MARRICKVILLE TOWN HALL WURLITZER

2/11 WURLITZER Style H Special Opus 875

History

Installed in The Prince Edward Theatre in Sydney in November 1924, Opus 875 was used to accompany silent films until sound movies came along. It was was built as a ten-rank organ for three chambers. But only two chambers were constructed in the theatre. The ten ranks were Harmonic Tuba, Tibia Clausa, Orchestral Oboe, Kinura, Clarinet, Open Diapason, Salicional, Voix Celeste, Flute, and Vox Humana. The American organist Eddie Horton was engaged for the opening.

The organ was played constantly at movie sessions until the theatre closed in 1964 and TOSA bought the organ whilst searching for a suitable venue in which a Theatre Pipe Organ could be installed. Marrickville Town Hall was deemed suitable, and TOSA members spent three years refurbishing and installing it. The Krumet which Fred Scholl had brought from the Adelaide Regent to the Capitol Theatre Wurlitzer was eventually installed into this organ, bringing the number of ranks to 11.

Whenever people talked about the 'Golden Days of Theatre Organ in Sydney' it was this very organ played by Noreen Hennessy that was mostly mentioned, and fondly remembered. And so it was deja vu when, on November 27, 1968, Noreen, together with well-known Australian organist Ian Davies played a grand reopening concert with the proceeds going to the Childrens' Medical Research Foundation.

This organ is world famous and very highly regarded as one of the best two manual Theatre Organs anywhere.