Saucer bells are a very rare "trap/tuned percussion" found in a few theatre organs. They
were the ULTIMATE trap for the organ that had everything!
One of our club members owns such a set. see more here
Friends in the theatre organ world have offered their
knowledge about these treasures:
- Leon Berry had a set of
saucer bells on his Wurlitzer 2/6 (the celebrated "Beast in the Basement"),
which I believe originally came from a Lake Forest, IL, theatre.
- They must be fairly rare,
as I've only seen one set live and in person. The old Captain's Galley in Santa Clara had
a Wurlitzer RJ12? that had a set. They were like ordinary round doorbells, with
reiterating electric strikers. A rather bizarre sound, but not bizarre enough to prevent
me from attempting to duplicate them!!!
- I do know that the 4/48
Wurlitzer in the Portland Organ Grinder Pizza had a set, and the 4/33 Wurlitzer in the
Berkeley Community Theatre has a set. Those are the only two that I know of in existence.
- I have never really seen
a set of Saucer Bells - However, I have *heard* both the Organ Grinder's & Berkeley's
and they are a striking IDENTICAL sound to (and if any of you are "percussion
literate" you know what these are) a set of Crotales. Crotales are little (usually
copper) discs that when struck with a mallet, creates a high-pitched ringing sound.
- Actually, having seen one
set, I believe that Wurlitzer named them "Saucer Bells" because they look
like... (drum-roll, please...) SAUCERS... ;-)
- The NORCAL Wurlitzer in
the Berkeley Community Theatre has a set of tuned Saucer Bells. I find them to be quite a
nice sound, very haunting and almost hollow like an "Ice Bell" in a modern
percussion section. Rudy Frey gave the set and they are perfect for an organ with many RARE Wurlitzer stops. Each of the bells is
electrically struck and each of the bells is fitted with a sound resonator. Deagan was the
source for these.
- The first Wurlitzer set
of which I have knowledge was on Opus 5 at Grace Baptist Temple in Philadelphia (1911).
The spec shows GONGS. These were apparently electric bells (i.e. saucer bells) distributed
around the gallery rail!!! I cannot imagine what liturgical use these may have had, but
the organ had a comprehensive array of percussions, including sleigh bells (must have been
the first church organ ever with tuned sleigh bells) and a thunder sheet. Apparently,
Wurlitzer used it as a demonstrator instrument to theatre owners considering purchasing
one of their instruments. For those interested, the full specification is in David Fox's
book "Robert Hope-Jones", on pages 264-5.
- The 3/15 Wurlitzer
installed in Spokane's First Nazarene Church has the only set of saucer bells that I have
ever seen. Not that I have seen that many Wurlitzer's. They sound like the bells we used
to put on our bicycles when we were younger. The and are much like the old fire bells. So
they do exist and were installed in at least one organ and they and the organ still exist
as I have heard them. By the way this Wurlitzer was Opus 41 and the first Wurlitzer
installed in a west coast theatre ( the Liberty Theatre in Seattle).
Please write if you have any additional information about
these fascinating additions for theatre organs.
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