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Moravian Music Foundation

Moravian Music Foundation

Preserving, Sharing, and Celebrating Moravian Musical Culture

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Tannenberg Organs

David
Tannenberg
[Tanneberger, Danneberg]

Prolific 18th Century Moravian Organ Builder

As William Armstrong wrote in his fine essay In Splendid Service: The Restoration of David Tannenberg’s Home Moravian Church Organ (Old Salem Museums & Gardens, 2004) Buy Now :

“David Tannenberg, the organ builder was a German-speaking immigrant who lived most of his life in the small Moravian town of Lititz, Pennsylvania. He had no formal training in organ building; instead he learned his profession by working with an experienced organ builder, Johann Gottlob Klemm, also a German-speaking immigrant. Tannenberg learned his profession well, building or helping to build nearly fifty organs in six states and with such excellence that his surviving organs are highly prized today—as the careful renovation of the organ built in 1799/1800 for the Moravian Church in Salem attests.“

– William Armstrong

Hear the History of the Moravians
UPCOMING EVENTS:

Psalm of Joy (1783)
CONCERT – Saturday, July 1, 2023, 3:00pm Moramus Chorale; Mary Lou Kapp Peeples, organ; Old Salem Visitor Center, 900 Old Salem Rd., Winston-Salem, NC more>>

The Long Eighteenth Century
CONCERT – Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, 7:00pm Moramus Chorale; Mary Lou Kapp Peeples, organ; Old Salem Visitor Center, 900 Old Salem Rd., Winston-Salem, NC more>>

Hear the History of the Moravians
PAST EVENTS:

A Celebration of the Tannenberg Organ
CONCERT – Friday, May 12, 2023 Moramus Chorale, Cristy Lynn Brown, Susan Bates, Mary Lou Kapp Peeples. listen>>

  • Music from the Saal, Advent & Christmas program, featuring Gwyn Michel, organist; Ellen Saylor, soprano; Nazareth, PA Listen>>
  • Christmas Recital, featuring Gwyn Michel, organist; Nazareth, PA more about>>
  • History’s Headlines: the Master Moravian Organ Builder -Frank Whelan, WFMZ TV 69
    View the article and media feature

A podcast featuring MMF Asst. Director, Gwyneth Michel, at the organ.

http://www.attheorgan.com/august-15-2016-david-tannenberg/

A very fine listing of organs and their history
(by Philip T. D. Cooper, organist and organ historian)
may be found at
Vox Humana Journal


  • The Tannenberg Collection in the MMF archival holdings – Finding Aid
  • Search the Tannenberg Collection in the archives of the Moravian Music Foundation.

A quick look at the Tannenberg organs of Salem, NC

About the restoration of the 1800 organ in Salem, NC

The restoration project, with Nola Knouse, and organist, Ray Ebert
tannenberg_signature

The Instruments

NAZARETH, Pennsylvania

1776 Tannenberg Organ

Moravian Historical Society, Whitefield House, Nazareth, PA about the collection>>

SALEM, North Carolina

Historic Winston-Salem, NC is home to two restored 18th century American-made organs by David Tannenberg. Beginning with Bethabara (1753), the Moravians settled a tract of land in North Carolina, named it Wachovia, and proceeded to build the towns of Bethania (1759), and Salem (1766). The first pipe organ arrived in 1762.

For more about Moravian organs and the story of the journey of organs from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, please consider Organs in the Wilderness by Charles Vardell, available online from MMF.

EXCERPT from Old Salem Museums & Gardens website:

1800 Tannenberg Organ

Tannenberg Organ in Salem 2

The completion of the restoration of the largest surviving pipe organ built by David Tannenberg was a fifteen-year project for Old Salem Museums & Gardens [ the story and photos from the restoration project ] and a nearly one-hundred-year odyssey if one considers the first step of the restoration was the careful storage of the organ when it was removed from Home Moravian Church in 1910. Even though Old Salem Museums restored the organ and provided a new home for it in the Old Salem Visitor Center, the organ is still owned by Home Moravian Church.

