The Wanamaker 100th year anniversary was an unexpected celebration of both the largest pipe organ in the world and my son’s 33rd birthday. As an organist, and being nuts about Bach, the pipe organ has held me spellbound ever since my dad, the church “Mr. Fixit” would let me tag along while he tinkered with the technical components of the Mueller organ at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kennewick, WA. What an opportunity to play the organ, an extension of the years of piano lessons already…just add feet! Going into the organ chamber to see the mysterious workings, and ranks of pipes, I wondered how the music reached from the keyboard console several yards away to these pipes. In another room the old “squirrel cage” blower, usually the weakest link, whirled and wheezed air to be funneled into each pipe played.
Who would have thought this grand Wanamaker organ, which was built for the Festival Hall at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, would now be the center place show at Macy’s in Philadelphia? While my son shopped for shoes one day he heard the daily noontime concert wafting Bach throughout the departments. He was awestruck! The following weekend he invited us down, took us on casual stroll, giving us a ruse about having to shop at Macy’s. Marvelous! Stan the Man and I were surrounded with the sweetest flute notes of a Bach Fugue. Now, once again, with great joy we heard beautiful music as, Peter Richard Conte, the Wanamaker organist, played multiple celebratory venues. Then to top it off, we toured the organ chambers with knowledgeable organ technicians, and guides. The size and scale is mindboggling…the 32 foot pipes vibrated the floor and traveled the entire length of our body, while the smallest pipes were the voice of a songbird.
I invite you all to go to the website www.wanamakerorgan.com to take a virtual tour and click on the Hear Music icon if you can’t go in person. The grand Wanamaker organ has had an incredible history on its journey through time.
Writing from beautiful Bal Harbour, FL for the 4th of July Holiday,
Katherine the Great!
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