Tellers-Kent Organ Recital   1930

Excerpts from a Peterborough Transcript of December 11, 1930.

“St. Patrick Church, one of the most beautiful churches in Southern New Hampshire, was filled to capacity on Wednesday evening, December 5, 1930, with about six hundred people of all religious faiths.”  The newly installed Tellers-Kent organ was used for a recital which was ” … one of the finest musical programs heard in the history of the town.”  Rev. W. J. Cavanaugh, Pastor of the church arranged the recital.  The music for the evening was planned by J. Edward Bouvier of Worcester who was Supervisor of Music at Holy Cross College.  Mr. Bouvier was assisted by three Boston artists; Miss Anna Eichorn, Violinist; Miss Claramond Thompson, Contralto; and Robert J. Waul, Baritone.

The program consisted of ” … high class numbers and was well arranged for diversity.”  Mr. Bouvier played the organ to show its full capacity; the harmonic, the deep tones, the sweet tones, and the infinite variety of melodies of which the beautiful instrument was capable.  “Many music lovers were present and sat in rapt attention throughout the program.”

The new pipe organ of St. Patrick Parish was made possible by a gift of two thousand dollars from Mrs. Agnes McKenzie of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in memory of her husband, the late John McKenzie.  Parishioners and friends added their donations, many giving very generously, considering their means.  Mrs. McKenzie was an honored guest at the recital and Catholic clergy from surrounding towns were present along with hundreds of parishioners.

Organ Information

Taken from Monadnock AGO & Mathieu Pipe Organs (curator/restorer) websites and compiled

The contract for the organ was signed on September 22, 1930 by Fr. Cavanaugh and I. A. Tellers.  Installation was from November into December, 1930.  Recital was December 5, 1930 as reported above.  The original specifications are as follows:

Tellers-Kent, Opus 549

Original Specification 2 Manuals, 9 stops, 543 pipes 61 key manuals, 32 pedals
Great	Swell	Pedal
8′ Open Diapson (73 pipes)	8′ Violin Diapason (73 pipes)	16′ Bourdon (32 pipes)
8′ Melodia (73 pipes)	8′ Stopped Diapason (73 pipes)	16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (32 notes)
8′ Dulciana (73 pipes)	8′ Salicional (73 pipes)
	4′ Harmonic Flute (73 pipes)
Couplers, Tremulants, Piston Combos
Great to Pedal	Swell to Pedal	Swell to Great
Swell to Great 4′	Swell to Great 16′	Swell to Swell 4′
Swell to Swell 16′	Great to Great 4′	Great to Great 16′
3 Piston Combos for Great to Pedal	4 Piston Combos for Swell to Pedal	<— changed to 3 during building

A Mr. Thomas Bunting, Area Representitive for Wicks Organ Co provided a quote for repairs (and a recommendation to replace the 8′ Salicional swell with a Reed).  In this quote was a suggestion and price of  a completely new organ for $12,000 with ranks mounted above the ambulatory behind the high altar.  No apparent repairs were made.

The current restorer / curator Kevin Mathieu found several penciled names and dates inside the upper structures of the swell box during restoration (began in 2010): “John Wessel & Wayne Hamilton Nov. 5, 1976”  John Wessel was a voicer at the Estey Organ Co. from 1953 until they closed in 1960.  Also found was “John Wessel Brattleboro, VT  3/11 ’82  & Bill Hamilton”.  It is probably safe to assume that Mr. Wessel and Mr. Hamilton where the servicemen who made repairs at the time and at sometime changed ranks in the organ to its current specification:

 

Current Specification 2 Manuals, 9 stops, 467 pipes 61 key manuals, 32 pedals
Great	Swell	Pedal
8′ Open Diapason (73 pipes)	8′ Melodia (73 pipes)	16′ Bourdon (32 pipes)
4′ Octave (61 pipes)	8′ Dulciana (73 pipes)	16′ Lieblich Gedeckt (32 notes)
2′ Harmonic Flute (61 pipes)	4′ Harmonic Flute (61 pipes)
	2 2/3′ Nazard (56 pipes)
Couplers, Tremulants, Piston Combos
16′ Great to Great	Tremulant	8′ Great to Pedal
4′ Great to Great	16′ Swell to Swell	8′ Swell to Pedal
16′ Swell to Great	4′ Swell to Swell
8′ Swell to Great
4′ Swell to Great

Since early 2010, Kevin Mathieu of Mathieu Pipe Organs has been methodically restoring the organ restoring bellows, releathering chests, etc.  Most Sundays the organ is playable and in use during Masses.