,;-- I'-- THE TRACKER Newsletter 01 the Organ Historical Society EDITOR: KENNETH F. SIMMONS PUBLISHER: ALBERT F. ROBINSON

Volume III OCTOBER1 1958 Number 1 THE DEBLOISCONCERT HALL ORGAN .- 1763-1851 by Joyce Ellen Mangler

The name of Thomas Johnston (1708-1767) of ing King's Church that the loan of Lewis Deblois Boston has become familiar to organ historians had never been repaid. The Wardens wrote Gilbert, through the outstanding and often-noted instru- pleading: "We persuade ourselves that your in- ments at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Salem tention is not to distress the Church; having so (1754-1889), and Old North Church, Boston (1759- long experienced the utility of an organ in Divine 1886), the original Georgian case of which still Worship, we should deeply deplore its "loss." Tne stands today. At some time prior to 1763, a third matter was settled to Gilbert's satisfaction, his ac- organ was constructed and installed in the Boston knowledgement commenting: "I heartily wish your Concert Hall managed by Stephen Debhris, a Church to increase, and not to suffer any Unex- nephew of the organist by this name at King's perienced Person to clean your Organ, (which) is Chapel. Stephen had purchased the building from equal to any of the size now in this Kingdom." his sons, Gilbert and Lewis, in 1754. The Johnston organ was removed from the Unf()ll"tunately, nothing further is known about the size or specifications of the instrument. How- Concert Hall in 1763, replaced by a European-made ever, the surviving church records contain an in- instrument described at its official opening as a teresting series of references to .its repairs during "delicate and melodious new organ, made by the reconstruction in a newly completed church in first hand and lately imported from London," 1811. An appointed committee deliberated as to which remained in use until 1774. In 1771, Lewis the proper builder, considering John Geib of New Deblois advanced payments to his father in the York who frequently advertised in the GAZETTE. form of monetary notes to bring the organ to Their choice was an "organ artificer" identified King's Church (now St. John's Cathedral), Provi- only as Dan Thompson. The fOllowing entries in a dence, where members of the Deblois family had ledger by themselves create an accurate and 'color- become pew-holders. The action has been ful account of the restoration: prompted through the installation o~ a new organ in the nearby Congregational Church, the first April 18 pd Bolston for 1 sheep & 5 squirrel church organ in the town as well as the first in a "dissenting" congregation in America. skins for repairing the Organ $1.12V2 Dr. Ezra Stiles noted in his diary that the John- April ~O pd blowing bellows 1 day - tuning ston organ had been brought "from being employed the Organ ..mm...m o...m' o.. .25 in promoting Festivity, Merriment, Effeminacy, pd a boy. . . Organ Blowing m"m .56 Luxury, and Midnight ReveUings . . . to be used in the Worship of God." A well-needed consecration May 7 pd Young Hay for blowing the

O mOm"..mo .75 of the organ took place in December, 1772, with Organ Bellows 3 days music performed by the Concert Hall organist, May 11 pd Dano Thompson pro do for Josiah Flagg, and a small choir, and a sermon en- setting up, repairing and tuning titled "On the Lawfulness, Excellency and Advan- the Or~an .m o..mmmomoommm..mo56.3772 tage of Instrumental Music in Public Worship" probably based on James Lyon's popular essay. May 14 pd Saml E. Hamlin pr Bill & rct The organ soon became a familiar part of pub- for a copper glue-kittle &c for lic celebations, with annual accounts of its use in repairing the Organ ..m mmo m 3.54 Fourth of July programs and Masonic conventions May 28 pd Saml E. Hamlin for Lead and appearing in the PROVIDENCE GAZETTE, in con- casting Ornaments to cover the trast to the Congregational organ which was sel- tops of the two new front Pipes dom used even for regular services. In 1791 this of the Organ mo"o",,""--,"""O""O"'O" .45 prestige was threatened by seizure of the organ by agents for Gilbert Deblois now in London, remind- (Please turn to Page 8)

- ~~ ~- - ~- "'-= TheOrgansat St. Mary'sSchoolandConvent --.J By Albert F. Robinson

