Theatre organ
Encyclopedia
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself.
Theatre organs took the place of the orchestra when installed in a movie theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
during the heyday of silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. Most theatre organs were modelled after the style originally devised by Robert Hope-Jones
Robert Hope-Jones
Robert Hope-Jones , is considered to be the inventor of the theatre organ in the early 20th century...
, which he called a "unit orchestra".
Such instruments were typically built to provide the greatest possible variety of timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
s with the fewest possible pipes, and often had piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s and other percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s built in, as well as a variety of sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s such as a siren
Siren (noisemaker)
A siren is a loud noise making device. Most modern ones are civil defense or air raid sirens, tornado sirens, or the sirens on emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police cars and fire trucks. There are two general types: pneumatic and electronic....
.
Theatre organs are usually identified by their distinctive horseshoe-shaped consoles
Organ console
thumb|right|250px|The console of the [[Wanamaker Organ]] in the Macy's department store in [[Philadelphia]], featuring six manuals and colour-coded stop tabs....
, which are frequently painted white with gold trim. An original example is the 3/13 Barton from Ann Arbor's
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
historic Michigan Theatre. The organ was installed in 1927 and is currently played daily before most film screenings. There were over 7,000 such organs installed in American theatres from 1915 to 1933, but fewer than 40 original instruments remain in their original theatres. Though there are few original instruments in their original theatres, hundreds of theatre pipe organs are installed in public venues throughout the world, while hundreds more exist in private residences.
Background
Many organ builders supplied instruments to theatres. The Rudolph WurlitzerWurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
company, to whom Robert Hope-Jones
Robert Hope-Jones
Robert Hope-Jones , is considered to be the inventor of the theatre organ in the early 20th century...
licensed his name and patents, was the most prolific and well-known manufacturer (2,234 were built), and the phrase Mighty Wurlitzer was the hallmark of quality.
Many of the innovations which furthered the evolution of theatre organ design simply allowed it to do its job better. Although not all of these ideas originated with Robert Hope-Jones, he was the first to successfully employ and combine many of these innovations within a single organ aesthetic. Some of these important developments are: electro-pneumatic action
Electro-pneumatic action
The electro-pneumatic action is a control system for pipe organs, whereby air pressure, controlled by an electric current and operated by the keys of an organ console, opens and closes valves within wind chests, allowing the pipes to speak. This system also allows the console to be physically...
, which allows the console to be physically detached from the pipe chambers, connected only by a cable; unification, the process whereby pipe ranks are extended and tuned in sympathy with other ranks, and allowing any rank of pipes to be played from any manual or the pedals; imitative stops, where pipe ranks are more imitative of their symphonic counterparts; and development of pipes able to speak successfully on higher wind pressures.
After some major disagreements with the Wurlitzer management, Robert Hope-Jones took his own life in 1914—but not before profoundly influencing the development of the theatre organ. The Wurlitzer company continued to flourish, becoming the largest manufacturer of theatre pipe organs in the world. Indeed, while there were many other builders of these instruments, the name "Wurlitzer" became generically synonymous with the theatre organ.
Other manufacturers included Page, Marr & Colton, Compton
John Compton (organ builder)
John Compton , born in Newton Burgoland, Leicestershire, was a pipe organ builder. His business based in Nottingham and London flourished between 1902 and 1965.-Life:...
, Möller
M. P. Moller
Mathias Peter Møller was a prolific Danish organ builder. He was a native of the Danish island of Bornholm. He founded the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company in Greencastle, Pennsylvania in 1875...
, Robert-Morton
Robert Morton Organ Company
The Robert Morton Organ Company was a producer of theater pipe organs and church organs, located in Van Nuys, California. Robert Morton was the number two volume producer of theatre organs, building approximately half as many organs as the industry leader Wurlitzer...
(the "Wonder Morton"), Conacher, Hilsdon, Kimball
Kimball International
Kimball International is a manufacturer of furniture and electronic assemblies, serving customers around the world. Kimball International consists of two groups: the Furniture Segment and the Contract Electronics Segment. It is the successor to W.W...
, Barton
Barton Organ Company
The Barton Organ Company was an American pipe organ manufacturer during the age of silent movies. The company was founded by Dan Barton, who was from Amherst, Wisconsin. The fifth largest builder of theater instruments in the nation, Barton focused almost exclusively on the Midwest market...
, Hillgreen-Lane, Kilgen
Kilgen
Kilgen was a prominent American builder of organs which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.-History:-The Kilgen family:...
, E. M. Skinner
Ernest M. Skinner
Ernest M. Skinner was one of the most successful American organ builders of the early 20th century.-Early years:...
, Austin
Austin Organs, Inc.
Austin Organs, Inc. is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States...
