Work continues at the Strand. 

This week we did not schedule any events during the July 4th weekend.  It gave Gordon H. the chance to get in and paint part of the auditorium floor.   The type of concrete paint that is used needs to dry and cure for at least 2 days.   Ray Wetnight gave great advice when he specified the type of paint.   It takes a beating.   Too many Coke spills, too many cables taped and a couple of thousand people will cause the paint to need a little help.   We are fortunate that the major walkways lasted 6 months!   We repainted in January.    Next time you are in, hopefully you will NOT notice that new paint.   If we keep it looking good all the time, then the paint will always look fresh.

The electrical work continues.   Take a drive down the alley (Post Street) in back of the theatre.  Look up…you won’t see those old transformers much longer.   The day is getting closer to finishing what we started, a total electrical system upgrade for the theatre.   Steve Dennis and Darin McIntyre are working diligently on accomplishing the task.

Pipe organ work continues.   This past week Strand volunteers made a return trip to Richmond Kentucky to retrieve remaining parts of the Louisville Theatre Pipe Organ Company instrument originally installed in the Oak Theatre in Louisville.   After doing at thorough inventory, Strand board member Kurt S. discovered that we were missing 6 pieces that are vital to one set of pipes (warning, tech talk ahead).  These would be the tenor boots from the tuba.   Without the boot and reed, the pipe is useless.   The six pipes affected were in the most used section of the rank.   This tuba was built by Dennison and played at 16′, 8′ and 4′.   The 16′ octave has wood resonators, not metal.  It should sound glorious.   We aren’t quite sure if it will be included in the final tonal specification, but 16′ wood tubas installed in an LPO theatre organ just don’t grow on trees….so we are lucky to have it one way or another.

Pipe organ work still continues.   The Shelby County Historical Society endowed the funding for this instrument.   At this point in the project everything we have done has not depleted any funds.   All the acquisition and moving expense of these LPO organs has been somewhat anonymously donated to the project.   There is yet another organ with quite a story that is going to be moved this week (Sunday if anyone wants to help).   This Louisville Pipe Organ Company instrument was installed in a church on the near east side of Indianapolis.  When the church closed, the organ was sold.   Considering the age of the church (late 1800′s) the Louisville organ may have very well been a transplant from a theatre!   At some point a replacement console (the part with the keyboards) was put on the organ.   This console was built by the organ supply firm Reisner.   When the organ left the church, the console was reinstalled on the historic Sanborn organ in Central United Methodist Church.   The original Louisville bench went with the console to the new location.    We are getting what is remaining of the Louisville instrument.  It has several items that are crucial to the Strand project.    The story doesn’t stop there.   The Central United Methodist Church was renamed the Old Centrum and was almost doomed to a bad fate having been empty for many years.   One of the best friends of the Strand project has been Indiana Landmarks.   They acquired the Old Centrum for their new headquarters.   As part of the total rebuild of the facility, the organ too was included on the project list.   Bill Cook of Bloomington has been instrumental in this project, including the organ.   The organ was sent to our friends at Goulding and Wood Pipe Organs in Indianapolis.   So here is this historic Sanborn organ that is getting refurbished, while at the same time the Strand is getting the organ that used to be played from the console later placed on the Sanborn.   What a coincidence.  Unfortunately the LPO bench did not survive.

The fun continues.   SHELBY IDOL this Saturday at 7:00pm.  Get there early, we anticipate a capacity audience.   Come out and support our local talent.

Thank you for all your kind words and gracious support.   Our friends at Shelbyville Paint and Wallpaper, Steve Dennis Electric, Indiana Landmarks and many more are making a difference in our ability to bring you a variety of entertainment in a facility in which to be proud.   Thank you.