,;-- THE TRACKERI'--

EDITOR: KENNETH F. SIMMONSNewsletter 01 the Organ Historical Society

PUBLISHER: ALBERT F. ROBINSON

Volume III OCTOBER1 1958 Number 1

DEBLOISCONCERT HALLORGAN .- 1763-1851

THE

by Joyce Ellen Mangler

The name of Thomas Johnston (1708-1767) ofBoston has become familiar to organ historiansthrough the outstanding and often-noted instru-ments at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Salem(1754-1889), and Old North Church, Boston (1759-1886), the original Georgian case of which stillstands today. At some time prior to 1763, a thirdorgan was constructed and installed in the BostonConcert Hall managed by Stephen Debhris, anephew of the organist by this name at King'sChapel. Stephen had purchased the building fromhis sons, Gilbert and Lewis, in 1754.

The Johnston organ was removed from theConcert Hall in 1763, replaced by a European-madeinstrument described at its official opening as a"delicate and melodious new organ, made by thefirst hand and lately imported from London,"which remained in use until 1774. In 1771, LewisDeblois advanced payments to his father in theform of monetary notes to bring the organ toKing's Church (now St. John's Cathedral), Provi-dence, where members of the Deblois family hadbecome pew-holders. The action has beenprompted through the installation o~ a new organin the nearby Congregational Church, the firstchurch organ in the town as well as the first in a"dissenting" congregation in America.

Dr. Ezra Stiles noted in his diary that the John-ston organ had been brought "from being employedin promoting Festivity, Merriment, Effeminacy,Luxury, and Midnight ReveUings . . . to be used inthe Worship of God." A well-needed consecrationof the organ took place in December, 1772, withmusic performed by the Concert Hall organist,Josiah Flagg, and a small choir, and a sermon en-titled "On the Lawfulness, Excellency and Advan-tage of Instrumental Music in Public Worship"probably based on James Lyon's popular essay.

The organ soon became a familiar part of pub-lic celebations, with annual accounts of its use inFourth of July programs and Masonic conventionsappearing in the PROVIDENCE GAZETTE, in con-trast to the Congregational organ which was sel-dom used even for regular services. In 1791 thisprestige was threatened by seizure of the organ byagents for Gilbert Deblois now in London, remind-

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ing King's Church that the loan of Lewis Debloishad never been repaid. The Wardens wrote Gilbert,pleading: "We persuade ourselves that your in-tention is not to distress the Church; having solong experienced the utility of an organ in DivineWorship, we should deeply deplore its "loss." Tnematter was settled to Gilbert's satisfaction, his ac-knowledgement commenting: "I heartily wish yourChurch to increase, and not to suffer any Unex-perienced Person to clean your Organ, (which) isequal to any of the size now in this Kingdom."

Unf()ll"tunately, nothing further is known aboutthe size or specifications of the instrument. How-ever, the surviving church records contain an in-teresting series of references to .its repairs duringreconstruction in a newly completed church in1811. An appointed committee deliberated as tothe proper builder, considering John Geib of NewYork who frequently advertised in the GAZETTE.Their choice was an "organ artificer" identifiedonly as Dan Thompson. The fOllowing entries in aledger by themselves create an accurate and 'color-ful account of the restoration:

April 18 pd Bolston for 1 sheep & 5 squirrelskins for repairing the Organ $1.12V2

April ~O pd blowing bellows 1 day - tuningthe Organ ..mm...m o...m' o.. .25

pd a boy. . . Organ Blowing m"m .56

May 7 pd Young Hay for blowing theOrgan Bellows 3 days O mOm"..mo

.75

May 11 pd Dano Thompson pro do forsetting up, repairing and tuningthe Or~an .m o..mmmomoommm..mo56.3772

May 14 pd Saml E. Hamlin pr Bill & rctfor a copper glue-kittle &c forrepairing the Organ ..m mmo m 3.54

May 28 pd Saml E. Hamlin for Lead andcasting Ornaments to cover thetops of the two new front Pipesof the Organ mo"o",,""--,"""O""O"'O"

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TheOrgansat St. Mary'sSchoolandConvent --.J

By Albert F. Robinson

On a promontory called Mount St. Gabriel over-looking the broad and beautiful bay in the HudsonRiver at Peekskill, New York, stand the Conventand School of the Sisters of St. Mary (Episcopal).The imposing buildings contain two organs of par-ticular interest to tracker enthusiasts, and the Sis-ters are most generous in allowing them to be seenand played.

