Organs in the Land of Sunshine: A look at secular organs in Los Angeles, 1906–1930 James Lewis Introduction 8′ Echo Viole 8′ Vox Angelica Los Angeles is home today to many 8′ Gemshorn wonderful organs. During the early 8′ Rohr Flute twentieth century, pipe organs were 8′ Flauto Dolce constructed for spaces beyond the typi- 8′ Unda Maris cal church, theater, or university setting. 8′ Quintadena This article traces the histories of over 4′ Principal 4′ Harmonic Flute a dozen pipe organs in private homes, ′ social clubs, school and church auditori- 2Flageolet III Dolce Cornet ums, and even a home furnishings store. 16′ Contra Posaune It provides a glimpse of organbuilding— 8′ Cornopean and life—in a more glamorous, pre-De- 8′ Oboe pression age. 8′ Vox Humana Tremolo Temple Baptist Church Vox Humana Tremolo The organ at Tally’s Broadway Theatre Come back in time to the spring of extended down both sides of the audi- 1906, where we fi nd the Temple Bap- ORCHESTRAL torium. 16′ Contra Viole tist Church of Los Angeles readying 8′ Geigen Principal their new building for opening. Al- 8′ Viole d’Orchestre chambers extending down both sides though the new complex was fi nanced 8′ Viole Celeste of the rectangular-shaped auditorium. by a religious organization, it was not 8′ Vox Seraphique The Choir division was on the stage and designed as a traditional church build- A view of the orchestra section of Tem- 8′ Concert Flute had its own façade, while the Echo was ing. Architect Charles Whittlesey pro- ple Baptist Auditorium after the original 8′ Lieblich Gedackt behind a grille at one side of the stage. color scheme was painted over. The or- 4′ Violina duced plans that included a 2700-seat ′ Positioned on a lift in the orchestra pit, theater auditorium with a full working gan was installed over the box seating 4Flauto Traverso the four-manual drawknob console was and behind the curved plaster grilles. 2′ Piccolo Harmonique stage, two smaller halls, and a nine-sto- 16′ Double Oboe Horn equipped with a roll player. ry offi ce block, providing the burgeon- 8′ Clarinet This was not the sort of theatre organ ing city with a venue for various enter- In 1912, Dr. Ray Hastings (1880– 8′ Cor Anglais that would come into prominence during tainments and civic events, and Temple 1940) was appointed house organist, and Tremolo the 1920s, a highly unifi ed instrument Church with facilities for church activi- he played for church services, silent mo- full of color stops all blended together ties. Even though the offi cial name of tion pictures, radio broadcasts, public SOLO by numerous tremolos. Tally’s organ was 8′ Grand Diapason the building was Temple Auditorium, it recitals, and with the Los Angeles Phil- ′ not that much different from a Murray was also known over the years as Clune’s harmonic Orchestra.2 8Flauto Major M. Harris church organ, except for the 8′ Gross Gamba Theatre and Philharmonic Auditorium. Temple Auditorium and its mighty 4′ Gambette saucer bells and a lack of upperwork. In addition to church services, the Au- Austin organ served Los Angeles for 4′ Flute Ouverte Installation was still underway when it ditorium was used for concerts, public many years, but by the 1950s the place 2′ Super Octave came time for the opening concert, but meetings, ballet, silent motion pictures, was beginning to look a bit tired. Some- 8′ Orchestral Oboe since the show must go on, the event and beginning in 1921, the Los Angeles time after World War II, the interior 8′ Saxophone (synthetic) took place. A reviewer wrote “while the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Light was painted a ghastly shade of green, 16′ Tuba Profunda unfi nished and badly out of tune instru- 8′ Harmonic Tuba (ext) Opera Association. covering up all the color and gold of the ′ ment, under the skillful manipulation of It was the fi rst steel-reinforced poured original decorative scheme. In 1965 the 4Clarion (ext) an excellent performer, did give pleasure concrete structure in Los Angeles. The Philharmonic Orchestra and Light Op- PEDAL to a large portion of the big audience, auditorium had fi ve narrow balconies and era both moved to the new Los Angeles 32′ Contra Magnaton nevertheless it was an unfi nished and was decorated in a simplifi ed Art Nou- Music Center and the Auditorium never 32′ Resultant badly out of tune instrument and as such veau-style infl uenced by Louis Sullivan’s again operated as a theater. 