The Pipe Organ
Central Lutheran Church
512 South Bernard Street
Spokane, Washington 99204
Aeolian-Skinner/Balcom & Vaughan
Opus No. 880
An Informational Pamphlet
The Pipe Organ
at
CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
Spokane, Washington
Aeolian-Skinner/Balcom & Vaughan
Opus No. 880
A Brief History of Previous Organs
In 1966, an Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ was installed at Central Lutheran Church
replacing a three rank Wicks pipe organ that was brought from the original
church building at 312 East Third Avenue. The new organ was designed by
William Bunch (who later became president and head designer at Balcom and
Vaughan) in consultation with Dr. David Dahl, Pacific Lutheran University and Dr.
Harold Einecke, organist at Spokane’s St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral. The
organ’s tonal resources were patterned after the “American Classic” ideal made
world famous by Aeolian-Skinner organs in places such as Boston’s Church of
the Advent, Riverside Church in New York City, The Mormon Tabernacle in Salt
Lake City and San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. Central’s instrument was made
possible through generous gifts of our members at that time. Because of those
gifts, the organ was a musical blessing for over thirty years as its music led in
worship and praise to God.
The Initiation of the 1998 Revision and Expansion
The organ revision and expansion project had its beginning at a 1994 Worship
and Music Committee meeting when a report was made that many of the
bushings and felts on the manual keys and most of the pedal keys of the console
were becoming worn and very loose. The committee voted to have Jon Moir of
Balcom and Vaughan evaluate the condition of the instrument. The Balcom and
Vaughan Organ Company was chosen for three reasons: 1) The firm’s longstanding association with the existing instrument, 2) Their expertise in designing
organs which not only perform the wide range of organ literature well, but also
meet the needs of liturgical worship, 3) The company’s understanding of classical
church buildings such as we have a Central Lutheran. Mr. Moir was asked to
inspect the mechanical condition of the instrument and evaluate the tonal
resources of the organ. His report was to include several proposals to ensure
the instrument would continue to serve the congregation for many years.
page 2
Results of the Inspection
The inspection revealed the wind chests, blowers and pneumatic action were in
excellent condition, but the existing console was quite deteriorated. In light of the
inspection, there were three proposals presented. The first proposal allowed
only for the refurbishing of the existing console. It was not a recommended
option because the console’s antiquated design could not be modernized or
expanded. The second proposal detailed a new state-of-the-art console
incorporating modern technology and future expansion capabilities. It was
quickly determined that replacing the existing console was the only prudent
option, however, after discussing this proposal, the church council decided that
the congregation would be more willing to donate money to the project if they
could hear tonal improvements. The third proposal addressed this opinion by
including an estimate for tonal expansion and revision as well as a new console.
The council voted to adopt the third proposal and to poll the congregation to see
if Central’s members would be willing to fund a comprehensive expansion project
along with replacing the organ console.
The Recommendation
The expansion recommended by the church council would provide the organ with
more playing resources, more flexibility and unlimited compatibility with the latest
technology. The rationale for the recommendation was based first on the fact
that many musical compositions for organ call for three manuals (keyboards
played by the hands) and three tonal divisions (three separate groupings of
pipes; Great, Swell and Positiv). Secondly, it was deemed prudent to purchase
the new organ console with Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
MIDI
technology in the console would ensure that the organ would integrate with other
electronic instruments and computers thereby making its flexibility practically
limitless.
At a meeting explaining the council’s recommendation, the congregation agreed
to proceed with an expansion project provided that two-thirds of the needed
funds could be raised through designated gifts. That goal was met in the spring
of 1997, and at a June meeting of the congregation, the members voted to
continue with the next step, which was to request renderings of the new case and
pipework. Those drawings were submitted to the congregation and in October of
1997, the congregation approved the final design and voted to enter into a
contract with Balcom and Vaughan.
page 3
The Church Building
Central Lutheran Church was built in the timeless English Gothic architectural
style by Harold C. Whitehouse, who also designed St John's Episcopal
Cathedral. The church is in the shape of a Latin cross with the transept designed
as part of the chancel (or more correctly, Quire). As in European Cathedrals, the
organ was placed in the Quire. In the ancient buildings of Europe however, the
organ had one function; to support the choir and clergy in worship. Putting the
organ in the Quire made perfect sense because for many centuries of Christian
Church history, only the choir and the clergy were allowed to sing in the
service. Many church buildings even had a wall or fence called a Pulpitum which
physically separated the celebrants from the common people in the Nave. Since
the Reformation however, the laity has been invited to actively participate in
worship. Especially in the Lutheran Church, with the belief in the Priesthood of
all believers, the tradition of laity taking an active role in worship is paramount.