The 2m-8rk tracker in the School Chapel hasbeen attributed to several builders, among themHilborne Roosevelt and Henry Erben. A cursoryexamination yields no evident marks of identifica-tion save a small cilrcular photograph of a white-haired, capped gentleman who apparently built theorgan sometime between 1870 and 1890.

The present condition of the organ is fair, therebeing some silent .notes in the pedal and reed, andthe general voicing is quite uneven. But it is useddaily for practice and services, and has a rich andbeautiful quality of tone.

The organ stands by itself on a space about5 x 8 feet in area. The console occupies the centralfront, over which is a block of 13 Gamba pipes.Two sets of four of the largest Gamba pipes flankthis centelr block and console, and the largest pedalBourdon pipes constitute the two sides of the case.The displayed Gamba pipes are highly ornament-ed.

The stop-list is as follows:

GREAT - 61 notes

8' Gamba -h h-61 pipes

8' Melodia _m_-hh61 pipes

4' Flute 00000000--00--61pipes

SWELL - 61 notes

8' Stop- Diapasonh61 pipes8' Aeoline TC -00--00-49pipes4' Violina -mh 61 pipes8' Oboe TF 00--44pipes8' Bassoon _h---h_mh17pipes

COUPLERS

Great to PedalSwell to PedalSwell to Great

PEDAL - 30 notes

16' Bourdon hh25 pipes

Tremolo (not working)

There is a fixed swell pedal, and there were or-iginally two other couplers which now have beenremoved - probaby a Great to Great 4' and Swellto Great 4'. An electric blower now supplies thewind.

The Sisters of St. Mary would like to sell thisorgan, but only for a substantial sum as they alreanxious to build a fund for a good new pipe organ.

At the Convent Chapel the organ nameplate isengraved "Frank Roosevelt, successor to HilborneL. Roosevelt No. 514 1892." There is an imposing

--~~~-- --

array of 31 ornate metal pipes across the front of -the case over the console, the 21 center pipes beingthe lower notes of the Great Open Diapason - theothers being silent. The stop-list is as follows:

GREAT - 58 notes

8' Open Diapasonm_hmeta!ienclosed in Swell):8' Salicional hhh metal

8' Doppel Flote hhhhhwood4' Gemshorn h mhhmetal

SWELL- 58 notes

8' Violin Diapason-h---metal8' Stopped Diapasonhwood8' Dolce hh_h mhhmetal

4' Flute HarmoniquehhmetafTremulant

~

PEDAL - 27 notes16' Bourdon hh--mhhh-wood

COUPLERSGreat to PedalSwell to Pedal

Swell to GreatSwell to Great 4'

There is a balanced swell pedal, a "BellowsSignal" (which now serves as the electric blowerswitch), and the three mechanical toe pistonsprovide "piano", "full organ" and "great to pedalreversible" accessory action.

The organ was originally pumped by hand, butnow the wind is supplied by an electric blower-theonly change to be made over the years. The organis in a very good state of repair and is usedregularly.

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..J

Expert craftmanship is in evidence throughout.There is evidence, though, that the Great Gems-horn was taken from an older organ and originallysounded as a Principal at a different scale sinceeach pipe is marked "Prin" and three differentkey p~tches appear on each. Then, at anotherpoint, the mark "Gems" is made in the samehandwriting. .

The Open Diapason is almost stentorian in -sound, but the rest of the stops are beautifullyvoiced. The Salicional is fitted with carefullywrought metal "beards", producing a silvery quali-ty that is almost the equivalent of a light reedand yet blends well with all other stops. The Dop-pel Flote is big but not too big, possessing a hollowand sometimes haunting quality. The Gemshornis bright and irrdeed sounds more like a Principal.In the Swell the Violin Diapason is more like asecond Open, and the Flute Harmonique is themost distinguished register of this manual. TheStopped Diapason is quite lovely and blends wellwith all. The Great manual keys rattle a bit, par-ticularly when played rapidly, but otherwise theorgan is in an excellent condition and shouldserve well for many years to come.

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A visit to Peekskill can be a memorable experi-ence, particularly when it includes a stop at St.Mary's.

