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Value Was MODERN ORGAN BUILD

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Value Was MODERN ORGAN BUILD by George Johnson The Johnson family is in the process to find out how to design and build manual, one-rank "unified" pipe organ. of insuring that theatre organs will live pipe organs as a hobby. He borrowed We built the chest, blower, chest forever. Paul K. Johnson, father, his a copy of "Audsley's Organ Stops" magnets, console and relays. The pipes son, George, and now grandson, David and started a notebook of all pertinent were of a scale matching the earlier are deeply involved in the "cause". information he could get on organ experimental pipes which were in­ Their efforts can be described as a construction. The next volume of any cluded in the rank. By this time, we real family affair. We'll let George tell value was MODERN ORGAN BUILD­ had acquired a copy of Barnes' "The our readers about it. ING by Walter and Thomas Lewis which Contemporary American Organ" which "It all began back around 1905 gave much information on wind chests proved to be informative. We used when Dad was a small boy. He became and tubular pneumatic action. In the phosphorus bronze spring wire and interested in the tracker mechanism early thirties, Dad picked up more .010 brass shim stock for contacts. A of an old church organ." information on Moller chest magnets model railroad rectifier supplied DC The next exposure occurred in the from a local church installation, and current for the next 20 years. The six early twenties when the Balaban & also tried his hand at making un­ years prior to the rest of the family's Katz organization was installing organs stopped wooden pipes. move back to Newport News, gave in its theatres. Dad's brother was hired During World War II, the pipe organ me my basic knowledge of the work­ to assist the installer in setting up a dream was shelved for family duties, sea ings of pipe organs. 2-manual Kimball of five or six ranks scouting and yachting, plus overtime Dad moved back to Newport News (no toy counter or percussions). Dad work, designing ships for military and the organ was enlarged to in­ hung around during the work, par­ action. clude pedals, a rank of labial oboe, ticularly during the finishing process. Following the war, we moved to the and bourdon bass pipes. Several Moller Late one night after all other workmen Washington, D.C. area. Here was the and Reisner parts were used in these had left the building, the installer sat chance to peruse the music section chests. The organ was set up in a down at the console and played every­ of the Library of Congress for ad­ small chamber in the attached garage thing from Bach to ragtime for nearly ditional information. Audsley's "Art with the swell shades opening into two hours. That clinched father's de­ of Organ Building" was not available the living room. This organ was used sire for pipe organs. to the public because it was simply for my sister's wedding. While in college, Dad was inspired worn out. Business trips provided op­ Dad had al ways considered this by listening to Professor Palmer Christ­ portunities in widely spread places organ as experimental and the next ian at the console of the Hill Au­ such as New York, Houston and Seattle and present stage started only after ditorium organ at the University of libraries to get even more information. he retired and began to plan enlarge­ Michigan. Of course, this music was In all, there were 14 books studied on ment of the organ. classical except at football rallies. the subject of organ construction. In 1967, we found out about ATOS Following graduation, Dad started We then started building a two- and met Ray Brubacher and Woody Wise of the Potomac Valley Chapter. Three generations - George, Paul and David Johnson. Work on a 2/9 Lewis & Hitchcock church organ was followed by work on the Grande Barton (both owned by Woody). The Barton has a special meaning to me as it was the first pipe organ I had ever heard, it having been located in Newport News, Va. where we lived for a number of years. Dad and I were part of the crew which moved the Barton into the Virginia Theatre in Alexandria in 1968. We still help maintain it. By 1969, the old 2/ 13 Kimball of Dad's and my own 2/7 Wurlitzer were stored in my base­ ment along with a large model rail­ road layout. Dad's pipe organ was stored here while awaiting a new home to be built in Williamsburg, Va. During all of this, my mother, wife and son David pitched in and helped clean parts. We also had much needed help in the moves from DECEMBER, 1972 George Johnson's Wurlitzer Main Chest P.K. Johnson's home built console using showing Vox Humana, Concert Flute, manuals and tabs from a large church Salicional, Diapason and Trumpet. Hor­ console. Cabinet work and inner working P.K. Johnson's swell chamber for Kimball. izontal pipework was necessitated because of parts by P.K. Johnson. Top of chest is even with the studio floor. the low 7'6" headroom. some of our ATOS member friends. installed by chapter members under others in converting it from a straight David is now 14 and has helped many the supervision of the John sons and church organ into a concert instrument. times on various stages of organ work. with Dad's help. Frequent trips back As of the first of January 1972, I He has completed four years of organ and forth to Newport News from was back to being a plain, ordinary instruction using the Wurlitzer for Alexandria and Williamsburg delayed chapter member, and now continue to his weekly lesson. work on Dad's installation. make refinements on our Wurlitzer My Wurlitzer was moved in about His installation has also grown. A which is installed in our basement, and 10 days from a church 25 miles away. new console of three manuals will serving as part of the small crew which It is a 2/5 (Opus 815) which was en­ incorporate the original rank of the helps the Grande Barton in the Virginia larged by two ranks in the church, early experimental organ and several Theatre play seven nights a week. □ with no toy counter, and was originally installed in the Richmond Theatre George Johnson is proud of the model railroad setup in his basement. (now the Richmond Playhouse) in Alexandria in 1924. In January I 970, I became Potomac Valley Chapter chairman and found that to enjoy an organization is to get involved. Early in 1971, the Lewis & Hitch­ cock was purchased from Woody Wise by a church in Newport News to be --.
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