BROADWAY BAPTIST CHURCHFORT WORTH, TEXASCASAVANT FRERES LIMITEECOVER FEATURE

Main console

Antiphonal console

Copyright 1997 American Guild of Organists, reprinted by permission, THE AMERICAN ORGANIST

demanding performers. Its flexibility is unri-valed: it can provide the best accompani-ments for choirs and solo instruments, leadinspiring hymn singing by congregations ofdifferent magnitudes, and be played withlarge symphonic orchestras without beingoverwhelmed. Above all, it is a moving mu-sical instrument that will charm and delightmusic lovers and inspire worshipers.

JEAN-LolliS COIGNET, Tonal DirectorCasavant Freres Limitee

chancel, one could see that this instrumentwould virtually sit on a shallow ledge justbehind the casework and behind grilles tothe left and right of the west front window.The windows behind the organ were sealedand a passive heat removal system was de-signed to eliminate the buildup of hot air,which had caused so much difficulty anddamage in the past.

Because of the very large expressive en-closures, it was decided to provide each withlow velocity return air grilles for completecontrol of the temperature within these divi-sions. The organ's wind supply is from blow-ers in sound-absorbing enclosures inside theorgan itself and from large units on the leveljust below the organ, where each unit re-ceives conditioned air from the system sup-plying the chancel and nave.

Throughout the planning phases of thisproject, the goal was never to create a largeinstrument just for its size. In fact, it was onlyat the end of the process that someone raisedthe question about the instrument's size inrelationship to other installations.

In every case, the choice of stops was guid-ed by the overall tonal architectural designplus optimum placement for tonal egress andservice. Each division has its stops groupedby their musical use. For example, the prin-cipal choruses of the Grand argue, Positif,and Recit are either in the casework or as farforward within the expressive enclosure aspossible. The exception to this is the Choeur,where the principal chorus was placed fur-ther back in the chancel deliberately toachieve a kind of spatial "echo" effect to con-trast with the other divisions. The Choeurflutes were placed in the forward location fortheir use in continuo roles. The people whohave heard this instrument have all com-mented upon the beauty of the individualsounds and the blending quality of the wholeorgan. Fort Worth music reviewer WayneLee Gay compared the organ with Mrs.Cliburn's musical philosophy, which was,"impressive technical power, but with thepower subordinate to ultimate expressive-ness and beauty of tone."

Broadway's commitment to quality is seennot only in its physical plant and the carewith which it is maintained but also in theprograms the church provides to all peoplein the area. Music is just one facet of thischurch's ministry. Under the leadership ofdirector of music Thomas Stoker and organ-ist Albert Travis, Broadway Baptist Churchprovides the congregation and commu-nity with a regular fare of excellent music in-volving choirs and instruments. Thechurch's annual musical presentations drawpeople from allover the metropolitan area.Included in the renovated chancel area isenough space to permit performance by achoir of 105 and an orchestra of 96. A largehydraulic lift in the forward pulpit platformallows easy movement of the organ consoleor concert grand piano to anyone of severallevels in the front of the room.

In a recent Sunday morning newspaper,there was an article entitled "Church Goes tothe Movies." It related how many churchesare trying to reach more people by employ-ing concepts borrowed from the entertain-ment business. With seemingly more andmore churches lining up for the parade, it isinspiring to see the success this congregationhas had remaining committed to the choiceand performance of the very best to inspire

When an organbuilder creates a new in-strument for a church, there is always the ac-companying development of long-term per-sonal relationships, which grow during thecourse of the project. Since the term of theproject for the organ at Broadway BaptistChurch extended over twelve years beforereaching a contract, these friendships havebeen well forged.

From the very first visit to this church, oneis immediately impressed by the specialqualities of this congregation. If largechurches are automatically thought to be im-personal and unfriendly, someone forgot totell the members of Broadway BaptistChurch.

The imposing structure, the home of thecongregation.. stands proudly just south ofthe downtown commercial center of FortWorth. The area once was home to many oth-er mainline churches, all of whom left thearea for the growing suburban areas of thecity. The congregation of Broadway electedto stay while others fled. Its perseveranceand strong ministry to people of all econom-ic and social levels is one small indication ofits total witness and mjssioJl.

