As part of our recent organ renovation—that included a brand-new console crafted by Orgues Létourneau of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec—much of our existing pipework was revoiced. A team from Greenleaf Organ Company was engaged to work on each of nearly 2,000 pipes to improve the overall sound quality of the instrument.
Various techniques were employed including increasing the cutup (making the opening at the base of the pipe taller), nicking the pipes (making a series of small cuts along the base of the opening), increasing or decreasing the size of the opening at the base of the pipe, and changing the position of the languid (a plate of metal or wood fixed horizontally that blocks the airway, except for a small slot)
The result is that the instrument has a more even, balanced, smoother, and pleasing tone.
Here are the experts who worked on our organ:
Samantha R. Koch
Samantha Koch is Organbuilder of well-rounded experience and expertise, with particular skills in voicing and a keen understanding of the technical design and operation of the pipe organ. Samantha is a graduate of the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma (U.S.A.) where she earned a master’s degree in both organ performance and organ technology. Equally facile in many elements of the organ-building craft, Samantha brings experience in tonal design, flue and reed voicing, woodworking/carving, pipe-making, action assembly/regulation, electrical components, installation, and tonal finishing. Prior to her leadership role in establishing the Greenleaf Organ Company, she practiced organ building with Quimby Pipe Organs for four years, where she worked in all departments, and continued her voicing tutelage under head voicer Eric Johnson. This was followed by a tenure at Orgues Létourneau during which she served as Head Voicer. A brilliant performer, Ms. Koch has concertized and held church positions across the United States and Europe. An active member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, she maintains an acute interest in the advancement of women and younger generations in the organ building profession.
Christopher A. Bono
Christopher Bono brings a wealth of expertise and experience as an Organbuilder who is equally adept across all disciplines of the craft, including practical and decorative woodworking, the understanding and design of mechanical actions, and voicing. During his childhood in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Chris was, as a part of a musical family, introduced to classical music from infancy, and developed a particular love for the music of Bach—an affinity which naturally led to the organ and a resulting strong curiosity about its construction. Following the completion of a music major at Bridgewater College in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Chris began his career at Taylor & Boody in 1988, where he spent thirty-four years in instrumental roles for projects such as the restoration of the 1797 and 1800 Tannenberg organs in Old Salem, North Carolina, the construction of the meantone organ in Marquand Chapel at Yale University, and the construction and voicing of Taylor & Boody’s magnum opus (IV/96) at Grace Church in New York. Alongside this, a large roster of work for independent clients have provided a depth of exposure that extends beyond mechanical action organs, as have joint ventures with other firms such as Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and Orgues Létourneau. In 2022, Chris became a founding partner in the Greenleaf Organ Company. He serves as music director and organist at St. Francis Roman Catholic Church in Staunton, Virginia, and Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church in Fort Defiance, Virginia.