The Golden Voiced Barton Grande Theatre Pipe Organ, originally a four manual, twenty-one rank instrument, began its musical career at the opening of the Rialto Square Theatre on May 24, 1926 with an all-gold console. Lovingly maintained since 1970 by th Joliet Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts (JATOE), the group began a major renovation of the organ in 1989. A state-of-the art computerized relay system was insttalled and chamber layouts were changed to optimize the acoustical properties of the pipework. The new Barton debuted on July 5, 1993 with Simon Gledhill presiding at the console before the national convention of the American Theatre Organ Society. The organ is currently 27 ranks.
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