When members tell the story of the build-ing of their beautiful Gothic-style church,they love to relate how a young businessmanwho moved from New York inspired and ledthe congregation to build a truly specialbuilding rather than one that was just ade-quate. The new organ project, too, was in-spired by a church member, Van Cliburn,when he made the comment that it takes onlya little extra effort to go beyond what is mere-ly expected to what is the best.

The spacious Gothic building reaches aheight of 80 feet at the center rib of the vaultin the nave, thus providing the visual basefor the architecture and the cubic volume soessential in achieving the wonderful acous-tical qualities present in the building.

The project for the organ began with con-sideration to rebuild the existing Casavantorgan, which was installed in the churchwhen it was new. Typical of the 1950s, theorgan was completely enclosed in chamberson the upper level of the chancel. The cham-bers were spacious but not deep; the toneopenings could best be described as mini-mal.In addition to trapping the sound of theorgan, these small openings, covered withgrille cloth, also trapped the hot air that builtup inside the chambers from the attic aboveand large windows just behind the organchambers. The Texas heat was so intense thatmany pipes had literally wilted over theyears.

Once a decision was made to install a newinstrument, much discussion followed re-garding ways to solve the placement and en-vironmental problems. The previous organchambers were virtually eliminated by re-moving as much of the side walls of thechancel as physically possible. Before theinstallation of the new casework in the

riched some of his finest organs with brighttrompettes-en-chamade. In fact, he had ex-pected to include them in the huge organ hedesigned for St. Peter's in Rome.

The voicing has been done, keeping inmind the best examples of French organs.Most pipes of the plenum have a high tincontent, which encourages freshness andtransparency. We have taken great care to re-fine the sound, to make it musical, but not tothe point that it becomes dull and lifeless,generating opaque ensembles. This very del-icate and touchy balance is one of the "se-crets" of the wonderful singing quality of thisinstrument.

The specification is self-explanatory anddoes not need much comment. The approachwas similar to Cavaille-Coll's when he builthis largest organ, that of Saint-Sulpice inParis, where he combined the best of the ex-isting classic voices with the new voices pe-culiar to the Romantic period. The Grandargue is "The Great" indeed, as it containsthe instrument's most important foundationstops. When additional power is needed (forexample, when the organ is played with alarge symphonic orchestra), the Bombardedivision, voiced on higher wind pressures,can be coupled to the Grand argue. It has alarge diapason chorus of slotted pipes,which imports a distinctly different tonefrom the other principal stops, plus a batteryof bright trompettes. The Piffaro II-ill rein-forces the foundation 8' and 4', and adds a 16'beginning at middle C. In fact, the Bombardeis the symphonic complement of the Grandargue.

Among the other features of this organ, theRecit, an organ by itself with its magnificentreed ensemble based on the Contre Trom-bone 32', is particularly noticeable. Thislarge division has two chorus mixtures at 2'pitch. The Fourniture III is designed forsmall ensembles and is useful for various ac-companimental roles, while the Plein jeu Vis included for use with the full ensemble in-cluding the reed chorus.

The delicately voiced Choeur is especiallyuseful for accompanimental purposes. Its Jeude clochettes II with a high-pitched tiercerank provides a delicate percussion-like ef-fect. The mutations in this division and thoseof the other divisions, especially the Positifwith its seventh- and ninth-sounding ranks,provide the organist with almost endlesspossibilities for creating unusual and color-ful sounds. The Recit Cornet decompose andSolo Clochettes II are made with harmonicpipework.

The antiphonal is by no means an echo or-gan; on account of its prominent position, itspeaks with an unmistakable authority andadds a tremendous grandeur to the chancelorgan. The antiphonal chamade has a moresymphonic sound, while the chancelchamade is finished more on the classic side.However, neither of the chamades is loudenough to cover everything else; they arevoiced on moderate wind pressures andblend with big ensembles without annihilat-ing them. Parenthetically, the exceptionalblending capacities of the various stops havebeen underlined by everyone, which wouldseem to reinforce Jean Guillou's theory thatthe blending capabilities of organ stops isproportional to their personality and solois-tic capacity.

