Ben presents himself as a Christian first and then a musician- ever so delicately. His is a lament for things long gone and some which, may experience a revival. Music is another form of praise and Ben goes straight to the heart of worship- music. He is almost theological in his expositions of the finer nuances of music & hymns. Ben and Billy have been brought up well, which is surprising since we don’t see that kind of upbringing in the generation of today. God bless his parents for bringing both Ben and Billy into this world.
naw, Ben loves the pipe organ. Full stop. Like he said in his Video "Thine Be the Glory/ Introduction to the Pipe Organ " Of all the musical instruments, surely the the voice is the most emotional, but the most heavenly must be the pipe organ. What other musical instrument was created purely for the purpose for praising God? Yet simultaneously can overpower an orchestra? Only an Organ can" The powerfulness of the instrument, the emotional experience of the music whether humble church hymn or majestic fugues and toccata its a whole body experience as the operator of such a powerful machine that intrigues him. And the challenge of going from village to village in all weather and conditions to play the best organ music that that particular organ could produce with all its imperfections. You pick the music for the organ you have in front of you.
Every parlor and church here in America had a reed organ and it was the official sound of 19th century America. I have rebuilt several and they come back to life beautifully. Estey built reed organs right up to the late 1950s.
@@bobbyhendley3084 Hi. I’ve rebuilt the reed organs at my home in Florida, US. I don’t do it commercially. Materials are still available for recovering the exhausters and refacing the pallet valves, etc. Not cheap but worth it!
@@cattnipp Hi. I don’t have any information listed in any of my literature for that brand. A lot of times an organ will be built and sold under a store or catalog brand name. You can generally judge the quality of a reed organ by the type of wood and finish on the case. Also, the number of banks of reeds are in the organ. There were some poorly made reed organs that should be avoided. Beatty comes to mind.
This is a great presentation video. This organ would be a great candidate for restoration, and let me tell you, as a Reed Organ restorer, a well restored reed organ is an entirely new animal when the work is completed. Easy to pump (with no pumping noises) and with new bellows cloth, felt, leather, etc. , it retains all of the needed dynamics that can be easily controlled by the organist. Reed organs do need tuning over long periods of time as once in while the metal in the reeds changes a little and must be dealt with, but after a good tuning they will stay in tune for a very long time. I am a member of the Reed Organ Society (in the United States) and I just looked in my membership directory and found that twelve people are listed as members there in the United Kingdom. If you ever have need to contact a Society member, I can provide names and addresses for you. You do a splendid presentation with all the organs you show and it is a joy to watch and enjoy. Thank You for sharing your wonderful talents with the rest of us.
I like the way you delicately, but directly, appeal to viewers to make a donation to support your work and channel. Nothing in-your-face or strident, but politely reminding us all that it does cost money to do what you do. I’ve contributed a couple of times recently, and I hope all viewers - especially YOU, reading this now! - will donate too.
imagine if everyone who was blessed after watching one of Ben's videos on a Sunday afternoon would make an offering. I don't always do that, but I too have made a donation after watching and listening to Ben express his love of music, and how organs of various types throughout history have been the "instrument" of choice in worship. These old vintage organs are the grandparents of all things MIDI as we know it.
I regret not buying one from an antique centre in 2002. I wanted it to annoy my awful next door neighbour by playing lugubrious hymns on Sunday evenings.
They say that a bad workman blames his tools , which of course is why you always extract the very best from them , whatever their status or condition .
A bad workman in practice and my experience uses cheap tool's and spends his hard earned on alcohol. That results in excuses. The only people who never ever use that expression are craftsmen. Because the simple truth is that without good tools they cannot produce good work. Those who fail to invest wisely in their chosen trade fall by the wayside. Always.
I come from the pipe organ world… having worked and played on them most of my life. I just took my first reed organ restoration project at the request of a colleague who had one that was not functioning. It is a small, portable Mason & Hamlin Style 110 with a single set of 49 reeds. After working on this “Baby”, I have a brand new appreciation and love of these instruments. I now keep looking for others that I could get for free or very cheap and restore them. There are the books of Franck that he wrote for Harmonium or Pipe Organ - The Practical Organist - reprinted by Dover, or available online IMSPL. Please keep up the great work!
Organs are like people: no two are genuinely identical, even twins. It is wonderful that you appreciate the imperfections that create sound. Thank you for sharing these imperfections.
