I my Lord, who knew! Im from Canada, 1st time I heard of this mighty Organ's existance. What an incredible undertaking putting this all together. Its like Rocket Science!
Wow!! As a Philadelphia native, listening to Christmas music from this incredible organ was a part of our regular holiday tradition every year since 1965. Seeing the inner workings of this masterpiece / marvel is a treat. Thank you Fran !!
The pipes are made of tin. It's mostly lead. There is an organ manufacturer here in Milwaukee and I've seen how they make the metal for the pipes. They pour the molten metal into a wooden trough and slide it in a set of ways, and the metal comes out onto a table as a shiny silver sheet. It is very soft and malleable - easy to cut and form. Fascinating to watch.
The genius engineering and musical knowledge to create this colossal organ just blows my mind! I am flabberghasted! When I was young, I would rollerskate at a place that had a pretty big pipe organ...but it was a grain of sand compared to this crazy thing!
Truly amazing Fran! Talk about a job for life. That was a fantastic, up close and personal tour of the inside of an impressive, hand crafted, enormous machine. How would a young person get an apprenticeship in this niche field?
Thank you for this very interesting and informative content. I thought I understood the basic electro-mechanical principal of pipe organs, but I had no idea about the matrix configuration of pipe ranks. And your guides were very knowledgeable and enthusiasic. Skinner Aeolians are some of the finest organs ever constructed, but I may be biased.
I love Matt. He has this aura of positivity and enthusiasm! This was a really cool movie. I missed the individual videos back then for some bizarre reason. Was so nice to watch and very educational.
Fantastic organ and video. I am fascinated with the workings of these magnificent instruments. I have see many videos of the Wannamaker at Macey's being played, but this surpasses all my expectations. I've seen videos of many organ interiors but this video surpasses all of those. Very knowledgeable narrators. absolutely GREAT. Thank you from South Africa. D. (Wish I could visit, but I am not mobile. An armchair viewer!)
gotta love massive achievements like that, its not even close to your IKEA book shelf you assembled at home. Would love to stand there when the pipes go off.
Must be what it's like to be a mouse in a church organ! This is incredible! The specking on the metal pipes isn't galvanization... I remember seeing a demonstration of forging organ pipes years ago, and the metal is a mixture of lead and something else. I want to say tin but I'm sure that's wrong. Anyway, for whatever reason the metals don't form an alloy or mix completely. I wish I could remember the specifics.
The metal is a mixture called spotted metal. Pipe metal consists of lead and tin melted together, most often using a proportion of about 50% of each. However, the proportions can vary significantly depending the desired tone, and on available funds too (tin is very expensive). Speaking facade pipes are often made with a very high tin content, even pure tin, other sound characteristics may call for as much as 97% lead. The metals have different cooling points, hence creating a spotted pattern when the molten mixture is poured onto the casting table. Other metals are also used, mainly copper and in some cases zink. Certain builders add a small amount silver, mostly for horizontal trumpet stops. The facade pipes seen in organs from this particular period (late 19th - early 20-th centuries) are often only decorative dummies. They can be made from almost any material.
Talking about a mouse in a church organ, the pethericks have bought a convent in France and they are currently rebuilding a church organ in the chapel and found a mouse nest inside the organ.
Simply fascinating! I have a recollection of another detailed exploration of an organ on broadcast TV years ago. PBS I would assume. But your film goes into much finer detail! Love it! Thank you so much! Savoring the minutia indeed.
The windchest-connected “magic” is an electropneumatic matrix, just like a for a LED matrix. Columns are pitches (say), rows are ranks or “instruments”.
@@dryroasted5599 Even in normal sized organs, it amazes me that the tracker action doesn't make the keys hard (heavy) to press. I guess all the components are balanced and friction is kept to a minimum.
At 15:54, you are literally inches away from the Chorus Division treble chest which is on 18" H20 of pressure (over 4-6 times that of a normal church organ). I wouldn't want to be there without hearing protection when one note at a time is playing for tuning, let alone full chords.
not a area where you are supposed to be but you can go there limited times to check if something is wrong. Ear protection is a requirement if you need to work for longer times.