, Christie, and Hill Norman & Beard. These last two were both brand names for the same company, which specialized at the time in standardized extension organs with electro-pneumatic action, ideal for the theatre and then promoted as convenient and cost-effective for churches. In general, the Christie brand was used for theatre organs, which came with contemporary-styled consoles, while the firm's own name Hill Norman & Beard appeared on similar and sometimes identical pipes and actions supplied to customers seen as less frivolous, controlled by a traditional drawknob-stop console. Their standardized pipe, relay and blower packages were called unit organs, and for theatre use were augmented with percussion and other additional effects. The Moller firm specialized in unit organs for church use, many of which remain in service in small churches to this day.
Compton cinema organs, built by the John Compton Organ Company of Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
, were the most prevalent of theatre organs in the UK; 261 were installed in cinemas and theatres in the British Isles. Comptons made many fine church and concert organs as well. Their cinema organs employed state of the art technology and engineering and many are still in existence today. One of the most notable is the large 5-manual example at the Odeon Cinema Leicester Square
Odeon Leicester Square
The Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the square with its huge black polished granite facade and high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night. It was built to be the...
in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Several organ builders were also known for their specialities. Wurlitzer was well known for its reeds and special effects; Kimball was an innovator in string tones; Barton constructed lush tibias for their organs; Möller was famous for its foundation ranks. And although not an organ manufacturer, the J. C. Deagan Company built many of the chromatic percussions (xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, chrysoglott -Wurlitzer's name for a celesta
Celesta
The celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, etc.) that are found in most theatre organs.
History
During the silent movieSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era and into the early 1930s, theatre organs were built in large numbers in the US and few in the United Kingdom. They were built in a variety of sizes, filling the gap between a simple piano accompaniment and a full orchestra. Indeed, when theatre owners hired orchestras to accompany silent movies, they frequently included a pipe organ to provide relief to the orchestra, and to play for less-expensive showings.
On the European continent the theatre organ appeared only after World War I in the cinemas. Some instruments came from Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
, but there were European organbuilders like M. Welte & Söhne
Welte-Mignon
M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York was a manufacturer of orchestrions, organs and reproducing pianos, established in Vöhrenbach by Michael Welte in 1832.-Overview:...
and Walcker in Germany, and there were also Dutch manufacturers like Standaart.
After the development of sound movies, theatre organs remained installed in many theatres to provide live music between features. However, after the 'golden years' of the 1930s, many were scrapped or sold to churches, private homes, museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
s, rollatoriums
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
, and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s. In that era, commonly known as the theatre organ's second golden age (the 1950s), many of the tonal characteristics of theatre organs became somewhat more exaggerated than they had been in the silent movie era. This second age also saw the formation of the American Theatre Organ Society.
Many composers got their start by playing the theatre organ. Oliver Wallace
Oliver Wallace
Oliver George Wallace was a British composer and conductor. He was especially known for his film music compositions, which were written for many animation, documentary, and feature films from Walt Disney Studios....
, arguably America's first real theatre organist, was soon employed by Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, and composed, among other things, the score to Dumbo
Dumbo
Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...
. Jesse Crawford
Jesse Crawford
Jesse Crawford , was a US pianist and organist. He was well known in the 1920s as a theater organist for silent films and was avery popular gramophone record recording artist. In the 1930s, he switched to the Hammond organ and became a freelancer...
, the first organist ever to sell over a million recordings, was known in households across America as the "poet of the organ". He was also responsible for developing many of the techniques and registrations used in the performance of popular music on the instrument. Rex Khoury composed the Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
theme. Reginald Foort was arguably the most popular theatre organist in the UK. Probably the most legendary theatre organist of modern times, the late George Wright
George Wright (organist)
George Wright was an American musician, possibly the most famous virtuoso of the theatre organ of the modern era....
, was credited with saving the medium from certain demise in the 1950s and 60s, when he created a huge series of studio recordings which sold millions, as he was clever enough to have them included in the new stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
format used in early systems such as Zenith, Admiral and Magnavox. The late Richard Purvis
Richard Purvis
Richard Purvis was an American organist, composer, conductor and teacher. He is especially remembered for his expressive recordings of the organ classics and his own lighter compositions for the instrument....
, who was for many years the organist and master of choristers at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, was also an enthusiastic promoter of theatre organ, and wrote many arrangements for it.
