APO and Organs

Photo: Kerry Stevens

Wild weather did not keep away a large crowd of mums, dads and children from yesterdays APO open day in the Auckland Town Hall. Ensembles were conducted by little would-be conductors, little hands poured over the stands of the creators of flutes and stringed instruments and everyone sat on the Great Hall floor, riveted, as introductions were made by APO’s CEO Barbara Glaser. Eckehard Stier, the APO’s Director of Music, conducted the full orchestra and stopped from time to time to point out irregularities, quiz the audience, and award complimentary tickets for correct answers. AND the little demonstration organ was a real draw card. John Wells, Kerry Stevens and I had much pleasure in explaining the workings of a pipe organ through the medium of the beautifully constructed demo organ (made in Bonn by Klais). Soon it will have a permanent place in the Town Hall where visitors can operate it for themselves and get an idea of how the huge and much older brother, soon to grace our Town Hall, works. The Auckland City Council are to be warmly commended on the commissioning of this little organ which will enable the public to see just how a pipe organ works. It will reside in various places in the Town Hall.

The BIG BROTHER will soon start receiving its remaining thousands of pipes and will (all going well) be finished by the 2nd December. Then it will be ‘played in’ privately, until the grand public launch at 4.30pm on Sunday 21st March 2010. Put the date in your diary now. It will be a great celebratory day. More exciting news about the launch later.