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SOUND INSPIRATION FOR THE WORSHIP SPACE
Hearing is Believing. Our Acousticians and Acoustical Engineers are nationally respected authorities on
acoustical environments for churches of all sizes, shapes, and denominations. No two congregations are identical;
our advanced acoustical modeling software allows us to strategically place sound-reflection, absorption, and diffusion
features in quantities and locations that support and enhance the specific worship style of each church. Every project is
acoustically tested and verified to ensure a successful outcome.
As we are not the representatives of any acoustical material manufacturer, sound system equipment supplier,
or building contractor, we are able to consult and advise in an objective manner with only the best interests of our clients in mind.
We are faithful to one goal: creating an acoustic environment that enlivens worship through the dynamic expression of
speech and music.
Acoustical Consulting Services Include:
- Acoustics Design for the Architectural Form and Interior Finishes
- Acoustical Testing, Analysis, and Evaluation of Existing Spaces
- Reverberation Time across frequency spectrum.
- Ambient Noise Levels across frequency spectrum
- Speech Intelligibility, Clarity
- Acoustic Tone Projection & Distribution
- Sound Transmission from Outdoors & Adjacent Spaces
- Chancel & Music Area Design
- Noise Control Engineering (Soundproofing)
- Organ Chamber and Site Preparation Design
- Audio (Sound) System Design Consultation
- Audio (Sound) System Evaluation and Training
- Video System Design
Architectural Services Include:
- Drawing conversion from paper to AutoCAD
- Development of AutoCAD Drawings for existing spaces
- Pipe Organ Facade Design
Acoustical Consulting Services Include:


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Cathedral of St.
John the Evangelist
(Roman Catholic)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Formerly, St. John Cathedral had a traditional long
center aisle with fixed pews, and a forward Sanctuary
with a baldachin covered altar, as well as a free-standing
altar. The very small rear balcony contained a 4
manual electric action Noehren pipe organ, with little
remaining space for choir singers or instrumentalists.
Floors and walls were hard surface terrazzo and marble,
and the ceiling deck was a moderately sound absorbing
composition tile material. A large and unsightly
sound system speaker cluster was suspended from the
forward ceiling.
The liturgical renewal of the space included the
positioning of a single central altar, a baptismal
font and pool near the main entrance, a single ambo
for proclamation of the word, and movable chair seating
for the assembly. The former forward Sanctuary is
now the music ministry plaza, with adequate space
for cantor, organ case and console, choir singers,
piano, and instrumentalists. A new Nichols and Simpson
encased organ is placed at the front of the room,
at the Apse/former Sanctuary, behind the choir singers.
The new four manual “front” console controls
both the Apse and balcony organs. Three digital line-array
sound system speakers serve the entire space from
discrete locations aside columns, and the ceiling
deck has been hardened. | Top | Home | |


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St Andrew's Chapel
Sanford, Florida
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Designers, Pipe Organ Consultants
This new building, of historic Gothic inspiration, but constructed of entirely modern materials, has arches,
columns, vaults, transepts, and clerestory windows. The architects designed a steel superstructure, and clad it
with pre-formed and composite newly developed materials. Our acoustical task was to create a very classic room for
natural, non-electronically reinforced choral, organ and instrumental music with a generous, even, and warm reverberation
period. This was achieved with the use of primarily hard, dense, sound reflective and reinforcing materials and treatments.
Hard composite material finishes, multiple layers of dense wall components, sealed surface textures, and diffuse, multi-faceted
surface forms and profiles were employed throughout the space. Hard tile, wood, and brick flooring, along with closely spaced
structural framing, angled and diffusive wall and ceiling geometries have all been incorporated into this classically styled new
building. Further, the building is fully equipped with state of the art sound and video system components. The nave's sound
system delivers clear, intelligible speech to worshippers in every corner of the vast, live room. Complete sound and video
recording, mixing, and broadcast technologies have been provided to facilitate the many media based education and ministry
programs of this dynamic congregation.
| Top | Home | |


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Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church
Louisville, Kentucky
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Design Consultants
Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church was a basically functional worship environment, but lacked adequate flexible space for musicians and worship leaders.
Further, the room suffered from uninspiring acoustics that did not enhance music or hymn singing participation. Side wall and ceiling wood trusses
obstructed tone projection, while carpeted floors and the softwood ceiling deck absorbed important sound energy. The remodeled space includes hared
floor surfaces and sound reflective and diffusing reinforced gypsum board diffusers added between the ceiling trusses. Real sounding facade pipes
were added to the organ, and the Chancel music and liturgical space is enlarged with flexible furnishings.
| Top | Home | |