16′ Magnaton it could not favorably impress the ear of Auditorium in Chicago. Color and gold The organ began to develop serious 16′ Major Diapason the critic.”3 leaf were liberally used, and the concen- wind leaks, and the 25″-wind-pressure 16′ Small Diapason (Gt) Charles Demorest, a former student 16′ Violone tric rings of the ceiling over the orchestra Solo division and Pedal Magnaton were ′ of Harrison Wild in Chicago, who played section were covered with Sullivanesque fi nally disconnected. A supply-house 16 Bourdon at Tally’s, was also the organist at the 16′ Dulciana (Gt) ornamentation and studded with electric console replaced the original Austin con- 16′ Contra Viole (Orch) Third Church of Christ, Scientist, and lights. Concealed behind this area, on ei- sole in the 1960s and was moved out of 8′ Gross Flute gave Monday afternoon recitals on the ther side of the stage, was the organ. the orchestra pit to the stage. 8′ ‘Cello organ in Hamburger’s department store. The Auditorium Company ordered a Sunday morning services of Temple 8′ Flauto Dolce In the May, 1914 edition of The Pacifi c large four-manual organ (Opus 156) from Baptist Church became sparsely attend- 4′ Super Octave Coast Musician it was mentioned that the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, ed as people moved out of Los Angeles 16′ Tuba Profunda (Solo) “Charles Demorest is doing much to Connecticut. Similar to the auditorium to the new suburbs. There did not seem 8′ Tuba (Solo) uphold good music for the motion pic- itself, the instrument was used more for to be any use for the old Auditorium, ture theatres by the quality of his organ Swell Sub secular occasions than for church services. and the complex fi nally succumbed to Swell Octave work at Tally’s Broadway Theatre, Los It was the fi rst large, modern organ in Los the wrecker’s ball in 1985. The pipe- Orchestral Sub Angeles, where he has a concert organ Angeles and contained such innovations work from the Austin organ was sold off Orchestral Octave of immense resources at his command. as second touch, high wind pressures, piecemeal and the chests were left in the Solo Sub This instrument is a four-manual organ an array of orchestral voices, and an all- chambers to come down with the demo- Solo Super equipped with chimes, saucer bells, con- electric, movable console with adjustable lition of the building. What began as Los Swell to Pedal cert harp and echo organ. Mr. Demorest combination action. Angeles’s fi rst, modern organ of the 20th- Swell to Pedal Octave plays a special program every Wednes- The instrument had a partially enclosed century came to an ignominious end. Great to Pedal day afternoon at four o’clock where an ′ Orchestral to Pedal Great division, with a large selection of 8 Solo to Pedal orchestra and soloists further contribute stops that included four 8′ Open Diapa- Temple Auditorium, Los Angeles to the excellence at the Tally Theatre.”4 Austin Organ Company, 1906, Opus 156 Swell to Great Sub sons. Second touch was available on the Swell to Great Unison In the mid-1920s, the May Company Swell keyboard through a Great to Swell GREAT Swell to Great Octave department store next door to Tally’s was coupler. The Choir division was labeled Orchestral to Great Sub doing a booming business and needed (unenclosed) Orchestral to Great Unison Orchestral and contained a variety of soft 16′ Major Diapason larger quarters. Negotiations with Tally string and fl ute stops along with three or- ′ Solo to Great Unison led to the theater being purchased and 16 Contra Dulciana Solo to Great Octave chestral reeds. The Solo division was on 8′ First Diapason torn down to make way for a greatly ex- ″ ′ Great to Swell Unison Second Touch 25 wind pressure and unenclosed ex- 8Second Diapason Swell to Orchestral Sub panded May Company building. The cept for the Harmonic Tuba, unifi ed to 8′ Third Diapason organ was crated up and moved to Mr. ′ ′ ′ ″ ′ Swell to Orchestral Unison play at 16 , 8 and 4 pitches. 25 wind 8Gross Flute Swell to Orchestral Octave Tally’s Glen Ranch, where it was stored 8′ Claribel Flute pressure was also used in the Pedal divi- ′ Solo to Orchestral Unison in a barn. It was eventually ruined by wa- sion for the Magnaton stop, playable at 4Octave ter damage when the roof leaked. ′ ′ 4′ Hohl Flute 32 and 16 . An article about the Audito- 3′ Twelfth rium in the Architectural Record maga- 2′ Fifteenth Tally’s Broadway Theatre Tally’s Broadway Theatre zine stated “the roof is reinforced with (enclosed) Eight years after the Temple Auditori- Johnston Organ Company, 1914 8′ Horn Diapason steel so that the tones of the large organ um organ was installed, Tally’s Broadway GREAT will not cause any structural damage.”1 A 8′ Violoncello Theatre took delivery on a four-manual ′ 16′ Double Open Diapason mighty organ, indeed! 8Viol d’Amour organ advertised as “The World’s Finest ′ 8′ Doppel Flute 8First Open Diapason The four-manual console was located ′ Theatre Pipe Organ.” The 47-rank organ 8′ Second Open Diapason 4Fugara ′ in the orchestra pit and movable within III Mixture had been ordered early in 1913 from the 8Viola a range of 50 feet.