A blast from the past
When I was growing up, one of the true cultural treasures of our nation was the Barton pipe organ at Chicago Stadium-the second largest pipe organ in the world, and an instrument which, in a building said to have "the acoustics of a tin can," rocked the world of NHL fans for decades.
One of the worst bench-clearing fights in NHL history- one that had gotten completely out of hand, and which the officials simply could not control- was once quelled by the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner on the Barton. Since all the players on both teams were Canadians, this gives you some notion of the power of this marvelous instrument.
Sadly, when the Stadium was demolished and the new United Center constructed across the street, the organ wasn't moved. Instead, the tonal qualities of each pipe were computerized, and used to program the Cylon device at the U.C. The genuine article was moved to Las Vegas, where the console survives; the pipes, tragically, were destroyed in a fire.
Anyway, here is a brief sampling of that marvelous instrument's glory, recorded just before it was dismantled. Sadly, Al Melgard isn't playing it- and regrettably, there is no way to truly replicate the sound.
One of the worst bench-clearing fights in NHL history- one that had gotten completely out of hand, and which the officials simply could not control- was once quelled by the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner on the Barton. Since all the players on both teams were Canadians, this gives you some notion of the power of this marvelous instrument.
Sadly, when the Stadium was demolished and the new United Center constructed across the street, the organ wasn't moved. Instead, the tonal qualities of each pipe were computerized, and used to program the Cylon device at the U.C. The genuine article was moved to Las Vegas, where the console survives; the pipes, tragically, were destroyed in a fire.
Anyway, here is a brief sampling of that marvelous instrument's glory, recorded just before it was dismantled. Sadly, Al Melgard isn't playing it- and regrettably, there is no way to truly replicate the sound.
Comments