Technical
Unification and extension gives the theatre organ its unique flexibility. A rank is extended by adding pipes above and below the original pitch, allowing the organist to play that rank at various pitches by drawing separate stops or tabs. A simple example of unification follows:
The Tibia Clausa
Tibia Clausa
A Tibia Clausa is a large-scale, stopped wood flute pipe, usually with a leathered lip. Tibia Clausas provides the basic foundation tone of the organ with few overtones or harmonics. The Tibia Clausa is arguably the most important rank of pipes in a theatre pipe organ, with some organs having as...
at 8' pitch has 61 pipes. The Tibia can be made available at 4' pitch by adding 12 pipes to the top of the Tibia 8'. Tibia 2' is similarly accomplished by adding 12 more pipes. The Tibia Clausa 16' as a pedal voice is accomplished by adding 12 pipes to the bottom of the Tibia 8'. Hence, in a unified organ, four "ranks" (really tabs or draw-stops) can be obtained from a total of 97 pipes. In a classically designed organ, four "straight" ranks would require 244 pipes. Additionally, up to five mutated stops can be drawn from this 97-pipe rank, resulting in a total of nine stops from a single unified and extended 8' Tibia Clausa.
These ranks are voiced in relation to other pipe ranks in the organ, allowing a handful of ranks in a typical theatre organ to imitate a wide range of instruments. Unification also makes it possible to play any rank of pipes from any manual and the pedals independently, unlike a traditional church organ, where a rank of pipes is playable only from one manual or the pedals, or from two manuals via couplers.
Tracker action
Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs and steam calliopes to indicate a mechanical linkage between keys or pedals pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe of the corresponding note...
, except in the case of tubular pneumatic, where all actions were operated by air pressure. Hope-Jones' electro-pneumatic action eliminated this by using wind pressure, controlled by electric solenoid
Solenoid
A solenoid is a coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a long, thin loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create...
s, to operate the pipe valves, and solenoids and pistons to control and operate the various stop tabs, controls, keys and pedals on the console. This action allowed the console to be physically detached from the organ. All signals from the console were transmitted by an electric cable to an electro-pneumatic relay, and from there to the pipes and effects in the organ chambers.
Hope-Jones believed that higher wind pressures would allow pipes to more accurately imitate orchestral instruments by causing the pipes to produce harmonic overtones which, when mixed with other pipe ranks, produced tones more imitative of actual instruments. The high wind pressures also led to the development of instruments that are unique in theatre organs (such as the diaphone
Diaphone
For Diaphone, the Noctuid moth species see Diaphone The diaphone was a noisemaking device best known for its use as a foghorn: it could produce deep, powerful tones able to carry a long distance...
and tibia clausa
Tibia Clausa
A Tibia Clausa is a large-scale, stopped wood flute pipe, usually with a leathered lip. Tibia Clausas provides the basic foundation tone of the organ with few overtones or harmonics. The Tibia Clausa is arguably the most important rank of pipes in a theatre pipe organ, with some organs having as...
), and allowed any rank in the organ to function as a solo instrument. These higher pressures were possible due to the development of high-velocity, motor-driven blowers and wind regulators.
Later, Wurlitzer added other effects, such as drums, cymbals, wood blocks and other non-chromatic percussions and effects to allow the theatre organ to accompany silent movies.
A traditional organ console was not adequate to control a theatre organ, as the large number of draw knobs required made the console so huge an organist could not possibly reach all of them while playing. Thus, the horseshoe console was born. Based on a curved French console design and using stop "tabs" instead of drawknobs, the horseshoe console now allowed the organist to reach any stop or control while playing any piece of music, eliminating the need to move around awkwardly on the bench. The smaller stop tabs also permitted the addition of many more stops on the console than could be added on a traditional console.
Current status
There are many theatre organs still in operation but only a handful are in their original installation.Most notable of these are the world's largest original installation theatre organs (in order of number of ranks).
United States
- Radio City Music HallRadio City Music HallRadio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
New York, New York - 4 manuals, 58 ranks (WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
, 1932) - Atlantic City Convention Hall Theatre/Concert Organ - 4 manuals, 55 ranks (KimballKimball InternationalKimball International is a manufacturer of furniture and electronic assemblies, serving customers around the world. Kimball International consists of two groups: the Furniture Segment and the Contract Electronics Segment. It is the successor to W.W...
, 1931) - Fox Theatre, Atlanta - 4 manuals, 42 ranks (MöllerM. P. MollerMathias Peter Møller was a prolific Danish organ builder. He was a native of the Danish island of Bornholm. He founded the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company in Greencastle, Pennsylvania in 1875...
, 1929) - Fox Theatre, Detroit - 4 manuals, 36 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1927)
- Fox Theatre, St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
- 4 manuals, 36 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1929) - Ohio Theatre, ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
- 4 manuals, 34 ranks (Robert Morton, 1928) - Chicago TheatreChicago TheatreThe Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- 4 manuals, 29 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1921) - Alabama TheatreAlabama TheatreThe Alabama Theatre is a movie palace in Birmingham, Alabama. It was built in 1927 by Paramount's Publix Theatre chain as its flagship theater for the southeastern region of the United States. Seating 2,500 people at the time, it was the largest in the Birmingham Theatre district...
, BirminghamBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, 4 manuals, 29 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1927) - Shea's Performing Arts CenterShea's Performing Arts CenterShea's Performing Arts Center is a theater for touring Broadway musicals and special events in Buffalo, New York. Originally called Shea's Buffalo, it was opened in 1926 to show silent movies. It took one year to build the entire theatre...
, BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, 4 manuals, 28 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926) - Rialto Square TheatreRialto Square TheatreThe Rialto Square Theatre is a theater in the Joliet, Illinois suburb of Chicago. Opening in 1926, it was originally designed and operated as a vaudeville movie palace, but it now houses mainly musicals, plays, concerts, and standup comedy.It is also available for public and private functions...
, Joliet, IllinoisJoliet, IllinoisJoliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, 4 manuals, 28 ranks (Barton, 1926) - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Denver, Colorado)The Paramount Theatre is a concert venue in Denver, Colorado, located on Glenarm Place, near Denver's famous 16th Street Mall. The venue has a seating capacity of 1,870, but is a popular destination for large acts looking for a smaller concert setting...
, Denver - 4 manuals, 20 ranks, 2 consoles (Wurlitzer, 1930) - Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle - 4 manuals, 20 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1928) - Byrd TheatreByrd TheatreThe Byrd Theatre is a cinema in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. It was named after William Byrd II, the founder of the city. The theater — the first in Virginia to be equipped with a sound system — opened on December 24, 1928 to much excitement and is affectionately referred to as...
, Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
- 4 manuals, 17 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1928)
- Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
- 4 manuals, 16 ranks (Grande Page, 1928) - Avalon Casino, Avalon, CaliforniaAvalon, CaliforniaAvalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...
- 4 manuals, 16 ranks (Page, 1929) - Riviera Theatre (North Tonawanda, New York) - 3 manuals, 20 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926)
- Tampa Theatre, (Tampa, Florida) - 3 manuals, 14 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926)(One of the top 10 iconic show places in the world - Delta Sky magazine)
- Orpheum Theatre, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
- 3 manuals, 14 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926) - Michigan Theatre, Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
- 3 manuals, 13 ranks (Barton, 1927) - Paramount Theatre (Anderson, Indiana)Paramount Theatre (Anderson, Indiana)Paramount Theatre - The Anderson Paramount Theatre opened on August 20, 1929. At the time the Paramount Theater opened it was part of the Publix Chain of theaters, owned by Paramount Pictures . The theater was designed by the famous movie theatre architect, John Eberson...
- 3 manuals, 12 ranks (Page 1929) - Redford TheatreRedford TheatreThe Redford Theatre in Detroit, Michigan has served as an entertainment venue since it opened on January 27, 1928. It is owned and operated by the Motor City Theatre Organ Society , a 501 organization. Architects Ralph F. Shreive along with Verner, Wilheim, and Molby designed the 1,571-seat Redford...
, Detroit - 3 manuals, 10 ranks (Barton, 1928) - Mt. Baker Theatre, BellinghamBellingham- Places :Australia:* Bellingham, Tasmania, coastal hamlet in Northern TasmaniaEngland:* Bellingham, London, neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham* Bellingham, Northumberland, villageUnited States:* Bellingham, Washington...
, Washington - 2 manual 10 ranks (Wurlitzer Style 215 Opus 1558, 1927) - Temple TheatreMasonic Temple Building-Temple TheaterThe Masonic Temple Building in Tacoma, Washington, also known as Temple Theater, Helig's Theater, and John Hamrick's Temple Theater, is located at 47th Street and Helens Avenue. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Ambrose J. Russell is credited as the architect of the...
, Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
- 2 manuals, 9 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926) - California TheatreCalifornia Theatre (San Bernardino)The California Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the historic Downtown area of San Bernardino, California. Originally a part of the Fox Theatre chain, it opened in 1928 and still houses its original Wurlitzer Style 216 pipe organ...
, San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
- 2 manuals, 10 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1928) - Jefferson TheatreJefferson TheatreThe Jefferson Theatre is a historic performing arts theatre located on Fannin Street in downtown Beaumont, Texas. Designed by Emile Weil and built in 1927, it is an example of Old Spanish architecture and seats over 1400. The theatre was built by Jefferson Amusement Company, which was owned by...
, Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, TexasBeaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
- 3 manuals, 8 ranks (Robert Morton, 1927.) - Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, IllinoisChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
- 2 manuals, 8 rank (Wurlitzer, 1921) - Weinberg Center, Frederick, MarylandFrederick, MarylandFrederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
- 2 manuals, 8 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1926) - Capitol Theatre, Rome, New YorkRome, New YorkRome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
- 3 manuals, 7 ranks (expanded to 10) (Möller, 1928) - Temple TheatreTemple Theatre (Saginaw, Michigan)The Temple Theatre is a historic theater built by the Elf Khurafeh Shriners and opened in 1927 in Saginaw, Michigan. The theater was restored in late 2002 and reopened under new owners to host events in the Saginaw area.-Events:...
