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THE TRACKER the TRACKER, Journal of the Organ Historical Society, Is Pub- Amanda R VOLUME 59, NUMBER 2, SPRING 2015 THE TRACKER JOURNAL OF THE ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY•JUNE 28-JULY 3 THE PIONEER VALLEY - WESTERN MASS. Join us for the 60th Annual OHS Convention, and our first visit to this cradle of American organbuilding. WILLIAM JACKSON (1868) CASAVANT FRÈRES LTÉE. (1897) C.B. FISK (1977) JOHNSON & SON (1892) JOHNSON & SON (1874) EMMONS HOWARD (1907) Registration is Now Open! SHOWCASING THE WORK OF HILBORNE ROOSEVELT, E. & G.G. HOOK, AEOLIAN-SKINNER, AND MANY OTHERS WWW.ORGANSOCIETY.ORG/2015 SKINNER ORGAN CO. (1921) HILBORNE L. ROOSEVELT (1883) LEN LEVASSEUR LEN PHOTOS J.W. STEERE & SON (1902) E.M. SKINNER (1936) (JOHNSON & SON FACADE) A DAVID MOORE INC World-Class Tracker Organs Built in Vermont Photos Courtesy of J. O. Love A Gem Rises We are pleased to announce that our Opus 37 is nearing completion at St Paul Catholic Parish, Pensacola, Florida. At the heart of this three manual tracker organ of 48 stops is the historic pipework of Moritz Baumgarten. These important pipes, c. 1868, were rescued from St Catherine of Sienna Church, Charlestown, Mass. We have created an instrument doing them justice in a stunning setting. Another example of our longstanding commitment to preserving the best of the past. Also Underway E. & G. G. Hook Opus 304, rescued in 2012 Restoration for the Hammond Street Congregational Church, Bangor, Maine Completion: Spring 2015 Recent Rescues Awaiting a Suitable Home William Simmons, 1864, 2 manual, 30 stops, rescued from St Augustine, South Boston, August 2014 Johnson, 1870, 1 manual, 9 stops, rescued in October 2014 Hook & Hastings Opus 1864, 2 manual, 8 stops, rescued from Littlelton, NH, December 2013 A. David Moore, Inc. 6810 Pomfret Road, North Pomfret, Vermont 05053 802-457-3914 [email protected] THE TRACKER Volume 59, Number 2 ~ SPR ING 2015 From the Chairman WILLIAM F. CZELUSNIAK CONTENTS From the Chairman 5 WILLIAM F. CZELUSNIAK The OHS From the CEO 9 …with Exciting Progress JAMES WEAVER Editor’s Notes 10 lthough writing on a frigid, if sunny, day in Letters to the Editor 11 ANew England, still dig- ging out from repeated snow Isaac van Vleck Flagler 14 storms, we look forward to the American Organist and Composer D. JOHN APPLE spring season, with all its proverbial warmth, growth, and re- newal of land, life, and activity. Happily, this report of OHS Feature Review 18 endeavors is an exciting one, covering some terrific progress LAWRENCE ARCHBOLD and accomplishment, as well as looking forward to celebra- tions and challenges for our membership this year. The Fourth Annual East Texas 20 Perhaps, the most substantial and recent accomplishment Pipe Organ Festival GEORGE BOZEMAN has been Bynum Petty’s success, early in December 2014, in relocating the entire manuscript collection of the OHS Li- 40th Annual 23 brary and Archives from cold storage in The Mill at Enfield, AIO National Convention New Hampshire, to a clean, temperate, and secure facility in SCOT L. HUNTINGTON Warminster, Pennsylvania. This big move was the product of Lynnwood Farnam on 28 tireless research and legwork by Bynum Petty, with help and American Organs support from Jim Weaver, with a generous grant from the EDITED BY MARCUS ST. JULIEN Wyncote Foundation of Philadelphia, and certainly warrants our celebration. News 31 Since the move, Archivist Petty has divided his time be- Organbuilding and Sustainability 32 tween the library in Princeton and the task of reorganizing Part I. Materials those manuscript materials into new storage boxes in Warm- JONATHAN M. GREGOIRE inster. This work goes well beyond that for which he is com- pensated; yet, the OHS resources and the Society’s services Ex Libris 34 thrive because of his generous attention to these assets. We Archives Corner 38 are very grateful for this improved protection of our peerless BYNUM PETTY and irreplaceable collection, and for Bynum’s generous com- mitment of time and fastidious skills! In THE TRACKER 38 In January 2015, a new committee was charged with the 50 Years Ago review of applications for Historic Organ Awards. This OHS SCOT L. HUNTINGTON program had been stalled for some time, for a variety of rea- Minutes 42 sons; and, we are very glad to have this important service functioning again for OHS membership. Steuart Goodwin Reviews 44 serves as chair, with members Greg Crowell, John Farmer, John Panning, and Jeff Weiler, to receive and review applica- Obituaries 50 tions for awards that can be made to pipe organs of historical EndNotes 53 significance. The two current award categories, the general require- ments, and the application process all are described on the Society’s web pages. By the time you read this, a backlog of award applications should be processed and the committee will be ready to deal promptly with new submissions. Please ON THE COVER Johnson & Son (1892). First Church of