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About the Organ
"The CHOIR Organ"
Part 4 in the series about ELPC’s
Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Organ.
by the Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany,
Worship Music & The Arts Director
Historically the Choir division or
Choir organ of the American organ has had a checkered history. Unlike
its European “counterpart” the Positif organ, the 20th-century American
Choir organ has been a collection of often non-descript soft,
accompanimental flutes sounds, a quiet ethereal-sounding romantic
celeste (usually a Dulciana and an Unda Maris) and one or two solo
stops, the first choice being a Clarinet.
The Choir divisions of many organs
built during the first five or six decades of the 20th century
contributed very little to the ensemble or overall effect of the total
organ. Unlike the European Positif organs these Choir organs had “very
little to say “ as part of the whole. With the emerging American Classic
Organ movement driven by the work of G. Donald Harrison of the
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company (builders of the ELPC sanctuary organ) and
a certain few others of the 1930’s and 40’s, American instruments began
to incorporate in their design Positif divisions not unlike their
European counterparts. Like the Positifs across the sea, these divisions
made a telling contribution to the total ensemble being something akin
to a mini-Great organ (see Part 1 of this series
“The Great Organ”). However, a Positif
division does not historically contain those lovely, although secondary,
voices of the traditional American Choir organ. So what did we see
coming out of this? Organs which had both a substantial Positif division
and also the non-descript Choir divisions.
But there have been organs which were
designed with a different plan in mind. The ELPC instrument may have
been one of these rather early instruments with a trial “beefed –up”
Choir division. Although in no way matching the voicing concept of a
Positif division, the inclusion in the ELPC Choir organ in its original
1935 design and with its later additions in the 70’s brought a true foil
or counterpart in this one division to the sounds of the Great organ.
Not only do we have the quiet undulating sounds of two pretty celestes,
the profusion of quieter flute sounds for accompaniments, and a battery
of soft and loud solo stops, but we also have the necessary backbone
sounds of the Diapasons at a variety of pitches, making this in the
words of one observer, an “avant garde” Choir organ that does the
work of three or four divisions on a more modest instrument.
There are a total of 22 independent
ranks of pipes in this Choir organ. For instruments of this period, this
is unusual even if one were to discount the five ranks of pipes added on
in the 70’s.
How fortunate to have all this as a
beginning basis for the present restoration project in which all the
beauty of these original sounds will be regulated, repaired where needed
and replaced in kind where repairs are not cost-effective, and when
returned, relocated in the organ chamber in a much more advantageous
position for egress of these gentle, bright and telling sounds.
Next article in the
series -- Part 5: "The PEDAL Organ"
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