PAGE 2

(. THE BALTIMORE BUILDERS(continued)

Third Installment of the Story by Thomas S. Eader

During the 1870's some new faces appeared onthe Baltimore scene. First came Henry Niemannwho became well established at the time when Au-gust Pomplitz was coming to the end of his career.Though his later advertisements say he began inBaltimore in 1868, an authoritive sketch in theBALTIMORE FEDERATION OF LABOR for 1900states he began in 1872. Henry Niemann was bornon April 27, 1838, says the article, in Osnabruck,Germany, where he serv~d three years as a cabinetmaker's apprentice. Coming to this country in1857 he gained employment with John Clop, organ-builder in Cincinnati, Ohio. He did well and wentto London two years later to continue his studywith Barker, ending his term there in 1862. Nexthe entered the factory of Cavaille-Coll in Parisand served there five years. (Subsequentlyl bothhe and Cavaille-Coll died at the same time.) Afterbuilding several small organs in Paris, he went toMeppen, Germany, where he built a large threemanual costing $8,000 for the Parr Kirche, thelarge Roman Catholic church. Niemann thentoured all the largest factories, so the accountgoes, examining the many methods. He returnedto the United States in 1872 and opened a businessin Baltimore. The corner of Caroline and HollandStreets was the first Baltimore Directory listingfor him in 1876. In 1878 he moved to Nos. 10 and12 North High Street and the same year won theMaryland Institute Exhibition Gold Medal. At thetime of his death, October 26, 1899, he had builtabout forty organs for Baltimore alone and manyothers for all parts of the country. Although thetone, workmanship, materials and design of hisorgans are generally of very fine quality, the casesor display fronts are totally without merit, beingin all cases wide, formless, topless flats of largescaled pipes. The tone is very bold and brilliant,even in the small organs. The 1897 stop-list herepresented is quite typical of all his stop-lists, andthe instrument so repres~nted is very full, thoughnot overbearing. It is brighter than most classicstyle organs of today, but the tone is balanced we~lfrom treble to bass. It certainly is a remarkableinstrument not even considering its late date. In1887 Niemann was located at 561 East MonumentStreet, and he enlarged to include 563 East Monu-ment in 1891, this building being two row housesthrown together, though the two stood separatefrom other nearby buildings. After 1899 Frank H.Niemann, Henry's son, continued the business, butby 1908 he had ceased operation.

'\.. The 1883 Directory was the first to mentionthe opening of Hilborne Roosevelt's branch at 218,West German Street (the old shop of other build-ers, it will be remembered) which had begun in1880 with Adam Stein as the manager. In 1887 the.new street numbering system made this same loca-tion 668 West German. In 1891 William F. Hastings

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was the manager while Adam Stein was in NewYork after the death of Hilborne in 1887. AdamS.tein Ireturned to the city after January, 1893 whenFrank Roosevelt closed down the Roosevelt OrganWorks entirely. Stein continued at the 668 WestGerman Street address on his own through 1912,being then the last of the tracker organ buildersstill working on new organs; for by World War Iall organ building in the city had died, and hasnever returned to life. This information on Steincomes from the same Baltimore Federation of La-bor publication as the Niemann material.

Though the last three builders were the moreimportant, there we,re several others that deservemention for their work 9-t this time, not to forgetthose covered in the last installment such as JamesHall, J. Edward Schad, Louisa Pomplitz, J. W. Otto,C. Louis Miller and Leon P. Beauliew. In 1883George A. Schumacher opened a shop at 79 EastMonument Street which the next year was organ-ized into the Baltimore Church and Concert OrganCompany and then moved to 32 Hanover StTeet.Mr. Schumacher was the manager, but a promin-ent Baltimore financier, F. X. Ganter, was thepresident. Ganter was proprietor of the BaltimoreSteam S.how Case Works in the same location --a strange combination! In 1885 both moved to 179West Pratt Street and ads mention billiard andpool tables, store and office fixtures, as well aschurch organs. In 1887 they were at 11 West PrattStreet and stayed there until last heard of in 1899.No organs remain by this company as far as isknown.

George E. Barker came to Baltimore in 1875 ad-vertising the manufacture and repair of organs.He worked in his home until 1885 at 168 AsquithStreet, in 1878 at 412 North Gay Street, and in1880 at 124 East Pratt Street. In 1881 he set up aseparate shop at 7 North Holliday Street and thenopened the Ba'rker Baltimore Organ Company at88 East Monument Street in 1885 which lasted onlythrough 1886. About 1875 the Shimek family,Joseph the father, James and V. J. (or J. V.) thesons, came to Baltimore as hand organ makers.They are mentioned until 1880 in the directories.

But for a few isolated names and facts, thisconcludes the story of the Baltimore organ build-ers. In the next issue of THE TRACKER, for what-ever use can be made of it, there will be a sum-mary of unknown material needed to fill in ceT-tain portions of the story and also mention of cer-tain conclusions and opinions which cannot bebacked up by anything sounder than suppositionfrom reading between the lines. Also includedwill be a summary of the names, dates, locations,etc., of all builders for a ready reference.

