History of our Pipe Organs

History of the National City Christian Church Pipe Organs

The National City Christian Church congregation has been in the forefront of musical activity in the city of Washington D.C. since its founding in 1930. The present Möller pipe organs are two of the many magnificent features of this glorious sanctuary and are the foundation upon which the church’s music ministry is built. Concert organists from across the United States and around the world have performed recitals upon this grand instrument which is housed in one of the finest acoustical spaces in our nation’s capital.

The organ is used weekly to support congregational singing in worship and sensitively accompany choral ensembles and vocalists. It is used to collaborate with orchestral instruments and ensembles, teach students of all ages and perform organ solo literature in weekly recitals and demonstrations. Its comprehensive and flexible “American Classic” design make it an a magnificent example of universality; an instrument that is “French” when needed, “German” when desired, and more than capable of accurately, and musically, playing repertoire from Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary eras.

The Pearl Neugent Nordan Gallery Organ

National City Christian Church’s first pipe organ was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts and installed in 1930 upon the completion of the church. The organ, Op. 824, had four manuals, 54 ranks, and 3,514 pipes. It was quintessential E.M. Skinner, with its large scale diapason stops, lush strings and an array of colorful orchestral reed stops.

The renowned concert organist Virgil Fox practiced and played recitals upon the organ while serving in the Air Force during the Second World War while he was stationed at the chapel of Walter Reed Medical Hospital. This organ was used to accompany the great operatic soprano Leontyne Price at the state funeral of President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1973, one of its last major musical offerings before being reworked in later years.

After 45 years of faithful service, the firm of M.P. Möller of Hagerstown, Maryland, extensively rebuilt the Skinner organ in 1976. Under the direction of Donald M. Gillette and Ronald F. Ellis and the guidance of Minister of Music Lawrence Schreiber, Möller created a new 105-rank instrument of five divisions (Great, Swell, Choir, Positiv and Pedal) and 5,391 pipes controlled by a new four-manual console. At that time, some 30 ranks of the Skinner organ were revoiced and used in various divisions within this new instrument. Of those 30 ranks, only eight (English Horn, Flute Triangulaire, Flute Harmonique, pedal Principal and Contra Bass, among others) were retained in their original and untouched condition.

Hundreds of donors, both local and nationwide, contributed funds to Möller’s landmark instrument, one that featured the best of the “American Classic” organ building ideals. It was celebrated widely for its variety of colorful flute and reed stops and its formidable 30-rank pedal division, including Möller’s signature “harmonics” stops meant to produce the effect of 32’ and 64’ ranks. Recitals the first season featured Virgil Fox, Marilyn Mason, Albert Russell, Clyde Holloway, Robert Baker and Lawrence Schreiber.

In March 1985, an additional 20 ranks of pipes and a new five-manual, 271-drawknob console were added to the chancel organ, further enriching its tonal palette and artistic flexibility. These additions brought the total resources to 141 ranks, nine divisions, and 7,592 pipes, making it the third largest pipe organ in Washington D.C. and its only one with a five-manual console.

The new “state of the art” console is able to play the full resources of both chancel and gallery instruments. Visible from the nave, directly underneath the cross, are the silver pipes of the five-rank Mounted Cornet stop, whose piquant and powerful sound is rich in overtones. Also added were new solo stops (Clarinet, Doppelflote, and a Tuba stop named after Rev. Dr. William Howland, then senior minister of the church), complete sets of French-style chorus reeds and additional flue pipes. The great British organist, Simon Preston, who gave the organ’s dedication recital in 1985, commented: “Once you have played this organ, it spoils you for all others.”

In 2003, a renovation project was undertaken to upgrade the electrical systems of both organs and install a new multi-memory, solid state computerized operating system to control the organs’ vast resources. The new system was designed and built by Solid State Organ Systems of Alexandria, Virginia, and to accommodate the new system, both chancel and gallery consoles were refurbished, with the gallery organ console given the ability to play, through “blind pistons”, the full resources of the chancel organ. Significant alterations were made to the layout of the draw knobs and controls of the five manual chancel console.

In 2007 and early 2008, the Pearl Neugent Nordan Gallery Organ underwent significant mechanical renovation work, including rebuilding and cleaning the Handbell stop’s playing mechanism and the replacement of swell expression shades and motors. The chancel organ received four digitally produced 32’ stops and one 64’ stop, designed by the Walker Technical Company of Zionsville, PA, to replace the unsuccessful harmonic mixture stops installed by Möller.

The immediate future will see the addition of a new independent Solo division, increase and stabilization of wind pressures, the addition of several more ranks of pipes throughout the organ, the cleaning and revoicing of the chorus reed stops, and significant tonal refinement of the entire instrument.

The organ was prominently featured during the 2010 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists.

The organ is tuned monthly, and all tuning, maintenance, and restoration work is overseen by the firm of Lawless & Associates Pipe Organ Company in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, which include Irving Lawless, Cindy Bachtell, Trevor Timmons, and Daniel Chase.

This history of the organ includes information from program notes written by Dr. Lawrence Schreiber for the present organ’s dedication on April 14, 1985 and an article written by Dr. Schreiber for the November 1985 issue of The American Organist magazine.

National City Christian Church Chancel Organ Specification

* Digital voice by Walker Technical Company, Zionsville, Pennsylvania
† Pipework from 1930 E.M. Skinner organ