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4/34 Robert Morton Organ
Ohio Theatre - Columbus, OH
Main Chamber - Floor Level
While
there aren't many pipes found on the floor level, there are a number of
other important parts of the organ worth noting. Getting around the
Main Chamber is slightly easier than the Solo Chamber.
In order to get to the floor level of the chamber, just like the Solo Chamber, the only way in is to go up! This photo, when compared to the photo to the entrance to the solo chamber, illustrates that the building is not symmetrical in its construction. The "lip" of concrete protruding out is the source of many headaches for those not careful when climbing!
Plainly visible as you enter the chamber is the builder plate for the organ. This organ, when built, was identical to three other organs built by Robert Morton (located in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut). While this organ does not have a model number, most smaller Robert Morton instruments had one.
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Without air, there is no sound. On the left we can see the air supply entering the chamber from the ceiling. On the right is the view of the pipe as it reaches floor level and enters one of the wind regulators. |  |
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Several
ranks have their longest 8-12 pipes at or just above floor level. LEFT: In the front of the chamber are the biggest pipes of the 16' Oboe Horn rank. Their mitered construction is much less impressive than the 16' Tuba Mirabilis in the Solo Chamber. RIGHT: Pictured are the biggest pipes of the 8' Saxophone in the foreground, and the 8' Horn Diapason in back. |
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Continuing around the perimeter of the chamber we find the the only percussion in the main chamber, the 49 note Chrysoglott. Resembling a glockenspiel, this instrument sits just behind the shutters in the chamber.
An interesting tidbit comes from the web page "The Encyclopedia of Organ Stops". This instrument appears to be more commonly called a celesta and is "tuned" in a most peculiar way. More information can be found at http://www.organstops.org/c/Celesta.html
| Very
few pipes are actually on the floor level in the main chamber. Instead
a lot of wiring, wind reservoirs, regulators and tremulants occupy most
of the floor
space. The top photo shows some of the wiring and the bottom of the
second level of pipes. The bottom photo shows the wiring boards in the main chamber. The two sets of red vertical boards are the 32' extension of the Viol Diapason rank which was added in 1998. Also note the spring in the bottom right corner of the photo. This is from one of the wind reservoirs in the chamber. |
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To
the left of the entrance to the chamber is a small room which houses
the relay boards for the organ. In 1987 the Morton console was
completely rewired and a new relay system installed by local organ builder
Bunn=Minnick Pipe
Organs.
Over 95
miles
of wire are now in the organ, about the distance between Columbus and
Cincinnati! Each board represents a rank of the organ or a set of
traps. Today almost all of the organ's maintenance is
performed by
the
theater staff.
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