Backing trackers

This past weekend, I performed on two of the loveliest American trackers I have ever encountered.

The first was Fisk Op. 82, 1982, at Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC. That organ surprised me -- although it was built during a time when screech and scream were the norm, it sounds the way we try to build them today! Tonally, it has held its own and remained relevant (a favorite church term) lo these many years. It has plenty 8-foot tone, reeds in all the right places, and a reliable action that, while noisy, transported me back to Europe. And it sits in a perfectly splendid acoustic. At 46 stops with no pistons, it is a bit unwieldy. It would be nice to have a full complement of ventils, or at least hookdown couplers. But alas, all there is is a ventil for the Swell Trompette and 2'/Cornet. That's it.

The second organ was the rather stunning Jaeckel Op. 43 at Brevard College. Beautiful organ, solidly built, lots and lots of wonderful, useful, colorful stops. But that organ sits in a most inhospitable room. While the organ sounds absolutely thrilling from the bench, it merely purrs out in the room and never gets a chance to crank up. Tragic. Maybe someday, something can be done about that.

In any event, I recommend both of these organs. They are at once beautiful and instructive. Even if tracker or historic style isn't your thing (and I'm not saying one way or the other for myself), you can't deny these builders' valiant attempts to build things of beauty and integrity.