The Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the
Organ Historical Society
welcomes you to our 2024 website!
Notice: This is the official new website of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society. Please do not visit the website at our former domain name of many years, as we no longer have control of it. (It will likely show up in a Google search.) An unknown third party is displaying copies of our former copyrighted web pages and content without our permission, and is posing as our former website, using our former domain name. You should be cautious of possible cyber security issues if you were to visit our former website.
Chicago-Midwest OHS
is always welcoming NEW members!
For more information and membership forms, click the button below.
About Us
The OHS celebrates, preserves, and studies the pipe organ in America in all its historical styles, through research, education, advocacy, and music. Founded in 1980, the Chicago-Midwest Chapter has grown in size and prominence and has hosted national OHS conventions in 1984, 2002, and 2012. The chapter typically hosts an organ tour in the Autumn and Spring to see and hear organs in several different churches throughout the Chicago Midwest area. We also publish “The Stopt Diapason”, our newsletter journal with much current information about our activities and historical pipe organs in the area.
Our Focus Areas for
Historical Pipe Organs:
Preservation
Advocacy
Celebration
Research
Education
Music
Member Testimonials
I enjoy the spring and fall organ crawls when we typically visit Chicago area churches. It is great to see and hear the instruments ably demonstrated by the resident organist or a chapter member. There is often time for others to play as well or to spend time admiring the architecture of the sanctuary. The organ’s specifications and history are also presented, and it is always a fulfilling day.
Bruce
I find there is much to enjoy and benefit from a membership in the Chicago Midwest Chapter of OHS. The annual chapter dues are kept low, helping make dual memberships in both OHS and AGO reasonably affordable. Chapter members are encouraged but not required to maintain a membership in the OHS national organization. A separate national membership helps support national structure and goals, including “The Tracker” (the national journal), an historical/archival library at headquarters, a national pipe organ database, discounts on attending the annual national convention and discounts on purchases of organ scores and CDs/DVDs from the OHS headquarters store.
Christine
I think the chapter’s “The Stopt Diapason” newsletter/journal is very informative. In it we find chapter news, organ stop lists, history and photographs, a schedule of upcoming concerts in the area, and more. You can research area organs discussed in past issues by reading issues available on the chapter website.
Steven
The annual combined organ crawls with the Chicago AGO chapter and OHS are always enjoyable. The larger group allows all attendees to ride together in a commercial motor coach to each church . We also remain together for a filling box lunch and plenty of socializing. The organ demonstrations are always interesting, and it is great to see and hear the historic instruments.
Br. Ben
The Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society is a nonprofit organization
registered in the state of Ilinois. All officers and board members are unpaid volunteers.
Additional History
A Farewell Celebration Recital
Our Chapter learned of the planned closing by June 30, 2021 of the St. Ignatius R.C. parish located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. In celebration of their four manual George Kilgen & Son pipe organ (Opus 3319, 1924), the Chapter sponsored a member’s recital on this historical instrument on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. before an enthusiastic audience.
Organists Carole Prendergast, Stephen Schnurr, Derek Nickels, and Robert Woodworth (pictured L-R) presented a varied and memorable recital, ably demonstrating the full range of this historical pipe organ and the acoustical majesty of St. Ignatius.
Watch the video recording of the entire recital at the following link:
St. Ignatius – CMWOHS recital video
View the full printed program at the following link:
St. Ignatius Recital Program – 2 pages
The Kilgen pipe organ is located in the rear choir/organ gallery. The Great division is in the center of the organ facade. Above the Great is the Choir division. The Solo division is to the left and the Swell division is to the right. The console is located under the large painting in a small alcove.
Two views of the George Kilgen & Son pipe organ console Opus 3319, 1924.
The complete specification list of this historical instrument is at the link below.
Read more about early St. Ignatius history, the building’s architectural elements, the earliest pipe organ, the present Kilgen organ’s history, and the Deagan tower chimes at the following link.
A Celebration of the M.P. Moller at Epworth UMC
The Celebration: Our Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the OHS learned of the impending sale of the historic Epworth United Methodist Church building in Chicago, likely to occur in November 2021. In celebration of its historic M.P. Moller pipe organ, chapter president Derek Nickels quickly planned an “open console” event for members to play or listen to the instrument on Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. Unknown to chapter members, the church had advertised the event as a “free organ concert today at 3pm”, and as a result over 40 people attended on the stormy and rainy afternoon. Organists Charlie Carpenter, Christine Kraemer, Ryan Mueller, Derek Nickels, and Beth Palmer (from Epworth) all played to a very appreciative audience. Detailed information about the instrument appears below.
The historic Epworth United Methodist Church building, located at the southeast corner of North Kenmore and West Berwyn Avenues in the Edgewater Beach neighborhood of Chicago is being sold this fall 2021. Housed in its sanctuary is the historic 1930 M.P. Moller opus 5881 pipe organ, also known as the Barnes Organ (of William H. Barnes fame). This instrument was featured in recital at the 2002 National Organ Historical Society Convention in Chicago and received a rare National OHS Citation (#327) as an organ of historical significance in 2005.
Although the organ was built by M.P. Moller, Inc of Hagerstown, Md, the specifications were drawn by William H. Barnes, who also supervised the tonal finishing. The 1931 dedicatory program reads:
“The main organ tonally is adapted primarily to the services of the church, where a fine ensemble and solid, dignified tone are most essential. In addition, there are sufficient orchestral voices to make the organ effective for recital and concert purposes.”
The organ is enclosed in three independent expression chambers, Swell, Great, and Choir with the pedal divided between the three chambers. A three manual plus pedal console is located in the chancel choir loft.
The Choir division of the organ also speaks into the adjacent chapel through a separate tonal opening and is under expression. The choir stops are divided across a two manual console with pedal.
A detailed history, organ specifications with pipe scales, information about the OHS citation and additional photographs are found in the following PDF excerpts from our journal, The Stopt Diapason.
(Click the underlined link to open the PDF.)
- History and Detailed Specifications – five pages (scroll down) TSD087-pp16-20
- Reception of the OHS Citation Award TSD088-p4
- Close-up photos of the organ console TSD0147-p5
- Historical exterior photos of the Epworth Building TSD0147-p1
Dr. William H. Barnes (1892-1980), who drew the specifications for the instrument and supervised the tonal finishing, is probably most famous for his extensive standard reference book, The Contemporary American Organ. In his day, he was in substantial demand as a consultant for organ design and installations and was often a dedication recitalist for organs he designed. As a Chicago area resident, he became the first honorary member of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the OHS, soon after the chapter was first organized. Read more about Dr. Barnes in the following PDF excerpts from some of our earliest issues of our chapter journal, The Stopt Diapason.
(Click the underlined link to open the PDF.)
- Dr. Barnes elected as an honorary member (April 1980) TSD002-p2
- A Tribute to William H. Barnes (June 1981) three pages (scroll down) TSD009-pp1-3
- Barnes/Skinner Letters (June 1982) TSD015-p33
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The Chicago-Midwest Chapter of The Organ Historical Society
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