here's another neat link of similar ilk - 'Random Act of Culture'
YouTube - Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture
I have a special connection to this one - my Dad had a long career at Wanamaker's (now Macy's)
John Wanamaker was a very forward looking / progressive Philadelphia personality / merchant. Regrets his prodigy did not execute as well as he did and the business declined. The original Philadelphia store occupied an entire city block - it is today a mere shadow of itself.
the Wanamaker Organ is not the largest organ in the world, but it is the largest operating organ.
Macy's has graciously continued / supported the the organ - as have 'the friends of the Wanamaker organ" (see:
Friends of the Wanamaker Organ ) - it is most definitely a Philadelphia tradition.
"Meet Me at the Eagle" is a known phrase for old school Philadelphians. The bronze eagle is to be seen in the video. about the only 'more famous' Philadelphia landmark is potentially the Liberty Bell. at Christmas we would go for the Dancing Waters show - and since my Dad had a key for everything, we would gain entry to the organ loft and I would sit on the organ bench and watch the show.
my Dad was in the "Mechanical" department so anybody with a burned out light bulb or felt it too hot or too cold turned to "Hank." as a teeny-bopper I got to hang around the store in the summer - including the Organ Shop. there's little as impressive as a 32 foot tall wooden organ pipe at full volume - it'll rattle your inners real good. it was said, at the time, that to be in some of the pipe spaces with the organ at volume, was 'fatal' - hmmm, never tested that theory. but been where one is not supposed to be,,,, at times.....
Later I worked for a company that provided services to Wanamaker - Charlie W. - I still miss you. we hung the exterior & interior Christmas decorations, changed out the grease filters in the kitchen vent systems (ah,,, a cooking thing...) etc. once upon a Christmas nigh, hanging decorations (we were "high riggers") in the Grand Court (the center of the block size building was 'hollow' - aka an interior 'court') I dropped a ten inch adjustable wrench from the ninth floor false ceiling. following Newton's Laws,,,,, it went straight down to the ground floor and landed with a spectacular shower of glass from an unfortunate display case. I suspect the repercussions to my employer would have been more severe, except that when the identity of the culpable wrench dropper was revealed..... it became a non-issue. one of those small advantages to nepotism.....
my own personal claim to fame is having dismantled, washed, polished and re-hung the lead glass crystal on all eleven (as I recall) French chandeliers in the Tea Room (now a private catering outfit.) the work was precipitated by chunks of glass falling off the chandelier(s) - the metal wire / pins suspending the glass had simply corroded to nothing and individual crystals/branches were falling into patron's soup.....
working after hours on scaffolding, took about a week each. Unfathomable, but each chandelier was slightly "different" - every one required a sketch of each crystal arrangement so they could be accurately rehung. rehung using white cotton gloves, gold plated steel pins and leather jawed pliers. hmmm, suppose I could illuminate my experience to the current management,,,, but given the time of original install to (first) re-wash / re-hang date, needs another two decades....