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St. Jerome Catholic Church
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Designers, Pipe Organ Consultants
"We want our new church to 'look like a church'"; this was one of the primary design parameters that governed Groth Design Group Architects
in the planning of the new large St. Jerome worship space. Indeed, this traditionally styled and proportioned room, outfitted with modern
technologies, is a modern "classic". Columns, colonnades, rose windows, and tracery abound. The hard surfaced paint stenciled walls and ceiling,
and herringbone pattern marble floors result in a "live" acoustical environment that encouraged congregational song. The traditional upper rear
choir loft and encased Berghaus electric-slider wind chest organ facilitate a creative liturgical music program. The organ also features an Antiphonal
division at the Sanctuary for small group and Cantor accompaniment. The sound system has multiple speakers nestled amongst ceiling trusses, aimed
to delivery clear speech to all seating locations.
| Top | Home | |


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Martin Luther College Chapel of the Christ
New Ulm, Minnesota
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Design Consultants
The Martin Luther College Chapel has been designed to serve many and various campus functions. Primarily, it is the main site for Worship,
but concerts, lectures, symposiums, and a variety of other college events happen within the space. A large encased Schantz
pipe organ is placed just behind the tiered choir risers that are embraced with sound reflective and diffusing "band shell"
type walls. Musical and liturgical sound is reinforced and enhanced by the generous reverberation period (above 2.0 Seconds)
that results from the stiffened gypsum board walls and ceilings, along with hard tile flooring. Sound diffusing wall profiles
and wood wall insert details diffuse reflected tone to become both balanced and enveloping. The selection of structural features
and materials, and the design of the mechanical systems prevent interruption from unwanted background noise.
Keys to the acoustical success of the room are its large cubic air volume, "long axis" location of choir and organ, and use of
hard, dense, sound reflective materials, all within a modern expression of classic architectural forms and principles.
| Top | Home | |


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Moorings Presbyterian Church
Naples, Florida
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Designers, Pipe Organ Consultants
Moorings Presbyterian congregation has built an inspiring all new worship space. The former building, with low ceilings, carpeted floors,
and an imitation organ, lacked the dynamic vitality that the new room exemplifies. The new Nichols & Simpson organ is placed in
commodious chambers with encased facades on the long axis of the room. The James Boughton architects seamlessly integrated sound
reflective and diffusing forms into the architecture. There are only modest areas of carpet, with all other surfaces hard and sound
reflective. The resulting over 2.0 Second reverberation period enhances music and supports clear speech via the ceiling mounted,
distributed speaker sound system. Attendance rates during worship vary significantly across the year, due to the influx of
"northern snow birds" during the high season. Therefore, retractable sound absorbing curtains and alterable sound system programming
can shift the room's acoustical environment, depending on the occupancy rates.
| Top | Home | |


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St. Andrew Lutheran Church
Franklin, Tennessee
Roles: Acoustician, Acoustical Engineers, Sound System Design Consultants
The all new worship space at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church is a traditionally conceived space; long, tall, narrow, cruciform, with
a "center aisle" congregational seating layout. Choir and organ are located behind the Chancel and Altar at the front, on the long axis
of the room. This classic room form and layout is ideal for traditional musical styles and liturgies.
The re-purposed Aeolian-Skinner organ (from the former Episcopal Cathedral in Kalamazoo, Michigan) stands in a tall case, above and behind
the choir singers. The choir area has ensemble oriented tiered risers, along with space for instrumentalists.
Room finishes include multiple gypsum board layered dense walls for sound reflection and reinforcement.
Hard surface flooring, a sealed, hard-wood ceiling deck, and discrete upper rear wall absorbers (to temper unwanted hard echo reflections)
all combine to produce a reverberation period that enhances music and fosters robust participation in hymns and liturgy by the congregation.
| Top | Home | |

Christ Church, Episcopal (show)
Christ Church, Episcopal (hide)

