskets to ensure silent operation. 3. A new blower will be provided and installed within the restored chamber.

E. Console/Keydesk. 1. The keyboards will be rebushed and repaired as needed. 2. Key tails for couplers will be re-leathered. 3. The Pedalboard will be rebuilt and refelted for smooth quiet action. 4. Pedal sharps and naturals to be re capped with new wood coverings. 5. Adjustable combination action may be installed if required.

F. Pipework. 1. All retained pipework will be completely cleaned and repaired as needed. 2. All splits and cracks in wood pipes will be repaired.


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3. New stopper leather will be installed for the 16’ Pedal Bourdon, 8’ Swell Stopped Diapason, 8’ Great Doppelflute.

4. All metal pipes will be straightened and receive new properly fitted stainless steel tuning collars for dead length pipes as needed to ensure proper tuning stability.

5. The Swell Oboe to be cleaned and repaired as needed. 6. All pipes will be regulated for proper speech in our factory and tuned as close to

A= 440 @ 70 degrees as possible. 7. Final tonal regulation will be done in the Church site. 8. A Pedal 8’ Principal and Pedal 16’ Trombone may be added to the specification.

G. Façade pipes 1. The façade pipes will be completely stripped, dents removed, and repainted with

our standard bright gold. OPTION – The original façade stenciling can be restored utilizing colors from the existing stain glass windows.

2. Facade pipes to have new internal tuning collars installed to replace broken scrolls.

H. Casework and Miscellaneous. 1. Casework would be repaired and refinished. New cases sides would be

constructed of oak to encase the Pedal stops and organ interior and provide improved serviceability access.

2. The rebuilt parts will be tested before installation in the church. 3. The instrument will then be installed,

regulated, tuned and made ready for use. Great Swell Pedal

8 Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 16 Bourdon

8 Doppleflute 8 Viola 8 Principal opt

8 Viola da Gamba 8 Celeste 16 Trombone opt

4 Octave 4 Harmonic Flute Great to Pedal

III Mixture 2’opt 2 Flautino Swell to Pedal

Swell to Great II Cornet

8 Oboe

Estimated Costs for Option #3 – 12-15 stops - $139,200 - $180,000.

Figure 2; PJM Opus #11, Chapel of St. Joseph, St. Joseph’s University,

Philadelphia, PA. 1868 E. & G.G. Hook #461, 2 manual, 26 Rank, Mechanical

Action.

http://www.pjmorgans.com/HTML/projects/mechanical_opus/opus11_chapst_joseph.html�


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Option #4. Completely rebuild the instrument with electric action. This would involve retaining the best mechanical and tonal elements of the existing instrument and rebuilding all existing mechanical elements (windchests, pipework and casework) with new efficiently designed components that require far less perishable components to maintain and that would provide the necessary appointments required for today’s highly skilled musicians. The integrity of the Hook sound can be maintained while introducing modern appointments. Console.

1. Construct a new quarter sawn solid oak low profile drawknob console of raised panel and either terraced or vertical draw stop configuration. Stop jamb interior to be of cherry. To be finished to the clients sample.

2. Install a new custom designed solid-state combination system with 99 levels of memory to be selected by a discreet digital select panel and up/down thumb piston selector.

3. Construct and install new electric rocking tablets in the nameboard for the couplers and MIDI.

4. Install a Transposer to be selected by a discreet digital panel and up/down piston selector.

5. Provide a record/playback system to be selected by a discreet digital select panel and piston selector.

6. Install new Harris (or similar) electric drawknob actions with wood engraved heads. Terrace console to have oblique heads.

7. Install new toggle touch keyboards with ebony sharps and silver contacts. 8. Install a new AGO Pedalboard with silver key contacts. 9. Install new power supply for combination action. 10. Install new thumb pistons for the following accessories:

i. Generals 1-10 (thumb and toe) ii. Great 1-6. (thumb) iii. Swell 1-6. (thumb) iv. Great to Pedal Reversible (thumb & toe) v. Swell to Pedal Reversible (thumb & toe) vi. Sforzando Reversible (thumb & toe with red indicator light) vii General Cancel and Set. (thumb) viii. Player access with panel display. (thumb)

Figure 3; PJM Signature, Low Profile Console.