PAGE 3

Baltimore -BuiltBy Henry Niemann, 1897, in Otterbein Memorial

Church, Sharp and Conway Streets, Baltimore,Maryland:

GREAT - 58 notes

8' Open Diapason8' Melodia8' Dulciana4' Octave

22/3' Twelfth2' Fifteenth

SWELL - 58 notes

8' Violin Diapason8' Stopd Diapason8' Salicional4" Harmonic FluteIII Dolce Cornet8 Oboe TC

PEDAL - 27 notes16' Bourdon

(No tremulant)

COUPLERS

8' Swell to Great8' Swell to Pedal-8' Great to Pedal

By Adam Stein, 1905, in St. John's EpiscopalChurch, Richmond, Virginia:

GREAT - 61 notes

8' Open Diapason8' Melodia8' Dulciana4' Gemshorn4' Flute

2' Super Octave

SWELL - 61 notes

8' Open Diapason8' Stop Diapason8' Salicional8' Aeoline

4' Flute Harmonic8' Oboe

Organs. . . ./

PEDAL- 30 notes~16' Bourdon

COUPLERS8' Swell to Great

4' Swell to Great8' Swell to Pedal8' Swell to Pedal

By Hilborne Roosevelt, 1886, No. 320, in Mar-tini Lutheran Church, Sharp and Henrietta Streets,Baltimore, Maryland:

GREAT

8' Open Diapason

8' Dopplefloete8' Dulciana4' Octave* Rohrfloete2' Harmonic Piccolo

8' Trumpet

SWELL16' Bourdon

8' Open Diapason8' Stopped Diapason8' Salicional

-* Vox Celeste4' Harmonic Flute8' Oboe* Vox Humana

"

COUPLERS

8' Swell to Great PEDAL4' Swell to Great 16' Bourdon8' Swell to Pedal * Lieb. Gedeckt

8' Great to Pedal (* - 1926 Ad.ditions)

Chimes are playable from electric keyboard innitch where coupler stops are usually located overthe swell manual, couplers being operated by onand offs between the swell and great manuals.

)

NOTES, QUOTESCorrections to the July 1958 issue: Page 2 under

list of organs visited should read No. 153m 1859Wm. B. D. Simmons, electrified by (?) - St. Igna-tius Church; page 3, paragraph 1, line 2, shouldread: ". . . building chamber and church organs,other THAN Baltimore fi'rms were looked to whena larger instrument. . ."

An interesting organ has been installed inWestminster Presbyterian Church, Smiths Falls,Ontario, Canada, under the supervision of BryantRobinson, organist and choirmaster. The churchcontained an old Warren tracker built prior to1889, and from this seven ranks were salvaged forthe new organ. A Hook & Hastings, formerly inSt. Stephen's Church, Richmond, Virginia, waspurchased. The reeds from the organ in the oldSchwab mansion on Riverside Drive, New YorkCity, were obtained, and a Trompette from Casa-vant's Opus 16 was added, resulting in a fine en-semble. Mr. Robinson's problems were manifold,including the construction of all new organ cham-bers, but his patience (and thaf of the congrega-tion!) and ingenuity proved highly rewarding.

Another Canadian point of interest may befound at the Roman Catholic Church in Perth,

and COMMENTSOntario (not far from Smiths Falls). The organ issaid to be a Warren of 1854, one manual, sevenranks, and partial pedalboard.

Those interested in "barrel organs" will findone dated 1820 built by a British bandmaster inthe Museum at Sharon, Ontario. Another barrelorgan is still in use at the Abbotsford, Quebec,Church of England.

Quote from an article by' Carolyn F. Hummel inTHE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR dated July29, 1958, a statement by E. Power Biggs: "Thetracker action makes an organ a musical instru-ment; electricity makes it a mechanical instru-ment."

The Rev'd Robert McKim, pastor of the Presby-terian Church, Dover, Dela,ware, has kindly offeredto arrange for the reproduction of all previousissues of THE TRACKER. We have had a few re-quests for earlier issues, but unless there was aconsiderable interest on the part of many members,we hesitate to burden Mr. McKim with this tre-mendous undertaking. Please write in, statingthe particular issues you would like.

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PAGE 4

Report on

THE HENRYERBEN(1863) ORGAN

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by Edgar A. Boadway, Jr.

This instrument still stands in the Roman

Catholic Church of St. John the Evangelist, Valleyand Eager Streets, Baltimore, Maryland:

GREAT

16' Bourdon "w." 56 pipes

8' Open Diapason 56 pipes8' Gamba "'huu. 44 pipes8' Clarabella 44 pipes8' Stop.d Dia.

