ABSOLUTELY OLD - circa 1892, 2-29 Barckhoff, to be restored in St Joseph's Church, Lancaster, Pen­ nsylvania. ABSOLUTEl V NEW- circa 1985, 2-40+ McFarland & Company, to be built for Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, Danville, Virginia. James R :McFa®ijd ®Company Organ/HillJ.ders 114 North George St., Millersville, PA 17551 I Telephone: (717) 872-6897 The Organ Historical Society, Inc. Organ Handbook 1983 Alan !vi. Laufman, Editor Published for the 28th Annual National Convention of the Society A.melimn G3uild flf Un!anl•t.> l!ettlflnal CClnventlfln U~llan lil•fflnml §fldeb' l';atJflnal {;(lnventJfln W()l?CIE~TIEl?!> MA~~ACtiU~IETT~ ~() .. :J() "'une 1<JS3 American Guild of Organists Organ Historical Society 815 Second Avenue, Suite 318 Pnst Office Box 26811 l''<ew York City, 1\ew York 10017 Richmond, Virginia 23261 Telephone Telephone Millerni\le 212/687-9188 Pennsylvania 717/872-5190 Daniel N. Colburn II, Executive Director William T. Van Pelt Ill, Executive Director Edward Hansen, President Culver L. Mowers, President Steere & Turner Op. 170, 1882 Ronald Arnatt, Vice-President George Bozeman, Jr., Vice President Pullman United Methodist Church, Chicago Barbara Owen, Region I Chairman Joseph Policelli, Worcester Chapter Dean (originally Pullman Palace Car Company Church) 2 manuals, 23 ranks, unaltered AGO/OHS Convention Committee Stephen Long } Judith Jepson, Hospitality Joseph Policelli Co-Chairmen Richard Jones, I\ewsletter 1984 OHS NATIONAl CONVENTION Nancy Chouinard, Secretary Barclay Wood } Charles Davis, Treasurer LeRoy Hanson Program Chicago, Illinois • 20-23 August 1984 Karen and Earl Wielsma, Advertising Henry Ilokans Robert E. Woodworth, Registrar Dade Hand, Banquet \Villiam T. \/fl.n Pelt, Publicity 6007 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60660 Barry Watson and Stephen Sonia, Competition Brenda Fraser, Registration Alan Laufman, Convention Handbook Lucia Clemente Falco, Ushers Andre Dargis, Exhibits Lois Toeppner, Advisor \Villiam Wallace, Housing, Meals, 1fansportation ISB:-l 0-913499·50-1 ANDOVER ORGAN COMPANY iNCORPOUTED PQBox36 Methuen, Massachusetts 018 44 Area Code 6!7 - 687-72!8 Op. 91, 1983 2 manuals, mechanical action Worcester Historical Museum The Estelle Johnson Salisbury Memorial Organ tions played are listed in The American Organ­ tor of the organ: in the words of Fritz Noack, Christina and Seby Jones Chapel ist of September 1982. Richard F. Jones of the "most important extant recital hall organ Worcester has recently been appointed Cura- of that period in America." Meredith College Raleigh, North Carolina 28 JEFFERSON STREET iarbara ie'mtn NEWBURYPORT, MASS. 01950 CANTATE DOMINO CANTICUM NOVUM OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS ON MUSIC 135 Mechanics Hall, the masterpiece of the C. Steele, chairman of a newly-formed com­ CONVENTION SCHEDULE Worcester architects (Elbridge) Boyden & mittee, spearheaded the drive to save andre­ (Phineas) Ball, \vas dedicated 19 March 18.57. store the hall. The first phase successfully Saturday, 25 June In June, 1863, Ichabod Washburn, wealthy completed, the hall was reopened in November 10:30 a.m.-3:30p.m. Region I Semifinals of the National Open Competition in Organ Playing, Worcester industrialist, offered $1,000 toward 1977. First Unitarian Church the cost of installing an organ in the hall. VVith :\1eantime, encouraged by Barbara Owen, Judges: Carolyn Skelton, Ernest May, VVilliam Self that impetus, the Mechanics Association signed Thomas Murray, and other organ enthusiasts, Sunday, 26 June a contract with E. & G. C. Hook for an organ to the Mechanics Association had begun plan­ 12:00 noon OHS Council Meeting, Trinity Lutheran Church cost $8,170 (subsequent additions brought the ning for restoration of the Hook organ. The 1:00 p.m. Registration and Exhibits, Assumption College final bill to $9,040, about half of what the \Vorcester Chapter of the AGO formed an 4:30p.m. Buses to First Baptist Church Hooks probably should have charged). The Organ Restoration Committee, chaired by Buses to Assumption College facade was designed by the organbuilders, Stephen Long, organist of 'frinity Church, 6:00p.m. Dinner at Assumption College Worcester. Thomas :\11urray played a benefit who, in the words of Francis Hastings, their 7:45p.m. Buses to Trinity Lutheran Church recital on the organ in the Memorial Audito­ foreman, '\vanted to have their best work 8:15p.m. Recital: James David Christie, organ, Trinity Lutheran Church represented by artistic and showy fronts" as rium, 27 September 1975. In due course, the Buses return to Assumption College; Afterglow, cash bar; entertainment with "large numbers of people hear \0\·ith their eyes." Noack Organ Co. of Georgetown, IVlass. was George Faxon demonstrating the Allen digital computer organ, incorporating The organ was