, Saginaw, MichiganSaginaw, MichiganSaginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
- 3 manuals, 11 ranks (Barton, 1927) - Ironwood TheatreIronwood Theatre (Ironwood, Michigan)The Historic Ironwood Theatre is a theatre in Ironwood, Michigan offering a variety of live theatrical, musical, and artistic performances as part of its programming...
, Ironwood, MichiganIronwood, MichiganIronwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line...
- 2 manuals, 7 ranks (Barton, 1927)
Canada
- O'Brien TheatreO'Brien Theatre (Arnprior)The O'Brien Theatre is a historic cinema in the town of Arnprior, Ontario. Arnprior's first cinema opened on the site in 1906, and the current building dates from 1919. It was originally both a cinema and venue for vaudeville performances. With the growth in popularity of films the building...
, Renfrew, OntarioRenfrew, OntarioRenfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...
- 3 manuals, 20 ranks (Warren and Robert-Morton pipe-work, former ex-Capitol, Winnipeg ca. 1920) - Casa LomaCasa LomaCasa Loma is a Gothic Revival style house in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a museum and landmark. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
- 3 manuals, 15 ranks (Wurlitzer Opus 558, July 1922) - Orpheum Theatre, VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- 3 manuals, 13 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1927)
Great Britain
-
- See also Wurlitzers in the United KingdomWurlitzers in the United KingdomThere were a number of Wurlitzers in the United Kingdom, installed in the period from 1925 to just before the Second World War .The first Wurlitzer theatre organ shipped to the UK was constructed in 1924, and shipped in via Southampton Docks in January 1925. A very small, six-rank instrument, it...
- Southampton Guildhall Compton, SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
- 4 manuals (Theatre Console) plus 4 manuals (Classical Console), 51 ranks (Compton, 1936) - Dome Concert Hall, BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
- 4 manual, 40 ranks (Hill, Norman & Beard - refurbished - 2007) - Pavilion Theatre Compton, BournemouthBournemouthBournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
- 4 manuals, 24 ranks (Compton, 1929) - OdeonOdeon Leicester SquareThe Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the square with its huge black polished granite facade and high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night. It was built to be the...
, Leicester SquareLeicester SquareLeicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- 5 manuals, 17 ranks, (Compton, 1937) - EMD (Granada)EMD (Granada) WalthamstowThe EMD cinema on Hoe Street, Walthamstow, was opened on 15 September 1930. There has been an arts venue on the site for over 100 Years. The original building opened in May 1887 as a meetings and performing arts venue. The cinema was one of the first venues to broadcast a film in the year of...
, WalthamstowWalthamstowWalthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, Christie Theatre Organ (in original situ) last in the UK - HammersmithHammersmithHammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
Apollo, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- 4 manuals, 15 ranks (Compton, 1932) - BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
TowerBlackpool TowerBlackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
Ballroom - 3 manuals, 14 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1935) - Blackpool Opera House - 3 manuals, 13 ranks (Wurlitzer, 1939) - the last new Wurlitzer in the UK http://www.tccoc.moonfruit.com/#/blackpool-winter-gardens/4549895064
- Stockport Plaza, StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
- http://www.tccoc.moonfruit.com/#/wolverhampton/4549895433 Wolverhampton Civic Hall-4 Manuals, 44 ranks. (Compton 1938)
- Southampton Guildhall Compton, Southampton
- See also Wurlitzers in the United Kingdom
Germany
- Technoseum Mannheim, 2 manuals, 10 ranks (2/10), M. Welte & SöhneWelte-MignonM. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York was a manufacturer of orchestrions, organs and reproducing pianos, established in Vöhrenbach by Michael Welte in 1832.-Overview:...
- Norddeutscher RundfunkNorddeutscher RundfunkNorddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein...
(NDR, North German Broadcasting), HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
- 3/128, M. Welte & Söhne, 1930 - Berlin Musical Instrument MuseumBerlin Musical Instrument MuseumThe Berlin Musical Instrument Museum is located at the Kulturforum on Tiergartenstraße. The museum contains a collection of over 3,500 musical instruments from the 16th century onward and is one of the largest and most representative musical instrument collections in Germany.The museum was...
, 4/15, Wurlitzer, 1929 - Filmmuseum DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, 2/9, M. Welte & Söhne, 1929/30 - Kino Babylon BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
- 2/66, Philipps (Frankfurt), 1929 - Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett, Rüdesheim, 2/11, M. Welte & Söhne, 1928/29
- Filmmuseum PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, 2/12, M. Welte & Söhne, 1928/29 - Grassi MuseumGrassi MuseumThe Grassi Museum is a building complex in Leipzig, Germany, home to three museums: the Ethnography Museum, Musical Instruments Museum, and Applied Arts Museum....