Bass """" "'. 12 pipes

4' Principal 00.. 56 pipes

22/3' Twelfth.. 56 pipes

.2' Fifteenth "W'" 56 pipes

III Sesqiualtera .000168 pipes

8' Trumpet "'.000. 56 pipes4' Clarion .00000"" 56 pipes

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PEDAL

16' Doub!e OpenDiapason ., 25 pipes

8' Violoncello, 25 pipesBellows(No pistons)

Sesquialtera:17-19-22 to MC

12-15-17 to G28- 12- 15 to G3

SWELLI/ow octave unenclosed)

16' Bourdon .00 44 pipes16' Sw. Bass Bourdon....

12 pipes8' Open Diapasonm.

44 pipes8' Sw. Bass Op. Dia.....

12 pipes8' Viol d' Amour 44 pipes8' Stop.d Diapason....

44 pipes8' Sw. Bass Stop.d Dia.m

12 pipes) 4' Principal 000 44 pipes

4' Sw. Bass Principal....12 pipes

4' Flute ,,'.U"'''h' 44 pipes

II Cornet u 112 pipes

8'Trumpet hum.u 44 pipes

8' Hautboy ..00 44 pipes

COUPLERSPedal to GreatPedal to SwellGreat to Swell

Cornet: 12-15 throughout-no breaks

This excellent organ stands free in the largerear gallery of the century-old church, and hasa handsome five-sectional case of three flats ofOpens and two flats of wooden dummies. Thecase is painted a cream color, and the pipes aregilded. The proj ecting console has two single-panel cupboard doors and a lid that slides out overthe top. The square-shank flat knobs are ar-ranged in four columns, and are lettered in shadedscript. The manual keys have wood fronts and donot overhang. The Swell pedal projects out at thefar right, and was originally a hitch-down; thepedals are of normal width, The six-sectionalmusic desk slides on tracks in the sides of the stopjambs. The silver nameplate is on the impost abovethe console. The Swell and Great chests are almost

on the same level, aIJd the shades are vertical. Theunmitered Swell basses are on a chest at the bass

--"

end, and several pipes are marked with the nameof the church and "Choir", showing Erben's pre-ference for this nomenclature as late as 1863. ThePedal pipes are at each side of the case; the mech-anism and pipework is in good condition, but dirthinders much of the beauty of the reeds. Thebellows handle is on the right side of .the case,and water power was used for many years, thoughnot originally. The metal pipes are of commonmetal, and the markings are either illegible or of'no value.

The tone is quite rich, not too bright, but verypleasing; the acoustics of the building are excel-lent. The Great 16' Bourdon has 21 capped metalpipes in the treble, and the three 8' strings are bellgambas. All of the reeds are unmitered, and theTrumpet has 7 open metal trebles; the Clarion has17. The Swell 8' Stopped Diapason is a chimneyflute, and the lowest octave is of stopped wood.The 4' Flute is of stopped wood except for 7 taperedmetal trebles. The chorus is quite silvery, and theDouble Open is a bit too foundational, but addsgreatly to the full organ. The instrument is highlyappreciated by the church.

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AIMS AND POLICIESby Kenneth F, Simmons

THE TRACKER is the news letter of the OrganHistorical Society. Its purpose is to publish itemsof news and articles of interest to the members ofthe Society.

THE TRACKER is a non-profit publication. Thewriters receive nothing for their articles. The edi-tors do their work without remuneration. Ourcosts are for paper, printing and postage; Theseexpenses are covered by the Society's small trea-sury. This publication is sent to all members of theSociety as a part of the service of the organization.Since we are operating on a very small budget, wewould appreciate a contribution from non-memberorganizations such as schools, colleges, libraries,etc., to help cover costs and mailing.

The Organ Historical Society is endeavoringto promote research on and the study of American

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PAGE 5

The Preservation of Organ Tone -)by Donald R. M. Paterson

It has long been one of the foremost aims of theOrgan Historical Society to preserve what havebeen considered by many of its members to befine examples of early American organ building.One of the most important reasons for t!1is ob-jective is a desire to prevent the disappearance ofthe tonal qualities of these old organs, resultingfrom an intense interest, both historical and musi-cal, in these tones.

The most obvious and most successful methodof preserving tone is, of course, the retention andmaintenance of the instruments themselves, at-tempting to avoid any procedures which tend toaffect its authenticity. Common knowledge dis-closes, however, tha~ it has been impossible, forvarious reasons, to insure the preservation of oldorgan tone in many cases. As time goes on, earlyAmerican organs still possessing their originaltone-that is, organs in which the only change oftonal quality has been due to natural causes, suchas the aging of reed tongues-are becoming fewerand fewer in number. Frequent, indeed, are theinstances in which an instrument is rebuilt withthe reterttion of the original pipes, unaltered, butwith a different type of action or windchest. Oftenthe mere substitution of a "pull-down" action tooperate the pallets, consisting of an electro-pneumatic chest located below the orginal sliderchest, has adversely affected the tonal qualities-either the sustained sound, or (perhaps more fre-quently the case) the attack of the sound.