consider potential awards to promote and preserve important Monson, UCC, Monson, Massachusetts. Visit instruments within your reach, understanding that qualifica- this venue during the 2015 OHS Convention. PHOTO LEN LEVASSEUR Vol. 59, No. 2 THE TRACKER 5 From the Chairman CONTINUED tions are strict, keeping this recognition meaningful for pub- OHS 2015 calendar (also available online), which describes in lic celebration. enticing detail the routes and historic sites that we will visit. Also in January, the board of directors received the re- History of all sorts, art and architecture, and marvelous port of the Publications Strategy Committee, an ad hoc group stained glass await attendees every day of this convention, gathered in mid-2014 with the charge of reviewing the Soci- along with our own splendid musical programs. The conven- ety’s publication process, of looking imaginatively at future tion schedule, registration forms, and hotel reservations are all products and media, and of considering the role of the OHS, available now from the Society’s website. Go to the convention and our specialized interests, in the broader arenas of both ac- pages and consider the offerings! Then, make your commit- ademia and publishing. We promise that distribution of The ment promptly, to attend at the best rates. This convention will Tracker will continue on paper, for all those who need or be a superlative learning experience, with instruments selected want that copy. However, The Tracker will be made avail- in part for comparative study; students and faculty from near able in electronic form, as well, for those who prefer that ac- and far will appear among the performers. This is a wonder- cess, anticipating the interest of more student members in that ful part of our great country. Everyone will have a great time! medium! The general objective is to improve communica- Together with the 2015 Convention Committee, I look tions with members. forward to your hearty attendance at this milestone celebra- Another product of this committee’s work was the con- tion at the end of June. Likewise, the officers and board of di- sideration of content in The Tracker, or in other OHS pub- rectors remain ever appreciative of the ongoing support and lications—that this Society should, and easily could, increase participation of all members, as we work together to be the dissemination of new research and scholarly writing about curators of the pipe organ in America. Please join us in person pipe organs, their construction, history, and music. Since The this summer, in this important mission! Tracker is held in high esteem already by the academic com- munity, we can engage more young scholars by providing an accessible outlet to publish their worthy works. This sugges- GREAT BARRINGTON LEATHERING SYMPOSIUM 2015 Again this spring, the AIO and the OHS jointly, through their respective presidents, tion certainly encourages our thinking in new ways of pro- Matt Bellocchio and Bill Czelusniak, will sponsor a Releathering Symposium in Great viding academic value, outreach for the Society, and building Barrington, Mass., investigating and treating further the actions of the historic 1883 membership with valuable benefits. Audsley-Roosevelt organ in the First Congregational Church. The positive effects of More directly put, other objectives and challenges for the last year’s efforts by a jolly band of attendees were more than noticeable in the OHS this year are to build membership, increase operating greater function and reliability of the instrument – the Pedal division in particular – income, augment endowments, and add professional staff (as for the church; and, they helped to prepare the organ for Bruce Stevens’s recital here affordable) to accomplish more goals. These issues have been during the next OHS Convention at the end of June 2015. The focus of this year’s reported earlier, but they weigh heavily on the minds of the restoration will be one primary key-action system for a main manual windchest. board as our responsibility to set the course for the Society. Those attending will examine the construction of the organ as a whole, inspect Fundraising is a critical issue in terms of sustainability and the operation of the manual primary action, document and dismount that unit, and our survival and growth are contingent upon a strong mem- then rebuild it in full, on site, as a team effort over two days’ time, celebrating its bership base. These challenges belong to us all. The OHS is perfect operation at the end. With good preparations by the leaders, this task can be accomplished successfully and maybe even get a bit more done, with a great a membership society. The Society exists to serve members; deal of fun working together, teaching each other, and enjoying professional ca- but, member benefits depend upon member input, as well. Let maraderie, food, drinks, and “war stories,” as was the case in the spring of 2014.
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