2019 , THE ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S 64TH ANNUAL CONVENTION PHOTOGRAPHY LEN LEVASSEUR ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY DALLAS • TEXAS • JULY 14–18

C.B. Fisk, Inc., Op. 100 (1992 ) • Lay Family Concert Organ, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center ~ Dallas OHS 64th Annual Convention Guide WELCOME TO DALLAS!

THE CITY OF DALLAS has a relatively patterns of the North Texas plains. Yet, day services in the principal cities of short history compared to the great cit- the young city would survive and flour- the North, and that they had never ies of Europe or of the East Coast of the ish, even without the benefit of those heard any that surpassed in beauty —a historical fact that has steeped in high art, music, and culture. By and impressiveness the services that plagued the psyches of Dallasites from 1877, the city’s faith community was flour- they had heard in this new little city in the beginning as they attempted to found ishing to such an extent that the first pipe the West. A stranger from the eastern and grow a cultivated, erudite society on organ, built by Joseph Gratian of Alton, states dropping into St. Matthew’s on the plains. Shortly after the city’s found- , was purchased for the Episcopal yesterday [sic] would doubtless have ing by John Neely Bryan in 1844, the first cathedral. This represented a significant experienced a change in his ideas of European settlers, utopian socialists from overall cultural advancement that the city Texas. France, Belgium, and Switzerland, indeed appreciated. The Dallas Weekly Herald on desired to establish a model society on 25 May, 1882, reviewed the cathedral’s As- Church music and organ building in the banks of the occasionally mighty (but cension Day service, noting that: this small city in the West, then, would generally dry) Trinity River. Their colony, assume its trajectory from these early however, failed to flourish, given that the The music was all of the highest days. Dallas suffered from an acute cul- settlers’ skills at weaving, watchmaking, order, and rendered in a style that tural inferiority complex relative to the and pondering the philosophical benefits would have done credit to any church more established cities of the Midwest of direct democracy and private property in Boston or New York. Indeed it was or Northeast, resulting in sometimes ownership were ill-suited to the harsh, in- remarked by many after the services cartoonish expressions of exaggerated consistent weather and unique growing that they had attended Ascension self-esteem, such that the newspapers Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., Op. 1438 (1962) • St. Luke’s Episcopal Church ~ Dallas often zealously proclaimed each new in Oklahoma, was lovingly restored and organ at University Park United Meth- organ built as the “Largest in the World!” brought to Texas by the local American odist Church. The venerable Robert Later in the twentieth century, when Dal- Theatre Organ Society Chapter where it Anderson, longtime organ professor at las’ permanence and relative prosperity was installed in the Courtroom Theatre. Southern Methodist University, served as was assured, many of the organ installa- The old courthouse, the centerpiece of consultant for this Alsatian instrument. tions would indeed be large and signifi- the revitalized and fashionable old town Anderson had a vision that the Dallas area cant, rivaling any elsewhere in the nation. square, had been requisitioned for use would have at least one representative as a performing arts center, the 400-seat instrument from all the major historical courtroom finding new life as an audito- styles of organ building, and this instru- SUNDAY, JULY 14 rium for community theatre and concerts, ment provided tone colors that, while the Wurlitzer accompanying an annual common in Europe, were new to the area THOSE ARRIVING EARLY to Dallas can series of summer melodramas, Dicken’s at the time. Its casework and keydesk rep- partake in the wealth of fine church music Christmas Carol during December, and resent craftsmanship and artistry which programs offered in the city. Several of the the occasional wedding. was unique for its time. Anderson’s vision venues featured at the convention offer The convention proper begins with for Dallas as a veritable organ panoply regular Sunday morning music of a high evensong at Church of the Incarnation has largely been virtually fulfilled, with an caliber, including St Thomas Aquinas Cath- in Dallas, a historic church whose church international cadre of instruments from olic Church, Episcopal Church of the Incar- music program is a source of pride for the Germany, England, France, and Canada. nation, Episcopal Church of the Transfig- city. The 1994/2015 Noack organ weekly uration, First Methodist downtown, and accompanies the world-renowned choir University Park United Methodist. under the leadership of Scott Dettra. This MONDAY, 15 JULY A pre-convention event that after- church is the only one in Dallas to offer noon will showcase the 1927 Wurlitzer weekly choral evensong during the aca- ALTHOUGH DALLAS ORGANS began Opus 1632 at the McKinney Performing demic year. to take on international character in the Arts Center in the northern suburb of The evening concert will feature Kim- 1970s, the city’s landscape remains a McKinney. The organ, originally installed berly Marshall at the 1978 Alfred Kern bastion of American organ building tra- can be heard throughout the city. This church also houses a 1903 Gottlieb Vot- teler organ in the chapel. One focus of this convention is on Texas organ builders, of whom the state has had its fair share. So, it is appropriate to end the day featuring the work of two Texas builders. First we visit Northaven United Methodist Church to hear the Redman organ, Opus 7, 1973. Roy Red- man, a Texas native, has built many sig- nificant organs throughout the state, participating in the tracker revival in its uniquely Texan manifestations. The day concludes in the Romanesque magnif- icence of St. Thomas Aquinas Catho- lic Church which houses the 1978/1987 Schudi organ, with its French-inspired sonorities.

