Organ Committee Meeting

Organ Committee
Informational Meeting & Dinner

Tuesday, October 18
6:00pm Meeting

Dinner Free - Alcoholic Beverages Not Included
Parking: Off Site General/Member Reimbursement

This event is an important opportunity to learn about and get involved with the preservation of the Magnani Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.  See the below article from the August Quick News that discusses the Organ and the Committee in greater detail. Registration at bottom.

Humidity & Heat
Sometime Welcome Friends

You might be thinking, “Yeah, right!’ But in the case of the Magnani Wurlitzer Pipe Organ - installed and christened in June 2013 at the Mansion, it actually has been a very good thing.

I trust most, if not all of you know that in the spring of 2012 this historic instrument was acquired in a joint effort by the Club and the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion Endowment Fund. The organ is formerly from the State Theater in Baltimore, purchased as the standard Model E. The organ was shipped from the factory on December 17, 1926 and was originally installed in The State Theatre, Monument Street, Baltimore, Maryland, first opening April 27, 1927. This places the instrument appropriately within the era of the Dr. & Mrs. Jacob’s time in the Mansion.

It’s previous owner, Roy Wagner, purchased it in February, 1969 from the State Theater. It was removed and restored by him and it remained unmodified. This preservation makes our Wurlitzer one of only 12 remaining with all of it’s original parts in working order. It is with a similar preservation in mind that the instrument was acquired in 2012.

It’s wires (over 500 individual connections), are all cotton insulated and run from the console via the relay to the pipe chamber above the stage. The relay, one of the first operating computers, utilizes an electro-pneumatic system to control the pipes. Another vital component is the pipe chests, made from wood, they feed and control the air into each specific pipe or instrument. Yes, that’s right, there are other instruments besides pipes. This is usually referred to as the ‘toy chest’ and includes: snare drum, castanets, car horns, xylophone, bird-whistle and much more!

And this is where the heat and humidity become “welcome friends” - primarily because the pipe chests are made of wood, when humidity levels and temperatures drop, the connections to the pipes loosen and air escapes reducing pressure through the instrument causing tuning issues or worse - failure to sound. Since being moved to its new home, our instrument has struggled in the mid-winter through spring seasons due to these issues. However - moving our Silent Movie and Organ Concert Series to the summer has allowed our Magnani Wurlitzer Pipe Organ to once more claim the mantle of ‘The Mighty Wurlitzer’.

In July, the GJMEF Board made a motion to form an Organ Committee whose mission would be to attend to the ongoing maintenance of the instrument, help promote programs and assist in fundraising for its care. The creation of the committee under the auspices of the endowment fund allows for like-minded people, both ESB members and the general public, to participate.

And, I might add that much like one doesn’t need to be an engineer to join the Engineers Club - one doesn’t need to be a musician/organist to be a member of the Organ Committee. Dick Magnani, for whom the instrument has been dedicated due to his tireless efforts in installing and supporting the Wurlitzer, can personally attest to that. Certainly, musicians and organists are welcome too - but anyone with an interest in volunteering their time and energy on this committee is most welcome.

If you want to learn more about the Organ Committee, there is no better way than to come and attend the August 14th Silent Movie: The Navigator. Here you will have an opportunity to not only witness a performance of the instrument, but get a chance to learn more about it.

For more information, or to join the Organ Committee, please contact Dale Whitehead, Executive Director at [email protected] or 410.539.6914, ext 109.