Theatre Organ -- Oriental Style

By Floyd W. Bunt organist, Hiroshi Matsuzawa, who Cranbrook School was preparing for his noon-hour con­ Bloomfield Hills, Michigan cert. He is a most enthusiastic ATOE member and after exchanging for­ malities, he immediately invited us On a partial travel grant from to sit with him as he played his Cranhrook School, and also commis­ concert. The store is comparable to sioned by the Fund for Peaceful Marshall Fields in Chicago with a Atomic Development to interview central open area extending up sev­ Japanese teachers and educators at eral floors and ringed with huge the Japan Atomic Forum, my wife, columns of polished marble. On the Marion, and I left Detroit late in Bamboo Organ - Upper Section ground floor is a beautiful piece of August for the Orient. Although we sculpture, the goddess Tennyo, exe­ have travelled as a family of six over ed to explore the possibilities of the cuted by Gengen Sato. She is depict­ most of the remainder of the world, Wurlitzer. I don't know how many ed descending lightly from heaven this was the most thrilling, revealing recognized the selections I attempt­ escorted by a Phoenix and wrapped and challenging experience we have ed, which included light opera, hits in the seven colored clouds of Para­ ever had. We travelled over 26,000 of the roaring twenties and some dise. On the second floor is a balcony air miles and several thousand land college songs, hut they must have where the organ is located. The con­ miles having many contacts with ed­ enjoyed it because there was a gener­ sole is in the center flanked by the ucators, business and industrial peo­ ous ovation as I left the console. two chambers. As can he seen from ple as well as professional groups: the picture it is a piano style console While in Japan, travelling from in addition we saw some of the most with straight holsters of stops above north to south, we rode on the fantastic scenery to he seen any­ the three manuals. The organ sounds Tokeida Bullet, a trip you must where. In Japan, Cambodia, Thai­ wonderful, with the music really experience to appreciate. It is dead­ land, Hong Kong, Singapore, or any­ rolling around in the central portion smooth, travelling up to 136 miles where in South-East Asia, the people of the store that extends up several per hour and takes you from Tokyo were wonderful and most gracious floors. The only complaint I can to Kyoto, a distance of 310 miles in in every way. make is that the tremulants could just three hours. The gods must have We spent two weeks in Japan and he adjusted to a little more depth smiled on us on our way to Kyoto for while in Tokyo we simply had to see and speed. When Mr. Matsuyawa fin­ the weather had been overcast and the only Wurlitzer in Japan, located ished, he bowed to me and in his rainy hut as we passed Mt. Fuji, the in the Mitsukoshi Department Store. inimitable Japanese style gestured clouds suddenly opened and there After getting the name and address toward the console. So, the audience was what is possibly the most beau­ written in Japanese by the clerk at of about several hundred people tiful mountain in all the wor Id - - the New Otani Hotel, we took a taxi gathered on the various levels were Mt. Fuji - - rising as a symmetrical and arrived at the store in a few then listening to an additional 20 cone to a height of 12,385 feet with minutes, just in time to meet the minute concert by me as I endeavor- a crown of snow. It is truly magnifi­ cent. If I get carried away with the beauty of the Japanese countryside and become side-tracked into a trav­ elogue, I can only say that if you have the opportunity to go to Japan, don't miss it. Getting hack to organs, I played a number of Japanese elec­ tronic instruments and they compare very favorably with most of their American counterparts. Leaving Japan we went on to Taiway and had a very pleasant surprise. It is not the backward

HIROSHI MATSUZAWA, Organist 3-12 (R-20) Wurl­ BAMBOO ORGAN-Lower section, one manual, 12 decadent country one would expect. itzer, Mitukoshi Department Store, Tokyo, Japan. foot pedals, En chamade metal pipes are decorative fakes and are not used - near Manila, Phillipines. Although poverty exists, the people

