1926 Kimball Organ - Scottish Rite Auditorium, Guthrie, Oklahoma

[@fluteceleste]

I've watched it many times and I think this is about to become an iconic OMF episode- a hidden gem of a gorgous instrument featuring fantastic sounds of lush orchestral quality (listen to Wanamaker strings!) plus Andrew's very skilled and always entertaining explanations ("...I regret to inform you that the Melophone is feeling mellow today..") - those were really funny! Thank you so much Brent for all you've been contributing to organ documentation, it's highly appreciated.

[@michaelbell8834]

Interesting that in the mid 20's the importance of mixtures in the context of a complete diapason chorus was beginning to be noticed, especially with the return of Ernest Skinner from his 2nd trip to England in about 1924. There he gained much exposure to the quint and tierce mixtures of Willis, Harrison and especially Lewis. Returning with examples of quint/tierce Willis mixtures, he began including them in his instruments to great effect. Here, mixtures are truly considered as further layers of color rather than a component of a complete diapason chorus, so that line of thinking hadn't gotten completely to Kimball yet.

[@joespeciale5875]

A beautiful period piece instrument, a historic Kimball (and building), a great demo by Dr. Schaefer (oh, how I wish he would play the entire Franck Chorale No. 1 on this lush instrument!): Outstanding! Thank you!

[@johnnyjames7139]

You have a treasure. I used to help maintain the 4/37 Kimball theatre organ in the Wilturn. It was removed in 1986 and broken up for parts. I feel as though a portion of my body was removed.

[@joespeciale5875]

As a longtime-ago former “Angeleno,”did not know about the sad news of the destruction of the Wiltern instrument.. Well, at least thank you for advising me. “Progress.”

[@bobh5087]

Fascinating tour. Thanks to everyone. 👍❤️ It would have been fun to hear the 32' Pedal Reed.

[@praestant8]

Mixtures with thirds and sevenths come from the English school, particularly Willis.

[@markaustin4370]

Love the color in this organ And a great demo!!!!

[@kylesmith5184]

Looking forward to hearing Brother Andrew play the recital! He'll tell you that I've been in that organ loft many times.

[@markaustin4370]

Andrew is a gem as well and adorable!

[@evan-b6f]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jasonnong813]

Aha! Glad to see I'm not the only one who adds strings to tubbier principal choruses to brighten them up and give a bit more bite

[@chrisingle5839]

I'm here today!! Just played it 10 minutes ago!

[@jakedarmstadter6943]

Talking about the Wanamaker organ, you should record a video there! Of course you can’t play through all the stops but it would be really cool! Recently took a tour of the organ at it’s totally worth it!

[@samschaeffer8236]

I agree. According to Peter Richard Conte, the entire Wanamaker String division was made by Kimball. As we hear in this recording, the string celestes are not so wild and irritating, as they are in so many continental European organs, and in too many American organs. Skinner also had a way of making many pleasant string celestes.

[@DavidKrautscheid]

@@samschaeffer8236 Kimbal was actually a theatre organ maker who made the finest theatre organs ever heard in my opinion and thats why those strings count to the best ever made. they just transferred the theatre organ strings into the church organs and concert organs.

[@markaustin4370]

Yes! That's how you use a string cornet !!!! Often called a Dulciana Cornet

[@markwunder7748]

With my vertigo, no way would I go up to those pipe chambers. Nice video.

[@PaulWesleyBowen]

If you ever played the classical Kimball in the Minneapolis Auditorium (now defunct due to hiring the wrong installation personnel when it was supposed to go into the new auditorium ... sigh), and the organ actually had a complete Theatre Pipe Organ within its ranks (funny thing, you can play everything of the TPO in the classical, but the Kinura could only be played from the TPO console), and the Kimball 3/26 that was originally in the Centre Theatre with a set of strings that made the entire auditorium atmosphere shimmer) and on and on, you would find that in all Kimball installations, he was an orchestral/symphonic creator. Stops on each of those organs, like the solo flute played here, were so realistic. The English horn sounded like that flute, you would have sworn a real person was up there playing (chained, like you said). That's why I have always preferred Kimball because you are seated at a giant orchestra and the tonal resources are awesome. P-W Bowen (not exactly a Wurlitzer or classical organ, as they are presented today, admirer).

[@johnholmes912]

a super-octave should be at 2ft, octave is 4ft

[@phyzygy]

Believe the reference was to a "super coupler" (unification system adds the same ranks up one octave) rather than "super octave" or 15th which correctly usually means 2 foot rank.

[@johanbrand8601]

👍👍👍👍🎶🎶🎶🎶❤❤❤❤

[@jeremyrusu9687]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what happened to the building in St. Louis where the other organ resides? I know it was for sale, and I hope something bad didn’t happen to it in the meantime.

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

It is still there as it was when we visited.

[@jeremyrusu9687]

@@OrganMediaFoundation oh good I am so glad of that. As a visually impaired person that is in to everything from tuning pianos to synthesizers and every other instrument in between I absolutely love these organs and would love to have the opportunities to be around and play them, as I’ve only played a pipe organ a few times in my life. Every time I even think of the thought of somebody tearing one out it just absolutely fills me with dread as I know how valuable they are.

[@markaustin4370]

Ok i got the reference to mother... would love to chat

[@davidbirchenough3604]

My lodge only has a little electronic spinet. There are only a few Masonic pipe organs in the uk.. so jealous.

[@markaustin4370]

Sorry that Swell diapason is fabulous

[@randellfranklynbusby2334]

It would be great if use of the swell shoe was left in the realm of classical organ practice rather than theatre organ.

[@samschaeffer8236]

Whoever did the subtitles needs to learn organ speak. "Phonon die pacing"? Trumpet a shema"? "Diaphaison"? "Center phone"?

[@OrganMediaFoundation]

The subtitles are all generated automatically by KZbin.

[@johannczyronsilvallana8600]

Nice Diapasons

[@vickilehman7774]

Tutufuufu