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50th anniversary of Æolian-Skinner Opus 1216, First United Methodist Church, Tacoma, Washington

March 2, 2004
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Herbert L. Huestis is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Fiftieth anniversaries are big events, whether a golden wedding anniversary or the commemoration of a pipe organ. Changing fashions and the tides of time often obscure the work of past masters of organ building, but in the case of G. Donald Harrison and the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, these glories remain undiminished. It seems that the time span between fifty and one hundred years is particularly difficult for the survival of many organs. In the case of the First United Methodist Church of Tacoma, Washington, the original organ, a Hook and Hastings, survived only 59 years, nine years longer than the present organ! One hopes that the organists of our time are less inclined to replace worthy instruments than in days past. If the fervor of this celebration is any indication, there may be a good chance this organ will reach its 100th birthday in 2053.

The event took place on October 25, 2003, and was co-sponsored by the Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle chapters of the AGO in Washington State, and a large turnout represented all three cities. An exceptionally well-planned program featured Jonathan Young, a senior organ performance major at Pacific Lutheran University and student of Dr. Paul Tegels. He currently serves as the organist of First United Methodist Church and knows the organ well. His program of works by Buxtehude, Bach, Schumann, Widor and Mendelssohn fully explored the tonal palette of the organ. It struck this writer that the sounds of the organ were archetypical of a good many other Skinner organs, and that a better example could not have been chosen for commendation. Members of the audience had the opportunity to immerse themselves in sounds they might not have heard for more years than they would care to admit.< p>

The architecture of the church is perfect for this type of organ and is a typical Methodist structure of the "Akron" type. It was most inviting to be there, bathed in the soft light admitted through impressive stained glass windows on the sides of the sanctuary and in the dome of the building. The acoustics are warm and mellow in this well-preserved edifice. A not insignificant item was the fact that the organ had been prepared with a flawless tuning. One can be enormously thankful for good tuning and regulation of any organ, and in this case it was a major contribution to the success of the recitals presented.

After this eye- and ear-opening recital, the audience made its way a few blocks to Christ Episcopal Church (home of a fine John Brombaugh organ) and there heard an insightful presentation by Jonathan Ambrosino on the history and career of G. Donald Harrison. As an editor and writer on tonal design, Ambrosino skillfully put together an audio-lecture on the influences of Harrison's life and work, and Skinner's tonal palette as it developed under the direction of Harrison.

The afternoon proceeded with a visit to the Mason United Methodist Church, amazingly the home of a second Aeolian-Skinner organ of the same period. Alas, this organ has been moved and altered since its original installation, and perhaps something was lost in the translation. It was a thoroughly pleasant instrument, but did not seem typical of the Skinner style, and for this writer made something of a diversion. Seattle AGO chapter president David Lines provided a thorough demonstration of the stops of the Mason Methodist organ.

Once back to the untouched Harrison organ, we all realized how important it is to respect every last detail of an important builder's work. With that appreciation at the forefront, organist Douglas Cleveland gave an outstanding recital which drew its content from previous recitals given on the same organ at the dedication and by recitalists of the era: David Craighead in 1958, Catharine Crozier in 1955, Alexander Schreiner in 1959, and Virgil Fox in 1961. What a lineup! Cleveland wove the repertoire of these recitalists into a seamless program, including such pieces as Middelschulte's Perpetuum Mobile (Fox) and Dillon's Woodland Flute Call (Schreiner). Cleveland's performance was flawless, enthusiastic and inspiring. He is a huge credit to his home AGO chapter of Olympia, Washington.

One must laud the efforts of the organizer of the planning committee, David Dahl, Dean of the Tacoma AGO Chapter. Dahl is a tireless performer and promoter of fine organs in the whole region of the Pacific Northwest. This symposium, including a beautifully crafted brochure by Arthur Hixon, put these Skinner organs and the work of G. Donald Harrison in perspective. It was a "must-do" event that brought a sense of pride to all present. This enthusiastic audience did a very great deal to ensure that these organs might reach their centenary birthdays.

Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 1216, 1953

GREAT (3-1/2" w.p.)

                  16' Quintaton, 61 pipes

                  8' Montre, 61 pipes

                  8' Bourdon, 61 pipes

                  4' Principal, 61 pipes

                  4' Fl?ªte Harmonique, 61 pipes

                  2' Fifteenth, 61 pipes

                  III-V Fourniture, 244 pipes

                  Chimes, 20 bells

                  Carillon, 25 bells

SWELL (4-1/2" w.p.)

                  8' Rohrgedeckt, 68 pipes

                  8' Viola Pomposa, 68 pipes

                  8' Viola Celeste, 68 pipes

                  4' Spitzfl??te, 68 pipes

                  2' Octavin, 61 pipes

                  III Plein Jeu, 183 pipes

                  16' Fagotto, 68 pipes

                  8' Trompette, 68 pipes

                  4' Hautbois, 68 pipes

                   Tremulant

CHOIR (4-1/2" w.p.)

                  8' Spitzgamba, 68 pipes

                  8' Cor-de-Nuit, 68 pipes

                  8' Kleine Erz?§hler (II), 124 pipes

                  4' Koppelfl??te, 68 pipes

                  2-2/3' Nazat, 61 pipes

                  2' Blockfl??te, 61 pipes

                  8' English Horn, 61 pipes

                  Tremulant

                  Harp

PEDAL (5" w.p.)

                  16' Contre Bass, 32 pipes

                  16' Quintaton (Gt)

                  16' Rohrbordun (Sw ext), 12 pipes

                  8' Principal, 32 pipes

                  8' Rohrgedeckt (Sw)

                  4' Choral Bass, 32 pipes

                  III Mixtur, 96 pipes

                  16' Posaune, 32 pipes

                  16' Fagotto (Sw)

                  8' Trumpet (ext), 12 pipes

                  4' Clarion (ext), 12 pipes

The organ is installed in an area 35 feet wide, 11 feet deep and 25 feet high at the front of the sanctuary. The grill separating the organ loft from the choir loft is of oak, and the openings are covered with a plastic grill cloth. The swell and choir divisions are enclosed and each under 16-point expression. The organ was installed by Stanley W. Williams, Los Angeles, west coast representative, and Thomas L. Gagen, west coast installer, Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company. The choir loft organ screen was designed by Mock and Morrison, Architects, and constructed under the supervision of P.I. Hansen.

A Harp stop of 51 notes was added in 1994 by Homer Johnson.

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