Bond Organ Builders, Inc. (2005)

Images

2010-07-21 - Organ case; front facade (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Organ case; both facades (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Left facade and keydesk (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Keydesk in profile (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Keydesk (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Left stopkamb (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Right stopjamb (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Wind indicator (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Right end of case; Pedal 16' Bourdon and 8' Bass Flute (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Pedal 8' Bass Flute (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Great pipework (l-r);II Mixture, 2' Fifteenth, 4' Octave, 8' Melodia, 8' Open Diapason (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Great 4' Octave and 8' Melodia; bass CC# (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Great 8' Open Diapason pipes (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - Facade pipe wind conveyances (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

2010-07-21 - View thru the Swell shutters (Photograph by Michael Way/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Notes

2008-07-13 - Identified through information in <i>OHS Seattle 2008 Organ Atlas</i>. Relocation and modification of previously rebuilt organ from St. Dominic's, San Francisco; originally built for First Presbyterian Church, Nyack, New York -Database Manager

2012-03-12 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -- Since the Seattle OHS convention, the sanctuary interior has been restored to its original design. The organ was literally shrink-wrapped in plastic to protect it from dust during the construction process, and has since been put back into use. Last I saw it in October of 2011 - only the pointed finials atop the case had yet to be reinstated. The Pedal 8- Bass Flute is made from 1926 Estey open wood pipes (opus 2517) from First Congregational Church in Sacramento, California. -Database Manager

2023-03-03 - Blessed Sacrament is acquiring a used 2-manual, 30-rank Bigelow (Opus 31, 2004) from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois. According to a March 2, 2023 email from Music Dir. Michael Plagerman, the Tallman had not been working reliably since his arrival, with major problems in the action, primarily. Because it also did not leave room for the choir in the south transept and relocating the gallery Vermeulen to the chancel was not feasible, it was determined that the Tallman had to be removed imminently so that the choir could relocate with the Vermeulen to the south transept until the loft was complete. This also avoided delaying the Bigelow project, since installation was being fit into a fairly small window within which Bigelow and Co. could complete the project. Additionally, the installation of the Bigelow was happening with such rapidity that Blessed Sacrament had to clear out of the loft basically immediately after the sales agreement was signed to make room for structural analysis, architectural analysis, and construction. This timeline was a result of the Lutheran School of Theology's timeline for vacating their building and the insistence of the University of Chicago that the organ be removed prior to the termination of LSTC's lease. Rose City Organ Builders of Portlane, Oregon did reach out and claimed several of the nicest ranks of the organ. That work was done in early February 2023. Unfortunately, because no interested party came forward in a timeline that worked with B;essed Sacrament's rather truncated schedule, the remainder of the organ was removed and recycled or disposed of according to the nature of its parts. -Jim Stettner

Stoplist

Stoplist copied from the console in June 2005; verified and updated July 21, 2010 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

