Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3 12 BEACHCOMBER continued from page 11 The Great Auditorium Organ Captivating the Jersey Shore for 115 Years I nside Ocean Grove's 5,500-seat Great Auditorium is one of the world's finest and most impressive instruments. The Great Auditorium Organ stands as a testament to the ingenuity of musical instrument design while boasting a rich history and a unique sound that has delight- ed audiences for over a century. Built in 1907 by the Hope-Jones Organ Company of Elmira, New York, the instrument was officially dedicated in a concert by organist Mark Andrews on July 3, 1908 with over 8,000 people in attendance. It quickly became a popular attraction, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world. Several restoration projects over the years have created a more versa- tile instrument. The organ has grown in size, from 1,400 pipes in 1908 to almost 13,000 pipes today, and ranks among the largest pipe organs in the The organ console and facade of pipes of The Great Auditorium Organ in Ocean Grove. world. The instrument is the center- piece of the Auditorium's music pro- grams and is in constant use during the summer for special events, wor- ship services, choral concerts, weekly organ recitals, and other concerts with instruments and orchestras. Dr. Gordon Turk has been Resident Organist/Artist in Residence at the Great Auditorium for fifty years, alongside his esteemed colleague, former Metropolitan Opera tenor, Ronald Naldi, Tenor/Artist in Residence. "When I first began in Ocean Grove as the Auditorium organist, the instrument was of mod- est size and of some historic inter- est," he said. "During my tenure, it has been my privilege to see it grow to its world-class status, both in size and quality." Turk explained that the almost 13,000 pipes range in size from indi- vidual pipes that are 32-feet tall to The rear gallery division of the organ. www.the-organsite.com www.the-organsite.com

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