St. Mark's History
Zimmer Pipe Organ - 1983
This narrative was taken from the Organ Dedication Recital, February 20, 1983
History
Every congregation involved in building a suitable house of worship must soon come to grips with the decisions regarding the nature of worship and the elements required to meet those goals. Following Luther's teachings and example, the Lutheran Church has long been a singing church, placing music high on the list of priorities along with theology and the proclamation of God's Word.
In line with this commitment of worshiping God with music it was suggested during the planning stages for St. Mark's new church building that the aging organ be replaced with a new pipe organ.
The Norris Foundation of St. Charles responded with a gift for that purpose. Upon completion of the new building in 1978, St. Mark's members, Mr. and Mrs. William Fisher, duplicated the original Norris gift, getting the organ fund off to a strong start. During the months that followed, St. Mark's members generously contributed the major portion of the monies needed to purchase and install the new instrument, including the gift of the Zimblestern and star in memory of Elizabeth Spiess, and the blower and wind supply in memory of Rev. Richard Walther. This installation culminates a year long 75th anniversary celebration for St. Mark's.
The Instrument
The inspiration for both the tonal design and casework lies in the rich baroque organ building traditions of Northern Europe in the 17th century. The pipework is exposed in a free standing case that blends and projects the sounds of the classically voiced pipes. The tracker action mechanically connects the keys to the wind values beneath the pipes giving the organist a sensitive, intimate control of the pipe speech. The finest historic principals of organ design are combined with modern materials and techniques to produce a fine long lasting instrument with full rich tonal resources.
Great Organ
Division
1
16' Pommer
8' Principal
8' Barduen
4' Octave
4' Spitz-Gedackt
II Quartan
IV Mixtur
8' Trompete
Chor to Great
Chor Organ
Division 2
(Under Expression)
8' Rohrgedackt
4' Harfenprincipal
4' Koppelfloete
2' Blockflote
II Kornett
IV Scharf
8' Trichter Dulzian
Tremulant
Pedal Organ
Division
3
16 'Subbass
8' Offenbass
5 1/3' Bassquinte
4' Choralbass
II Mixtur
II Rauschbass
16' Holzposaune
4' Fagott
Great to Pedal
Chor to Pedal
Zimbelstern
Each of the Three Divisions contains a complement of reeds; in the Great Organ it is the Trompete, in the Chor Organ it is the Trichter Dulzian and in the Pedal Organ it is the Holzposane and Fagott.
Similarly, each division also contains a mixture, that is, several sets of pipes voiced to speak together to add a brilliance and fullness necessary to support singing. The Harfenprincipal found in the Chor Organ is a particularly good background for Choral singing with its "stringy" sound.
Of particular interest because of their rarity are the Spitz-Gedackt with its gentle but clear and definite tone and the Holzposaune, reed pipes whose wooden resonators produce a deep rich tone.
The Rausch effect in the voices is represented in the Great Organ by the 8' Barduen and the II Quartan (2 2/3 + 2') and in the Pedal Organ by the 4' Choral bass with the II Rauschbass (1 1/3 + 1'). In the Pedal this combination is used for melody lines. The Chor Organ can produce the Faberton effect by using the 2' Blockflote with the 8' Rhorgedackt and the Kornett effect by combining the II Kornett (2 2/3 + 1 3/5) with the 8' Rhorgedackt and the 4' Koppelfloete.
The Builder
The new organ was built by W. Zimmer & Sons, Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Zimmer family's roots in organ building go back many generations in Europe.
Wilhelm Zimmer and his sons, Franz and Ben, brought their wealth of experience and knowledge gained in Germany, Holland and South Africa to the United States in 1964.
The entire family became naturalized American citizens in 1969. The Zimmer reputation spread quickly and our organ is the 293rd instrument of their making in the United States.
The Designer
The consultant/designer for our organ was Dr. Paul Bunjes. Past chairman of the music department at Concordia College, River Forest, he is professor of organ design and music theory.
A graduate of Valparaiso University, he has received a masters degree from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Bunjes has designed over 100 pipe organs for churches, colleges, and university chapels in the United States and Canada. He is a prolific composer and author who has recently edited the new Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.