The Wanamaker Organ is able to play all of the Classic/Modern Organ Repertoire very faithfully with zero compromise. It has been cared for consistently thorough the past century with a few exceptions. It is one-of-a-kind and will never be replicated. As your host pointed out this instrument is in a very favorable acoustic environment for it's size (the room is the most important organ stop) and it is much more subtler than the Atlantic City, New Jersey instrument which is much larger with several keyboards of 88 notes and a couple with 73 notes each, but massive pipe scales, huge high pressure stops of 100" of water column displacement, which is also one-of-a-kind and installed in a room that is about 12 times as large so it has a lot of air to move but also sounds fantastic and gets better every year since they began to get serious about the restoration and has mostly NOT been playable since the late 1920's-early 1930's. The Wanamaker Organ I think has more ranks that are not duplexed at another pitch. Atlantic City has many, many stops or ranks that can play at other pitches, but is done in a very discrete way so it is still very versatile. Matt is correct - Each organ has a unique smell. I liken it to smoking pipe tobacco (generally cherry flavored) but very weak and sweet mustyness.
The scale of the effort to build and work and play this is miraculous
Fran you should watch look mum no computer, he built and digitizes the organ to use midi
Yes! I watch him.
Indeed, an absolutely amazing project! Fully recombobulated, operational and electronically controlled. Look, mum! A computer with a big organ!
Danke!
I my Lord, who knew! Im from Canada, 1st time I heard of this mighty Organ's existance. What an incredible undertaking putting this all together. Its like Rocket Science!
I'm just now seeing this?! The organ is so fantastic. Hopefully it's future is good, things are uncertain now.
Wow!! As a Philadelphia native, listening to Christmas music from this incredible organ was a part of our regular holiday tradition every year since 1965. Seeing the inner workings of this masterpiece / marvel is a treat. Thank you Fran !!
The pipes are made of tin. It's mostly lead. There is an organ manufacturer here in Milwaukee and I've seen how they make the metal for the pipes. They pour the molten metal into a wooden trough and slide it in a set of ways, and the metal comes out onto a table as a shiny silver sheet. It is very soft and malleable - easy to cut and form. Fascinating to watch.
World's largest ...
To remind you about Midmer Losh, which already functions ...
Mezmerizing! Fran, you are a national treasure. Thank you for preserving history.
The genius engineering and musical knowledge to create this colossal organ just blows my mind! I am flabberghasted! When I was young, I would rollerskate at a place that had a pretty big pipe organ...but it was a grain of sand compared to this crazy thing!
Truly amazing Fran!
Talk about a job for life.
That was a fantastic, up close and personal tour of the inside of an impressive, hand crafted, enormous machine.
How would a young person get an apprenticeship in this niche field?
Thank you for this very interesting and informative content. I thought I understood the basic electro-mechanical principal of pipe organs, but I had no idea about the matrix configuration of pipe ranks. And your guides were very knowledgeable and enthusiasic.
Skinner Aeolians are some of the finest organs ever constructed, but I may be biased.
Spot metal is a tin/lead alloy commonly used in organ building. The proportion of the two metals affect the size of the spots.
I love Matt. He has this aura of positivity and enthusiasm! This was a really cool movie. I missed the individual videos back then for some bizarre reason. Was so nice to watch and very educational.
OMG Thanks for posting this treasure of information. :)
What is to become of this beautiful instrument with Macy's CLOSING?
Fantastic organ and video. I am fascinated with the workings of these magnificent instruments. I have see many videos of the Wannamaker at Macey's being played, but this surpasses all my expectations. I've seen videos of many organ interiors but this video surpasses all of those. Very knowledgeable narrators. absolutely GREAT. Thank you from South Africa. D. (Wish I could visit, but I am not mobile. An armchair viewer!)
gotta love massive achievements like that, its not even close to your IKEA book shelf you assembled at home.
Would love to stand there when the pipes go off.
Wasn’t Philly City Hall featured in the Terry Gilliam film, “12 Monkeys”?
Must be what it's like to be a mouse in a church organ! This is incredible!
The specking on the metal pipes isn't galvanization... I remember seeing a demonstration of forging organ pipes years ago, and the metal is a mixture of lead and something else. I want to say tin but I'm sure that's wrong. Anyway, for whatever reason the metals don't form an alloy or mix completely. I wish I could remember the specifics.