, Leipzig, 2/7, M. Welte & Söhne, 1931
Netherlands
- City-Theater, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 4/17, Strunk - Pathé TuschinskiTuschinskiPathé Tuschinski is a movie theater in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, originally exploited by Abraham Icek Tuschinski, who had it built in 1921 at a cost of 4 million guilders, in a spectacular mix of styles, as designed by Hijman Louis de Jong; Amsterdam School, Jugendstil, Art Nouveau and Art Deco...
, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 4/10, Wurlitzer-Strunk, 1940 - Theater aan de Schie, SchiedamSchiedamSchiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
, 3/11, Standaart - De Meenthe Building, former in Asta Theater, SteenwijkSteenwijkSteenwijk is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland. It is the largest town of the municipality.Steenwijk received city rights in 1327...
, 4/29, Strunk - Concert Hall, MiddleburgMiddleburgMiddleburg may mean the following places in the United States of America:*Middleburg, Florida*Middleburg, Iowa*Middleburg, Kentucky*Middleburg, Maryland*Middleburgh , New York**Middleburgh , New York*Middleburg, Logan County, Ohio...
, 3/11 Compton
Switzerland
- Dream Factory, DegersheimDegersheimDegersheim is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Wil in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Degersheim is first mentioned in 837 as Tegarascai. It was known as Tegerschen until 1803, when Degersheim became the official name. The village of Wolfertswil is mentioned in 838 as...
, 3/14 Wurlitzer - Collège Claparède, GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, 3/8 Wurlitzer - Theatre Barnabè, ServionServionServion is a municipality in the district of Lavaux-Oron in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Servion has an area, , of . Of this area, or 60.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 23.5% is forested...
, M. Welte & Söhne
New vs. original technology
So called "New" organs have been recently built, mainly from parts of other theatre organs, with some construction of new pipework, windchests and consoles. Among the largest of these are the 5-manual (keyboard), 80-rank (sets of pipes) organ at the Sanfilippo Residence in Barrington, IllinoisBarrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
; the 4-manual, 78-rank organ at the Organ Stop Pizza
Organ Stop Pizza
Organ Stop Pizza is a restaurant located in Mesa, Arizona. Its primary attraction is as the home of what it claims is the largest Wurlitzer theater organ in the world. Powered by three turbine blowers it has more than 5,500 pipes. The original organ was built for the Denver Theater and was...
Restaurant in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
; and the 4-manual, 77-rank organ of The Nethercutt Collection at San Sylmar in Sylmar, California.
- The largest theatre pipe organ in a publicly owned building is the Dickinson High SchoolJohn Dickinson High SchoolJohn Dickinson High School is a comprehensive four-year high school located on a campus near Wilmington, Delaware in New Castle County. Built in the Pike Creek Valley in 1959, the school takes its name from John Dickinson, one of colonial America's patriots...
Kimball Theatre pipe organ in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, consisting of identical 3-manual consoles which play 66 ranks of pipes. - The Civic Hall in WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
(UK) houses what was originally a 40-rank Compton concert/orchestral organ which has, in recent years, been enhanced by four theatre organ ranks, including the main voice of the theatre organ, a Tibia Clausa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PgoD5bvfxw - The Singing Hills Wurlitzer, AlbourneAlbourneAlbourne is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A23 road three miles east of Henfield. The parish has a land area of 772.9 hectares...
, proudly boasts two consoles. The smaller 2-manual console controls five of the available ranks and the larger 3-manual console controls all of the available 23 ranks. Originally specified by Michael Maine and built by David Houlgate, re-specified by Michael Wooldridge and refurbished with extra ranks added by Alan Baker and Michael Wooldridge. Regularly used for concerts throughout the year, in the non-golfing season. - The East Sussex National Wurlitzer, UckfieldUckfield-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, sports a Wurlitzer replica 'Modernistic' console built by Ken Crome and has 4 manuals controlling the 32 available pipe ranks and traps. Available for functions and regularly used for fortnightly Sunday tea dances.
Other theatre organs that have been silent for years are being refurbished and installed in new venues.
Some of these refurbished organs have had their original electro-pneumatic relays replaced with electronic and/or computerized relays and modern, electronic consoles.
- Manufacturers such as Uniflex Relay Systems http://www.uniflex.com, Peterson, Z-tronics, Syndyne, ArndtArndt- People with Arnd or ARent as given name :* Arent de Gelder, Dutch painter*Arnd Meier, German racecar driver*Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach*Arnd Schmitt, German fencer- People with Arnd as surname :* Adolf Arndt, German politician...
, Organ Supply IndustriesOrgan Supply IndustriesOrgan Supply Industries, Incorporated is a pipe organ parts manufacturer founded in 1924 as the Organ Supply Corporation in Erie, Pennsylvania. With over of manufacturing floor, it is the largest organ parts supplier in North America.- History :...
