Inspecting the pipework inside organs

Apologies as this is not really a Hauptwerk related topic but I am fascinated looking inside organs. There is something about seeing rows and rows of shiny pipe ranks, glittering, neatly ordered on their soundboards. It raises the hair on the back of my neck. Even the big woodies fill me with awe.

I have always inspected the insides of organ where I have been organist, sometimes getting a cloth out to give them a good polish...only kidding, I leave that to the organ builders

The largest organ I have inspected was at the Royal Albert Hall, London. I was playing it for a weekend of concerts and services in 1994. The organ curator took me on a tour inside and it was fascinating. He pointed out the huge double level swell box. Apparently the organ builders with the hall management held dinner parties in it to raise money for the organ before they installed the pipework.

What big organs have you been inside of?

I've been inside, in the most literal sense, of the Curtis Organ at the University of Pennsylvania, doing volunteer maintenance inside of the the giant, airlocked windchests while under pressure. Had a wine and cheese party in there too

What is at least as much fun is going "inside" a large theatre organ's "innards" esp seeing all the toys. Found I'd much rather be on the outside (of the chambers) when it is being played. Some serious wind pressures are applied which tend to either deafen or clean out one's hearing parts.

Rgds,
Ed

The Huge Mastbaum theater, that used to be in Philadelphia, (Now in an Ohio Restaurant)
It had Stacked pipe chambers, with its huge 16' Bombarde ! And a 50 Horse Power Spencer Turbine !
Many other fine Pipe organs in the Philadelphia general area that I worked on !
I always enjoyed working on Pipe Organs, and then hearing the results after, was most gratifying.

Thank you Hauptwerk for allowing us the pleasure,
of having a fine simulated Pipe Organ in our living rooms !

I'm 67 years old and have been playing electronic organs, at least off and on, since I was around 14. Although I attend concerts and recitals whenever I can and have attended services at many, many churches with beautiful pipe organs, I've never so much as sat at a pipe organ console, much less toured the pipe chambers (both of which I'd love to do). Sad, huh? Oh, well, thank all the saints for Hauptwerk!

-Chris