1798 Tannenberg Organ

The first organ that Tannenberg built for Salem was in 1798 for the Gemeinhaus (congregation house), a building that served many functions, including the worship space for the town. This one manual organ was installed by Philip Bachmann, Tannenberg’s son-in-law. This organ now resides in the Single Brothers’ House in Salem.

organ case sketch
organ case sketch
Tannenberg keyboard2

While Bachmann was in Salem in 1798, there were discussions with him and with Tannenberg via letter about ordering a new, large organ from Tannenberg for Salem’s new church, then in the planning stages. It was decided to have an organ with two manuals and pedals. Ground was broken for the church by the end of May 1798 and the next month, on June 12th, the cornerstone was set. The following year, in November 1799, Philip Bachmann returned to Salem with one of the windchests and other parts of the organ. Bachmann worked with cabinetmakers, blacksmiths and other Salem craftsmen to complete and install the organ.


Old Salem Museum & Gardens:
Tannenberg Organs

http://www.oldsalem.org/learn/town-of-salem/people-and-culture/tannenberg-organs/

The wind source for the organ was three large organ bellows, which were to be located in the church attic above the organ. The choice was for either treading or for pulling the bellows, and treading was chosen. Originally, the treading was done in the attic, but this was changed in October 1802 so that the treading was done in the organ gallery. This location, which allowed better communication between the organist and the person treading the bellows, was used until the organ was dismantled in 1910. The bellows have also been restored and are installed with the organ.

LITITZ, Pennsylvania

Website for Lititz music research and concerts of the Lititz Collegium Musicum (including the 1787 Tannenberg), Jeff Gemmell, Organist and Director.

EXCERPT from Lititz Moravian Church website:

Three of the seven pipe organs owned by the Lititz Moravian Congregation are still in use and listed below. The 1787 Tannenberg was installed when the present sanctuary was consecrated. Ninety-two years later, in 1879, a Hook and Hastings organ replaced the Tannenberg.

1787 Tannenberg Organ

1787 Lititz
1787 Lititz, PA

Tannenberg completed the building of an organ for Lititz Moravian Church – his own church – in the summer of 1787. It was dedicated along with the new church building on August 13. It was placed in the west gallery with two wedge-shaped bellows in the attic above the organ. – Philip T. D. Cooper

Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell plays the 1787 organ with hand-pumped bellows, for the 2021 Moravian Music Festival.
Voluntary IX (London, c. 1780) attrib. to G. F. Handel

1787 – Lititz, PA

1793 Tannenberg Organ

The smaller of the two Tannenberg organs now located at Lititz Moravian Church was originally constructed for the Moravian Chapel in Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland. Tannenberg arrived there with the organ on April 25, 1793, and it was played for the first time on May 4. The organ was used continuously until 1957 when it was given to the Lititz Moravian Church and was set up in the Single Brothers’ House. The organ is completely original. It was reconditioned by James R. McFarland in 1984. – Philip T. D. Cooper

More details of the Tannenberg organs at Lititz, PA, may be found at http://lititzmoravian.org/Content.aspx?ID=109

YORK, Pennsylvania

1804 Tannenberg Organ

The 1804 Tannenberg organ in York, PA
is featured on a PIPE DREAMS show on American Public Media:
American Pioneers

Follow the LINK and click on “1946 Hour 1” to hear some Billings and then David Moritz Michael on the Tannenberg, played by E. Power Biggs.

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WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE at the ARCHIE K. DAVIS CENTER

457 South Church St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Phone: (336) 725-0651
Email: info@moravianmusic.org

BETHLEHEM OFFICE at the MORAVIAN CHURCH CENTER

1021 Center St
Bethlehem, PA 18018

Phone: (610) 866-3340

ONLINE CATALOG

Search GemeinKat Catalog:
GemeinKat on WorldCat

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The archival holdings of MMF are divided into collections. (some in Bethlehem, some in Winston-Salem)

The FINDING AID for each collection is a “30,000-foot view” of the collection in its context. Each finding aid contains information about the size of the collection, how it was created, history of the community or key individuals involved in the collection, and a description of the contents.

Individual Finding Aids       LINK

Guide: A searchable table of all collections          LINK

GemeinKat

GemeinKat is the MMF digital catalog on WorldCat.org    LINK

WorldCat.org: to search the catalog, go to https://moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org/discovery. You can search by composer, title, collection, or any number of other keywords; just go try!

OCLC (Online Computer Library Center): the collective of organization(s) that built the online database called WorldCat. It is now owned by Backstage Library Works.

“GemeinKat” is the name given to MMF’s project to upload new and enhanced digital records to the OCLC and RISM databases. We have used the name “GemeinKat” as our umbrella term for the entire project, involving Backstage Library Works, OCLC, WorldCat, and RISM and the work of cataloging; also, the creation of the digital records and the creation of finding aids.

