It was disappointing to have our funding application to The Trusts Community Foundation declined. However, the good news is that our organ builder Richard Larritt and his trusty sidekick, Peter Hosking, return end of July to continue the installation. Patience is our best friend as we edge closer and closer to the finish like.
The Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre held an Open Day on Saturday 2nd March with the resident drama group, Playhouse Theatre Incorporated and us of course. Chairman James Duncan showed video clips of past shows. We had the Organ Console up and the Organ Chambers open for all to see and enjoy. Our photo shows, Neil (Organ Curator and Project Manager), James (Chairman) and Bill (Trustee).
The Playhouse Theatre, where our beloved Wurlitzer Pipe Organ is being installed, is having an Open Day. It’s this Saturday, 2nd March, 10am to 2pm. If you’d like to have a look around the theatre and talk to the resident drama group (Playhouse Theatre Inc), come, and join us. We’ll be there too of course 😊😊😊
The photo attached is our window display at Glen Eden Library. The Library is our close neighbour just across the road from the theatre. They were delighted to hear from us and know that the installation was progressing well.
🎄🕯🎅🏻🎁🌞
Peter’s scheduled departure back to Adelaide has left us with another milestone reached.
The organ and the console have been connected together so that they can talk to each other electronically. Despite being out of service for seven years or more the relay system and combination action systems have fired up and are working correctly. With the testing carried out so far console keys and stops are corresponding to the respective chests and organ pipes.
The second to last regulator has been installed and all offset pipes now have wind and are speaking. Peter has left us homework to do and when he and Richard visit next we will commence installing the pipes on the manual chests
We hope to install the final regulator for the organ and to begin to wind the offset ranks back to the small blower before Richard Larritt and Peter Hosking return to New Zealand. At this stage, Peter returns to New Zealand for two weeks, 4th November. The theatre is booked over that time, but we will work together to try and fit times around other bookings.
We also need to install fencing around the blowers. We could possibly do this with pool fencing, which would be relatively cheap and effective.
Neil, our Project Manager writes...
In discussion with Richard Larritt (our Adelaide Organ Builder), we are not going to cut the hole through from the blower room to the green room at this time. Richard had suggested that we wait and see where the organ is pulling wind from and whether or not the blowers get too warm and then make a decision about cutting the hole through. Currently the green room can still be used with both blowers running. They produce a low rumble in the room which allows for normal conversation.
During installation we have discovered that multiple brass inserts that hold the screws for the bottom boards are missing. They have been replaced with ordinary brass screws to hold the bottom boards in situ. I would like to make inquiries to see if we can purchase more brass Insert's. We will need approximately 20. It is a relatively simple job to drill out the holes, insert 12 millimetre dowel and to drill out the Dowel 8 mills and insert brand new Inserts. This can be done at any time. When the theatre is quiet, and we have the time. This will help to prevent leaking in the future. We have already Used this method to tighten up brass inserts that were loose in the bottom boards.
We have spent multiple days systematically going through and finding wind leaks, some big and some small. Currently, the five rank chest is leaking badly through the valves. The valves will need to be reset and we are continuing to do that work. We have stopped the leaking in both of the four rank chests in the solo chamber. Valve leaks are to be expected considering the organ has been out of the Hollywood for eight years. In normal circumstances, the organ would have been restored before it was reinstalled. This is not an option for us due to the expense and time that it will take. I have spoken to Richard Larritt. He is not concerned He says this is a normal part of the reinstallation and that we will just have to continue to reset valves and clean detritus out of them whenever it appears, this could go on for quite some time. We have also discovered a leak at the top of the main blower expansion box at the flange. We will be able to examine this when we return to the theatre with a small step ladder as it is round the back of the blower. We may find more once the organ develops more pressure.
Wind pressures are increasing. But we cannot measure them accurately. With the amount of leaking still on the organ. We are at this stage unsure as to how many inches of wind the main blower is producing. We are beginning to see 10 to 12 inches of wind at some of the chests. Most of the chests require. 11 inches.
Playhouse Theatre. Continues to be accommodating with our requirements to access the theatre. Thank you in particular to Alan and Cherilyn.
Main blower has all regs, trems and chests connected. Auxiliary blower still to be connected to the regulator and offset chests.
