The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-12
THE NEW ORGAN
It's Installation in Lafayette
Reformed Church Cele-
brated Last Night.
WITH An EXCELLENT CONCERT
From the First to the Last
Number It Was a Musical
Treat. ,
WITH An EXCELLENT CONCERT


Treat.
Tt is seldom that the music loving people
of this city are treated to such excellent
concerts as that given last evening in the
Lafayette Reformed Church, at Commute
paw avenue and Pine street, under the
direction of Mr.. Louis Sherwood, the or
ganist. The audience was a~ppreciative,
and the quality eff the music rendered was
deserving of it. The concert was perfect
from end to end Every nunber was APP
plauded, especially the work of the or
ganists, Mr.. Sherwood and Mr.. Lucien
G.. Chafin, and the violin solos of DR..
John Holland. Miss Lucy Nelson, So
prano, and Mr.. Herbert Smock, tenor,
were at their best. and the members of
the Mendeissohn Male Quartette rendered
several numbers h-armoniously.
The concert was arranged to celebrate
the installation Of the new organ recently
built in the church. It is of an unusual
type. The front ease is of black walnut.
surmounted with artistically arranged
pipes. The action Of the entire organ
both for keys and stops is tubular pneu-
ltdtltt SplGli1iuty PtllcClSQ. IHSltau u
the slides and trackers. so frequently an
annoyance to organists, compressed air
is used on the exhaust plan. The action
is therefore noiseless and very easy. The
main bellows has two horizontal feeders
and supplies an auxiliary bellows from
which wind chests, tubes and pipes are
supplied. The power is obtained by a
water engine in the basement, directly
beneath the bellows. The excellence and
durability Of the work, in detail. has been
carried to the highest a~ttainab1e stand
ard. The diapeson, flute, string and reed
qualities are well balanced and adapted
to the acoustics of the building. The
voicing is worthy Of the closest investi-
cation. From the most delicate stop to
the full organ there is a perfect blending
of tone. the full tone being dignided and
not harsh. There are two manuals,
compass, C C to C, 81 notes, and pedals,
compass C c c to F, 80 notes. There
are 6e pipes to the great organ. 742 pipes
to the swell organ, and SO pipes to the
pedal organ, or 1,432 pipes in all.
These are the pipes that release the COM
pressed air. The slightest touch on the
keys is all that is necessary to release
the air. 1t is even lighter to play than
q piano.
The amount of material used to con-
struct one of these ponderous instru-
rnents is wonderful This organ weighs
about nine tons. 1t is claimed that the
tubular pneumatic organ is far superior
to those run by electricity, for the reason
that the electrical contrivanees get out
of order so easily. Mr.. Louis Sherwood,
who has watched the building of the in
trumen since last June. is extremely
pleased with it, and speaks of it quite
enthusiastically. He says that although
it is by no means the largest and c~ostliest
in the city, he would match it against
any for tone. The beautiful tone was
demonstrated last evening by Mr.. Sher-
wood. There are six pedal combinations,
and a pedal which few If any of the
churches in this city have. 1t is called the
Pedal S forzando and Crescendo. The
touching of this pedal with the foot
gives the full tone without the touching
of a single stop with the hand. The or
gan is located in the rear of the church.
A choir loft has been built about the or
g~anist's seat. The pulpit is in front of
the organ. In this manner the choir faces
the congregation. where formerly it was
in the loft at the front of the church,
behind tho congregation. This loft is
capable Of holding fifty singers. The or
gan costs about $4,000, part of which was
raised by subscription,
On the pulpit platform last evening
were numerous ported plants and palms
and several large bouquets of various
colored chrysanthemums. The audience
was a large one, and all were profuse in
praise of the new instrument. Mr.. Sher-
wood came in for the lions share of the
applause. The opening number was a
march in D major, Guilmant. The rem
dering of this number by Mr.. Sherwood
| brought forth a tremendous burst of APP
clause. The Mendelssohn Quartette, COM
posed of Messrs. William r. Williams.
first tenor; Frank Hodson, second tenof;;
II. d. Northrop. first bass, and F. NJ.
Ward. second bass, rendered Dudley
Bucks ION the Sea- very h-armoniously.
( and were forced to respond to an encore.
Miss Lucy Nelson. who is well known to
Jersey City music lovers, was at her best
when she sang Hear Ye, Israeli Men
delssohn. Her voice was clear and
forcible. a prelude, in A minor, Bach,
on the organ, by Mr.. Lucien Chaffin. was
most skillfuIly rendered. It was replete
with trills and runs. Seventeenth Gem
fury Air. Couperin, was the second part,
and this was rendered with equal dex
terity. Mr.. Herbert Smock followed with
King Ever Glorious" Stainer. His
voice was strong and he had not the
slightest difficulty In reaching the notes..
He Is an excellent tenor. "Cavatina,"
Bohm. was rendered by DIR. John 41ol-
land on the violin. His boWing wps per-