GemeinKat is available to the public, on the internet, at moravianmusic.on.worldcat.org and is a WorldCat Discovery catalog, developed by OCLC, a nonprofit organization that provides services to thousands of libraries worldwide. Through WorldCat, users have the potential to access more than 1.8 billion items in libraries around the world.

GemeinKat itself is: the bibliographic records for each manuscript, book, or printed music item found in MMF holdings.
These archival holdings are grouped by collections and physically reside in either the Bethlehem or Winston-Salem archive (sometimes in both).
For a description, see the MMF website: https://moravianmusic.org/gemeinkat-catalog/.

 

Moravian Archives, Northern Province

THE MMF OFFICE IS NO LONGER IN THE ARCHIVES BUILDING ON LOCUST ST.!
OUR OFFICE IS ON CENTER ST., THEREFORE, PLEASE SCHEDULE VISITS SO WE CAN COORDINATE.
THANK YOU.

It is required that you make an appointment with MMF staff for consulting or to do research, so that we may access and prepare materials for you.

www.moravianmusic.org

For shopping, you may visit MMF in Bethlehem any day of the week. The Archives staff will accept payment and complete your purchase.
When convenient, you may consider ordering items on the MMF website. We can save you shipping charge if you want to pick-up the items. Please email  sales@moravianmusic.org

For anthem and lending library requests, research inquiries about any of out collections, and other inquiries,
you are welcome to send an email to jan@moravianmusic.org, info@moravianmusic.org or
directly to any of the staff, using this pattern: [first name]@moravianmusic.org

We Are Open for Business!

…however, we prefer you make an appointment to visit the WINSTON-SALEM office for research projects or when trying to locate an item.  336-725-0651  For anthem and lending library requests, research inquiries, and other inquiries,
you are welcome to send an email to info@moravianmusic.org or sales@moravianmusic.org
or directly to any of the staff, using this pattern: [first name]@moravianmusic.org

You may purchase books, CDs, anthems at this location AND you may always order items 24/7 on the MMF website. You may pick-up or we will ship.

We have recently upscaled our gift shop to include local Moravian vendors, like ArtC Designs and Handmade Stars.

 

Trinkschokolade

“Kakao” in German means cocoa, either bean, powder or hot cocoa. It can be drunken cold or hot. When it is made from powder mixes it is often called “Trinkschokolade”

Glühwein

“Glühwein” is a German mulled wine (ours is non-alcoholic), a cheery warming agent in many cultures during the dark and chilly winter months. The German word itself directly translates to mean ‘glow wine’ in English. This name was derived from the red hot irons used to heat the wine in the early days. Recipes may include red wine or juice and other juices combined with the popular spices of the season, including citrus, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and vanilla, all sweetened with sugar.

Internships at MMF

The Moravian Music Foundation welcomes students for internships.
Both college (or higher) and high school levels may be accommodated.
Some projects require no musical experience; others require ability to read music and understand orchestral scores/parts.

RISM

RISM: Répertoire International des Sources Musicales

RISM, or International Inventory of Musical Sources, is an international, non-profit organization that aims to comprehensively document extant musical sources worldwide: manuscripts, printed music editions, writings on music theory, and libretti that are found in libraries, archives, churches, schools, and private collections.

Search RISM ONLINE (more searching options and granularity for scholars)    or   Search RISM CATALOG (more general searching)

The RISM Catalog of Musical Sources contains over 1.2 million records and can be searched at no cost. Early western music from 1600 through to the early 19th century is included.

RISM was founded in Paris in 1952 and is the largest and only global organization that documents written musical sources. RISM records what exists and where it can be found. RISM is where scholars go when they are looking for music manuscripts or early prints around the world. RISM entries include the musical incipits – the first phrase or so of music – to enable identification of a specific piece of music (which setting of “Sing to the Lord a New Song” is this?).

Other resources at MMF:

  • Reference library: the Peter Memorial Library in Winston-Salem
  • Irving Lowens Collection of early American tunebooks and songbooks, in Winston-Salem
  • An extensive international collection of hymnals (mostly Moravian) in many languages, dating to the 16th century, in Winston-Salem

Video about Moravian Music Research
 
Books about Moravian Music
 
Blog Posts about Moravian Music

Books for Sale: Musicology

Video about Moravian Music Research
 
Books about Moravian Music
 
Blog Posts about Moravian Music

Books for Sale: Musicology

Heritage Award

presented by the Moravian Historical Society, Aug. 28, 2022, to

GWYNETH MICHEL
Asst. Director of the Moravian Music Foundation

in sincere appreciation of her contributions in support of the MHS.

