Taylor Residence - 3/12 Wicks
Vancouver, B.C.
Organ installation timeframe: 1986 - present
 
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Factory photo of the Garrick Theatre 3/12 Wicks console
 
The Pat Taylor 3/12 Wicks residence organ was originally installed in 1928 in the Garrick Theatre Winnipeg, Manitoba.
 
According to pataylor posting to cinematreasures.com on January 2, 2005, "The Garrick Theatre Pipe Organ is privately owned by yours truly and has been playing since 1986. It is installed in a restored state (tonally UNmodified) in a specially built studio in a Vancouver suburb. It was first played after its partial restoration by a close friend of the last organist, Agnes Forsythe. Hope this clears things a bit. Regards, PT"
 
James B. Hartman, writing in his book The Organ in Manitoba - A History of the Instruments, the Builders, and the Players (1997, p151), describes the Garrick Thetare installation as follows: "The installation of a "Monster Giant Wicks Symphony Pipe Organ" at the Garrick Theatre in Winnipeg on 8 September 1928 received significant attention in the press. The opening ceremonies, which included an address by the city mayor, were broadcast on a local radio station. The 150-stop instrument - actually 12 ranks with much unification, and the usual bells, chimes, drums, and other percussion effects-- was advertised as "Canada's Most Modern Pipe Organ" and "the largest direct-electric controlled 3-manual theatre organ in the country." It was installed by J. J. H. McLean and Company, Winnipeg, agents for the Wicks Pipe Organ Company, Highland, Illinois. The instrument took three months to assemble at the factory and six weeks to install. Extensive structural changes to the theatre were required to accommodate the instrument, which was said to occupy the space of a six-room apartment. The console was beautifully finished in ivory, decorated in gold and shaded with brown. A unique feature was a telephone located at the console for communicating with a technician in the organ chamber during tuning or maintenance procedures. At the opening, the visiting theatre organist Margaret Earl accompanied the screening of Passion, starring Emil Jennings and Pola Negri. As for the organ, a newspaper report remarked that "no conception of its powers is possible from the previous hearing of organs in this city, as nothing like it has been installed before. Under the control of an experienced organist the effects are equal to a symphony orchestra of more than 100 musicians." (Manitoba Free Press, 8 September 1928.)
 
James Hartman continues, "The Garrick Theatre organ was dismantled by inexperienced personnel in 1953, suffering considerable pipe damage in the process, and it remained in storage under the theatre stage for a time. In 1975 it was purchased and stored by an organ enthusiast in the Vancouver area who intended to rebuild it and install it in his home, a project that was not fulfilled. In the early 1990s it was acquired by the British Columbia Theatre Organ Trust, which intended to restore the instrument completely and install it in a new civic theatre in the Vancouver suburbs."
 
On 5 February 2005, pataylor responds via cinematreasures.com, correcting several statements in the Hartman book, "There was no "CONSIDERABLE" pipe damage from the move. Just a fair amount of minor damage. HOWEVER, the pipes were stored planted on the (2) chests under plastic with the treble (small) pipes right outside the door to the Walker orchestra pit. Someone came thru' that door and just walked on the pipes. A "map" of the chests and damaged pipes shows a clear "footprint" pattern of damage. Most of it has been repairable, so far. Only 7 ranks have been restored. At the price we paid, I got no complaints."
 
As to "..its power .." - a huge scale Tibia Plena, a fat, smooth Diapason and a Brass Trumpet no doubt helped give that impression. The Tibia Plena has not been planted as we have enough "power" for our studio. The Brass Trumpet is the only rank badly robbed - missing 13 pipes below middle C. So it won't be planted for a while, yet."
 
PGlenat posting to cinematreasures.com on February 5, 2005, writes: "...the organ was stored at the Walker [Theatre] as there was far more room under that stage than at the Garrick and they were both owned by Odeon. Also the theater was about to be divided and they would have needed the room.
 
pataylor posting to cinematreasures.com on February 5, 2005 states, "The Garrick (before twinning) had 3 aisles from screen to back wall. Source: The seat diagram from the ticket booth counter. (vintage unknown). The Garrick Theatre Organ was stored under the stage of the Walker (Odeon) where we retrieved it after purchase.
 

Garrick Theatre interior showing left organ grille. Photo by McLean & Co., June 1928
 

Letter from McLean & Co. to Wicks Organ Co., June 1928.