Behind the Scenes with organist Ken Double and the Fox Theatre's Mighty Mo' organ

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Behind the Scenes with organist Ken Double and the Fox Theatre's Mighty Mo' organ

Рет қаралды 81,610

10 жыл бұрын

We went backstage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta to talk with Ken Double, the masterful organist who plays the beloved "Mighty Mo." The world's second largest theater organ, it utilizes 3,622 pipes ranging from the size of a ball point pen to 32 feet tall and wide enough for a man to stand in, and, says Double, "It is a privilege to play."
By Felipe Barral
© 2014 - IGNI productions & the G channel
fbarral.com
thegchannel.com
igniproductions.com
artsatl.com

Пікірлер: 63

@michaelfitzgerald1865 5 жыл бұрын

I love going to the Fox to listen to this magnificent organ. I wish they had more concerts on it than they do. I would go every time. And that's not even mentioning how spectacular the theater itself is. It's so wonderful that this theater and this organ were preserved as so many great movie palaces weren't so lucky. Between 1910 and 1933 there were approximately 3000 of these organs and of those about 1000 remain, according to the American Theater Organ Society.

@sandiegotrojandawg 9 жыл бұрын

I was privileged to know Philip Allen, former senior organist at First Baptist of Atlanta (which had a very large pipe organ). He was one of the very few who were allowed to play the 'Mighty Mo' organ at the Fox and he said it was, indeed, an honor to play it -- and fun, too! Enjoyed watching this...very informative. Thanks!

@juturna-2931 4 жыл бұрын

Billy Corgan brought me here, love this.

@lewisedge9196 3 жыл бұрын

As a young man and resident of Atlanta during the 1960s, it was always a thrill for me to be able to hear the Fox Theater organ well played.

@thegchannelbyigni 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you for all your comments. We are glad you liked the video!

@ThomasMauger 9 жыл бұрын

It was really incredible hearing this organ when Phantom of the Opera was at the Fox back in October.

@thegchannelbyigni 9 жыл бұрын

It is indeed an amazing instrument with an incredible sound! We are glad you liked it.

@chenwenhua2269 9 жыл бұрын

I am also an organist, the theatre organ is an amazing instrument. It must be preserved. How I dreamed to play one. Awesome!!! how can any modern keyboard or organ compare to this?!

@mriaschug5432 5 жыл бұрын

I watched a presentation of it as the music museum in Calgary Alberta Canada, and it was PHENOMENAAAAAAAAAL it took my breath away! I’m 22 and it made me all giddy like a child in a candy shop hahaha.

@prenticesawtelle1241 6 жыл бұрын

my great grandfather Edwin sawtelle played that organ in the 1920s and also in Hawaii it is nice that these organs are being preserved

@suelynpeters1728 9 жыл бұрын

One of the original members/founders of the ATOS, Tiny James, was my best friends' father and the inspiration for me to become an organist. Thanks for this posting!!

@1965Caliente 9 жыл бұрын

I'm from Hagerstown, Maryland and a relative's uncle was an engineer at Moeller's until they closed. The factory still stands, but only as silent testimony to the legends they produced.

@1953childstar 6 жыл бұрын

Had you heard of my late grandfather- Harold D. Ocker ?? He worked at Moller from 1924 until his retirement as a vice president. The blessing was that he passed away a year before they became bankrupt and closed- that would have broken his heart...

@thegchannelbyigni 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you all for the very engaging and interesting conversation!

@TakeYourSeats 7 жыл бұрын

Thank You Sir, for this Excellent Introduction to the Theatre Organ where you are shown playing here. I am Subscribing to your Channel as of today, I am a Movie Nut / Movie Buff starting with the years 1896 on Nitrate Motion Picture Film, through to the present day of Digitally produced Motion Picture Images. I will be checking your postings here on your Channel, to hopefully find you have recorded the Theatre Organ in Magnificent Stereo ( here is hoping ). I have quite a number of issues of Your Organization's Magazine "THEATRE ORGAN - JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY" with me here. I am based in Australia. I am hoping American Audiences are currently appreciating what they have available to them through Your Organization and I hope they will search out subscribing to your Magazine and support your organization by attending Concerts spread throughout America.... Best Wishes to the American THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY, and to Mr Ken Double for this posting.

