S O L I D E O G L O R IA

S OL I

D E O G L O R IA

S OL I

D E O G L O R IA

ParsonsPiPeOrganB u i l d e r s

theW ndl ne

Thanks to significant and ongo-ing gifts from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the original 1949 M.P. Möller pipe organ at Holy Trinity has grown from its original size of 43 sets of pipes to its present 151-set grandeur. The main chancel console has five keyboards, 220 drawknobs, and 63 tilting tabs; the more modest gallery console has three keyboards, 93 drawknobs, and 15 tilting tabs. The entire instrument can be played from either console.

With so many additions and embel-lishments over the decades, the time had come to reconsider all the material from a fresh perspective. In 2014, the Wendt Foundation made it possible for the Church to commission a major reno-vation from Parsons. This project has dealt comprehensively with the Great, Positiv, Swell, Choir and Pedal sections, and has made minor adjustments to the Grand-Choir and Solo departments. Apart from re-wiring, no work has been undertaken to the gallery sections.

In the Chancel right, the original pipes have been retained but almost everything else has been created new. All departments have been re-sited to optimize both tonal egress — getting the tone out of the chamber — and access to pipes and mechanism, for improved service. Gaps have been filled in the chamber walls, which have also been strengthened and repainted, and the opening into the church’s side aisle was increased. New lighting in the chamber was installed for improved visibility.

The Swell and Choir departments reside in the corner of the chamber within thick new maple swell boxes fitted with heavy shutters on two sides, controlled by new expression motors. The Great division speaks directly from the enlarged side aisle opening to fulfill its role in leading congregational song. The Positiv division continues to speak from immediately behind the chancel façade. New slider windchests built in the Parsons shop are fed from a revised winding system. Special care was taken in the design of the windchests, and the order of stops on windchests, to

ParsonsorGans.CoM Member Firm: associated Pipe organ Builders of america [aPoBa]

S P r i n g 2 0 1 7

promote blend and solid tuning. A few sets of pipes have been exchanged (for example, the new Choir Concert Flute), all flue pipes cleaned and revoiced, and the reed pipes reconditioned.

The console rebuilding was mostly practical in nature; worn keyboards in the chancel console were replaced with new keyboards from P&S Organ Supply in England featuring bone nat-urals and ebony sharps. Both Chancel and Gallery consoles received updated controls for the new custom-designed solid-state control system from Integrated Organ Technologies, which

Holy TriniTy luTHeran CHurCHBuffalO, neW YOrk151 ranks, 5 manual & pedal

eduCaTional seMinaroCToBer 13-14, 2016 Last fall, Parsons hosted a

seminar on Electricity in Organbuilding sponsored by the American Institute of Organbuilders (AIO). 21 organbuilders from around the country took part in lectures and hands-on workshops by expert presenters Dick Houghten, Manuel Rosales and Robert Rusczyk as well as Parsons’ staff Ric Parsons, Peter Geise and Aaron Grabowski. Also included was a demonstration and organ crawl of our Opus 41 featuring Parsons’ Tonal Director Duane Prill.

ParsonsorGans.CoM

What’S On Our Bench?

iS YOur Organ cOnSOle reliaBle?

2018

2017

At Parsons, we want to be able to take the best pos-sible care of your instrument. Having keys allows us to make routine calls, and especially emergency visits, when office staff cannot meet us. We keep all of our keys in a locked key cabi-net with a numbering system and only Parsons knows what keys go where, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your keys are safe with us!

do we Have keys ...to your church?

VanLare ResidenceRemanufacture of Aeolian Opus 1654New Rochelle, New York3 Manual & Pedal, 27 Ranks

Redeemer Lutheran ChurchFire Restoration of Austin Opus 1652Rochester, New York3 Manual & Pedal, 28 Ranks

Waverly Valley United PresbyterianRelocation of Parsons Opus 1Waverly, New York2 Manual & Pedal, 25 Ranks

St. Mark’s Episcopal ChurchRestoration of 1867 J. G. MarkloveCandor, New York2 Manual & Pedal, 25 Ranks

Are you experiencing unreliable action, dead notes, or intermittent problems? The most com-mon factor causing these issues is old, dirty, worn out contacts. Parsons Pipe Organ Builders has replaced dozens of such systems with a new, state-of-the-art solid state pipe organ control systems. These systems not only solve action problems, but they also allow for new options, including multiple memory levels, transposer, record playback, and MIDI capabilities.

If you would like a quote to update your pipe organ with a new solid state system, we will be happy to provide you with a free estimate!

Parsons Pipe Organ Builders is a five-generation firm whose legacy began in the late 1890’s when Gideon Levi Parsons settled in Massachusetts to apprentice with noted organbuilder, John Wesley Steere. His career as a flue pipe voicer continued with John W. Steere, and later with another well-known organbuilder, Ernest Skinner who eventually purchased J. W. Steere & Son Organ Company in Springfield, MA. Under the current leadership of brothers Richard and Calvin Parsons, the firm has established an impeccable reputation for building new instruments, historic restorations and the continuing care of existing pipe organs. Our years of experience in collaborative project management will enable us to plan, control and execute any project to ensure the highest quality results can be achieved on time, and within budget.

COVER continued...

ViSit Our faceBOOk tO VieW PhOtOS Of Our PrOjectS!

features unlimited combination capability. New discrete LED light-ing has been incorporated into the chancel console as well for improved visibility for the organist.

