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Opus #42 MP3 Recordings for Download
Opus #42
Gallery of Photos #1
The Summer 2006 Refurbishing
| October 12, 2007 The official website for the Opus #42 TO is: http://www.sfnatos.org/ The official name for this Spokane ATOS Chapter is: Spokane First Nazarene ATOS. A few new photos have been added to the Gallery of Photos. October 8, 2007 May 05, 2007 May 03, 2007
May 01, 2007 The music created by organist Ken Fuller and his wife, pianist Carol, and the church choir was simply beautiful. I would place the style somewhere between the modern guitar/drums approach and the formal church organ/choir approach. Many good traditional hymns were presented with a bit of the gospel music touch from the piano at times. I am starting this webpage as a way to spread information about the First Church instrument for those folks interested in the good old theatre organ! Also, be sure to notice that the Lilac City Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society is just now being formed (see the second message from Ken Fuller below). ---Leo Christopherson This particular Opus #42 WurliTzer (III/20) is of historical importance as the following links explain: http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/seattle/liberty.htm http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/spokane/nazarene.htm http://www.theatreorgans.com/pa/tosdv/saucer.htm It would be greatly appreciated if anyone having additional information about this particular organ would contact Ken Fuller Wurly_1@mac.com or me organ@leochristopherson.com. I plan to post its specifications
soon. Note: As mentioned by Ken Fuller The organ ID number is actually Opus 42 as specified in the The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ: An Illustrated History, by David L. Junchen, not Opus 41 as reported in the above links. There has been a misquote through the years and when Jeff Weiler put all the info together with factory records it shows up as Opus 42. There was an original number ascribed by the factory as a factory number (????), but remember, this was in the first years. The numbering system was obviously changed and the instruments were numbered in order as Opus numbers. As they say, it's in the book. |
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Two
messages from Ken Fuller, the Principal Organist: Our 'Mighty Wurlitzer' Theatre Pipe Organ started life in November of 1914 in the Liberty theatre in Seattle,WA. It is Opus # 42 and a proto‑type of the large, deluxe Paramount and Crawford special models (designed by Jesse Crawford‑the 'Poet of the Pipe Organ) that were to come along in the big, new cinema palaces. The American Theatre Organ Society has credited our organ with being the one that started the theatre organ movement that swept the country until the advent of talking picture shows. The organ was the sound creator for silent movies. The era came to a sudden halt in the late 20's and early 30's. Several famous men played this instrument such as Oliver Wallace who became the first music director for Walt Disney and Albert Hay Malotte who composed the Lord's Prayer. Jensen and Von Herberg paid $27,000 for the organ in 1914, exclusive of transportation and installation. It was rescued in 1959 just prior to the demolition of the theatre by the organ professor and class from Pacific Lutheran University. First Church of the Nazarene, Spokane, WA bought it from PLU in 1973 and it was installed in our new church in 1974. The first service was February 10, 1974. The organ had never been refurbished until we started renovation in June of 2006 consisting of several phases. Phase one is finished, which consisted of washing all metal pipes, cleaning and inspecting all wooden pipes, relocating and repairing several chests and replacing hundreds of magnet caps under the pipe chests. The work is being done by organ technician Clint Meadway and associate Russ Evans of Seattle. Phase two is to replace the relay (electronic brain) with a new digital relay which has been purchased and will be installed as soon as the rest of the funds come in to accomplish it. Since the church is in a campaign to pay off the debt of the family center/gymnasium all monies to facilitate the renovation project come from donations both from within and without the church. Costly though it may seem, early proposals that we got put the first phase at $60,000. We paid $20,000 and got a receipt for $49,600 marked, “Paid in Full.” The relay proposal was $38,000. Our relay cost $12,500 and installation cost $10,000. We are just $2.400 short of the installation cost. God is doing wonders for our organ. There are 2 phases left for the future. Our dream is to have the organ in pristine condition to permit concerts by the country's professional theatre organ concert artists and to record CD's for sale to help with the maintenance and upkeep.
For information
contact:
Church (509)
467‑8986 |
| FRIENDS OF THE WURLITZER 'Friends of the Wurlitzer' was created because many outside the church expressed an interest in the WurliTzer. Our desire is to share with the community our historic instrument, the oldest in public service that we know of. 'Friends of the Wurlitzer' provides a chance for all who are interested in the Theatre Organ to come together once a quarter for a mini‑concert just for members (and their friends). I will play. Members can play and experience the grandeur of the Mighty WurliTzer. You may tour the blower room. And for those who wish to climb the ladder, you will see the pipe chambers, where you will find pipes from the size of a small pencil up to the 32 foot wooden diaphones standing behind the pipe chambers. There is no cost to belong to 'Friends of the Wurlitzer.' However we are also organizing a chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society and are encouraging as many as will to join with us to establish the Lilac City Chapter of ATOS. ($40 per Year.) Our Wurlitzer is being refurbished little by little strictly by donations from within and without the church. This is the first complete refurbishing since it was installed in the Liberty Theatre in Seattle in 1914. The pipes have been cleaned; chests repaired; new armatures installed and a new relay (digital brain) is waiting to be installed as the funds are available. Our two organ techs have donated over $30,000 in labor and materials. We are blessed. Anyone wishing to make a tax deductible donation to the organ fund may send checks marked "Organ Fund" to:
First Nazarene Church It would be greatly appreciated.
Ken Fuller
‑ Principal Organist |