Broadway Baptist Church now has an or-gan that will give satisfaction to the most

FEBRUARY 1997 41

and move listeners and to challenge them tothink beyond the common and mundane.

Churches of all denominations shouldstudy the model offered by this congregation.There is much to learn from the level of ac-tivity and commitment of this group ofunique individuals.

]ACQUEUN RocHE'I"I"E

STANLEY R. SCHEER

Casavant Fr~res Limit~e

the future. And it should serve to inspire or-ganists and listeners alike.

My gratitude goes to many: to Van Cliburnfor providing vision and enthusiasm; to FredSwann for his patient, guiding expertise; tothe family of Casavant Freres for years ofwork on the project; for the congregation ofBroadway Baptist Church who love the or-gan and its music; to Helen Joyce West, whoserved expertly as Broadway's organist from1943 to 1975; to Pastor H. Stephen Shoe-maker; to a patient family and staff who haveallowed me many hours above the "norm";and, finally, to my colleague at Broadway,Albert L. Travis, who exhibits the finest inmusical excellence and artistic expressionand who deserves the finest instrument uponwhich to weave his magic.

THOMAS M. STOKER

From the ConsultantI began discussions relative to organ con-

cerns with the people at Broadway BaptistChurch in 1982. Since the new organ was notdedicated until the fall of 1996, it truly canbe said that this instrument sustained one ofthe longest gestation periods in history! rhewait, however, has been both justified andrewarding, and the frustrations have givenway to rejoicing!

You have read about the history and tech-nical details from others. Aside from citingthe great pleasure from working with andlearning from all those involved, I can bestsum up the result by saying that I believe thismagnum opus of Casavant Freres to be the artof organbuilding brought to a pinnacle. Noeffort was spared by Casavant or by thechurch to ensure that this instrument wouldbe a work of art par excellence. Havingplayed hundreds of organs in many parts ofthe world, I can honestly say that Opus 3750has few peers. It is supremely satisfying toplay, to listen to, and to look at. The churchplans to share this instrument with the com.;munity in a variety of ways. I hope everyonewho reads this will have the opportunity toexperience one of the truly great organs ofthe world.

FREDERICK SWANN, Consultant

From the OrganistSoon after I arrived at Broadway Baptist

Church in 1978, plans began for the centen-nial celebration of this historic church.These plans included the renovation andpossible expansion of the 1952 Casavant.The 1982 centennial passed with no visibleprogress in the organ project. The followingtwelve years were full of further discussions,hopeful times, and many disappointments.Finally, when Casavant's Opus 3750 wasdedicated in October of 1996, it was a dreamcome true for me and many in Broadway'scongregation.

With the fulfillment of this long-awaiteddream, we now have an instrument that webelieve will be one of the great organs of theworld. This is an organ of exceptional tonalsubtlety and strength. From the whisper ofthe Flute Celeste to the brilliance of theTrompeteria, there are infinite possibilitiesof combinations of colors throughout the 191ranks.

The primary task of Opus 3750 is to serveas the major instrument in worship at Broad-way. After its first service last October, theresponse of the congregation was over-whelmingly positive in the way the organimproved congregational singing. With theuse of the antiphonal organ of 31 ranks,sounds surround the congregation. This hassolved the problem of sound delays from thechancel organ down the long nave.

In addition to the wealth of tonal varietyfor hymn singing, the organ has endless ca-pabilities for choral accompaniment. As animproviser, I am finding this instrument tobe inspiring and totally satisfying. Literaturefrom Frescobaldi, Bruhns, Bach, Mendels-sohn, Brahms, Franck, and Widor to Messi-aen and Albright is equally at home.

Opus 3750 was designed not only to be aglorious instrument for worship but one forcommunity outreach. Hymn festivals, noon-day recitals, and organ and orchestra con-certs will maximize the effectiveness of thisinstrument. Broadway Baptist Church plansto offer national symposiu~s on improvisa-tion, worship, and hymnody. This inspiringinstrument will hopefully encourage youngpeople who hear it to consider musicalcareers.

