A VOYAGE DOWN YORK ROAD Prepared by David C. Dasch. Saturday, November 19, 2011

Transcription

1 Hilbus Chapter of the Organ Historical Society Where the Tracker Action Is! ============================================================================ Volume 42 Number 5 November 2011 Whole No. 376 ============================================================================ A VOYAGE DOWN YORK ROAD Prepared by David C. Dasch Saturday, November 19, :00 AM Ascension Lutheran Church 7601 York Road Towson, Maryland Rieger Orgelbau 2 manual and pedal - 23 ranks - mechanical action From Washington, DC: Take I-95 North towards Baltimore. Merge onto I-695 North/Baltimore Beltway inner loop via Exit 49B on the left, toward Towson. Drive 19 miles. Take Exit 26A toward MD 45-S/York Road/Towson, and drive 0.2 miles. Left onto West Road. Drive 00.1 miles. Right onto York Road/MD 45. Drive 0.5 miles. First Right onto Bosley Avenue. Drive 0.8 miles. Bosley becomes West Burke Avenue. Drive 0.1 miles. Slight right onto York Road/MD 45. Drive 0.6 miles. Church is on the left. The Baltimore Washington Parkway can also be taken to I-695 Baltimore Beltway. North or West toward Towson, then pick up directions above. You will be on the Baltimore Beltway a further distance. From the North: (Havre de Grace etc...) Take I-95 South towards Baltimore. Merge onto MD-43 W/White Marsh Blvd. via Exit 67B toward US-1. Drive 4 miles. Merge onto I-695 W/Baltimore Beltway outer loop and drive 5 miles. Take MD-146 S/Dulaney Valley Road Exit 27A toward Towson. Drive 0.2 miles. Turn slight right onto MD-146S/Dulaney Valley Road. Drive 0.8 miles. Enter next roundabout and take the 3rd Exit onto York road/md-45 S. Drive 1 mile. Church is on the left. ============================================================================== CHAIRMAN: Gordon L. Biscomb, 305 Stevens Circle, Apt. 3A, Aberdeen, MD (410) VICE CHAIRMAN: Paul S. Roeder, Page Court, Cumberland MD (301) SECRETARY-TREASURER: Carolyn Booth, 9200 LaBelle Lane, Gaithersburg, MD (301) EDITOR: Kevin M. Clemens, 711 Court Square Way, Edgewood, MD (410) EDITORIAL ADVISOR: Carolyn Fix, 116 Battle Street, SW, Vienna, VA ) Articles and news may be submitted to the Editor electronically: kevinclemens@mac.com Dues are due in October: $14.00 mailed to Secretary-Treasurer (Checks payable to: HILBUS CHAPTER, OHS)

2 From Annapolis and South: Take I-97 North toward Baltimore. Drive 17 miles. Merge onto I-695 W/ Baltimore Beltway inner loop via Exit 17A toward Baltimore/Towson. Drive 23 miles to ExitA and follow directions on page one. From the West - Frederick: Take I-70 East towards Baltimore. Drive about 40 miles. Take I-695, Beltway North towards Towson/New York. Follow above directions, but will be on Baltimore Beltway less distance. 11:15 AM Central Presbyterian Church 7308 York Road Towson, Maryland Casavant Fréres Ltée, Opus manual and pedal - 51 ranks - electro-pnuematic From Ascension to Central Presbyterian: Drive South on York Road/MD-45 towards Yorkleigh Road. Drive 0.2 miles. Church is on the right. Parking lot is behind church. 12:30 PM Jerry s Belvedere Tavern 5928 York Road Baltimore, Maryland (410) From Central Presbyterian to tavern. Drive South on York Road towards Sussex Road for 1.4 miles. Restaurant is on the right. Parking is available behind the restaurant. 2:00 PM Saint Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church 5502 York Road (Govans) Baltimore, Maryland Peragallo Organ Company, Patterson, N.J. 3 manual and pedal - 57 stops - electro-pnuematic From tavern to St. Mary s (Govans): Drive South on York Road toward East Belvedere Avenue for 0.5 miles. Church is on the right. Parking lot is beside the church and behind the church.