TUESDAY, JULY 16

THIS SECOND FULL DAY sharpens the focus on the uniqueness of Texas organs and their important history in Ameri- can organ building. We visit St. Stephen United Methodist Church with its 1962 Sipe-Yarbrough, Opus 1, an organ that quite possibly best represents the tracker revival in Texas. This neo-baroque, me- chanical action organ opened the ears of Texas organists to sounds that only those who had the luxury of extensive travel had experienced. These two Texas builders collaborated on this instrument which was more of a culmination of sev- eral years philosophizing amongst Texas builders. The patriarch of native-Texan Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., Inc., Op. 1528 (1973) organ builders, Otto Hofmann, wrote in a Cox Chapel, Highland Park United Methodist Church ~ Dallas 1959 Diapason of the new winds blowing in the Texas organ landscape: ditions, the first organ heard on Monday Europe, houses a 2002 Noack instrument morning represents the august firm of of two manuals. Whereas the Incarnation It was a strange coincidence that Aeolian-Skinner, the chancel organ at Noack represents a grand instrument in an editorial in The Diapason of June Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. the cathedral tradition, this mechanical 1958 questioning America’s willing- Dallas had been home to numerous Ae- action instrument shines in the perfor- ness and capacity to build a mechan- olian-Skinners in the 1950s and 1960s, but mance of smaller works, which sound no ical action organ should appear when as the churches prospered (and in some less grand in the cavernous church. every square foot in our workrooms cases, migrated to different locations), the Next featured will be the 2007 and erecting area at that time was organs were frequently “upgraded” with Schoenstein at Park Cities Presbyterian full of new mechanical action organs newer installations, to mixed results. This Church. This exquisite organ, with its dou- built entirely in Texas… Almost all of instrument is one of about half a dozen ble expressive capabilities and manifold our visitors expressed surprise and that remain, and, with its favorable acous- orchestral stops, is a worthy successor amazement that this was going on in tical environment, is one of the most to the E.M. Skinner style, and is distinctly America, and of all places, in Texas! successful. American. Interestingly, Dallas only had Organ building in Texas is hardly more The All Saints Chapel at The Episco- one E.M. Skinner organ, installed in 1926 than 100 years old in contrast to a his- pal School of Dallas, a modern space at First Presbyterian Church, and long tory of well over 300 years in the land reminiscent of the great churches of since replaced. Skinner’s style, though to the south of us. Downtown Dallas is a must-see for any for a much smaller space, it is a rare gem visitor with its new Arts District encom- from an era of organ building which has passing the AT&T Performing Arts Center, few other local examples. In this case, we the Winspear Opera House, and the Mey- can be thankful that the Catholic diocese erson Symphony Center, to name but a never entertained any interest in replac- few of the significant spaces. Set within ing this historic organ. a walkable locale, we visit First Presbyte- The evening ends back at the Meyer- rian Church, recently renovated to its 1912 son Symphony Center with a hymn festi- splendor and now housing a 1977 Robert val played by Jan Kraybill in conjunction Sipe organ that utilizes about 30% of the with national convention of The Hymn original E.M. Skinner pipework. A 1988 Society of the United States and Canada. Jaeckel organ in the chapel is reminiscent of the Cavaillé-Coll choir organs and is particularly suitable for French Romantic WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 literature. Possibly no organ in Dallas is more THIS DAY highlights the collaboration be- famous that the iconic Fisk Opus 100 in the tween OHS and The Hymn Society, whose near-perfect acoustics of the Meyerson convention is being held simultaneously, Symphony Center. Inaugurated in 1992, and based out of the Southern Method- this landmark C.B. Fisk instrument devel- ist University campus. The day begins oped from a close and early collaboration with a plenary session at Highland Park among the architect, I.M. Pei, the City of Methodist Church on campus, with hymn Dallas, and the organ committee headed writer Thomas Troeger, organ builder by Robert Anderson. This organ would Bruce Fowkes, Dallas composer Joel Mar- be groundbreaking simply by the fact tinson and Dallas musician Scott Dettra as that it was deemed a necessary feature they discuss the intersection of hymnody, of the hall in an era when the pipe organ organ building, composition, and perfor- was seen as superfluous equipment. That mance practice during a moderated dis- the organ is of mechanical action is also a cussion entitled “Each Breath is Borrowed distinguishing feature, as the few organs Air.” This will conclude with a concert on of the era that had been installed in con- the church’s 2009 Dobson, Op. 87. cert halls (Davies Symphony Center) were decidedly securely of electric action. The Karl Wilhelm Inc. (1975) tonal design of the instrument was care- First United Lutheran Church ~ Dallas fully crafted to blend with the orchestra, while conversely, the instrument could Hofmann’s instruments work out rival any other in performing the con- neo-baroque tonal designs and sonori- cert literature. Our visit to the Meyerson ties uniquely and with varying successes; includes a visit with David C. Pike, Exec- most of them were built in central Texas, utive Vice President and Tonal Director and most are not mechanical action. The of C.B. Fisk, who was intimately involved Sipe-Yarbrough instrument represents with the installation of the organ here. His the amalgamation of all that the neo-ba- lecture will situate the organ in its place roque revival represented—mechanical in American organ building history, as will action, careful attention to craftsman- Dallas Symphony organist Bradley Hunter ship, and a concern for baroque sonori- Welch, who will demonstrate the organ to ties with tone colors available through its full capacity. vertical “stacking” of pitches, reminiscent Across the street from the Meyerson is perhaps of the effervescent Schnitger the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Gua- organs of the Hanseatic League. dalupe, a Victorian, red-brick edifice hous- A visit to the Church of the Ascension ing an 1871 Reuben Midmer instrument to hear the 2005 Pasi organ allows partici- that was transplanted to its current loca- pants to hear the fruit of forty years worth tion in 1903 by Hook and Hastings. This of study and experience in building lovely instrument with stenciled pipes is neo-baroque organs; whereas the build- the oldest organ in its original location ers of Sipe-Yarbrough Opus 1 were break- (such as it is) in Dallas. The spacious, soar- ing regional ground in their artistic and ing nave cannot prevent the beauty of Alfred Kern et Fils (1978) tonal conceptions, the Pasi represents the this organ from being heard. While only University Park peak of those artistic ideas. a two-manual instrument and conceived United Methodist Church ~ Dallas C.B. Fisk, Inc., Op. 101 (1993) • Caruth Auditorium, Southern Methodist University ~ Dallas

Dallas organ historian and scholar Hook and Hastings Op. 2109 at St Alban’s an-Skinner, Op. 1438, originally installed in Benjamin Kolodziej will give a lecture, Collegiate Chapel on the campus. Caruth Auditorium and on which genera- assisted with audio and visual aids, on Dr. Larry Palmer, long-time Professor tions of organ students practiced and per- the history of organs in Dallas, particu- of Organ and Harpsichord at SMU, will formed. Having been replaced in Caruth larly focusing on the fascinating history of play a concert on what is the oldest organ by the Fisk in 1993, the organ has since the Southern Methodist University organ in Texas. The ca. 1762 Pascoali Caetano made music in the unique mid-century department. Oldovini chamber organ is housed in the architecture of this local parish. A number of restaurants surround the nationally-acclaimed Meadows Museum, campus, and the afternoon has been con- nicknamed “Prado on the Prairie,” which ceived as a time to relax to a slower pace. houses the largest and most comprehen- THURSDAY, JULY 18 After lunch, participants can return to the sive collection of Iberian art outside of campus at their leisure to partake of simul- Spain. This little Portuguese organ of one THE FINAL OFFICIAL DAY of the con- taneous events. Small positive organs by manual and seven stops, formerly in Evora vention sees participants driven to Den- Hendrik Hess (1788) and Louis Debierre Cathedral, was bought from a collector in ton, now practically another northern (1884) will be demonstrated by SMU stu- the Netherlands in the early 1980s and suburb of the Dallas “metroplex,” as the dents at the world-famous Bridwell Library. brought to SMU, where it was restored locals say. The University of North Texas, Also on display in the library will be an exhi- and is regularly played, Dr. Palmer having with its illustrious organ program boast- bition from the Robert Anderson archives. presented the organ to many audiences ing such teachers as Helen Hewitt, Dale Organ professor at SMU for almost 40 throughout the years. Peters, and Jesse Eschbach, has produced years, Anderson’s teaching shaped gener- A panel consisting of Dallas Morning generations of organ students. The cam- ations of students; the organ landscape of News music critic Scott Cantrell and Texas pus offers an embarrassment of riches, North Texas appearing as it does is largely