The following is a summation taken
from excerpts from the book, The Great Organ
of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine—Description*History*Condition—A
Plan for Restoration, written by Paul A.
Baumgarten.
The Great Organ:.
One of five organs in the cathedral complex, it was completed
in 1911 by Earnest M. Skinner, and enlarged and rebuilt in
1952 by G. Donald Harrison of The Aeolian Skinner Organ Company
. The organ is a 4 manual and pedal, 7 division elector-pneumatic
action pipe organ of 118 speaking stops, 141 ranks, 8035 pipes
with Cymbelstern, Harp, chest preparations for 3 additional
stops, and console preparation for Chimes. The Great Organ
has several extraordinary features which immeasurably heighten
its tonal effect—and our musical enjoyment—including
the famous high-pressure State Trumpet at the West End, the
magnificent high-pressure Solo Tubas, a battery of Bombard
reeds, and remarkably effective 32' voices. The organ pipes
are divided between two large spaces above the floor of the
Choir on the north and south sides. The console is located
in the gallery above the South Choir stall. The organist,
invisible to the congregation, can see the choir and clergy
directly or by means of mirrors and video cameras.
The present day replacement value of this organ would be well
over $8 million. It must be noted, however, that it would
be impossible to replace this instrument today as many of
the materials are no longer available and the skills and temperament
that produced this work of art are not part of today's culture.
In this sense, the organ is priceless.
The Great Organ's history is as colorful and intriguing as
the cathedral in which it is housed. It has seen many changes
and upheavals, the biggest being the conversion of the cathedral
from a Byzantine Romanesque architecture as designed by the
first builders, Heins and LaFarge in 1892, to the Gothic structure
it became under Ralph Cram in 1916. The money to build the
Great Organ of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was donated
in 1904 by then –Governor of New York State, Levi Parsons
Morton. He donated a sum of $600,000 to cover the cost of
the organ ($50,000), the Choir ($450,000), and the Altar ($100,000).
Morton's contribution for the organ was intended as a memorial
to his recently deceased daughter, Lena Morton. An agreement
was signed on May 19, 1906 by Ernest M. Skinner and W. R.
Huntington, Chairman of the Fabric Committee, to build the
organ for $45,000. The instrument was to be “complete,
in every detail, in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine,
within six months from the time when the building shall have
been made weather proof…and sufficient organ shall be
in place for service purposes when the building shall be ready
for worship.”
Five years elapsed before the structure was sufficiently complete
to allow the installation of the organ to commence.
The installation was completed in early 1911, and a dedication
ceremony was held in April of that year. A stone plaque
in the ambulatory, beside the door to the organ console, is
inscribed “ The organ is Dedicated to the Praise of
the Blessed Trinity and in Loving Memory of Lena Kearny
Morton, 1875-1904, by her Parents, Levi Parsons Morton and
Anna Livingston Morton.” Skinner titled the organ
Opus-150.
It is interesting to note that immediately after the organ
was installed, a maintenance agreement was signed with the
Skinner Organ Company which provided for weekly maintenance
of the instrument and technicians to be on standby at regular
and special services in case of emergencies. Until
the fire of last year, this policy was still adhered to with
Douglass Hunt being the organ's curator.
By the late 1930's the second phase of construction was under
way, and the Nave of the cathedral was nearly complete.
The new nave would provide a completely new acoustical environment
for the organ. Plans were made to finish the Chancel
ceiling with limestone rib vaulting, which up to that time
was unfinished Guastavino tile. Drawings were made
by Cram's office indicating minor alterations to be made to
the organ chambers. Services were to move to the completed
Nave, and portions of the Great Organ were to be moved to
the Nave as well.
Construction work on the Chancel ceiling was nearly complete
by March 19, 1941, and plans were being made to demolish the
partition wall between the Nave and the Crossing. Skinner
was given approval to move the organ back to the Great Choir
at a cost of $6,554. The last service in which the organ was
used before being moved was on June 8, 1941.
(During this time of transition, an early version of the modern
day electronic organ, called an Orgatron, complete with speakers,
was installed by John Wanamaker New York, Inc. on June 9,
1941. At present, we are using an Allen Digital Electronic
Organ while we once again await the return of the Great Organ.)
After this phase of construction was completed, the trustees
realized the need to update the voicing and generally improve
the sound of the instrument. In 1950 G. Donald Harrison, president
of the AEolian Skinner Organ Company , was contacted by the
cathedral's organist, Norman Coke-Jephcott to examine and
report on the condition of the Great Organ. Mr. Harrison took
this appointment very seriously and noted many fallacies.
He attended services and took notes stating that the organ's
“use as an accompaniment for the choir was extremely
limited” as well as the organ's effect in the room “when
vast throngs of eight to ten thousand worshippers were present
on the great festivals.” Harrison outlined his plan
for tonal revision of the organ in a report to the trustees
and drew up a detailed specification. He also recommended
mechanical repairs to correct worn parts which he thought
would soon fail. He estimated the total cost, depending on
the extent of mechanical repairs, would range from $39,878
to $48,373. Harrison's enthusiasm for the project was very
apparent in his letter. He wrote: “The cathedral offers
a possibility of the most thrilling instrument I have ever
built because of its architectural and acoustical properties,
and I am absolutely confident that the plans I am enclosing
herewith, if carried out, will produce an effect for you that
will be unequalled anywhere.”
His prediction proved right. What was born out of his insight
and creativity was an instrument unlike any other in the world.
He later added in his proposal the addition of the State Trumpet,
located at the West End underneath the Great Rose Window and
a full 500 feet from the organ console, operating on 50”
wind pressure, making it the most powerful organ stop in the
world. The new Tubas would operate at 20-25” pressure
making the Great Organ one of the most powerful instruments
on the face of the planet. The work was finally completed
in early 1954 and Harrison titled his work Opus-150a . He
had great pride in his work, which he felt had been more than
successful. In a promotional brochure put out by The AEolian-Skinner
Company , he wrote the following: “One and all, the
men whose hearts, minds and hands constructed this instrument,
felt the magnificence and privilege of opportunity and were
inspired by the glory of the edifice. More than the mere exhibition
of their skills, this organ is their act of faith. I feel
that through those of the Cathedral who sensed and met the
need for this comprehensive instrument, a significant contribution
has been made to our American culture.”
Since the re-construction of the Great Organ at the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine, there have been six organists: Norman
Coke-Jephcott, Alec Wyton, David Pizzaro, Paul Halley, Dorothy
Papadakos, and Timothy Brumfield. Restoration of the instrument
was undertaken in 1994 by organ curators Douglass Hunt and
Anthony Bufano. The State Trumpet was fully restored as was
the Swell Division. However, work ceased when a leaky roof
kept undoing the work being done. A devastating fire in the
unfinished portion of the North Transept on Dec. 18, 2001
resulted in heavy smoke damage to the Great Organ and has
now silenced this magnificent instrument. Under the supervision
of organ curator Douglass Hunt, removal of the organ will
begin in July of '03. Cleaning of the cathedral's interior
will begin in July of '04. The completion date for the cleaning
and restoration of the Great Organ and the interior of the
cathedral is slated for the Fall of '08.
