Organ Study Committee

Report to the Church Council

Lord of Life Lutheran Church 13724 W Meeker Blvd.

Sun City West, AZ 85375

February, 2010

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Table of Contents

Founding and Purpose of Committee Page 4 Committee Findings Page 5 Committee Recommendations Page 5 Organ Study Committee Process Page 6 Committee Considerations, Findings and Recommendations Page 11 History of Committee Process Page 12 Lord of Life Organ and Condition of Present Instrument Page 19 Worship and Liturgy Page 21 Placement, Liturgical Design, Architecture Page 24 Funding and Stewardship Page 26

Appendices

Appendix A: How Does One Define A "Good" Organ? Page 27 Appendix B: “The Great Mighty Ocean Tone” Page 29

(Cover: Conceptual sketch by Graham Tristram, Glatter-Gőtz organ builders.)

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FOUNDING AND PURPOSE OF COMMITTEE

After much discussion by some members of Lord of Life and the Worship and Music Committee, a group was formed to look into the organ situation. They realized the electronic organ presently being used in the sanctuary is nearing the end of its usefulness and it was time to consider other options. In March, 2009 the Church Council appointed an organ study committee: Doc Danker Ed Dregalla June Fredericksen, Chair Jim Haller Richard Halvorson Pastor John D. Kautz Gloria Lien Lorraine Miller Kay Turner The committee was commissioned to assess the state of Lord of Life's organ, sanctuary acoustics and the needs of the church taking into consideration necessary repairs, rebuilding or replacing the organ. The committee would make recommendations about the organ that would lead to spiritual renewal through worship and lead to enhanced community outreach through cultural activities. The Church Council voted that an organ consultant be hired on a limited basis to educate and guide the committee in their study. Don Morse was hired as consultant to the committee. (credentials available)

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COMMITTEE FINDINGS The committee finds that… The present Allen electronic organ is now in its 24th year. It is estimated the life expectancy of an electronic organ is 18-25 years. The quality of the sound has deteriorated. At 24 years old, repair is questionable as electronic technology has turned itself over several times since the design and construction of our organ. Parts are no longer common for old electronic devices. The speakers are seven or eight years beyond their useful life span and need to be replaced. Since the speakers are not common, they are priced accordingly.

The present organ should be replaced. Committee Recommendations The committee makes the following recommendations to the Church Council:

That the sanctuary organ be replaced with a pipe organ. That Glatter-Gotz Organ builders of Oberlingen, Germany,

with Manuel Rosales as tonal designer be appointed builder designate to develop further plans for a new instrument for Lord of Life sanctuary.

That the committee host a series of informational and educational meetings (including sanctuary organ tour) to answer any questions regarding our research and recommendations.

That the Council proceed with fund raising and development activities leading to the execution of a contract with the eventual purchase of a new organ for the sanctuary.

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ORGAN STUDY COMMITTEE PROCESS Once organized, the committee began the process of educating itself about organs and organ building. Each committee member received study materials and compiled considerable documentation for reference. Detailed evaluation forms were distributed for use in evaluating organs on the committee's tours. The committee considered in detail the following criteria: Price as bid Meets suggested specs Financial stability/company Currency/exchange rate Delivery date proposed Historical problem/free process Availability of acoustician Case design Quality of woodworking craftsmanship Consistency of voicing Quality of voicing Pipe work quality/source Quality of mechanical craftsmanship National stature/organ builder International stature/builder Access to/interaction with builder Uniqueness in Phoenix area Community impact Worship impact Desire to build this organ Visual impact Console design Voicing in room vs. shop

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Each of these vitally important, inter-related considerations are detailed in sections below, following an overview of the entire organ study committee process. On-site studies: Before touring locally and then nationally, the organ study committee identified several builders whose organs the committee wished to hear: Allen, Berghaus, Dobson, Casavant, Glatter-Gotz/Rosales, Holtkamp, Quimby, Rodgers, Schantz, Schoenstein. In selecting a builder, the committee considered the following factors to be most important: high quality of workmanship high quality/consistency of voicing high quality of materials good visual and worship impact meets suggested specifications serves the purposes of outreach ministry The tours allowed committee members to gain significant knowledge and understanding about music programs, sanctuaries, sacred concert spaces, organs and their impact on faith communities and to get to know organ builders of excellent reputation. When visiting a church, the committee spent more than two hours listening to the same organ repertoire and hymns in the same order on each instrument. The committee spent time talking with church staff, organists and respective committee members to determine the impact of the organ on the congregation and programming of the church. The committee evaluated the various sanctuaries for design, decor, acoustics and function, and the relation of the organ project to each of these factors. The committee reviewed and evaluated the present organ and sanctuary at Lord of Life to lay a foundation for evaluating instruments that would be seen and heard on tour.

