The Wicks Organ Rebuild
Comments by William Hamner, tonal designer
The first Davidson College Presbyterian (DCPC) Organ was built in the early 1950's by Schlicker, and later rebuilt in 1970 by Wicks. During the early 1970's, several Carolina-area Wicks instruments were built or rebuilt under the tonal direction of then Wicks Tonal Director John Sperling and independent tonal consultant Ralph Blakely.
This organ's younger sister, Opus 5048, was also finished in 1970. It is located in Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Charlotte, and, it shares many of the same characteristics with the former DCPC Wicks.
Blakely and Sperling had different opinions about many things, nevertheless, they were both interested the "new style" of the times, which took fullest form in both of these organs. In both instruments, these men focused on lighter scales, open toe voicing, "Germanic" reed shallots, and, extremely low wind pressures. Both the Schlicker of the 1950's and the Wicks of 1970 were deeply rooted in the thoughts of the "neo-classic" organ reform movement, which strove for contrapuntal clarity in choruses over the beauty of individual sounds.
Even though the new instrument utilizes 58% of the older pipe work, very few of these pipes are serving in the same roles as they had before. All of the old pipe work received a complete revoicing. Most of this pipe work was rescaled, but some ranks were reassigned to new positions in the tonal canvass where the smaller scales provided sensible links in the building of choruses. A large portion of the old pipe work received major reconstructive surgery, and, in the case of flues contains new languids and cut-ups. Most of the old reeds were reconstructed with new blocks and shallots before they were revoiced with new tongues. About 70% of the re-used pipes have been so drastically altered, they bear no resemblance to their former selves.
Since 2002, the Wicks organ has undergone a revolutionary tonal reform at the hands of newly appointed artisans and musicians. Newly appointed Tonal Director, Mark R. Scholtz, continues to build further upon the tonal excellence of these organs. Musicians who have heard recent Wicks instruments are hailing them as the finest available. The rebuilt organ of DCPC was designed to function with the same basic spirit of all new Wicks organs. Every stop possesses as much individual beauty as possible, and every stop must work seamlessly with every other stop in an endless array of chorus possibilities. Therefore, old pipes were only used if they could be revoiced or reconstructed to be not only beautiful in their own right, but also if they could be beautiful in combination with most everything else in the specification. About 48% of the pipes in this organ are new. These pipes complete the desired tonal palette with dignified, beautiful sounds which were not otherwise possible with the remainder of the older pipes.
It is the hope of Jane, Michael, and me that the community at large will agree on the important qualifiers, resounding in song as they conjure up terms like "inspirational, beautiful, perfectly musical, and uplifting."
William W. Hamner, Jr. was the Tonal Director at Wicks when the new DCPC organ was discussed, designed, and scaled. He subsequently worked with Mark R. Scholtz, present Tonal Director, in the "setting of c's." Mr. Scholtz and Mr. Christopher Soer, Flue Voicer, tonally finished the instrument on site. Dr. Hamner is now the Vice-President of Industrial Properties for Hamner Development Company in Newport News, Virginia. He is still active, on a selective basis, as an independent organ consultant for purchasers and builders alike. He also has been active as a writer on several music and organ-related subjects, including treatises on the organ purchasing process.
Specification
Great (unenclosed)
16' Violone
8' Principal
8' Harmonic Flute
8' Stopped Diapason
8' Violoncello
4' Octave
4' Chimney Flute
2-2/3' Twelfth
2' Superoctave
1-3/5' Seventeenth
IV-V Mixture
8' Trumpet
8' Festival Trumpet
Zimbelstern
Swell (enclosed)
16' Bourdon
8' Principal
8' Bourdon
8' Viola da Gamba
8' Celeste TC
4' Principal
4' Flute
2-2/3' Nazard
2' Principal
1-3/5' Tierce
1' Flute
IV Mixture
16' Fagott
8' Trompette
8' Oboe
4' Clarion
Tremolo
8' Festival Trumpet (Gt.)
Choir (enclosed)
8' Geigen Principal
8' Flute
8' Gemshorn
8' Gemshorn Celeste TC
4' Principal
4' Koppel Flute
2-2/3' Quint TC
2' Block Flute
1-1/3' Larigot
IV Mixture
8' Krummhorn
8' Festival Trumpet (Gt.)
Tremolo
Pedal
32' Contra Bourdon 1-12 (D)
16' Principal
16' Violone (Gt.)
16' Subbass
16' Bourdon (Sw.)
8' Principal
8' Bourdon
4' Choralbass
4' Nachthorn
IV Mixture
32' Posaune 1-12 (D)
16' Trombone
16' Fagott (Sw.)
8' Serpent
4' Schalmei
8' Festival Trumpet (Gt.)
Couplers
Swell to Great 16'
Swell to Great 8'
Swell to Great 4'
Choir to Great 16'
Choir to Great 8'
Choir to Great 4'
Swell to Choir 16'
Swell to Choir 8'
Swell to Choir 4'
Swell to Swell 16'
Swell Unison 8'
Swell to Swell 4'
Choir to Choir 16'
Choir Unison
Choir to Choir 4'
Great to Pedal 8'
Swell to Pedal 8'
Swell to Pedal 4'
Choir to Pedal 8'
