The Wanamaker Organ is closing out the Macy’s era with a grand, daylong series of concerts
While Friends of the Wanamaker Organ remains encouraged, it is unclear if the organ will be played as regularly after the closure of Macy's.
In a mighty, sonorous daylong swan song, a steady parade of organists will perform hourly recitals this Saturday on the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ.
The event will mark the last strains of the Wanamaker Organ in the Macy’s era. The retailer closes its Center City store at the end of the business day Sunday after nearly two decades.
Peter Richard Conte, who has held the title of Wanamaker Grand Court Organist since 1989, is to be joined by a corps of other organists, who will perform the free recitals at Macy’s starting at 9 a.m. and ending around 6:30 p.m.
What happens to the Wanamaker Organ after Macy’s closes isn’t settled. It has been a reliable feature of Philadelphia musical life for decades, played in twice-daily recitals six days a week. TF Cornerstone, which owns part of the Wanamaker Building and is expected to soon acquire the rest of it, has said it will keep the massive instrument, whose components are tucked away in various parts of the building. It is often cited as the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world.
“We are committed to the preservation of the organ and ensuring it remains a cherished part of the space,” said the company in a January statement.
But whether that means it will be played regularly and given the visibility it has had in the past isn’t clear.
Ray Biswanger, executive director of the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, said he’s been encouraged by initial discussions with TF Cornerstone, which he called “positive.” In the short term, after Macy’s closes “it appears we can continue our restoration work, and we’ve also asked about playing the organ from time to time and the possibility of recording or streamcasting,” he said.
Among the matters to be settled is the ownership of the organ. It has been owned by Macy’s, which took over the retail space in August 2006.
Saturday’s event, dubbed “Make a Joyful Noise,” begins at 9 a.m. with Conte performing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and continues with half-hour recitals on the hour by Aaron Patterson, Mark Bani, Jeremy Flood, Luke Staisiunas, Monte Maxwell, Rudy Lucente, and Dylan David Shaw.
Conte returns at 5 p.m., joined by flügelhornist Andrew Ennis, for a “grand gala” performance expected to last an hour and a half.
Said one of the organizers of Saturday’s event: “He will peel the paint off the walls.”