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11. New Crescendo and expression shoes with contacts. 12. Provide new adjustable bench finished to match existing console. 13. Console to be movable with discreet non marring casters.

Windchests and Expression Boxes. 1. New electric unit or electric slider windchests of solid wood construction will

be custom constructed at our facility and installed onto a newly designed chassis of poplar construction.

2. New expression shades of extra thick construction for ruggedness and mass will be provided for improved crescendo and diminuendo effects. These shades will be overlapping, felted and fitted to ensure tight fitting and smooth bind free operation.

3. Sixteen stage solid-state expression motors would be installed.

C. Winding Systems 1. New bellows will be constructed to provide a quiet, efficient and copious

supply of wind to all divisions. 2. A new silent blower of sufficient size will be provided and installed within the

provided blower area.

D. Pipework. 1. New stainless steel tuning collars will be correctly fitted on all flue pipes to

assist in providing stable tuning. 2. Pedal 8’ Principal and Pedal 16’ Trombone stops would be installed. 3. All pipes will be regulated for proper speech in our factory.

4. Final finishing will be performed at the church site.

5. All pipes will be tuned to A=440 @ 70 degrees. Final finishing and regulation would be performed at the church site.

E. DC Electrical Systems.

1. All new DC wiring would be provided, installed and fused to current NEC codes.

2. New DC power rectifiers will be provided to ensure reliable current supply.


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F. Casework.

1. Casework would be repaired and refinished. New case sides would be constructed of oak to encase the Pedal stops and organ interior and provide improved serviceability access.

Estimated costs for option 4. (15-22 stops) - $300,000 - $450,000. See sample below and “Buckingham” flyer for stoplist suggestions.

Great Swell Pedal

8 Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 16 Bourdon

8 Doppleflute 8 Viola 16 Lieblich Gedackt sw

8 Viola da Gamba 8 Viola Celeste 8 Principal

4 Octave 4 Principal 8 Flute

2 Fifteenth 4 Principal 4 Choralbass

III Mixture 4 Harmonic Flute 16 Trombone

8 Trumpet II Cornet 8 Trumpet

Swell to Great 16,8,4 8 Oboe Great and Swell to Pedal 8,4

Swell to Swell 16 - 4

Pipework from various Patrick J. Murphy & Associates Inc. Projects


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Option #5. Commission a new instrument. Provide new pipework, building frames, windchests and winding systems in addition to the rebuilt console. This would allow for corrective measure to the chamber egress and improve serviceability.

Estimated cost - $20,000 - $25,000 per stop.

Pipe Organs are a custom-built product using highly skilled, artisan-type labor. Each organ is individually designed and voiced according to the needs and tastes of the purchaser. Although many pipe organs built today are using advanced technology to design the instruments and advanced industrial processes for some parts of the manufacturing, the final product requires high levels of work by individual craftsperson's making pipes, voicing, tuning, building and rebuilding of consoles and chests. The beauty and majesty of the pipe organ therefore is a result of the labor of love of many skilled and knowledgeable people whose aim is to provide a unique and beautiful instrument for each customer. It is naive to assume that two builder’s costs for the same instrument will be exactly alike. Elements such as overhead, distance from shop to job site, experience on like projects, lead times for jobs to commence, and approach to any given project will affect quotes accordingly. We believe we would be uniquely qualified to provide

whatever level of assistance you may be looking for. We take great pride in our accomplishments and are continually interested in locating new and exciting projects. Patrick J. Murphy President

Figure 4; PJM Opus #36, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Pennsburg, PA

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Appendix C: Storey Assessment

DAVID M. STOREY, INC. PIPE ORGAN BUILDERS - SERVICE TECHNICIANS 300 WEST LAFAYETTE AVENUE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21217 office 410-889-3800, cell 410-409-9081, fax 410-889-2155, e-mail [email protected]

