The ol' gal has great pipes. At 94, she is the grand dame of Balboa Park. And when she sings, everyone stops to listen. Truth is, there are two grand dames of Balboa Park. Together, despite the generational divide, these two grand dames bring people together and fill the air with a little night music.

In 1915, John D. Spreckels gave a gift to the citizens of San Diego. The gift was much bigger than a bread box. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion was given with the provision that every concert is always free to the public. Period. No ambiguity. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is a gorgeous and often under-appreciated San Diego treasure. She is the largest outdoor organ in the world.

As beautiful as the building is and as powerful as the instrument is, there is so much to this amazing San Diego asset than meets the eye. Recently, our eyes met it. We were afforded the opportunity to take a "behind the scenes" tour to see what makes this gal tick. We'd never seen anything like it. It actually made us pipe down and take notice.

An instrument like this, like any machinery, has thousands of moving parts that must be adjusted and tuned. Every pipe, bell, whistle, and cymbal is closely monitored and maintained. Every inch of the organ is under the watchful eye of the curator of the Spreckels Organ. The curator is the steward of the Spreckels Organ. In fact, every time the organ is played for the public, the curator must be in attendance in case anything should go wrong. If it does, he can fix it. If any pipe is out of tune, he can hear it and adjust it.

Spreckels Organ-Internal

Walking through the building, you can feel the history. To enter the chamber, one must first pass through the airlock door into the walk-in air chest or pressurized room with a reservoir on the side and valves on the ceiling. The teeny, tiny airlock room fits only 3 adults packed like sardines with a ceiling probably close to only 6-7 ft. To paint the picture, it is even smaller than a confessional for those who have been. No judgement from us. The pressurization makes the ears pop and creates a sensation in the body and then, within less than a minute, one can access the organ chamber, itself, for maintenance and adjustments.

We can't describe all the mechanics behind the organ, but in simple terms, there are 4,500 pipes ranging in size from 32 ft. long to the size of a pencil. Directly under the pipes is a complex system of fragile components, called Choir Chest-Motors and Pipe-Valves, some of which look almost like wooden matchsticks. Together, the pipes and components replicate the sound of a full symphony. Frankly, we don't want to lose you here. If you plan to visit the Organ Pavilion, make sure to pick up the 43-page booklet and you'll be astounded by the details of this pipe organ.

What most people don't realize is that the Organ Pavilion building is the organ. This enormous instrument is housed within the building and the building itself acts as a sounding board that amplifies the sound of the pipes. Lucky for us, we were able to walk into the building, stepping into the organ chamber itself. What we found was mind-blowing.

You might be surprised to know that San Diego is one of two cities in the country that has a Civic Organist and we have the first woman Civic Organist in the United States. This Civic Organist is paid by the City of San Diego's Park & Recreation Department and by the volunteer board that makes up the Spreckels Organ Society. It is a true public/private partnership. Without the $180,000-plus raised by the Organ Society, it is doubtful that San Diego would have ever been able to afford attracting and retaining its own organist.

What are San Diegans paying for? Carol Williams is no slouch. She accepted her role as the Civic Organist in 2001 via quite an accomplished path. She is a prize-winning former student of London's Royal Academy of Music. She studied in Paris, at Yale and at New York's Manhattan's School of Music. She received her Doctorate in Music and received even more awards. Not everyone can boast about playing at Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Notre-Dame Cathedral, St. Sulpice in Paris, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York or Riverside Church in New York. Carol can. She isn't your mother's church organist. Dr. Carol Williams is known for her innovation and range from Rock to Boogie to Bach. Carol Williams picked San Diego without batting an eye. She even picked the Organ Pavilion to get married.

Carol Williams is also the Artistic Director of the International Summer Organ Festival, one of the premiere organ concert events in the world. And it is free. The Speckels Organ Pavilion is, in many ways, the heart of Balboa Park. Once the roll-up steel protective curtain opens and the organ is being played, it reaches beyond the heart and goes to the souls of the people who gather every Sunday at 2pm to listen to the free concert conducted by the Civic Organist, Carol Williams. The power of the organ's music literally stirs and vibrates the entire building - look carefully at the enormous pipes behind the organist and see if you can spot their movement. In time for July 4th, we've included this clip clip so that you can see some of the inner-workings of the organ and watch Carol play the National Anthem at the Organ Pavilion. Playing the pipe organ, as you'll see, is no easy feat. She is a professional and we're lucky to have her.

Although the summer organ festival and the weekly Sunday summer concerts are free, the Spreckels Organ Society does benefit from donations, bequests, and food sales at the events.

Don't put anything in your pipe to smoke it. Balboa Park is a smoke-free park.