On a promontory called Mount St. Gabriel over- array of 31 ornate metal pipes across the front of - looking the broad and beautiful bay in the Hudson the case over the console, the 21 center pipes being River at Peekskill, , stand the Convent the lower notes of the Great Open Diapason - the and School of the Sisters of St. Mary (Episcopal). others being silent. The stop-list is as follows: The imposing buildings contain two organs of par- ticular interest to tracker enthusiasts, and the Sis- GREAT - 58 notes SWELL- 58 notes ters are most generous in allowing them to be seen 8' Open Diapasonm_hmeta! 8' Violin Diapason-h---metal and played. ienclosed in Swell): 8' Stopped Diapasonhwood

hhh 8' Salicional metal 8' Dolce hh_h mhhmetal The 2m-8rk tracker in the School Chapel has ~ been attributed to several builders, among them 8' Doppel Flote hhhhhwood 4' Flute Harmoniquehhmetaf Hilborne Roosevelt and Henry Erben. A cursory 4' Gemshorn h mhhmetal Tremulant examination yields no evident marks of identifica- tion save a small cilrcular photograph of a white- PEDAL - 27 notes COUPLERS haired, capped gentleman who apparently built the 16' Bourdon hh--mhhh-wood Great to Pedal organ sometime between 1870 and 1890. Swell to Pedal Swell to Great The present condition of the organ is fair, there Swell to Great 4' being some silent .notes in the pedal and reed, and the general voicing is quite uneven. But it is used There is a balanced swell pedal, a "Bellows daily for practice and services, and has a rich and Signal" (which now serves as the electric blower beautiful quality of tone. switch), and the three mechanical toe pistons provide "piano", "full organ" and "great to pedal The organ stands by itself on a space about reversible" accessory action. 5 x 8 feet in area. The console occupies the central -.. front, over which is a block of 13 Gamba pipes. The organ was originally pumped by hand, but ..J Two sets of four of the largest Gamba pipes flank now the wind is supplied by an electric blower-the this centelr block and console, and the largest pedal only change to be made over the years. The organ Bourdon pipes constitute the two sides of the case. is in a very good state of repair and is used The displayed Gamba pipes are highly ornament- regularly. ed. Expert craftmanship is in evidence throughout. The stop-list is as follows: There is evidence, though, that the Great Gems- horn was taken from an older organ and originally sounded as a Principal at a different scale since GREAT - 61 notes SWELL - 61 notes each pipe is marked "Prin" and three different 8' Gamba -h h-61 pipes 8' Stop- Diapasonh61 pipes key p~tches appear on each. Then, at another 8' Melodia _m_-hh61 pipes 8' Aeoline TC -00--00-49pipes point, the mark "Gems" is made in the same 4' Flute 00000000--00--61pipes 4' Violina -mh 61 pipes handwriting. . COUPLERS 8' Oboe TF 00--44pipes The Open Diapason is almost stentorian in - Great to Pedal 8' Bassoon _h---h_mh17pipes sound, but the rest of the stops are beautifully voiced. The Salicional is fitted with carefully Swell to Pedal PEDAL - 30 notes wrought metal "beards", producing a silvery quali- Swell to Great 16' Bourdon hh25 pipes ty that is almost the equivalent of a light reed Tremolo (not working) and yet blends well with all other stops. The Dop- pel Flote is big but not too big, possessing a hollow There is a fixed swell pedal, and there were or- and sometimes haunting quality. The Gemshorn iginally two other couplers which now have been is bright and irrdeed sounds more like a Principal. removed - probaby a Great to Great 4' and Swell In the Swell the Violin Diapason is more like a to Great 4'. An electric blower now supplies the second Open, and the Flute Harmonique is the wind. most distinguished register of this manual. The Stopped Diapason is quite lovely and blends well

The Sisters of St. Mary would like to sell this with all. The Great manual keys rattle a bit, par- "' organ, but only for a substantial sum as they alre ticularly when played rapidly, but otherwise the organ is in an excellent condition and should ./ anxious to build a fund for a good new pipe organ. serve well for many years to come. At the Convent Chapel the organ nameplate is A visit to Peekskill can be a memorable experi- engraved "Frank Roosevelt, successor to Hilborne ence, particularly when it includes a stop at St. L. Roosevelt No. 514 1892." There is an imposing Mary's. PAGE 2

--~~~-- -- (. THE BUILDERS (continued) Third Installment of the Story by Thomas S. Eader

