Detroit, Michigan

Henry and Edsel Ford Auditorium

Builder:         Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., Inc.
Contract Year:   1955
Install Year:    1956
Dedicated:       October 6, 1957 (Marcel Dupré, organist)
Opus:            1324

No. manuals:     3
No. stops:       74
No. ranks:       69
No. pipes:       4,100

Specification

           GREAT ORGAN (II)                          HAUPTWERK (II, portable)
        8' Principal             61              16' Quintade              56
        8' Bourdon               61               8' Prinzipal             56
        4' Octave                61               8' Holzgedackt           56
    2 2/3' Twelfth               61               8' Spitzflöte            56
        2' Fifteenth             61               4' Praestant             56
       IV  Fourniture           244           2 2/3' Quinte                56
      III  Cymbel               183               2' Super Oktav           56
       16' Bombarde              61              IV  Mixtur               224
        8' Trompette Harmonique  61               8' Krummhorn             PO
        4' Clairon Harmonique    61
                                                     POSITIV (I, portable)
           SWELL ORGAN (III)                      8' Rohrflöte             56
       16' Rohrgedackt           68               8' Spitzflöte            HW
        8' Viola Pomposa         68               4' Koppelflöte           56
        8' Viola Celeste         68           2 2/3' Nasat                 56
        8' Rohrgedackt           12               2' Oktav                 56
        4' Prestant              68           1 3/5' Terz                  56
        4' Flauto Traverso       68               1' Sifflöte              56
        2' Octavin               61             III  Zimbel               168
       IV  Plein Jeu            244               8' Krummhorn             56
       16' Contre Hautbois       68
        8' Trompette             68                  PEDAL (portable)
        4' Clairon               68              16' Gedacktbass           12 HW
           Tremulant                             16' Quintade              HW
                                                  8' Spitzprinzipal        32
           CHOIR ORGAN (I)                        8' Holzgedackt           HW
        8' Spitzviol             68               4' Choralbass            12
        8' Flûte à Chéminee      68               4' Holzgedackt           HW
        8' Dolcan                68               2' Holzgedackt           HW
        8' Dolcan Celeste        68              16' Krummhorn             12 PO
        4' Nachthorn             68               8' Krummhorn             PO
        2' Blockflöte            61               4' Krummhorn             PO
       II  Sesquialtera         122
        8' Rohrschalmei          68
        4' Petite Clairon        68
           Tremulant

           PEDAL ORGAN
       16' Contre Basse          32
       16' Montre                GT
       16' Bourdon               32
       16' Rohrgedackt           SW
        8' Octave                32
        8' Bourdon               12
        8' Rohrgedackt           SW
        4' Choralbass            12
        4' Bourdon               12
        V  Mixtur               160
       32' Contre Bombarde       12 GT
       16' Posaune               32
       16' Bombarde              GT
       16' Contre Hautbois       SW
        8' Trumpet               12
        4' Clairon               12

Photos 1-2 Source: Neal Campbell

Photo 3 Source: Private collection of Jim Lewis  (Photo is of Paul Paray and Marcel Dupré)

Notes: The Hauptwerk and Positiv were on a movable platform. Four taxi horns were added in 1958 (Op. 1324-A). In 1989, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) left Ford Auditorium and moved to its former home, the restored Orchestra Hall. Ford Auditorium struggled to stay open as a multiuse auditorium and performance venue but was basically shuttered and sat unused for 16 years. After various plans to redevelop the site were unrealized, it was decided to raze the auditorium. The Portative Organ (Hauptwerk, Positiv, Pedal) was moved to Orchestra Hall for use by the DSO. The Detroit AGO attempted to rescue the main organ, located above the stage, but the organ was ultimately donated to St. Aloysius R.C. Church in Detroit. A team of volunteers, led by Rick Helderop, president of Helderop Pipe Organs, and Aaron Kaleniecki, music director of St. Aloysius, removed the remainder of the organ and the console just prior to the auditorium's demolition in July 2011. Plans are to rebuild the organ for installation in St. Aloysius Church.

Organ Historical Society Database: https://pipeorgandatabase.org/OrganDetails.php?OrganID=27237