Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.,
Beltsville, Maryland
Hughes United Methodist Church, Wheaton, Maryland
The Newcomer brothers, Harold and Ed, were masters at “remanufacturing” organs. The Newcomer Organ Company of Washington, D.C., produced a number of these instruments, one of the finest of which they built for Hughes United Methodist Church of Wheaton, Maryland, in 1966. The windchests and pipes were mainly from E. M. Skinner and Möller organs, with new pipes by Möller and Trivo, and a new Möller three-manual drawknob console. The organ had 35 ranks in two chambers up front and an antiphonal above the rear balcony. Space was left in the chambers for additional stops, and knobs were prepared on the console.
In 1983 the Newcomer firm was purchased by Lewis & Hitchcock, and the two firms eventually merged. When some repairs due to age were required, discussions began about improving the chancel area and completing the organ. The final outline was:
1. The church would remodel the chancel, removing all carpet and installing hardwood floors. The choir pews would be removed and be replaced with chairs. The chamber grille cloth would be replaced, and the chamber ceilings and walls repaired where required.
2. The organ would be physically renewed as required. New blowers would be provided for the main and Antiphonal organs, and new rectifiers provided.
3. The organ console would be totally rebuilt with solid-state action, and be placed on a new, rolling platform, so that it could be located anywhere in the chancel area.
4. New and rebuilt pipework would be added to complete the specification, and some of the existing pipework moved to a more appropriate location.
5. A new Trompette en Chamade would be added to the Antiphonal division.
The completed instrument now totals 47 ranks. The organ is very versatile and able to provide support for soloists, choirs, and congregation. The new solid-state equipment occupies less space than the previous system, so a storage space for music and shoes was created in the left side of the console. The new oak parquet platform may be easily moved throughout the chancel area. The new systems include a transposer and multiple-memory combination action with settable crescendos, and a MIDI system with sequencer to record and play back performances. The remodeled chancel has improved the acoustics and has proved very useful for the wide variety of services held there.
The late Randy Skinner was chair of the organ committee that selected the Newcomer firm to provide the organ. Sharon Skinner, his daughter, was the chair of the trustees in charge of the rebuilding work. Organist Van Knauss worked with Gerald Piercey to plan the tonal changes and additions.
Many pictures of the work in progress in the factory and in the church may be found in the Rebuilt Organs section of the Lewis & Hitchcock website: <www.lhorgans.com>.
—Text and pictures by Gerald Piercey, Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.
Hughes United Methodist Church, Wheaton, Maryland
Rebuilt by Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.
GREAT
Chimes 21 tubes
16′ Quintaton 61 pipes
8′ Principal 61 pipes
8′ Hohlflute 61 pipes
4′ Octave 61 pipes
4′ Nachthorn 61 pipes+
rebuilt pipes on rebuilt chest
2′ Fifteenth 61 pipes
11⁄3′ Mixture III–IV 219 pipes
8′ Bombarde 17 pipes+
new, on new chest,
and Ped 16′ Bombarde
16′ Great to Great
8′ Great Unison Off
4′ Great to Great
SWELL
8′ Rohrflute 61 pipes
8′ Viol d’Gamba 61 pipes
8′ Voix Celeste TC 49 pipes
4′ Principal 61 pipes
4′ Flute Traverse 61 pipes
22⁄3′ Rohr Nazard 61 pipes
2′ Zauberflöte 61 pipes+
rebuilt, in place of RohrSordun
13⁄5′ Tierce (prepared)
2′ Plein Jeu III 183 pipes+
new, in place of Cymbal
16′ Fagott 61 pipes+
new, on new chest
8′ Trompette 61 pipes
8′ Hautbois 12 pipes+
new, and 16′ Fagott
4′ Clarion (prepared)
Tremolo
16′ Swell to Swell
8′ Swell Unison Off
4′ Swell to Swell
CHOIR
8′ Holz Gedeckt 61 pipes
8′ Flauto Dolce 61 pipes
8′ Unda Maris TC 49 pipes
4′ Koppelflute 61 pipes
2′ Blockflute 61 pipes
1′ Cymbal III 183 pipes+
moved from Swell, on new chest
8′ Krummhorn 61 pipes
Tremolo
16′ Choir to Choir
8′ Choir Unison Off
4′ Choir to Choir
ANTIPHONAL
8′ Melodia 61 pipes
8′ Dulciana 61 pipes
8′ Unda Maris TC 49 pipes+
rebuilt, on rebuilt windchest
4′ Octave 61 pipes
2′ Super Octave 61 pipes+
rebuilt, on rebuilt windchest
11⁄3′ Mixture III 183 pipes+
rebuilt, on rebuilt windchest
8′ Trompette en Chamade 61 pipes+
new, on new chest
8′ Trompette Harmonique 61 pipes
16′ Antiphonal Bourdon 32 pipes
8′ Antiphonal Bourdon (ext) 12 pipes
PEDAL
32′ Untersatz (prepared as electronic extension, resultant at installation)+
16′ Subbass 32 pipes
16′ Quintaton (Great)
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt 32 pipes
8′ Geigen Principal 32 pipes
8′ Bass Flute (ext Subbass) 12 pipes
8′ Lieblich Flute (ext 16 Lieb) 12 pipes
4′ Geigen Octave (ext) 12 pipes
4′ Flute (ext Subbass) 12 pipes
51⁄3′ Mixture II 44 pipes & 8′ Geigen Pr
32′ Bombarde (ext, 12 electronic notes)+
16′ Bombarde 32 pipes+
new, on new chest
16′ Fagott (Swell)+
8′ Bombarde (ext) 12 pipes+
new, on new chest
4′ Clarion (ext) 12 pipes+
new, on new chest
Couplers
8′ Great to Pedal
4′ Great to Pedal+
8′ Swell to Pedal
4′ Swell to Pedal
8′ Choir to Pedal
4′ Choir to Pedal
8′ Antiphonal to Pedal
4′ Antiphonal to Pedal
MIDI on Pedal+
16′ Antiphonal to Swell+
8′ Antiphonal to Swell+
4′ Antiphonal to Swell+
MIDI on Swell+
16′ Swell to Great
8′ Swell to Great
4′ Swell to Great
16′ Choir to Great
8′ Choir to Great
4′ Choir to Great
16′ Antiphonal to Great
8′ Antiphonal to Great
4′ Antiphonal to Great
MIDI on Great+
16′ Swell to Choir+
8′ Swell to Choir
4′ Swell to Choir
16′ Antiphonal to Choir+
8′ Antiphonal to Choir+
4′ Antiphonal to Choir+
Choir/Great Transfer+
MIDI on Choir+
+ = additions/changes
Pistons
Under Swell: General 1–4, Swell 1–6, SFZ
Under Great: General 5–8, Gt/Ped, Great 1–6
Under Choir: Set, Pedal 1–6, Choir 1–6, GC
Toe Controls
Left: Gen 1–4, Gen 5–8
Center: Ch/Sw/Cresc shoes
Right: Gt/Ped, Sw/Ped, Ch/Ped, ZIMB, SFZ, Ped 1–6
Left Drawer
MIDI Resource Center
MIDI IN/OUT/THROUGH ports
Sequencer to record and play back
Right Drawer
Memory Level Selector 1–99
Crescendo Selector 1–4
Transposer +/- 6 half steps
Lewis & Hitchcock, Inc.
10153 Bacon Drive
Beltsville, MD 20705
800/952-7473
www.lewisandhitchcock.com