We have commenced Regulating The organ. We have had significant issues with the organ leaking. There has been considerable leaking coming from the bottoms of the chests, around the seals and the Valves. There has also been a lot of leaking in the new wind lines. We are Currently Working extensively to stop the leaking.
The organ now fully winded and more than a few leaks fixed. We look forward to one of our Organ Builders, Peter Hosking from Adelaide, returning in November. Our Givealittle page is being reopened so you can join us in completing this wonderful project.
Install percussions
Run windline to percussion chamber
Wind regulation
Install 2 trems
Install 1 winker
Install I regulator
Connect windlines, offset chests to last regulator
Connect data cable from relay board to console
Install vacuum pump for piano
Connect piano to relay system
Wire swell shades and trems to relay board
Install rack boards for manual chests, some will need to be remade
Install manual chest pipes
Voicing, as required
New lift installed and running
Console in situ on the lift
Both blowers installed, checked and running
All wind trunking installed including new wind trunks
Most regulators installed
4 trems installed
1 winker installed
All pipe chests installed on new legs
Pipe chamber Windlines connected from regulators to manual chests
Offset windlines installed to sub chamber awaiting connection to regulator.
Pipe chests wired from chests to relay board.
New vacuum pump for piano obtained and onsite
Pipe chamber swell shades installed.
New rectifier installed and wired to relay system.
Offset pipes installed
At our Trust Meeting May 2002, we made the decision to transfer our organ installation business from Julien and Mark Arnold to Richard Larritt and Peter Hosking from Adelaide. Richard and Peter commenced work September.
We have reached another milestone in the installation of the organ. This video shows the wind connected from the main blower via the wind trunking [the metal pipes and long wooden boxes] to the main regulators. Once the blower started all the regulators “stood up” along with the 2 connected winkers In the left hand side of the video. Richard Larritt, who is our organ installer from Adelaide described these events as “very promising.” Also now connected to the regulators are the windlines for most of the organ chests [the white pipes rising vertically] which means wind is available at the toeholes which is what the many organ pipes sit in.
There is a lot of wind noise in the sub chamber currently due to leaks caused by a winker [baby regulator] and 2 tremulants still to be connected. Connecting these is the next job on our list.
Since this video was taken We have brought the second blower online. Trunking is in situ and it is ready to connect to the regulator.
Richard and Peter from Adelaide have returned home. They have left us homework which incudes attaching 1 reg, 1 winker and the last trems, regulating the wind and going on a hunt for any wind leaks.
THE ORGAN HAS ARRIVED AT THE PLAYHOUSE!!!
On Monday 13th January, our wonderful Wurlitzer Organ was moved from storage so kindly provided by MOTAT to the Playhouse Theatre. Many, many thanks from Neil Warrington our Organ Curator to Trustee John Kleingeld, Kevin (Neil’s brother), Bill Ridge and of the boys from Business Relocations who did such a fantastic job for us!
Installation is scheduled for March 2020.
1. Organ Chambers at the Playhouse Theatre are nearing completion. Early 2020 we expect to commence the installation of the 1000 pipes, percussion instruments and sound effects that are this historic instrument.
2. Since our initial appeal, the organ console has been installed at the front of the stage of the Playhouse Theatre.
Hello Friends…
Some exciting news before Christmas!
Our builders, Commres Contractors, have commenced construction of the percussion chambers at the rear of the stage and the console pit at the front of the stage in the Playhouse Theatre. We have ordered the new lift for the organ console from Phoenix Elevators; date of installation has yet to be confirmed.
To our dismay our funding application to The Trusts Community Foundation for this work was declined. This decision was about to destroy our efforts to reinstall. Thankfully there are some good people out there. A loyal supporter for many years has offered the Trust a Loan on favourable terms which we have accepted. The Loan along with your generous donations will get this vital part of the Project completed.
It’s looking good. Thank you all for your continuing support and patience. It’s very much appreciated.
On behalf of the Trust, I wish you a very Happy Christmas and a New Year where together, we can again enjoy the wonderful music of our Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.
We currently have the main blower with our engineer for refurbishing. We are looking at recasting the main bearing and checking the unit for any more potential problems.
The main blower along with an auxiliary blower. provides the wind to the organ pipes.
