Nathan Laube plays the Wanamaker Organ

[justinsokoloski]

although this is really awesome why in the world is there a giant pipe organ in a department store?

[silverstartrucker]

Pity about the weak tinny sound

[Markperry123]

ya this organ is a 6 manual for newbies to point out the word manual means how many rows of keys the organ has

[Streetcar1743]

Now for shopping music, this is what I call shopping music. Hearing other pieces played on this organ, this one has to be a theatre organ. It has some of the stops you would find on a theatre organ and not on a church organ. Plus only a few organs have 6 manuals. The one in Atlantic City has the most amount of manuals which is 7. A pipe organ like this could blow the tattoos off of the gang members in Philly.

[MelosAntropon]

@Streetcar1743 : Truthfully, this is a Baroque/Romantic/British/Ameri­can Classic/Orchestral/Theatre/Fai­rground(!) organ - it was designed that way. It is a very good organ. But divest yourself of the notion that "bigger is always better" in organs, *if* you happen to hold that view. It ain't necessarily so. I'd love to play this organ. But I can think of a dozen organs - one sixth it's size - I'd rather have the opportunity to play.

[Streetcar1743]

@MelosAntropon Yes indeed. As a student organist like me, if you want to be a professional organist, you have to get used to playing organs of many, many different sizes. You are right. It's many different types of organs blended into this one huge organ. One neat thing about a Hammond that you wouldn't get on an organ this size is that Hammond organs are electric and don't take up as much space as a pipe organ. This is one reason why as a beginner, I am learning on a 3 manual.

[robertgift]

Boring piece.

A "church" piece for mindless church-goers?

With so many wonderful organ compositions, th.is a waste of time and wind.

[robertgift]

Boring piece.

Some many other woderful organ compositions.

A "church" piece where boring mindless church-goers doesn't matter?

[MrJpridgway]

The piece in question is Herbert Murrill' s Carillon published by OUP

[bobo62191]

is this a pipe organ or an electronic one?

[Tom1980nj]

@bobo62191 Oh its pipe! ;-)

[bobo62191]

@Tom1980nj oh cool that is one huge organ

[MDLRX8]

@Tom1980nj Definitely the understatement of the year! It has almost 30,000 pipes!

[julorg]

@bobo62191 This is the biggest functional pipe organ

[person1756]

@bobo62191 Look up "Wanamaker Organ" on Wikipedia. It's the biggest totally functional pipe organ in the world.

[goodchappy]

@bobo62191 ?! er yes about 33,000 of them. This clip does not give a very good idea of what it sounds like.

[MelosAntropon]

@bobo62191 : 100% pipe. Finished long before electronic organs became common.

[Akseptance]

That's my cousin right there! =) I play the tuba, now I'm not saying that you could ever compare the tuba to an organ, being two completely different musical instruments of excellent sound and properties, but if you "could" compare them I would sound like a novice compared to him. I'm taking lessons from the very talented Mr. Gary Tirey, retired band director of Otterbein College. I'll never be as good as my cousin comparatively, but he has progressed so much and I'm proud to be his cousin. =)

[Zylstra555]

Presets must be this man's best friend! What a huge console! Imagine what this would be like if it were a tracker.

By far, one of the better recordings I have heard of this organ. I'd love to go to play it some day.

[wurlitzer3]

This organ also has variable speed tremulants. The sound on a solo stop can be transfixing.

[pdleavitt]

Who can shop for clothes when such fabulous music on an incredible instrument is booming through the store? It's surreal!

[violindave2]

streetcar1743...check out my comments from 7 months ago to 'SpelerQuickBoys'. The Wanamaker DOES have an actual drum set and cymbals, and an upright piano! If you haven't been there yet, the pipe chambers are on several floors. The tours only cover a very small part of the pipe chamber. My father was a former classmate and close friend of the late Nelson Beuchner, former organ curator, who took us on a tour of about 95% of the pipes back in the '70's.

[Streetcar1743]

Now THIS is what belongs in EVERY Macy's store. The organ at Philly compared to the garbage played at most Macy's Stroes, the organ would win. Even JC Penny needs something like this.