BUILDING/RESTORATION/SERVICE

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Evaluation of the Current Condition of the Organ Christ Church, Washington Parish

Washington, DC June 11, 2010

We visited the organ at Christ Church on June 4, 2010. The history of the organ’s provenance is well known. Subsequent changes and “improvements” have been performed on the organ since its installation at

Christ Church. Most of the changes have been considerably less than successful. The complete organ project remains unfinished after thirty-eight years. CURRENT CONDITION Pipes Most of the pipework in the organ is original, however a few ranks have been irreparably altered, and others have been lost and replaced with different sets of pipes. Some have been revoiced and no longer have the characteristic Hook & Hastings tone. The façade pipes have been partially stripped of their late Victorian stenciling and colors. Most of the original Hook & Hastings pipework is in fair condition. The treble pipes have taken a beating over time and most will now need their tops cut off and new tuning slides installed. Some higher pitched ranks in the Swell, the Great Mixture, and the stops added to the Pedal are not original to the organ and have no particular historical value. One can question the efficacy of these stops in the overall total effect of the sound of the organ. The room is small with intimate acoustics. Very high pitches and mixtures have limited use in a small organ. It seems unwise to consume space on a windchest for stops that can only be used in full registrations. In acoustics such as we find in this room, high pitches and mixtures are unnecessary in a small organ. These stops do not blend well with the original tonal intent and do little to enhance it. The added stops actually limit the flexibility of the organ and detract from its historical value. Pipework in the Great and Pedal may be tuned with relative ease but pipes in the Swell are exceedingly difficult to access without dismantling the swell box. The issue of limited access and the unsteady speech of the small pipes complicates accurate tuning and results in the organ going out of tune easily. All the wood pipes are durable and appear to be in better than fair condition. All the pipes need to be evaluated for repair or replacement.



2

Chests The original manual chests appear to be in fair condition. They seem to be functioning reasonably well for 100 year old wind chests that have never been rebuilt. Since they have never been rebuilt it is more than likely that there are splits and cracks across the tops of the chests resulting in murmuring of pipes when an adjacent pipe is played. This becomes especially apparent during the dry heating months of fall and winter. We find evidence of numerous bleed holes bored through the chest frames to exhaust leaking channels and diminish the murmuring. Murmurs contribute to the organ sounding dull and out of tune. The Pedal Subbass ventil chest on the right side of the organ works reasonably well. The Pedal chest on the left side of the organ may have been well intentioned but its stop action is useless rendering the chest and the stops on it of no value to the organ. Until the stop action is redesigned and built new, this chest serves no meaningful purpose. A few toeboards, the boards upon which the pipes stand, have been modified to receive pipes different from the originals. They could be returned to their original state as part of an authentic historic restoration. There is an electric chest added to the Great. It appears to be from a left over parts storage shed and is of very poor quality. Its installation is of an amateur nature as well. The pipes on them are in poor condition. All the electric chests and pipes associated with them should be removed from the organ. The original pallet and slider windchests must be removed from the organ, completely dismantled and rebuilt to be reliable and trouble free. There is nothing that can be done to them in place to achieve a satisfactory level of performance. Key and stop action The mechanical key action exists mostly unaltered. It works reasonably well however the 19

th century tracker organs had no self regulating mechanisms in

them and they therefore require periodic attention to keep them in good regulation. The manual key action on the date I saw it was not in good regulation. It should have been better. The Swell action is difficult and heavy to play due in part to the addition of return springs installed on the roller board, a rather odd location. Uniformity of the action from note to note is very important if the organist is to provide music with certainty. The action is irregular in key pressure, key depth and key height. This irregularity affects the music as the organist plays. Both manuals do have 61 keys which is the modern standard. This was progressive on the part of Hook&Hastings when many of its contemporary builders were still building 56 and 58 note manuals. Mechanical actions have hundreds of moving parts. It appears that these key actions have never been restored and suffer from neglect and excessive wear and age. The action can not be properly regulated until all bearing points are restored, a lengthy and costly project. There are some new wood trackers in the