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Local organ survey tour. The committee visited the following churches in the Phoenix metropolitan area and Sun City West to see what had been done to solve their organ needs: First United Methodist Church, Mesa Dobson Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix Schantz Chaparral Christian Church, Scottsdale Casavant La Casa de Cristo Lutheran, Scottsdale Berghaus Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, SCW hybrid: electronic &

pipe Prince of Peace, SCW Rodgers Electronic Tucson, AZ organ survey tour. One day was spent in Tucson at the following locations: Northminster Presbyterian Church Quimby University of Arizona Concert Hall Schoenstein St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Holtkamp Los Angeles organ survey tour. The committee spent one day in Los Angeles, CA at the following churches. All of the organs were Glatter-Gőtz Organs. Claremont United Church of Christ, Claremont, CA St. Edmund's Episcopal Church, San Marino, CA St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church, Encino, CA

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Minneapolis/Northfield organ survey tour. In summer, 2009, the committee spent two days in the Twin Cities area and visited the following: Augustana Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN Glatter-Gőtz Westminster Presbyterian, Minneapolis, MN Dobson St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN Dobson Boe Chapel, St. Olaf College Holtkamp St. John's Lutheran, Northfield, MN Dobson East Coast organ survey tour. July, 2009 took us to the east coast to hear and evaluate the following: St. Paul's Episcopal, Rock Creek Park, Dobson Washington, D.C. St. Paul's Parish, Washington, D.C. Schoenstein St. John's Episcopal, Chevy Chase, MD Berghaus St. Stephen's Episcopal, Wilkes Barre, PA Berghaus Final selection of builder. In September, 2009, after evaluating more than thirty organs the committee began to assimilate all data, impressions, likes and dislikes, realities, dreams and experiences into a report. Don Morse, organ consultant to the committee of eleven, six of whom are or have been church organists, guided the committee in this process. The committee decided to implement a Six Sigma managerial tool, which helped it distill the evaluative process into 23 areas of importance, weight each area for its significance to the project, then evaluate each organ builder in light of the points. In November, 2009, the chosen builders met with the committee to present their bids and designs.

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After further consideration and review, the committee identified two builders as builder designates: Glatter-Gőtz and Berghaus pipe organ builders. Designate #1 is Glatter-Gőtz Orgelbau, Owingen, Germany who will design and build an instrument for Lord of Life sanctuary, pending approval by the congregation… In the event that negotiations surrounding cost, final tonal specifications, delivery date, case design and contractual details are not successfully completed with Builder Designate #1, the committee will commence the same negotiations with Builder Designate #2, Berghaus Organ Builders without further study or deliberation. In January, 2010 the Church Council of Lord of Life accepted the committee's recommendation to negotiate with Builder Designate #1 who will design an instrument for our consideration. The Glatter-Gőtz/Rosales partnership combines rare artists who blend technical skill and scholarly inquiry with mature aesthetic vision. Together they have extraordinarily open and inquiring minds, coupled in an uncanny balance with a strong critical faculty. Their range of experience and expertise is so deep and broad that these opinions are always well founded and merit deep attention. More importantly, this broad base of skill, experience and knowledge delivers a real and high quality product. Their artistic vision in organ building is always tempered by a solid pragmatism. Timothy Tikker of Kalamazoo College said of Manuel Rosales, "I can't say I've ever met an organ builder who had a better understanding of what an organ needs to play music well, what stops and tone qualities are needed; what balances should be between stops, ranges, divisions. Manuel's organs perfectly blend and synthesize the beautiful and practical in a way which is all too rare.

