I heard this organ in 1966 on a trip east with my parents. It was
mostly working and knocked our collective socks off,
Ben Baldus
James Lokken wrote:
>Discussion of historic GGG compass organs sets me off on a flight of fancy,
>perhaps a challenge:
>
>Suppose, just for the sake of discussion, that the 7-manual 1932 Midmer Losh
>in Atlantic City were restored and fully functional in all eight chambers.
>(www.acchos.org has a full description with photos.) Suppose that you had a
>chance to play it. In that vast space, on that enormous instrument, what
>would you play and how would to approach the task?
>
>Keep in mind that Choir and Great have a 7-octave compass, from CCC. Swell
>has a 6-octave compass from GGG. The other four manuals, whose names I don't
>recall, are conventional 5-octave compass from CC.
>
>The concept of this instrument is unquestionably orchestral. The late Edwin
>Lemare, Virgil Fox, George Wright, and a number of others would no doubt
>have had a glorious romp here. But somehow the building and instrument, by
>their grand scale, seem to present an unusual challenge. How would one find
>musical uses for the extended compass keyboards, the remote Gallery, Fanfare
>and String divisions, the ten 8' Open Diapasons on the Great?
>
>Certainly this could be played in theater organ style. It's a lot more,
>however, than a theater instrument, and it cries out for a bolder musical
>imagination.
>
>Given the cost not only of renovation and reconstruction, but also of time
>for tuning and rehearsal, the grand vision of Senator Emerson Richards may
>never be fully realized. Perhaps it was an enormous boondoggle of the Great
>Depression. But what possibilities it presents! What a marvelous surround
>sound track it could create for the next George Lucas film!
>
>Jim Lokken
>San Fracisco
>
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>
>
>
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Note: opinions expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the individual con-
tributors and not necessarily those of the list owners nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask] saying GET LSVCMMDS.TXT or see the web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
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