I’ve blogged this before, but now anyone can have a Wurlitzer simulator on their computer, absolutely free of charge.
Take a trip over to virtualorgan.com for a virtual theatre pipe organ of your own, complete with a klaxon, a fire engine bell, train whistle, birdsong, a doorbell and horses hooves. Even if you can’t play a note, you can set it to play back some music via MIDI and play with the stop keys to your heart’s delight…
I reckon a girl could get addicted to that!
Comment by Welshcakes Limoncello — January 24, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
I think I’ll give that a miss. I never was enamoured of the Wurlitzer nor the “real” organ. I do remember going to the movies with the organ playing in the intermission and pre film period. It’s rather bizarre when you think about it. This was their only function as an instrument.
Comment by jmb — January 25, 2008 @ 2:21 am
JMB- not as bizarre as you think- they were also known as Unit Orchestras and effectively replaced a Pit full of musicians, an orchestral surrogate one man band in the days of the silent movie.
They hung on as an anachronism once sound was fully introduced and eventually were replaced by “non-sync”, i.e. record players.
Comment by Shades — January 25, 2008 @ 7:47 am