@laro1002 3 жыл бұрын

What a fabulous player - great technique and fantastic choice of chords etc. - more of that please :-)

@1953childstar 6 жыл бұрын

My late grandfather ( Harold D. Ocker ) supervised the installation of this organ. His only job was at M.P. Moller and retired as a vice president..

@makeshift_battlefield_music 9 жыл бұрын

I have a lot of respect for this man

@pattenpatti 8 жыл бұрын

Of course I would love this because my brother Joe had a big hand in saving this Organ! Joe Patten.

@thegchannelbyigni 8 жыл бұрын

+Patti Patten Awesome! We are glad you loved it : )

@reeblesnarfle5443 3 жыл бұрын

GOOSEBUMPS AND TEARS!!! 💜🔥😪

@johnw2026 5 жыл бұрын

Wow! I want one in my single wide trailer house, lol!

@wurlitzer895 10 жыл бұрын

Greetings from London, UK! How wonderful to have such a beautiful organ in such a spectacular theatre. It truly is a tragedy that so many theatre organs have been destroyed or disposed of over the years, so heartfelt congratulations to you all for maintaining and preserving a unique part of your musical heritage. Long may she continue to thrill audiences with the unique sounds of the theatre pipe organ. Thanks so much for posting this video. With all good wishes and kindest regards, Peter.

@thegchannelbyigni 10 жыл бұрын

Hi Peter, thank you for your comment and indeed, they are such a beautiful and powerful instrument... they must be preserved, and to hear this one is just a whole incredible experience. Kind regards

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

You guys in the UK have some grand instruments, too-- and England kept using them after talking pictures came along, whereas most American theatres did not. You guys had the right idea. (P.S. I'm very, very jealous of the UK-style "jelly mould" consoles. That thing at the Odeon, Liecester Square is unbelievable!)

@wurlitzer895 10 жыл бұрын

Jonas Clark Hi Jonas. Many thanks indeed for taking the trouble to respond to my comment. I agree that we do indeed have some very fine instruments over here in the UK and I've been fortunate to have spent many happy hours in my younger days playing them for my own amusement, including some with the 'jelly mould' surrounds you mention. The only problem I had with them, is that the seat can get very warm and uncomfortable (!) if the lights are on for too long. I wish I could visit and hear some of the really large American installations, but I fear that will not now be a possibility. With kindest regards and my very best wishes. Peter

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

wurlitzer895 Possibility in the future, though? Yes, I've heard the tales of the "hot seats," and I'm told some had more ventilation which negated that. The closest America got to Art Moderne were two wood case designs by Wurlitzer: the "Modernistic" or 'waterfall' (there are one or two of those in the UK) and the custom Streamline cases made for the Radio City & Rockefeller Center organs (three 4-manuals, two 3-manuals).

@richardharrold9736 10 жыл бұрын

Jonas Clark There are three Waterfall consoles here - two originals, both controlling 3/19 Balaban 4s (one playing at the Thursford collection, one in storage), one Ken Crome on a 4/32 bitsa at East Sussex National Golf Club, acquired secondhand from Organ Stop Pizza, when OSP got their current mega-Brooklyn console.

@Tmanaz480 2 жыл бұрын

It's worth reminding younger folks there is no amplification or loudspeakers involved here. All the sounds come from pipes in chambers behind the walls. It's all powered by air blowers.

@SELMER1947 7 жыл бұрын

Waow the low note at 4:50 is just amazing sound !!!!

@thegchannelbyigni 7 жыл бұрын

Indeed! We are glad you liked it.

@meredrums1 6 жыл бұрын

What a time it was. "that great cavernous space really lets it sing"..

@PHCBILL 5 жыл бұрын

Fantastic.

