The Museum of Music Technolgy presents:
WE MEET AGAIN: THE LOST NOVACHORD
A Documentary on the Legendary Hammond Novachord
Get ready to discover the incredible, untold story of the Hammond Novachord, a groundbreaking instrument that was considered to be both the world’s first commerically-available polyphonic electronic keyboard and a true marvel of 1939 technology!
The Museum of Music Technology powered by EMEAPP is proud to announce our new documentary, We Meet Again: The Lost Novachord, centered on our extraordinary restoration of this rare and valuable instrument. Witness how our expert team rebuilt our Novachord to the highest standard, faithfully resurrecting the authentic, lush sound that defined an era.
The film, directed by Vincas Sruoginis, explores the Novachord’s unique sonic capabilities and connects its legacy to the iconic wartime spirit through Vera Lynn’s beloved song, “We’ll Meet Again.” Experience the immense challenges and triumphs of this meticulous, historically accurate rebuild. You’ll hear from leading musical instrument historians and be treated to numerous performances that showcase the instrument’s unique voice.
The documentary features live concert footage of the talented duo Annie Hägg and Rob Schwimmer performing faithful 1940s-era selections with the restored Novachord.
We Meet Again is currently in post-production. We are excited to share this labor of love with you and will announce the official release date soon!
Watch the trailer now for a sneak peek at the history, the sound, and the passion:
ABOUT THE NOVACHORD……
First unveiled at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the Hammond Novachord is considered to be the world’s first commercially-available electronic polyphonic keyboard. Exactly 1069 of them were produced by the Hammond Company between 1939 and 1942, when WWII halted production. Currently there are fewer than 200 Novachords remaining worldwide.
The Novachord weighs nearly 500 lbs and contains 163 vacuum tubes. It features divide-down oscillators which permit all 72 notes to be played polyphonically. The Novachord also features an early implementation of envelope generators: players could select from 7 different attack/decay envelope shapes while using a foot pedal to control sustain/release.
The Novachord could generate all sorts of different sounds from orchestral swells to bass lines but it is most well-known for its eerie theremin-esque sounds. It was used in the soundtracks of early science fiction and horror movies/TV shows such as Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca as well as mainstream features like Gone With The Wind and Disney’s Pinnochio and Dumbo.
There are very few working Novachords left in the world – and due to the aging of their electronic components, the ones that still produce sound likely do not operate or sound like they did when they were new. EMEAPP’s Novachord has been through a years-long restoration by two of the world’s top technicians. They painstakingly researched and reproduced the exact manufacturing and component selection methods used by Hammond to create the original Novachords. Although new parts were used for the restoration, we believe that our Novachord truly sounds like it did when it came off the production line.