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Christ Church, Episcopal
Exeter, New Hampshire
Christ Church, Episcopal
is a Prairie-style room, with a square floor plan and
pyramidal peaked ceiling. The soft wood-exposed ceiling
system, porous plaster walls and partially carpeted
floor diminished the quality of speech, music and liturgical
participation. The failing organ was a collection of
used parts from various sources. Pipes were in a sound
restrictive chamber behind the altar space and choir
singers were located in a corner of the room.
The redesigned setting by
Solomon & Bauer Architects, Inc. now provides acoustical
space that supports speech, music and liturgy. Wall
and ceiling surfaces are now hard, sound reflective
and diffusive. The floor is concrete and hardwood.
The liturgical space has been reoriented with the altar
now beneath the high point of the ceiling. Choir singers
are centrally located, and the new Lively and Fulcher
electric action pipe organ is fully encased.
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The Lutheran School of Theology (show)
The Lutheran School of Theology (hide)
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The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
The former chapel design
featured an amphitheater-bowl architectural arrangement.
Worshippers entered the room at the high rear perimeter
walls and descended down steep stairs into tiered
pews, curved around, and looking down upon a small
central chancel. The space doubled as a lecture hall
and had carpeted floors, concrete walls and a ceiling “open
to structure”. A piano was the primary musical
instrument.
The entire amphitheater-bowl
form was removed to reveal a large shoebox-shaped
architectural space. Cone-Kalb-Wonderlick Architects
of Chicago conceived the entirely flexible liturgical
room; a flat floor allows the placement of the movable
altar, ambo and chair seating into any orientation
desired for the various liturgies celebrated at the
Seminary. A permanent flowing water font was placed
in the gathering plaza. Acoustical detailing
includes sound reflective and diffusing plaster wall
features, a rigid, sound reflective, suspended hardwood
ceiling grid and slate flooring. The new sound system
accommodates varied seating and speaking locations
in the room. The encased mechanical action organ
by Michael Bigelow is at the end of the long axis
of the room and features a stop-list large enough
for a wide range of musical styles. | Top | Home | |
First Presbyterian Church (show)
First Presbyterian Church (hide)

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First Presbyterian Church
Wausau,Wisconsin
This worship space had many characteristics that made
musical blend, congregational response, clarity of
the spoken work, and choral projection difficult. These
characteristics included carpeted floors, an acoustically
tiled ceiling, sound restrictive organ chambers, failing
organ mechanisms.
Additionally, the original choir location was in
a small balcony at the front of the church, above
the chancel. This was an unsafe and spatially inflexible
choir loft.
In order to improve this situation, the total amount
of carpeting was reduced, and the ceiling deck was
hardened. The choir was relocated from the front
balcony to an enlarge choir / chancel “plaza” elevated
at the front of the main floor. This allowed for
greater flexibility for the music program. A new
sound system includes modestly sized speakers high
along the center axis of the room.
The three manual Schlicker organ was designed to
be durable, long lasting, and to have a variety of
tonal colors for the wide scope of protestant American
worship music. | Top | Home | |
St. Mark's Lutheran Church (show)
St. Mark's Lutheran Church (hide)
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St. Mark's Lutheran Church
Asheville,North Carolina
The well proportioned architecture of St. Mark's
Lutheran Church suffered from a poor acoustical environment
and an inadequately placed, decaying organ. The room
contained both sound absorbing carpeted floors and
a porous ceiling. The divided Chancel choir seating
arrangement restricted musical flexibility. Worn
out organ pipes and parts from various sources were
trapped in a deep side chamber with restrictive tone
openings.
The acoustical improvements and liturgical renovation
of the church included a new Martin Ott mechanical
action pipe organ placed on the long axis of the
room, and an altar, font, and ambo placed closer
to the congregation. Ample space, risers and flexible
seating are provided for the choir. Flooring throughout
the room is now primarily sound reflective hardwood,
with only a modest center aisle runner of carpet.
The ceiling surfaces have been hardened and a new
sound system projects the spoken word. | Top | Home | |
St. Matthew Lutheran Church (show)
St. Matthew Lutheran Church (hide)


