Music

Our MÖller Organ

Since the congregation was founded in 1850, sacred music has been central to the life of First Congregational Church, and organs have figured prominently in the musical experiences of those attending worship, concerts and recitals. A melodeon was used at first for “assistance in the musical part of the service.” It soon gave way to a reed organ and, in 1869, to a pipe organ. When the congregation built a new building in 1887, a new pipe organ was included. That instrument was replaced in the period between World War I and World War II, the new instrument serving through 1968, when the congregation moved to its current building.

The organ in the present sanctuary was installed in 1969. The organ was built by M. P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland, from 1969 through 1972 and used some of the pipes from its predecessor. Its construction was underwritten by the generosity of Cora and David Crock, and the instrument has served the congregation and the community well in Sunday worship, in festival musical offerings, and in many recitals and concerts throughout the years.

By the early 1990s, however, it was apparent that the 1969 instrument would soon require significant refurbishment. Damage from roof leakage and condensation had taken its toll; the chimes, swell shades and combination action were unreliable and there was growing desire for improvement in the overall tone and balance of the organ.

After evaluation by organ builders Robert Sipe and Ronald Wahl, the late Miriam Clapp Duncan, then professor of organ at Lawrence University, and Dr. David Cook of the congregation, it was determined to ask Robert Sipe to undertake a complete renovation and substantial enhancement of the Möller organ as follows:

• Enlarging the choir division
• Adding new mixtures of pipes to balance the great and swell divisions
• Revoicing all pipes
• Updating the console with solid-state electronics
• Repairing the shades on the swell division

In addition to work on the instrument itself, provisions were also made for controlling humidity in the sanctuary in order to help the organ maintain its tuning and reduce the risk of mechanical failures. This work was completed in 1994, and the renewed instrument was rededicated on October 18, 1994. It is one of the three or four largest pipe organs in the city of Appleton, comprising three manuals, 46 stops, and 58 ranks. It is beautifully integrated into the sanctuary both visually—as the photos above show—and acoustically.

Organ Specifications

The original organ was built by M. P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland, between 1969 and 1972. Additions, modifications, and revoicing were done by Robert L. Sipe, Inc., Dallas, Texas, in 1994.