August Rush <organ scene>

[pipe64']

this was a cute movie</p>

here's the organ scene:</p>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0y97pNgcE</p>

[Guest]

Re: August Rush &lt;organ scene&gt;



I saw that movie! It was good, but too unrealistic.</p>

</p>

Anyhow, I was very curious as to which church that was/which organ? Or was it a set? I know it would have been in Manhattan...</p>

</p>

also did you think the music was actual pipe organ music, or from a synthesized organ ?</p>

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: August Rush &lt;organ scene&gt;

could be just the clip but it sounds fake to me

[soubasse32]

Re: August Rush &lt;organ scene&gt;



I love sleuthing thiskind ofstuff - but only if I am successful. [^o)] Otherwise, it can drive me crazy! [:S] I will list what I've done - maybe it will prompt someone for further ideas.</P>


Something tells me this is a Catholic church (?) [*-)]</P>


I see the following stops:</P>
<UL>
<LI>8' Gross Flute</LI>
<LI>8' Dulciana</LI>
<LI>8' Unda Maris</LI>
<LI>8' Clarinet</LI>
<LI>(two unknown stops - one is likely to be a Tremolo)</LI>[/list]


Theseare obviouslyChoir stops;the Gross Flute seems a bit odd.</P>


The next terrace down is likely to be the Great; it has:</P>
<UL>
<LI>16' Violone</LI>
<LI>8' Open Diapason</LI>
<LI>(four unknown stops)</LI>[/list]


Then there appear to be two more terraces below. Isee at least14 tilting tab couplers, possibly more;15 would of course be standard for a three manual organ. There appear to be two expression shoes and a crescendo pedal. So, the Choir is enclosed. It is hard to see, but there may be four pedals, or the crescendo pedal may be offset in its own well - extremely unusual. Is the console British? [:O]</P>


The console layout is unusual - a straight-across, flat stop arrangement reminiscent of Hutchings or early Skinner. However, the multitude of thumb pistons seems to indicate a more modernor updated instrument. I notice the compasses are 61/32. Under the toe piston sweep I notice three odd protrusions, almost like some sort of lever - very odd.</P>


IGoogled the stops listed above, to see what organs I might turn up that have both an Unda Maris and a Gross Flute in the Choir division. Not much luck. A manual division Gross Flute is quite unusual for a three manual organ, andlikely indicates a spec from the 'teens through the 1930's. The manual 16' Violone might indicate a newer organ though... very puzzling.</P>


I then visited sites which list production notes for the film - usually they will list all the filming sites. Unfortunately for this film, they do not go into that level of detail. Here is one of those sites: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426931/locations</P>


Of all those sites, Brooklyn Heights seems to be the most likely. I searched all thethree-manualorgans in Brooklyn, looking for the stops in question: http://www.nycago.org/Organs/Bkln/index.html No luck. Unfortunately, not all of the churches in Brooklyn have organ specs listed on the nycago website.</P>


I would imagine that any functional church, possessing an organ with a functional combination action! [8-|]) would show up on the nycago website with a stoplist. Aha! Perhaps the organ in question is not in Brooklyn after all. [^o)]</P>


I then did a search ofthe entire nycago site for the terms "Gross Flute" and "Violone". None of the results match the organ in the film.</P>


My conclusions are that either </P>

1. <LI>the console is mislabelled</LI>
   <LI>this is an organ in the NY area that does not have a specification listed in the NYCAGO website</LI>
   <LI>this organ is elsewhere</LI>

I doubt that #1 is true, as all of the drawknobs appear to be similar and in fairly good shape.</P>


I doubt that #2 is true - as I've said, I think any large 3M organ with a working combination action would likely have a specification listed on the NYCAGO website.</P>


#3 seems to be the most likely candidate. A big " [:@] " goes to the folks who provide production notes, but who do not specifically list the church.</P>


I've since discovered that some of the production occurred in Baltimore; the young actor playing the organ is British - perhaps they filmed the scene in one of those places?</P>