Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 876 1932-1933
60 independent voices, 69 ranks, 4,789 pipes
Berger & Shaffer releathered and restored in 1983
A. Thompson-Allen Co. restored the console in 1987
Specifications
Great (enclosed)
|
16’ |
Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
First Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Second Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Third Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Harmonic Flute |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Clarabella |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Gemshorn |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Octave |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Waldflute |
73 pipes |
|
2 2/3’ |
Twelfth |
61 pipes |
|
2’ |
Fifteenth |
61 pipes |
|
V |
Mixture (2’) |
305 pipes |
|
16’ |
Ophicleide |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Tromba |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Clarion |
73 pipes |
|
|
Tremolo |
|
|
|
Chimes (from solo) |
|
|
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Harp (from choir) |
|
|
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Celeste (from choir) |
|
|
|
Fanfare |
|
Swell (enclosed)
|
16’ |
Bourdon |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Salicional |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Vox Celeste |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Viole d’Orchestre |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Viole Celeste |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Gedeckt |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Spitz Flute |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Flute Celeste (TC) |
61 pipes |
|
4’ |
Octave |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Harmonic Flute |
73 pipes |
|
2’ |
Piccolo |
61 pipes |
|
III |
Mixture (2 2/3’) |
183 pipes |
|
IV |
Mixture (2’) |
244 pipes |
|
16’ |
Posaune |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
French Trumpet |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Cornopean |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Oboe |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Vox Humana |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Clarion |
73 pipes |
|
|
Tremolo |
|
|
|
Chimes (from solo) |
|
|
|
Harp (from choir) |
|
|
|
Celeste (from choir) |
|
|
|
Fanfare |
|
Choir (enclosed)
|
16’ |
Contra Gemshorn |
97 pipes |
|
8’ |
Diapason |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Gemshorn (from 16’) |
|
|
8’ |
Gamba |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Gamba Celeste |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Concert Flute |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Dulciana |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Unda Maris (TC) |
61 pipes |
|
4’ |
Flute d’amore |
73 pipes |
|
2 2/3’ |
Nazard (from Gemshorn) |
|
|
2’ |
Piccolo (from Gemshorn) |
|
|
1 3/5’ |
Tierce (from Gemshorn) |
|
|
1 1/7’ |
Septième (from Gemshorn) |
|
|
V |
Mixture (draws five pitches)[1] |
|
|
8’ |
Clarinet |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Musette |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Orchestral Oboe |
73 pipes |
|
|
Tremolo |
|
|
|
Harp |
|
|
|
Celeste |
|
|
|
Chimes (from solo) |
|
|
|
Fanfare |
|
Fanfare (Enclosed, Floating)
|
16’ |
Contra Post Horn |
85 pipes |
|
8’ |
English Post Horn (from 16’) |
|
|
8’ |
Harmonic Trumpet |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
Trumpet Militaire |
73 pipes |
|
4’ |
Clarion |
73 pipes |
|
|
Tremolo |
|
Solo (Enclosed)
|
8’ |
Orchestral Flute |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
‘Cello |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
‘Cello Celeste |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
English Horn |
73 pipes |
|
8’ |
French Horn |
73 pipes |
|
|
Tremolo |
|
|
8’ |
Tuba |
73 pipes |
|
|
Chimes (Deagan) |
25 bells |
|
|
Harp (from choir) |
|
|
|
Celeste (from choir) |
|
Pedal (Unenclosed)
|
32’ |
Resultant (quints Bourdon on the Diapason 1-12) |
|
|
16’ |
Diapason |
56 pipes |
|
16’ |
Violone |
32 pipes |
|
16’ |
Bourdon |
56 pipes |
|
16’ |
Second Diapason (from Great) |
|
|
16’ |
Contra Gemshorn (from Choir) |
|
|
16’ |
Lieblich Gedeckt (from Swell) |
|
|
8’ |
Octave (from Diapason) |
|
|
8’ |
Flute (from Bourdon) |
|
|
8’ |
Gemshorn (from Choir) |
