If only this 81-year-old could talk.
But in its own language, it does. Richly and beautifully. The Central Florida Theater Organ Society will host a free monthly pipe organ concert at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, where the sound of classic melodies will resonate throughout the Pinellas Park City Auditorium. At the center of the performance will be a venerable 2/9 Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. “Depending on which artist is playing, you might hear anything from Jerry Lee Lewis to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, New York, New York, and every now and then classical music, maybe a piece by J.S. Bach,” said Bill Shrive, vice president of the Central Florida Theater Organ Society who also serves as the organ’s historian. The 2/9 Wurlitzer has two keyboards and nine rows of pipes. The horseshoe-shaped organ console is made of red mahogany. The pipe chamber is 14 feet high, 16 feet deep and 22 feet wide. It’s quite a sight to behold, said Shrive, of Pinellas Park. The remarkable thing about a pipe organ is that it can mimic an orchestral array of sounds, he said. “Also referred to as a unit orchestra, it can replicate different orchestral sounds through the wind-blown pipes and pneumatic bellows, striking percussion instruments like a xylophone, orchestra bells, drums and so on,” Shrive said. From a musician’s perspective, the pipe organ not only creates a harmonious blend of sounds for listeners’ enjoyment, but it’s fun to play.
“I’ve been playing since 1959 and I really enjoy doing it,” said club member Bill VanTwistern of Kenneth City, who will perform on Tuesday.