I never knew that the Wicks Organ company was around that long. My catholic church bought a Wicks Pipe organ back in the late 1980s, and I was the only one who knew how to play it once it was installed. I got alot of weddings because of that Wicks pipe organ.
I LOVE these vintage "educational" films - especially from the 1950s. Such florid melodrama! Such grandiose hyberbole! 😃 Thanks for presenting this. And I hope you'll do more of them. Such great fun. 👍💖
In 1971 my parish replaced the Wurlitzer organ in the loft with a Wicks..it took 4 weeks for the install..we wound up with a 2 manual with 12 ranks and it served the parish well..The pedal voices were exquisite, and we wound up with 3 16 footers which was very cool..the majority of the ranks were enclosed in a case with swell shutters..I became the assistant organist as got older, and i loved that BIG GAL, as we called her..I was terminated from my post by the pastor for playing Emerson Lake &Palmer after Mass..But..40+years later, the piece that Fr. Ryan took issue with was ACTUALLY an ANGLICAN hymn from the 1800's..Sadly, the parish was decommissioned by the Archdiocese of Detroit and i imagine this wonderful instrument has been tossed..I am very upset..
Sadly, the Archdiocese of Detroit did far too little to address the city's crippling economic problems and earmarked its funds for extirpating civil, same-sex marriage instead. Unwelcoming churches tend not to remain open.
David Caster I did think about that, but I don’t know of any modern day firm that employs the same percentage of women. Maybe I’m wrong (and I hope I am!!!)
In the electronics industry, many women were used to assemble electronics plants, because of their fingers being smaller and longer to place electronics components into circuit boards.
I helped a retired minister put one together it was a 2 manual 23 rank we became great friends back in 2000 I got a letter from his son saying that he liked me and that he went and to join the lord( passed away where I live now the first baptist church has a 3 manual 37 rank wicks pipe organ
@@kilgenbuff My mother and stepfather were piano and organ instructors and I've got a lot of knowledge of U.S. organ builders. I attended a recital at a church in Inglewood, California and the sound of their Wicks organ was very good and comparable to Reuter or Aeolean Skinner.
@@kansasthunderman1 I too have studied U.S. builders especially from a marketing standpoint for over 40 years and live in a part of the country where Wicks organs are ubiquitous. The action was long lasting but separated them from the better builders of high pressure, expressive symphonic organs in my opinion. They built lots and lots of organs but the vast majority were average to wretched with but a handful of superlatives i.e. the Willis Wicks. But even these were still inexpensive Wicks organs at their core. In terms of overall quality I don't think there is any comparison with the Reuter product and most certainly not AS or really any of the other factory builders of their day. I have heard that a competent voicer/finisher can do wonders with their product though. Just one man's opinion.
I never knew that the Wicks Organ company was around that long. My catholic church bought a Wicks Pipe organ back in the late 1980s, and I was the only one who knew how to play it once it was installed. I got alot of weddings because of that Wicks pipe organ.
Wicks began building organs in the early 20th century.
Bravo OMF! I’d love to see something on Holtkamp. The company has such an interesting history.
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I LOVE these vintage "educational" films - especially from the 1950s. Such florid melodrama! Such grandiose hyberbole! 😃
Thanks for presenting this. And I hope you'll do more of them. Such great fun. 👍💖
In 1971 my parish replaced the Wurlitzer organ in the loft with a Wicks..it took 4 weeks for the install..we wound up with a 2 manual with 12 ranks and it served the parish well..The pedal voices were exquisite, and we wound up with 3 16 footers which was very cool..the majority of the ranks were enclosed in a case with swell shutters..I became the assistant organist as got older, and i loved that BIG GAL, as we called her..I was terminated from my post by the pastor for playing Emerson Lake &Palmer after Mass..But..40+years later, the piece that Fr. Ryan took issue with was ACTUALLY an ANGLICAN hymn from the 1800's..Sadly, the parish was decommissioned by the Archdiocese of Detroit and i imagine this wonderful instrument has been tossed..I am very upset..
Sadly, the Archdiocese of Detroit did far too little to address the city's crippling economic problems and earmarked its funds for extirpating civil, same-sex marriage instead. Unwelcoming churches tend not to remain open.
Was the Wurlitzer organ electronic or pipe?
Pat Saxon It was an early transistor model dating back to1956..it had a stand-alone speaker..
Wonderful, Brent --- thank you.
Marvin Miller's voice brought me back to my childhood, watching The Millionaire. His melodramatic narration is laughable today. Thanks for sharing.
Martin Wicks was about 90 when he dragged a dead branch out of a tree using a tractor. It landed on him.
Biggest funeral Highland ever had.
The family last name is Wick. Martin was 82 when he died.
www.findagrave.com/memorial/77686366/martin-m-wick
The announcer/narrator is Marvin Miller
12:39 - "The feet of REED pipes are nearly always CONE-shaped." 🤪
Gloria Zobrist-Klaus at 4:30
It’s fascinating how many women were shown in the building process. I wouldn’t have thought that would have been the case in the 1950s.
Notice that much of that work involved fine and delicate, requiring dexterity and attention to detail, especially with the electric parts.
David Caster I did think about that, but I don’t know of any modern day firm that employs the same percentage of women. Maybe I’m wrong (and I hope I am!!!)
In the electronics industry, many women were used to assemble electronics plants, because of their fingers being smaller and longer to place electronics components into circuit boards.
I helped a retired minister put one together it was a 2 manual 23 rank we became great friends back in 2000 I got a letter from his son saying that he liked me and that he went and to join the lord( passed away where I live now the first baptist church has a 3 manual 37 rank wicks pipe organ
Esther Mason at 19:07
Coolz
Ben Alarcorn 5 minutes and 52 seconds.
5:52
If you do this...you can click right on it.... 05:52
Fun video but the music is freaky. 😹😹😹
The prologue with Marvin Miller mellifluously intoning the 23rd Psalm was a bit much. I wanted a video on organ manufacturing, not an altar call.
I practiced on a Wicks at least 10 hours a week for 3 years. That horrible action is what caused my CT :)
I think they built primarily at the extreme low end of the industry.
Was it tracker or electric playing action?
@@kilgenbuff My mother and stepfather were piano and organ instructors and I've got a lot of knowledge of U.S. organ builders. I attended a recital at a church in Inglewood, California and the sound of their Wicks organ was very good and comparable to Reuter or Aeolean Skinner.
@@kansasthunderman1 Electric. The knock on Wicks was always the action, never the sound.
@@kansasthunderman1 I too have studied U.S. builders especially from a marketing standpoint for over 40 years and live in a part of the country where Wicks organs are ubiquitous. The action was long lasting but separated them from the better builders of high pressure, expressive symphonic organs in my opinion. They built lots and lots of organs but the vast majority were average to wretched with but a handful of superlatives i.e. the Willis Wicks. But even these were still inexpensive Wicks organs at their core. In terms of overall quality I don't think there is any comparison with the Reuter product and most certainly not AS or really any of the other factory builders of their day. I have heard that a competent voicer/finisher can do wonders with their product though. Just one man's opinion.
Still not as good as a skinner.