Lance Luce - Organ Concert
Grand Ledge Opera House,
Grand Ledge, Michigan
Grand Ledge Opera House,
Grand Ledge, Michigan
Here's peek inside the organ chambers.
There are two rooms filled with pipes
and percussion instruments of all
description. They are located on the
upper level, above the organ console.
There are two rooms filled with pipes
and percussion instruments of all
description. They are located on the
upper level, above the organ console.
The opera house sits adjacent to a river,
and has a walk-out lower level that can
also be rented for gatherings. The main
floor can seat 150 easily, many more if
needed.
and has a walk-out lower level that can
also be rented for gatherings. The main
floor can seat 150 easily, many more if
needed.
Now that was fun !!
Sunday, November 18, 2007 I played
an organ concert at 3:00pm at the Grand
Ledge Opera House in Grand Ledge,
Michigan.
Scott Smith is the curator of the organ
there. That means he gets to do
everything and anything from tune the
organ to organize the concert series, etc.
Scott has been the mastermind behind
the "creation" of this organ for many
years. It began it's life as a Barton
organ, but Scott has added to it to make
it a much bigger and better organ than
it's original design. Scott does have help
from a dedicated group of volunteers
(including, but not limited to, Bill Worthy
of Grand Rapids) who share his same
love for this organ.
To get the full (and accurate) story, click
here to visit their web site.
Grand Ledge is on the West side of
Lansing, Michigan, and is a cute little
town. The "Opera House" was once a
skating rink, now transformed. The
acoustics on the main floor are great for
the organ. I was pleasantly surprised by
how reverberant and "snappy" the organ
sounded. It made it a pleasure to play.
The pipes speak into the room from two
chambers located up on the mezzanine
level, and provide a sound that fills the
room, but doesn't blast anyone :)
Don't get me wrong, this organ is not
without power! It's gets up and moves
when asked.
Sunday, November 18, 2007 I played
an organ concert at 3:00pm at the Grand
Ledge Opera House in Grand Ledge,
Michigan.
Scott Smith is the curator of the organ
there. That means he gets to do
everything and anything from tune the
organ to organize the concert series, etc.
Scott has been the mastermind behind
the "creation" of this organ for many
years. It began it's life as a Barton
organ, but Scott has added to it to make
it a much bigger and better organ than
it's original design. Scott does have help
from a dedicated group of volunteers
(including, but not limited to, Bill Worthy
of Grand Rapids) who share his same
love for this organ.
To get the full (and accurate) story, click
here to visit their web site.
Grand Ledge is on the West side of
Lansing, Michigan, and is a cute little
town. The "Opera House" was once a
skating rink, now transformed. The
acoustics on the main floor are great for
the organ. I was pleasantly surprised by
how reverberant and "snappy" the organ
sounded. It made it a pleasure to play.
The pipes speak into the room from two
chambers located up on the mezzanine
level, and provide a sound that fills the
room, but doesn't blast anyone :)
Don't get me wrong, this organ is not
without power! It's gets up and moves
when asked.
The organ is equipped with a
computerized capture system
for the organists presets. This
makes it fast and easy to set
"combinations" for the
performance. It also can store
the presets in memory for
future use, if needed.
The afternoon audience about
filled the chairs on the main
level, and they were very
responsive. No one seemed
to mind the occasional sonic
surge when I couldn't contain
the temptation to let it rip into
FFF range for a few moments.
At least I didn't see anyone
leaving.
Seriously, the attentive
audience seemed as excited as
I was to hear all the different
tones and colors this organ has
to offer.
For you organists out there.
There are two Tibias, two
Voxes, 5 strings and host of
other ranks that blend to make
a very pleasing sound. It really
was a joy to play. It is one of
those rare magical matches
between instrument and room
that make for a more than
successful musical happening.
In the little town of Grand
Ledge is a organ treasure. If
you get the chance to hear it,
you should. This is their 13th
year of concerts. I wish them
good fortune for many more
years to come!
computerized capture system
for the organists presets. This
makes it fast and easy to set
"combinations" for the
performance. It also can store
the presets in memory for
future use, if needed.
The afternoon audience about
filled the chairs on the main
level, and they were very
responsive. No one seemed
to mind the occasional sonic
surge when I couldn't contain
the temptation to let it rip into
FFF range for a few moments.
At least I didn't see anyone
leaving.
Seriously, the attentive
audience seemed as excited as
I was to hear all the different
tones and colors this organ has
to offer.
For you organists out there.
There are two Tibias, two
Voxes, 5 strings and host of
other ranks that blend to make
a very pleasing sound. It really
was a joy to play. It is one of
those rare magical matches
between instrument and room
that make for a more than
successful musical happening.
In the little town of Grand
Ledge is a organ treasure. If
you get the chance to hear it,
you should. This is their 13th
year of concerts. I wish them
good fortune for many more
years to come!