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COMMITTEE CONSIDERATIONS, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The role of the organ in worship. The organ provides an important dimension of consistent emotional support to worship and to many other liturgical needs. The organ enhances and helps define the worship experience as virtually no other element of worship can do. For example, services open and close with organ preludes and benedictions. The organ subtly supports prayer and communion. It moves the service forward. It audibly supports the lifting of many voices into one voice in praise. In short, the organ is vital to a strong, cohesive, worshipful and meaningful service. Unlike a recital instrument that might be designed and built with a certain historic style in mind, a church organ should:

Effectively lead, even inspire, congregational singing Have the capability and the flexibility to accompany choral

repertoire from multiple genres across the centuries Be able to play literature from many historical periods to

satisfy the demands of appropriate service music while also playing respectably in recital

Lord of Life has a wonderful history of worship and music ministry that serves as a foundation for renewed and expanded outreach. Above all, a fine organ will lift hearts and minds to glimpse the beauty that is the Love of God. The quality of musical offerings at Lord of Life is such that people attend from many municipalities from throughout the Valley. It is the committee's hope that a fine organ will help maintain the heartfelt commitment of existing church members while attracting new members. The committee envisions Lord of Life as a genuine valley wide destination point for worship and musical arts. A choice in favor of a high quality instrument and corresponding responsible stewardship will open doors to many exciting new ministry opportunities in the community.

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History of Committee Process

Late in the fall of 2008, a small group of Lord of Life musicians determined that the electronic organ presently in use in our sanctuary was showing signs of its age. The organ is approaching 25 years old. It was installed during the construction of the sanctuary. Over the years, the organ has served the congregation well. However, the organs tones are now distorted, likely due to deteriorating electronics, and speaker systems. Over the years the organ has been serviced for the minor maintenance issues all instruments require. It is apparent that the major repair/replacement of the organ will be expensive, due to the age of the electronics. The Church Council was asked for and received a resolution authorizing the formation of a committee to explore the available options for the replacement of the organ. The committee was expanded to include our three organists and other members of the congregation involved in the worship ministry, the structure of the sanctuary, and those with a lay interest in the music program.

Early Studies The committee realized early in our discussions that other than the three organists, the essential knowledge required to evaluate organs was limited. The committee decided that with the anticipated large expenditure of congregational funds, an independent consultant would be valuable in the decision process. To this end, Mr. Don Morse was selected to guide us through the process. Mr. Morse provided the committee members with materials pertinent to the evaluation/selections process. Also, he provided a ‘training course’ for the lay members, who otherwise would be lost in the details of how an organ of any type, functions.

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The Role of the Organ in Worship The organ provides a vital, strong, cohesive, worshipful and meaningful service. In one form or another, the organ has been the traditional church instrument for three hundred or more years. It is no coincidence that in the Lutheran church organs have led congregational singing since the days of Martin Luther. Luther promoted congregational participation in music. With the extensive selection of musical voices, the organ can provide a wide variety of musical tastes to match the needs, be it choral accompaniment, music for the liturgy, prelude, postlude, and any other rare need. With the wonderful reputation of the music program at Lord of Life, an organ of quality will enhance the program further.

Various Builders In the process of evaluation, the committee considered builders of both pipe and electronic instruments. The following list reflects those builders considered in the process. Dobson Glatter-Gőtz Casavant Freres Schantz Schoenstein Allen Rodgers Berghaus Hotcamp Quimby

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The Tours To make assessments of suitable organs, the committee visited several churches to hear and see the organs from the prospective builders. Arizona Tours Schantz: Trinity Lutheran Church, Phoenix American Lutheran Church, Prescott Holtcamp: St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church, Tucson Dobson: First United Methodist Church, Mesa Berghaus: La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, Scottsdale Allen: Our Lady of Lourdes, Sun City West Prince of Peace, Sun City West Rodgers; Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran, Sun City Casavant: Chaparral Christian Church, Phoenix American Lutheran Church, Sun City Schoenstein: U of A, Tucson Quimby: Northminster Presbyterian Church, Tucson

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California Tours Glatter-Gőtz/Rosales: Claremont United Church of Christ, Claremont St. Edmunds Episcopal Church, San Marino St. Cyril of Jerusalem Roman Catholic, Encino Minnesota Tours Holtcamp: St. Olaf College, Northfield Dobson: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis St. John’s Lutheran Church, Northfield Glatter-Gőtz/Rosales: Augustana Lutheran Church, West St. Paul East Coast Tours Dobson: St. Paul’s Episcopal, Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C. Berghaus: St. John’s Episcopal Church, Chevy Chase, MD St Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA Schoenstein: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C.