The real success of this instrument is dueto Jean-Louis Coignet, Casavant Freres, to theinstallers and tonal finishers, and to the con-gregation of Broadway Baptist Church whosacrificially have given this extravagantinstrument.

From the Minister of MusicMagnificent rooms, people with vision,

and inspiring organists who have helpedworshipers experience God through themajesty of the organ inspire the building ofgreat organs. This is the case in the buildingof Casavant Opus 3750 at Broadway BaptistChurch, Fort Worth, Texas. When I arrivedon Broadway's music staff in 1983, the firstfile I encountered on my desk was the organfile. Included in this file were letters of in-quiry regarding the refurbishment of Casa-vant Opus 2091 (IV/92) installed in thechurch's modified Gothic sanctuary in 1952.The instrument had served well, but the timeof its installation, while exhibiting Casa-vant's historic care in construction, repre-sented tonal ideas and placement reflectingan era in North American organbuilding thattended to build an organ with dark soundsburied in chambers with little egress. Thewonderful acoustical environment of thesanctuary and Albert L. Travis's inspiredskill at the organ had more than compensat-ed for the organ's shortcomings.

By 1981, the congregation decided to re-furbish the organ. In 1982, after developing aplan of action, Broadway Baptist retainedFrederick Swann to serve as the organ con-sultant. Fred was then the organist-directorof music at the Riverside Church in NewYork City, whose sanctuary had inspired thebuilding of Broadway's sanctuary.

In the months that followed, we decidedthat the cost of refurbishment would be veryclose to the cost of replacement. We decidedto plan toward a new instrument. Al Travis

and I have heard well more than 100 organsduring these years. We have studied the fileson the construction of many of these instru-ments. Based upon these studies and FredSwann's recommendation (and the evidenceof fine construction in Opus 2091), Casavantwas selected as the builder.

Two capital campaigns included the re-placement of the organ. Other prioritieswould take precedence over the organ pro-ject. In 1987, late one night in a high rise indowntown Fort Worth, Broadway memberand concert pianist Van Cliburn asked aquestion that would provide a vision for thebirthing of Opus 3750. As an advisory com-mittee pondered a suitable size and appro-priate uses for the instrument, Van inquired,"Why don't we look at the most able uses ofthe instrument and make that instrument thegreatest gift that we might give to God?"Knowing that Fort Worth's eventual buildingof a concert hall would not include an organ,the vision of a large organ designed forchurch and community use was born.

We surveyed members of music facultiesat area colleges and universities to determinethe need in Fort Worth for a large and signif-icant electro-pneumatic instrument. Thegroup suggested that, with two tracker in-struments (very fine mechanical action or-gans) at the Morton H. Meyerson SymphonyCenter and Southern Methodist Universityin Dallas, the Broadway organ would offerstudents the finest in electro-pneumatic in-struments. Thus, the organ and music de-partment heads gave hearty support for suchan instrument in Fort Worth.

New specifications were drawn for an or-gan that could be used in worship, choralconcerts, vocal recitals, organ solo concertsand recitals, instrumental recitals, and sym-phonic concerts. We would design it to fitthe sanctuary's near-perfect acoustical envi-ronment for an organ and the grand propor-tions of its modified Gothic architecture.

The Texas financial climate did not offerthe best opportunity for completion of theproject until 1992. After appointing a thirdcommittee to study the project and presentrecommendations to the congregation, thecongregation voted to proceed with the pro-ject to renovate the sanctuary and build whatwas to become the Rildia Bee O'BryanCliburn Organ.

The congregation pledged itself to $2.75million of a total capital project of$3.75 mil-lion. The organ project would total $2.5 mil-lion and a mission tithe of more than$250,000 was included. More than 500 mem-bers, from children to adults, made pledges.The congregation is seeking community sup-port to complete the funding.