During the 1870's some new faces appeared on was the manager while Adam Stein was in New the Baltimore scene. First came Henry Niemann York after the death of Hilborne in 1887. Adam who became well established at the time when Au- S.tein Ireturned to the city after January, 1893 when gust Pomplitz was coming to the end of his career. Frank Roosevelt closed down the Roosevelt Organ Though his later advertisements say he began in Works entirely. Stein continued at the 668 West Baltimore in 1868, an authoritive sketch in the German Street address on his own through 1912, BALTIMORE FEDERATION OF LABOR for 1900 being then the last of the tracker organ builders states he began in 1872. Henry Niemann was born still working on new organs; for by World War I on April 27, 1838, says the article, in Osnabruck, all organ building in the city had died, and has Germany, where he serv~d three years as a cabinet never returned to life. This information on Stein maker's apprentice. Coming to this country in comes from the same Baltimore Federation of La- 1857 he gained employment with John Clop, organ- bor publication as the Niemann material. builder in Cincinnati, Ohio. He did well and went to London two years later to continue his study Though the last three builders were the more with Barker, ending his term there in 1862. Next important, there we,re several others that deserve he entered the factory of Cavaille-Coll in Paris mention for their work 9-t this time, not to forget and served there five years. (Subsequentlyl both those covered in the last installment such as James he and Cavaille-Coll died at the same time.) After Hall, J. Edward Schad, Louisa Pomplitz, J. W. Otto, building several small organs in Paris, he went to C. Louis Miller and Leon P. Beauliew. In 1883 Meppen, Germany, where he built a large three George A. Schumacher opened a shop at 79 East manual costing $8,000 for the Parr Kirche, the Monument Street which the next year was organ- large Roman Catholic church. Niemann then ized into the Baltimore Church and Concert Organ toured all the largest factories, so the account Company and then moved to 32 Hanover StTeet. goes, examining the many methods. He returned Mr. Schumacher was the manager, but a promin- to the in 1872 and opened a business ent Baltimore financier, F. X. Ganter, was the in Baltimore. The corner of Caroline and Holland president. Ganter was proprietor of the Baltimore Streets was the first Baltimore Directory listing Steam S.how Case Works in the same location -- for him in 1876. In 1878 he moved to Nos. 10 and a strange combination! In 1885 both moved to 179 12 North High Street and the same year won the West Pratt Street and ads mention billiard and Maryland Institute Exhibition Gold Medal. At the pool tables, store and office fixtures, as well as time of his death, October 26, 1899, he had built church organs. In 1887 they were at 11 West Pratt about forty organs for Baltimore alone and many Street and stayed there until last heard of in 1899. others for all parts of the country. Although the No organs remain by this company as far as is tone, workmanship, materials and design of his known. organs are generally of very fine quality, the cases George E. Barker came to Baltimore in 1875 ad- or display fronts are totally without merit, being vertising the manufacture and repair of organs. in all cases wide, formless, topless flats of large He worked in his home until 1885 at 168 Asquith scaled pipes. The tone is very bold and brilliant, Street, in 1878 at 412 North Gay Street, and in even in the small organs. The 1897 stop-list here 1880 at 124 East Pratt Street. In 1881 he set up a presented is quite typical of all his stop-lists, and separate shop at 7 North Holliday Street and then the instrument so repres~nted is very full, though opened the Ba'rker Baltimore Organ Company at not overbearing. It is brighter than most classic 88 East Monument Street in 1885 which lasted only style organs of today, but the tone is balanced we~l through 1886. About 1875 the Shimek family, from treble to bass. It certainly is a remarkable Joseph the father, James and V. J. (or J. V.) the instrument not even considering its late date. In 1887 Niemann was located at 561 East Monument sons, came to Baltimore as hand organ makers. Street, and he enlarged to include 563 East Monu- They are mentioned until 1880 in the directories. ment in 1891, this building being two row houses But for a few isolated names and facts, this thrown together, though the two stood separate concludes the story of the Baltimore organ build- from other nearby buildings. After 1899 Frank H. Niemann, Henry's son, continued the business, but ers. In the next issue of THE TRACKER, for what- by 1908 he had ceased operation. ever use can be made of it, there will be a sum- mary of unknown material needed to fill in ceT- . The 1883 Directory was the first to mention tain portions of the story and also mention of cer- '\. the opening of Hilborne Roosevelt's branch at 218 tain conclusions and opinions which cannot be ,West German Street (the old shop of other build- backed up by anything sounder than supposition ers, it will be remembered) which had begun in 1880 with Adam Stein as the manager. In 1887 the from reading between the lines. Also included .new street numbering system made this same loca- will be a summary of the names, dates, locations, tion 668 West German. In 1891 William F. Hastings etc., of all builders for a ready reference. PAGE 3