, and Artisan Instruments http://www.artisanorgans.com provide hardware, reproduction parts, and electronics for theatre organs.
Digital theatre organ
Built by companies such as Walker Theatre Organs http://www.walkertheatreorgan.com, AllenAllen Organ
The Allen Organ Company builds classical digital and combination digital and pipe organs, as well as digital theatre organs. Its factory is located in Macungie in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.-History:...
http://www.allenorgan.com and Rodgers
Rodgers Instruments
Rodgers Instruments Corporation is an American manufacturer of classical and church organs. Rodgers was founded in 1958 by Rodgers W. Jenkins and Fred Tinker, employees of Tektronix, Inc., of Portland, Oregon, and members of a Tektronix team developing transistor-based oscillator circuits...
http://www.rodgersinstruments.com, incorporating sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, a MIDI interface, and newly-designed speaker systems, are being produced in the attempt to recreate authentic-sounding pipe tones, thus providing an affordable alternative to an actual pipe organ. As a result, the typical "man on the street" experiences difficulty in perceiving the differences between today's digitally-sampled electronic organs and traditional pipe organs.
Virtual theatre organ
Recently, a virtual theatre organ called the MidiTzer was developed by Jim Henry. It is available as a free download, runs on a WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based PC or Linux machines under Wine (software)
Wine (software)
Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like...
, and uses MIDI keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. The MidiTzer http://www.virtualorgan.com makes the theatre organ sound and experience convenient for home setup and portable for use at silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
shows where a theatre pipe organ is not available. Predating MidiTzer is the Linux platform GENPO http://genpo.sourceforge.net virtual organ project. GENPO is used on professional digital audio workstations such as the Marschall Acoustics Instruments MkII and MkIII workstations which were used for the Peter Carroll-Held album recently released by Move Records http://www.move.com.au. GENPO uses buttons rather than tongue-tab icons to represent the stop switches, this allows more stops to be shown in an equivalent amount of video display screen 'real-estate'. MidiTzer, on the other hand, aims to recreate a visual layout similar to a WurliTzer theatre organ.
First issued in 2002 Hauptwerk
Hauptwerk
Hauptwerk is a computer program, available from Milan Digital Audio, designed to allow the playback or live performance of pipe organ music using MIDI and recorded sound samples...
Virtual Organ was developed to cater for virtual organs in general and has been found to be highly suitable for use by amateurs and professional alike, with an interest in Theatre Organs. It uses 'sample sets' which contain all of the digitised samples required for a Theatre Organ, along with an Organ Definition File (ODF) which specifies how an entire organ is defined. Sample sets are supplied by many suppliers, with a few devoted exclusively to Theatre Organs and most suppliers allow the use of their samples by ODFs that have been written by users to suit their own particular requirement, often using the Custom Organ Design Module (CODM) supplied with the Hauptwerk package. Physical console controls may be connected to Hauptwerk via MIDI MIDI and for those with limuted space, touch screen control is often available. Hauptwerk is highly thought of within the Virtual Theatre Organ fraternity and is rated as probably the ultimate in virtual organ software. There are currently three modes of operation - Free, Basic and Advanced with the Advanced Edition containing all possible facilities that Hauptwerk has to offer. The Free Edition allows you to 'try before you buy' and there is even a free to use sample set, containing a fully featured 3 manual, 10 rank Theatre Organ, supplied by Paramount Organ Works http://www.paramountorganworks.com. Other Theatre Organ sample set suppliers are Milan Digital Audio http://www.milandigitalaudio.com and Key Media Productions http://www.keymediaproductions.com.
The theatre organ and its progenitors
The future of the theatre organ is always fluid, but several organizations are active in preserving and promoting these grand, old instruments. Among these are the American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS) and numerous independent theatre organ clubs who exist to refurbish and reinstall theatre organs to their former glory. Similar work is being done in the UK by the Cinema Organ Society and the Theatre Organ Club; in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the various divisions of TOSA have "saved" many theatre organs once in cinemas and theatres. Many of these rebuilt instruments have been installed in restaurants and auditoriums, as well as in a few theatres and churches, allowing the public to gain access to them.
Independent chapters of ATOS, individuals and venue operators have produced and continue to produce various events and shows to promote the theatre organ. In recent years, increased interest in silent films and the use of the theatre organ in conjunction with orchestras, concert bands, and other instrumentalists has helped to broaden the appeal of the theatre organ to newer audiences.
