Our Packerland Chapter of A.T.O.S. became officially chartered
on 01/31/04. As of December 2004 we became incorporated in the State of Wisconsin as a non-profit corporation. The
incorporated name is Packerland Theatre Organ Society a 501 (c) (3) organization.
Packerland Chapter follows the mission statement of the
American Theatre Organ Society and has set goals of preserving and promoting the art of the world's most powerful instrument
THE THEATRE ORGAN.
Feel free to browse our website and learn about the Theatre
Organ and events held in our area to present this art form.
Packerland has negotiated with the Green Bay
Film Society to partner with us to present silent films with organ and sometimes a small orchestra. This organization
is non-profit and has a lot of members that attend the current offering of films.
One of our main functions is to present the Theatre Organ
historically as a accompaniment instrument to silent films. These powerful instruments under a skilled organist can bring
out emotions critical to a sucessful movie going experience. Large orchestras are sometimes not able to keep up with the action
on the film and this is why these organs were sold under the name Unit Orchestras. They were the voice of the silent movie
in thousands of theatres in many countries. There are about 500 of these organs left in the world and many still play in their
original theatres, many are in private homes.
Our main goal is to acquire a theatre organ and use
it in public performances. Currently we are seeking an auditorium, hall or theatre willing to have a wonderful entertaining
instrument installed for public use and for society members to practice on. Note, these are not classical or church type instruments
but much closer to the entertainment type MIDI keyboards and home organs we know today, except they use pipes and real percussions
to make the sounds of a band or orchestra.
