While this concert is SOLD OUT,
Tickets will be released to the WAIT LIST as
Cancellations are received.
To be put on the WAIT LIST,
Please call 724-659-3153.
Let the Beloved Songs of Christmas open your heart – as one of the world’s greatest theater organists, David Wickerham, returns by popular demand to Foxburg to share this Joyous Musical Celebration of the Season.
Give yourself the gift of A MAGICAL WURLITZER CHRISTMAS with the brilliant keyboard artistry of the incomparable Dave Wickerham on Sunday, December 10 at 2 PM in Foxburg’s Lincoln Hall.
ARCA is grateful for the generous donation of John and Carole Anderson to sponsor the return of Dave Wickerham with his treasured Christmas Wurlitzer concert.
This concert will sell out so be sure to make your reservations early or buy online.
Enjoy this video of his Christmas concert on Sunday December 17, 2017.
One of the preeminent theatre organists acclaimed internationally, no one makes Lincoln Hall’s McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre organ sound more glorious or entertains our appreciative and enthusiastic audience better than Dave Wickerham! And does he make the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer percussion shelf ring! Here in Chattanooga Choo Choo from October 19, 2019
With his brilliant theatre organ arrangements of Christmas carols, anthems, joyous holiday songs – AND improvisations of audience requests, this is world class theatre organ artistry from one of the kindest, gentlest and most generous souls... evidenced by the glow you feel having experienced his inspired, genius performance. http://www.davewickerham.com
In December 2022, following his sold out Christmas Wurlitzer concert in Lincoln Hall, on Monday morning, December 12, students from K to 6 and band and chorus students in Jr and Sr High School from Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools were bused to Lincoln Hall for four “Informances” by David Wickerham.
The internationally acclaimed theatre organist performed popular songs ranging from Disney and Star Wars to Harry Potter – and ending with the soundscape train whistle opening and Chattanooga Choo Choo. Demonstrating how the Wurlitzer organ would have been used a hundred years ago accompanying silent movies, Dave played his improvised score for a silent short of Laurel and Hardy’s “The Battle of the Century Pie Fight” to peals of laughter from the students.
The students were AMAZED and DELIGHTED especially by Wickerham’s demonstrations of the percussion instruments featured on a shelf at the back of the hall – snare drum, cymbals, marimba, and pitched sleigh bells.
Rediscover your child-like wonder and delight as this consummate keyboard artist and genius improviser performs Christmas classics on the extraordinary McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.
Post-COVID, open theatre style seating has returned to 100% capacity. There is no mask or vaccine requirement. Please refrain from attending if you are ill or if you have been exposed to anyone with COVID.
Tickets are Adults $25, Members $20, Students $5. Call to Reserve at 724-659-3153 and pay by cash or check at the door. Doors open at 1:30 PM.
ARIVE EARLY & ENJOY FOXBURG!
Plan to Make a Day of it in beautiful Foxburg and get some Christmas Shopping done at the Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop!
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts for those special people on your list? Be sure to visit The Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop Annual Holiday Art Show & Exhibit – and shop locally for Christmas ornaments and special holiday gifts including hand-woven shawls, gorgeous pottery, and one of a kind gem-stone necklaces, bracelets and rings made by three jewelry artists!
There will be something for everyone on your holiday list, and maybe even a few items for yourself!
Glittering with Christmas decorations, The Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop Annual Holiday Art Show & Exhibit will be open before the TAKE3 Christmas concert on Sunday, December 17 from noon to 5 PM for your last minute Christmas shopping – to find a gift created by the talented Cooperative Artists from the region.
Current members of the Red Brick Gallery Artist Cooperative are Cheri-Lee Anderton-Yarnell, Karin Arnds, Taylor Banner, Mark DeWalt, Donna Edmonds, Angela Taylor Hardwick, Kathy Hogg, John M. Karian, Dennis Keyes, Elizabeth Kriley, Jason Floyd Lewis, Karen Mortland, Nissa Rappoport, Linda Thompson, and Cathy and Jack Trzeciak.
Before or after the concert, cap off your celebration with your family and friends with lunch or dinner at The Allegheny Grille with tables overlooking the beautiful Allegheny River – or for more casual fare enjoy specialty pizzas, salads and sandwiches at Foxburg Pizza.
Before Dave Wickerham’s Christmas Wurlitzer concert, do a wine tasting in the beautifully remodeled and elegant Foxburg Wine Cellars and continue your last minute holiday SHOPPING with holiday gifts of specialty wines and after-dinner dessert wines as well as unique wine-related stocking stuffers for those wine lovers on your list – or for yourself and your Christmas feasts!
Everyone loves chocolate at Christmas – and you can find boxes of hand-made organic chocolates and their famous chocolate caramels to put under the tree at Divani Chocolatier and Barrista – AND to take off the chill, enjoy gourmet chocolate or specialty coffee to fortify your spirits!
Plan to make a weekend of it – extending your stay on Saturday or Sunday night at the newly renovated, romantic Foxburg Inn – reserve early and get the room with the fireplace!
