St. Augustine’s House is a Lutheran monastery on a “natural beauty road” in northern Oakland County. There is a beautiful chapel which had an electric action pipe organ built by Fr. James Serrick, SJ. Organist Daniel Susan and David Wigton searched for years for a tracker-action instrument that would better suit the liturgies in the chapel. An organ builder friend, Richard Swanson of Grand Ledge, had removed a Berghaus tracker from a church in Midland, Michigan. That church had changed worship styles and no longer was using the organ. When we found out about it, we began to check into its suitability for rebuilding it for the monastery. There were several stops missing or only prepared-for, but the appearance and size proved to be ideal for its new home.

Built in 1975 by Berghaus of Chicago, the organ had been built with the Werkprinzip concept in mind; it had an 8′ Principal in the Pedal, a 4′ Principal in the Hauptwerk and a 2′ Principal in the Brustwerk. Pipework was voiced with low wind pressures and low cutups, and the available pipes were very suitable for its new usage. We provided a new 4′ in the front of the Great, a new 2′ Gemshorn and stock pipes for the Cornet and the 8′ RohrGedackt.

We converted the Brustwerk to a Swell, and provided a balanced pedal, linkage and walnut Swell shades. An 8′ Dulciana (which shares a bass with the Gedackt) came from the former organ of another monastery, and a revoiced 8′ Rohrschalmei went right behind the Swell shades where it can be easily tuned.

The Pedal was missing its facade, so we added 12 new pipes of aluminum to the front. The Pedal 16′ Subbass was taking up all the remaining room on the chest, so we relocated and tubed off the smaller pipes above where there was plenty of room. This allowed space for the prepared-for 4′ Choral Bass and the 16′ Dulzian.

The stop action was refurbished, with new engraved drawknobs. The key action also needed re-doing, with new aluminum trackers for the Great. We provided tremulants for both the Swell and the Great, and a quiet blower and reservoir to go behind the organ. We designed new pipeshades above the front pipes; these were built by Father Jude, an accomplished woodworker who was a monastery resident. We also provided a zimbelstern with a gold-leafed star. A replacement pedalboard and bench completed the organ.

STOPLIST

Great
  8′ Rohrgedackt 56 pipes Bass from Berghaus, rest from stock Casavant
  4′ Principal 56 pipes New spotted metal
  2′ Gemshorn 56 pipes New spotted metal
  Cornet II 88 Pipes From Berghaus Gemshorn and stock
  Mixture III 168 Pipes Regulated, new tuning slides

Swell
  8′ Holzgedackt 56 pipes Regulated
  8′ Dulciana tc 44 pipes Regulated, new tuning slides
  4′ Harmonic Flute 56 pipes Regulated, new tuning slides
  2′ Principal 56 pipes Regulated, new tuning slides
  8′ Rohrschalmei 56 pipes Revoiced from stock
  Tremulant

Pedal
 16′ Subbass 32 pipes Regulated, trebles relocated above
  8′ Principal 32 pipes 1-12 new aluminum, rest revoiced
  4′ Choralbass 32 pipes Revoiced stock pipes, new tuning slides
 16′ Dulzian 32 pipes Revoiced, Cassavant Pipes

Couplers
 Sw/Gt, Sw/Pd, Gt/Pd on hitchdowns

 Zimbelstern, bells and star: on toe stud

Totals
  14 stops,
  17 ranks,
  820 pipes

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