A Celebration of Joe Hoppe’s Legacy at St. Patrick’s Church, New Orleans Marijim Thoene

High school graduation, 1956 Notre Dame Seminary, 1967

concerts with the Saint Louis Cathedral M.T.: You have all the qualities I At St. Patrick’s Evening of Celebration, under the direction of Elise Cam- think a man of the cloth should when Joe was honored for his 40 years bon and Father Stahl. have—compassion, a fi ne education, of service to the church and when he re- Joe at Evening of Celebration In August 1968 Msgr. John P. Reyn- integrity, reverence, a sense of hu- ceived the Alumnus of the Year Award from the University of New Orleans, olds hired him as the organist for St. Pat- mor. Are you glad that you chose to presented by his dear friend and de- Introduction rick’s Church, where, as Joe said, “There serve the church as a musician rath- partment chair, Dr. James Hammann Joe Hoppe has been organist and di- was no choir or . I was the music er than as a priest, that you chose to rector of music for over 40 years at St. program!” Over time he recruited sing- follow “a road less traveled ?” Patrick’s Roman in New ers, and had a choir of over 40 voices. In J.H.: Yes. After two years in the active Orleans, Louisiana, located in the busi- September 1990 he was accepted into ministry, I came to the realization that ness district at 734 Camp Street. This the master’s program at the University for personal and spiritual reasons, I had historic church, completed in 1840, is in of New Orleans, where he studied or- to make a change in my life. After much the Gothic style with a vaulted ceiling, gan with H. Gerald Aultman and choral prayer and consideration and consulta- massive hand-carved doors, and tower- conducting with Raymond Sprague. In tion with my spiritual director, together ing stained glass windows. Here the Ro- May 1993 he was awarded a Master of we came to the conclusion that I should man continues to be celebrated in Music degree, which coincided with the request an indefi nite leave of absence Latin, and here Joe Hoppe developed 25th anniversary of his employment at from the archbishop. I made the request, one of the fi nest music programs in the St. Patrick’s. In September 2008 he was and it was granted in February 1968. In Archdiocese of New Orleans. He built honored at a banquet at the New Orleans August of that year, Msgr. John P. Reyn- a fi ne choir of volunteers, conducted Country Club and awarded a Waterford olds, who was well aware of my situation choral masterworks with full orchestra, crystal cross for 40 years of devoted and status, hired me as music director maintained the pipe organ, and in 2009 and dedicated service to St. Patrick’s and organist for St. Patrick’s Church. realized his dream of presenting the Church. Also at this banquet, James church with a new pipe organ, a magnifi - Hammann, chair of the music depart- M.T.: What led you to playing the or- cent instrument built by Patrick J. Mur- ment at the University of New Orleans, gan and directing ? phy and Associates, Opus 53. Joe Hoppe presented him with a “Distinguished J.H.: When I was 13, Sister Mary retired from St. Patrick’s in March 2010. Alumnus Certifi cate from the University Celia, SSND (School Sisters of Notre This interview is intended to celebrate of New Orleans Department of Music Dame), was the organist at Our Lady of his remarkable contributions to the for Forty Years of Distinguished Service Good Counsel Church and music teach- musical life of St. Patrick’s Church, the as Organist at St. Patrick’s Church, New er in the grammar school. I was studying community of New Orleans, and the Orleans, Louisiana.” piano with her, and she suggested that I lives of many international visitors, and Here is Joe Hoppe who, when asked should learn to play the organ. My par- to let you see some of the behind-the- by a bride how long it takes to learn to ents gave their consent, and she began scenes work of his remarkable tenure at play the organ, answered, with a twinkle to give me organ lessons on the 11-rank, St. Patrick’s Church St. Patrick’s. His music has touched the in his eye, “Oh, a couple of weeks!” two-manual Tellers-Kent pipe organ, ears and hearts of thousands. dated 1920, in the church. This was in 1968, there was no choir. I was hired Joe was born on February 13, 1938 in Marijim Thoene: My favorite photo of back in the days when Novenas and such only to play the organ, and once in a while New Orleans. He received a Bachelor you is as a young cleric. Knowing of things as evening May Devotions were maybe sing for a morning High Mass. Be- of Arts degree, majoring in philosophy, your remarkable education, I’m not very popular. As soon as I had learned tween 1968 and 1987 I would invite musi- from Notre Dame Seminary in June surprised that you should make that the very basics of the instrument, she cian friends to perform at the church for 1961. In 1964 he completed three and choice. When was this photo taken? had me learn one hymn at a time, and as big feast days such as Christmas Midnight a half years of postgraduate studies in Joe Hoppe: In 1967 I was assigned as I learned each one, she would have me Mass or on Easter Sunday morning, but theology, where he studied the theory an assistant to the pastor (now referred play it during the service. Then she had there was no organized music program. and practice of with to as Parochial Vicar) at St. Angela Mer- me learn the accompaniment to the Lat- In 1987 I formed a male choir to sing an Father Robert Stahl, S.M., and sang ici Parish, and that is the photo that was in Masses that the school children sang all-Gregorian High Mass on Passion Sun- in the Notre Dame Seminary Schola printed on the weekly bulletin to intro- at the 8:00 am High Mass every morning day of that year. Then in May I formed Cantorum, which participated in joint duce me to the parishioners. of the week, and she would let me play a female choir to sing a High Mass in for these Masses. This was while I was honor of Mary. In September of that year, still in grammar school. When I was in these two groups combined to form what high school, I joined the church’s adult became known as St. Patrick’s Concert choir and sang with them. Choir. This continued until March 7, The Diapason When I was employed at St. Patrick’s 2010, when it was disbanded. 2011 Resource Directory • The only comprehensive directory of the organ and church music fi elds • Includes listings of associations, suppliers, and the products and services they provide

