Dear MMDians:  Wurlitzer roll #6501 style-165.  I heard the tune
"Impassioned Dream" and fell in love with a certain segment in it where
the trumpets took on the main melody.  (Sorry I can't be more specific,
but I think Matt Caulfield might have a good idea).  Anyway, the
trumpets blared away in that certain segment.  It would have been a
trumpet solo, had I not heard a very muted counter-melody filling in.

After having listened to it a few more times (a recording, not live) I
came to accept that, although Wurlitzer did not use the counter melody
as much as BAB, they certainly knew where to put it.  What I want to
know is why the counter-melody on the Wurlitzer-165 organs is so quiet?

The trumpets on Wurlitzers are definitely the dominant sound, but is
there more to it than that?  Do the Ruth and Bruder organs have a
louder set of counter-melody in general, or is it that their trumpets
aren't as strong?

I don't know why I wrote this really...  Just thought I'd admit to
Wurlitzer's genius in their arranging.  (It would sound better if that
counter-melody was louder, though!)

On another note:  To all those who have taken the time to comment on
theater organ pipes, I have saved all of your comments onto a text file
and will refer back to it in the future.  Thanks for sharing and
keeping the art alive.  So little literature exists... But you can make
your own, right here on the MMD.  :)

Marc Elbasani

 [ A 'note' of caution, Marc:  you talk of the _musical_ counter-melody
 [ but the organ tech may think "Counter-Melody Division", which is
 [ a different concept.  The Wurlitzer CM division is sometimes called
 [ the "Trumpet Division"; when the wood trumpet rank is on it mostly
 [ plays the melody.  The musical counter-melody heard in those early
 [ rolls is often played in the Melody Division. ... I hope the band
 [ organ folks can give us a better explanation now; I'm getting
 [ confused as I write!  ;)  -- Robbie