Thunder under the Dome

The lieutenant governor of Washington (state) is a onetime bandleader who still delights in music. While collecting votes last year, Victor Aloysius Meyers impulsively invited a former movie-palace organist, just discharged from the Army, to come to the State Capitol some time and play for the legislature. Organist Phil Raboin eventually showed up in Olympia, was put on the state payroll as a clerk and assigned to soothe ruffled legislative nerves with a daily recital.

One night, just before the legislature adjourned, Organist Raboin pushed his little organ out to the Capitol's echoing rotunda. He sat down, idly began playing The Lost Chord. After a few notes he stopped, awed. The Capitol dome, fourth highest in the world, had amplified the organ notes to rolling musical thunder. Raboin experimented. He discovered that by sounding different notes on a low pedal he could create sympathetic vibrations in the rotunda of the Capitol. The effect was terrifying. The sound rose to an eerie roar. It rattled the windows, shook doors, threatened to bring down the 5 1/2-ton chandelier suspended from the dome's cap.* But that was only one side of it. Even the softest of lullabies rolled clearly and without echo in the rotunda.

Secretly Governor Wallgren began calling in sound engineers, grew more & more excited. Finally he announced: "The Capitol possesses a musical sounding board the equal of the most famous in the world. . . ." There were hasty comparisons to the Vatican and the Mormon temple.

Last week Raboin (who now has a new job: state organist) held his first Sunday concert. A reporter commented: "It was terrific. People stood with their mouths open. . . . It's got everybody on his ear."

* Since Joshua's trumpets collapsed the walls of Jericho, the destructive qualities of musical vibrations have been legendary. Actual example: Chicago's indoor stadium organ (strong as 25 brass bands) smashes electric bulbs when played fortissimo.

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