Organ Placement
The expansion of the organ at Central Lutheran raised a question as to where
the additional pipework should be placed when there is not enough room in the
organ chamber. Acoustically, the answer would be to place the pipework in the
same worship space with the congregation (in other words; in the Nave). Many
Gothic churches in Europe have additional pipework in the Nave to support
congregational singing. Central Lutheran is not so large that additional organ
pipes needed to be placed in the Nave, nor was it deemed plausible to put the
organ in the balcony or to mount additional pipes on the Pulpitum wall as
originally suggested. Therefore, the best place for additional pipes was the east
wall of the Chancel, in the front of the church. Here however, was where
architecture, liturgical worship and acoustics could have come into conflict. The
traditional architecture of the liturgical Church requires the reredos and the altar
to remain the visual focal point of the structure. To meet that requirement in the
organ expansion at Central, ten ranks of the new Great division were placed
against the exposed brick walls on each side of the reredos. The artistic design
of the new organ cases and the Trinitarian pipe arrangement were created to
visually blend with the original architectural appointments in the chancel. The
Sacrament and the Word remain the focal point as the new Great Organ serves
to gracefully accent the reredos and the altar, even as it lifts the worshiper's gaze
to the rose window.
The Pipework
The original pipework of the instrument was lovely and most of it has been
incorporated into the new design. The only pipework that spoke clearly to the
congregation, however, was the original Great Organ because it was exposed on
the cantilever in front of the organ chamber screen. The rest of the pipeworks'
articulation (clarity of its initial attack) was gradually muffled as the listener
moved further back (west) into the nave of the church. The balance between the
exposed Great pipework and the rest of the organ's pipes was adversely affected
as well. It was decided to overcome this acoustical problem by installing the new
Great Organ on the east wall of the Chancel, placing the new Positiv Organ
where the original Great pipework had been, and acoustically sealing the brick
walls in the chancel.
Scope of the 1998 Project
The 1998 organ project created a significant improvement in the
instrument's playing ease, tonal resource, flexibility and worship leading
potential. The plan had three aspects:
a. A new console: three manual, draw knob stop action, rocker tablet
couplers, equipped with MIDI in, out and thru with sequencing capabilities on all
four divisions, and solid state combination action.
b. Tonal revisions of the existing pipework:
Swell: Provide a 4' Principal (12 new pipes) and a 3-4 rank 1' Plein Jeu
Mixture (reconstituted from the original Great mixture)
Great: Provide a 16' Pommer (second 12 new wooden pipes) and a 4'
Clarion (last 12 new pipes)
Positiv: Revoice five ranks of the original Great Organ to create a 8'
Geigen Principal, 8' Pommer, 4' Octave and a two rank 2 2/3 + 1 3/5
Sesquialtera
Pedal: Provide an 8' Trompette
c. Tonal additions to the existing pipework:
Great: New 11 rank Great Organ (659 new pipes)
Positiv: New 4' Spillflote, 2' Octave, and a 2-3 rank 2 2/3' Cymbal Mixture
(293 new pipes)
Pedal: 8' Principal (32 new Pipes)
At the completion of this project, the instrument had 2,278 pipes in 37 ranks with
42 stops.
Tonal Additions in 2002
When the organ project was completed in 1998, there was room left on the
console to add stops as the money became available. The tonal design called
for a foundation stop of 32' length in the pedal to balance the richness of the full
organ and other applications. Also, the need for a fuller 16' pedal stop was
suggested because the original 16 Principal was of such a narrow scale. Finally,
it was at the suggestion of Janice Newell that the Great Trompette be made
playable from the Positiv in order to use it in contrast to and with the full Great
Organ. In 2002, memorial money became available to purchase these three
additions to the organ. After consultation with Jon Moir, it was believed the
addition of an electronic 32' and 16' Subass would provide an acoustic
foundation to the expanded organ. Using electronic generators to provide the
lowest pitches is musically acceptable in contemporary pipe organs due to space
and monetary issues. The new instrument has 39 ranks with 45 stops. The
instrument combines the latest in computer technology with the best of the
ancient art of pipe organ building and timeless Christian church architecture.