I've never been a great believer in re-incarnation, but I'm beginning to wonder whether somewhere between roughly 1066 and 1900 you have made several appearances on Planet Earth in the form of vicar, organist and /or monk, Ben. I'd swear these buildings recognize you when you walk in and the organs thank you for making them feel relevant again. You got such beautiful sounds out of that organ -- especially the Beethoven. Do you recall the (actually very funny) scene in Under the Greenwood Tree, in which the introduction of the organ in the local church is being discussed by the gallery musicians who are soon to be unemployed? Forgive me for quoting a bit of it here: " I’ve been thinking we must be almost the last left in the county of the old string players? Barrel-organs, and the things next door to ’em that you blow wi’ your foot, have come in terribly of late years.” I rarely laugh out loud when I'm reading, but the instrument that "you blow wi' your foot" was just too much. Thanks again, Fra Ben, for another wonderful film.
My Sunday is complete... Listening to you play "How Great Thou Art" brought tears to my eyes. It was my late mother's favorite hymn. Thank you Ben for bringing back those wonderful memories.
Notice how you say it’s exhausting? Ever wonder what it was like before electronic compressors were created? I was thinking about who was behind the air pumps during Bach’s years. Understanding he was virtuoso, I wonder how he managed to find people to pump the bellows while he worked. Those would be the heroes who shall continue to go unnamed throughout history. 😂😢
I play a pipe organ every week in our local parish church, but once a month I play a reed organ for a communion service in our tiny 12th century church in Binsted, West Sussex, this I feel is a great privilege and joy. It is a strangely, emotional instrument to play, and when the knee swells are used, the congregation is surprised by the volume that can be produced. It can be exhausting, as I found a few years ago when i played it for the 9 Lessons and Carols service one Christmas. Thank you for promoting the life of organs which do not deserve to be forgotten or destroyed. Your music making and understanding of the importance of hymns is an inspiration - thank you.
I would never dump mine. It is was made by Bell of Guelph in Canada and I love it. It is quite high spec with only a few muted stops. It has two separate 16’ ranks in the left hand which is so handy. Also a gorgeous Aeolian 2’ The foundation ranks - Melodia etc - are beautiful as there are resonant tube boxes within the case to improve their sound.
@MrMarcvus They’re lovely practice instruments aren’t they. You can perfect a good legato technique with them, and learn how to make dynamic colours with a small selection of stops. They also remain in tune remarkably well, much better than pipe organs in fact.
Ben, My Grandmother had a "pump organ" that's what my Mom called it. I never heard my Grandma play it, but my older Brothers and Sisters did. Grandma was a classically trained pianist, she studied in Boston MA as a young woman, before she married Grandpa. I'm told she played it very well, Catholic hymns etc. She left it to one of my older sisters, and it got moved to our house. That sucker was HEAVY. The insides were iron, except the musical parts. It had a tall, carved canopy-like thing with a mirror on it. When Mom sold the house after Dad died nobody wanted it. We certainly couldn't sell it. Someone finally took it for free, I fear for scrap. But it sounded beautiful (according to my older sibs) when Grandma played it
I listen to Gregorian chant a great deal and it was interesting to hear it played on an organ. It sounded more abstract and it was rather moving to hear the organ “sigh” as it was played.
I own 2 Reed organs, a European Harmonium (positive pressure) and a small single manual pipe organ rescued from a church. So much pleasure enjoyed from it. . Keep up the good job.
For some reason I never received a notification for this one even though I'm definitely subscribed. But then my version of UA-cam seems to be reinventing itself yet again. Which it does about every 4 months. I didn't ask to be a beta testing person, but somehow I ended up on some sort of "list." Please go to sleep, AI.
I recently started playing the organ at one of my churches, I must say it's one of the funnest things I have done and you were a big inspiration for this ben so I'd like to thank you!
I feel terrible when all of the keyboard instruments made during the 19 and early twentieth century are discarded never to come this way again The problem dear Ben us that we live in a world filled with people who cannot make music but only listen to recordings and truly believe they ate into music. This is why I like you and Billy so much because you can do something while others look on. His bkess you.
True about people not being able to make music. There's a shortage of church organists and not many young ones. Many churches lack a keyboard player, guitarist or musician of any type, despite the ready availability of cheap instruments to learn on.