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The Sanctuary The original design of the sanctuary accommodated an electronic organ. Two speaker chambers were provided; one behind the choir, and the other in an elevated chamber over the hall to the right of the chancel. In discussions with organ builders, these spaces have been explored as useful areas to house organ equipment. Some schemes proposed other options, including the housing of equipment in the storage room behind the choir. Building additional spaces on platforms in the choir area and behind the altar have also been considered. Acoustics Discussions with several builders yielded varying points of view as to the acoustical properties of the sanctuary. Some recommended that the room needed to be hardened with the application of hard panels placed on the walls. Others thought that the room was satisfactory because the ceiling was built to reflect sound onto the congregation. The committee benefited from an onsite visit with a leading acoustician who made suggestions regarding organ placement and space and determined little renovation is necessary. Major Renovation/Refurbishment Depending upon the findings of an acoustician, some wall refurbishment might be needed. Depending upon the placement of the organ console, wall and floor modifications might be needed. If the church selects a pipe organ, pipe placement may require wall and floor modifications. The committee from the beginning has kept the room aesthetics in mind. The committee also has determined that the fewer, the simpler the changes, if any, the better. The committee prefers that the project focus on the instrument, keeping the renovations to a minimum.

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Chancel

If the committee selects a pipe organ, and if the pipe placement is to be behind the altar, some modifications will be made at that time. These changes are not defined at this time. Choir Some modifications to the room behind the choir are possible. The space for the choir will be rearranged which will likely increase the capacity of choir members. These changes are not yet defined. HVAC The rerouting of some HVAC ductwork might be required to accommodate a new organ. ADA Modifications to the chancel will include changes required by the American Disabilities Act. Sound system Organ console and pipe placement will likely require the relocation of some sound system components.

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Instrument Durability/Maintenance Key to the selection of the organ is the durability and the maintainability of the organ. An electronic organ’s useful life expectancy is 20-25 years. The major maintenance problems are the availability of parts for electronics that old, and the periodic replacement of the speakers. Speakers lose their fidelity steadily from the time of installation, to the point that replacement is recommended at about 15 years. Pipe organs are built from components which have remained largely unchanged for the most part for centuries. This does not mean that a pipe organ is maintenance free. It means that most components of even an old pipe organ can be found, or manufactured to repair the instrument. A pipe organ can last for centuries. An electronic organ will be replaced every 25 years or so.

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LORD OF LIFE ORGAN AND CONDITION OF PRESENT INSTRUMENT

The present Allen electronic organ was installed in 1986 during the tenure of organist, Mel Larson. The total cost was $73,511.63, including state tax. It is a model A.D.C. 8000 instrument. It has a three manual console finished in American Walnut. There are speakers located above the sacristy alcove and behind the choir loft. A two-manual three rank pipe organ was installed in September 2004, custom-built for our chapel by Wicks Organ Co., Highland, Illinois. There are 343 pipes, the largest 10 feet, 6 inches, made of wood. The smallest pipe is made of metal, the size of a small pencil. The console is made of oak wood. It is designed for the architectural design of our chapel which has a live acoustic. This instrument was donated as a memorial by K.O. Johnson for his wife, Evelyn. According to some estimates the life-expectancy of an electronic organ is 18 to 25 years. Our Allen electronic organ is now in its 23rd year. In considering a replacement for our current electronic instrument our organ committee has noted that electronic organs do not generate and distribute sound in the same manner as organ pipes. Attempts at digital technologies in electronically reproducing the sound of organ pipes have been on-going for a number of years. Organ pipes are actual musical instruments and the sounds are produced by wind just as the human voice. It is very challenging to electronically reproduce the color, warmth and vibrant resonances of well-voiced organ pipes. The pipe organ is an orchestra of many musical instruments. Electronic organs are essentially commodities which are ready-made. Pipe organs are a work of art, custom-built, carefully crafted and visually stunning. They require 1 to 2 years to construct, deliver and install so our committee has attempted to think and plan pro-actively.

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We at Lord of Life enjoy a very dynamic and vibrant worship service every Saturday and Sunday. Our musicians and clergy strive to make Liturgy a meaningful and essential aspect of our worship experience. How wonderful it would be if our organist had an authentic pipe organ with each and every pipe built and voiced specifically for our Lord of Life sanctuary! The organ committee has diligently sought the advice of leading acousticians in an effort for the sanctuary to allow each pipe to "sing" to its full potential. It is an immense joy as an organist to play a well constructed pipe organ but it is also thrilling to the congregation. The listener instinctively feels the authenticity and the richness of sound. The biggest and most expensive electronic organ with digitally produced sound cannot duplicate or reproduce the authentic sounds of pipes any more than an audience gets the same thrill and emotional response from a tape or CD as from a live concert. The pipes are a live instrument that respond to the performer while the electronic equipment is merely a lifeless duplication of the sound.