This state of affairs-this increasing disap-pearance or alteration of original tone-has in-duced an alarming necessity for more extensiveaction in the methods of tonal preservation. Fail-ing to insure the continued existence of an instru-ment in its original condition, the organ historianmust naturally turn to the next best method-apreservation of the sound of the instrument with-out its actual presence.

The musical historian of tOday is in a far moreadvantageous .position than he might have beenalmost eighty-five years ago. Since the inventionof the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1876science has enabled us to make a permanent re-cord of sound. Because of the extJraordinary swiftadvances in recording techniques since that time,it is possible to rely upon the knowledge and tech-niques acquired by the men of science to produce arecord of organ tone which is remarkably close infidelity to the original sound. Through continu-ing technological advances, the process is con-stantly improving. This very procedure of record-ing-the fact that the sound of an instrument maybe heard after this instrument has ceased to exist---:constitutes one of the most singularly importantdevelopments benefiting the efforts of the musicalhistorian.

Until the comparatively recent development ofthe tape recorder, technicians have had to em-ploy the phonographic process. The complexities

of making discs created a necessity for bulkyequipment, required considerable specialized know-ledge, and, in most cases, a location especially de-signed for recording purposes-commonly called astudio.

The development of the tape recorder has beenparticularly beneficial to the organ historian. Thisdevice, because of its relative simplicity of design,not only can be operated by an amateur, but alsohas frur greater portability, enabling the operatorto set up his equipment with little difficulty in anylocation desired. Furthermore, the tape recorder'slower cost of operation, its intrinsically higher fi-delity, its reduced surface noise, and its more sim-ply designed mechanism for making copies demon-strate its considerable superiority over the older'disc-cutting method. Ample proof of the inher-ent advantages of tape recordings appear in thefact that almost all of the high quality records oftoday are made from tape recordings of the orginalsound.

A person desiring to make recordings of oldorgans to preserve their tonal features in the formof permanent records is fortunate, therefore, inhaving such a process available, and by means ofthis method, may, in many cases, be able to repro-duce the sound of an old organ that long since hasbeen destroyed or has succumbed to the fashion of"moderniza tion."

Having such a method at .his Disposal, the or-gan historian must decide exactly how the instru-ment will be played when it is being recorded forposterity. Such a decision should be based upona thorough consideration of both the musical valueof the tone and its historical importance for pre-servation. The planning of the contents of sucha recording, to be faithful, should include all ofthe tonal features-both desirable and undesi!r-able. These contents actually cpnsist of a demon-stration of the organ, which not merely includesboth its tonal virtues and limitations, but alsoemphasizes thoroughness and variety within atonal scheme concentrating upon the most beau-tiful sounds contained in the instrument.

At this point, the separate roles of the organhistorian and the organist-musician come intosharp focus. Although the former may possessqualities of scholarship and thoroughness whichthe latter may lack, the musician-organist, on theother hand, is generally apt to possess a degree ofartistic skill' in tonal <iiscrimination and registra-tion manipulation and a sensitivity which is en-tirely absent in the organ historian's experience.The two separate abilities must fuse into a com-plete unity if a successful recording of this typeis to be produced. Thus the recording shall beboth historical and musically valuable.

Common among laymen and insensitive musi-cians of today is the idea that only written com-positions may be played in an organ to demon-

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PAGE 6

c~ THE

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H-ALL & LABAGH

(1866) ORGANThis instrument still stands in the Roman Cath-

olic Church of St. John the Evangelist, Frederick,Maryland:

GREAT

16' Open

(

Diapason.--.56 pipes

8' Open Diapason....56 pipes

8' Viol d'Gamba 56 pipes8' Flute Traverse 56 pipes4' Principal 56 pipes4' Rohr Flute h 56 pipes2 2/3' Twelfth 56 pipes

2' Fifteenth 56 pipesIII Mixture lst 168 pipesIII Mixture 2nd 168 pipes8' Trumpet _0 56 pipes

PEDAL

16' Open Diapason----25 pipes

16' Bourdon (no label)_...25 pipes25 pipes8' Violoncello ----

(no pistons)Mixture 1st:

17-19-22 to Middle C15-17-19 to C#2

12-15-19 to G#2

12-15-17 to top GCornet:

12-15-17 with nobreaks.

