Organ Recitals

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: Senoufou
Date: 28 Jun 17 - 04:30 AM

Before organs began to be installed all over England, parish churches generally had a small band of musicians (violin, viola, flute etc) which performed up in the gallery, if there was one, as an accompaniment to the hymns. Thomas Hardy describes this in some of his novels.
Then the Victorians, those vandals of medieval and Georgian Church architecture, became determined to spoil many a side chapel and install thundering great organs, which as BobL says, drown out any attempt at prayer or hymn singing.

I've been to Gaelic services in the Hebrides, where there's no organ, and the Precentor leads the Psalms by starting off while the congregation follow about three notes behind, singing 'open voice'. The result is strange and captivating.

In Senegal however, there's often a huge group of drummers (and I mean those massive hollow logs that sound like a bomb!) and other percussionists, but because it was my beloved Africa, I absolutely adored it, and danced along with the congregation. The Catholic Mass in Djouloulou had incense, drumming, African singing and translators into three different languages, Djola, Wolof and French. All the women were in extremely bright pagnes and foulards. I was in heaven.

Our organist in the village knows not to get too excited with the stops, and to restrain himself so we can all think straight!

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: BobL
Date: 28 Jun 17 - 03:52 AM

The community choir of which I am a member was privileged to sing Choral Evensong recently at Gloucester cathedral. Our tame organist, whose skills are well up to playing cathedral-sized instruments, evidently doesn't get many opportunities to do so and made the most of it. The post-service prayers were quite inaudible.

Amazing what you can do with a box of whistles!

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jun 17 - 02:44 AM

I've always enjoyed organ music, so I go to organ recitals when I can. Can't say I've ever been to one in the U.S. or Europe that was overbearingly loud.

Now, I've been to many church services where the loud organ drives me batty. How do organists expect people to be able to sing with an organ with all stops playing?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 07:46 PM

One very memorable moment was just walking into Salisbury Cathedral mid-afternoon as a casual visitor with a friend, and the organist immediately striking up with the most famous of Bach's Toccata and Fugue sets. The organist obviously knew we were coming and did it just for us (NOT!) but it was a pretty magic moment

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 05:50 PM

I have to say, he played excellently if one could stand the din. He's obviously very gifted.
After he'd gone, we stopped to have a bit of a pray in their small chapel (Husband a Muslim, but we don't let that get in the way) and our ears were positively ringing.

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 05:39 PM

;)
you'll have to invite him to your village church one day.

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 05:10 PM

Yes yes Freddy, it was he!!! To us he seemed like a very young lad (we're ancient) He came down and received the applause afterwards. We'd been handed a paper giving his achievements and credentials, and the music he'd be playing. They'd mounted a video screen thing so one could watch him in action in the organ loft.

Our life in deepest Norfolk is very quiet, almost silent at times, and we seem to be a bit sensitive to loud noise.
We enjoyed far more the Morris dancing in front of the market later, with only three melodeons!

I have actually played the small organ in our village church, but it isn't a tenth as loud as that in St Peter Mancroft.

Subject: RE: Organ Recitals
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 04:42 PM

Probably the only form of loud music which I enjoy!
I've probably only been to half a dozen recitals and I've never had a problem with the volume. Maybe I've been lucky. I think it is the lower registers which I enjoy.
Was it this sort of thing?
Carlo Curley, Lincoln Cathedral
https://youtu.be/WRK_f55o5Jk 

Your "young lad" must have been Julian Haggett.
I can't see his DOB anywhere, perhaps he's in his late twenties??
Network_Norwich_and_Norfolk/People/People_Archive/Acclaimed_organist_at_Norwich_church  

Subject: Organ Recitals
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Jun 17 - 01:57 PM

We found ourselves in St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich on Saturday, where a free Organ Recital was to take place. Once we'd sat in a pew, others arrived and we were pinned in, unable to get out again.
Their organ is absolutely gigantic, and the largest pipes are like massive industrial extractors.
My Lord, the noise was beyond bearing. The young lad who was playing went in for fugues and toccatas (including Widor, which I normally quite like) and his feet ran up and down the pedals like winking. The building shook and it was all a bit as if Dracula was about to make an appearance.
Of course, I got the giggles (it doesn't take much) and my husband kept nudging me, then giggling himself.
It only lasted about thirty minutes, but never again.
Does anyone here like organ recitals, and if so, are they all as loud as that?