Or spend a night up the river at Emlenton’s bed and breakfast, The Barnard House.
About the Artist
Dave Wickerham was born in Encino, California in 1962. He began playing the electronic organ at the age of four and had his first pipe organ experience at age10. His musical education started at age 7.
When he moved to Arizona in 1976, he became Associate Organist at the famous Organ Stop Pizza Restaurants in Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson. While in, he continued his musical studies with Roseamond Crowley, one of the few remaining descendants of the Louis Vierne line of organists. He attended the University of Arizona in Tucson on a full scholarship, pursuing classical organ studies for six years with Dr. Roy Johnson.
In 1984, Dave moved to the Chicago area to become Staff Organist at Pipes and Pizza in Lansing, Illinois. In addition to his performance there, he concertized frequently, as well as ministering musically and serving at various churches.
August of 1990 found the Wickerham family – Dave, his wife and two young children – moving to Wisconsin, where he was one of the featured Staff Organists at the Piper Music Palace in Greenfield, a position he held for 10 years.
In the spring of 2000, Dave ushered in the new millennium with a limited special engagement, as a featured organist at “Roxy’s Pipe Organ Pizzeria”, part of a $26,000,000 expansion phase at the FIESTA Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wickerham’s, Dave, Rhonda, and now three great kids, spent a year and a half there before returning back home to Wisconsin in August of 2001… For the next three years, Dave resumed his position at the Piper Music Palace and was also the Principal Organist at Williams Bay Lutheran Church in Lake Geneva, WI.
He enjoys concertizing frequently to many audiences including various chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society. In April of 1999, he took great pleasure being a feature artist in Melbourne, Australia for the convention of the Theatre Organ Society of Australia for which he received rave reviews. He returned “Down Under” for a six-week concert tour in Australia and New Zealand during the summer of 2003 and completed similar tours in November of 2012 and October/November of 2015.
Dave also enjoys recording and has recently “sold out” his fourth CD “Sounds of Music” recorded on the famous 5 Manual, 80 Rank Theatre Organ at the Sanfilippo Residence in Barrington, IL. There are two NEW recording projects that are soon to be completed and released.
After seven years as Organist – Curator with the legendary Milhous Collection in South Florida, Dave currently lives in Upper Michigan where he has accepted the position of Co-Manager and Organist in Residence at Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls. This 1927 theatre is a regional Performing Arts Center and houses a 3 manual, 21 rank Moller theatre organ that Dave also looks after. Until the passing of his beloved wife Rhonda in November, 2020 she worked at his side as Co-Manager of this beautiful and historic venue.
Dave has three grown kids, two married with children of their own. So, with three grandchildren and concertizing, there have been many opportunities for travel.
The McKissick Mighty Wurtlitzer
The Wurlitzer organ in Lincoln Hall is one of the best examples of this class of theatre organ. ARCA’s Wurlitzer contains seventeen ranks of pipes and is characterized by a balanced blend of unmistakeable Wurlitzer ‘sounds”. Built in 1928 at the Wurlitzer Organ factory in North Tonawanda outside of Buffalo and numbered OPUS 1989, the organ originally was installed in Cleveland’s Uptown Theatre. It was played for several years accompanying silent movies. With the end of the silent film era it was subsequently purchased by Richard Wheeler, a Cleveland organist, and remained in his home until Wheeler passed. Paul McKissick purchased it from the Haynes Company in North Canton, Ohio, where it had been in storage.
Paul lovingly and painstakingly rebuilt the instrument over eleven years and in 1999 the restored Wulrtlizer was installed in McKissick’s garage at their home in Lake Latonka near Mercer, PA. The organ became known as the Latona Pipes, and was played in annual benefits concerts to raise money for the DeBence Museum in Franklin. Dr. Arthur and Patricia Steffee attended one of the concerts. When Paul decided to downsize and was seeking a place for the Wurtlizer for the next generation, Dr. Arthur and Patricia Steffee, ARCA’s founders, purchased it to enhance the newly restored Lincoln Hall, on the second floor of the Foxburg Free Library.
Its seventeen ranks of pipes translate to 60 notes per voice or rank, more than 1200 pipes and 6,000 moving parts to make the Wurlitzer sound. Only the relay and computer are not authentic or vintage parts on the organ. The installation included one of Wurlitzer’s most unique features, the decorative ‘Toy Shelf’ of miniature instruments, which are displayed in a rear balcony in Lincoln Hall and are all powered by the organ. The marimba was added and all the associated drums, cymbals, bells and automatic piano produce a balanced blend of unmistakable Mighty Wurlitzer sounds.
ARCA audiences have enjoyed thirteen years of glorious music making on the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer by some of the worlds greatest theatre organists – including David Wickerham, Martin Ellis, Walt Strony, Scott Foppiano, Donna Parker, Jelani Eddington and Ken Double. Jason Wiles is ARCA’s organ technician, maintaining and tuning the organ for each concert.