3

organ for the Swell division, however many of the trackers elsewhere are made of aluminum wire. These are generally rattly and bent, contributing to an irregular and insensitive key action. Electrical contacts have been added to the key action system so that some electric chests added later can be played. Fortunately, this equipment may be removed with little damage resulting to the organ. The installation of the electrical system simply should never have been done. It’s a hobby job at best and, as it is, will never be reliable. The original stop action mostly works as it should despite its looseness. Some of the loose joints are bound in cloth rags to keep them quiet. The wear on the bearing points creates lost motion preventing the slider from moving to the same off or on position each time it is moved. This has a negative effect on tuning. Stop action added later for the mechanical pedal chest on the left side of the organ is a failure and has proved useless in turning off and on the stops. Stop action for the electric chest is not a part of the mechanical stop action system and cannot be activated by the Great Forte and Piano pedals. The Forte and Piano pedals are improperly adjusted and the stops they move do not produce the desired effect. They are now an accessory with no function. The Pedal key action is in fair condition. However, the pedal board has only 27 keys and it is a straight, flat pedalboard. While this is not impossible to play it can be difficult for a typical organist that may be more familiar with the standardized concave and radiating pedalboard with 32 keys. Expanding the pedal key action to 32 notes and adding a modern pedal board can not be accomplished on this organ. Pedal key actions need to be every bit as sensitive as the manual actions. Because they are played with the feet, the pedal actions receive significantly more wear and tear. The pedal action shows this with loose pedal keys and irregular firing points (the point at which the notes play in the key fall). All the pedal key action needs the same attention as the manual actions. The couplers present their own special difficulties. They must be adjusted so their firing points are perfectly timed with those of the keyboard that is engaging the coupler. Here we find the firing points very irregular to the point of unreliability. Because of alterations to the Swell key action, the Great manual becomes almost unplayable when the Swell is coupled to it. When the pedal coupler engages the manual keyboards, the firing points are unpredictable. The couplers can not be regulated until all the key action is rebuilt. Presently, any regulation of the key, coupler and stop actions will be short lived. Wind system The original large double rise bellows has been lost from the organ. The bellows undoubtedly also contained a hand pumping mechanism to manually raise the wind. A rather small floating top bellows now takes its place. A German made



4

blower of high quality supplies the wind, but the blower is not in a muffler box and as a result the noise of the machine is too noticeable. This annoyance detracts from the effectiveness of the organ when used in quiet registrations. The blower does supply an adequate amount of wind at sufficient pressure to support the pipe work. However, the added stops have pushed the blower to about maximum capacity. With the loss of the original bellows goes some of the historical value of the organ. There are many noticeable wind leaks, a situation that gets worse in the warm dry heating season. The small bellows can not adequately control the smooth flow of the wind resulting in shaky wind. Shaky wind has an irritating effect on pipe speech and tone. Overall function The overall mechanical function of the organ is poor to fair. The Hook & Hastings organs were known for sensitivity, uniformity and reliability. These characteristics are all lost from this organ. It will take a goodly amount of restoration to regain those attributes. The unpredictable nature of the mechanics makes the organ much more difficult to play than it should be. The machinery of the organ should never interfere with the creation of the sound. In this instrument in its present condition, all the machinery is an impediment to the artful realization of music appropriate for a service of Christian worship. The attached console built into the front of the organ forces the choir to face the back of the church for the entire service so they can watch the choir director as he plays. In this sense of function, the constraints required by the organ prevent the proper functioning of the music department in the church. In a room of limited floor space, this organ consumes more than its fair share of real estate. The available space around the organ is insufficient for moving the piano to the center of the room. Its overall function in terms of space utilization is quite poor within the confines of Christ Church. Tonally, the overall function leaves much to be desired. The current collection of stops does not form a cohesive blend, there are few beautiful individual stops and the balance between stops and divisions is completely upset. This makes effectively realizing music difficult and disheartening for a competent organist who practices his art seriously. Overall appearance The organ undoubtedly was originally installed in an alcove in St. Cyprian’s, hence the lack of casework on the sides. It was unnecessary. It really looks bad without any casework. All its ugly innards are completely exposed. Unlike some children the organ innards really should only be heard and not seen. It is obvious the instrument is out of place at Christ Church. What little casework there is has an old, crazed and very dark finish on it that looks most unattractive. The façade pipes, partially stripped of their original riotous designs are very sad. There is nothing about the appearance that ennobles the sound, lifts the spirit or



