Memorial Auditorium pipe organ

[Rich La Voie]

The "sleeping giant" awakes!

The first public performance in 22 years of the Estey concert organ at
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium will be held on Saturday, May 17, 1 to 4
p.m. in the main hall. It will be free and open to all.

The event will launch a fundraising drive to rehabilitate the organ.
Although the instrument will be tuned and in good playing condition for
the event, it needs a lot of work. We aim to do it all with private
donations.

The Estey is an orchestral-style organ, a type that once was very common
and is now rare. It has 3,330 pipes in 48 ranks and is entirely
original. It can produce sounds associated with both classical and
theater organs, though it is best suited to French Romantic organ music
(Franck, Saint-Saens, Lefebure-Wely, etc.), popular music of its era,
marches, and symphonic transcriptions.

Best of all, the organ and the auditorium were literally "made for each
other." Generously voiced to fill the large hall with rich music, the
organ soars in the auditorium's active acoustical environment. The
effect is sensational.

Memorial Auditorium is located at 1515 "J" Street in Sacramento. For
more information, please write to lav...@cwo.com. Thanks!

Rich La Voie, fund raising and pipe organ chair
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium Citizens' Advisory Committee