Ray Bohr, RCMH Christmas show organ intermission 1978 pt 1(audio)

Starts off with 'Winter Wonderland' followed by "Wedding of the Painted Dolls/Parade of the Wooden Soldier"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• organ

[bige002000]

This is a wonderful recording.When I was young, my father worked with Mr Bohr's brother, and he got us in when the hall was closed, and doing repairs of some kind. We saw all backstage, but the organ is what impressed me the most. The curtains were opened, and I was that close to it. Becomming an organist myself, I wanted so much to hop on and give it a go. Probably would have been tossed out, but it would have been a memory of a life time.

[djf7]

@bige002000 Do you remember his brother's name? I met one of Ray's brothers, Jerry, a few times when I was a boy.

[wmcoale]

Thanks for sharing these great recordings!!!

[djf7]

@wmcoale Your quite welcome.

[winningbyrd]

You're wc. I remember Ray saying the motor moving the console was low rpm(?) really powerful. Now the console has plug in capability and can be placed on the main stage and would therefore be able to move the total of 60' of the elevators. Did you know that during WWII RCMH was guarded by the US Armed Forces? I believe it was the hydroloc technology of the elevators they guarded since it was similar/exactly what was used on aircraft carriers.

[djf7]

@winningbyrd...yes, but not until recently during one of the backstage tours of the Hall, did I learn of it.

[DLLMWL]

This is so great. It was December '78 when I moved to NYC, and I was at this show. Can't remember the movie title (can anyone else remember it?), but I certainly remember the Christmas show and Ray's playing between shows. I've been an organ lover since a kid (both Classical and Theater), and I was in "hog heaven" in RCMH listening to the Mighty Wurlitzer. I recorded a couple shows myself. If I can find the old tapes and they're presentable, I'll post them.

[3dwurli]

@winningbyrd Kimball should have checked wurlitzer scalings? Kimball were originally going to build the instrument, yes, but in the end it was wurlitzer who built it, with the spec based upon the atlantic city convention hall ballroom kimball. It was up to wurlitzer to decide what scalings to use.

[djf7]

@winningbyrd...thank you for your comments. I have a radio interview with Ray on tape and he mentions the trap door and crawling across the bass pedals to get to the console. He also mentions the time he jumped off the console when the organ stop wasnt working and that there were big chains on the back of it to prevent it from going forward. I'll post it soon.

[winningbyrd]

Repairs - fortunately for us RCMH started using one of the extras to sit at the second console during the big production numbers when they brought out the 2 consoles. Since the south console was not used to play they started robbing parts to keep the north console working. BUT even at Jack Mahlmann's event, which was after the entire instrument was restored and updated the artists were still restricted in what they could do. Half the organ is a whole city block away from the other half.