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WORSHIP/LITURGY

The Lutheran Church has a gift and tradition of rich and dynamic liturgy and music. Martin Luther was especially interested in making the music and liturgy accessible to the people. Luther made the worship service a participatory experience. He himself was an amateur musician who wrote some hymns and more importantly translated the Mass from Latin into German which was the language of the people. Lutherans have historically honored and valued the worship service as an essential ingredient of the Christian life and faith.

Martin Luther held to the primary Means of Grace as Word and Sacrament. Each service included both the proclamation of the Word (scripture and homiletical reflection) and the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. These two dimensions of the service were enhanced with music sung by both choirs and the congregation. The leading of the singing was critical for the organist and in Luther’s day that instrument would have been a pipe organ. Other religious groups (Mennonites, Calvinists, and Anabaptists) viewed some of this music too “haughty” and preferred singing a cappella. Unfortunately a backlash of the Reformation was destruction of beautiful artwork, stained glass windows and statues in some churches. However, Lutherans continued to value the importance of great music and the use of musical instruments, primarily the pipe organ, even where they simplified some of the church buildings. Of course it would be a grave omission not to mention JS Bach. Certainly his composing, playing and leading of music in the Lutheran Church in Leipzig became the standard for Lutheran worship and music. Bach composed hundreds of pieces of music for Sunday worship and many are still being played today. In addition are the many organ pieces he composed and played in his church as choirmaster; these pieces are still considered the premier church music today and required for most church organists. This great music was composed for and played on a pipe organ.

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If the center of the Christian Life is Worship and the Liturgy is the work of the people, then participation by congregants is essential. Lutherans are known as singing congregations. Even Garrison Keillor observes this in a widely circulated humorous piece he wrote about Lutherans singing. And the preferred instrument for leading singing in a church is the pipe organ. There is a reason for this. The pipe organ is similar to the human voice. We create sound by using our breath to vibrate our vocal chords. Our ears pick up the vibrations of air, known as sound waves, and we hear music. In a pipe organ, the movement of air passes through the pipe and vibrates to create the sound. The parts of the pipe even use terms relating to the human body. A pipe has a foot, a toe, a mouth and a tongue. Pitch is changed by opening or closing an aperture, similar to how we use our mouths to change pitch. There is a reason why singing to a pipe organ feels like we are one with the instrument.

Lord of Life has a rich tradition of good music and worship. At its inception music was vital to the formation and life of this congregation. One of the first groups formed, even before the congregation was chartered, was a choir. They met and practiced in members’ homes. Of course the organ and choir were given a focal location in the building of the sanctuary. Because of limited funds in those early years the congregation made do with a smaller organ. Eventually they bought the present organ, again hoping to someday move to a pipe organ when the congregation had grown and stabilized. Lord of Life continues to value and honor the rich musical heritage and quality of the music ministry in this congregation. We are fortunate to have three baby grand pianos; the most recent one is a quality Yamaha piano donated by a member. When the chapel was built another member felt we needed to finally have some style of pipe organ on the campus and donated the small chapel pipe organ. His dream was that someday we would also have a pipe organ in the sanctuary to lead worship. His wife had been a church organist for many years, and he felt strongly that a pipe organ is the preferred instrument for leading worship and congregational singing.

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As we look toward the future with musical styles and preferences evolving, there will still be a place for a quality organ. While other instruments are used in a variety of ways and incorporated into worship, it is the pipe organ which has the primary function of leading the congregation’s singing and worship. It is an investment in the future and an affirmation of what we have inherited in the Lutheran Church.

