Date: 12/3/98 3:33 PM From: Jon C. Habermaas To: jkautz@theatreorgans.com Copy: Subject: [Fwd: Foort's travelling Moller] Return-Path: Delivery-Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 15:33:52 GMT Received: from mpdr0.chicago.il.ameritech.net [206.141.239.142] by theatreorgans.com with smtp id KNLOAWMN; Thu, 03 Dec 98 15:33:51 GMT (PowerWeb version 4.04r6) Received: from ameritech.net ([199.179.167.90]) by mailhost.chi.ameritech.net (InterMail v03.02.07 118 124) with ESMTP id <19981203153328.FUU925@ameritech.net> for ; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 09:33:28 -0600 Message-ID: <3666AF45.8C74E4A3@ameritech.net> Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 09:33:25 -0600 From: "Jon C. Habermaas" X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en]C-AIT (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: jkautz@theatreorgans.com Subject: [Fwd: Foort's travelling Moller] Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------F305132C3CDF6F9098BE2BD1" Received: from CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU ([169.226.1.21]) by mailhost.kal.ameritech.net (InterMail v03.02.07 118 124) with SMTP id <19981203051339.BIKY9619@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU> for ; Wed, 2 Dec 1998 23:13:39 -0600 Received: by CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R4a) via spool with SMTP id 8911 ; Thu, 03 Dec 1998 00:09:15 EST Received: from CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1) by CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (LMail V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 1791; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 00:09:10 -0500 Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 09:10:01 GST Reply-To: Lawrence Whitfield Sender: Pipe Organs and Related Topics From: Lawrence Whitfield Subject: Foort's travelling Moller To: PIPORG-L@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU Message-Id: <19981203051339.BIKY9619@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU> It was interesting to read the correspondence on this topic, fairly comprehensive, but I'd like to make corrections to one or two points and fill in one or two gaps. Foort bought the Moller in the late 1930s and resigned from his position as BBC Staff Organist so as to tour with it in 5 large furniture vans. When the second world war broke out in 1939, despite what one correspondent wrote about there being no restriction on his fuel supplies, I understand that his travelling was somewhat curtailed and he had to reduce his fleet from 5 to 3 vans; I believe that this meant that some parts of the organ had to be left in store. As the war progressed fuel became in even shorter supply and the shortages were about to stop Foort's touring completely so he loaned the Moller to the BBC to replace their Compton theatre organ which had been destroyed in the London blitz in May 1941. It was installed in North Wales and gave sterling service throughout the war years. After the war it became obvious to Reg that the entertainment climate had changed and that there was no longer much of a market for his touring organ show. He therefore sold the organ to the BBC prior to coming to America. The BBC installed it in their studio in the former Jubilee Chapel, Hoxton, in north London, and there it remained as BBC Theatre Organ No. 2 under the control of Sandy MacPherson until they finally sold it in 1963 - not 1951, as stated by Aida van de Brake. The Moller was bought by the Dutch Radio Hilversum (Aida mentioned the VARA station, but I thought that it was AVRO - I may be wrong) at the instigation of Holland's star theatre organist, Cor Steyn - a name still well-known and revered there, even though he's been dead for more than 30 years. He and his Dutch colleagues Piet van Egmond, Pierre Palla, and I believe Johann Jong and Jan van Weelden, had broadcast it regularly >from Britain for many years. It was installed in a church in Hilversum, where it was recorded by both Cor Steyn and Piet van Egmond, and broadcast by them and others. Sadly, Cor Steyn died not long afterwards and the organ had little use thereafter as there seemed to be few surviving theatre organists in Holland who were really able to handle such a large and powerful beast. I believe that Piet van Egmond, who certainly could handle it, was restricted in the amount that he could play it by opposition from the church at which he was organist. Bernard Drukker also made it sound well but he was a doctor or dentist by profession and had little time to spare. As has already been reported, Radio Hilversum finally sold the organ to Sandy Fleet for installation in the Organ Power Pizza in San Diego - about 1970, I think?? - and there Reginald Foort was reunited with his beloved Moller when he opened it. He also made an LP record on it there. The restaurant eventually failed, the Moller was bought by J.B. Nethercutt and donated to the City of Pasadena for installation in the Civic Centre. The late Dave Junchen undertook the work and made a masterly job of it. My one personal regret is that it has lost its original and individual sound which I liked, and now sounds just like any other big American theatre organ. Oh well, to each his own... Lawrence. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Note: opinions expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the individual con- tributors and not necessarily those of the list owners nor of the Uni- versity at Albany. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to listserv@albany.edu saying GET LSVCMMDS.TXT or see the web page at http://albany.edu/~piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html . :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: --------------F305132C3CDF6F9098BE2BD1--

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