Reserve advertising space now Deadline: November 1 To reserve advertising space, contact Jerome Butera 847/391-1045; [email protected]

20 THE DIAPASON Joe with founding choir members Rose Mary Tichenor, Jane Wilson, and Rene Toups, 1990 Joe at the organ for the “Farewell to the Möller” concert given in January 2009, the day before the Möller was dismantled for the new organ

student body. Here I received my back- ground in Gregorian chant. Eventually I was able to conduct the student body at High Mass when chant was sung. We sang two or three High Masses a week, and the entire student body was able to sing all of 18 Masses in the and the Gregorian chant Propers of the Mass in the . It was from Father Stahl that I received my founda- tion in chant, and learned much about choral conducting. Dr. Elise Cambon, the organist at St. Louis Cathedral for 60 years, served on the faculty of Loyola Music School. I spent several semesters studying with her. She required hard work and dedica- tion, and any success that I may have en- joyed as an organist be attributed to her instruction and example. Fr. Reynolds farewell, 2000 M.T.: What have you enjoyed the most in your career as a musician? and all the students sang; on Saturday J.H.: I have always enjoyed playing morning at 7 am individual classes were music, and playing for other people, ei- assigned on rotating schedule. During ther piano or organ. As long as I have Master of Music, University of New Or- the summer months, individual classes been at St. Patrick’s, whenever I played leans, 1993 were assigned to sing the 7 am Mass six days a week. In 1953, when I was 15 years old, the nun who was the church organist—and also my fi rst organ instructor—hired me to play for all the High Masses in June, Bumboub July, and August. I was thrilled when at the end of the summer I was paid $150 Dibqufs- for my services. The time I spent at Notre Dame was before the Vatican II changes went into effect. All the liturgies were in !!!!!!!!!BHP Latin. Even the philosophy courses had Latin textbooks. When I started the choir at St. Pat- rick’s, it was with men who volunteered Announces to sing a Latin Gregorian chant Mass for what in the old days was called Passion Sunday (two Sundays before Easter) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Uif Joe at home practice organ, 1998 1987. In May I had volunteer women sing a two-part Mass. We called this a !!!!!!!Ubzmps!Pshbo M.T.: To hear the sung “Mary Mass” in honor of the Blessed in Latin is becoming a rare experi- Virgin. Then in September of that year I ence, yet you have kept this tradition put the two groups together and St. Pat- !!!!!!!!!!!!Dpnqfujujpo alive at St. Patrick’s Church. When rick’s Concert Choir was formed; some did you learn Latin and how were of these people assisted with the repair you able to maintain a volunteer of the Möller. choir that could sang the All of the original members of the so beautifully? choir had sung Latin when they were in Tbuvsebz-!Bqsjm!32-!3123 J.H.: When the liturgical changes school, so Latin was not a problem. Most went into effect after Vatican II (1962), of these people knew how to pronounce Pqfo!up!joejwjevbmt!cpso!bgufs!Kvof!2-!2:9: the pastor at St. Patrick’s Church was Latin, but had a very limited knowledge granted permission to continue the Tri- of the meaning of what was being sung. dentine Latin Mass because the Stella As the years went along, there were very Maris Center (the Catholic Maritime few members who had not been exposed Organization for Foreign Seamen) was to Latin, and the few who were not fa- Qsj{f Qsj{f directly across Camp Street from St. miliar with it were helped along by the %21-111!boe %6-111 Patrick’s; the reasoning was that the for- older members of the group. b!tpmp!sfdjubm eign seamen would not understand the jo!Bumboub English language being used in the new M.T.: Who were the greatest infl u- liturgy, but would be more at ease and ences on your life as a musician and understand the Latin. why? Bqqmjdbujpo!efbemjof At present there are at least two ad- J.H.: The two teachers who probably ditional churches in New Orleans that infl uenced me the most were Father Pdupcfs!22-!3122 celebrate with the Latin liturgy. Robert J. Stahl, S.M. (Society of Mary) Gps!dpnqmfuf!efubjmt!jodmvejoh and Elise Cambon. Father Stahl was in sfqfsupjsf-!qmfbtf!tff Singing Latin charge of the music program at Notre xxx/ubzmpspshbodpnqfujujpo/dpn When I was in grammar school, begin- Dame Seminary for the six years that ning in the fi fth grade, the whole student I was a student there. He conducted body was taught to sing Latin by rote. We the Notre Dame Seminary Schola Can- sang a (High Mass) every torum, of which I was a member, and xxx/bhpbumboub/psh morning during the week at 8 am. The every day there was a 15-minute Gre- Children’s Mass was at 8:30 am Sunday, gorian chant rehearsal for the entire

