Wednesday 12 June 2013

Chandler and Organ Stop Pizza

Began our day at Home Depot. Got a few things there. We looked at the garden supplies. Annette checked out some cute cacti. Yvonne checked out the patio furniture!

We explored the area west of us called Chandler. They we visited 35th Ave Fabric World. It is a great quilt store; well organized with tons of bolts of fabric. I bought some really cute panels for baby quilts!

Also in Chandler we shopped at My Sisters Attic, a consignment furniture store. I bought some mirrors there as well as a few southwest knickknacks.

We picked up Mel and went to Organ Stop Pizza for supper. What a unique place!!

Annette  checking out the cute cacti.  

And this one is just right, said goldilocks.



Organ Stop Pizza

Organ Stops' Wurlitzer Theatre Organ was built for the Denver Theatre and installed in 1927.  The organ was used regularly until the early 1930's (depression, talking pictures and a fire damage silenced it).  The organ was purchased and rebuilt in the 1970's by Organ Stop Pizza.  In 1997 a larger four manual console was added to the instrument.  As of 2011 the organ has nearly 6000 pipes.


Charlie Baloch playing the famous organ.
Notice the large windows that show the pipes and control volume levels 
by opening and closing large strips of glass (like venetian blinds).
Also notice the large xylophones hanging from the ceiling, 
these are all controlled by air traps by the organist!

Close up of the organ.
Console is an exact replica of the Fox Special French case, 
ornamented to match the Brooklyn Paramount Wurlitzer.
Notice, foot pedals, four tiered keyboards and numerous stops.

Behind curtain #1 are cat puppets accompanied by the tune "Alley Cat".


The massive quantities of wind required for the organ's operation are provided by four huge turbine blowers.  The air produced by the turbines is pumped through air tubes to produce the pipe s' sound as well as percussion instruments and traps.

Air compression 'beds' vibrate causing vibrato in the pipes' sound.
Also, note the various pipes leading the air up to the pipes, percussion instruments and traps.


Percussion instruments, such as this symbol, are controlled by air.

Traps control the player piano (back), bongos and gong, shown here.

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