Green Living

Allen Organ Company: A Passion For Perfection

When it comes to industrial output, Pennsylvania is nothing if not diverse. Manufactured goods as diverse as steel, silk textiles, and slate roofing have been, and in some cases still are being, turned out in the Keystone State. Yet, even to some readers of this magazine, it may come as a surprise to learn that Pennsylvania also is home to the largest manufacturers of church and theater organs in the world—and also one of the most respected.

Allen Organs are electronic, although sometimes the firm is asked to produce a combined organ. Such an organ supplements a conventional pipe organ by adding electronic stops where these are necessary or wanted to supplement the pipes. Very few, even among conventional musicians, can tell where the pipe sound ends and the electronic sound begins.

That is because Jerome Markowitz, the company’s founder, had a passion for perfection which the family-owned firm retains today. He even went so far as to invent an electronic stop which would duplicate the slight hissing sound made by an organ pipe when the air rushes into it, but before the pipe sounds its note.

Devotees of traditional pipe organs have not, in many cases, been won over by the Allen, and by other electronic organs in the field. But the case for the new technology is strong, both economically and artistically. Many churches and synagogues which want organs cannot afford a traditional instrument, but find an electronic one within reach.

As to artistry, the final judgement must of course be in the ear of the beholder; but Allen instruments have a lot to recommend them. The first note heard by a paying audience in New York’s Philharmonic Hall, now Avery Fisher Hall. Allens have been played by such famed organists as Dame Gillian Weir, the late E. Power Biggs, and the late Virgil Fox.

Fox in fact spent the last part of his career touring with an Allen Organ that might best be described as moveable rather than portable. (He also was in a good position to testify to the durability of Allen instruments. The truck that was carrying his instrument once turned over on it. The truck was destroyed. But when the organ was retrieved and carried to its destination, it played as if nothing had happened.)

Jerome Markowitz, the founder of the Allen Organ Company, was a native of Jamaica, N.Y. As a young man he was a great lover of technology, especially electronics. When he was a student at Allentown’s Muhlenberg College, he became fascinated with the sounds of the chapel pipe organ.

Could he produce this magnificent array of sounds electronically? He dropped out of college and set up a business to find out. And, since he loved Allentown and admired the work ethic and craftsmanship of its then-largely Pennylvania Dutch population, he remained in the city and named his company after it.

When he later had to move to Macungie for more space, the firm still retained its admiration for the Pennsylvania Dutch and their craftsmanship. Today, most of the vital parts of its products are made in-house; and each organ is finally assembled under the careful eyes and hands of one artisan worker.

The wood cases also are made in house; and they are crafted to the standards of fine furniture. Some of the organs have painted side panels; these are painted by hand.

Visitors are given tags with a colorful Pennsylvania Dutch Distelfink (”thistle finch”) design. These bear the motto “Gutie Arbeit Kummt S’airsht.”, or “Good work comes first.”

Organ making obviously is not one of the large industries of the world. Yet thousands of people annually visit the Allen Company International Headquarters, located at 3370 Route 100 in Lower Macungie Township near Allentown. They come in family groups of two or three, and in busloads of 50 and 60.

There they may visit the Jerome Markowtiz Memorial Center. This features an organ museum showing the impressive advances of electronic organic technology in the years since 1937, the year Markowitz built his first organ. They may also hear organ music in Octave Hall.

Visitors are welcome between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and are asked to call ahead, (610) 966-2202.

The company also sponsors a free series of organ recitals with well-known performers, which attract people living in the neighborhood.

Owing to government safety regulations, plant tours are not possible. But a virtual plant tour is on the Allen Organ web site at www.allenorgancompany.com . .

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About Author

JOAN CAMPION is a historian and memoirist whose works include “In The Lion’s Mouth: Gisi Fleischmann and the Jewish Fight for Survival.” Most recently she has published “Jerusalem Journal: Adventures In A Desert Landscape.” She is fond of cats and of all kinds of music, especially opera. More information can be found at http://authortree.com/joancampion

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 6:30 pm and is filed under Green. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.