That is one big organ

[Scuba]

A proud posession of the Madison Symphony Orchestra

The Overture Concert Organ consists of 63 stops, 72 ranks and 4,040 pipes, the tallest of which is 32 feet and the heaviest weighing in at more than 1,200 pounds. The organ took nearly three years to design and build. Including its unique movable chamber, the organ weighs in at 174 tons and is believed to be the heaviest movable object in any theater in the world.

...

If you stacked all the organ pipes end to end, they would reach 1.58 miles or 8,342 feet, the height of almost 6 Empire State Buildings!

More at the link: http://www.madisonsymphony.org/organ

[LeftofObama]

1. Whew!

I thought this was going to be another tapir thread.

[bluesbassman]

2. Yeah, but it takes a big mouth for this organ...

BTW, the Overture is one very cool organ!

[Scuba]

3. You could blow some blues on that baby!

What key is it in????

[bluesbassman]

6. As big as that thing is, I think it's in Key West!

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. When I was in high school, I played the organ at Mass now and then. The organ...

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.
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... was this incredible massive pipe organ and you could play with the different
sounds for hours.
.
When I thought nobody else was in the church, I would play Stones songs on
it and was pretty sure I was going to Hell for "Sympathy for the Devil".
.
.
.

[Scuba]

5. Nah. But it must have been wicked fun.

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. I played one in GRADE school - what a trip!

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In my 5th year of taking piano lessons (my teacher was a church organist) - after a particularly good learning lesson, my teacher offered me an opportunity to play the church organ - this was around 1964, I was 13 years old.

3 keyboards, all sorts of stops, over 50 foot pedals - church was empty except for me and my teacher.

I had a ball! - pounding out the sounds on them huge pipes - acoustics are great in the churches for them pipe organs.

Played tunes from Ave Maria to fun stuff like Flight of the Bumblebee - a tricky finger thing . .

If I ever get another chance - it'd be from the Beatles to the Stones, which I now play both on piano and my 12-string.

Bought a house recently, only 900 square feet, but plan to get me a double keyboard elctric organ with foot pedals and remote speakers.

Place is too small for a full size piano - so far - I may build an addition for a music room, finances permitting.

In the late 70's, I had an opportunity to play a friends grand piano - that was another trip!

yep - I luvs my music.



CC

[krispos42]

7. Whoa...

I was looking at the pic and thought "damn, I wish there was something recognizable in there to give it a sense of scale".



Then I finally noticed the organist.

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!