WANAMAKER ORGAN DAY

 

As is tradition, every year the first weekend in June, my good friends, the Capital Street Duo come to Philadelphia for the wonderful Wanamaker Organ Day concert. If you've been to Philly before you know the Wanamaker building is a crown jewel. I only wish a higher end luxury store would have taken over Wanamaker's when they went out of business. John Wanamaker pioneered the first department store concept in Philadelphia when he founded Wanamaker's in 1866. Wanamaker's was the first department store to guarantee a refund policy and to be illuminated by electricity. In 1910, Wanamaker replaced his Grand Depot in stages, and constructed a new, purpose-built structure on the same site in Center City Philadelphia. The new store, built in the Florentine style with granite walls by Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham, had 12 floors, numerous galleries and two lower levels totaling nearly two million square feet. The palatial emporium , known as the Grand Court, featured the Wanamaker Organ, the former St. Louis World's Fair pipe organ. This concert was more demure then the last couple years "building shaking" loudness.

 

 

The later afternoon show was accompanied by the wonderful Friends of the Wanamaker Organ Festival Chorus....

The morning concert featured a wonderful "duet" on the organ being played by the talents of handsome musicians Peter Richard Conti and Andrew Ennis. I was a tad smitten with Andrew.

 

With nearly 28,500 pipes running up 6 floors, the Grand Court Organ is the largest playable instrument in the world. A National Historic Landmark since 1980, the organ's six manuals and plethora of pipes give it the capabilities of three symphony orchestras. Grand Court Organ concerts are performed twice daily, Monday through Saturday, and also have concerts through the year.

 

This year found us sitting right under the Eagle!!!

 

Handmade in Frankfurt, Germany, the bronze Wanamaker Eagle weighs 2,500 pounds and sits on a granite base in the Grand Court. The floor of the Grand Court had to be strengthened with girders to support it. There are 1,600 sculpted feathers on the head alone, and 5,000 on the entire Eagle. This famous bird began the long-beloved Philadelphia tradition of a Center City rendezvous initiated by the saying “Meet me at the Eagle.”

 

Afterwards it was off to Mixto....

Mixto’s cuisine is a mixture of Cuban, Latin American, and Caribbean flavors. They are known for their traditional dishes such as, Paella, Argentine Churrasco and Rotisserie Pernil. They are also known for  their large portions, so come hunger.  The atmosphere of Mixto is warm and traditional, which represents the Latin culture well. Of course the Mistress likes Mixto also because of the hot waiters there filling out their jeans oh so nicely and their.......

Best mojitos in the city. If you get the chance when your in Philly stop into Mixto. Great atmosphere and great food. Isn't that what spending time with friends should be about? Tootles!