Thanks for both your comments. Many people are persuaded to keep music ‘as a hobby’ which stifles musical creativity I think. I could write about that all day, but perhaps I’ll save it for another time…
I burst out laughing with your comment on the reed organ being exhausting. There was a Farand & Votey American organ where I used to live. If you wanted a good volume, this meant using the couplers and the Sub Bass, but you had to pedal like fury to provide enough puff! Incidentally, my favourite in that organ was Leoni!
Ben - Thank you so much for your efforts in showing us these marvelous old churches and organs. My wife used to be the organist for our Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Cloverdale, California. One Sunday the power failed in the middle of the service. She went back to the rear of the church and just started using the Estey reed organ that we had back there. Since we had one ourselves, she just sat down and started. Some of the parishioners really enjoyed it. I also noticed the expression you can get while you played it.
Great playing! I grew up with a reed organ in our kitchen. I learned to play it and did well enough to eventually play at church. Last year I played at the church I grew up in and realized that it was 50 years ago that I started playing at churches. I am retired now, but I still do some filling in.
When I went to University, I studied with a fairly famous teacher who produced several fairly fameous students. Our practice instruments were two manual and pedal Estey reed organs. I’ll never forget trying to play Messian’s Dieu parmi Nous on a reed organ.
I attended a performance of this at Bath Cathedral. Sitting not very far from the organ, it was revelatory. You weren't so much listening as feeling the music, it was overwhelming. Did I enjoy it? That's kind of the wrong question, it was beyond enjoyment or dislike. I hope you have had a chance to play this on a big organ in a big cathedral, makes all that practice worthwhile I would think.
Ben, thank you for sharing. I love seeing the village churches. I am a third-generation American, and I've always wanted to visit England, the land of my ancestors. They are from Lincoln. I am a retired pastor and foreign missionary, and I love your music and the education I am getting from you. God bless you!
Dear Ben-Thank you for another beautiful program. My soul feels enriched and the music has felt like a tonic. Somehow I feel closer to the Lord through your beautiful choice of songs today! Thank you!-Nancy F.
I love discovering that between verses when the congregation, well me at least, are refilling their lungs and preparing for the next verse, the organist, pushing and pulling stops, is doing just the same: so that's why there's a pause....
Good video Ben. I bought an old reed organ for £5 from Cornwall a couple of years ago. I spent a little time making a few repairs and it sounds great. It lives in my old cottage with an old spinet and an old piano, all repaired and tuned and sounding great.
Another wonderful episode, Ben! I agree 100% that visiting these village churches is a treasure not to be missed when visiting your fair country. Whenever I am in the UK travelling the countryside the essential stops are these beautiful and holy places. Thank you for bringing them to us in the medium as well!
To second Bernard, Ben, you must join the International Reed Organ Society (ROS) & attend our next gathering at the Estey Organ museum Sept. 26-30 in Brattleboro, Vt. We have several mbrs. in the UK & I know one plans to come. The one you played here certainly sounded better than The one I tried to restore for a rural church anniversary , which also exhausted me pumping it. My Packard reed Organ will not exhaust you! Our planners for this event have a fantastic program from Thurs. night to Monday. I am going to refer our monthly newletter ed. to this video.
Like mankind imperfections are part of life so the other imperfections fit us well as a believer in Jesus Christ I realised mine and handed them to him but I know they are still part of my life thank you again Ben
I love those old reed organs. For about 20 years I played one in a chapel on a small island in Maine (USA). I'm not as good an organist as you are (I love all your finger substitutions) but the Mainers seemed to like it.
The reed organ sounded much better than I expected, personally I liked all the sounds, it was like the organ 'breathing'. It made me think of the difference betwen listening to vinyl and CDs. A chapel near me has recently been sold, I worry that everything including the organ will be ripped out and the lot turned into flats.
Another great Sunday Episode. Beethoven on a Pump - who would have thought! Actually worked! Just curious...you play Organ at all these beautiful old English Churches...but being a Pianist here would love to here you on Piano some day. Cheers from Canada!
I’m an accordionist by training. I am now playing my 3rd reed organ. It is an Estey philharmonic from 1906. Fully restored, it sounds beautiful. 6 1/2 sets of reeds.
I'm with you, Ben. I found quite a big one in a church in Norfolk last year, and played it. I think it may have been at St. Michael's, Booton. I had a student with me, and he pumped, so I didn't need to pedal. Needed some TLC, but glorious reeds!