[polgarfan]

Sorry to sound a bit ignorant, but what do macy's stores typically have? Usually, from what I see at different, but similar, stores like Nordstrom's I see a piano, but not much more. That being said, I am very happy to see that Macy's paid for the restoration of the Wanamaker organ.

[Fozzymaple]

Wanamaker's (sorry, Macy's...) here is very much the exception, most department stores will have a piano if they have anything at all.

[bsmithofjy]

The piece is Carillon by Herbert Murrill

[Go33de44l]

Can someone send me this piece? Thank you! I'm italian!

[JerzyDude732]

I got to see Nathan perform at Ocean Grove NJ. We'll be hearing lots more about him for sure.

[violindave2]

SpelerQuickBoys:- This organ was designed as a Theater style organ, that's why it's different. European organs are more Baroque or Classical style. It actually has a xylophone, drumset w/ cymbals and piano as part of it's guts. That's what classifies it as "theatrical".

[wehtam721]

Actually, the Wanamaker Organ is considered to be from the American Symphonic school of design. It does have some elements of what might be considered a theatre organ, but it's also different in a lot of ways and does not have a drumset. The Friends of the Wanamaker Organ have, however, rather recently aquired a WurliTzer Theatre Organ to be placed in Greek Hall of the Wanamaker building, but that is not, and never will be, a part of this organ.

[Streetcar1743]

violindave2, you are exactly right. It looks like a classical organ because of the stops on the console. It does have the trelumants on it. The one in Atlantic City has the tounge stops. This one has "rocker" stops. I am not sure if it has a drum set or not on it or a piano. On the CBS movie of the organ, they have only shown one room where some of the pipes are at.

[SpelerQuickBoys]

Sorry, but european organs are more beautyfull (St. Sulpice, Nieuwe Kerk Katwijk).

[mpsnknox]

your comparing apples to oranges.... and besides... its only your opinion. Every organ is differnat. And funny you mentioned two organs that have absolutely nothing in common. What makes them "better"? It is purely speculative.

[MHLH97]

I have found that the organ that are in Europe are hardly in tune because they are coned tuned, lack silence because they normally leak wind. This is one heck of an organ and has more ablities than alot of other organs

[KE5RHD]

This organ can draw upon the complete resources of 3 symphony orchestras a 1926 Packard, train engine, and a marching band. I don't even like to compare it to MIdmer-Losh in Atlantic City because they were engineered and voiced for different acoustic cavities. If the Midmer Losh were in Wanamakers it would most likely blow out every window in the department store as it is designed to draw upon 100 inches of air pressure as opposed to 25 at Wanamakers. I love them both though.

[violaguy312]

I couldn't imagine.  Six manuals? Sheesh.

[eulabuelas]

Last time I heard you play was 3 years ago at St.Paul the Apostle Church in Gurnee Il. I didn't think it was possible for you to get any better,I was wrong you were GREAT! now you are FANTASTIC with a touch of GREATness. A Tennessee fan Charlene {Ruth's sister]

[julorg]

I don't know thes piece...

When did you record those videos ?

[Tom1980nj]

I would have to look all that up, It was the Day Fred Swann played the AM concert, Nathan played the afternoon one. I have some clips to digitize from Wanamaker Day yesterday too.

[Tom1980nj]

Sorry forgot to put in that it was when the store was still Lord & Taylor before it switched to Macy's. The building was nearly empty - the best the organ has sounded! Amazing accustics when its empty in there.

[BayAreaBiker2001]

That's Big Box retailing taking over. All the local businesses being lost to big national chains.

[rauschquint]

It's "Carillon" by Herbert Murrill

[Capricornboy]

Oh it was Herbert Murrill!

[Capricornboy]

If I'm not mistaken: The piece is called "Carillon" and I think it was written by Andrew Carter, but I'm not sure, I heared it on a library cd some time ago, the composer is definatly english.

[peterpipe81]

This is the "Carrilon" composed by Herbert Murril, appointed organist in Westminster Cathedral during the XXth Century. I use to play it on my organ in Palermo ( Italy) ( Tamburini organ, 128 stops 7000 pipes)

[STEVE4902]

Ronald Arnatt wrote this.

[Shenandoah58]

@julorg Ronald Arnatt, "Fanfare." I am pretty sure.