~~- - Baltimore -Built Organs. . . ./ By Henry Niemann, 1897, in Otterbein Memorial PEDAL- 30 notes~ COUPLERS Church, Sharp and Conway Streets, Baltimore, 16' Bourdon 8' Swell to Great Maryland: 4' Swell to Great GREAT - 58 notes SWELL- 58 notes 8' Swell to Pedal 8' Swell to Pedal 8' Open Diapason 8' Violin Diapason 8' Melodia 8' Stopd Diapason By Hilborne Roosevelt, 1886, No. 320, in Mar- 8' Dulciana 8' Salicional tini Lutheran Church, Sharp and Henrietta Streets, 4' Octave 4" Harmonic Flute Baltimore, Maryland: 22/3' Twelfth III Dolce Cornet GREAT SWELL 2' Fifteenth 8 Oboe TC 8' Open Diapason 16' Bourdon 8' Dopplefloete 8' Open Diapason PEDAL - 27 notes COUPLERS 8' Dulciana 8' Stopped Diapason 16' Bourdon 8' Swell to Great 4' Octave 8' Salicional " (No tremulant) 8' Swell to Pedal- * Rohrfloete -* Vox Celeste 8' Great to Pedal 2' Harmonic Piccolo 4' Harmonic Flute 8' Trumpet 8' Oboe By Adam Stein, 1905, in St. John's Episcopal * Vox Humana COUPLERS Church, Richmond, Virginia: 8' Swell to Great PEDAL GREAT - 61 notes SWELL- 61 notes 4' Swell to Great 16' Bourdon 8' Open Diapason 8' Open Diapason 8' Swell to Pedal * Lieb. Gedeckt 8' Melodia 8' Stop Diapason 8' Great to Pedal (* - 1926 Ad.ditions) 8' Dulciana 8' Salicional 4' Gemshorn 8' Aeoline Chimes are playable from electric keyboard in 4' Flute nitch where coupler stops are usually located over ) 4' Flute Harmonic the swell manual, couplers being operated by on 2' Super Octave 8' Oboe and offs between the swell and great manuals.

NOTES, QUOTES and COMMENTS

Corrections to the July 1958 issue: Page 2 under Ontario (not far from Smiths Falls). The organ is list of organs visited should read No. 153m 1859 said to be a Warren of 1854, one manual, seven Wm. B. D. Simmons, electrified by (?) - St. Igna- ranks, and partial pedalboard. tius Church; page 3, paragraph 1, line 2, should read: ". . . building chamber and church organs, Those interested in "barrel organs" will find other THAN Baltimore fi'rms were looked to when one dated 1820 built by a British bandmaster in a larger instrument. . ." the Museum at Sharon, Ontario. Another barrel An interesting organ has been installed in organ is still in use at the Abbotsford, Quebec, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Smiths Falls, Church of England. Ontario, Canada, under the supervision of Bryant Robinson, organist and choirmaster. The church Quote from an article by' Carolyn F. Hummel in contained an old Warren tracker built prior to THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR dated July 1889, and from this seven ranks were salvaged for 29, 1958, a statement by E. Power Biggs: "The the new organ. A Hook & Hastings, formerly in tracker action makes an organ a musical instru- St. Stephen's Church, Richmond, Virginia, was ment; electricity makes it a mechanical instru- purchased. The reeds from the organ in the old ment." Schwab mansion on Riverside Drive, , were obtained, and a Trompette from Casa- The Rev'd Robert McKim, pastor of the Presby- terian Church, Dover, Dela,ware, has kindly offered vant's Opus 16 was added, resulting in a fine en- -', semble. Mr. Robinson's problems were manifold, to arrange for the reproduction of all previous including the construction of all new organ cham- issues of THE TRACKER. We have had a few re- ,/ bers, but his patience (and thaf of the congrega- quests for earlier issues, but unless there was a tion!) and ingenuity proved highly rewarding. considerable interest on the part of many members, we hesitate to burden Mr. McKim with this tre- Another Canadian point of interest may be mendous undertaking. Please write in, stating found at the Roman Catholic Church in Perth, the particular issues you would like. PAGE 4 - Report on ~~ ,.. THE HENRYERBEN(1863) ORGAN by Edgar A. Boadway, Jr.