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St. Matthew Lutheran Church Wauwatosa,Wisconsin
Formerly, St. Matthew Lutheran Church was a modest
sized worship space with a traditional long center
aisle, a Chancel with a “front wall” altar,
and a balcony that held a medium sized choir and
an aging pipe organ in a remote chamber. Floors were
carpeted, and the ceiling was made of thin, sound
transmitting composition wood panels. A dynamic Pastoral
and music staff at the church fostered increases
in church attendance and choir/music program participation.
The revitalized worship environment now has a nearly
doubled seating capacity. There are a central, free-standing
altar, marble inlaid floors, plaster ceilings, a
tiered music plaza large enough for choral and instrumental
groups together, a state of the art sound system,
and a new encased organ with enchamade trumpets and
a French terraced console. The acoustically live
and flexible worship space facilitates creative worship
and is a venue that draws a large concert following
as well. | Top | Home | |
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (show)
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (hide)
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Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The former organ, failing due to age and wear,
along with a spatially restrictive choir balcony and a non-supportive
acoustical environment, necessitated a program of improvement for the
congregation. Closets and a small audio room were removed from the balcony
to redesign and enlarge the choir seating plaza for the church’s
growing music ministry. A new sound-transmitting balcony railing
was installed to prevent the obstruction of choir and organ music to
worshippers at the first floor level. Hard floors (with footfall
noise attenuating features in the subfloor) are provided throughout the
room, along with a quieted HVAC system. A new Dobson mechanical action
organ with a detached console and electric stop control is located in
an innovative case at the center rear of the balcony.
| Top | Home | |
First Congregational United Church of Christ (show)
First Congregational United Church of Christ (hide)
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First Congregational United Church of Christ Sheboygan, Wisconsin
While the overall geometric
form of the worship space formed a potentially worthy
acoustical environment, the thickly carpeted floors,
softwood chancel walls and sawtooth ceiling profile
all diminished the quality and projection of sound
within the room. The aging and decaying organ, relocated
from a previous building, was installed into a cloth
covered rear chamber.
Acoustical improvements
included the redesign of the plaster ceiling profile
to facilitate the projection and diffusion of musical
sound from the choir balcony, the use of hard flooring
throughout, and new hardwood chancel wall panels.
The Schantz organ is designed into the upper rear
chamber now with a façade of speaking pipes
that features en chamade solo trumpets. The former
Antiphonal organ division in the chancel area has
also been re-engaged.
| Top | Home | |
First Presbyterian Church (show)
First Presbyterian Church (hide)
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First Presbyterian Church
Fargo, North Dakota
The main worship space at First Presbyterian
Church is a large Gothic style room; long, tall,
narrow with a central aisle, vaulted arches, choir
singers at the upper chancel and a large organ chamber,
fronted with a carved wood lattice, at the front
of the room. The entire ceiling deck is surfaced
with sound absorbing fiberboard that visually simulates
stone tiles. The aging and decaying organ was poorly
scaled and voiced for the challenging acoustical
environment.
When finances allow, the
ceiling deck will be replaced with hard, sound reflective
material; the reverberation period will then be increased
to a level that will enhance music and congregational
participation in hymns and liturgy. The new Schantz
organ, placed high within the front chamber, enjoys
excellent placement on the long axis of the room
and is scaled and voiced to project and blend tone
well into the current room. Organ tone will further
bloom when the ceiling is rendered sound reflective.
| Top | Home | |
Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church (show)
Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church (hide)