5

magnifies the organ. The controls on the console are a jumbled mess of broken, mismatched labels and twisted drawknobs. The very late 19

th century style of the

case and façade is out of place with the Gothic architectural style of the building. Even after complete restoration, this mismatch in architectural style will not change. Overall sound While some individual stops such as the Great Open Diapason and Swell Stopt Diapason still retain their beautifully characteristic H&H sound, the blend and balance of the stops is upset and disappointing as a result of the ill-advised and poorly executed tonal alterations. The organ is placed on the long axis under a modified barrel vault ceiling. This is good placement for projection of sound but the integrity of the original tonal intent has been obscured. It is true that the organ makes plenty of sound but this organ is now simply a collection of stops that bear little meaningful relation to each other. Some stops have been made too loud, some have poor speech, some are completely irrelevant to this organ. The sound is the single most important aspect of a pipe organ, far more important than any other characteristic. It must be subtle, inspiring, commanding, plaintive, full and rich, deep and pervading, clear and bright or delicate and crisp upon the direction of the organist. Character of sound is the most elusive and difficult to understand and achieve quality in an organ. This organ has lost many of those characteristics. Had it been properly and thoroughly restored when it was first installed at Christ Church is it likely that none of the tonal alterations would have been perpetrated upon it and its original well balanced tonal scheme would be intact. Such is not the case. CONCLUSIONS 1. The instrument has limited historical value due to considerable alteration of it. 2. The instrument has a disappointing appearance that is inappropriate in Christ Church 3. While there are some inspiring stops that still speak with beauty, most of them no longer produce a cohesive blend of tone. 4. Despite the money already spent, the mechanics continue to remain unreliable and will continue to be unreliable until the instrument is totally restored. Even then they will not be new. 5. The pipework is distressed with metal fatigue. Thorough repair of all the pipes is required along with careful and skillful re-voicing and regulation.



6

Replacement of pipes when absolutely necessary is an option but this leads to further degradation of the remaining original tone and loss of historical value. 6. The overall function is poor. Mechanically it is unreliable. The placement of it defeats the efforts of the choir to project sound into the room by forcing them to face backwards. The amount of floor space required prevents the sensible use of other instruments, the piano especially (which has a legitimate place in worship). 7. Complete restoration of this organ including building case sides, façade pipe stenciling, chest and mechanical rebuilding and returning the organ to its original tonal intent would cost $175,000 to $200,000. The shortcomings of location, arrangement, pedal key compass and others would still remain. 8. This could be a fine organ in some one else’s church. Christ Church has made a valiant effort to acquire, maintain, repair and use this organ for many years. This organ is now an impediment to growth and development that can not be remedied through restoration. 9. There will be those who will claim that restoration is possible and they will offer proposals to do the work even according to established published guidelines. Reconstruction is all that is possible due to the significant alterations. The organ will still be inappropriate even after reconstruction. 10. While we have not discussed relocation of good used organs, a few notes here may be useful. In some instances, excellent used organs become available and may be successfully installed in another church. Such is the case at St. Mark’s Episcopal at A and 3

rd St, SE where a large electro-pneumatic organ was

placed almost 20 years ago. The arrangement of the organ was re-engineered so it fits well, functions properly, looks good and provides a wide range of well balanced tone. The tracker organ at Epiphany Catholic Church in Georgetown is also another instance of a successful relocation. This small Hook & Hastings tracker organ was moved from Massachusetts, thoroughly restored and placed in the rear gallery at Epiphany Church. Its delightful tone, beautifully stenciled pipes and reliable mechanical actions make it is a success. More frequently, a used organ is inadequately rebuilt, poorly installed, and seldom properly revoiced and balanced for its new room. Christ Church is especially familiar with this scenario. Much of the success of a used organ depends upon the availability of an appropriate organ at any given moment and the ability of the church to make a



