The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-06-11
S50,0O0MOLLER
PIPE ORGAN
DEDICATED
Auditorium Audience Hears
Archer Gibson Play Mighty
instrument He Designed
BY JESSIE Mcbride.

The washington Auditorium is
alive.
1t has a soul--through Music!
Last evening the great pipe
organ, Washington's great civic
organ, awoke in mighty sound,
under the dramatic fingers OF
that famous organist, Archer Glib
son. Of New York, pealing forth
in beautiful tone the glad tidings
National Capital.
The occasion was the formal
dedication of the fine new Wash.
ington Auditorium and the dedica-
ton of the great Moller Pipe organ
that has been installed within it.
fastened into service, because
Of the city's need, the Washington
Auditorium has been used for some
months in unfinished form.
Now Stands Complete.
Today, for the first time, tt
stands complete, due largely to tina
efforts of the first President or
the washington Auditorium, Rob.
ert N. Harper, whose portrait last
evening, presented with ceremony
il to stand in the building that viii
always honor him.
The invocation was given by the
Reverend James Shera Montgom-
cry, ID. D., Edwin G. Brandenburg,
presiding, foretold how vast assem-
bles will now gather here, coming
as to q Western Mecca to carry
away an inspiration from this CEN
ter sof thought and aspiration.
"Tonight, we dedicate this build
ing to Art, Music and the Drama,
this building wherein the thought
of the nation, in religion, in states
manship, in culture will hold
sway he said.
Major Raymond A. Wheeler,
n. s.. A., Assistant Engineer Com
missioner of the District OF Column
bia, then gave the seal Of approval
to the structure for it's structural
standpoint.
Colonel Harper, called upon to
address the large gathering that
quite filled this large auditorium
with It's capacity OF 5000, then told
how bronze tablet is to be erected
In the lobby that will bear the
names OF 80 public spirited citi-
zens, who had made possible. with
, the united efforts OF the officers
Auditorium, the edifice as 1t stood
completed for the first time.
Officers Of Project.
For more than fifty years. he
said, someone has been attempting
to build an Auditorium for Wash.
ington. He then expressed his
grateful appreciation for the sup
port and joint effort Of the officers
who include, President, Robert N.
Harper: vice presidents. Ross p.
Andrews, e. F. CoIladay, william
S. Corby, Albert SchuIties, M. A.
Leese and Anton Stephan: secre
tary. Edward J. Murphy; treasurer,
c. j. Goeckler; counsel. Wharton
E. Lester, and directors, E. c.
Brandenberg, John l. Edwards,
Joshua Evans, jr., w. w. Everett,
Frank S. Hight, E. Lester Jones,
Rudolph Jose, Harry King and
Sydney West.
To music, the end Of the evening
was dedicated.
When finally the great organ
traced the finest quietude OF soft
reeds whose purity and sweetness
of tone lifted the veil to those far.
off dreams upopn whose wings
beauty and life in it's many transi.
tons may be painted in sound, we
found with Balzac that:
THE organ is in truth the grand.
est, the most daring, the most
magnificent of all instruments in.
vented by human genius. 1t is a
whole orchestra in itself It can
express anything in response to a
skilled touch. Surely it is in some
sort a pedestal on which the soul
poises for a flight forth into space,
essaying on her course to draw
picture after picture in endless
series, to paint human life, to
cross the infinite that separates
heaven from EARTH
To Archer Gibson, not alone the
final realization of this dream of
music for us, but the further
tribute is due for he it was VINO
planned the mysterious whole of
this great organ, which has been
wrought so splendidly by the NJ. p.
Moller Pipe Organ Industry, Of
Hagerstown, Maryland.
1T is the greatest concert organ
that we have" he said at the close
of a beautiful program. But it is
just born!
Paused a Moment.
That we realized, for the new
infant refused-for a brief, breath
less moment--to perform its func.
ton. The intense heat has caused
those endless coils of electric wire
to swell so that the first contact
was imperfect and the organs A
string gave forth a sclo oil it's own.
How quickly the infant learned
to walk!
Mr.. Gibson played with all his
dynamic art, first Bach, then
Handel, going then into the
romance land of rare Widor
"Andante Cantabile" and on tc
many excerpts from Wagner's
mighty music-dramas.
The Moller organ spoke to our