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PLACEMENT, LITURGICAL DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE A key question facing the organ builders and committee has been the placement of the organ. This is so important because the placement affects the effectiveness of the sound of the organ and has a visual impact on the sanctuary itself. The builders, technicians and acousticians who visited Lord of Life had several suggestions about the placement. Some of these would involve major renovation as well as extensive work to enhance the building’s acoustics. The sanctuary is considered a “dry” space which means it does not have high acoustical reverberation. If you sing in the chapel, you will notice a dramatic difference in how the music sounds; the chapel is a very lively acoustical space. The optimal placement of the organ is on the center axis of the building so sound can travel equally to all corners of the room. There is minimal space behind the choir loft and it would disrupt that space which is already cramped for the choir. It also puts the organ in a small chamber not inside the main part of the room. With this in mind the builders recommended placing the organ behind the chancel area. This gives the organ primary placement for full sound throughout the whole sanctuary. It also means less renovation to boost the acoustics of the room. In studying the space behind the chancel there is a large amount of unused space. Currently the clergy sit behind the chancel on the floor and there is a ramp up to the altar area. The chancel area itself is quite large and the communion rail is not used around the whole altar. It became apparent that many people had difficulty getting to the back part of the altar rail for communion. By only using the front two-thirds of the rail it allows people easier access for communion at the rail and enhances the flow of traffic. Since this back portion of the chancel and rail is not used, this becomes space that could be adapted to

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accommodate the organ. It is also advisable to replace the carpet on the chancel floor with some other floor covering (e.g. tile or wood) that would enhance the acoustics. While doing this it would be possible to revise the ramping system so people with mobility limitations could come up to the chancel floor to assist with worship. Pipe organs are often built in several sections and sometimes located in separate areas of the building, but connected via cabling. To accommodate the choir in singing and musical leadership, a smaller organ chamber would be built along the wall of the choir loft where the piano is currently sitting. This organ would support the choir in their singing and music. It could also be coupled when desired to the “great” organ behind the chancel. The organ console will be moveable and would normally be located on the floor behind the lectern since some of that chancel corner would be removed. When there is a major organ concert, the console could be moved to the front of the chancel for better visibility. It is critical that the organ cabinet, woodwork, and design fit into the current architecture of Lord of Life and the chancel area. A creative cabinet design should not detract from the visual space, but actually enhance it. One of the criteria the committee used when visiting other congregations and studying their organs was whether or not the organ complemented the space or detracted and overpowered the space. We still want the primary focus of our worship experience and space to be the Word and Sacrament. It will be imperative that our builder achieve this successfully for Lord of Life.

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FUNDING AND STEWARDSHIP Financial support and stewardship in the purchase of any organ for any church are extremely important. As noted, the organ plays a vital role in the overall mission of the church and in arts ministry/outreach. Other than the physical plant, the organ may be the single most expensive purchase that any congregation is likely to make. Thus, it is imperative that long-range solutions be sought and that decisions be made and implemented for the most effective use of financial resources over the longest period. The issue of stewardship includes not only financial considerations, maintenance costs, and longevity, but also the stylistic and tonal appropriateness of any instrument serving Lord of Life's musical needs for many decades to come. 1. It is anticipated the organ will cost approximately $850,000 -

$950,000 dollars (today's value). The refurbishing of sanctuary lighting, flooring, HVAC revisions, sound reinforcement, and chancel revision will cost approximately $ 75,000 dollars (today's value).

2. The congregation's present strength and ability to fund such projects through traditional fundraising methods is evident. It is the intention of the committee to raise a significant portion of the necessary funds through specific legacy giving, foundation grants, and contributions outside regular offerings.

3. The initial outlay of funds required by builders is 20% of the total cost in order to begin the building process. The building duration can be 18-24 months. The committee suggests that pledges of at least 50% of the total cost of the organ be designated before congregation approval for the purchase of the organ.

4. Fundraising for the organ would be over a three-year pledge commitment.

5. The Organ Funding Program will not be part of the annual budgeting process. It will remain separate and accounted for and tracked parallel to the church budgeting and reporting system.

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Appendix A: How Does One Define A "Good" Organ?

In the June, 2006 issue of The Diapason, a scholarly journal dedicated to the pipe organ and carillon, John Bishop wrote upon this very topic in his column "In the Wind." An excerpt from this article is included here in an attempt to further the understanding of what dictates the qualitative aspects of an organ. “A busy season of maintenance visits is a fine time to reflect on the majesty of the pipe organ. Each one is different. Each has its quirks. Some pipe organs are mediocre, nondescript, even poor. A fine pipe organ of any style, description, or size is an artistic treasure. In the February 2008 edition of this column, I posed the rhetorical question Which is better: tracker or electronic action? There is no limit to how this question might be answered, but if I would propose a correct answer to my own rhetorical question, it would be: ‘A good organ is a good organ - a poor organ is a poor organ.’ I suppose the next question is how do you define a ‘good’ organ? I'll give it a whirl and I'll be pleased to hear what you readers have to add.

