Pipe organs at
First-Plymouth Church, UCC
The Ruth Marie Amen Gallery
Organ
Ruth Marie Amen
Gallery Organ
Builder's Perspective
Church organs are called upon to provide a wide
variety of music; no other instrument is expected to be as versatile. The church
organ must lead hymn singing, accompany the choir, be part of instrumental
ensembles, and play organ music spanning five centuries and many national
traditions. This makes organ building a challenge at which one can be happily
engaged for a lifetime. Designing small instruments usually provides the most
difficult challenge of all. That was certainly the case here because the Gallery
Organ had to fulfill two quite different musical objectives. First, this organ
will become an Antiphonal (or Echo) division of the huge Chancel organ which
will be installed later. Second, this organ, less than one-fifth of the size of
the Chancel instrument, will have to serve as the church's only pipe organ for
several months while the installation of the Chancel organ is in process. An
organ which is merely a division of a large instrument can have a very special
design; however, if it must also serve to carry an entire church service, it
must have the appropriate sounds to fulfill the universal role outlined above.
When starting the design process, I was reminded
of our experience in renovating the Mormon Tabernacle organ in Salt Lake City;
the antiphonal division of that organ served as inspiration. It was designed to
accompany the huge Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their weekly National radio
broadcasts for almost a year while the giant Tabernacle organ was being
installed. The organ was so cleverly designed that many listeners did not
realize the organ had fewer pipes than most small town church organs.
The Gallery organ at First-Plymouth
Congregational Church is a one manual organ with its tonal resources spread over
two manuals and pedal for playing flexibility. It plays from its own two manual
console in the Gallery, and will also play as a one manual from the main console
in the Chancel.
Another device which allows a limited number of
pipes to be flexible is our system of double expression. Both the loudest and
softest stops are located in a separate expression box located inside the main
expression box. This provides an unusually wide dynamic range. The Voix
Serenissime (string celeste) can be brought down to a whisper, and the very
powerful Harmonic Trumpet can be kept under control for use as a normal chorus
reed and then opened up to crown the full ensemble of the Chancel organ.
The tonal design (of only eleven independent
stops and 15 ranks) includes a complete diapason chorus, flutes of three
distinct varieties (open harmonic, stopped wood, and chimneyed metal), a mild
echo principal (Salicional), string and celeste, and two reeds. The pedal stop
is made of open wood pipes in the bass with metal pipes in display.
The casework of the organ was designed by our
engineer Charles Primich to complement the unusual and beautiful design of
First-Plymouth Congregational Church. A close look at the casework will show
many touches which we hope would have received the approval of the gifted
architect who designed this unique building. The architectural treatment of the
Gallery organ foreshadows the monumental Chancel case with its 32' facade pipes.
The architecture of First-Plymouth
Congregational Church has a lot do to with the sound of the organ as well as its
appearance. We were blessed with what I consider to be a near perfect acoustical
environment. I cannot think of a building which would be more ideal for the type
of organ sound we build and for the type of music that Jack Levick programs.
The organ was built in our San Francisco factory
under the direction of Robert Rhoads, our vice president and technical director,
and was installed at First-Plymouth Congregational Church by Chet Spencer,
Renato Guerrero, and Serge Dickstein. Factory voicing was by Mark Hotsenpiller
and Fred Lake. Tonal finishing was under my supervision. Otis Young and the
staff of the Church have been immensely supportive of everything we have done.
As in architecture, it takes a great client to achieve a great work.
Jack M. Bethards
President and Tonal Director
Shoenstein
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