This instrument still stands in the Roman end, and several pipes are marked with the name Catholic Church of St. John the Evangelist, Valley of the church and "Choir", showing Erben's pre- and Eager Streets, Baltimore, Maryland: ference for this nomenclature as late as 1863. The Pedal pipes are at each side of the case; the mech- GREAT SWELL anism and pipework is in good condition, but dirt I/ow octave unenclosed) 16' Bourdon "w." 56 pipes hinders much of the beauty of the reeds. The

8' Open Diapason 56 pipes 16' Bourdon .00 44 pipes bellows handle is on the right side of .the case, 16' Sw. Bass Bourdon.... 8' Gamba "'huu. 44 pipes and water power was used for many years, though 12 pipes 8' Clarabella 44 pipes not originally. The metal pipes are of common 8' Open Diapasonm. 8' Stop.d Dia. metal, and the markings are either illegible or of 44 pipes Bass """" "'. 12 pipes 'no value. 8' Sw. Bass Op. Dia..... 4' Principal 00.. 56 pipes 12 pipes 22/3' Twelfth.. 56 pipes The tone is quite rich, not too bright, but very 8' Viol d' Amour 44 pipes .2' Fifteenth "W'" 56 pipes pleasing; the acoustics of the building are excel- 8' Stop.d Diapason.... III Sesqiualtera 168 pipes lent. The Great 16' Bourdon has 21 capped metal 44 pipes pipes in the treble, and the three 8' strings are bell 8' Trumpet "'.000. 56 pipes 8' Sw. Bass Stop.d Dia.m gambas. All of the reeds are unmitered, and the 4' Clarion .00000"" 56 pipes 12 pipes Trumpet has 7 open metal trebles; the Clarion has

) 4' Principal 000 44 pipes PEDAL 17. The Swell 8' Stopped Diapason is a chimney .0004' Sw. Bass Principal.... 16' Doub!e Open 12 pipes flute, and the lowest octave is of stopped wood. '-" Diapason ., 25 pipes 4' Flute ,,'.U"'''h' 44 pipes The 4' Flute is of stopped wood except for 7 tapered 8' Violoncello, 25 pipes II Cornet u 112 pipes metal trebles. The chorus is quite silvery, and the Bellows 8'Trumpet hum.u 44 pipes Double Open is a bit too foundational, but adds (No pistons) 8' Hautboy ..00 44 pipes greatly to the full organ. The instrument is highly Sesquialtera: appreciated by the church. 17-19-22 to MC COUPLERS -0 12-15-17 to G2 Pedal to Great 8- 12- 15 to G3 Pedal to Swell Great to Swell AIMS AND POLICIES Cornet: 12-15 throughout- by Kenneth F, Simmons no breaks THE TRACKER is the news letter of the Organ Historical Society. Its purpose is to publish items This excellent organ stands free in the large of news and articles of interest to the members of rear gallery of the century-old church, and has the Society. a handsome five-sectional case of three flats of Opens and two flats of wooden dummies. The THE TRACKER is a non-profit publication. The case is painted a cream color, and the pipes are writers receive nothing for their articles. The edi- gilded. The proj ecting console has two single- tors do their work without remuneration. Our panel cupboard doors and a lid that slides out over costs are for paper, printing and postage; These the top. The square-shank flat knobs are ar- expenses are covered by the Society's small trea- ranged in four columns, and are lettered in shaded sury. This publication is sent to all members of the script. The manual keys have wood fronts and do Society as a part of the service of the organization. not overhang. The Swell pedal projects out at the Since we are operating on a very small budget, we -- far right, and was originally a hitch-down; the would appreciate a contribution from non-member pedals are of normal width, The six-sectional organizations such as schools, colleges, libraries, " music desk slides on tracks in the sides of the stop etc., to help cover costs and mailing. jambs. The silver nameplate is on the impost above the console. The Swell and Great chests are almost The Organ Historical Society is endeavoring to promote research on and the study of American on the same level, aIJd the shades are vertical. The unmitered Swell basses are on a chest at the bass (Please turn to page 7) PAGE 5 The Preservation of Organ Tone by Donald R. M. Paterson -)

