------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Jul 1994 11:39:04 EDT From: JBratton@AOL.COM Subject: Aeolian home org. in CO (long) One of the few large PO's from the original Aeolian company left, untouched. AEOLIAN Pipe Organ, opus 1385, 1916 with additions by Aeolian in 1924 for the Spencer Penrose home, "El Pomar", 1661 Mesa Ave. Colorado Springs, CO (west of the famous Broadmoor Hotel) 3m/p, stop tab console, 61/30 ECHO (left side, black print) Echo silent Tremolo 8' Vox Humana (PPP) 8' Flute (Stopped) 8' String 8' Diapason Echo on Swell [**] Echo on Great Echo on Choir Echo off PEDAL (left side, black print) Pedal silent 16' Deep Trumpet 8' Flute (Stopped) 16' Deep Flute P (Swell) 16' Deep Flute F 16' Deep String F (1-12 on their side) 16' Deep Diapason (1-12 on their side) Chimes on Swell [**] Chimes on Great Chimes on Choir Chimes F or P SWELL (left side, stops are in Green lettering/printing) Tremolo 16' Vox Humana (P) 8' Vox Humana (P) 8' Oboe P 4' High Flute 8' Flute (Stopped) 16' Deep Flute Swell silent Mixture String PP 8' String PP 8' String Vibrato P 8' String P 8' String F (V d'O) 8' String Vibrato F (V d'O Celeste) 8' Diapason MF SOLO (Right side, black print) 8' Diapason (FF) 8' String Vibrato (FF, large scaled Gamba) 8' String (FF, large scaled Gamba) 8' French Horn (F) 8' Tuba (FFF and very fiery) Tremolo Solo silent Solo on Swell [**] Solo on Great Solo on Choir Off GREAT (right side, Red print) 8' Diapason 8' String F 8' String (P) 8' Flute F (Gross Flute, open) 8' Flute P (Stopped) 4' High Flute (Harmonic) 2' Piccolo (Harmonic) 8' Trumpet 8' Clarinet P Tremolo Great silent CHOIR (right side, black print) 8' String P 8' Flute MF (Concert Flute) 8' Flute Vibrato P 8' Flute P (Stopped) 4' High Flute (F d'A) 8' Vox Humana (F) Tremolo Mixture Diapason (F) 8' Dulciana Vibrato F (Viola) 8' Dulciana F (Viola) 8' Dulciana Vibrato MF 8' Dulciana MF 8' Oboe F (Orchestral) 16' Deep Clarinet F (a Bell Clarinet) Choir silent Harp 8' on Swell[**] Harp 8' on Great Harp 8' on Choir Harp F or P Off Harp 4' on Swell[**] Harp 4' on Great Harp 4' on Choir Harpo F or P Off [**] = Harps, Chimes, Echo, Solo are controlled by "On or Off" buttons PISTONS: 6 under the Swell on left set combons. 1-6 under Swell for entire organ via capture system in combination with the ones on the left. Understand?! COUPLERS (over the Swell and in order L-R) [I add them because they are unusual, as are their grouping.] Swell to Pedal [8'] Great to Pedal [8'] Choir to Pedal [8'] Swell to Pedal Oct [4'] Swell to Great [8'] Choir to Great [8'] Swell to Choir [8'] Swell to Great Sub [16'] Swell to Great Oct [4'] Choir to Great Sub [16'] Unison/Normal/Reverse [for the 116 note Duo-Art roll player] Tempo Indicator ditto Swell Sub [16'] Great Sub [16'] Choir Sub [16'] Echo Sub [16'] Swell Oct [4'] Great Oct [4'] Choir Oct [4'] Echo Oct [4'] Aeolian Ventil & ReRoll are at either end of the couplers. Behind the music rack is the 116 note player. 5 PEDALS [L-R] Tonal (Crescendo Pedal) Swell Great Choir Echo Reversible Levers on left over the Pedals Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Choir to Pedal SFZ (on the right) The Echo is in the Drawing Room ceiling, and all other pipework is chambered in the ceiling of the grand foyer. The console is located to the left in the foyer. There are beautiful tone grills in the foyer ceiling, but they are all long and narrow. All the pipework is beautifully constructed and extremely clean. [There are large filters on the two blowers, far away in the basement.] The console is French Walnut and has an ingeniously hidden music rack. The roll cover is housed in a box in front of the knee panel. One pulls the roll cover _up_ from the bottom of the console. It is not often closed any more due to the 'tenderness' of the linen backing holding the ribs. The Duo-Art automatic player cable was chopped years ago by the Nuns (see the History section). The Roll playing cabinet was originally in the Library under a portrait of Mr . Penrose. Then it was moved to a hall way, then taken to the basement. It is to be placed back in the orginal position. Rob Boyer and others from the Wilson Organ Co in the Springs has given untold months to getting the roll playing back in shape. Notably Rob hand cleaned all the screens in the grills, taken out the filthy linen, thus giving the organ a much better chance to 'speak' into the foyer. When the Nuns were there the drawing roon was their chapel and the Echo organ was playable from a one manual reed organ shell. The whole organ is in wonderful condition considering its age. It stays in tune very well since the attic is heavily insulated. HISTORY: Nestled against the front range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, El Pomar Center is located in the midst of an apple orchard in the former home of the founders of the El Pomar Foundation, Spencer and Julie Penrose. The Mediterranean-style house was built in 1910 and purchased by the Penroses in 1916. Over the next decade, the penroses added the second and third floors above the west wing and named the estate "El Pomar", Spanish" for orchard. Spencer Penrose established El Pomar Foundation in 1937, with the fortune he made in mining, real estate and The Broadmoor. The Foundation's mission is to benefit the people of the Pikes Peak Region and the State of Colorado. Spencer Penrose lived at El Pomar until his death in 1939. Julie continued living there until 1944, when she moved her residence to The Broadmoor. At the same time, she deeded el Pomar to the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati for their charitable purposes. From 1945 until 1992, El Pomar was used by the Sisters of Charity as a religious retreat center, complete with overnight accommodation. Initially called El Pomar Retreat Center, in 1985 the name was changed to the Julie Penrose Center. In 1992, El Pomar foundation reacquired the estate to establish a non-residential conference facility for not-for-profit organizations. The home has been restored as a historically significant part of the history of Colorado Springs. The restoration included special attention to the formal rooms in the home's north wing. These rooms serve as the area of historical representation of the period when the Penroses lived at El Pomar. The conference and staff areas retain the sense of that period but include the amenities of a modern conference facility. [IMHO it is one of the most glorious homes I've ever seen. If you are in the area, let me know and I'll get you in to see the organ, play it if it is on a Monday, and see the home.] There is one other small 2n/p in Denver, but its fate is questionable. ------------------------------