Within the past several years, ATOS has become very active in promoting young theatre organists and enthusiasts, primarily through its work in hosting the ATOS Summer Youth Camp. The ATOS Summer Camp is a week-long educational event aimed at instructing budding, young theatre organists in the art form. Beginning in 2007, the ATOS Summer Camp has hosted dozens of new, young theatre organists. With the help of its core educational staff of Jonas Nordwall, Donna Parker, Jelani Eddington, and Martin Ellis, the Summer Camp program has developed an extensive and successful curriculum for teaching the art of the theatre organ.
Organists then and now
By the late 1920s, there were over 7,000 organists employed in theatres across the United States. Today, there are none of those original silent film organists still alive. Today's theatre organists present the art form to the public in a variety of ways, through concert appearances, silent film accompaniment, and commercial recordings. Organists such as Walt StronyWalt Strony
Walt Strony is an American organist. He began his professional career in 1974. While primarily known for his work playing the theatre organ, he performs numerous classical concerts as well....
, Jelani Eddington, Jonas Nordwall, Donna Parker, Chris Gorsuch, Martin Ellis
Martin Ellis
Martin Ellis is a former Australian rules football field umpire in the Australian Football League.He retired on the 2 September 2008 having umpired a total of 244 career games in the AFL over 13 seasons, including the 2001 AFL Grand Final....
, Ken Double, Chris Elliott, Dave Wickerham, and Bob Ralston
Bob Ralston
Robert Ralston is an American pianist and organist who performed on television's The Lawrence Welk Show from 1963 to 1982....
maintain active concert schedules and continue to promote the instrument and its preservation through their worldwide travels and musical talents. Other organists such as Clark Wilson, Steven Ball of Ann Arbor's Michigan Theatre, Bob Mitchell
Robert Mitchell (organist)
Robert Mitchell was an American organist and choir director whose career spanned 85 years, from 1924 to 2009. He was one of the last original silent film accompanists, having accompanied films from 1924 to 1928. Mitchell revived the art from 1992 until his death in 2009, usually to wild...
, and Rob Richards, frequently accompany silent films and/or are resident "staff" organists for a commercial theatre.
There are many other full- or part-time theatre organists in other parts of the world, with a large proliferation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Phil Kelsall
Phil Kelsall
Phil Kelsall MBE ALCM is an English theatre organist who has been principal organist at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom since 1977...
, resident organist of the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer in the world-famous Blackpool Tower, is the most well known in the UK and plays mainly in a unique style called the Blackpool Style, which was originally developed by Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon MBE, ARCM, was an English theatre organist. He was best known as resident organist at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, where he played the Wurlitzer organ from 1930 until his retirement in 1970.-Biography:...
, a previous resident organist. Robert Wolfe http://www.cinema-organs.org.uk/galleries/artists/wolfe.html, Donald Mackenzie, John Mann, Simon Gledhill, Richard Hills Nigel Ogden
Nigel Ogden
Nigel Ogden is an organist and radio broadcaster in the UK who presents The Organist Entertains on BBC Radio 2. Inspired by theatre organists such as Reginald Dixon, he took up playing the organ at the age of 12, and was first heard on The Organist Entertains in 1972...
, Len Rawle, Matthew Bason and Michael Wooldridge are just a few of the many British organists who play regularly to audiences throughout the world. In Australia there are also many wonderful musicians who play the theatre organ, with Margaret Hall, Wendy Hambly, Peter Carroll-Held, David Johnston, Bill Schumacher, Tony Fenelon, John Giacchi, Paul Fitzgerald, John Atwell, Robert Wetherall and Chris McPhee being among the most prolific. In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jean-Philippe Le Trévou, Titular Organist at Sainte-Claire Church in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and one of the rare theatre organists in France, continues the tradition by accompanying silent films at the Kinopanorama in Paris, at the Vidéothèque de Paris for the Ciné-Mémoire Festival, as well as at the Cinema Museum in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany, during the Music Fair.
See also
- Capri TheatreCapri TheatreThe Capri Theatre is a cinema in Goodwood, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, built in the Art Deco style.It is owned by the Theatre Organ Society of Australia Inc, which bills the cinema as a "Unique Entertainment Showplace in the World".A feature of the cinema is the Wurlitzer theatre organ,...
, home of Australia's second largest theatre organ - PhotoplayerPhotoplayerThe photoplayer is an automatic mechanical orchestra used by movie theatres to produce photoplay music to accompany silent films.-Operation:The central instruments in a photoplayer were a piano and percussion; some machines also added pipe organs and methods for manually creating sound effects...
, an automatic piano and orchestra used by smaller theatres to accompany silent films - Winter Gardens, BlackpoolWinter Gardens, BlackpoolThe Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
- Wurlitzers in the United KingdomWurlitzers in the United KingdomThere were a number of Wurlitzers in the United Kingdom, installed in the period from 1925 to just before the Second World War .The first Wurlitzer theatre organ shipped to the UK was constructed in 1924, and shipped in via Southampton Docks in January 1925. A very small, six-rank instrument, it...