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Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church
Racine, Wisconsin
The unique architecture
of this church created a challenge to achieving a
typically desirable acoustical environment. The low
ceiling height with exposed structure, overall circular
geometric form, and angled glass perimeter wall do
not facilitate a "live" reverberant space.
The steeply sloped carpeted floor, diminutive structural
elements and open ramp circulation halls further
diminish the acoustical presence. The lack of a designated
choir/instrument area with a flat floor also limited
the flexible use of the space. The undersized and
failing organ was installed into a chamber behind
the altar, with some portions placed within closets
reclaimed from adjoining offices.
While a "live" reverberation
period cannot be achieved within a building of this
geometric form, improvements were achieved. Sound
energy is now projected evenly throughout the room,
and absorption diminished. The ceiling deck
was refitted with sound reflective decks to close
off the sound-trapping exposed structure. Some regions
of carpeting were converted to hard flooring, and
sound reflective and diffusing wall sections were
built adjoining the choir and organ spaces. A dedicated
choir and instrument space with tiered floor levels
was also built. A functional organ chamber, composed
of reinforced gypsum board walls and ceiling, was
also provided. It is large enough to contain a suitable
organ, and configured to reflect and project tone
into the nave. The Buzard Organ Company provided
an electric slider action organ for the room, voiced
to blend tone and built to blend into the multiple
curved architectural geometries of the room. | Top | Home | |
Bishop Spencer Place Chapel (show)
Bishop Spencer Place Chapel (hide)
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Bishop Spencer Place Chapel
Kansas City, Missouri
This project involved planning for a new Episcopal
retirement home chapel environment and new organ.
Acoustics were designed to be optimal for both speech
and music, with special concern given to the needs
of the hearing-impaired. Strengthened gypsum board
wall & ceiling, hardwood floors, and tall ceiling
geometries contribute to the favorable acoustics.
The organ was designed within the framework of the
multim in parvo concept; that is "much in little".
Jack M. Bethards, President of the Schoenstein Organ
Company writes:
Because of the size of the chapel and the need
for maximum versatility, we decided to put both Great
and Swell under expression. Since the bass pipes
of the Open Diapason would not fit comfortably in
the Swell box, we placed them in display but provided
two separate knobs to draw the Open Diapason in order
to avoid the problem of a big break in loudness at
tenor C should the box be closed. The firm bass of
the Lieblich Gedeckt serves well to underpin the
Open Diapason when it is played under expression.
The extended 16' flute stop is made of four
different types of pipes. Given the size of the room
and the chapel's musical requirements, we decided
that a celeste to the Dulciana (Unda-Maris) would
be more useful than a narrow unison string.
The most important element of this tiny stoplist
is the Trumpet under double expression. We have used
double expression with great success on several large
instruments. I felt that it might have even more
utility in a small one. This has proved to be true.
The Trumpet, with tapered shallots, is very boldly
voiced. It is in its own box, speaking into the main
one. This extra degree of dynamic control allows
it to play as soft as a capped oboe with the shades
closed and then to crescendo a dramatic amount, becoming
a very powerful chorus reed dominating the ensemble,
admirably leading congregational singing or serving
as a solo stop. This six-rank organ has a full-Swell
effect of real grandeur. | Top | Home | |
Church of the Resurrection (show)
Church of the Resurrection (hide)
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Church of the Resurrection
Wichita, Kansas
This project presented the opportunity to optimize
the acoustics for a completely new facility. The
client desired a traditional cruciform room shape
with the music space in the front. A particular challenge
in this design was to allow organ tone to reach the
main part of the nave, given that the organ was placed
in a side transept. The choir / music area was designed
to be flexible for the various musical ensembles
that utilize the space. Primarily, hard materials
were used to create acoustics that are friendly to
both music and spoken word.
The Berghaus organ was designed with a wide tonal
palette across two manuals and pedal. In order to
achieve desired durability, sound quality and flexibility,
a detached and electric slider chests
were employed. | Top | Home | |
First English Lutheran Church (show)
First English Lutheran Church (hide)


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First English Lutheran Church
Whitewater, Wisconsin
The project involved the re-design and renovation
of an existing space and replacement of a failing
electro-pneumatic organ. There were several acoustical
deficiencies in the church including excessive carpeting,
soft ceilings, and a choir space in a completely
different area than the organ. The original organ
spoke from chambers into the chancel, and did not
project in to the nave.
Our recommendations included a tile floor for the
chancel, a hardened ceiling, and moving of the choir
space. The new Holtkamp organ now speaks down the
long axis of the nave with the choir directly below.
From the dedication booklet –
"Our goal was to provide an instrument and liturgical / acoustical environment
which would provide for more devotional, inspirational, and exciting worship.
This building, of commodious original design integrity, now offers an even fuller,
richer service to the congregation. The resonant organ case has been built of
historical wood cabinetry, blending with the visual design of space. The location
of organ pipes on the front central axis of the room now allows blended tonal
projection, balanced to the acoustics of the room. The acoustical environment
itself has been 'brightened' with more sound reflecting surfaces,
giving improved reverberance for organ, choir and congregational singing. Martin
Luther's concept of a central altar table, closer to the congregation,
has been achieved fro more intimate and communicative liturgy. The mechanical
action 'tracker' organ, now enhances worship with warm and clear
tone; it will do so for many generations due to its long lasting design and workmanship." | Top | Home | |
First Presbyterian Church (show)
First Presbyterian Church (hide)

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First Presbyterian Church
Rochester, Minnesota
This project had a number of acoustical deficiencies
including lack of musical blend, poor projection
of choir and organ tone, difficulties in congregational
response in hymns and service music, less than desirable
speech clarity, and unreliable organ service.
These problems were caused by the presence of excessive
sound absorbing materials (acoustical tile ceiling
and carpeted flooring), poor placement of organ pipes,
a decaying organ mechanism, and an antiquated sound
system.
Excellent musical rendition and speech clarity along
with full-bodied participation by the congregation
in the Service has been achieved by raising reverberation
time. This was accomplished through the use of sound
reflective ceiling and flooring materials, by seating
the choir on the long axis of the room, and through
the use of a new sound system specifically designed
for the renovated environment.
The new Casavant organ has its primary divisions
encased on the long axis of the room with accompanimental
divisions placed in acoustically enhanced side chambers. | Top | Home | |
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (show)
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (hide)

