2022 BBIOC Venues & OrgansBoston houses the greatest number of significant new and historical organs of any city in America. The competition rounds highlight three diverse organs, all situated within walking distance of one another: the 1971 C.B. Fisk at Old West Church, the 1936 Aeolian-Skinner at the Church of the Advent, and the 2000 Richards, Fowkes & Co. at The First Lutheran Church of Boston, known as “Boston’s Bach organ.” Additional concerts will be held on other significant organs in Boston and one in Worcester.
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Old West ChurchC.B. Fisk’s opus 55, built in 1971 for Old West Church, is a modest three-manual mechanical-action instrument that is capable of playing a wide range of repertoire. The tonal design exhibits a French classic influence—there are three tierce ranks spread across the manual divisions. For decades, this instrument served as the chief recital organ for the New England Conservatory of Music and is among the most beloved of Charles Fisk's organs.
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The Church of the AdventBuilt in 1936, Aeolian-Skinner’s opus 940 was immaculately voiced by G. Donald Harrison himself, and it became the prototype for the American Classic organ. Though alterations were made in 1964 to bring the specification more in line with the Orgelbewegung, the organ escaped the unfortunate fate of so many of its time and has been carefully restored by Nelson Barden. It remains one of the most outstanding and significant examples of American organ building.
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First Lutheran ChurchRichards, Fowkes & Co. opus 10 was built in 2000 and completed in 2010. An all-mechanical-action instrument, it has since gained a reputation as one of the finest Baroque organs in New England and is known as “Boston’s Bach Organ.” Its colorful, vocal quality, its unequal temperament, and its specification, inspired by the work of Schnitger, allow for an authentic rendering of the music of the North German tradition.
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