Very good to hear the reed organs…they bring back fond memories of the instruments my grandmother had at home and one I played as a child at Sunday School in my rural chapel in North Wales. Incidentally, I thought the Miller organ had a more attractive tone than the Estey!
What a 'pot-pourri' this week, Ben! Reed organ versus your church's fab Hill pipe organ - Beethoven 'Funeral March' versus an evangelical hymn - monk's plainsong versus a repetitive fund-raising chorale - stunning Norman archways and freshly-scythed Spring grass - and what a difference a year makes! Not for me to judge - but please take your hat off when you enter a church?
i look forward to your programme each week. I never had the opportunity to-learn to play the organ although it's one of my favourite instruments.I have sung in many church choirs which gives me great joy and hope to continue to sing for many years as long as my voice holds out. Thank you for playing in so many beautiful places and so beautifully.
Singers have a unique challenge, don't they? (Not a professional here, of course) They walk around with their "instrument" on the inside of their bodies, for starters. And then things like weather, time of day, fatigue, age, hormones, mood, hydration... can all affect their ability to produce sound. Makes you envy triangle players.
When I was little my Mum used to get asked about 4 times a year to go and play for services on a foot pumped organ. It used to tire her right out - she was really a self-taught pianist. I used to call it the pandharmonium :-)
I like the deep, solemn resonance of reed organs, especially in such magnificent historic settings. The acoustics in Gothic churches are unmatched, and underscore how these architectural masterpieces were designed to lift your soul toward heaven. I think the organ in All Saints Church is a treasure and needs not a requiem but a new owner who appreciates its history and will preserve it as a cultural heritage resource. Hearing you play How Great Thou Art was uplifting! Thank you for showcasing such an interesting variety of pipe organs and architectural treasures!
Ben, I love your podcasts. I love old pipe organs and churches. I have played a reed organ at my grandparents. Sadly it was sold but I was really remembering back to those pleasant afternoons at their house playing old hymns on the reed organ. Bless you for work!
What an amazing instrument. Thank you Ben for introducing it to us. If anyone can play this old organ, you can. Now that I am hearing you play it, I am in awe of this wonderful sound. I recognized Beethoven immediately and it sounds wonderful. I know every note of this.
A joy to watch in this current mad world where just about anything old is deemed as `rubbish`-I would turn it round and say that most things today are cheap `tat`-made to fail-they`ll never last as long as this beautiful instrument-thanks Ben.
Treasure, no doubt! What a beautiful way to end Sunday listening to these sounds that transport us to eternity. Really, what you can get out of these old, worn-out instruments is very precious and beautiful. Thank you very much, with prayers and gratitude from Brazil.
Reed organs have a certain charm but then all instruments & music is subject to mood/ current feelings if it’s the right time & place for the individual then it’s extremely uplifting & poignant! Well done for highlighting all these things Ben
It's a Harmonium in my part of the world, a reed orgen sucks air through the reeds, a harmonium blows air through them. It was a patented term for a few years in the mid 1800's, but then became a general term for pressure organs in europe. This is really cool though, and thanks for the vid!
I love reed organs. My grandmother had an old Storey and Clark that must be more than 100 years old. I hope we can get in playing again. It’s in beautiful condition, but stops, reeds, and bellows all need to be replaced, and probably a lot more. Thanks for this video.
Both of these instruments have wonderful sound. My grandmother had a reed organ in her humble little house. I inherited her sheet music and learned the basics of playing piano.
Thanks for the respectful way you have taken in sharing this instrument with organ lovers. As a restorer, researcher, performer, and collector of reed organs I I have found what you've done to be quite excellent. I am also a professional organist and love large pipe organs and even small laptop reed organs. In my collection I probably have close to 75 instruments, with about 30 of them in playing condition. Thank you for the effort you make making these regular programs about small beautiful Anglican churches.
Beethoven and plainsong on a reed organ! This is MUSIC, live and living and a treasure! If this was with an audience, would they notice the inconsistencies over their own coughs or shuffling feet?
I have an Estey Organ myself… a slightly newer one, and a model with an additional octave, which I’m told by an American reed organ expert, is a nice thing to have. Thank you so Ben as always for your musical passion and inspiration! Hope to meet you someday in rural England!