page 5
The Pipe Organ
at
CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
Spokane, Washington
Aeolian-Skinner/Balcom & Vaughan
Opus No. 880
Specifications
GREAT ORGAN (Exposed, East Wall of the Chancel)
Pommer
PRINCIPAL
GEDECKT
Rohrflöte
OCTAVE
QUINTE
OCTAVE
TERZ
FOURNITURE 3-4 rks
TROMPETTE
11 Clarion
16’
8’
8’
8’
4’
2 2/3’
2’
1 3/5’
1 1/3'
8’
4’
ranks
12 new pipes (wood) Positiv/Pedal
61 new pipes
1
61 new pipes
2
Swell
61 new pipes
3
61 new pipes
4
61 new pipes
5
61 new pipes
6
232 new pipes
7-10
61 new pipes (in organ chamber: exposed)
12 new pipes (extention Positiv 8’ Trompette)
MIDI
Swell to Great
Swell to Great
Swell to Great
16’
8’
4’
Positiv to Great
Positiv to Great
Positiv to Great
16’
8’
4’
SWELL ORGAN (Enclosed: in organ chamber South Transept) ranks
VIOLA
CELESTE
ROHRFLÖTE
PRINCIPAL
KOPPELFLÖTE
NACHTHORN
LARIGOT
PLEIN JEU 3-4 rks
KRUMMHORN
HAUTBOIS
Krummhorn
8’
8’
8’
4’
4’
2’
1 1/3’
1’
16’
8’
4’
68 existing pipes
68 existing pipes
68 existing pipes
12 new +56 existing pipes
68 existing pipes
61 existing pipes
61 existing pipes
183 new and existing pipes
68 existing pipes
68 existing pipes
24 existing pipes (extension 16’)
Tremulant
MIDI
Swell to Swell
16’
Swell to Unison Off 8’
Swell to Swell
4’
page 6
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19-21
22
23
POSITIV ORGAN (Exposed on the cantilever in South Transept) ranks
GEIGEN PRINCIPAL
8’
61 existing pipes
POMMER
8’
61 existing pipes
OCTAVE
4’
61 existing pipes
SPILLFLOTE
8’
61 existing pipes
OCTAVE
2’
61 new pipes
SESQUIALTERA 2 rks 2 2/3+1 3/5’ 122 existing pipes
CYMBAL
2-3 rks 2/3’
171 new pipes
TROMPETTE
8’
61 existing pipes
Krommhorn
8’
Swell
Trompette
8’
Great
Tremulant
MIDI
Positiv to Positiv
Positiv Unison Off
Positiv to Positiv
Swell to Positiv
Swell to Positiv
Swell to Positiv
25
26
27
28
29
30-31
32-34
35
16’
8’
4’
16
8’
4’
PEDAL ORGAN (Exposed in organ chamber, South Transept) ranks
SUBASS
SUBASS
PRINCIPAL
Pommer
OCTAVE
Pommer
Rohrflote
Octave
Pommer
Trompette
Krummhorn
Trompette
Krummhorn
32’
16’
16’
16’
8’
8’
8’
4’
4’
16’
16’
8’
4’
electronic
36
electronic
37
32 existing pipes
38
12 new pipes
32 new pipes
39
Positiv
Swell
24 existing pipes (extension 16’ Principal)
Positiv
12 existing pipes (extension Positiv 8’ Trompette)
Swell
Positiv
Swell
MIDI
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Positiv to Pedal
8’
8’
8’
32 Channel Solid State Combination Action
GENERAL: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
GREAT: 1-2-3-4-5-6
SWELL: 1-2-3-4-5-6
POSITIV: 1-2-3-4-5-6
PEDAL: 1-2-3-4-5-6
Great to Pedal reversible
Swell to Pedal reversible
Positiv to Pedal reversible
ZYMBELSTERN
Set and General cancel
MIDI in, out and through with playable functions on all divisions
page 7
Central Lutheran Church Organists
Central Lutheran Church has been blessed by the service of our past
organists: Mrs. Gilbert Rossing, Evelyn Myre, W. C. Schackenberg
Jr., Mable Anderson, Doris Swanson, Adrienne Reisner, John Oss,
Gary Laing, William Clausen, Keith Lundquist, Janice Newell and our
present organist: Alice Hostetter
Acknowledgements
Don Neraas Architect, Spokane: Architectural & Artistic Consultation
Michael R Yantis Associates Inc, Seattle: Acoustical Consultation
Paul Brueggemeier: Design/Text, Organ Informational Pamphlet
The Organ Committee
Gary Dahlke: Chairman, Dr. Eric Paulson, Sandy Fink, Ron Lund,
ßKeith Lundquist, Pastor Roy Jeremiah, Paul & Sue Brueggemeier