Pulling out the Stops: Renowned pipe organs abound in Syracuse

By Dave Allen
Goldring Arts Journalism Student

“Do you believe in love at first sound?"

That’s how organist Jim Potts describes his introduction to the pipe organ. He was enthralled by the instrument’s one-of-a-kind sonic qualities—its dynamic range from soft to thunderingly loud, and its ability to imitate instruments from strings to flutes to brass.

Pipes in St. Paul’s CathedralPotts plays one of the largest organs in Syracuse, at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Montgomery Avenue. In fact, the city is home to a remarkable cache of these classical instruments that have inspired composers and thrilled listeners since the Middle Ages.

Last July, the national American Guild of Organists hosted Pipe Organ Encounter in Syracuse. The event brought new attention to the fine collection of organs in the area. Twenty-three young musicians between the ages of 12 and 18 took part, and each had the opportunity to play and receive instruction on one of 23 organs in the greater Syracuse area.

The organ produces sound by forcing air through a series of tuned pipes, which range in size from two-inch whistles to eight-foot long trumpets. The pipes are arranged into ranks according to the type of sound they produce, and controls called stops direct the air to pass through a specific rank. Based on the material from which it is made and the type of opening at its end, a rank of pipes can sound like a chorus of flutes, trumpets or violins.

The pipe organ’s size and complexity, along with its capacity for powerful sound, have given it the moniker "the king of instruments" and inspired composers from J.S. Bach to Steve Reich to write music for it. The organ at St. Paul’s has four keyboards, called "manuals," as well as a pedal board operated with the feet. It was renovated in 2002.

"This instrument is large enough that you can have so many different combinations of sounds," Potts said. "I’m still discovering stuff after four years."

Jonathan Howell, soloist with the St. Paul’s Cathedral choir, has been accompanied by Potts for several years. He describes the organ as "an instrument for the people."

"The waves created by the pipes make a pressure you feel in your body," he said. "It’s neat to reach a lot of people at once."

Potts exhibited the organ’s lowest, loudest notes, using the pedal board to play a sub-bass stop. This stop produces notes that sound three octaves below middle C, and the blast from the pipe rumbles like an airplane roaring by.

St. Paul’s keyboard. Photos by Dave Allen.Along with the organ at St. Paul’s, organs at Park Central Presbyterian Church on Fayette Street, in the auditorium at Syracuse University’s Crouse School of Visual and Performing Arts and at the university’s Hendricks Chapel are at the heart of the city’s assemblage of organs. Their size, versatility and the artistry in their construction distinguish them as remarkable specimens.

The console for the organ at Park Central is located in the rear balcony and its pipes project sound over the congregation. According to choir director Julie Pretzat, the organ sometimes induces whiplash, as listeners turn around to see what is making that music.

"It transcends the everyday," Pretzat said. "The sound invades your body and really brings you to a different place."

Pretzat’s choir teams with organist Will Headlee to perform a major work of the classical repertoire several times a year. Earlier this year, the choir presented the J.S. Bach motet "Jesu, meine Freude." The church’s music program enjoys considerable support from the congregation, as well as the pastor, Rev. W. Andrew McTyre. As a professor of music at Syracuse University from 1956 to 1992, Headlee spent many years playing the organs at Crouse College and Hendricks Chapel. Headlee said that the Crouse organ stands out as one of the most remarkable he has played.

"It might be the single most expensive art piece at the university, and I don’t know if they realize it," he said. "It has a personality of its own."

Headlee admits that he’s "in a crazy little corner" of organ aficionados in the larger realm of classical music fans. When Headlee was put in charge of the Pipe Organ Encounter, he tracked down the organs for the program, and he made the pitch to local churches that the music program was a mission experience to get more young people involved in playing great works of classical repertoire.

"I think it has a depth of development as an art form," he said. "I feel it’s able to communicate some of those things that language can’t."