SEPTEMBER, 2010 21 Christmas concert, 1988 Christmas concert, 1989 a service, it was not unusual for me to M.T.: I know the crowning glory of play for thirty minutes before the service your tenure at St. Patrick’s Church is began. This was just as important for me installation of the organ built by Pat- as was playing for the service itself. I rick J. Murphy & Associates in 2009. enjoyed improvising the long organ pre- However, before this, you yourself lude and creating a prayerful and quiet resuscitated the 1962 Möller instru- time for anyone who was in church. ment. Your efforts to rescue it in the The most rewarding aspect of my 1980s are remarkable. Please tell us tenure at St. Patrick’s has been conduct- how you did this. ing large works for choir and orchestra. J.H.: In 1982, the 1962 Möller (#9614) Over the years I conducted Haydn’s became unplayable because of the dete- Mass in Honor of John de Deo (also re- rioration of the pouch leather and res- ferred to as The Little Organ Mass) and ervoir leather in the organ mechanism. the Lord Nelson Mass; Mozart’s Trinity An estimate of the cost to make the Mass, , Sparrow Mass, needed repairs was in the neighborhood and D-minor Mass; Dvorak’s Mass in of $60,000. At this particular time, St. D; Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Patrick’s Church building was undergo- Noël; Rheinberger’s Mass in C; Bach’s ing an extensive and expensive renova- Cantatas #142 and #190; Saint-Saëns’ tion (1977–1990), and the funds needed Christmas Oratorio; and Schubert’s to repair the organ were not available. So Mass in G. the church purchased a small Allen or- Every time I listen to a recording of gan to substitute for the Möller until the one of these performances, I have dif- necessary repairs could be made. fi culty believing that I was able to put In 1986 someone made a $3,000 dona- Joe with Betty Noe (donor of the new St. Patrick’s organ, along with her children, in something like this together and achieve tion to the church for organ repairs. This memory of her late husband and their father James A. Noe, Jr.) and Patrick Murphy such glorious results. It humbles me was the seed money that began the res- and makes me grateful that I have been toration of the Möller. I dismantled and this time I had a piano tuning, repair, and Masses and all the instrumentalists com- blessed to be able to do this. rebuilt the 1962 Möller in the 1980s. At rebuilding business. I specialized in the plained about how diffi cult it was to tune old-time mechanical player pianos. This their instruments to the organ, I decided work on player pianos required the use that maybe it was time to bring it up to of leather, pneumatic cloth, and hot liq- A = 440 Hz. I asked Jim Hammann if he uid hide glue, many of the same materi- would undertake this task for us, but it als that are used in a pipe organ. So René was a bigger job than Jim could handle Toups, some of the choir members, and at the time because of his involvement I decided to undertake the organ repair with the university. Since Jim could not project. I purchased several books on undertake this task, he recommended organ construction and repair and the Patrick J. Murphy. I engaged Patrick to project began. tune the organ to 440. I was very im- THE LATEST RECORDINGS FROM TWO OF ENGLAND’S FINEST CHOIRS! While the ceiling plaster was being pressed with his tuning ability and his repaired, the workmen did not properly overall knowledge about organs. cover and protect the organ pipes. As a It had been over 20 years since I result, several large pieces of plaster fell had completed the re-leathering work onto the Great pipes and damaged about in 1987, and there were many indica- a dozen pipes. Since Möller was still in tions that the Möller was going to need business at this