3 October 2011 Crawl - OHS Visits Two Historic Baltimore Churches by Carl Schwartz additional information provided by David Storey St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church Hollins and Poppleton Street, Baltimore, Md. St. Peter the Apostle Church was established in 1842 to minister to the predominantly Irish population of the area, of whom many were employed by the B&O Railroad facilities located a few blocks away. Robert Cary Long, Jr. designed the imposing Greek revival style church. Construction began in May 1843 and the building was dedicated in The stained glass windows, from Bavaria, were installed in The church had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since The building itself is "redundant" and the parish was merged with another in The building has been for sale. A contract is presently in effect with closing pending. The present organ of St. Peter The Apostle Church is located in the rear choir gallery of the church and it speaks into the spacious acoustic of the room. It was built by Henry Niemann of Baltimore in about The layout is conventional: Great in front, Swell behind, Pedal pipes on all sides. As with many Niemann organs metal pipes are made of spotted metal and were supplied to the builder by Samuel Pierce. Niemann made wooden pipes. There are double pallets to the Swell channels according to David Storey who is familiar with the organ. The manual keys are overhanging. In the 1970s the organ was restored by Thomas Eader.. Any changes made at that time are undocumented though it is reported that the reeds were sent to Trivo for repair. The tone of the organ today remains consistent with other instruments by the builder. Many thanks are due to David Storey for making adjustments to the organ to make it as playable as possible for our visit. This is the fourth Niemann organ that the writer has heard or played in the context of chapter organ crawls. One can only talk of Henry Niemann's organs in superlatives. Here is a local builder, who produced an organ both well made and tonally superior. Yes, he did apprentice with Aristide Cavaille-Coll in Paris but that experience alone does not automatically produce a fine independent builder. While other domestic builders, even the best, were increasingly exploring the opaque, heavy foundations and increasingly massive tone in the last years of the 19th century the organs of Niemann share a refreshing transparency, perhaps related to the Cavaille-Coll aesthetic but by no means a copy of it. When the organist builds this organ up to a full registration it is as if the windows have been thrown open to allow glorious sunlight and crisp air into the room. There is not a bad stop in the organ and each has charm of its own. The sound of Doppelflute registers can be cloying - the example here is cheerful and sprightly. The string registers are poignant, the reeds bright. Unusual for the time is the location of the only Mixture stop found in the organ in the Swell division. What an enchanting musical instrument this is! This organ is available for relocation. This is an excellent opportunity for a church or school to acquire a first rate pipe organ. St. Peter The Apostle Roman Catholic Church Source: Organ Handbook, 1991 OHS Convention, et. al. Henry Niemann, Baltimore (c. 1893) w-wood m-metal

4 This is the fourth Niemann organ that the writsource: Organ Handbook, 1991 OHS Convention Great 58 notes 16 Double Open 58 pipes w/m 8 Open Diapason 58 pipes m 8 Dopple Flöete (sic) 58 pipes w/m 8 Dulciana 58 pipes m 8 Gamba 58 pipes m 4 Octave 58 pipes m 2 2/3 Twelfth 58 pipes m 2 Fifteenth 58 pipes m Swell 58 notes enclosed 16 Bourdon 58 pipes w 1-8 unenclosed 8 Violin Diapason 58 pipes m 8 Stop'd Diapason 58 pipes w/m 8 Salicional 58 pipes m 1-8 unenclosed 8 Vox Celestis TC 45 pipes m 4 Flute Harmonic 58 pipes m 2 Flautino 58 pipes m Mixture III-IV 174 pipes m contains Tierce 8 Cornopean 58 pipes m 8 Oboe TC 46 pipes m 8 Bassoon 12 pipes m Bass only Pedal 27 notes 16 Open Diapason 27 pipes wood 1-6 large scale stopped wood 16 Bourdon 27 pipes w 8 Cello 27 pipes m Couplers by on-off thumb pistons under Great Manual Coupler Sw. to Ped. Gt. to Ped. Bellows Signal switches blower Balanced Swell Pedal Pedal Movements 2 unlabeled double-acting combination pedals for Sw 2 unlabeled double-acting combination pedals for Gt. 1 unlabeled double acting combination pedal for Sw. & Gt. Chimes (not original)

5 The Church of St. Leo the Great 227 South Exter Street in "Little Italy" Baltimore, MD Source: Organ Handbook, 1991 OHS Convention, et. al. St. Leo's was established by the Archdiocese of Baltimore as an exclusive parish for Italian- Americans in Approval was subsequently given to permit a broader membership many of whom were of German descent. The parish has been continuously staffed by the Pallotine Fathers.. The building is in the Romanesque revival style and the ornately decorated sanctuary is located on the second story above street level. It was designed by E. Francis Baldwin and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in Today, St. Leo's, in the heart of the historic Little Italy community to the east of the Baltimore Inner Harbor remains an active parish. Weekly Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Tridentine) according to the Roman Missal of 1962 is celebrated regularly in the parish according to the Pastor, Fr. Salvatore Furnari S.A.C. Fr. Furnari eloquently recounted the history of the parish on the occasion of the Hilbus chapter visit. The parish also hosts a Ravioli Dinner twice yearly. The d'allesandro family has enjoyed a long association with the community and parish: Thomas d'allesandro, Jr. - former congressman and mayor of Baltimore, his son Thomas d'allesandro III, mayor and daughter, The. Hon. Nancy Pelosi. The organ of the church was made by Henry Niemann of Baltimore for the newly erected church in Some minor tonal changes and additions are evident but the essence of the original organ is present. As is usual in Roman Catholic churches during this period the organ is in the rear gallery and speaks into a fine acoustic though not as spacious as that found at St. Peter's. The organ has a striking Italianate Romanesque case with the display pipes arranged This sprawls across the rear of the church and enables the window behind to be visible. The organ was electrified with electro-pneumatic pull-down actions and new slider motors by Bardroff in the 1930s and provided with a Klann Organ Supply Console. More In 2002 David M. Storey, Inc. provided an orphaned Niemann terraced drawknob console from The Church of the Fourteen Holy Martyrs1 which though electrified, has been installed in the case opening previously occupied by the original mechanical console. It has modern manual keys and a combination action. At that time Storey also renovated the Bardroff actions. Some of the mouths of the speaking façade pipes had been painted shut by the parish. Due to the scope of the work Storey was only able to open the flues in-situ and this aspect of the organ awaits further restoration. A new blower was provided as part of the project. The reservoir was recovered. Originally a double-rise type, only single fold remains today. This instrument is an early example of the Niemann's work and has some interesting features. The Octave 4 and Flute 4 of the Great share sixteen pipes in the bass. The Violin Diapason of the Swell has its bass grooved to the Stopped Diapason. The Swell Harmonic Flute 4 has bass pipes in the form of harmonic Melodia pipes (!). There are no off unison registers in the specification. Storey relates that the Great Clarionet appears to have had pipe holes enlarged at some point and yet the pipes still do not fit well. The tenor C Clarionet is unique to this specification among the surviving and known examples of the builder's organs and as a result the matter raises some questions. While fully operational, this is an organ that cries out for a sympathetic restoration to realize its full musical potential.

