Powerful Chords

Calvary UMC’s New Pipe Organ

Honors Past, Built for Future 

By Guy Fletcher

Photography by Turner Photography Studio

“The king of instruments” is how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart described the pipe organ. Standing beneath the nearly complete organ at Calvary United Methodist Church, with many of its nearly 3,000 pipes climbing two stories above the pulpit, it is easy to see why the composer felt that way.

Soon, churchgoers and visitors will hear why.

“We are seeing something put in place that will be a living legacy for generations to come,” says the Rev. Steve Larson, pastor at Calvary. “And, soon enough, we will be able to enjoy the full range that the organ will offer.”

The church’s original organs were built by M.P. Möller in 1895 and 1911 at Calvary’s former location on East Church Street (where the Church Street parking garage now stands). In 1930, the church moved into its current stone Gothic building at the corner of West Second and North Bentz streets and unveiled another Möller organ. The Hagerstown-based M.P. Möller was once one of the largest pipe organ builders in the world before ceasing production in 1992.

The latest Möller organ received overhauls and expansions in 1953 and 1975, but by the early 2010s it passed the point of further repair. Many interior sections were significantly worn and dated electronics limited playing ability. “It was clear that parts of the organ were deteriorating beyond their useful life,” says Joyce Summers, who co-chaired the church’s pipe organ building committee with her husband, Rob.

The committee requested proposals from several manufacturers for a replacement, but only Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders proposed incorporating parts of previous organs into a new instrument. In fact, 35 percent of the new organ’s pipes were previously played in the church; these “heritage pipes” include some installed with the 1911 organ.

“That saved us money and it also gave an excellent carryover in history,” says Summers.

Cornel Zimmer manufactured and even played the organ at its Denver, N.C., facility before transporting it to Frederick for re-assembly. The custom-built instrument reflects the committee’s requirements and the physical space of the sanctuary. “Every organ is built for the room in which it resides,” Summers explains.

The new organ’s 2,796 pipes are arranged in 46 ranks and played on a four-manual (keyboard) console. The instrument also makes use of the latest in digital technology capable of a variety of sounds, as well as a sequencer for recording and playing back.

But more than making fine music, the new organ had to complement the design of the sanctuary and church. Carpenters from Cornel Zimmer hand-crafted and stained white oak cases to blend with the existing woodwork surrounding the altar. When additional woodwork needed to be created to accommodate pipes flanking the altar, the design mimicked decorated organ pipes that once stood at Calvary’s Church Street location.

“Our goal was to make this look like it has always been here,” Summers says, “and I think we’ve succeeded.”

“Big time,” agrees Adela Peeva, director of music ministries and organist at Calvary.

Final work by Cornel Zimmer to prepare the organ for its first playing includes details on the console and sound tuning. The organ could be ready for the start of this month. A formal celebration will be held April 28 with international concert organist Nathan Laube.

With regular maintenance, the new organ should surpass the lifespan of its Möller predecessor, and then some.

“This is very exciting,” says Peeva, glancing at the mammoth instrument, “but I think the most exciting thing will be when I start playing.”