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Grace Lutheran Church building is an excellent
historic example of Victorian Gothic architecture.
While there have been some alterations to the structure
over the years, recent restoration and updating projects
have maintained the original architectural style.
Acoustical improvements include the re-creation
of the original pulpit canopy/sound reflector, hard
surfaced simulated marble flooring under pews and
in aisles for increased reverberance, and a re-organized
choir/music loft with safety railings and space for
instrumentalists.
The old organ suffered from the effects of deteriorated
leathers, a failing electrical system, and damaged
pipe-work. The "new" organ retains the
historic casework, some of the older façade
pipes, and many restored interior ranks. The remaining
façade pipes have been built to blend with
the historic façade, and new, durable slider
windchests, solid-state electrical systems, and a
movable draw-knob console have also been provided. | Top | Home | |
Hope United Church of Christ (show)
Hope United Church of Christ (hide)

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Hope United Church of Christ
St. Louis, Missouri
This handsome building contained an excessive amount
of sound absorbing material in the form of fully
carpeted floors and a "celotex" ceiling
deck. The choir and aging electronic organ console
were located in a sound restrictive side transept,
with the organ speakers in chambers flanking the
altar.
Our goals were to enliven the room for worship participation
and music, bring choir and organ together in an appropriate
location, and to design a durable, artistic instrument.
Carpets have been largely replaced with hardwood
flooring. The ceiling is now sound reflective, and
choir and organ are together on the central axis
of the room. The modest size, yet world-class Harrison & Harrison
organ speaks from new cases where the former speaker
chambers had been. | Top | Home | |
St. Catherine Episcopal Church (show)
St. Catherine Episcopal Church (hide)
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St. Catherine Episcopal Church
Temple Terrace, Florida
We had the welcome opportunity to design both the
architectural/acoustical environment and the new
organ for this vibrant congregation. The traditional
long and tall geometric form, marble and ceramic
tile flooring, and hardened splayed walls and ceiling
all combine to result in a 2.0 Second reverberation
period that supports liturgical worship. The modest
size Sipe organ, with select duplex stops, fills
the room from the central axis position in the Chancel. | Top | Home | |
St. James Episcopal Church (show)
St. James Episcopal Church (hide)
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St. James Episcopal Church
Hendersonville, North Carolina
The previous chancel design of this church featured
an organ buried in deep chambers. With the renovation
of the sanctuary, the opportunity was available to
improve the organ's location. The altar and
pulpit were moved closer to the congregation, and
a new choir seating area was created. The organ is
now located in shallow chambers and matching casework
on either side of the chancel.
The acoustic problems of this church were addressed
in a unique manner. Through cooperation with the
architect and contractor, the structure of the ceiling
was made more reflective and dense through the use
of a special expandable insulation. New slate flooring
was also installed. The result is a space that is
excellent in its support of liturgical participation
and the grand "English Cathedral" sound
of the Harrison & Harrison Organ.
From the Harrison & Harrison Organ Company:
The city of Hendersonville is situated in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, 100 miles west
of Charlotte. St James's Episcopal Church was dedicated
in 1863, and has been enlarged several times since
then, in the English Gothic style. It is a lofty
building with seats for 250. The most recent work
in the church included a remarkable improvement in
the acoustics, under the guidance of the consultant
Scott Riedel.
The two matching oak cases, bracketed out on either
side of the chancel, were designed by Didier Grassin,
suitably echoing the nineteenth-century work of the
English designer and organbuilder Dr Arthur Hill.
The south case contains the enclosed Choir Organ;
the remainder is all within the north case, including
the copper Orchestral Trumpet on 10-inch wind pressure.
The organ is as expressive as it is eye-catching. In many ways it is
typical of Harrison Romantic instruments: for example, the Swell and
pedal chorus reeds have English closed shallots and are voiced on 6-inch
wind pressure.
The organ has 44 stops on three manuals; the console
is detached and mobile. Electro- pneumatic action
is accompanied by traditional slider chests and reservoirs. | Top | Home | |
St. Peter's United Church of Christ (show)
St. Peter's United Church of Christ (hide)