It has long been one of the foremost aims of the of making discs created a necessity for bulky Organ Historical Society to preserve what have equipment, required considerable specialized know- been considered by many of its members to be ledge, and, in most cases, a location especially de- fine examples of early American organ building. signed for recording purposes-commonly called a One of the most important reasons for t!1is ob- studio. jective is a desire to prevent the disappearance of The development of the tape recorder has been the tonal qualities of these old organs, resulting particularly beneficial to the organ historian. This from an intense interest, both historical and musi- device, because of its relative simplicity of design, cal, in these tones. not only can be operated by an amateur, but also The most obvious and most successful method has frur greater portability, enabling the operator of preserving tone is, of course, the retention and to set up his equipment with little difficulty in any maintenance of the instruments themselves, at- location desired. Furthermore, the tape recorder's tempting to avoid any procedures which tend to lower cost of operation, its intrinsically higher fi- affect its authenticity. Common knowledge dis- delity, its reduced surface noise, and its more sim- closes, however, tha~ it has been impossible, for ply designed mechanism for making copies demon- various reasons, to insure the preservation of old strate its considerable superiority over the older' organ tone in many cases. As time goes on, early disc-cutting method. Ample proof of the inher- American organs still possessing their original ent advantages of tape recordings appear in the tone-that is, organs in which the only change of fact that almost all of the high quality records of tonal quality has been due to natural causes, such today are made from tape recordings of the orginal as the aging of reed tongues-are becoming fewer sound. and fewer in number. Frequent, indeed, are the instances in which an instrument is rebuilt with A person desiring to make recordings of old organs to preserve their tonal features in the form the reterttion of the original pipes, unaltered, but of permanent records is fortunate, therefore, in with a different type of action or windchest. Often having such a process available, and by means of the mere substitution of a "pull-down" action to this method, may, in many cases, be able to repro- operate the pallets, consisting of an electro- duce the sound of an old organ that long since has J pneumatic chest located below the orginal slider been destroyed or has succumbed to the fashion of chest, has adversely affected the tonal qualities- "moderniza tion." either the sustained sound, or (perhaps more fre- quently the case) the attack of the sound. Having such a method at .his Disposal, the or- gan historian must decide exactly how the instru- This state of affairs-this increasing disap- ment will be played when it is being recorded for pearance or alteration of original tone-has in- posterity. Such a decision should be based upon duced an alarming necessity for more extensive a thorough consideration of both the musical value action in the methods of tonal preservation. Fail- of the tone and its historical importance for pre- ing to insure the continued existence of an instru- servation. The planning of the contents of such ment in its original condition, the organ historian a recording, to be faithful, should include all of must naturally turn to the next best method-a the tonal features-both desirable and undesi!r- preservation of the sound of the instrument with- able. These contents actually cpnsist of a demon- out its actual presence. stration of the organ, which not merely includes The musical historian of tOday is in a far more both its tonal virtues and limitations, but also advantageous .position than he might have been emphasizes thoroughness and variety within a almost eighty-five years ago. Since the invention tonal scheme concentrating upon the most beau- of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1876 tiful sounds contained in the instrument. science has enabled us to make a permanent re- At this point, the separate roles of the organ cord of sound. Because of the extJraordinary swift historian and the organist-musician come into advances in recording techniques since that time, sharp focus. Although the former may possess it is possible to rely upon the knowledge and tech- qualities of scholarship and thoroughness which niques acquired by the men of science to produce a the latter may lack, the musician-organist, on the record of organ tone which is remarkably close in other hand, is generally apt to possess a degree of fidelity to the original sound. Through continu- artistic skill' in tonal

ing-the fact that the sound of an instrument may The two separate abilities must fuse into a com- I be heard after this instrument has ceased to exist plete unity if a successful recording of this type \\ ---:constitutes one of the most singularly important is to be produced. Thus the recording shall be ./ developments benefiting the efforts of the musical both historical and musically valuable. historian. Common among laymen and insensitive musi- Until the comparatively recent development of cians of today is the idea that only written com- the tape recorder, technicians have had to em- positions may be played in an organ to demon- ploy the phonographic process. The complexities (Please turn to Page 8) PAGE 6 -~------