7

speedy decision to acquire it. The superior quality of the organ and the abilities of the organbuilder selected to install it also play an important role. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. All thoughts toward further work of any kind on this organ should be put aside. 2. Contact with a highly experienced and capable builder should be established and a working association formed leading to a superior design that addresses the church’s concerns regarding size, placement, appearance, reliability, and the all important quality of tone. Tonal matters in Christ Church will be most tricky due to the intimate and bright acoustic. This requires a builder have extensive knowledge and experience in matters of pipes, voicing, engineering, visual design and construction. Few builders have access to such a wealth of knowledge and broad range of experience as Casavant Freres of Quebec. Their skill in creating small organs that function well under many restrictions is formidable. One can see such success in a situation not too dissimilar from Christ Church at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Glencoe, MD, just outside of Baltimore. It is an organ worth going to see and hear. A second builder worth contacting is Dobson Organbuilders of Iowa. Dobson is a master of visual design and their fine organ at St. Paul’s, Rock Creek Parish, is an excellent example of a new organ designed to visually fit a historic building. The live acoustic of that room provides full support for the organ’s wide ranging tone. 3. Contact with many different builders may serve to confuse the situation as each will present differing solutions for the “problem” at Christ Church. A decision should be driven by artistic merit, the experience and knowledge of the builder and the quality and beauty of the sound. The best quality for the money spent provides the greatest value. I believe the church has had enough of spending money only to end up with less than was hoped for. 4. In order to preserve floor space, not obstruct the view of the window, properly locate the organist/choir director so the choir can see everything happening in the church and offer flexibility in the use of the limited space, an electric or electro-pneumatic action organ would be a viable option. Whether the organ cases are cantilevered from the back wall or stand on legs, the console will be detached and movable. 5. Organs that combine pipes and electronic or digital voices seldom provide a completely satisfactory result. Either the electronic organbuilder fails to adequately voice the pipes, or the pipe organbuilder fails to fully grasp the impact



8

of the electronic stops on the rest of the organ. The longevity of such a system is a bit suspect as well. The two types of organs are very different from each other. Combining them both into one instrument unnecessarily complicates maintenance and service. The question arises, “Who will repair the pipe organ if it fails and who will repair the electronic organ when it fails?” Some things are simply necessary to do in order to achieve success and properly voicing wind blown pipes is one of those things if beautiful sound is to be the goal. 6. Purchasing a standard model, “off the shelf” electronic organ should not even be an option for consideration. 7. Should it be desired, a meeting with Casavant representatives, Simon Couture, Vice-President and Jacquelin Rochette, Tonal Director, may be set up easily as they will be in Washington the first week of July to attend the American Guild of Organist convention. No special trip from Canada would need to be arranged. Organbuilder Lynn Dobson and Tonal Director John Panning will also be attending the same convention. They would be happy to see the church as well and this would save a special trip from Iowa. Post-script I provide this evaluation with the hope that Christ Church will make an intelligent and informed decision. I am not seeking the prospect of building a new organ myself for this church. There are others that already know how to do that. I recommend these two. The church deserves the best available. We must remember who the organ is used to worship and glorify. That is its first and primary role. To that end, it is our duty to offer the best that our human hands can provide.

Appendices

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Appendix D: Some Organs Now in Use in Diocese or On / Near Capitol Hill

St. Marks Holtkamp – 50+ yrs at church Pipe St. James/St. Monica’s Small mechanical action Rieger Pipe Epiphany Aeolian-Skinner, installed in 1968. 64 ranks, 3,467 pipes Pipe St. John’s Lafayette Square New Lively-Fulcher Pipe St. John’s Georgetown Old M.P. Moller.

Have contracted for new Cassavant pipe (750 k) to be delivered in 2012

Pipe

Christ Church Georgetown Custom-built Allen three-manual digital with pipe façade. Installed in 2002. Combined cost of organ and new console – 200k

Digital

Christ Church Kensington Planning/or have commissioned a three manual, 60-stop Allen. Estimated cost $200 k.