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St. Peter's United Church of Christ
Kiel, Wisconsin
St. Peter's United Church of Christ is a building
of worthwhile size and proportion but certain features
compromised the acoustical space. The ceiling was
made of sound absorbing acoustical tile and the floor
was covered primarily with carpet. A divided chancel
choir seating arrangement did not the meet the needs
of the church's various vocal and bell choirs.
The previous organ was located in a right side chamber
that did not project sound directly into the nave.
While much of the pipe work was valuable, the electrical
and pneumatic (leather) actions were decaying.
The liturgical and acoustical improvements included
an altar, font and pulpit placed closer to the congregation.
A new Reuter electric slider organ is placed on the
long axis of the room. The organ contains a significant
number of original pipes restored from the previous
instrument. The new music ministry space includes
a moveable drawknob organ console and risers large
enough to accommodate bell tables. Reverberation
was increased in the room by replacing the original
carpeting with genuine Jerusalem limestone, and by
adding a plaster ceiling finish. A sound system was
installed to accommodate the revised room. | Top | Home | |
Christ Church, Episcopal (show)
Christ Church, Episcopal (hide)
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Christ Church, Episcopal
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
This traditional English Gothic structure has
inherently: excellent acoustics; the room is long, tall,
and narrow, with no sound absorbing materials. The organ
chamber is behind the altar and carved wood reredos,
at the end of the long axis of the room. An aging, “used” pipe
organ formerly occupied the chamber, which was enlarged,
and finished with triple layers of sound reflective gypsum
board walls and ceiling. Additional tone openings were
created, and detailed with working façade pipes.
The central speaker cluster and supplemental speakers
(serving the side seating spaces) project clear, intelligible
speech throughout the room.
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Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (show)
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Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
Mequon, Wisconsin
The
Seminary Chapel is located within a larger old-world
style campus structure, reminiscent of the Luther
Wartburg Castle, in Germany. The Wisconsin Chapel
was a long narrow room, with a truncated ceiling
height and traditional long center aisle pew arrangement
oriented toward a small chancel niche. An encased
mechanical action organ by Martin Ott was at the
rear of the room.
The award winning renovations
included significant acoustical improvements based
on our recommendations. These are a raised ceiling
height, fulfilling the interior air volume to the
full peaked (former attic) ceiling. Hard surface
quarry tile flooring, sound-diffusing plaster wall
details and concealed sound system speakers facilitate
speech, music, liturgical participation and liturgical/homiletic
instruction in the space. The Martin Ott organ
was relocated to the opposite long axis end of the
room along with sufficient space for a grand piano
and chapel choir. Nave chair seating is now gathered
around a spacious central altar platform area that
can be flexibly oriented. HGA Architects of Milwaukee,
WI were the project designers.
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St. Anthony the Hermit Catholic Church (show)
St. Anthony the Hermit Catholic Church (hide)
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St. Anthony the Hermit Catholic Church
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
The original St. Anthony
Church, a traditional long and narrow Gothic Revival
stone structure, was outgrown by the large congregation.
Portions of the original building remain in use
as the “gathering space” for the otherwise
new edifice designed by HGA Architects, Milwaukee.
This expansive environment still maintains a traditional
mode with a room that is longer than wide, having
a central aisle orientation to the altar space. A
curved wooden suspended ceiling form, reminiscent
of a baldachin, is carefully detailed to provide
necessary sound diffusion and modest absorption
to control excessive reverberation. Sound diffusing
stone and plaster walls complete the acoustical
environment. The line array speakers are concealed
in the front wall of the room.
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Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church (show)
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Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church
Dallas, Texas
This cruciform shaped
building formerly had significant amounts of thick
carpeting throughout, a smaller chancel area and
a small rear balcony for organ and choir. The reverberation
period was low, speech lacked clarity from the
sound system and musical sound from the rear balcony
did not travel well to the deep forward transepts.
The growing music ministry
program at the church, along with the desire to
improve the quality of worship and music, facilitated
the renovation of the worship space. A large, tiered
choir seating array along with a spacious plaza
for bell choir and instruments has been built at
the front of the room. The new Goulding &
Wood pipe organ is installed within a chamber at
the end of the long axis of the church, above and
behind the choir/music space. Hard, sound reflective
flooring has been installed, along with sound diffusing
transept wall features and transept corner details
designed for sound distribution throughout the
room. New sound system speakers are recessed into
the ceiling deck.
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Cathedral of Christ the King (show)
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Cathedral of Christ the King
Superior, Wisconsin
This Cathedral, designed in the Romanesque
Style, was built with significant amounts of sound absorbing materials
applied to the entire ceiling deck and upper clerestory walls. The reverberation
period was too low and sound poorly distributed. The choir sang from
a difficult to access rear balcony, and the organ was a pipe/electronic
combination instrument, also located in the balcony.
Liturgical renovations included the relocation
of the main altar to a raised platform nearer the front row of worshippers,