Christopher Ogburn

Growing up in the Moravian Church, I learned the value of the church and the importance of its long and remarkable history, both locally, but also internationally. My own family lineage can be traced back to the Bethabara settlement, so there is a strong personal connection that draws me to the work of the Moravian Music Foundation and the preservation of its remarkable archival collection. While an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I had the privilege of interning one summer at the Foundation under Nola Reed Knouse. This opportunity solidified my passion for musicology and is what ultimately inspired my pursuit of a doctorate in that area. In many ways, I owe my career to the Foundation and consider this opportunity to be both a literal and spiritual homecoming.

Looking to the future, I am excited by all the possibilities, including expanding the lecture series, building a more robust online presence, providing live music performances, creating workshops for local students, and working to tell the global story of the Moravian Church more completely and accurately.

My family has deep ties to the area that go back several generations. My wife, Erin, and I are excited to be moving back to Winston-Salem and to raise our daughter, June, in this community that played such a vital role in shaping who I am today. We are looking forward to exploring all the new restaurants, hiking around Pilot Mountain, and enjoying the vibrant cultural community that has grown over the years. After having lived in New York City for the bulk of our adult lives, we are delighted to be back in the land of BBQ, Cheerwine, and the Heels.  -Chris Ogburn

Bruce Earnest

What an honor it is for me to join the Moravian Music Foundation. I look forward to working with the board, staff, and community as we  plan for the next 66 years. The mission and vision of the Moravian Music Foundation is as important now and for the future as it was at inception 66 years ago. I am grateful to be leading an organization that is respected throughout the globe for its collection and significance, due to Dr. Knouse and the team. As my wife and family transition to the beautiful city of Winston-Salem, we ask for your prayers and look forward to meeting each of you very soon!    -Bruce Earnest

Psalm 99:5

ArchivGrid

ArchiveGrid                         LINK

This is a collection of over 7,000,000 archival descriptions, including documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials held in about 1,500 archival institutions. ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials, but who may not know exactly where to go to find them. MMF’s finding aids can be discovered through ArchiveGrid. For an example, go to https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/help/; type in the search box (upper right) “Bethlehem congregation” and the first thing you will find is MMF’s finding aid for the Bethlehem Congregation Collection, and also related collections and suggested search terms (Lancaster, Dover, Lititz, etc.), linked to those finding aids on the MMF website.

A recent inquiry to MMF - Subject: Copyright/Streaming

 

Dear MMF,

I have a question about copyright and streaming. We have CCLI license and streaming license at my church, but it does not cover many pieces for organ. Would the ASCAP license provide that protection for us to stream and include copyrighted organ music? I’ve read their website, and it seems like it would.  https://www.ascap.com/music-users/types/church-or-ministry

Thanks!

____________________________________________________

Dear Worship Leader,

We have been instructing folks to follow CCLI and OneLicense guidelines, which, as you discovered, unfortunately, rarely cover instrumental/keyboard music.

Yes, it appears as though ASCAP offers a “WorshipCast” streaming license, which is set up in much the same manner as CCLI and OneLicense licenses – i.e., the fee structure is based on worship attendance:

https://apps.christiancopyrightsolutions.com/purchase-license.aspx?svc=wc

A quick click brought up this fee structure:
1 – 199 (in attendance): $284.00
200 – 499 (in attendance): $424.00 (obviously it goes up from here)

Some further good news – the WorshipCast license offered above is controlled by Christian Copyright Solutions (a division of CCLI, and it appears as though purchase of this license would allow you to broadcast both ASCAP and BMI titles, opening up even more possibilities.

I don’t think, however, that this license includes SESAC titles; thus, if you wished to perform anything under the SESAC umbrella (Dan Gawthrop, for instance), you would need to approach that entity directly for a license:

https://www.sesac.com/#!/

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Blessings to you in your music ministry!

Gwyneth Michel, Assistant Director, Moravian Music Foundation      – – (with edits by Erik S.)

YouTube Moravian Music Lectures

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Archie K Davis Center

Construction began on the building in the fall of 1999, and the facility was completed and occupied in July 2001. In September 2001, the building was dedicated as the Archie K. Davis Center. More about the man, the building, and a quick, visual tour of our beautiful home.

The Archie K. Davis Center