6 The present divisional placement is the original with the Great behind the façade and the Swell directly behind on the same level. As a result he Swell is subdued when heard from the keydesk and in the choir gallery. Specifically the string registers seem too thin and very distant. Such is not the case when the organ is heard from the nave. There the remarkable Niemann voicing is fully apparent. With a choir to accompany this might present challenging balance issues. Nevertheless this instrument is a fine organ. Church of St. Leo the Great Henry Niemann, Baltimore 1881 Original Console Specification Great 58 notes 16 Bourdon 58 pipes w/m 1-37 stopped wood, rest capped common metal 8 Open Diapason 58 pipes m 8 Melodia 58 pipes w/m 8 Dulciana tc 46 pipes m 4 Octave 42 pipes m 1-16 from 4 Flute 4 Flute 58 pipes w/m 2 Fifteenth 58 pipes m 8 Clarionet TC 46 pipes m Swell 58 notes enclosed 8 Violin Diapason 46 pipes 1-12 grooved to Stopped Diapason 8 8 Stopped Diapason 8 58 pipes w/m with chimneys 8 Gamba 58 pipes w/m 1-12 open wood basses unenclosed 4 Harmonic Flute 58 pipes w/m bases harmonic Melodia construction 2 Flautino 58 pipes m 8 Trumpet 58 pipes m 8 Oboe 58 pipes m Tremolo Pedal 27 notes 16 Pedal Bourdon 27 pipes w 8 Pedal Open 27 pipes w Manual Coupler Gr. to Ped. Coupler Sw. to Ped. Coupler Pedal Movements - 4 unlabelled Gr. P/F Sw. P/F Balanced Swell Bellows Signal

7 Current Specification Great 16' Bourdon 8' Open Diapason 8' Melodia 8' Dulciana 12 capped Quintadena basses 4' Octave 2' Fifteenth 8' Clarionet TC Swell 8' Violin Diapason bass from Stopped Diapason 8' Stopped Diapason 8' Gamba 8' Vox Celeste 4' Violina 4' Flute 2' Flautino 8' Oboe Pedal 16' Bourdon 8' Open The present console has four pistons to Great, Swell, Pedal and Full Organ plus Sforzando. Following our visit to St. Leo's many members adjourned for lunch at Chiaparelli's Restaurant one block away, one of the delights of Baltimore's Little Italy. The historic restaurant founded in 1940 is known for its traditional southern Italian cuisine. 1 The Melodia stop from this organ is found in place of the original Niemann Doppleflöete at First Unitarian Church. A Trumpet from same is scheduled for installation there. Parts survive, stored at the UU Church.

8 More photos of St. Peter the Apostle Henry Niemann Organ

9

10 Upcoming Events Gems of American Music Sunday, November 13, :00 PM First Unitarian Church 12 West Franklin Street Baltimore, Maryland Featuring Chandos Singers and First Unitarian s organist Jim Houston performing solo organ works. Among the gems of American music performed will be organ and vocal music by Katharine E. Lucke, founder of the Handel Choir of Baltimore and past organist/choir director of First Unitarian Church. Tickets: $15.00 Proceeds will benefit the Organ Fund of the First Unitarian Church. Have you paid your dues? Please write a check for $14.00 to Hilbus Chapter, OHS and send to Carolyn Booth, 9200 LaBelle Lane, Gaithersburg, MD Many thanks to Gordon Biscomb for his superb photos. In keeping with tradition, there is no December crawl.