Franz Robert sits down on the century-old keyboard, kicks off his footwear and begins to play “Misty,” a Fifties jazz normal. The ensuing sound is large, filling up the primary sanctuary at Grace Baptist Church in downtown San Jose, and spilling out into the foyer and adjoining space the place well being staff are offering COVID-19 vaccinations.
Extra spectacular than the sound, nonetheless, is the instrument that’s creating it. 100 years in the past, this identical Robert Morgan organ – on the time, a state-of-the-art instrument – was serving up music and sound results for silent movie followers at San Jose’s Liberty Theatre some 10 blocks away.
For the primary 20 years of the twentieth century, silent film theaters outfitted with versatile pipe organs had been all the fad. The Nice Despair and the arrival of “talkies” modified all that. By 1940, the organ was, like many silent movie stars, out of labor.
Enter Grace Baptist Church, which in 1940 acquired the Liberty Theatre organ – with its three-deck keyboard rimmed by a horseshoe-shaped, two-deck collection of pedals for re-creating devices and sound results – and a yr later put in almost all of it on the church. It has since remained in steady use for eight many years, which makes the Liberty Theatre organ the final lively remnant of San Jose’s silent movie period and, church officers say, one in every of solely two such basic Robert Morgans nonetheless in public use within the nation.
And he or she is prepared for her subsequent close-up.
Grace Baptist is celebrating the centennial of the Liberty Theatre organ with a collection of concert events and occasions slated all year long and stretching into 2023. The subsequent occasion is a Palm Sunday live performance scheduled for 11 a.m. (Admission to the live performance is free. Discover particulars at graceinsanjose.org.)
Attendees can anticipate to listen to hymns, Handel, Bach “and possibly some old-school present tunes, if we are able to work them in,” Robert says. “I really like all these outdated songs. Really with the ability to emulate numerous that stuff with out having to rent 50 folks is basically enjoyable.”
That’s the great thing about this organ, dubbed “an orchestra of 1,” which is ready to ship what Robert describes as an almost limitless array of sounds. It could possibly render these deep, soulful basic church chords as properly old-timey organ sounds that after accompanied the hijinks of Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
The organ can re-create percussion devices, in addition to strings, woodwinds and brass. Then there are all of the basic film sound results, which – in fact – embrace the rumble and toot of a prepare barreling down the tracks. (Was there a damsel tied up on the prepare tracks in each silent movie, or does it simply appear that manner?)
“I’ve by no means actually heard one other (organ) prefer it. And I’ve been in numerous church buildings,” says Grace’s senior pastor, Rev. George E. Oliver. “To sing with this organ, you'll be able to’t be timid. It takes numerous gumption.”
Oliver proves it, stepping up onto the pulpit and calling for Robert to play the Chris Tomlin music, “Indescribable.” The result's as soon as once more breathtaking, as Robert stitches collectively quite a lot of sounds that wouldn’t be potential on the piano, whereas Oliver’s distinguished baritone soars excessive.
Pastor @georgeeoliver on vocals and Franz Robert on famed Liberty Theatre Pipe Organ @ Grace Baptist Church in San Jose. The music is "Indescribable" by @christomlin. And ….. WOW! pic.twitter.com/yFbtvdCZnC
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) April 7, 2022
The purpose of this centennial is not only to have a good time the pipe organ’s previous, but in addition to make sure its future. The church desires the Liberty Theatre organ to final for an additional 100 years.
Grace Baptist is within the midst of a multimillion-dollar growth marketing campaign that requires, amongst different issues, the development of a bigger principal church constructing — and the Liberty Theatre pipe organ stays on the coronary heart of the plans.
“Our new constructing is being constructed round this organ,” Oliver says.
Oliver and Robert are nonetheless comparatively new to this church. They arrived at Grace Baptist in March 2021, however they knew instantly that the organ was extremely particular.
“We felt an incredible burden to not simply protect however to reinvigorate the organ,” Oliver says.
Oliver says which means persevering with to make it accessible to the neighborhood with silent film screenings (in fact), concert events, lectures, stay performances with theater college students from close by San Jose State College, and different enjoyable and academic endeavors. The church is working with Invoice Brooks, Grace Baptist’s longtime level particular person for the organ, on the marketing campaign.
“I would like future generations to listen to the genius of those that got here earlier than and which means discovering new breath for brand new songs,” Brooks says.
It provides as much as numerous starring roles for the beloved 100-year-old silent film-era organ.
“It has a voice, and we wish it to be heard,” Oliver says. “It's alive.”