The Grand Choir and Solo sections, to the left of the chancel, have had a few modest upgrades at this time: a new 32-16 Waldhorn unit in the Skinner style replaces a collapsing Möller set; a few solo registers re-sited for improved egress; the chorus work gone through to correct speech. Both blowers for these departments have been relocated to a new blower room and feed a modestly revised winding system. The former blower room has become a part of the Grand Choir chamber to improve tuning and service access. Crowning the reconstituted instrument is the new “Bigham Tuba,” voiced by Christopher Broome on 15” wind. This stop honors Mr. Bigham’s 40 years’ dedicated service to the congregation and community.

All chancel sections were tonally site-finished from May to November 2016 by Parsons’ Tonal Director Duane Prill and Boston-based technician Jonathan Ambrosino.

our HisTory

the Buzz

ParsonsorGans.CoM

vanlare residenCenew roCHelle, new york

The VanLare residence is the home to Aeolian Organ Opus 1654. Due to water damage from

a flooded basement, the organ is in need of major rebuilding. With the exception of the Echo division, harp & chimes, the organ’s mechanism and control system will be updated and replaced with new.

Windchests throughout will be new construction, the existing console electro-pneumatic switching and combination action system will be replaced with solid-state systems.

The pipework will be cleaned and repaired, and each pipe will be placed on our voicing machine for proper tone and uniform speech.

While not an historic restoration, functionality will be the focus with components that offer expanded capability and greater reliability. The original Aeolian compo-nents will be retained for historical value.

A fall 2017 installation is planned.

Carl Barckhoff, Organbuilder – 1890Organ Historical Society (OHS) Citation 397Two Manuals and Pedal – 26 Registers, 30 Ranks

St. Mary’s ChurchAuburn, New York

The Carl BarCkhoff pipe organ at St. Mary’s Church is thought to be the builder’s largest extant organ, and unlike most of the organs of its period, survives in a relatively unaltered condition. The only electricity used in this instrument is for the blower

motor, located remotely, and console lighting; everything else is mechanically operated, even the stop combination action.

By definition, the goal of any restoration is to retain everything from the original builder, even its perceived shortcomings, allowing future generations to study and understand techniques, design concepts and tonal character of earlier builders. When considering our approach to the “restoration” of the Barckhoff, we weighed, as we do with all such projects, the value of restoring the organ in a truly historical fashion by divesting the organ of any previous modifications and affecting repairs in such a way as to preserve or reintroduce the entirety of the organ’s specified apparatus. In contrast, we considered the value of approaching the project in a fashion that respects the historical context while in some limited fashion, incorporating materials and components that improve the functionality and longevity of the organ. Noting that the church does not preserve the Barckhoff organ as a museum piece, but rather an organ that supports a rigorous liturgical schedule, we elected to take the latter approach.

In addition to a myriad of adjustments and replacement of worn leather and felt materials, 3 alterations were made to the organ. The original double-rise reservoir and wooden wind ducts had been removed years ago, in favor of modern regulators and metal and flexible wind ducts. Because the winding system is the “lungs” of the organ and affects the tone, We chose to rebuild the winding system in a style similar to the original builder, including a new double-rise reservoir. We also added two stops, which would be typical in an organ of this size: the bottom octave of the Swell 16’ Bourdon, and a 16’ Trombone in the Pedal division.

Overview; A Practical Restoration

Sten

cil

desi

gn b

y M

aryl

ou D

avis

, Inc

.

uPCoMinG evenTsaPril 2017 - june 2017

reCenT ConCerTs

May

dedication recital for the fully restored 1890 carl Barckhoff organ, performed by three past and present organists.

5/21 at 3 P.M. - Saint MarY’S church, auBurn, nY

June

geneva Music festivalOrgan recital featuring raymond nagem

6/14 at 7:30 P.M. - the united church, canandaigua, nY

aPril

Pasquini and Zipoli Magister et discipulusfeaturing edoardo Bellotti on the organ and harpsichord

eastman rochester Organ initiative (erOi) recitals

featuring Vincent dubois, organist, notre-dame cathedral, ParisPresented by the rochester celebrity Organ recital Series

4/20 at 1 P.M. & 3 P.M.- MeMOrial art gallerY, rOcheSter, nY

featuring eastman School of Music’s organists and cellists5/18 at 1 P.M. & 3 P.M.- MeMOrial art gallerY, rOcheSter, nY

4/23 at 4 P.M. - church Of the gOOd ShePherd, WeBSter, nY

4/21 at 8 P.M. - Sacred heart cathedral, rOcheSter, nY

calendar eVentS nOte: if you would like to be on our email mailing list for open houses please contact ellen at elP@parsonsorgans.com. You can also read current and past newsletters on our website, parsonsorgans.com.

SOLIDEOGLORIA

SOLIDEOGLORIA

SOLIDEOGLORIA

4820 Bristol Valley road Canandaigua, ny 14424888.229.4820 parsonsorgans.Com

SPring 2017 neWSletter

Attn: Musicians & ColleaguesNathan Laube, Assistant Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music, presented a thoroughly enjoyable concert on Parsons’ Opus 41 at the United Church in Canandaigua. Mr. Laube has the distinction of being the featured concerto soloist on a Grammy award-winning album. The highlight of the program was Mr. Laube’s transcription of Gioacchino Rossini’s “Overture to William Tell”.

Ken Cowan, regarded as one of North America’a finest concert organists with degrees form Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, dedicated the new Parsons organ for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY to a full house.

January 20, 2017

noveMBer 15, 2016

CANANDAIGUA:(left to right) Timothy Parsons, Matthew Parsons, Calvin Parsons, Nathan Laube, Richard Parsons, Peter Geise, Chad Snyder