Johnson Organ Company, Inc., Fargo, North Dakota
Voorhees Recital Hall, Jamestown College, Jamestown, North Dakota
This is the third pipe organ for Voorhees Recital Hall. The first was a small tracker (builder unknown), and the second was a three-manual Hillgreen-Lane from ca. 1956. The college has long had an active organ department, which included Susan Hegberg, William Kuhlman, and Davis Folkerts among its instructors.
The musical arts have always played an important role at the college, an affiliate of the Presbyterian Church. Negotiations for this instrument, which uses several revoiced Hillgreen-Lane stops, began in 1998 when it was learned that there would be a significant gift from the estate of the late William Schlossman, who built the West Acres Shopping Center in Fargo. Before the hall received its organ, a major renovation and upgrade took place, which included the removal of heavy curtains on the stage. Stained glass windows were restored, and the acoustics greatly improved.
The new organ consists of 30 stops and 40 ranks fully encased across the balcony. The manual chests are all Johnson-made slider, with electro-pneumatic unit chests. The manual divisions have schwimmer regulators. The console is of red oak with Carpathian elm burl, Johnson-made rosewood keys and pedalboard. The stop knobs are of grenadilla. The oak case has gold highlights with a basket weave screen of Chinese red. Installation was done by Lance E. Johnson and his crew from the Fargo shop. Tonal finishing was by James Gruber and Johnson voicer Mike Johnson.
The inaugural recital was played by college organ instructor William Wojnar. At the recital, Anna-Jane Schlossman, widow of William Schlossman, was recognized for her generous gift.
—Lance E. Johnson
GREAT
16' Quintaton
8' Open Diapason
8' Spitzflute
4' Octave
4' Bourdon
22⁄3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
V Mixture
8' Trumpet
SWELL
8' Flûte Bouchée
8' Viol d’Gamba
8' Viol Celeste TC
4' Prestant
4' Flûte à Fuseau
22⁄3' Nazard
2' Flûte Conique
13⁄5' Tierce
III Plein Jeu
16' Basson TC (ext)
8' Trompette
8' Hautbois
4' Clarion (ext)
Tremulant
POSITIV
8' Holzgedackt
4' Gemshorn
4' Rohrflote
2' Principal
11⁄3' Quinte
III Cymbal
8' Krummhorn
PEDAL
32' Untersatz (derived)
16' Principal
16' Bourdon
16' Quintaton (Gt)
8' Principal (ext)
8' Flauto Dolce (ext)
4' Choralbass (ext)
III Mixture
16' Trombone (ext, Gt)
8' Trompette (Sw)
4' Clarion (Sw)
Levsen Organ Company, Buffalo, Iowa
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia
Some have called St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Atlanta, Georgia, the “Cathedral on Peyton Road.” Newcomers may not realize the creation of its pipe organ is fully intertwined with the building’s history.
The congregation, in existence for well over a century, is the second largest Episcopal church in the United States with a historically African-American congregation. At one time worshiping above a drugstore, the burgeoning membership knew the importance of planning, so a first-phase structure was built. It would become a fellowship hall once a new sanctuary was created. A bequest of $133,000 from the estate of the late Mrs. Alva Evans launched the project.
Music has always been important to this church. Organist/choirmaster Dr. Calvin Grimes, also on staff at Morehouse College, knew the little 50-year-old pipe organ would not be able to fill a larger sanctuary, so he steered the church toward building a new pipe organ. Shortly after, Levsen Organ Company of Buffalo, Iowa, received a business reply card from St. Paul’s in response to a bulk mailing sent to the Atlanta area. They were chosen to build the new organ. The sanctuary was to be designed by architects Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC, with continuous input from Levsen Organ Company.
It was decided that the room’s aesthetic and acoustic design would fully integrate the organ, which would be set to the left of the altar to allow for greater movement of congregants in the front. The organ would have 22 ranks and MIDI interface. Hard plaster walls along with ceiling and quarry tiles on the floor would aid the acoustics. An array of large windows directly behind the altar would allow those in attendance to see the dense green woods outside, with the circular platforms of the pulpit, organ console, and altar representing the Holy Trinity.
But it wasn’t to be that easy. Funding problems caused the organ to sit in Buffalo for nearly two years before its installation. Once the instrument was in place, the first notes played in front of several dozen members caused some tears of joy and relief. Although utilizing the American Classic tonal design, the unusually good acoustics allowed for some deviations from standard voicing procedures that were received with wide approval.
Frank Allan, Bishop of Atlanta, was present at the dedication, symbolically pounding the door with his staff to herald the entrance of the Reverend Edward Warner’s congregation. Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, local legislators, the architect, builders, and Rodney Levsen were also present.
Trey Clegg, current organist/choirmaster, said although there are only 22 ranks, the acoustics make it sound more like 60. The church presents a regular organ concert series and has five adult choirs, a teen choir, and two children’s choirs, all of which are beautifully supported by this instrument.
—Tamara Fudge, D.Mus.
Moline, Illinois
GREAT
8' Principal
8' Holzgedeckt
8' Dolcan
8' Erzähler Céleste (Swell)
4' Koppelflöte
2' Fifteenth
IV Mixture
8' Trompette (Swell)
SWELL
8' Rohrflöte
8' Erzähler
8' Erzähler Céleste
4' Gemshorn
4' Rohrflöte (ext)
22⁄3 Nazard
2' Blockflöte
13⁄5' Tierce
III Mixture (prep)
8' Trompette
4' Oboe
Tremolo
PEDAL
16' Subbass
16' Lieblich Gedeckt (softwind)
102⁄3' Quintbass (32 notes)
8' Principal
8' Pommer (ext)
4' Choralbass
16' Trompette (ext)
8' Trompette (Swell)
4' Oboe (Swell)
