a proud chapter of the
American Theatre Organ Society
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THOMASTON OPERA HOUSE |
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THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT (directions to Thomaston)
The Connecticut Chapter of ATOS, while still in its infancy and looking for a theatre organ which could be installed in a public place, purchased and removed parts from a hybrid Robert-Morton from a radio station in Woodside, NY, but was still short of owning a suitable organ. A 3/10 Marr & Colton organ was originally installed in 1926 in the Palace Theatre, Danbury, Connecticut. The organ was later sold, but b ecause of very small organ chamber trap doors and stipulations that the organ grilles could not be removed, the buyer was only able remove the console and chimes. In the 1960's, John Angevine discovered that the rest of the organ remained, but the grilles remained an obstacle to its removal.Then in June of 1967 the Palace Theatre decided to install air conditioning and the only location for the equipment was the organ chambers, still full of "stuff" that had to be removed. Since the grilles still could not be disturbed, large holes were to be made in the outside walls for the air conditioning equipment installation. John Angevine called the contractor. The organ had to be removed immediately. The outside walls would be opened up on Friday and the equipment was being brought in on Tuesday. In one hot weekend, with the help of his pregnant wife Kathy, friend Allen Strauss, a couple farm hands and members of CVTOS, the organ was quickly removed, still minus its console and chimes. The 1884 Opera House in Thomaston, Connecticut was ultimately selected as the site for a chapter organ installation. Negotiations were made to trade some of the Robert-Morton parts for a Kimball console located in a church in Manchester, New Hampshire. This instrument is now a 15 rank Marr & Colton, with the later addition of 5 ranks and replacement of 2 ranks from a Marr & Colton church organ, also built in 1926 for a church in Bristol, Connecticut. The organ installation and stoplist was designed by Allen Miller. Two very small dressing rooms became the new organ chambers. The installation was accomplished under the direction of John Angevine, who remains its Crew Chief. With the three manual Kimball console, it was dedicated October 15, 1971, to the memory of Allen Strauss, who was killed in Vietnam. Organist, Rosa Rio played the dedication concert. The "Thomaston Opera House Marr & Colton" is considered to be one of the finest organs for its size in the country, and its stoplist and tonal design "ahead of its time." The organ and its intimate and "warm" setting has always been a favorite with organists. A major upgrade took place in 2000 with the installation of a Z-tronicsŪ Relay, Combination Action, and Performance Recorder.
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THOMASTON INFORMATION |
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This page last updated on December 12, 2007
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