a organ builders George Bozeman, Jr., and starting with the 2008 Wolff & Associés result of his students’ labors, whose visions Roy Redman will focus on the theme of Ltée Ardoin-Voertman Concert Organ on were informed by their studies with the “Organbuilding in the Lone Star State,” which Dr. Damin Spritzer, Assistant Pro- great pedagogue. Dallas area organ expert followed by a concert by Stefan Engels, fessor of Organ at the University of Okla- James Wallmann will also have on display Professor of Organ and Leah Fullinwider homa, will perform. A panel of builders books from his personal collection of eigh- Centennial Chair in Music Performance at including Jack Bethards, Bruce Fowkes, teenth and nineteenth century books on Southern Methodist University, in Caruth Martin Pasi, Michael Quimby and Lynn organ building. Auditorium on Fisk’s Opus 101 (1993.) Fol- Dobson, moderated by Jesse Eschbach, Also occurring repeatedly and simul- lowing a banquet at the Magnolia Hotel, Professor of Organ at UNT, will then dis- taneously, SMU organ students will conveniently located near the SMU cam- cuss the topic of “Designing and Building demonstrate the 1973 Aeolian-Skinner pus, we travel to St Luke’s Episcopal Church Concert Hall Organs.” Susan Ferré will tracker organ in Cox Chapel at Highland for a concert by Mormon Tabernacle organ- then speak of the “Raisin Organ,” a lit- Park United Methodist, as well as the 1906 ist Andrew Unsworth on the 1962 Aeoli- tle nineteenth-century Swiss organ that made its way to Texas with missionaries during the early twentieth century. Ferré will discuss how she found and acquired this organ, and what it reveals not only about performance practice in the nine- teenth century, but about the Texas mu- sicians who used the organ. This organ, along with a 1971 Rieger, will be demon- strated by UNT students. It is probably not an overstatement to suggest that UNT has an organ to fit everyone’s taste, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Main Audi- torium, with its 1949 M.P. Möller, Op. 7676, juxtaposed with the 1984/2003 Bedient, a first-of-its-kind organ in the USA, designed as a faithful replica of eighteenth-century French organs. This organ, originally installed in Michigan and made famous in the 1987 PBS docu- mentary, “Wind at One’s Fingertips,” will be the instrument of choice for Davitt Moroney’s concert that afternoon. After returning to Dallas for a Happy Hour and Dinner at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, we will hear the 1970 Aeolian-Skinner (tracker) organ, fol- lowed by a gala concert on the 2010 Rich- ards, Fowkes & Co., Op 17, in the gallery.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

FOR THOSE who wish to stay a little lon- ger, an add-on day in Fort Worth will showcase some of the important organs of that city, which, unlike Dallas, has al- ways gladly embraced its Western heri- tage. The city boasts the stockyards and a traditional steam train, a ride not to be missed! Yes, you will see cowboys, boots, spurs, horses, and friendly people willing to talk to you about their city. Or, spend free time in Dallas. The downtown area 1871 Reuben Midmer/1902 Hook & Hastings/1982 Roy A. Redman Organ Co., Op. 34 is home to the Dallas World Aquarium Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe ~ Dallas and the Sixth Floor Museum, a moving tribute to that fateful day in 1963 that and think of air conditioning first when ardson showcase recent organs by Klais, forever seared Dallas into the American building a structure, so all the venues are Létourneau, Schantz, Reuter, and Schudi, consciousness, for better or for worse. completely climate controlled. among others, which we will not have The convention hotel, The Magnolia, This convention will truly feature time to visit. Our center of activity in Dal- is conveniently situated near the SMU organs significant “of their time.” Many las will feature so many significant organs, campus at Mockingbird Station, a com- historic Dallas organs, of which there some of them even old, that you will cer- plex offering shopping, restaurants and were plenty from the 1890s to the 1920s, tainly come away with a sense of the area entertainment venues on a Dallas Area were victims of the city’s economic suc- as the cosmopolitan city it certainly is. On Rapid Transit (DART) line, that offers easy cess. This is a region in which the estab- behalf of convention co-chairs Dr. Chris- public transportation to downtown, to lished churches still prosper, and some- topher Anderson and James Wallmann, the airport, and elsewhere. There is no times that means pipe organs are subject I hope you will join us as we together doubt about it—Dallas in the summer is to the changing whims of musical tastes. explore the organs of this dynamic and hot! But we Dallasites take this seriously The northern suburbs of Plano and Rich- distinctive area.