The heroic instrument that resulted had five manuals, more than 10, pipes, and it won the Grand Prize and five other medals at the Fair, where was played by Alexandre Guilmant and virtually every other notable organist of the day. I n , Philadelphia merchant-prince John Wanamaker bought the instrument for his new Philadelphia emporium. Thirteen freight cars were required to ship the entire organ from St. Louis, and installation took two years. Despite its immense size, the tone was judged inadequate to fill the huge court.
William Boone Fleming, the original factory supervisor, was hired to direct the work. From the beginning the instrument was an Art Organ. Lavish construction, expensive materials and elegant workmanship made the Wanamaker Organ both a tonal wonder and a monument to superb craftsmanship. The largest pipe is made of flawless Oregon sugar-pine three inches thick and more than 32 feet long—so large that a Shetland Pony was once posed inside for publicity photos.
Supervising tonal matters was George W. All wood pipes were made in the Wanamaker Shop. Metal pipes were purchased from supply houses to strict quality specifications and regulated on-site. Till devised the Pedal rank mixture, which Audsley praised for its reedlike tone.
In an unusual move for the times. Till was also an inventive genius and his brilliance with pneumatic and mechanical devices led to advances such as the first piano played by an organ, selective mixtures, adjustable tremolos and expression-shoe couplers.
The color coding of stop tablets and couplers was also a Till innovation. Completing the picture is organist Charles M. Courboin, a Rodman Wanamaker favorite and one of the brilliant virtuosos of his day, who was a driving force behind the String, Orchestral and Great Chorus divisions that capped the completed instrument.
Kimball Company of Chicago, although vendors were not permitted to advertise their contributions. In addition, Courboin is also largely credited for the visionary layout of the present six-manual console. The smallest pipe is a quarter-inch in length. More than 8, pipes were added to the Organ between and , and from to an additional 10, pipes were installed, bringing the total number of pipes today to 28, C ommanding these huge resources is a massive console with six ivory keyboards and color-coded stop tablets.
There are piston buttons under the keyboards and 42 foot controls. The console weighs 2. Courboin, in association with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra, performed before a standing-room-only crowd of 15, Since then, great organists have continued to perform at the Store, many making special pilgrimages. In , the evening-concert tradition was continued as the Grand Organ marked its 75th anniversary with a Keith Chapman recital that attracted a huge audience.
The pipework encompasses the resources of three symphony orchestras; its String Organ alone has 7, pipes. T he Wanamaker Organ is a Concert Organ of the American Symphonic school of design, which brings to traditional organ tone the added color resources and expressive capabilities of the symphony orchestra. All of this was made possible by the application of electricity to the pipe organ, allowing instruments of unlimited size arranged at various distances from the keyboard and winded by powerful blowers.
In accord with its overall design as an ideal concert organ, the Wanamaker Organ is a Straight Organ with a minimum of unification. Borrowing is kept to a minimum and mainly in the Pedal and Orchestral, where it has great value. Duplexing of stops is reserved for the few instances where valuable solo voices can be separated from their divisions without tying up the remainder of tonal resources there.
It has 75 ranks, forty-four stops and wind pressures of five to twenty-five inches. Its stupendous foot-series rank mixture has the timbre of a magnificent reed and adds immense power when drawn with the Double Open Diapasons. The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ also puts on special concerts throughout the year , including the annual Christmas in Grand Tradition concert. Matt Blitz is a history and travel writer. He also runs the Obscura Society DC and is a big fan of diners.
To increase organ-expansion efficiency, an organ shop was built in the attic of the two-million-square-feet building and employed a full-time staff of organ builders. Subsequent expansions eventually produced a ton organ with almost 29, pipes ranging from 1 inch to 32 feet in length. Most organs of its size and age deteriorated over time; the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ, for example, maintained 50 percent functionality.
With its stops ranks of pipes , the Wanamaker organ could reproduce the sound of numerous string and woodwind instruments and horns, including but not limited to violins, cellos, flutes, oboes, clarinets, French horns, tubas, and trombones, giving it the ability to produce the all-encompassing sound power of three entire symphonies.
Over the years, famous organists sought to play classical as well as signature pieces written specifically for the organ, including Charles M. Courboin — , the organist from to for evening concerts, special events, and performances accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra. A favorite among the Wanamaker organists, he oversaw the second enlargement of the organ in The expansion and renovation of the Wanamaker organ, along with its extensive programs, have ensured its place as a staple destination for tourists and families.
The organ shop in the store continued to maintain and improve the organ, aided by a volunteer restoration team. However, after Rodman Wanamaker died, ownership of the store changed multiple times and the organ fell into disrepair.
Wanamaker Organ Day, an annual free post-Memorial Day concert, began in and featured guest performers who conducted several concerts throughout the day with supplementary brass and percussion instruments and a chorus. Since , the organ has been fully refurbished. Appel, J. Armstrong, A. Villanova, Pa. Biswanger, Ray. On Tuesday he brought his granddaughter Olivia, visiting from Ohio, up to Philly to finally feel the visceral power of the Wanamaker on its th birthday.
Larry Lorenz of Annapolis brought his granddaughter, Olivia Lorenz, to see the Wanamaker Organ during their three-day visit to Philadelphia.
Over its long history, people have gravitated toward the Wanamaker organ. Its first performance — June 22, — was a nod to King George V, who was being crowned at the same moment across the Atlantic in England. Global superstar returns home to Philly to launch international tour for first book.
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