@sequalls 8 жыл бұрын

Glad you made this video but not much "backstage" to it except one little hallway leading to the organ! LOL

@worldlinerai 10 жыл бұрын

It's interesting how the access to the organ console appears to be convenient here. The console access doors for the Detroit and St. Louis Fox open to the back of the console and organists have to hug their way to the seating position.

@ikonix360 Жыл бұрын

Wonder if at some point the console rotated and maybe that function broke and couldn't be repaired.

@818Dimples 9 жыл бұрын

Bravo!

@VTownGregory 6 жыл бұрын

How in the world does a visiting organist learn an unfamiliar instrument? Church or theater organ, no matter, how many hours does it take to learn the console? If you don't use a score, how do you remember which combination to press? Do you take down notes for each song if the registration changes? I'm a church organist and I read music very well but I don't have the chops for the theater organ (which I love).

@roberth9948 4 жыл бұрын

Recommended to me by William Patrick Corgan

@neallund8454 3 жыл бұрын

Dubs!!!!!

@Baileygeep7 10 жыл бұрын

All the different sounds you describe at 01:10 . are all these replications just coming from air going through a pipe?

@thegchannelbyigni 10 жыл бұрын

Some are real instruments behind

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

Theatre organs have most orchestral instruments created with pipes, including strings which are imitated with thin pipes, but non-melodic things and percussions are real, pneumatically-operated instruments. So there are real bass and snare drums, several types of cymbals, tambourine, castanets, wood block, sleigh bells, a gong, and melodic things like a real xylophone, marimba, tubular bells/chimes, a piano, etc. Some theatre organs had novelty percussions like 25-note tuned sleigh bells. Most have a chirping bird, which is a little organ pipe inverted into a cup of water or oil that bubbles. These things are huge electric-pneumatic computers, in a sense.

@Baileygeep7 10 жыл бұрын

Jonas Clark so it's a real glockenspiel...it makes more sense now...thank you sir

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

Baileygeep7 Glad to help. They often had a glockenspiel, chrysoglott (AJA celesta), marimba, xylophone, etc.

@e.c.9468 6 жыл бұрын

Sad to not hear the organ playing

@jrzzrj 6 жыл бұрын

👍

@maironef 9 жыл бұрын

これが劇場オルガンというものなのか。見たことのない楽器だ。

@dandonofrio8441 8 жыл бұрын

Kinda wish he would just shut up so we can hear the organ

@joelweidenfeld471 6 жыл бұрын

500 of 11k is not bad considering the advancements made...AND.don't make these WIND PUMPED whISTLING claptraps sound so damm good!!!!!!!!! They put out of BUSINESS a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH BETTER SYSTEM FOR 100 REASONS, THE ORCHESTRA.

@williambaron5717 9 жыл бұрын

Its a moller organ

@Shred_The_Weapon 6 жыл бұрын

Definitely not an art for the faint of heart.

@mikejaques6573 6 жыл бұрын

To make these organs thrive is to allow more open consoles and allow people to play these. So many are afraid to let someone go near them. So it's like can't play it screw it I will go to my local church and play. The wanamaker I went to see it one time and the organist was so nasty so unaccommodating to this day I see that organ and know I will never get to sit at it. So that is half the problem the second problem is that the organ crowd are not very inviting to let outsiders come in and try to learn it. I play strings and I want to learn the organ and was snubbed (oh a guitarist you need many many years of piano to play organ) so the hell with it So to see these organs again come back and thrive the attitude towards non organists and musicians alike needs to be changed and be welcoming. We need an Arnold Palmer of the organ to promote the instrument. I guarantee that if I walked up to the organ there at that Fox I would not be allowed to go near it not alone play it. That is the problem and that is why the organ is almost dead. Even in the Catholic Church today in Converse Tx I didn't see an organ they removed it two years ago.. not good. and it's happening all over the country no one plays them anymore. sick

@countvond233 6 жыл бұрын

They tried years ago. In hindsight, the "Touch My Organ" campaign was doomed from the start...

@johnnyjames7139 2 жыл бұрын

I volunteered to work on them so I could play them. I was never bashful about asking if I could play the instruments in other cities while on vacation. Often the answer was yes.