Andover Organ Company, Methuen, Massachusetts
Hesston Mennonite Church,
Hesston, Kansas
Andover Organ Company has installed their Opus 116 in Hesston Mennonite Church, Hesston, Kansas. Mary Ann Boschmann was the chair of the organ committee. In November 2007 team leader Ben Mague, along with David Zarges, David Michaud and Tony Miscio, flew to Kansas to meet the North American Van Lines truck carrying Opus 116. Unloading was a snap with help from students of Hesston College. The mechanical installation was completed in three weeks. Tonal director John Morlock and voicer Don Glover completed the tonal work in February 2008.
The church is located on the Hesston College campus and serves as a worship center and concert hall for the college. The organ will be used as a teaching instrument as well as a service instrument. It is interesting to note that the hymns are sung four-part a cappella, so the organ is used primarily for preludes, postludes and accompanying anthems.
The case, designed by Donald H. Olson, is of solid red oak, stained to match the interior woodwork of the church. The front panels exactly duplicate the paneling of the sanctuary. The front pipes of the 8′ Open Diapason are polished copper. The pipe shades, designed and carved by Tony Miscio, are of cherry to match the contrasting wood of the console. The console has a third, coupling manual to give the two-manual organ three levels of sound, adding flexibility, especially on a teaching instrument. The keyboards have bone naturals and ebony sharps. The key action is mechanical, and the stop action is electric solenoids with a multi-level combination action by Solid State Organ Systems.
The new sanctuary is spacious with a seating capacity of just over 600. The weekend dedication celebration began on Friday, March 1, 2008, with an alumni dinner honoring the college’s financial supporters. After dinner, we adjourned to the sanctuary where Hesston College Professor John Sharp gave a short talk on the history of music in the Mennonite Church, entitled “The Devil’s Bagpipe or God’s Voice? The Organ in Historical Context.” This speech can be found online at <www.youtube.com> by searching under Hesston or Andover Organ. College Organist Kenneth Rodgers then gave us a virtual tour of the organ in a pre-taped video showing and explaining the working of the organ from the inside out (also available on YouTube). A short concert followed with student organists Naomi Tice and Oliver Kropf, assisted by Stephanie Wyse, alto. Professor Rodgers then concluded the program with works by Locklair and Walther. On Sunday morning the organ was formally dedicated at the 10:00 am service; that evening, Ken Rodgers played the formal recital with the combined Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church choirs and the Hesston College Brass Ensemble. Professor Rodgers played works by Bruhns, Böhm, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams, Mäteling and Michel.
—Donald H. Olson
GREAT
8′ Open Diapason
8′ Chimney Flute
4′ Principal
4′ Silver Flute
22⁄3′ Twelfth
2′ Fifteenth
III Mixture
8′ Trumpet (prepared)
SWELL
8′ Violin Diapason
8′ Stopped Diapason
4′ Night Horn
22⁄3′ Nazard
2′ Fifteenth
13⁄5′ Tierce (prepared)
8′ Hautboy
Tremolo
PEDAL
16′ Subbass
8′ Principal
8′ Flutebass
4′ Choralbass
16′ Trombone (prepared)
8′ Tromba (prepared)
Couplers
Coupling Manual
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Fabry, Inc., Antioch, Illinois
Calvary Lutheran Church,
New Windsor, Illinois
Located in one of the many farming towns that populate western Illinois, Calvary Lutheran Church anchors this community and has done so for generations. The organ was showing its age, and the congregation undertook the task of looking for an organbuilder to fix and update the instrument. Fabry, Inc. inspected the organ and recommended a complete rebuild of the instrument and the addition of an exposed Great division. Originally, the instrument was a highly unified four ranks: an 85-note diapason, a 73-note string, a 73-note dulciana, and a 97-note bourdon. While this arrangement worked up until this time, the organ was buried in the chamber and the lack of variety severely hampered the organist.
After completely removing the instrument from the chambers, Fabry, Inc. undertook the task of rebuilding the organ from the blower up. After rebuilding all of the chests and reconfiguring the organ chamber, the organ was re-installed in a manner to facilitate ease of tuning and maintenance. All pipes were washed, and a Gamba Celeste and Trompette were added to the now fully independent Swell division. The restrictive cloth was removed from the grillework, allowing unfettered egress. An all-new Great division was added by hanging a chest on the wall below the tone opening. A Principal, Rohrflote and a two-rank Mixture were placed on the chest, giving the organ, and the congregation, the ability to lead and be led with confidence. All of this was made possible by rebuilding the console and adding a Peterson ICS-4000 combination action and relay. The addition of judicious couplers and additional pistons allows flexibility for the organist. The organ also received a new Zephyr blower as well as a new electric shade action and a new electric tremolo. David G. Fabry constructed all the new chestwork, laid out the new chamber arrangement, rebuilt the console and provided general direction. Installation involved the abilities of Steve Ellis. Final wrap up, voicing and tuning was handled by Philip A. Spressart.
Fabry, Inc. would like to thank Bertie Carlson and Pastor Jane McChesney.
—Phil Spressart
Photo credit: Phil Spressart
GREAT
8′ Principal new rank 7
8′ Rohrflote new rank 8
4′ Octave from rank 7
4′ Flute from rank 8
22⁄3′ Twelfth from rank 7
2′ Super Octave from rank 7
2′ Piccolo from rank 8
Mixture II new ranks 9, 10
8′ Trompette (from Swell)
Chimes 21 bars
SWELL
8′ Geigen Principal rank 1
8′ Stopped Flute from rank 2
8′ Gamba rank 3
8′ Dulciana rank 4
8′ Gamba Celeste new rank 5
4′ Principal from rank 1
4′ Flute from rank 2
22⁄3′ Nazard new, from rank 2
2′ Fern Flute from rank 2
2′ Doublette new, from rank 1
13⁄5′ Tierce new, from rank 4
Cymbal III new, wired
8′ Trompette new rank 6
4′ Clarion new, from rank 6
Tremolo
PEDAL
32′ Lieblich Bourdon new, wired
16′ Bourdon rank 2
16′ Lieblich Gedeckt from rank 2
8′ Principal from rank 7
8′ Gamba from rank 3
8′ Rohrflote from rank 8
4′ Choral Bass new, from rank 5
4′ Flute new, from rank 2
Mixture II new, fr ranks 9, 10
8′ Trompette new, from rank 6
Couplers & Accessories
MIDI to Great
MIDI to Swell
MIDI to Pedal
Swell to Great
Pedal to Great
Great to Pedal 8′
Swell to Pedal 8′
Pressure changer for 16′ Bourdon, rebuilt
Pipe & rank analysis
Rank 1 8′ Diapason 85 pipes
Rank 2 16′ Bourdon 97 pipes
Rank 3 8′ Gamba 73 pipes
Rank 4 8′ Dulciana 73 pipes
New ranks
Rank 5 8′ Gamba Celeste 49 pipes
Rank 6 8′ Trompette 73 pipes
Rank 7 8′ Principal 85 pipes
Rank 8 8′ Rohrflote 85 pipes
Ranks 9, 10 22⁄3′ Mixture II 122 pipes