We named the organ for Broadway mem-ber Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn to honor herlife, vividly lived in service to God, to thearts, and to humanity. The Rildia BeeO'Bryan Cliburn Organ was dedicated onwhat would have been the 100th anniversaryof her birth in a five-day celebration. Thisfive-day event, October 11-15, 1996, wascomposed of two recitals by FrederickSwann, two concerts of dedication played byTodd Wilson and accompanied by the or-chestra at Broadway, a hymn festival, and aliturgical service of dedication.

The organ is now complete. In its beauty ofarchitectural and tonal design, it far surpass-es our hopes and dreams. It is an instrumentthat should serve this congregation ably in ALBERT L. TRAVIS

42 THE AMERICAN ORGANIST

CHOEUR(IV)16 Bourdon doux (wood. ext8 Salicional8 Unda maris (GG)8 Cor de nuit8 Flftte celestes II4 Salicet4 Flftte ~ cheminee2 Violine1% Galoubet1 Pifre2% Sesquialtera II1 Fourniture III% Jeu de clochettes II8 Trompette8 Clarinette (capped)

TremblantChoeur to Choeur 16Choeur Unison OffChoeur to Choeur 4Cloches (Grand Orgue)

SOLO (V)B Flftte doubleB VioloncelleB Violoncelle celeste (CC)B GambeB Gambe celeste (CC)4 Flftte de concert2~ Nazard1% Clochettes II (harmonic)16 Cor de bassetB Cor anglaisB Hautbois d'orchestre

TremblantSolo to Solo 16Solo Unison OffSolo to Solo 4

B * Cor fran~aisB * Tuba mirabilis

* High pressure

BOMBARDE (V)B Diapason (slotted)4 Octave (slotted)4 Piffaro II-III (70% tin, slotted)1% Plein jeu harmonique II-V16 Grand Comet VII (MC)B Cornet royal VII (TC)16 * Bombarde royalsB * Trompette royals (hooded)4 * Clairon royal (ext.)

Bombarde Unison Off

* High pressure

CHAMADE(IV)B * Trompeta de batalla4 * Trompeteria I-II

Chamade Unison Off16 Bombarde-en-chamade (Antiphonal)B Trompette-en-chamade (Antiphonal)

* High pressure

PEDALE64 Bourqon grave (resultant)32 Principalbasse (ext.)32 Soubasse (ext.)16 Montre16 Contrebasse (open wood) (from Op. 2091)16 Soubasse16 Violonbasse (Grand Or9;Ue)16 Bourdon a cheminee ((jrand argue)16 Contra gambe (Recit)16 Quintaton (Positif)16 Bourdon doux (Choeur)10~ Grand guinte (Soubasse)B OctavefiasseB Flftte (oEen wood)B Violon [Grand argue)B Flftte bouchee (Soubasse)B Flftte a cheminee (Grand argue)B Bourdon (Choeur)4 Octave4 Flftte ouverte4 Flftte a cheminee (Grand argue)2 Flftte ouverte (ext.)6~ Grand tierce

BROADWAY BAP11ST CHURCHFORT WORTH, TEXASCASA V ANT FRERES LIMITEESAINT-HYACINTHE, QUEBEC

GRAND ORGUE (II)32 Violonbasse (Pedale)32 Contra bourdon (Pedale)16 Violonbasse (ext.)16 Bourdon ~ cheminee (ext.)8 Montre (70% tin)8 Violon (70% tin)8 Flil.te harmonique8 Flil.te ~ cheminee5~ Grand nazard (open)4 Prestant (70% tin)4 Violina (70% tin)~ Flil.te ouverte3~ Grand tierce2 Doublette (70% tin)2~ Cornet V2~ Grand fourniture II-IV (70% tin)1~ Fourniture IV-VI (70% tin)~ Cymbale IV (70% tin)16 * Bombarde (full length)8 * Trompette (50% tin)4 * Clairon (50% tin)

Grand argue Unison OffCloches (from Op. 2091)Harpe (Positif)