and moving the choir/music ministry out of the balcony to the front of
the room. A new, tiered choir riser system is installed at the front
right transept near the altar. The sound absorbing ceiling and upper
walls are changed to be sound reflective, with the building’s reverberation
fine-tuned with the installation of modest sound absorbing features at
the upper rear wall of the room only. The line array sound system speakers,
discretely mounted on vertical building columns, deliver speech to all
seating locations. Organ chambers have been created at the upper forward
clerestory level of the room, near the choir seating area, in preparation
for the installation of a future pipe organ.
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St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (show)
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St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This historic church on the upper
east side of Milwaukee is blessed with an architectural
design that lends itself well to music. Hard
surfaces abound, and space for music was plentiful
in the balcony. The previous instrument spoke down
the long axis of the room, and this position was
maintained in the new instrument built by Robert
Sipe, of Dallas Texas.
The old instrument was suffering from mechanical
deterioration, and the overall tonal design was less
than grand. The church desired an instrument that
would have greater reliability and longevity, and
one that would also lead the liturgy with greater
musical expression. The new organ actually has fewer
ranks than the previous organ, but far surpasses
it in the range of expression and color in its tonal
palate.
Many ranks of the previous instrument were recycled,
reconditioned, and revoiced by Sipe for inclusion
in this instrument. The case of the organ was designed
to balance the visual concept of the main altar.
The key action is mechanical with electric stop controls,
and features a detached console. | Top | Home | |
St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church (show)
St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church (hide)
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St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
The new worship space for this parish was built
to accommodate the large new congregation that resulted from a merger of
multiple smaller parishes. The new Robert L. Sipe organ, of electric slider
and unit action, is located within two chambers flanking the altar space.
The large choir sits near the “Swell” chamber to facilitate
accompaniment, and the movable console allows flexible use of the organ
and the choir space.
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First-Plymouth Congregational Church (show)
First-Plymouth Congregational Church (hide)
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First-Plymouth Congregational Church
Lincoln, Nebraska
This project involved the acoustical fine-tuning
of an already existing space. The church had previously
contracted with the Schoenstein Organ Company for
two new instruments in the chancel and gallery, respectively.
One of our goals was to eliminate echoes, hot spots
and other acoustical oddities in this already reverberant
space. The solution involved careful design of wall
surface profiles to control echoes. Another requirement
was to enhance the projection of the organ from the
large chancel chamber. Special wall and ceiling profiles,
and dense plaster materials were employed.
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Basilica of Holy Hill (show)
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Basilica of Holy Hill,
National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians
Hubertus, Wisconsin
The Chapel at the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians,
Holy Hill, Hubertus, Wisconsin serves the local monastic community and
is a place of pilgrimage, receiving thousands of visitors each year. The
building is a large, traditional Gothic structure built of sound reflective
plaster and marble materials. The reverberation period in the space exceeds
5.5 seconds, so a new sound system was designed using a line array speaker
configuration to bring speech clarity to this very "live" room.
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Boe Chapel, St. Olaf College (show)
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Boe Chapel, St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
This long-time home of the world famous
St. Olaf Choir underwent a liturgical and architectural renovation
that included a reoriented liturgical center, new interior finishes,
a new organ located at the front of the room, and a new choir plaza.
We designed a new sound system that employs two line array speakers
to serve the large first floor of the nave. Additional speaker coverage
was designed for the rear balcony, along with state of the art recording
and processing systems. | Top | Home | |
Emmanuel Baptist Church (show)
Emmanuel Baptist Church (hide)
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Emmanuel Baptist Church
Winston Salem, North Carolina
This project presented many unique
design challenges to accommodate a dynamic African
American style worship service. In addition to
an extensive sound and video system to serve
choirs ranging in size from 15 to 100, a highly
resonant floor area in the nave was created to
accentuate the singing and rhythmic dancing of
the “Spiritual Choir”.
The room shape has a long and tall geometry.
Hard surfaces were employed throughout to create
a resonant space. By using angular wall planes,
parallelism was avoided. This will prevent unwanted
echoes in the worship space. | Top | Home | |
First Baptist Church (show)
First Baptist Church (hide)
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First Baptist Church
Kalamazoo, MI
This project involved the renovation
of an existing space. Before modifications, the
church was excessively carpeted. The old electro-pneumatic
organ spoke from deep inside chambers across
the chancel.
After the decision to purchase the new Letourneau
organ was made, we were engaged to provide consultation
for acoustical improvements. Carpet in the chancel
was replaced with a hardwood floor.
The organ speaks from a freestanding case down
the center axis of the building. The old organ
chambers were sealed with a sound reflecting
/ diffusing material. | Top | Home | |
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