Seattle, Washington Blessed Sacrament Parish Henry Erben & Co., 1877 F.J.N. Tallman, 1899 - Major Rebuild Michael A. Clark, 1914 - Tonal Revision George Bozeman Jr. & Co., 1998 - Mechanical Rebuild & Tonal Revision Bond, 2005 - Installation GREAT COUPLERS (Pistons in keyslips) 8’ Open Diapason 61 Swell to Pedal On / Off 8’ Melodia 61 Great to Pedal On / Off 4’ Principal 61 2’ Fifteenth 61 Great to Swell [sic] On / Off II Mixture [19-22] 122 Great to Swell Octaves On / Off 8’ Trumpet -- FOOT LEVERS (Unlabeled; l-r) SWELL (Expressive) Great Piano [Gt. Forte Off] (s-a) 8’ Open Diapason 61 8’ Stopped Diapason 61 Great Forte - 8,8,4,2,II (s-a) 8’ Viol D’Amour 61 8’ Vox Celeste (tc) 49 4’ Octave 61 PEDAL MOVEMENTS 4’ Flute [d’Amour] 61 Swell Expression (bal.) 2’ Piccolo 61 8’ Oboe 61 Tremulant ACTION: Mech. Key & Stop PEDAL 16’ Ped. Bourdon 30 VOICES: 15 STOPS: 15 8’ Bass Flute 30 16’ Trombone -- RANKS: 16 PIPES: 902 NOTES This organ began life as a 2-manual Erben built in 1877 for the First Presbyterian Church of Nyack, NY. It was housed in a 5-sectional Gothic case, centered behind an elevated pulpit platform and recessed into an alcove. It was formally opened on November 16, 1877 in recital by Professors Sparks and Walter. 22 years later in 1899, the organ was substantially rebuilt by Francis J.N. Tallman of Nyack. The work consisted of altering the 5-sectional case to be 3-sectional, relocating the organ to the right side of the pulpit platform, turning the interior chassis 90 degrees, construction of an entirely new keydesk with new 61-note manuals and 30-note pedals, new 61-note windchests, and rescaling the pipework which was necessitated by lowering the pitch to A=435, and revoicing. The organ was essentially a new instrument at this point, retaining 10 or 11 of the original Erben ranks and the modified case. The front façade in this reconfigured form (and as it remains) features three Gothic arches - each containing 7 pipes for a total of 21 façade pipes in front. The keydesk is on the left side, and its façade - while not divided by wooden framing or arches - also contains 21 pipes. These 21 pipes are also 3-sectional by virtue of the height of the pipe feet and diameter of the pipe bodies, and are arranged: 5-11-5. The first 17 pipes of the Great 8’ Open Diapason are divided between the two facades. The case is faux-grained. In 1914, the organ was tonally altered - this time by Michael A. Clark. Clark was also a Nyack resident and organ builder - as well as a former Tallman associate. His work consisted of extending several short-compass stops to full-compass, and the replacing of the existing Great 2’ Fifteenth with a used 4’ Flute d’Amour, the pipes of which are marked, “Ch. of St. John the Baptist W. 30th St. NYC CC Flute d’amour”. The next alterations seem not to have occurred until 1984 when the A. & J. Pipe and Reed Organ Service of Newburgh, NY. releathered the double-rise reservoir and provided the Swell with a 2-2/3’ Nasard made from a cut-down and revoiced 8’ Aeoline - the pipes of which may or may not have been already in the organ. The organ remained in this form until the mid 1990’s. First Presbyterian Church disbanded in the early 1990’s and the building was put to new use as a Civic Center. On September 16th and 17th, 1996, the organ was removed by an Organ Clearing House crew headed by Alan M. Laufman. It was placed in storage in the Baltic Mill in Enfield, NH. In the Fall of 1998, the organ was acquired through the Organ Clearing House by St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco, CA for use while their existing pipe organ was renovated. Mark Austin Pipe Organs was commissioned to rebuild and install the organ. On November 10, 1998, Mr. Austin sub-contracted the renovation work to Geo. Bozeman Jr. and Co. of Deerfield, NH. Tonal changes on the Great included moving the 4’ Octave to the original Dulciana toeboard with a new rackboard and some offset pipes; adding a new 2’ Fifteenth on a new toeboard with a new rackboard in the former 4’ Octave position; and replacing the added 1914 4’ Flute d’Amour with a II Mixture on a new toeboard with a new rackboard. A prepared-for 8’ Trumpet is represented at the console by drawknob only. The Mixture is designed to be used with the 2’ Fifteenth. Its composition is: notes 1 - 24: 19 - 22 notes 25 - 42: 12 - 19 notes 43 - 61: 8 - 12 The 1914 used 4’ Flute d’Amour was relocated to the Swell in place of the 1984 2-2/3’ Nasard - the pipes of which were sold in early 2010 to Clinton B. Meadway of Monroe, WA for use in the organ at Trinity United Methodist in Port Townsend, WA. The Pedal received an added 8’ Bass Flute. The pipes are clearly Estey and stamped with opus number 2517, which was a 1926, 2-manual instrument built for First Congregational Church in Sacramento, CA. This has been added on a used/refurbished chest at the back of the organ. The first 12 pipes are open wood with zinc Haskell inserts. The remainder are open wood with wooden tuning slides in the front, but to which has been added metal tuning flaps on top. The Pedal ranks are operated now by electric action, but the couplers are still the original mechanical mechanism behind the keydesk. The 16’ Ped. Trombone is a preparation. In 2005, the organ was removed from St. Dominic’s in order to access the stained glass windows behind it for renovation. With that parish’s existing organ completed and again working, the Erben/Tallman was made available for purchase. Favorable arrangements for Blessed Sacrament to acquire the organ were coordinated between Fr. Xavier Lavagetto, O.P. of St. Dominic’s and Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P. of Blessed Sacrament. If Blessed Sacrament should opt not to purchase and retain the organ, then St. Dominic’s would find a new buyer or pay to have the organ removed. The organ was removed and reinstalled by the Bond firm of Portland, OR in the late spring of 2005 in time for Corpus Christi on May 29th, the parish’s feast day. Blessed Sacrament Church underwent a major chancel renovation in late 2009 thru early 2010. The organ was fully encased in protective plastic during the construction, which was completed by April 2010. The top three case ornaments removed for the plastic encasing remain to be reattached since the chancel renovation has been completed. The organ is in mostly fine condition. SOURCES February 10, 2005 letter by Fr. Syverstad, O.P. to the Blessed Sacrament parish community; April 14, 2005 issue of The Catholic Northwest Progress, Vol. 108, No. 14, pg. 13; examination of the reinstalled organ in June, 2005; 2008 Organ Historical Society Convention Handbook; examination of the extant organ on July 21, 2010. [Received from James R. Stettner 2012-03-12.]

Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church Seattle, Washington F.J.N. Tallman, 1899 Great: 8' Open Diapason 8' Melodia 4' Principal 2' Fifteenth II Mixture 8' Trumpet Swell: 8' Open Diapason 8' Stopped Diapason 8' Viola D'Amour 8' Vox Celeste 4' Octave 4' Flute 2' Piccolo 8' Oboe Pedal: 16' Bourdon 8' Bass Flute 16' Trombone Couplers: Great to Swell Great to Swell Octaves Great to Pedal [Received from Connor Annable 2011-06-10.]

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