Trenton War Memorial
3/16
Möller Theatre Organ
Trenton, NJ
Trenton War Memorial Möller Theatre Pipe Organ
Photo: Tony Rustako June 25, 2006
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Trenton
Möller Rises To New Performance Heights June 25, 2006 - Möller August 1, 2005 Update
- Möller Rededication Concert Pictures Feb. 24, 2002
- Organ Shake-Down Open Console Pictures Nov. 19, 2000
- More Organ Shake-Down, Theater, and Chamber Pictures Nov. 19, 2000
- List of organ related events 1976 - present at the War Memorial
History of the Organ
The instrument in the Trenton War Memorial is a 3 manual, 16 rank Möller Theatre Pipe Organ. Although residing in Trenton since 1928, it was originally housed in the Lincoln Theatre, a few blocks from its current location. The owners of the Lincoln Theatre building - The National State Bank - expressed concern for the organ's survival when it became obvious that the theatre was doomed in 1974.
Determined to save the instrument for the citizens of Trenton, Mrs. Mary G. Roebling, Chairman of the Board, and Mr. W. Emlen Roosevelt, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National State Bank eagerly sought a new home for the organ. Eventually eyes were cast towards the 1800 seat War Memorial Auditorium and its empty organ chambers. The War Memorial Building Commission, John E. Curry, then President, made funds available and work started.
One Memorial Day weekend, 1974, fifteen volunteers from the Garden State Theatre Organ Society, under the direction of W. McKissock, Jr., began to dismantle and move the instrument. This was no small task, considering there are more than 1200 pipes, plus a xylophone, marimba, celeste harp, orchestra bells, chimes, cymbals, drums and other percussion instruments, together with a large blower, wind chests, reservoirs, and console.
For the next year and a half, volunteer Garden State Theatre Organ Society members spent forty to fifty hours per week repairing and installing the instrument. Every part had to be disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt. Mr. McKissock designed a solid-state relay system containing 1600 transistors to replace the original bulky control system, and GSTOS members built it. The building's maintenance crew installed the wind lines and swell shades. The console also required a complete overhaul. The War Memorial and people of Trenton, and Mercer County then had an instrument that could last at least another 100 years.
In February 1976 a magnificent dedicatory concert with Ashley Miller at the console and all 1800 seats filled, completing the dream of installing the organ. Over the following eighteen years, the organ was presented an average of five times annually in solo concerts and also used with numerous orchestras, choruses and events.
Special credit is given to Charlie Balogh, Bill Hartig, and to our first crew chief Bill McKissock and his dedicated crew. Bill Smith then became crew chief in 1983 and held that position for twenty years until 2003. The last concert of our original Trenton Series was held on March 1994 with Ralph Ringstad Jr., the featured artist.
The War Memorial, now owned by the State of New Jersey, was closed during the summer of 1994 through 1998 for major renovations with improvements to the stage equipment, refurbishment of the auditorium and lobby, upgrading of the acoustics, and organ modifications.
During this almost 5 year down time, the Möller console suffered from storage in an unheated trailer and the chambers, despite efforts to avoid it, were exposed to the dust, dirt, and damage caused by contractor work crews. As the building was readied for reopening, Crew Chief Bill Smith and his crew made a concerted effort to bring the Möller back to life. The chambers were cleaned and numerous problems fixed. The console was refinished and re-gilded, and a modern electronic relay was installed to make the console moveable. Problems were encountered with wind pressure, and tuning stability.
Jelani Eddington performed the organ's rededication concert in February of 2002. Concerts by Lew Williams and Candi Carley Roth were also presented that year. Based on these experiences, it was decided that the organ needed continuing renovations in order to again make it reliable as a concert instrument. Work started toward this goal and is nearly completed under the direction of Crew Chief Jason Taylor, who took over that position in 2003.
The major air reservoirs have been rebuilt; the keyboards have been rebuilt and recovered. The number of pistons has been dramatically increased. A roll cymbal has been installed, and a sostenuto switch added to allow an artist to sustain certain notes and chords, while playing counterpoint against them.
The original blower for the organ was inefficient at dissipating heat. The right chamber temperature would climb from a norm of low 70's and reach the high 80's after an hour of operation, creating havoc with the right side tuning. Early in 2005, a 15 horsepower Spencer blower was located and installed. This is of sufficient size to fully power both sides of the organ without overheating the air.
Four ranks of
reed pipes, also from the organ's right side, had always been unstable
in tuning. They were sent out to be professionally rebuilt and were
reinstalled in August 2005.
The organ will begin its new
concert series in early 2006.
Sources:
- Crew Chief Jason Taylor, August 14, 2005
- George Andersen (used with permission from a Midnight Productions, Inc. CD liner)
The War Memorial
The Great War was long over when ground was broken on July 17, 1930 for the Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial. In 1924, the Mayor of Trenton appointed a citizens' group to begin planning a suitable memorial for the many who served their country during the great war. Three years later the War Memorial Committee recommended a design for a court of honor leading to a grand auditorium, "a memorial that would combine beauty, dignity, and civic utility."
As the design's scope became known, what had been a city project attracted wider support. The state donated two parcels of land and the announced its willingness to put up one-quarter of the total cost. Mercer County agreed to match that figure once the War Memorial Committee had raised $400,000 in contributions from the public. Even before a local campaign could be organized, new Jersey's schoolchildren contributed a fund of pennies intended for a state war memorial. A plaque in the marble floor of the Memorial Court pays tribute to their $87,000 gift.
-- from CD Liner notes from "One of A Kind" - based on original text by Sally Lane
The Organ
3/16 Möller Opus 5198
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Left Chamber Front: Vox Humana Back L to R: Post Horn, Diaphonic Diapason, Viole d'Orchestre, + 2 Viole Celestes, Orchestral Flute |
Right Chamber L to R: Clarinet, Viole D'Amore, Horn Diapason, Kinura, Tuba Harmonic, French Trumpet, Horn 16 string upper portion of picture, Tibia Plena off picture to right and left. |
Full
stop list (PDF) - August 14, 2005
| Left
Chamber 16' Diaphone 85 pipes 16' Tibia Clausa 97 pipes 16' Bourdon\Orchestral Flute 97 pipes 8' Post Horn 73 pipes 8' Viole d'Orchestre 85 pipes 8' Viole Celeste (dbl rank) 170 pipes (separate magnets for each pipe) 8' Vox Humana 73 pipes 4' Marimba 49 bars 4' Harp Celeste 49 bars |
Right
Chamber 16' Tibia Plena 85 pipes 16' Viole D'Amore 97 pipes 16' Tuba Harmonic 85 pipes 8' Horn Diapason 85 pipes 8' French Trumpet 73 pipes 8' Kinura 73 pipes 8' Horn 73 pipes 8' Clarinet 73 pipes Orchestral Bells 37 bars Xylophone 49 bars Chimes 20 tubes |
| Snare
Drum Snare Drum Roll Chinese Block Chinese Block reit. Tom Tom Castanets Slap Stick Cymbal Bird Call (2) |
Ford
Horn Siren Door Bell Steam Boat Whistle Wind Thunder Cymbal Crash Gong Triangle |
Recordings
| Ashley
Miller at the War
Memorial Re-release Midnight Productions  Photo: With permission from Midnight Productions |
One
of
a Kind Ralph Ringstad Jr.& Maria Zito-Kaufman Midnight Productions  Photo: With permission from Midnight Productions |
Note: Since Möller is not a common search term used, we put the words Moller and "Moller Theatre Organ" or "Moller Theater Organ" here, otherwise known as a "Moller Organ".