Digital

St. Margaret’s Rebuilt Lewis & Hitchcock Pipe St. Mary’s (Foggy Bottom) Pipe St. Thomas Moller Artiste Pipe St. George’s Early Allen Digital Ascension Renaissance Quantum Allen, 4 manual. Built in 1995 for

$140k; purchased used in 2008 for $40k. Digital

St. John’s (Norwood) Berghaus 3 manual, 63 ranks, 3380 pipes. Installed 2008. $1.5 million

Pipe

St. Paul’s Rock Creek Dobson Opus 80, commissioned in 2002, delivered in 2004, $500 k. Two manuals, 21 ranks.

Pipe

Redeemer (Bethesda) Di Gennaro-Hart, 2 manual, 27 ranks, 2007 Pipe Lutheran Church of the Reformation

Orgues Letourneau pipe

Presbyterian on Capitol Hill Pipe Capitol Hill United Methodist (Seward Square)

1939 Whitelegg-Moller, restored between 2007-2009 by David Storey. Cost?

Pipe

New York Avenue Presbyterian

A.E. Schleuter, new (2009), three manual, 62 ranks, 4000+ pipes

Pipe

St. Peters Recently restored Newcomer or Lewis & Hitchcock Pipe St. Joseph’s Restored Hook & Hastings, designed and built for that

space Pipe

Appendices

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Appendix E: Cross-Section of an Organ

Appendices

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Appendix F: Glossary of Organ Terms

[The following glossary provided by Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, Inc., organ builders.]

While researching your prospective new Pipe Organ, you will be hearing and reading a lot about these instruments. Even though we try avoiding unnecessary jargon, some terms are helpful in understanding the instrument. This glossary might help you to wend your way through the maze of information you are about to enter. Please keep this list for your reference. Action

The mechanical connection between keys and pipes. As with anything, some moving parts will wear out.

Combination Action A device for turning on or off several stops at once. Air operated combination actions can expect a limited life span in most organs.

Console This holds the keyboards and stop controls for an organ. It is the control center for the instrument.

Division A self-contained part of the organ consisting of its own windchest, pipes, and keyboard.

Manual A keyboard played by the hands. The average manual or keyboard in the U.S. has 61 keys.

Organ A collection of pipes. The organ is NOT the console! The console controls the organ.

Organ Case The wooden housing around the entire organ or around one or more divisions of the organ. Cases are often beautifully designed and carved to add visual beauty to the Nave.

Pedalboard An organ keyboard of between 30–32, beginning at Low C and played by the feet.

Pipe **Please note that Pipe Organs are totally handmade. There is no way for short cuts to be taken. There is only good workmanship or shoddy workmanship when building a Pipe Organ.

A whistle. Like a flute or a clarinet, organ pipes are long structures, which control vibrating columns of wind. The pipe’s length, shape, proportions, materials, wind pressure, and placement affect its ability to control wind.

Rank A set of pipes, one for each note on the manual (61 pipes) or pedalboard (32 pipes).

Stop A group of pipes or voice, which can be made to sound or be silenced by moving the stop knob to an on or off position. Often, more than one rank is controlled by a stop, meaning that more than one pipe will sound when a key is depressed.

Appendices

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Swell Box An enclosure, usually wooden, around a windchest and pipes, with louvers similar to venetian blinds at the front, which can be opened or shut to increase or decrease volume. Please note that a pipe plays at a constant volume. It can’t be louder or softer. Instead, the opening through which we hear it is closed or opened. Hitting an organ key harder will not make the pipe speak louder.

Voicing The regulation of a pipe’s speech and tone quality. This is done by making delicate adjustments at the mouth (the hole in the whistle) and the foot (where you blow on the whistle) or the pipe, to control the flow of wind inside the pipe.

Windchest A box (literally a chest) of wood, with airtight joints, having holes bored in its top, over which rest the pipes of the organ. Each division of the organ has its own separate windchest.

Organ Committee Report to Vestry September 15,...

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