c~ THE H-ALL & LABAGH (1866) ORGAN

This instrument still stands in the Roman Cath- the keys, but are nat in terraced jambs; they are olic Church of St. John the Evangelist, Frederick, lettered in plain Italics. The tremulant must be Maryland: hooked intO' a notch to' stay aut; the undated metal nameplate is between the manuals. The pipewark GREAT SWELL is very inaccessible, and is in good candition, but 16' Open Diapason.--. 16' Bourdon 56 pipes the action is rather heavy. The pedal pipes are at 56 pipes 8' Viol d' Amour.. 56 pipes each side of the case, and the Cello is nat a bell 8' Open Diapason.... 8' Flute Pyramid 56 pipes gamba. Some of the Swell Viol and Bourdan pipes 56 pipes 8' St. Diapason.. 56 pipes are unenclosed, and can be seen at the sides of 8' Viol d'Gamba 56 pipes 4' Principal --uh-- 56 pipes the box which is above the Great. There are many 8' Flute Traverse 56 pipes 4' Night Horn 56 pipes illegible monagrams and ma;rks on the pipewark, 4' Principal 56 pipes 2' Flageolet " 56 pipes and a few of the names are: "Kemp" and "A. Pal- 4' Rohr Flute h 56 pipes III Cornet 0.0.168 pipes ster" an some of the Swell flutes and the dates 2 2/3' Twelfth 56 pipes 8' Oboe "h 44 pipes 1865 and 1866. The acoustics are very good, and 2' Fifteenth 56 pipes 8' Bassoon h. 12 pipes though an averhaul is needed, the organ is quite III Mixture lst 168 pipes Tremulant playable. It is quite rich and silvery in tone, and a III Mixture 2nd 168 pipes COUPLERS bit mild. The Great Flute Traverse is an open 8' Trumpet _0 56 pipes Great and Swell wood Meladia, and the bass is. not stopped. The PEDAL Great and Swell Octave Gamba is plain, but the Viol in the Swell is a bell 16' Open Diapason---- Pedal and Great gamba. The twO' Stapped Diapasons both have ( 25 pipes Pedal and Swell abaut 2% actaves of chimney pipes. The Night 16' Bourdon (no label)_... Harn is a large-scale open metal rank, and the Mixture 2nd: 25 pipes tapered metal Flute Pyramid has a few wood 8' Violoncello ---- 25 pipes 22-26-29 to q 1 basses. The twO' reeds have 7 metal trebles. Many 19-22-26 to q2 (no pistons) ranks a;re quite excellent, and the Great 16' Open Mixture 1st: 15-19-22 to q3 is better than usual.-E. A. B. 17-19-22 to Middle C 12-15- 19 to top G 15-17-19 to C#2 Aims and Policies 12-15-19 to G#2 (From page 5) 12-15-17 to top G Cornet: organs from their earliest appearance to the pres- ent. Individuals who would like to become mem- 12-15-17 with no bers are invited to do so by applying to' Mr. Thomas breaks. S. Eader, 200 A Street, S. W., Gl~nn Burnie 7, Mary- land, enclasing $3.00 for yearly dues. This fine organ, perhaps an example of the best Material for publicatian should be sent to Ken- work by Hall & Labagh, stands free in the rear neth F. Simmans, 20 Devonwaad Road, Pa. Re- gallery of the elegant church. It has three .flats quests for capies and change af address should be of gilded pipes, and the central flat is taller and sent to' Albert F. Robinson, St. Cornelius Chapel, capped by a semi-circular arch. The sides are Gavernors Island, New York 4, N. Y. Information paneled, and the case has not been painted. The regarding organs for sale should be addressed to' Miss Barbara J. Owen, 178 Pine Street, Fall River, console is detached and reversed a short distance Mass. from the front of the case, and resembles an early As a final word, I would again appeal for ma- harmonium. The lid folds flat, and the six-section- terial far future publication and, at the same time, al music desk folds dawn when the organ is not r urge you when sending material to be extremely apen. The manual keys have wood frants, and. do cautious regarding accuracy of context and copy. nat overhang; the pedal keys are the "toothpick" The deadline on copy must be the 15th of the type. The Swell pedal is a metal hookdown at the month preceding publication. We plan to continue far right, and a wooden rad is pushed to one side to publish qua;rterly in October, January, April and July. Hence the deadline far the next issue of THE to release it. The. square-shank flat knabs are TRACKER is December 15th. We hape yau like arranged in three horizantal rows on each side of our new printed format. PAGE 7 The Preservation of Organ Tone stockbridge, Mass.: First Congregational Church, Wm. A. Johnson, Opus 183, 1865, 2:20. (From page 6) Woburn, Mass.: Congregational Church, E. & G. G. '\ strate its sound. Such an approach is impractical Hook, Opus 283, 1860, 3:36.