february, 1969 18 are progressive, hardworking and a storm but luckily the organ cham­ chambers and pipes are in excellent above all, seemed to be happy. They bers were not touched. Through the shape and the young men have re­ have not accepted any foreign aid help of interested people the console covered the keys of two manuals, for over three years and there is a has been removed to the basement with plans to complete the remaining self-determination evident that is and the management has provided a two as soon as possible. The organ very refreshing. Our next stop was workroom and at that time the re­ speaks wonderfully and is very ma­ the Philippines and here we were furbishing of the console was almost jestic in its coverage and tonal range. fortunate in seeing and hearing the completed. In the meantime Mr. It is not as well unified as the usual famous Bamboo organ. It has a sing­ John DeMello, another theatre organ theatre organ but by judicious use le manual with foot keyboard and minded individual, most interested of couplers it is amazing what can be is very melodic and pleasing. Its his­ in preserving the theatre organ, has accomplished. The theatre is the sole tory dates back to 1818 when Father temporarily installed the latest and remaining building in the block Diego Cera, member of Augustinian largest Lowrey electronic organ com­ which has been converted to a park­ Recolet Friars began its construction. plete with all the goodies of toy ing area and shortly the Princess The 950 bamboo pieces used to counter and percussions, including a will succumb to the wrecker's ball. make the pipes were covered for six piano stop that cannot be distin­ However, the Hawaii Theatre is only months with beach sand to preserve guished from the real thing. He has a couple of blocks away and Mr. them from attack of bamboo bugs. hooked the sound output into the Lake plans to move the organ to this The work was completed in 1821. theatre speakers and the resulting theatre. ( The Hawaii organ was re­ However the organ was badly dam­ sound is tremendous and almost in­ moved many years ago). aged in 1862 by an earthquake and distinguishable from a real pipe or­ Again, I wish to propose orchids again in 1882 by torrential rains. In gan. Mr. DeMello plays regular open­ to Mr. DeMello and Mr. Lake for 1917 Father Fanile, a Belgian mis­ ing concerts and intermission bits their interest, dedication and cooper­ sionary, completed the repair with and on the day I was there he invited ation in the preservation and use of the help of the Las Pinas people. In me to fill in with a 20-minute pre­ the theatre organ. 1932 an electric blower was installed show rendition complete with spot­ and after the second World War the lights and ever-changing flood lights. Returning to the travelogue bit, organ was repaired and again most The theatre is in beautiful condition if you ever have an opportunity to recently in 1962. It is located in the and was redecorated a couple of visit the Orient and Far East, do so. Las Pinas Church, Rizal Province. years ago. It is most gratifying to see It is an experience you will never a person like Mr. DeMello giving forget. We saw things you only read Continuing our trip to Hong Kong, every boost he can to preserving the about in story and history books. We Macao, Cambodia, Thailand, Malay­ theatre organ. saw native girl pearl divers, blood­ sia and Singapore, we could not lo­ red hot springs, temples overgrown cate any other theatre organs al­ Through some contacts I had in with centuries of tropical vegetation, though Japanese electronic organs Honolulu I was able to get into the king cobras 18 feet long, the famous were in evidence all along the way. Princess Theatre which has a 4-16 floating markets of Bangkok, out­ On our way back to the United States Robert Morton. George Lake, the standing and beautiful temples, na­ we stopped off in Honolulu for a few manager of the Princess and Hawaii tive markets where any kind of food days to catch our breath and investi­ Theatres is another theatre-organ can be purchased from french-fried gated the theatre organs there. oriented person who is deeply inter­ grasshoppers to live snakes killed The Waikiki Theatre organ, a 4-16 ested in the reviving and maintain­ before your eyes and popped into Morton had its console damaged by ing of the original theatre pipe or­ cauldrons to make a soup ; from gan. With only about three hours to geisha girls to communal hot baths departure time for the mainland, where both sexes bathe au-natural; Mr. Lake met me at the Princess and the paradoxes of the cleanest and after pressing in proper sequence the dirtiest; the most modern and ~.....- ,·~·· ...... -....,.., the nine buttons of the electronic the ancient; the biggest and the ' .fl":,· -~ ~. lock on the console to activate the smallest; the ugliest to the most . I~ ~ blower, he then turned the organ beautiful; from a statue crudely . over to me and I had an exhilarating carved from a rock to a solid gold t: :~· two hours exploring the capabilities statue of Buddha, several times life of this instrument. The Princess size and beautifully executed. It is ~ · ' -. . ..,... -- ...,...--"1111: o· · Theatre Organ has been under the an area full of surprises and above ~ .. ' 'f diligent and persevering care of all, the friendliness and graciousness Richard Harger and Roger Angel of the people will make an impres­ and this fine instrument is being sion upon you that you will never 4•16 Robert Morton Console, Princess Theatre, brought up to mint condition. The forget. Honolulu, Hawaii

19 theatre organ bombarde