8 Trompeta de batalla (Chamade)Trompeteria I-II (Chamade)

* Higher pressure

RECIT (III)16 Contra gambe (ext.)8 Principal8 Flil.te traversiere (70% tin)8 Viole de gambe8 Voix celeste (CC)8 Flil.te majeure8 Voix angeliques II4 Octave4 Flil.te octaviante (70% tin)2~ Nazard harmonique (70% tin)2 Octavin (70% tin)1% Tierce harmonique (70% tin)2 Fourniture III2 Plein jeu V2~ Carillon III32 * Contra trombone (ext.)16 * Trombone (full length, ext.)16 * Basson (full length)8 * Trompette harmonique8 Hautoois8 Voix humaine4 * Clairon harmonique

TremblantTremblant-Voix humaineRecit to Recit 16Recit Unison OffRecit to Recit 4

* Higher pressure

POSITIF (I)16 Quintaton (wood, ext.)8 Montre (70% tin)8 Voce umana (CC, 70% tin)8 Bourdon8 Quintadena4 Prestant (70% tin)4 Flil.te ~ fuseau2~ Nazard2 Doublette (70% tin)2 Quarte de nazard1% Tierce1 ~ Lari&ot1 ~ Septieme1 Piccolo'" Neuvieme1~ Fourniture IV (70% tin)% Cymbale-tierce III (70% tin)16 Dou~aine (50% tin)8 Trompette (70% tin)8 Cromorne (50% tin)4 Clairon (70% tin)4 Chalumeau (50% tin)

TremblantClochettesHarpe (from Op. 2091)Posltif Unison Off

4'h Harmoniques II4 Cornet VII (Bombarde)2% Fourniture V1 Cymbale III32 Contre bombarde

(ext., full length) (from Op. 2091)32 Contre trombone (R~cit)16 Bombarde (full length)16 Deuxibme bombarde (Grand argue)16 Trombone (R~cit)16 Basson (R~cit)16 Dou~aine (Positif)8 TromRette8 DeUXl~me trompette (Grand argue)8 Baryton (R~cit Basson)8 Dou~aine (Positif)4 Clairon (ext.)4 Soprano (R~cit Basson)4 Dou~aine (Positif)2 Buccine (ext.)

Cloches (Grand argue)8 Trompette-en-chamade (Antiphonal)

ANTIPHONAL GRAND ORGUE (ll)16 Bourdon (ext.)8 Montre (50% tin)8 Bourdon4 Prestant (50% tin)4 Flute2 Doublette2 Flute a bec2% Cornet ll.1~ Fourniture IV (50% tin)8 Trompette (50% tin)

Grand argue Unison Off8 Trompette-en-chamade

ANTIPHONAL RECIT (ill)8 Flute a chemin~e8 Principal ~troit8 Voix c~leste (GG)4 Principal4 Flute a fuseau2 Octave1~ Larigot1 Cymbalell-IV16 Basson8 Trompette

TremblantR~cit to R~cit 16R~cit Unison OffR~cit to R~cit 4

16 Bombarde-en-chamade(Antiphonal Grand argue)

8 Trompette-en-chamade(Antiphonal Grand argue)

ANTIPHONAL PEDALE32 Soubasse (P~dale)16 Soubasse16 Bourdon (Antiphonal Grand argue)8 Octavebasse (50% tin)8 Bourdon (Antiphonal Grand argue)4 Octave (50% tin)16 Bombarde (full length, ext.)8 Trompette (Antiphonal Grand argue)4 Chalumeau a chemin~e8 Trompette-en-chamade

(Antiphonal Grand argue)

DESIGN DETAILSElectropneumatic key and stop actionElectronic combination action-64 memoriesBalanced expression-R~cit, Choeur, Solo,

Antiphonal R~citProgrammable Crescendo-four levelsConsoles: Chancel, five-manual "English"

style drawknob,Antiphonal, five-manual ter-raced-style drawknob with dupli-cate controls of the chancel con-sole. Drawknobs for antiphonalo~anonly

Keyboards: ebony covered naturals, rosewoodsharps with bone caps

Pedalboards: maple naturals, rosewood sharpsDrawknobs, thumb pistons, and nameplatesof rosewood

Photographs: Allan Akins

FEBRUARY 1997 43