The Story of the Christ Church Organ
An excerpt from the Ordinal for the Service of Dedication, Advent 1990
The organ project at Christ Church Christiana Hundred had a modest beginning. It was first seriously discussed on a hot August afternoon in 1984 when William Owen, Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church from 1984-2015, demonstrated to Mrs. Robert Downs III and to me how badly the existing organ needed repairs. Mrs. Downs had served as Chair of the Parish Music Committee for many years and questioned the wisdom of spending the large sum required for the proposed repairs. The idea of acquiring a new instrument was born. Ernest Ruppe, then Senior Warden, agreed to chair a committee to investigate the possibilities. That committee—Mr. Ruppe, Mrs. Downs, Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland, Raymond Genereaux, William Owen, and I—would become involved in the project from the beginning. Barbara Owen (no relation to our organist), an organ authority in Cambridge and author of the organ entries in the Groves Dictionary of Music, was employed to evaluate our existing organ. There was early and unanimous agreement that we should move toward an instrument of a quality and size in keeping with our strong music program. At Christ Church, music has long been recognized not only as an integral part of the worship of Almighty God but also as an outreach to the larger community.
There was early consensus, too, that we would need a professional consultant to help us reach a decision and then advise us on the size and scope of the new organ, assist in the choice of an organ builder, and oversee the entire project. For this most important position, we engaged Charles Krigbaum, University Organist and Chairman of the Organ Department at Yale University. That was one of the best moves we made, but he was by no means our only expert. Lawrence Kierkegaard, an acoustician from Chicago, evaluated the acoustical properties of our building and especially of the choir area. A host of other specialists in many fields would give us valuable advice.
When we had progressed after several months to the point that the project seemed both necessary and feasible, we began to consider the possible builders. By that time we knew that our purposes would be best served by a “tracker” organ, which uses traditional mechanical linkages between keyboard and pipe, rather than by another electropneumatic instrument.
The number of American builders capable of producing such an instrument is small. We worked closely with five of then, scattered across the country. The committee visited many churches where their organs had been installed, interviewed clergy, organists, and congregations, and studied their ideas and proposals in depth. It was a difficult decision—but we believe an excellent one—that led us to choose John Brombaugh and Associates, Inc. of Eugene, Oregon. We soon found that the relationship between organ builder and client becomes a long and close one! John and Christa and many craftsmen lived here mid-June 1990 through May 1991 in a home furnished by Mr. and Mrs. J. Simpson Dean, Jr.
The case for our organ is designed after the organ at Christ Church Oxford, completed in 1685, the year of J. S. Bach’s birth! Tonally, the instrument itself follows classical principles of organ building, combined with elements of the Willis organs at St. Paul’s, London and Salisbury Cathedral. Incorporated into the new organ are several ranks from the previous organ, thus continuing the gifts of generations past. As the project moved forward, we relied on additional consultants for advice, including John Ferris, Organist to Harvard University; Philip Ledger, Principal of the Royal College of Music and Drama, Glasgow; Gerre Hancock, Organist at St. Thomas Church, New York City; and David Fuller, Chairman of the Organ Department at the State University of New York, Buffalo.
We found, in even the early stages, that an organ is not simply built and put into place. None of the builders we consulted would consider the project without a complete renovation of “the crossing, the choir, and the upper sanctuary.” This would require a new electrical system, resurfacing of the walls, and reconstruction of the supporting framework. Since the nave is essentially the “sounding board” of the instrument, each of the planks of the ceiling would be renailed, caulked, and surface-coated with polyurethane. A complete system for recording and amplification was designed and installed by Lindsay Lee and given by Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Crittenden, Jr. This will allow us to record not only for rehearsals but also for services and gives us the opportunity to take the recorded services to those sick and shut in.
The necessity for this work logically led the Vestry to consider repairing and upgrading the entire sanctuary. Wiring and lighting were forty, in some cases seventy, years old. Heating units were in need of replacement. Pews and floors needed cleaning and refinishing. The decision to go ahead with this work expanded the scope of the project substantially and led to the involvement of many professionals and craftsmen. The Homsey architectural firm was retained, and Samuel Foulsham, a member of the Parish, was assigned the project. The Rambusch Company of New York, specialists in large-scale lighting, designed the lighting system for the entire building. The Samuel Yellin Company of Philadelphia, creators of most of the ironwork in the Washington Cathedral, formed the screens and Gospel symbols in the sanctuary, which were given in memory of Mary Belin Laird Downs. The Cornell Construction Company of Philadelphia was hired as general contractor, working with the local contractors—notably the R. J. Peoples Company and the Galaxie Electric Company. Frank Giammattei, a member of the Vestry, and Keith Dawson, the Parish Business Manager, coordinated the many details of the work. We moved out of the Church to the Chapel on the Sunday after Easter 1990, and all was accomplished in time for us to return for worship in September of that same year.
Thanks to the devoted generosity of some and to the prudent use of our resources, we have a shining sanctuary and one of the world’s great musical instruments to enrich our worship of God. The organ is given in memory of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, 1771 – 1834, and of his daughters, Victorine Elizabeth, Evelina Gabrielle, and Sophie Madeleine, who founded this parish in 1848.
The Reverend Adam Lewis, D. D.
Rector, 1983 – 1994
Christ Church Organ