The metal is a mixture called spotted metal. Pipe metal consists of lead and tin melted together, most often using a proportion of about 50% of each. However, the proportions can vary significantly depending the desired tone, and on available funds too (tin is very expensive). Speaking facade pipes are often made with a very high tin content, even pure tin, other sound characteristics may call for as much as 97% lead. The metals have different cooling points, hence creating a spotted pattern when the molten mixture is poured onto the casting table. Other metals are also used, mainly copper and in some cases zink. Certain builders add a small amount silver, mostly for horizontal trumpet stops. The facade pipes seen in organs from this particular period (late 19th - early 20-th centuries) are often only decorative dummies. They can be made from almost any material.
Talking about a mouse in a church organ, the pethericks have bought a convent in France and they are currently rebuilding a church organ in the chapel and found a mouse nest inside the organ.
Yuhuuiii 2h of Fran!
Thanks for the tour. Impressive!
Where is it played, or is it programmed like a player piano?
Simply fascinating! I have a recollection of another detailed exploration of an organ on broadcast TV years ago. PBS I would assume. But your film goes into much finer detail! Love it!
Thank you so much! Savoring the minutia indeed.
What a wonderful job :)
The windchest-connected “magic” is an electropneumatic matrix, just like a for a LED matrix. Columns are pitches (say), rows are ranks or “instruments”.
Dam what kind of db levels jezz I had to turn right down to mask the gain up there 😮🔊
Incredible complexity, what an interesting tour!
Amazing! Thanks Fran.
anyone know the name of the piece at 4:35??
It's the Ave Maria by Franz Schubert
Thank you Fran and all! That was 2+ hours of incredulous amazement and happiness!
Wonderful!
Nice Fran! I remember my mother taking me there every Christmas time. Great memories
Fantastic tour thank you
At that point the building is the instrument. Absolutely incredible! Thanks for the back stage pass!
i struggle to find the words for such a magical place
Ah, so there isn’t a direct mechanical linkage between the keys and the pipe valves. That’s a relief! 😅
In some organs there are. They are referred to as tracker organs.
@@dryroasted5599 Even in normal sized organs, it amazes me that the tracker action doesn't make the keys hard (heavy) to press. I guess all the components are balanced and friction is kept to a minimum.
Fran, is this gentleman the chief engineer for the organ?
Why did I keep thinking of Norman Bates throughout this video?!
Ellens dritter Gesang (aka Ave Maria) by Franz Schubert
elton john at 16:00?
So Cool!!
Amazing!
Is this bigger than the cave organ?
Fascinating!!!!
cool organ
Imagine, all thoughts and plans Wanamaker had going through his brain about this contraption as he was falling asleep?
At 15:54, you are literally inches away from the Chorus Division treble chest which is on 18" H20 of pressure (over 4-6 times that of a normal church organ). I wouldn't want to be there without hearing protection when one note at a time is playing for tuning, let alone full chords.
So you did a re run of the video, not a bad idea the film is a beauty
Am I the only one thinking of Unseen University?
the world's largest functioning musical instrument !!!
no computer assisted engineering. WOW
No hearing protection? Yikes!!
not a area where you are supposed to be but you can go there limited times to check if something is wrong. Ear protection is a requirement if you need to work for longer times.
The Wanamaker Organ is able to play all of the Classic/Modern Organ Repertoire very faithfully with zero compromise. It has been cared for consistently thorough the past century with a few exceptions. It is one-of-a-kind and will never be replicated. As your host pointed out this instrument is in a very favorable acoustic environment for it's size (the room is the most important organ stop) and it is much more subtler than the Atlantic City, New Jersey instrument which is much larger with several keyboards of 88 notes and a couple with 73 notes each, but massive pipe scales, huge high pressure stops of 100" of water column displacement, which is also one-of-a-kind and installed in a room that is about 12 times as large so it has a lot of air to move but also sounds fantastic and gets better every year since they began to get serious about the restoration and has mostly NOT been playable since the late 1920's-early 1930's. The Wanamaker Organ I think has more ranks that are not duplexed at another pitch. Atlantic City has many, many stops or ranks that can play at other pitches, but is done in a very discrete way so it is still very versatile.
Matt is correct - Each organ has a unique smell. I liken it to smoking pipe tobacco (generally cherry flavored) but very weak and sweet mustyness.
Wannamaker little donor organ echo!
Giant pipe organ
first