SWELL

16' Bourdon 56 pipes

8' Viol d' Amour.. 56 pipes8' Flute Pyramid 56 pipes8' St. Diapason.. 56 pipes4' Principal --uh-- 56 pipes4' Night Horn 56 pipes2' Flageolet " 56 pipes

III Cornet 0.0.168 pipes

8' Oboe "h 44 pipes

8' Bassoon h. 12 pipesTremulant

COUPLERSGreat and Swell

Great and SwellPedal and GreatPedal and Swell

Mixture 2nd:

22-26-29 to q 1

19-22-26 to q215-19-22 to q312-15- 19 to top G

Octave

This fine organ, perhaps an example of the bestwork by Hall & Labagh, stands free in the reargallery of the elegant church. It has three .flatsof gilded pipes, and the central flat is taller andcapped by a semi-circular arch. The sides arepaneled, and the case has not been painted. Theconsole is detached and reversed a short distancefrom the front of the case, and resembles an earlyharmonium. The lid folds flat, and the six-section-al music desk folds dawn when the organ is notapen. The manual keys have wood frants, and. donat overhang; the pedal keys are the "toothpick"type. The Swell pedal is a metal hookdown at thefar right, and a wooden rad is pushed to one sideto release it. The. square-shank flat knabs arearranged in three horizantal rows on each side of

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the keys, but are nat in terraced jambs; they arelettered in plain Italics. The tremulant must behooked intO' a notch to' stay aut; the undated metalnameplate is between the manuals. The pipewarkis very inaccessible, and is in good candition, butthe action is rather heavy. The pedal pipes are ateach side of the case, and the Cello is nat a bellgamba. Some of the Swell Viol and Bourdan pipesare unenclosed, and can be seen at the sides ofthe box which is above the Great. There are manyillegible monagrams and ma;rks on the pipewark,and a few of the names are: "Kemp" and "A. Pal-ster" an some of the Swell flutes and the dates1865 and 1866. The acoustics are very good, andthough an averhaul is needed, the organ is quiteplayable. It is quite rich and silvery in tone, and abit mild. The Great Flute Traverse is an openwood Meladia, and the bass is. not stopped. TheGamba is plain, but the Viol in the Swell is a bellgamba. The twO' Stapped Diapasons both haveabaut 2% actaves of chimney pipes. The NightHarn is a large-scale open metal rank, and thetapered metal Flute Pyramid has a few woodbasses. The twO' reeds have 7 metal trebles. Many

ranks a;re quite excellent, and the Great 16' Openis better than usual.-E. A. B.

Aims and Policies(From page 5)

organs from their earliest appearance to the pres-ent. Individuals who would like to become mem-bers are invited to do so by applying to' Mr. ThomasS. Eader, 200 A Street, S. W., Gl~nn Burnie 7, Mary-land, enclasing $3.00 for yearly dues.

Material for publicatian should be sent to Ken-neth F. Simmans, 20 Devonwaad Road, Pa. Re-quests for capies and change af address should besent to' Albert F. Robinson, St. Cornelius Chapel,Gavernors Island, New York 4, N. Y. Informationregarding organs for sale should be addressed to'Miss Barbara J. Owen, 178 Pine Street, Fall River,Mass.

As a final word, I would again appeal for ma-terial far future publication and, at the same time,urge you when sending material to be extremelycautious regarding accuracy of context and copy.The deadline on copy must be the 15th of themonth preceding publication. We plan to continueto publish qua;rterly in October, January, April andJuly. Hence the deadline far the next issue of THETRACKER is December 15th. We hape yau likeour new printed format.

PAGE 7

The Preservation of Organ Tone(From page 6)

strate its sound. Such an approach is impracticalbecause of the fact that its exclusive use necessi-tates such a large number of compositions to pro-duce a thorough demonstration. No one will denythe musical and historical need for hearing estab-lished works played on a given organ, but a farmore efficient and imaginative procedure con-sists of a combination of these works with a groupof well-planned improvisations upon individual andcombined stops. If a sincere desire is present torecord the complete sound of an organ, the onlytotal satisfaction, both historical and musical, re-sults from hearing everything of which the organis tonally capable of producing. This demand forthoroughness cannot be met by music played with'an indiscriminate drawing of all of the stops andcouplers (frequently including tremolo), followedby a limited variety of "stock" registrations. Thelack of musical taste and historical scholarship inevidence when such a process seems to satisfy isobvious, and the jjrequency of these satisfactionsis unfortunate, to say the least.