opened in October 1864 by engaged to perform the restoration work, at a voicing by Larry Phelps, in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit J. II. \Vilcox, organist at the Church of the contract price of $135,000 v.ith an inflation Immaculate Conception in Boston. Mr. Abra­ clause. ham Firth, of the organ committee, presented Months of research ensued. Fritz ;\Iaack the organ to the trustees of the hall, referring to visited many extant Hook organs, taking co­ DOUGLAS REED the instrument in his speech, as "the \Vorcester pious notes and learning as much as possible UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE EVANSVILLE, INDIANA Organ" (there being no other in Worcester so about the spirit of thOse instruments, as well as large and complete, at that time). technical details. Through the Organ Clearing In 1889, Ceo. S. Hutchings of Boston re­ House, the restoren were able to purchase NANCY PLUMMER FAXON GEORGE FAXON pitched the organ, lowering it to A-435; he also E. & G. G. Hook Op. 371, 1865, a large two­ provided a Bourdon 32' for the Pedal, replaced manual instrument that had been badly dam­ the Swell Twelfth 2 2/3' with a Quintadena 8', aged some years before when the speakers of and installed a \Vater motor. In 1914, Hook & an electronic substitute were placed on the BOSTON Hastings did extensive work on the instru­ Great chest, ruining most of the Great pipe­ ment, probably including some revoicing. The work. This instrument provided some genuine greatest change to the organ came a decade replacement parts (Swell Twelfth 2 2/3' and later: all the original action -.,vas removed, Choir Clarinet 8') and served as a model for including the pneumatic lever to the Great, new replacement parts. (By no means beyond and replaced with electro-pneumatic action; restoration, the instrument is available for Frans W. M. Bosman fortunately the original slider wind-chests were sale.) retained. The original reservoirs and wind Almost all the original pipework was taken trunks were removed and replaced with small to Georgetown, to be cleaned and repaired. regulators and sheet metal ducts. The Choir ~1issing pipes were made to match; voicing division was enclosed. This "modernization" changes, such as choked toe-holes and scrolls Organ Building project, begun in 1923 by George W. Reed & on smaller reed resonators, were reversed rebuilding, restoration, Son of \Vest Boylston, was completed in 1927 according to existing evidence. (It is clear that tuning, maintenance. by Charles F Chadv.rick of Springfield. the organ was softened during the various In 1933, the Memorial Auditorium was rebuildings.) The windchests were repaired in 3335 N.E. Clackamas St. opened, and Ylechanics Hall suffered an place, using essentially the same methods the Portland, Oregon 97232 eclipse. By 1961, when the Organ Historical Hooks themselves often used in similar situa­ Society sponsored a recital by George Faxon, tions. The wind system was restored, with new 503/232-1812 organist at lhnity Church, Boston, as part of its \Vooden trunks and two huge reservoirs, one Annual National Convention, the hall was vir­ new, one from Hook Op. 371. The entire key tually abandoned, and the organ was barely and stop action, including the keydesk with playable. In 1968, the OHS Convention held in four bone-covered manuals, and the Barker Mid 19th century Dutch house organ, in Worcester did not even visit the hall; the organ lever for the Great, was made new, but in the excellent condition. Cabinet newly built, was by then little more than a magnificent Hook style. The stop-faces were made by in authentic style. Price $24,000. ruin. There was talk of razing the building. Brunner & Heller, who also engraved the Then, in 1971, the fortunes of the hall, so long nameplate, copied from a Hook nameplate of on the decline, took a tum for the better. The 1866 in the collection of Alan Laufman. Trained by Flentrop and Verschueren, we build tracker action organs Worcester Heritage Society began to stir up The restored organ was rededicated with interest in the building; in 1972, Mechanics two gala concerts on the weekend of 25-26 of the finest quality and craftsmanship, preserving the tradition of Hall was listed on the National Register. Mrs. September 1982. The programs were pre­ HOLLAND and FRANCE. Julie Chase Fuller, president of the Worcester sented entirely by Worcester musicians and County Mechanics Association, and Richard musical organizations based in Worcester; selec- 134 3 Mechanics Hall, Worcester E. & G. G. Hook, Boston, Op. 334, 1864 Restored by the Noack Organ Co., Georgetown, Mass., 1982 Great: 58 notes, manual II Swell: 58 notes, enclosed (double shutters), 0 Open Diapn 16' 58 m manual Ill Open Diapn 8' 58 m Bourdon 16' 58w Viola da Gamba 8' 58 m Open Diapn 8' 58w&m p Std Diapn (Doppel-flute) 8'