The Tracker Journal of the Organ Historical Society Skinner Organ Company, Op
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VOLUME 62, NUMBER 3, JULY 2018 THE TRACKER JOURNAL OF THE ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY SKINNER ORGAN COMPANY, OP. 711 (1928) C.E. MOREY, NO. 248 (1907) PAUL FRITTS & COMPANY, OP. 26 (2008) THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER COMPANY (1929) OUR FEATURED ARTISTS DAVID BASKEYFIELD NATHAN LAUBE DAVID PECKHAM EDOARDO BELLOTTI ANNIE LAVER ROBERT POOVEY IVAN BOSNAR THATCHER LYMAN WILLIAM PORTER KEN COWAN COLIN LYNCH CAROLINE ROBINSON PETER DUBOIS COLIN MACKNIGHT DARYL ROBINSON KATELYN EMERSON CHRISTOPHER MARKS JONATHAN RYAN DAVID HIGGS MALCOLM MATTHEWS NICOLE SIMENTAL RICHARD HILLS AMANDA MOLE JOEL SPEERSTRA FRED HOHMAN ALAN MORRISON BRUCE STEVENS LEN LEVASSEUR LEN WILMA JENSEN JONATHAN MOYER MICHAEL UNGER PHOTOS PETER KRASINSKI SEAN O’DONNELL JORIS VERDIN C.B. FISK, INC., OP. 83 (1983) CHRISTIAN LANE JONATHAN ORTLOFF BRADLEY HUNTER WELCH ORTLOFF ORGAN COMPANY, LLC, OP. 1 (2016) JOIN THE OHS IN ROCHESTER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE EASTMAN ROCHESTER ORGAN INITIATIVE FESTIVAL IN OCTOBER THE 2018 CONVENTION of the Organ Historical Society will celebrate the rich array of instruments in Rochester, New York. Home to an expansive collection of organs representing diverse musical styles and performance practices, Rochester is a hub for organ performance and education. Convention attendees will experience an eighteenth-century Italian Baroque organ housed in the beautiful Memorial Art Gallery, a tour of the George Eastman Museum—home of the world’s largest residence organ—and everything in between. Visit the website below for the latest updates! WWW.ORGANHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG/2018 AEOLIAN COMPANY, NO. 947 AND NO. 1345 GOART/YOKOTA (2008) HOPE-JONES ORGAN COMPANY, OP. 2 (1908) ANONYMOUS ITALIAN BAROQUE ORGAN (CA. 1770) HOOK & HASTINGS COMPANY, OP. 1573 (1893) An International Monthly Devoted to the Organ, Harpsichord, Carillon and Church Music Now in Our Second Century Announcing The Diapason’s new digimag subscription. The digital edition is available at a special price ($35/year), and yet incorporates all the content in the traditional print edition. Includes access to The Diapason website, which features a growing library of present and past issues, news items posted weekly, an extensive calendar section, videos, classified ads, and many other interesting features. TH E DIA PA SON Visit Our Website At: NOVEMBER 2016 www.TheDiapason.com One-year Print Subscription: $42 (USA) TH E DIA PA SON Request a SEPTEMBER 2017 FREE SAMPLE COPY Yale University, Woolsey Hall New Haven, Connecticut Cover feature on pages 26–28 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201 Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025 Phone: 608-634-6253 Grace Episcopal Church Hartford, Connecticut Cover feature on pages 26–27 Fax: 847-390-0408 E-mail: [email protected] THE TRACKER MICHAEL QUIMBY From the Chair Volume 62, Number 3 ~ JULY 2018 The OHS annual convention is fast approaching. As of May 15, there were 322 registrants and the convention attendance will be capped at 350. If you plan to attend, do not delay. In addition to the superb instruments we will be hearing, the membership will be honoring the retirements of James Weaver, who has val- CONTENTS iantly guided the OHS through many trials and tribulations— of which one of the most significant is bringing the Stoneleigh From the Chair 5 MICHAEL QUIMBY project to fruition—and Will Bridegam, our treasurer, who has been invaluable with his thoughts and recommendations to the From the CEO 6 board of directors. His retirement at the end of this convention, JAMES WEAVER hopefully will not end his encouraging advice to many in the organization. The board of directors is pleased to announce the Letters to the Editor 8 appointment of Patrick Summers as the interim treasurer as of George W. Stewart 16 August 1, 2018. Musical Impresario of the 1915 Panama-Pacific The board of directors enthusiastically wishes to thank those International Exposition who have renewed their membership and others who have re- JUSTIN KIELTY joined following a lapse in membership. To keep our organiza- When Bad Things Happen 21 tion viable, it is imperative that we continue being proactive as to Good Organs the future depends on you and on new members. This also helps Part II in financial planning for upcoming years. Since November 1, MATTHEW M. BELLOCCHIO 2017, we have received 756 renewals including renewals for mul- OHS Meets EROI in Rochester 26 tiple years, and since the beginning of 2018, we have added 70 Part II new members. As of May 15, 2018, we have 2,211 members. EDOARDO BELLOTTI AND HANS DAVIDSSON The board of directors and the committee charged with the selection of a new CEO has worked very diligently. The final News 29 preference of the board of directors, at the suggestion of the Obituary 30 search committee, will hopefully be announced at the annual meeting at the convention on Wednesday, August 1. John G. Marklove 33 