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Aeolian Player Organ Christmas Concert in Atlanta
By Tim Baxter

Hello,  The last couple of months has seen me involved with the
3/57 Aeolian Residence Organ at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
in Atlanta, Georgia:  http://www.callanwolde.org/ 

Lee Lanier of our local AMICA Land of Dixie Chapter (South East
USA) has provided significant help and encouragement, as well as
obtaining a great deal of important historical background.

More specifically -- and with the extensive advice and restoration
work of Aeolian Residence Organ Expert (and much else) Bob Taylor
in Missouri -- we have managed to get the 116-note roll player
working with pretty decent results, including complete restoration
of the automatic tracking device, which apparently has not worked
in living memory.

As a result, I have been asked to do three performances with the roll
player during "Christmas at Callanwolde," when this former mansion of
Charles Candler (son of Asa Candler, Coca-Cola's founder) is turned
into a holiday designer showcase home.

Christmas at Callanwolde takes place from December 1st through December
12th.  My performances are at

  Dec. 2nd  1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
  Dec. 4th  1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
  Dec. 8th  3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

I must caution that I have by no means completely mastered the playing
of Aeolian 116-organ note rolls, which requires (in addition to a
decent musical aptitude) rapid stop changes, attention to tempi and
expression shutters, and still some eyeballing of the tracking because
the music rolls are old.   I have, though, practiced the repertoire
I'll be performing and there should be some good moments.

Sadly, this organ was originally equipped to also play the fully
automatic 176-channel Duo-Art Organ Rolls, but the Duo-Art player went
missing while the place was somewhat derelict in the 1970s.  The
116-note player is located in the console itself.

The organ itself had a complete restoration in the late 1980s and has
just been tuned following the repair and reinstallation of the original
blower.  I am told it has not sounded this "well-winded" in quite
a while.

Best,

Tim Baxter (President, AMICA Int'l; also proud member of MBSI and PPG)
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

P.S.  You can buy tickets on-line; please note this is Callanwolde
Fine Arts Center's principal fundraiser and they need every cent
to keep their wide array of programs running; see
http://www.christmasatcallanwolde.org/ and
http://www.christmasatcallanwolde.org/featured.php?entity_id=11 


(Message sent Wed 1 Dec 2010, 18:49:48 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Aeolian, Atlanta, Christmas, Concert, Organ, Player

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