New Organs
′ was to fi x the room, and that was done to 4 Octave 61 pipes 4′ Rohrfl ute 61 pipes great effect. All music benefi ts from the 2 2⁄3′ Octave Quint 61 pipes wonderful new fl oors and ceiling. 2′ Super Octave 61 pipes 1 Then stops needed to be relocated 1⁄3′ Fourniture IV 244 pipes to where they fi t best. As the original new & new chest console could not be expanded, a new 8′ Bombarde (Choir) console was designed, with all the lat- Tremolo Gt/Gt 16′–Unison Off–4′ est technology available to the organist. ′ Lewis & Hitchcock, eral things conspired against the organ. Next, new stops were added to fi ll in 8 Trompette en Chamade 61 pipes Beltsville, Maryland When the sanctuary was complete, it missing sounds, all capped by the com- new & new chest, in rear gallery Chevy Chase United Methodist was judged to be too reverberant, and manding Trompette en Chamade in the SWELL Church, Chevy Chase, Maryland the organ to be too shrill. Curtains cov- rear gallery. 16′ Rohr Bourdon (ext 8′ Rohrfl ute) ered the organ chamber, and acoustical The result is an instrument that is a joy 8′ Diapason Conique 61 pipes Like the Sound of a Great Amen treatment was applied to the ceiling. We to play and hear. All the stops are where moved from Great on new chest (So begins the description of the like to say that the most important stop they should be to perform the literature. 8′ Rohrfl ute 73 pipes 8′ Viole de Gamba 73 pipes church organ in the booklet prepared on the organ is the room in which it is A new middle layer of sounds makes it ′ for the dedication of the new building in located. The organ became a jewel in a easy to accompany a soloist or choir. And 8 Viole Celeste tc 61 pipes 4′ Principal 73 pipes 1954.) Perhaps no other single facet of a velvet box; many of the tone colors were the full sound of the organ can lift the 4′ Harmonic Flute 73 pipes worship service provides at once so much swallowed up. congregation to new heights in hymn 2′ Flautino 61 pipes pleasure and so great an inspiration as The organ was also built at the begin- singing. Charles Wesley wrote “O for a 2′ Plein Jeu III (new) 183 pipes does its music. The traditional musical ning of the “Organ Reform Movement,” thousand tongues to sing my dear Re- 8′ Trompette 73 pipes foundation in Christian churches is the when organs were being designed to deemer’s praise.” Now the organ does. former Clarion with new 1–12 pipe organ. Organ music opens and clos- have more clarity. One of the fashions Linda Ellinwood was the musician 8′ Oboe (new) 73 pipes es each service. It creates an atmosphere then was to make the unisons thin and who spearheaded this effort, working Tremolo Sw/Sw 16′–Unison Off–4′ of reverence aurally, much as Gothic the octaves larger, which, while making with Gerald Piercey on the tonal design. ′ architecture—often aptly called “fro- the organ a bit clearer, often made them Grey Emmons served as the chair of the 8 Trompette en Chamade (Great) zen music”—does visually. Chevy Chase lack body. So many times in trying to ac- organ committee. CHOIR Methodist Church can be as proud of its company a soloist or choir the organ was Text and pictures by Gerald Piercey; 8′ Gemshorn 61 pipes inspiring new organ as of the sanctuary either too soft or too loud; there was a console picture by Randy Walker moved from Great on new chest itself. In the words of a music critic, writ- missing medium level of sound. 8′ Cor de Nuit 73 pipes ing of the thrilling dedicatory concert on Also, many stops seemed better suited M. P. Möller Opus 8839, 1954 8′ Dulciana 73 pipes Rebuilt by Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc. 8′ Unda Maris tc 61 pipes December 5, 1954, our organ “is in every to other divisions than where they were ′ respect worthy of its attractive surround- located. Couplers helped tie sounds to- 4 Principal (new) 73 pipes GREAT 4′ Nachthorn 73 pipes ings . . . It sounded like one of the best gether, but the organist had to do lots of 2 ′ Chimes (21 tubes, in Choir) 2⁄3 Nazard 61 pipes organs in Washington.” strange maneuvering to make that hap- 8′ Diapason (new) 61 pipes 2′ Blockfl ute 61 pipes 3 ′ This organ represented the height pen, and it tied up manuals that were 8′ Bourdon 61 pipes 1⁄5 Tierce 61 pipes of organbuilding for its time. It had just needed elsewhere. 8′ Viola 61 pipes 1′ Cymbal III 183 pipes about everything an organist could want When the age of the organ made a moved from Choir moved from Swell on new chest then. But this was a time when music in mechanical refurbishing necessary, we 8′ Flûte Harmonique 49 pipes 8′ Clarinet (new) 73 pipes new & new chest, Tremolo the church was much less varied than it is drew up plans of how to make the organ ′ now fi fty-plus years later. In addition, sev- be the best it could be. The fi rst thing 1–12 from Pedal Bourdon 8 Bombarde 73 pipes former Swell Trompette moved, revoiced, on new chest Ch/Ch 16′–Unison Off–4′ 8′ Trompette en Chamade (Great) PEDAL /44/ (%533 /2'!. 0!243 32′ Untersatz 32 notes new, Walker Paradox unit 4RADITION AND 0ROGRESS 16′ Diapason 32 pipes 16′ Bourdon 32 pipes 16′ Rohr Bourdon (ext, Sw) 12 pipes ′ &OR MORE THAN YEARS WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNING AND BUILDING ORGAN 8 Octave (ext 16 Diap) 12 pipes 8′ Bourdon (ext 16 Bourd) 12 pipes CONSOLES CHASSIS AND PARTS AS WELL AS COMPLETE MECHANICAL AND 8′ Rohrfl ute (Swell) ELECTRICAL TRACKER AND REGISTRATION SYSTEMS FOR PIPE ORGANS 4′ Super Octave (ext) 12 pipes 4′ Flûte Harmonique (Great) 4′ Rohrfl ute (Swell) /UR ENTHUSIASM n COUPLED WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY 2′ Diapason Conique (Swell) MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND FUELLED BY OUR GENUINE EXCITEMENT FOR 32′ Bombarde 32 notes new, Walker Paradox unit EXPERIMENTS n l NDS EXPRESSION IN THE CONTINUOUS FURTHER DEVELOP 16′ Bombarde (ext Ch Bomb) 12 pipes MENT OF THE /44/ (%533 RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 16′ Bassoon (ext Sw Oboe) 12 pipes 8′ Trumpet (Choir Bombarde) 4′ Oboe (Swell) 7HATEVER YOU TOUCH AND HEAR IN ORGAN BUILDING 8′ Trompette en Chamade (Great) 9OULL ALWAYS COME ACROSS ONE OF OUR IDEAS Couplers Great to Pedal 8′, 4′ %VERYWHERE AND AROUND THE WORLD Swell to Pedal 8′, 4′ /44/ (%533 n 9OUR CREATIVE PARTNER IN ORGAN BUILDING Choir to Pedal 8′, 4′ MIDI on Pedal MIDI on Swell Swell to Great 16′, 8′, 4′ Choir to Great 16′, 8′, 4′ /44/ (%533 'MB( n 'ERMANY MIDI on Great 0HONE n s &AX n E -AIL HALLO OTTOHEUSSDE s )NTERNET WWWOTTOHEUSSDE Swell to Choir 16′, 8′, 4′ Great/Choir Manual Transfer MIDI on Choir Pedal to Choir 8′
28 THE DIAPASON
Aug 09 pp. 26-28.indd 28 7/10/09 10:57:00 AM