A good organ is the product of an organ builder's artistic vision and philosophy, not the product of mass-production. Many instruments built by large firms certainly are good organs - as long as the leadership of the firm conceives their products as artistic creations.

A good organ is designed and built to be a credible vehicle for the presentation of great compositions of organ music. (I am not addressing the question of whether every organ should be able to present many different styles of music.)

A good organ is compatible with its surroundings. It must be of a size and scale appropriate to the room it is in. It must add to, not detract from, the architecture of its home.

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A good organ has mechanical and structural integrity, which is synonymous with comfort and ease of playing, reliability of performance, and economy of maintenance.

A good organ has the metaphysical qualities necessary to excite the senses and move the emotions of both players and listeners.

These are all relative qualities, difficult to describe, easy to debate. How do we define good? What makes a good bottle of wine? What constitutes a good sermon, a good college course, or a good day? I may not be able to define it, but I know it when I see it. What makes a good meal? One that ‘does the job’ by filling you up, or one that presents a subtle combination of flavors - perfectly cooked and beautifully presented - that goes beyond simple nutrition or satiation to reveal the philosophy and artistry of the chef? Can this analogy apply to the organ?”

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Appendix B: “The Great Mighty Ocean Tone”

By Thomas H. Troeger

Last fall, I discovered an extraordinary meditation about pipe organs. I was re-reading the Yale Lectures on Preaching that were delivered by Henry Ward Beecher in 1871, 1872, and 1873. These were the first lectures in a series that had been permanently endowed to honor Henry’s father, Lyman Beecher. The lectures cover many topics other than preaching. They are about prayer meetings and the placement of new ministers, and they offer extensive reflections on church music, including congregational singing and organs. Henry Ward Beecher is rhapsodic about the pipe organ:

I look upon the history and the development of the organ for Christian uses as a sublime instance of the guiding hand of God’s providence. It is the most complex of all instruments, it is the most harmonious of all, it is the grandest of all. Beginning far back, growing as things grow which have great and final uses, growing little by little, it has come now to stand. I think, immeasurably, transcendently, above every other instrument, and not only that, but above every combination of instruments…you can combine instruments in such a way as to do some things which the organ cannot do, yet the finest orchestra that ever stood on earth, compared on the whole with the organ, is manifestly its inferior. No orchestra that ever existed had the breadth, the majesty, the grandeur, that belong to this prince of instruments.

I am not sure our orchestral colleagues would agree with Beecher! But Beecher is being polemical. He is trying to make the strongest possible case for the organ to people who have in the past either lacked music altogether or had minimal musical resources available.

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Later in the same volume of lectures Beecher employs a metaphor that expresses for him the spiritual and ecclesial function of the organ in worship:

I am accustomed to think of a congregation with an organ as of a fleet of boats in the harbor, or on the waters. The organ is the flood, and the people are the boats; and they are buoyed up and carried along upon its current as boats are borne upon the depths of the sea. So, aside from mere musical reasons, there is this power that comes upon people, that encircles them, that fills them, this great, mighty ocean-tone; and that helps them to sing.

I find this metaphor filled with theological/musical insight. It evokes the gospel stories about fishing, boats, and storms. Given that Beecher was one of the preeminent preachers of the 19th Century, it would not surprise me if those stories, consciously or unconsciously, helped to shape the metaphor in Beecher’s mind. But even more striking to me is his description of the organ’s sound as “the flood” that brings “power” to the people, that “encircles” and “fills” them and “helps them to sing” through its “great, mighty ocean-tone.” His language reveals someone who understands the physical impact of the organ’s sound upon a congregation as it fills the space of the room and calls forth from people the song that is in them. Through this sonic experience, the people are “buoyed up and carried along upon its current as boats are borne upon the depths of the sea.” If you have ever pushed a boat off a sand bar or a beach and felt the force of buoyancy, you will understand how precise Beecher’s metaphor is. The physical force of buoyancy gives material expression to the spiritual dimensions of the organ lifting us into song. Here, then, is a way to appreciate anew the importance of what you are doing when you play the organ for a congregation: they are boats run aground, stuck on shorelines and sand bars far from their true

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destination. They need the tide, the tide of grace, the tide of the Spirit, the tide of faith to flow in and make them buoyant once again. Put on your organ shoes, turn on the blower, and provide for them the “great mighty ocean-tone” that will set them free.

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