Strand Open House last Sunday

Sunday was all about the Strand, the organ music of the Strand, and self-guided tours of the Strand during their open house day.

With a full house audience they treated us to different types or organ music. A large part of the Friends of the Strand belong to another organization of organ connoisseurs. They play organs, restore organs, and know all abut them. The name of the organization, local-wise, is: Atlanta Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society and their email address is ronhcarter@msn.com.


It reminded me of “Moe” the giant Organ at The Fox in Atlanta…. Which reminded me of Moe’s main player Bob Van Camp, who also was an announcer on WSB Radio, and at one time was co-host with Bert Parks a TV show daily at 1:00pm that had a room full of women as an audience…. And that reminded me the music entertainment for that show “Boots Woodall and the Peachtree Cowboys”… but back to the present.

One of the things one of the organs players did was accompanied a silent movie up on the screen. The movie was hilarious! It had all the makings of a good old fashion black and white silent movie. The only name I recognized in it was Walter Berry, who was the villain. It was a great movie. Walter Berry even tied up the sweetie on the railroad tracks – just like Oil Can Harry often did in Mighty Mouse. The organ music complemented the action greatly.

They promised The Strand would have more silent movies and the organ complementing the action.

I wondered, since they were talking and demonstrating all kinds of organs, and they were asking for donations, it would be appropriate for them to come out with an organ grinder with a small organ and his pet monkey with a cup that would scamper around and harass members of the audience and maybe screech at them and threaten them by showing his teeth until they threw money in his cup.

They also had some old time favorite sing –a-lone songs with the words rolling on the screen. Ron Carter announced he was going to have ushers walk around keeping their eyes on the audience to make sure they were singing. If they caught somebody not singing they were going to haul them up on stage to sing. I had horrors thoughts of me up on stage singing solo with the audience laughing at me, not with me.

I sung with all my heart. It is first time I ever sang along with a big group of people.

Also a girl about ten or so sang two solo songs. She was very good. A good deep voice that would carry good. She dedicated the second one to her cat that died last Tuesday. The song was written by Dolly Parton and was named, “I will always love you.”

Oh - I didn't mean the little girl was dragged up on the stage for not singing. She was part of the program. She was all dressed up to sing solo.

I found the tour very interesting I have never been back stage at the Strand to see the dressing rooms, or up high near the top where we went out on the terrace.

Here are interiors shots of our walking tour:


Above - A self-portrait of me while looking at one of the four dressing rooms.