Hershey Theatre
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey realized the importance of providing opportunities for recreation and entertainment for his workers and residents of the community he had created. One of his earliest dreams was the construction of a community building, housing a large, well-equipped legitimate theatre, built for the benefit of the people in the area.
In 1915, plans were developed for a community building. The building was scheduled to be constructed in 1916 but the arrival of World War I stalled the plan. The Hershey Community Building and Theatre would not be constructed until 1929. The Community Building and Theatre were constructed during the Great Depression as part of Hershey’s great building campaign. The Community Building and Theatre were built following the original 1915 plans. When completed, the building solidly stood in the center of town, spanning the block between Chocolate and Caracas Avenues, and bordered on the West by Cocoa Avenue.
Behind the French doors of the front balconies are the 4,789 pipes and 25 bells of the theatre’s historic Aeolian-Skinner organ. This 69-rank instrument was designed in Boston by Ernest M. Skinner in 1931, and was finished by G. Donald Harrison, following Mr. Hershey’s exact specifications. A restoration of the organ, completed in 1983, entailed totally dismantling the organ and its components; releathering, cleaning all the pipes; and repairing the electrical contacts. Then the great instrument was meticulously reassembled, re-voiced, and tuned. The whole process took approximately two years. This work was done by Berger & Shaffer. Later in 1987, A. Thompson-Allen Co. restored the console. The organ console has four manuals: Choir, Great, Swell, and Solo, plus a floating Fanfare. The console sits on a hydraulic lift, which stops two stories below stage level, and raises to the level of the orchestra pit. It also is mounted on a turntable which enables the organist to turn 90 degrees, either fully facing the stage or turning to a right angle.
Specifications
Great Organ
(enclosed)
| 16’ Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ First Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Second Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Third Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Harmonic Flute | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Clarabella | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Gemshorn | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Octave | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Waldflute | 73 pipes |
| 2 2/3’ Twelfth | 61 pipes |
| 2’ Fifteenth | 61 pipes |
| V Mixture (2’) | 305 pipes |
| 16’ Ophicleide | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Tromba | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Clarion | 73 pipes |
| Tremolo | |
| Chimes (from solo) | |
| Harp (from choir) | |
| Celeste (from choir) | |
| Fanfare |
Swell Organ
(enclosed)
| 16’ Bourdon | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Salicional | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Vox Celeste | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Viole d’Orchestre | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Viole Celeste | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Gedeckt | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Spitz Flute | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Flute Celeste (TC) | 61 pipes |
| 4’ Octave | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Harmonic Flute | 73 pipes |
| 2’ Piccolo | 61 pipes |
| III Mixture (2 2/3’) | 183 pipes |
| IV Mixture (2’) | 244 pipes |
| 16’ Posaune | 73 pipes |
| 8’ French Trumpet | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Cornopean | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Oboe | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Vox Humana | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Clarion | 73 pipes |
| Tremolo | |
| Chimes (from solo) | |
| Harp (from choir) | |
| Celeste (from choir) | |
| Fanfare |
Choir organ
(enclosed)
| 16’ Contra Gemshorn | 97 pipes |
| 8’ Diapason | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Gemshorn (from 16’) | |
| 8’ Gamba | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Gamba Celeste | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Concert Flute | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Dulciana | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Unda Maris (TC) | 61 pipes |
| 4’ Flute d’amore | 73 pipes |
| 2 2/3’ Nazard (from Gemshorn) | |
| 2’ Piccolo (from Gemshorn) | |
| 1 3/5’ Tierce (from Gemshorn) | |
| 1 1/7’ Septième (from Gemshorn) | |
| V Mixture (draws five pitches) [1] | |
| 8’ Clarinet | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Musette | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Orchestral Oboe | 73 pipes |
| Tremolo | |
| Harp | |
| Celeste | |
| Chimes (from solo) | |
| Fanfare |
[1] Specification states this, but in reality it draws the 2 2/3’, 1 3/5’, 1 1/7’ and adds a 1 1/3’ - it must have been changed from the original.
Fanfare Organ
(enclosed - floating)
| 16’ Contra Post Horn | 85 pipes |
| 8’ English Post Horn (from 16’) | |
| 8’ Harmonic Trumpet | 73 pipes |
| 8’ Trumpet Militaire | 73 pipes |
| 4’ Clarion | 73 pipes |
| Tremolo |
solo organ
(enclosed)
| 8’ Orchestral Flute | 73 pipes |
| 8’ ‘Cello | 73 pipes |
| 8’ ‘Cello Celeste | 73 pipes |
| 8’ English Horn | 73 pipes |
| 8’ French Horn | 73 pipes |
| Tremolo | |
| 8’ Tuba | 73 pipes |
| Chimes (Deagan) | 25 bells |
| Harp (from choir) | |
| Celeste (from choir) |
Pedal organ
| 32’ Resultant (quints Bourdon | |
| on the Diapason 1-12) | |
| 16’ Diapason | 56 pipes |
| 16’ Violone | 32 pipes |
| 16’ Bourdon | 56 pipes |
| 16’ Second Diapason (from Great) | |
| 16’ Contra Gemshorn (from Choir) | |
| 16’ Lieblich Gedeckt (from Swell) | |
| 8’ Octave (from Diapason) | |
| 8’ Flute (from Bourdon) | |
| 8’ Gemshorn (from Choir) | |
| 8’ Gedeckt (from Swell) | |
| 4’ Super Octave (from Diapason) | |
| 4’ Flute (from Bourdon) | |
| 32’ Bombarde (ext. Trombone) | 12 pipes |
| 16’ Trombone | 56 pipes |
| 16’ Posaune (from Swell) | |
| 8’ Tromba (from Trombone) | |
| 4’ Clarion (from Trombone) | |
| Chimes plays at 4’ (from Solo) |
Couplers
| Great to Pedal 8’ & 4’ | Swell to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
| Swell to Pedal 8’ & 4’ | Swell to Choir 16’, 8’, 4’ |
| Choir to Pedal 8’ & 4’ | Choir to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
| Solo to Pedal 8’ & 4’ | Solo to Great 16’, 8’, 4’ |
| Fanfare to Pedal 8’ & 4’ | Solo to Swell 8’ |
| Great to Great 16’, 4’, Unison Off | Solo to Choir 16’, 8’, 4’ |
| Swell to Swell 16’, 4’, Unison Off | |
| Choir to Choir 16’, 4’, Unison Off | |
| Solo to Solo 16’, 4’, Unison Off |
Combinations
(double-touch divisional pistons engage corresponding Pedal combinations)
General 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb and toe)
Great 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Swell 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Choir 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Solo 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (thumb)
Pedal 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (single-touch thumb and toe)
Fanfare 1-2-3-4 (single-touch thumb)
General Cancel (Two thumb (one below choir manual on right, one on piston row))
Divisional Cancel (thumb (one per division))
Combination set (thumb)
Great to Pedal Reversible (thumb and toe)
Swell to Pedal Reversible (thumb and toe)
Choir to Pedal Reversible (thumb and toe)
Solo to Pedal Reversible (thumb and toe)
Sforzando (thumb and toe with indicator light)
Accessories
Great, Swell, Choir and Solo expression shoes
Register Crescendo shoe with indicator light
Crescendo check 1-2-3-4-5 five-step shoe break with indicator
Crescendo check cancel
Fanfare expression inter-canceling pistons
Great-Swell-Choir-Solo-Off
All Swells to Swell thumb and toe with indicator light
Chimes Dampers on / off inter-canceling pistons
Celesta Dampers on / off inter-canceling pistons