|
|
8’ |
Gedeckt (from Swell) |
|
|
4’ |
Super Octave (from Diapason) |
|
|
4’ |
Flute (from Bourdon) |
|
|
32’ |
Bombarde (ext. Trombone) |
12 pipes |
|
16’ |
Trombone |
56 pipes |
|
16’ |
Posaune (from Swell) |
|
|
8’ |
Tromba (from Trombone) |
|
|
4’ |
Clarion (from Trombone) |
|
|
|
Chimes plays at 4’ (from Solo) |
|
Couplers
|
Great to Pedal 8’ & 4’ |
|
Swell to Pedal 8’ & 4’ |
|
Choir to Pedal 8’ & 4’ |
|
Solo to Pedal 8’ & 4’ |
|
Fanfare to Pedal 8’ & 4’ |
|
Great to Great 16’, 4’, Unison Off |
|
Swell to Swell 16’, 4’, Unison Off |
|
Choir to Choir 16’, 4’, Unison Off |
|
Solo to Solo 16’, 4’, Unison Off |
|
Swell to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
|
Swell to Choir 16’, 8’, 4’ |
|
Choir to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
|
Solo to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
|
Solo to Swell 8’ |
|
Solo to Choir 16’, 8’, 4’ |
Combinations (double-touch divisional pistons engage corresponding Pedal combinations)
|
General 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 |
thumb and toe |
|
Great 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 |
thumb |
|
Swell 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 |
thumb |
|
Choir 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 |
thumb |
|
Solo 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 |
thumb |
|
Pedal 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 |
single-touch thumb and toe |
|
Fanfare 1-2-3-4 |
single-touch thumb |
|
General Cancel |
Two thumb (one below choir manual on right, one on piston row) |
|
Divisional Cancel |
thumb (one per division) |
|
Combination set |
thumb |
|
Great to Pedal Reversible |
thumb and toe |
|
Swell to Pedal Reversible |
thumb and toe |
|
Choir to Pedal Reversible |
thumb and toe |
|
Solo to Pedal Reversible |
thumb and toe |
|
Sforzando |
thumb and toe with indicator light |
Accessories
|
Great, Swell, Choir and Solo expression shoes |
|
Register Crescendo shoe with indicator light |
|
Crescendo check 1-2-3-4-5 five-step shoe break with indicator |
|
Crescendo check cancel |
|
Fanfare expression inter-canceling pistons |
|
Great-Swell-Choir-Solo-Off |
|
All Swells to Swell thumb and toe with indicator light |
|
Chimes Dampers on / off inter-canceling pistons |
|
Celesta Dampers on / off inter-canceling pistons |
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey realized the importance of providing opportunities for recreation and entertainment for his workers and residents of the community he had created. One of his earliest dreams was the construction of a community building, housing a large, well-equipped legitimate theatre, built for the benefit of the people in the area.
In 1915, plans were developed for a community building. The building was scheduled to be constructed in 1916 but the arrival of World War I stalled the plan. The Hershey Community Building and Theatre would not be constructed until 1929. The Community Building and Theatre were constructed during the Great Depression as part of Hershey’s great building campaign. The Community Building and Theatre were built following the original 1915 plans. When completed, the building solidly stood in the center of town, spanning the block between Chocolate and Caracas Avenues, and bordered on the West by Cocoa Avenue.
Behind the French doors of the front balconies are the 4,789 pipes and 25 bells of the theatre’s historic Aeolian-Skinner organ. This 69-rank instrument was designed in Boston by Ernest M. Skinner in 1931, and was finished by G. Donald Harrison, following Mr. Hershey’s exact specifications. A restoration of the organ, completed in 1983, entailed totally dismantling the organ and its components; releathering, cleaning all the pipes; and repairing the electrical contacts. Then the great instrument was meticulously reassembled, re-voiced, and tuned. The whole process took approximately two years. This work was done by Berger & Shaffer. Later in 1987, A. Thompson-Allen Co. restored the console. The organ console has four manuals: Choir, Great, Swell, and Solo, plus a floating Fanfare. The console sits on a hydraulic lift, which stops two stories below stage level, and raises to the level of the orchestra pit. It also is mounted on a turntable which enables the organist to turn 90 degrees, either fully facing the stage or turning to a right angle.