Four in a Row!

Grand Organ Buff

No discussion about organs could be complete without remembering one of the river's greatest organ buffs - Cap'n Roddy Hammett...and no shore stop at Memphis was complete, in Rod's mind, without a visit to the Mighty Wurlitzer organ at Memphis' Orpheum Theater. He took me there, a few times, to witness the splendor of the grand theater organ ascend from the depths below the auditorium in full triumphant tune. What a show!

Organist Ron Rhode Part I - YouTube

YouTube and Organs

Just yesterday I was attempting to find a very old recording of the organ at Radio City Music Hall. As a consequence, I ended up on YouTube viewing videos of said organ being played. It is too bad that one's tiny little computer speakers cannot possibly replicate the sound of one of those organs reverberating through a giant room. Unless maybe you have your computer hooked up to surround sound. But there's nothing like being there.

Steamboats and Pipe organs....who could forget the one and only Mr. Pilcher himself...the late Bill Bauer of Louisville, Ky. Known to many on this board, unfortunately an name not known and appreciated by the "latecomers" to the Str. Delta Queen scene.

"Mr. Pilcher"

Indeed, Bill Bauer knew more about the Pilcher Organ Company than anyone on the face of the earth and could quote opus numbers and stoplists from his amazing memory!

Herewith is an image, taken in 1978 by Capt. Lexie Palmore, of Bill Bauer ("Mr. Pilcher") inside a chamber of the Pilcher organ in Louisville's War Memorial Auditorium. Built in 1929, as the firm's opus 1454, the 88 rank instrument was the largest constructed by the Pilcher firm. During the 1937 flood (75 years ago!) the huge four manual console was raised to it's highest level on the lift in front of the stage. The water stopped just short of reaching the pedalboard!

Numerous musicians have performed on the instrument through the years, including Marcel Dupre', Andre Marchal, Virgil Fox and others. One of the organ's finest hours occurred when it was featured in concert for the 1993 national convention of the Organ Historical Society. The organ was fully tuned, for the first time in over 40 years, and was magnificently played by Louisville organ virtuoso Timothy L. Baker. Excerpts from the concert are included in the four CD set, Historic Organs of Louisville, available from the OHS.

Incidentally, the organ was dedicated in 1929 by the famous organist Charles Courboin, who served at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, and the Wanamaker Store, Philadephia. He concluded his program, to a standing room only house, with the famous "Toccata" from Widor's Fifth Organ Symphony. In the audience was a young C.W. Stoll, who was smitten with that piece forever after, having it played at family weddings and funerals, including his own in 2001.

Currently, the organ console is being restored by Louisville's River City Organ Works, under the direction of Samuel Bowerman, a longtime proponent and benefactor of the organ. We know that Bill Bauer would be mightily pleased! I always treasured Bill's friendship and that of his wife, Mary Bill, who is still very much with us and active in the organ's preservation. It was an honor to play the Pilcher organ at the Clifton Baptist Church (where as a youngster Bill first heard the majestic sounds of a pipe organ!) for his memorial service in March, 1994. One of the pieces I played was an arrangement of the spiritual, "Deep River", paying tribute to Bill's longtime interest in steamboats -- especially the BELLE of LOUISVILLE and DELTA QUEEN.

Again, pipe organs and riverboats just seem to go hand in hand!

Image: Bill Bauer in his glory. This photo was used in the handbook for the 1993 OHS Kentuckiana OHS Convention. I served as chairman for the 7 day gathering of organ enthusiasts and we visited 32 pipe organs, cruised on the BELLE, visited Churchill Downs, etc. And I lived to tell about it! I could NOT have done it, however, without the tireless help of Bill and Mary Bill, God bless them!

Keith,

I know exactly where in the organ this is taken! I have a video shot from this vantage point of Tim Baker playing last February. You are in the Swell Division by the xylophone.

Mary Bill (Bill's Widow) is so excited by this work being done. Last Sunday there was a "Cleaning Party" in the Echo Organ chamber. I was not able to attend because of prior plans. I hope to be able to volunteer in this huge task Sam is undertaking at some point.

The William H. Bauer Foundation has been set up for the preservation of the massive Pilcher Organ at Memorial Auditorium. They are having a great success raising funds for a very through restoration of this beautiful instrument. As Keith says, Bill would be proud! Here is a link to some information on the Foundation (in case anyone would like to help with this most important project) William H Bauer Foundation for Preservation of The Pilcher Organ - Non-Profit Organizations

Travis

Yes, and I did a sketch from that picture, complete with light bulb and all. Not sure who has the sketch, maybe Mary Bill, but I have a photo of it somewhere over the rainbow...

Wm. H. Bauer in his glory

Well, glory be! That didn't take long. This is scanned from a Polaroid. There is a slide somewhere that might scan better, or not.