For the sake of scholarship and thoroughness,all of these points should be kept in mind. Only byfollowing this approach can the organ historianand musician-organist hope to achieve completesuccess in. this vitally important type of historicaland musical scholarship.

Following is a list of organs recorded by thewriter. Experience has shown that the ear is thebest judge of determining the location of themicrophone, that the most accurate results areobtained at a constant recording volume level,and that 15"jsec. tape speed produces the highestfidelity. These recordings were made on a "Con-certone" tape recorder with a half-track head, andwith the employment of a high-quality dynamic

, microphone. '

Those marked with an asterisk (*) are extantorgans at the time of writing (October 1958), and,to the best of the writer's knowledge, rureunaltered.

Ashburnham, Mass.: Federated Church, E. & G. G.Hook & Hastings, Opus 595, 1871, 2:16.*

Bennington, vt.: Methodist Church, Johnson &Son, Opus 558, 1881, 2: 14.

Boston, Mass.: All Saints' Lutheran Church; E. &G. G. Hook, Opus 254, 1859,3:31.*

Boston, Mass.: Immaculate Conception Church, E.& G. G. Hook & Hastings, Opus 322, 1863. Re-built and enlarged with electro-pneumatic"pull-down" action by Hook & Hastings, 1898,4:58.*

East Andover, N. H.: Village Church, E. & G. G.Hook, 1852, 1:10.*

Hartford, Vt.: Second Congregational Church,Johnson Organ Co., Opus 373, 1872, 2: 15.*

Jamaica Plain, Mass.: First Congregational So-ciety (Unitrurian), E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 171,1854,3:37.* ,

'Nashua, N. H.: Pilgrim Congregational Church,Johnson, Opus 289, 1869, 3 :32.

Newbury, Mass.: First Presbyterian Church, E. &G. G. Hook, Opus 396,1866,2:29.*

,Shelburne Falls, Mass.: First Baptist Church, Wm.A. Johnson, Opus 76, 1858, 2:25.*

stockbridge, Mass.: First Congregational Church,Wm. A. Johnson, Opus 183, 1865, 2:20.

Woburn, Mass.: Congregational Church, E. & G. G.Hook, Opus 283, 1860, 3:36.*

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Organs for SaleWe regret the omission of an "Organs for Sale"

listing, particularly as there are several instru-ments of considerable interest available at thepresent time. However, a corrected list will appearin the next issue of THE TRACKER; but mean-while inquiries may be addressed to Miss BarbaraJ. Owen, 178 Pine Street, Fall River, Massachusetts.

THE DEBLOIS CONCERT HALLORGAN 1763-1851

(From page 1)

pd Dan Thompson per Do for re-pairing an organ pipe which hadbeen stolen and injured; and forretuning some other pipes, dis-placed by the Painter ""h 1.50pd Aaron Man for 2 pl'. of Butts,Screws & Brass Screw-knobs forthe Organ loft doors "'''U''h .64

June 4

June 10

The work was completed in time for the conse-cration of the new building on St. Barnabas' Day,June 11, 1811, when the noted Oliver Shaw of theCongregational church furnished organ and choralmusic, diJrecting his Psallonian Society in Hymns,an oratorio, and the "Hallelujah Chorus."

After this year, the church organists are iden-tified through the account books as John, Henry,and William Muenscher, E. Smith, Moses Noyes,Mrs. A. E. Hansen, Henry Frieze, and Messrs. Hesse,Bissell and Cutler. The names of William Blodgetand Dr. John Chace can be found in other sourcesas preceding these musicians. Apparently most ofthe repairs were made by the various organists inthe early years. Although both Franklin Smith andSamuel Warren opened repair shops in Providence,neither they nor any other repairmen appear inthe Irecords until 1842.

The toll on the organ extracted by the ama-teur repairs could not have been too great, sinceno action was taken for a replacement until 1834.One, historian of the church, the late FranklinCushman, felt that the organ was replaced at thistime. However, the additions of a Swell to Greatcoupler by John Bowden in 1842 and pedal keysand connections by E. & G. G. Hook in 1849 seemto negate the theory that a church would haveconsidered investing in an organ without these"modeq-n conveniences." Furthermore, there is noevidence of either subscription or major expendi-ture for an organ until 1851, when E. & G. G. Hookreplaced this instrument with a 3-manual 40-stoporgan, complete with their standard case-workwhich is still in the gallery of the church. Sincethe pipe-work is also of this era, the Johnstonorgan must either have been taken by Hook or soldto another parish. No record of it can be foundanywhere in Rhode Island. Perhaps as more localstudies are completed, another chapter can be ad-ded to the history of the Deblois Concert Hall or-gan.

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