Sanctuary Restoration Project

The following summary outlines our journey in understanding the challenges and

exploring possible solutions for Northside’s organ over its 43-year history. This report

provides context for why the current instrument struggles to meet the needs of our

worship and music ministry—particularly in its primary role of accompanying

congregational singing and the choirs at Northside.

While some may not immediately perceive a difference, those who sing, play, or listen

with musical sensitivity—especially our musicians who rely on the instrument each

week—can attest to its limitations. I’d even make the case that those who do not

consider themselves inherently musical notice these shortcomings as well. What follows

is a history of the organ, from the work of the original organ committee to the efforts of

the current reestablished team in May 2025.

Before we get into the report and history of Northside’s organ, here are some helpful

terms and definitions to give you a better understanding of what you’re about to read:

• Console: is the control center where the organist plays the instrument. It

includes the keyboards (manuals), pedalboard, stops, and other controls used to

play and shape the organ’s sound.

• Manuals: a keyboard on an organ that is played with the hands. Most organs

have one or more manuals, each controlling a different set of sounds or divisions

of the organ.

• Pedals: are a large keyboard at the base of the organ, played with the feet. They

typically control the lowest-pitched notes of the instrument and are used to

provide a strong bass foundation in the music.

• Pipes: are tubes that produce sound when air flows through them. Each pipe

plays one pitch, and they come in many sizes and shapes to create different

tones. They are typically made from metal (such as tin and lead alloys) or wood,

depending on the sound and design needed.

• Stops: are controls that turns on a specific set of pipes (or digital sounds), each

with its own unique tone. Stops let the organist choose different sounds and

combine them to create a variety of musical effects.

• Divisions: is a group of pipes controlled by a specific keyboard or the

pedalboard. Each division has its own unique sound and purpose, such as

accompanying, soloing, or supporting the overall organ tone. Our organ has four

divisions: Great, Swell, Positive, and Pedal.

• Windchest: is the part of a pipe organ that holds and supplies air to the pipes,

allowing them to produce sound when a key is pressed.

• Flower Boxes: is an exposed windchest located outside the main organ

chamber, often mounted on a ledge or beam. It holds a limited number of pipes—

typically for a specific division or tonal effect—and is used to help project sound

more directly into the room. Its name comes from its box-like shape and visible

placement, resembling a flower box on a window.

• Organ Action: refers to the mechanism that connects the keys and pedals to the

pipes, allowing them to sound. Main types of organ action:

o Tracker (mechanical): Direct physical connection between keys and pipes.

o Pneumatic: Uses air pressure to control the pipes.

o Electro-pneumatic: Uses electricity to control air valves.

o Direct electric: Uses electrical signals to open the pipe valves directly.

• Organ Chamber: is an enclosed space where the organ’s pipes and mechanical

parts are housed. These rooms help project sound into the chancel through large

openings. Our current organ has two chambers, located on either side of the

chancel.

• Swell Enclosure: is a box with movable shutters that holds some of the organ’s

pipes. The shutters open and close to make the sound louder or softer, allowing

for dynamic expression during playing. We have one swell enclosure located on

the lectern side (north side) of the chancel.

• Analog: is an electronic instrument that uses analog circuits to imitate the sound

of a pipe organ. These were common before digital sampling became the

standard.

• Digital Voices: are recorded sounds of real pipes that are played through

speakers. They are used to expand or enhance the organ’s sound, especially

when space limits the number of actual pipes.

• Hybrid Organ: is a combination of real wind wind-blown pipes with digital voices,

blending traditional pipe sound with modern digital technology

• Organ Reform Movement: was a 20th-century effort to return to the sound and

design of Baroque-style organs, which featured clear, bright tones and crisp

articulation—ideal for early music like that of J.S.Bach. The movement moved

away from the richer, smoother, and more blended sounds of Romantic-style

organs, which were popular in the early 1900s and suited for lush, expressive

music. It also favored the use of mechanical (tracker) action over electric or

pneumatic systems.

Northside Church’s sanctuary was constructed in 1957. During the planning stages, the

church solicited proposals from several prominent American organ builders, including

Aeolian-Skinner, Austin, Möller, Reuter, Schlicker, and Wicks. Ultimately, the church

selected an analog Allen organ for its initial installation. In 1982, Northside installed its

first pipe organ—a three-manual, 37-stop instrument built by the Möller Organ Company

of Hagerstown, Maryland and installed by a regional representative.

It is highly unusual for an instrument to undergo substantial tonal revisions so soon after

installation; however, significant modifications were made to the organ just three years

later, in 1985.These included relocating existing pipework and incorporating vintage

pipes from Möller’s stock. In 2003, the organ console’s action was upgraded from

pneumatic to a solid-state system, necessitating rewiring between the console and the

windchests. At that time, digital voices—specifically for pedal stops and chimes—were

added to supplement the pipework’s limited bass response in the nave. Only 30 years

after its installation, the entire organ chest action was re-leathered in 2012 and 2013.

Today, the organ comprises 47 stops.

It is also worth noting that, in the late 1990s, the church gave serious consideration to

adding an antiphonal organ on the rear balcony wall. Multiple bids were solicited from

organ companies in response to ongoing concerns that the existing side-chamber

installation did not adequately project sound into the nave to support congregational

singing. Additionally, the church requested and received formal proposals for a new

instrument in both 2002 and 2016.

The M.P. Möller Pipe Organ Company was founded in 1875 by Danish immigrant

Matthias Peter Möller in Hagerstown, Maryland. It grew to become one of the largest

and most prolific organ builders in the United States, known for its mass production

techniques, installed instruments nationwide in churches, concert halls, and institutions.

The company experienced its greatest period of success during the 1920s and the

post–World War II era through the 1960s. In the 1920s, Möller capitalized on the

booming demand for theater organs in silent movie houses, employing a workforce of

up to 400. The company continued to thrive from the 1940s through the 1960s, building

larger and more advanced instruments and expanding its reach by acquiring another

organ firm in 1944. A notable installation from this era includes the organ at the Basilica

of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

The decline of the M.P. Möller Pipe Organ Company—once the largest pipe organ

builder in the United States—began in the 1970s and worsened throughout the 1980s.

Economic pressures, including a reliance on customer deposits and a sharp decline in

orders during the early 1990s recession, placed the company in a precarious position.

Möller also struggled to modernize its aging facilities and was slow to adopt emerging

technologies such as solid-state electronics. Increased competition from more

affordable and convenient electronic organs further eroded its market share. These

combined factors ultimately led to the company’s closure in 1992, marking the end of a

117-year legacy in American organ building.