* because of the fact that its exclusive use necessi- 0 tates such a large number of compositions to pro- duce a thorough demonstration. No one will deny Organs for Sale the musical and historical need for hearing estab- We regret the omission of an "Organs for Sale" lished works played on a given organ, but a far listing, particularly as there are several instru- more efficient and imaginative procedure con- ments of considerable interest available at the sists of a combination of these works with a group present time. However, a corrected list will appear of well-planned improvisations upon individual and in the next issue of THE TRACKER; but mean- combined stops. If a sincere desire is present to while inquiries may be addressed to Miss Barbara record the complete sound of an organ, the only J. Owen, 178 Pine Street, Fall River, Massachusetts. total satisfaction, both historical and musical, re- sults from hearing everything of which the organ THE DEBLOIS CONCERT HALL is tonally capable of producing. This demand for thoroughness cannot be met by music played with ORGAN 1763-1851 'an indiscriminate drawing of all of the stops and (From page 1) couplers (frequently including tremolo), followed June 4 pd Dan Thompson per Do for re- by a limited variety of "stock" registrations. The pairing an organ pipe which had lack of musical taste and historical scholarship in been stolen and injured; and for evidence when such a process seems to satisfy is retuning some other pipes, dis- obvious, and the jjrequency of these satisfactions placed by the Painter ""h 1.50 is unfortunate, to say the least. June 10 pd Aaron Man for 2 pl'. of Butts, For the sake of scholarship and thoroughness, Screws & Brass Screw-knobs for all of these points should be kept in mind. Only by the Organ loft doors "'''U''h .64 following this approach can the organ historian and musician-organist hope to achieve complete The work was completed in time for the conse- success in. this vitally important type of historical cration of the new building on St. Barnabas' Day, and musical scholarship. June 11, 1811, when the noted Oliver Shaw of the Following is a list of organs recorded by the Congregational church furnished organ and choral ...... music, diJrecting his Psallonian Society in Hymns, writer. Experience has shown that the ear is the ) best judge of determining the location of the an oratorio, and the "Hallelujah Chorus." microphone, that the most accurate results are After this year, the church organists are iden- obtained at a constant recording volume level, tified through the account books as John, Henry, and that 15"jsec. tape speed produces the highest and William Muenscher, E. Smith, Moses Noyes, fidelity. These recordings were made on a "Con- Mrs. A. E. Hansen, Henry Frieze, and Messrs. Hesse, certone" tape recorder with a half-track head, and Bissell and Cutler. The names of William Blodget with the employment of a high-quality dynamic and Dr. John Chace can be found in other sources , microphone. ' as preceding these musicians. Apparently most of the repairs were made by the various organists in Those marked with an asterisk (*) are extant the early years. Although both Franklin Smith and organs at the time of writing (October 1958), and, Samuel Warren opened repair shops in Providence, to the best of the writer's knowledge, rureunaltered. neither they nor any other repairmen appear in Ashburnham, Mass.: Federated Church, E. & G. G. the Irecords until 1842. Hook & Hastings, Opus 595, 1871, 2:16.* The toll on the organ extracted by the ama- Bennington, vt.: Methodist Church, Johnson & teur repairs could not have been too great, since Son, Opus 558, 1881, 2: 14. no action was taken for a replacement until 1834. Boston, Mass.: All Saints' Lutheran Church; E. & One, historian of the church, the late Franklin G. G. Hook, Opus 254, 1859,3:31.* Cushman, felt that the organ was replaced at this Boston, Mass.: Immaculate Conception Church, E. time. However, the additions of a Swell to Great & G. G. Hook & Hastings, Opus 322, 1863. Re- coupler by John Bowden in 1842 and pedal keys built and enlarged with electro-pneumatic and connections by E. & G. G. Hook in 1849 seem "pull-down" action by Hook & Hastings, 1898, to negate the theory that a church would have 4:58.* considered investing in an organ without these East Andover, N. H.: Village Church, E. & G. G. "modeq-n conveniences." Furthermore, there is no Hook, 1852, 1:10.* evidence of either subscription or major expendi- Hartford, Vt.: Second Congregational Church, ture for an organ until 1851, when E. & G. G. Hook Johnson Organ Co., Opus 373, 1872, 2: 15.* replaced this instrument with a 3-manual 40-stop Jamaica Plain, Mass.: First Congregational So- organ, complete with their standard case-work ciety (Unitrurian), E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 171, which is still in the gallery of the church. Since .,/ 1854,3:37.* , the pipe-work is also of this era, the Johnston 'Nashua, N. H.: Pilgrim Congregational Church, organ must either have been taken by Hook or sold Johnson, Opus 289, 1869, 3 :32. to another parish. No record of it can be found Newbury, Mass.: First Presbyterian Church, E. & anywhere in Rhode Island. Perhaps as more local G. G. Hook, Opus 396,1866,2:29.* studies are completed, another chapter can be ad- ,Shelburne Falls, Mass.: First Baptist Church, Wm. ded to the history of the Deblois Concert Hall or- A. Johnson, Opus 76, 1858, 2:25.* gan.