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You may or may not be aware of this, but the Aeolian Skinner organ (installed in the Ford Auditorium, Detroit, Michigan, 1956) was removed just prior to the demolition of the auditorium. The final compnents left the auditorium on July Fourth - truly an Independance Day for the organ. Rick Helderop, president of Helderop Pipe Organs, and Aaron Kaleniecki, music director of St. Aloysius RC Parish in Detroit coordinated this ten day venture. A team of almost 20 volunteers removed the entire organ in ten days. ( I was privileged to work on this project for 8 days.) The auditorium, dormant for almost 20 years, had no electric power. One generator provided lighting to the chamber located 70 feet above the stage and one sole light in the auditorium. Most all of the pipes were let down by rope through a hole in the ceiling. A larger opening was created (and I will not share all of the details. Suffice it to say there is slighlty less demolition needed.) to lower the chests, swell shade frames, largest wooden pipes, AND the blower - ALL BY HAND!!!
Demolition stopped as quikly as it started today w hen crews discovered a leaking electric transformer that contaminated the work site. How is that for one final Hurrah?
One the organ is rebuilt it will find a new home at St. Aloysius Church in Detroit where it will no longer sit unused. The Portative division of the organ will reside in Orchestra Hall and be used by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Brian Ventura, oboist for the DSO played a monumental role in not only securing this arrangement with the City of Detroit, but in working each and every day on this project. Yes, removing pipes, packing, sortin, organizng, transporting, and more.
Stay tuned for updates on this project. a few more amazing facts.... no part of the organ was damaged in the removal process. no one was hurt during the removal process. If you could only have seen the conditions in which we worked, you would completely understand how amazing this was!
Demolition stopped as quikly as it started today w hen crews discovered a leaking electric transformer that contaminated the work site. How is that for one final Hurrah?
One the organ is rebuilt it will find a new home at St. Aloysius Church in Detroit where it will no longer sit unused. The Portative division of the organ will reside in Orchestra Hall and be used by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Brian Ventura, oboist for the DSO played a monumental role in not only securing this arrangement with the City of Detroit, but in working each and every day on this project. Yes, removing pipes, packing, sortin, organizng, transporting, and more.
Stay tuned for updates on this project. a few more amazing facts.... no part of the organ was damaged in the removal process. no one was hurt during the removal process. If you could only have seen the conditions in which we worked, you would completely understand how amazing this was!
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