John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders, Champaign, Illinois, Opus 35
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church,
Chicago, Illinois
A new divided Choir Organ in twin cases on either side of the entry door, combined with the existing McManis organ of 1982
The artistic concept
Buzard organ Opus 35 is a new choir accompanying organ, housed in two mirror-image cases, located at the rear of the church, framing a large stained glass window and the entry doors. The impetus for installing a portion of the church’s pipe organ at the narthex was the expansion of the parish’s music program, in which the choral singers were moved to the rear of the church from their former location in the chancel. Horizontally mounted solo trumpets have been planned for future installation immediately under the stained glass window.
The organ cases complement and respect the church’s architecture and interior design. The tonal specification was designed to provide a succinct service-playing and accompanimental organ in our mature Anglican style, and complement the existing McManis organ in the chancel, creating an instrument that is both an integral part of the room and an active participant in the liturgy.
The Choir Organ is divided into two sections, one inside each of the cases. Both may be played together, to form a single Choir Organ, playable from the bottom manual keyboard. However, each section of the Choir Organ can be independently coupled to either the Great or Pedal keyboards, and the unison of either shut off, so that one can use the Choir Organ to accompany itself, as though it were a small two-manual organ (much as in the divided Swells in other of our organs).
A lightly voiced 16' Pedal Gedeckt is located in the Choir Organ’s right case, to provide this division with independent pedal sounds, and an independent 8' Open Diapason and 4' Principal are located in the front and façade of the left case, and played from the Great manual keyboard.
This achieves several goals. The new organ in the back fills the entire church when leading hymns, leaving the front organ for antiphonal effects or to add color and brightness to the registrations; the pipes in the back of the church can be played from two keyboards for musical flexibility; the unenclosed Great Diapason chorus in the back of the church allowed us to voice the enclosed Choir Organ’s chorus at a softer volume for accompaniment, so it would not have to serve the differing functions of choral accompanying versus supporting congregational singing.
Both instruments are controlled from a new three-manual and pedal English drawknob wing-style console. The console’s visual design is consistent with the organ cases and complements the church’s architecture and interior design. It is located near the new Choir Organ at the back of the church.
Scope of renovations to the
McManis organ
All the pipes above 8' pitch were brought to the shop for repair, cleaning, and regulation of their voicing. All the zinc basses were replaced with tin/lead metal pipes. The original McManis voicing was respected and restored wherever possible.
The two ranks of reed stops were also replaced with new pipes of stout lead and tin pipe metal for darker, fuller, and more consistent tone. We added a full-length Pedal 16' Trombone and a full-compass Swell 16' Bassoon, which was not originally installed. The new reeds are racked in multiple-level European reed traces of steel and felted wood for permanence.
The stop names of the McManis organ have been slightly altered in some instances to more accurately reflect the new tonal context; however, the scaling and overall tonal design of the McManis work was revered and respected. Prior to the re-installation of the McManis pipework, the existing McManis windchests were cleaned to minimize the recurrence of ciphers in the organ.
—John-Paul Buzard
39 stops, 50 ranks, incorporating 1982 McManis organ
John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders Opus 35 & 35R
GREAT ORGAN 3¼' wind
16' Gemshorn
8' Open Diapason (new, in Choir Organ
case, 4' wp)
8' Principal
8' Chimney Flute (new basses)
8' Gemshorn (ext 16')
8' Unda Maris (old Dulciana tuned
celeste)
4' Principal (new, in Choir Organ case, 4' wp)
4' Octave
4' Spire Flute
22'3' Nazard
2' Doublette
13'5' Tierce
11'3' Mixture III–IV
8' Trumpet (Sw)
Chimes (25 notes)
SWELL ORGAN 3½' wind
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
8' Open Flute (new basses)
8' Spitz Gamba (new basses)
8' Gamba Celeste (tc)
4' Principal (new)
4' Koppel Flute
2' Principal
1' Mixture III (new)
16' Bassoon (new)
8' Trompette (new)
8' Oboe (new, ext 16')
4' Clarion (new, ext 8')
Tremulant
CHOIR ORGAN “A” 4' wind
(New Opus 35)
8' English Open Diapason
8' Salicional
8' Voix Celeste (tc)
4' Principal
2' Full Mixture IV
16' English Horn
8' Cornopean
Tremulant
CHOIR ORGAN “B” 4' wind
(New Opus 35)
8' Stopped Diapason (wood)
8' Flute Cœlestis II (“Ludwigtone”)
4' Harmonic Flute
2' Recorder
11'3' Larigot
8' Clarinet
Tremulant
PEDAL ORGAN 3½' wind
32' Subbass (1–12 digital)
32' Lieblich Gedeckt (1–12 digital)
16' Open Diapason (wood, Kimball)
16' Bourdon (wood, Kimball)
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw)
16' Gemshorn (Gt)
16' Choir Gedeckt (new, in Choir Organ
case)
8' Principal
8' Bourdon (ext 16')
8' Gedeckt Flute (Sw)
8' Gemshorn (Gt)
4' Choral Bass (ext 8')
4' Gedeckt Flute (Sw)
22'3' Mixture IV
16' Trombone (new)
16' Bassoon (new)
8' Trompette (Sw)
4' Clarion (Sw)