time, I sent the pipes a rebuild in a very short time. After back to Möller for repair or replacement. all these years, it was obvious that the Much of the dirt from this work was not leather I had installed was nearing the only dropped on the exposed Great and end of its usefulness. Pedal pipes, but it also found its way into Patrick Murphy was very impressed by the Swell and Choir chambers. So all the the acoustics of the church, and expressed pipes of the organ had to be removed an interest in building a new organ for St. and cleaned, and all the windchests had Patrick’s. By this time his company had to be cleaned. This was very dirty work. already constructed or completely rebuilt Our crew removed all except the bottom 52 pipe organs throughout the country. of three 16-foot sets of pipes and I suggested that he draw up a proposal A YEAR AT KING’S ST JOHN’S MAGNIFICAT cleaned each one individually. When the for an instrument that he thought would pipes were removed and cleaned and all serve our needs and submit it to the pas- the pipe chests vacuumed, I replaced all tor. The proposal was submitted in the A survey of the and 600 years of The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge, of the primary pouch leather, recovered summer of 2007, and several organists repertoire with Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of (Andrew Nethsingha, director) performs choral all the pneumatics in the relay chest with whose opinion I respect examined it. King’s College, Cambridge. works of Herbert Howells, who served as acting new leather, and also releathered eleven Everyone felt that the organ described of the thirteen reservoirs. We began this in this proposal would be a wonderful in- $15.98 for OHS Members $17.98 for others organist at the college during World War II. work in September 1987 and had the or- strument for St. Patrick’s Church. I pre- Includes two premiere recordings! gan back together roughly tuned in time sented the proposal to the Parish Council Join today! www.organsociety.org $15.98 for OHS Members $17.98 for others for Christmas Midnight Mass the same meeting in the fall of 2007, and the group year. In January I hired a professional was in favor of the new instrument. All organ technician to tune the organ prop- we needed was the funds to pay for it. IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT! erly and do some voicing. About a month later, Mrs. Betty Noe, a longtime choir member, informed me NOW CHOOSE FROM OVER 5,000 TITLES! M.T.: Your fi nal gift to St. Patrick’s is that she would underwrite the cost of the splendid organ built by Patrick the new instrument in memory of her ORDER ANY TIME ONLINE: www.ohscatalog.org J. Murphy, Opus 53. What prompted late husband. By the end of December you choose him as the builder? And the contract was signed. In January 2009 ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY UPS shipping to U.S. addresses, which we how were you able to accomplish the Möller was completely removed, 27 P.O. Box 26811 Richmond, VA 23261 recommend, is $7.75 for your entire order. this? of the 29 ranks were reconditioned and Media Mail shipping is $4.50 for your entire J.H.: The pitch on the old Möller was used in the new organ, along with 23 Telephone: (804) 353-9226 order. Shipping outside U.S. is $4.50, plus about 20 cents fl at. It had been this way new ranks, giving the new organ a total Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:00pm ET the cost of air postage, charged to your VISA for years. Any time that the organ was of 50 ranks. The week after Easter 2009, tuned, it was tuned at that pitch. Finally the new organ arrived and was installed E-mail: [email protected] SHIPPING or MasterCard. in 2007 after we began the orchestra in time to be used for the fi rst Mass of a

