The Municipal Organ

Atlantic City Organ Society ^ | 7-2-13 | Vic Ferrer

[afraidfortherepublic]

Link Only

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh25I6Br9qU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This is a chapter entitled "The Municipal Organ" from the documentary film "The Senator's Masterpiece" about the Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ. For more information about The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ please visit http://www.ACCHOS.org. For more information on the preservation of America's historic pipe organs please visit http://www.organsociety.org. For more information about the filmmaker please visit http://www.VicFerrerProductions.com © 2006 Vic Ferrer Productions

http://www.BoardwalkPipes.com http://www.ExpositionOrgan.org

[afraidfortherepublic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh25I6Br9qU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[DManA]

Minneapolis had a great municipal organ but they weren’t so lucky (or wise). It’s been in storage for decades. Numerous plans to restore it have all failed.

[Kenton]

New York's Municipal Organ

[Catmom]

Just couldn’t resist, eh?

Thanks for the laugh!

[Paladin2]

My first thought upon reading the h/l.

[snarkpup]

Back in the '80s I was one of the founders of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society (a few counties south of you); and I've seen most of the important organs of that time in that part of Illinois.

When I lived near there, there was a good example of a municipal organ in Naperville, IL. Pretty much the same genre as the Atlantic City organ, but on a small-town scale. I don't know if it's still in use; but if you're interested in this type of instrument and are ever in this area you might want to inquire about it. I'm not 100% certain, but I seem to recall that it was in a city auditorium rather than a commercial theatre.

First Baptist Congregational Church in Chicago had a very similar instrument (same builder, period and style, but larger). I heard it had some storm damage a couple of years ago and I don't know it's current status.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Milwaukee has the Oriental Theater organ:

http://www.dairylandtheatreorgan.org/oriental.html

And St. Josephat’s Basilica organ, rebuilt in 2011:

http://www.nycago.org/Organs/Qns/html/StJosaphat.html

[Terry L Smith]

My first thoughts were, the municipal NEWSPAPER, since the local school board has declared the regional fishwrap as, “the official organ of xxx’.

Now, as to a full-on pipe organ ... I can go with THAT!

[afraidfortherepublic]

This is really a magnificent instrument. Huge!

A wealthy parishioner donated a new pipe organ built for our church a few years back in memory of his late wife. He has since died, but we enjoy that organ every Sunday. The organ builders (out of Indiana) came for the installation and held some meetings to explain the instrument and its properties to aybody who was interested. It was fascinating. Organ building is an art and a science.

Our pipe organ is probably a tenth of the size of the Atlantic City organ.