Does anyone in here play the organ?

[Organgrinder]

I"m just curious.

I play in an SBC with IFB leanings. As a teen I took lessons but did not major in music in college. I've been playing there five years after many years of not playing at all.

The church organ is a LSI Hammond 820 with two manuals and 32 pedals. It is not a tone wheel type like the B3.

My home organ is a Gulbransen President with two manuals and 25 pedals. It replaced a Conn Rhapsody that I"d had for 30 years.

Both organs have drawbars but neither has external speakers.

I've also played bass at a Calvary Chapel.

My church does mostly contemporary and revivalist era songs. There is also a strong preference for country gospel there as well.

 

[JennyG]

I play the organ, but real pipe organs for me
I was organist and music director for 20 years at my local church, till I had to quit when the GA voted in favour of gay ministers

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The organ in the church is a three manual Harrison & Harrison, originally built in the 19th century but comprehensively overhauled since - 30 pedals I think (counting them up in my mind), pneumatic action (part tracker) and two swell boxes. It has some flaws but I much prefer it to the only electronic instrument I've ever played! That was an Allan I think, quite new and state-of-the-art, far superior specification on paper but the sound doesn't compare. Not that I would say no to having one at home if I could afford it

---------- Post added at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 PM ----------

.....The music we used was very traditional - old fashioned hymns, metrical psalms and paraphrases, and a four-part choir singing anthems and introits, plus some frills such as a Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas.

 

[VictorBravo]

Yes. In one of my previous endeavors I was an Organ performance major. After a few years I realized I wasn't very good at it, but I learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

I also helped build a tracker practice pipe organ at our school. I still work at playing in my spare time, but, as I've said elsewhere, I would never play an organ at church out of conviction (against organs in general for worship, and against my abilities in particular).

I still play though. I converted a Baldwin electronic theater organ to a Midi machine and currently am trying to master a Franck Choral (the one in E major) and also Buxtehude's Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne.

Here is a couple year old video I did of the project. I don't have anything more recent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_mfInv7HY

 

[Organgrinder]

I did not expect a lot of response to this. Hardly anyone I know plays organ anymore. In fact most churches in my area have rock bands for worship. I was in one as a bass player but the absence of reverence always bothered me. In our situation we have a guy on piano who is so good that he sometimes plays in Nashville. Its really country gospel all the way and often at a fast tempo. I don't why I still play there. I just hope my rotten playing doesn't cause any distraction.

I had a chance at pipe organs as well when I was taking lessons. I believe it was a 4 manual Reuters. It was the largest thing I'd ever driven.

 

[JennyG]

the absence of reverence always bothered me

I think that's a constant problem with almost any kind of music in worship - not that the music itself can't be reverent and helpful, but it's always difficult for the players not to get taken up with the mechanics of their performance.

I like your piece on Melita, Vic and I bet your cat was a big help with that job. I thought pipe organs were complicated, but the innards of that machine are the stuff of nightmares!
Is it just my imagination or is your pedal board slightly straighter than standard? at least, what counts as standard in this country.
Pedal boards that go up to G ought to be illegal if you ask me. I was once playing for a wedding on an organ I hadn't played before. They went out to the Widor Toccata, and when it came to the big pedal entry I just stomped on the highest pedal as I was accustomed to do. It was a G, which completely ruined the effect

---------- Post added at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------

That E major Choral is my favourite of the three

 

[VictorBravo]

Is it just my imagination or is your pedal board slightly straighter than standard?

I wondered about that too and I measured it against the AGO standards. It actually is within the specs, but it is slightly flatter than many other pedal boards I've used.

They went out to the Widor Toccata, and when it came to the big pedal entry I just stomped on the highest pedal as I was accustomed to do. It was a G, which completely ruined the effect

Reminds me of the Great Concert Organist who was giving a recital at our school in the 70s. He opened with the same Buxtehude I'm learning--the C Major PFC.

If you know that piece, it opens with a dramatic pedal passage that jumps from middle C on the pedal board to the lowest C. It's considered a "can't miss." Except he did, landing on the C#-which he bent down to the destination C. Buxtehude in blues, he said later. . . .

And yes, the E major Choral is my favorite Franck. I cannot explain my obsession with learning it. It's probably the hardest thing I've tried to do in my life. Not overly technical in the sense of fast passages, yet it is daunting to me and my modest skill. And I keep going at it. Why a former rancher and present Calvinist would be so smitten by a relatively minor Roman Catholic Romantic composer is inexplicable--but I intend to learn it.

 

[hammondjones]

I took a total three years of organ lessons in college, but aside from substituting for a church here and there I never played much in public. There was a 4 manual Aeolian Skinner (which was amazing) at one school, and a four-manual Möller at the other. Pretty much love anything Bach or early 20th century French .

 

[JennyG]

Why a former rancher and present Calvinist would be so smitten by a relatively minor Roman Catholic Romantic composer is inexplicable-

that's the thing about Franck.. I suppose he is strictly speaking 'minor' but how could any organist ever see him like that, when he produced those three gorgeous, haunting, heart-tugging Chorals. They make it easy to forget the reams of elevator music he also churned out!
I'm not sure whether I know that Buxtehude, though. I had a teacher who rather took the line "why play Buxtehude when you could be playing Bach?" It was a while before I began to suspect he was a bit unfair to Buxtehude.
Good luck with the E major

 

[JennyG]

...It was the largest thing I'd ever driven.

haha - see here, although this organist only has three manuals!

 

[VictorBravo]

I'm not sure whether I know that Buxtehude, though.

Here is one version, although I think he takes liberties I wouldn't. BTW, even Bach like Buxtehude!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-11_wT-aou0

 

[JennyG]

Thanks for posting that - lots of fun! of course I did recognise that opening (complete with unmissable bottom C) once I heard it. I only couldn't have put a title to it. Watching that organist swing his legs over the bench reminded me of something else I noticed in your video. You had a long green cushion on your bench! Do you find you can pedal with one of those?

 

[VictorBravo]

You had a long green cushion on your bench! Do you find you can pedal with one of those?

I don't usually use the cushion. It came with the bench and put everything at the right height, but after a workout on the pedals it would usually end up turned 90 degrees to the bench.

But I do leave it there for casual sitting. When I did that video I forgot to remove it.

 

[JennyG]

after a workout on the pedals it would usually end up turned 90 degrees to the bench.

that would be a best case scenario, if you were still on the bench yourself
When my church had new cushions made for all the pews, I had to reassure lots of kind people, very concerned because the poor organist didn't get one