22 THE DIAPASON Patrick Murphy organ at St. Patrick’s Church

CHOIR PEDAL 2 8′ Geigen Diapason 32′ Diapason (1–12 independent 10 ⁄3′) 8′ Gedeckt 16′ Open Diapason 8′ Erzahler 16′ Violone (Gt) 8′ Erzahler Celeste 16′ Bourdon 4′ Geigen Octave 16′ Lieblich Gedackt (Sw) 4′ Koppelfl ote 8′ Diapason (Gt) 2 2⁄3′ Nazard 8′ Octave Diapason 2′ Blockfl ute 8′ Bourdon 3 1⁄5′ Tierce 8′ Rohrfl ute (Sw) III Mixture 4′ Harmonic Flute (Gt) 8′ Clarinet IV Mixture 8′ Trumpet 32′ Cornet Tremulant 16′ Trombone (ext, Ch) 16′ Contra Bombarde (T.C., ext) 16′ Bassoon (Sw) 8′ Bombarde 8′ Bombarde (Ch) 4′ Bombarde Clarion (ext) 8′ Trumpet (Ch) 8′ Cor de Hoppe (8′ Tuben) 4′ Clarion (Ch) Chimes

Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, Opus 53 newly ordained priest in June. Lutheran Church in Dundee, Michigan. Her The Patrick J. Murphy organ was of- two CDs, Mystics and Spirits and Wind Song, fi cially dedicated and blessed by the are available from Raven Recordings. She is pastor, Rev. Stanley P. Klores, S.T.D., a frequent presenter at medieval conferences on Sunday, September 14, 2009, dur- on the topic of the image of the pipe organ in ing the celebration of a Solemn High medieval manuscripts. Mass, celebrated in the Extraordinary Photos courtesy René Toups Form of the Roman Rite (the Tridentine Latin Mass). At this Mass the choir sang Dvorak’s Mass in D, with only organ ac- Patrick J. Murphy & Associates companiment. Dr. James Hammann was Opus 53 the organist, and I conducted. I chose St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic this Mass for the dedication of the organ Church, New Orleans because it was originally commissioned GREAT to be sung at the dedication of a chapel. ′ 16 Violone (ext, 1–12 in façade) 8′ Open Diapason M.T.: Thomas Murray, University Organ- 8′ Principal ist and Professor of Music at Yale Univer- 8′ Harmonic Flute sity, played the dedication concert of the 8′ Bourdon Patrick J. Murphy organ on December 6, 8′ Violoncello 2009 for a packed church. I was delighted 8′ Viola de Gamba (Sw) to be invited to play the second recital on 4′ Octave February 28, 2010. The instrument and 4′ Spitzfl ute 2 ′ sacred space of St. Patrick’s are perfect 2⁄3 Twelfth 2′ Fifteenth for the music of Bach, Franck, Langlais, 3 1⁄5′ Seventeenth Alain, and Hovhaness. One teenager IV Mixture commented that he thought Langlais’ 16′ Bassoon (Sw) Suite Médiévale sounded “Gothic” and 8′ Trumpet (Ch) suited the architecture of St. Patrick’s. 4′ Clarion (Ch) High praise indeed! 8′ Bombarde (Ch) You, Betty Noe and her children, Rev. Chimes (Ch) Stanley Klores, S.T.D., and the builder, SWELL Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, are to be 16′ Lieblich Gedackt thanked for this pipe organ that will bring 8′ Diapason solace, joy, and hope to those who hear it. 8′ Rohrfl ute It is a marvel, and without you, it would 8′ Viola de Gamba not exist! We thank you, Joe Hoppe, for 8′ Viola Celeste your determination, vision and legacy. 4′ Principal 4′ Traverse Flute Knowing you, you will continue to make ′ wonderful things happen. ■ 2 Flautino IV Plein Jeu 16′ Bassoon Marijim Thoene received a D.M.A. in or- 8′ Trompette gan performance/church music from the Uni- 8′ Oboe versity of Michigan in 1984. She is an active 4′ Clarion recitalist and director of music at St. John Tremulant

SEPTEMBER, 2010 23