THE GRAND FINALE

Yesterday found the Mistress, the Capitol Street Duo- The Dame and Russel the Love Muscle, MM#1 Fan and Cello Josh in Philadelphia for the Grand Finale Concert of the "King of Organs"...the Wanamaker Organ. It's been played for mid-day or evening concerts every day since around 1911, even after the legendary John Wanamaker's closed, but another retailer was always in place, so the building and organ went on continually.  Now troubled Macys closed the location along with another 100 or so locations. Philadelphians still in shock over this location. The doors never being closed since the inception of John Wanamaker's. It's also still up in the air if the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, an organization of people worldwide who donate to keep the organ as fit as a fiddle, and its organ musicians, and team of service and maintenance will even have access to the organ. The organ can't sit quiet for too long. We all worry about it, and many in Philly are fearing with trepidation its fate, even though it is a registered landmark. While I'm sure it will play again once day, regardless, it was the end of an era. It's always been intertwined with our family. The last organ performance was perfect and a building rattling one at that, with a slew of organist from all over for an all-day concert. It was both sad and nostalgic and put me in a melancholic mood the rest of the day. I'll let my snaps speak for themselves.

The Crystal Tearoom.

We did get one good chuckle, when Russel said I should get this on a tee shirt for myself.

All my years in the place and somehow, I never noticed this on the entrance to the organ booth. Here are two videos for those interested in its sound and a great video on its history. Hearing it in person was quite amazing. Philly trips won't be the same without a stop in. You can also click on the tags in the links section to read my various posts of the place over the inception of this blog. 

It seems another piece of my youth is gone. They certainly don't make places like this anymore.

ORGAN DAY

This past weekend found myself, the Capital Street Duo and two other clan members back in Philly for another back-to-back weekend, this time to see a big organ. And for once not attached, alas, to a Soth American.  It was a beautiful weekend, and I got to see my ex boss from Bloomingdales who has been the visual manager of the Macy's in the legendary Wanamaker's Building...the once opulent and stunning and still is, department store. He is still trying to get me to join the team there, but I just don't feel or sense job security there to go back again. But it was great seeing him and getting caught up, and he even joined us for drinks after the concert. I have been going to Wannamaker's and seeing the organ since I was but a wee one. My grandmother always took the train down to do her shopping in Philly and I would go along. And the clan and I are huge nerds when it comes to hearing the concert. The organ is so big and so powerful it literally shakes the building during livelier performances. 

Built for the St Louis Worlds Fairs, the organ was designed by renowned organ architect Geore Ashdown Audsley. The driving force behind the project was Murray M Harris, a superb organ builder in his own right and is hailed as the "Father of Organ Building.  In 1909 Philadelphia merchant- prince John Wanamaker bought the instrument for his new Philadelphia emporium, a soaring 13 floors. Thirteen freight cars were required to ship the entire organ from St. Louis and installation took two years. The Grand Organ was first heard in the store's grand atrium on June 22 1911, at the exact moment when England's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey, who he also knew. Later that year, it was prominently featured when President William Taft dedicated the Store and the organ. Over the years even more pipes were installed, some 100.000 additional. The smallest pipe is a quarter inch in length. The largest pipe, nicknamed Big Mama Tuba, is some 45 feet long and 8 feet wide and once had a Shetland pony inside to show it's sheer size. Once the adding of pipes seemed finished, today the organ pipes cover several stories and the building, and many different rooms, an intricate system of pipes, bringing the total number today to 28,750. Commanding these huge resources is a massive console with six ivory keyboards, and 729 color coded stop tablets. The console weighs in at 2.5 tons. The entire instrument weight in at 287 tons.

The part of the organ you see on the balcony is only the pretty cosmetic piece and figure head of the organ. Most of the organ covers several floors and rooms. Now a National Historic Landmark and valued in excess of $79 million, the organ is of the American Symphonic design, which can play the great organ masterworks, as well as the entire range of orchestral literature. The pipework encompasses the resources of three symphony orchestras; it's string organ alone has 7,000 pipes. While there is debate if it is the world's largest organ...it's up for grab as the first, second, or third... but everyone agrees that it is by far the most impressive sounding in the world.

The organ players on Wanamaker Organ Day.

 

Cocktails outside after the concert. My ex-boss even brought along the one organist Luke, who is second from the right. My... was he handsome, and single. And at least I know he knows how to handle an organ and play it beautifully.

My gin cock-a-tail! Don't think I didn't miss celebrating World Gin Day either. I multi-tasked kids!!!! Cheers bitches!

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!