James Weaver reported that the three-day opening event at English-American Organbuilder Stoneleigh was very successful. On Saturday, May 12, around Utica, New York, 1858–1891 Part III 1,000 people attended the event. The Sunday events were held STEPHEN L. PINEL outside and featured a Mother’s Day theme. This was an excit- ing moment in the history of OHS. When OHS members are in the Philadelphia area, please make every effort to schedule a visit to our new home and enjoy the hospitality, archives, and the six- division Aeolian-Skinner player pipe organ recently restored fol- lowing OHS Restoration Guidelines. The board of directors is excited to announce that Chris- topher Anderson, Chairman, Iain Quinn, and Jonathan Ortloff have agreed to serve on a newly formed Publications Advisory Committee. Personally, I wish to commend the membership-elected board of directors for their expertise and diligence in furthering the cause of the OHS. We look forward to seeing many of our members at the Rochester convention in August. ON THE COVER The late-18th-century Italian organ in the Fountain Court of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. PHOTO LEN LEVASSEUR JULY 2018 5 From the CEO JA MES WEAVER Dear Friends, I’m settling in to complete my last col- the entire operations of the OHS! I umn as CEO, on May 15, as Stoneleigh urge you to read about this vainglorious has opened to the public. The organ assault by the school board—find infor- is playing beautifully and the sound mation on the OHS website—and stay throughout the house from the pipe fully abreast of all activity at Natural chamber beneath the Music Room is Lands: #SaveStoneleigh, and at www. fantastic! It’s marvelous to see the hand- savestoneleigh.org. Please read, write to some console gracing the old mansion the school board, and sign the petition Jim Weaver at the console of the Aeolian-Skin- as if it had been in place since the organ that already has more than 7,000 signa- ner at Stoneleigh was built in 1931. Emery Brothers de- tures. You can also read in this issue the signed and undertook the installation, Resolution that censures this attempt, to those who have been at my side and opening performances were played signed unanimously by members of the throughout, including Len Levasseur, by Jeffrey Brillhart and Christopher OHS Board. Bynum Petty, Rollin Smith, and Jim Kehoe. OHS Archivist, Bynum Petty Still, as I write this, I turn my Wallmann. created an exhibition about the organ thoughts to the personal pleasures gar- In the Spring 2011 issue of The and its roll player in handsome new nered in serving you, our members, Tracker, I wrote “Getting to know cases built especially for us. since I began working for you in Oc- the many projects and programs of the We are particularly fortunate in a tober 2010. I have greatly enjoyed the OHS is like learning to play a well- beneficent relationship with the Haas opportunity to know many of you, and crafted five-voice fugue—perhaps with family, the Wyncote Foundation, and to spend a lot of time with you at our a double pedal part!” with Natural Lands. I think that none conventions. It has been humbling to I didn’t quite master that fugue! But of us would ever have dreamt of the work with those of you who have given I am so grateful for the opportunity to splendid outcome of those tentative of your time to the OHS, often repeat- help shape some of the good moments conversations that began in June 2013! edly! Many of you came forward, also of OHS—and hope that the best will But life does present us with its iro- repeatedly, to offer the funds that have be long lasting. And for the projects that nies! On April 18, the Lower Merion supported program development and got away—and there are quite a few—I School District sent a letter to Natural ongoing support. I received a special can only say that I wish I were stronger Lands stating that it wants to inspect the gift through the years in the opportu- on all fronts. The Organ Historical So- 42-acre Stoneleigh estate “in anticipa- nity to work with our two founding ciety deserves the very best! tion of a potential condemnation of all members, Barbara Owen and Randy or part of the property.” If this devas- Wagner. From the outset I was guided Fondly—and Respectfully, tating seizure is undertaken, the project and supported by so many that I would will wreck a glorious public space—a like to thank, but I’m severely limited marvelous natural garden, and a historic by the space allotted me here. None- 35-room mansion in which is housed theless, I want to offer a special thanks 6 THE TRACKER ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY 330 North Spring Mill Road ~ Villanova, PA 19085-1737 • 804-353-9226 E-MAIL: [email protected] • WEB: www.organhistoricalsociety.org OHS MISSION STATEMENT CONVENTIONS The Organ Historical Society celebrates, preserves, and studies ROCHESTER, NEW YORK • July 29–August 3, 2018 In collaboration with the the pipe organ in America in all its historic styles, through re- Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative Festival in October search, education, advocacy, and music.