I really adore reed organs. I have rebuilt two of them. They are extremely simple to work on. They almost always respond well to minor work. An old tooth brush to clean the reeds, new felt for the pivots, new leather for the bellows. Suddenly the mechanical noise is halved and the tuning is much better. I think many people think there is something wrong with them because they were often tuned to A435. One of the churches I serve has a reed organ in the basement and they use an electric piano in the sanctuary. They are so proud of their new acquisition that I can’t figure out a way to get them to bring the old one back. Since, I am an intern (student pastor) I will not be there long enough to make a stand but I do hope that by the end of my tenure there it will be restored to its place of supporting hymn singing. Thank you for doing what you do. I really enjoy your passion for organs, church buildings, and poetry. At this moment of time world seems to value productivity and constant movement over contemplation and peace. We have to keep the tools available for future generations when the pendulum swings back the other way. Peace and blessings.
For me, (and to be honest) they can be both, but I like to lean towards calling them a treasure. Many reed organs are absolutely incredible, with dynamics that no other instrument can match when you control the wind with the treadles. I have always said that it is an instrument where you need to disconnect your feet from your rhythm and connect them to your emotions - the dynamics can be breathtaking with proper use of the foot treadles. Thanks Ben, for sharing these videos promoting these underdog of instruments, and showing that they can be beautiful and not necessarily trash. I would love to hear you play one in restored condition :)
What mellow, melodious tones those Esters make. You can almost hear the organ breathe with the Vox Humana stop. I played a large Estes connected to a blower at one time. All that can be said was that it was loud! The foot pedalling makes all the difference. Autocorrect strikes again. Estey’s!
Definitely a treasure! I really loved the Beethoven, which is one of my favorites of his. And a special thanks for “How Great Thou Art”! It has a special meaning for me and I needed it tonight.
I think you're doing an excelent job in sharing the beauty of the churches, their history and put in in a beatiful frame of the music and the instrument that's available. Worth a donation I would say and so I did myself as well. And important to keep the worship going. not only with what's developped now, but to build upon rich past times treasures.
Definitely a treasure 💎 I love watching your broadcasts and am proud to sponsor your work via Patreon . I also love visiting ancient churches and listening to organ music. In many ways you are administering CPR to these old organs, which obviously want to live and continue to give us pleasure. Your knowledge, dedication and musical skills are outstanding. UA-cam at its very best.
That Estey Reed Organ sounds great Ben. I have one here - it replaced a Mason and Hamlyn Reed Organ, which I totally rebuilt - then gave it to a friend, when my Estey came along. I love the things and I believe they are greatly under rated. Thanks for sharing this video - very interesting 🙂
I actually have one built in Brattelboro, Vermont and shipped to a shop in Birmingham, England who sold it to a local. The family had it and passed it down thru many generations before it got sold in an estate sale. Some antiques dealer grabbed it up and shipped it to the States. Some very distantly related couple bought it and had it for 40+ years before deciding to give it away or burn it. So I snatched it up. The bellows need reworked, but everything else is there, including the original reed tuner tool for resetting them if they get dislodged. Inside the casework, I even found a handwritten letter from a woman in the early 1920’s! I do not currently have a shop in which to undertake the releathering of the bellows, but hope to within the next year or two.
I have an Aeolian Grand reed organ that was given to me for free.. Saving it from being repurposed into a wine bar... I had it restored and now functions like new. These old instruments have a wonderful rich room filling tone and are absolutely worth saving... Thank you for your videos, music and attention you give to these old instruments!!..
Ben presents himself as a Christian first and then a musician- ever so delicately. His is a lament for things long gone and some which, may experience a revival. Music is another form of praise and Ben goes straight to the heart of worship- music. He is almost theological in his expositions of the finer nuances of music & hymns.
Ben and Billy have been brought up well, which is surprising since we don’t see that kind of upbringing in the generation of today.
God bless his parents for bringing both Ben and Billy into this world.
Well I’m sure my parents would love to hear that . Maybe they’ve read it already!
I'd say they're a very nice family all round. Ben seems to have a way of making one feel important even when one isn't 😊
Well said. I betcha anything that Ben is the oldest offspring unit.
I second this!
naw, Ben loves the pipe organ. Full stop. Like he said in his Video "Thine Be the Glory/ Introduction to the Pipe Organ " Of all the musical instruments, surely the the voice is the most emotional, but the most heavenly must be the pipe organ. What other musical instrument was created purely for the purpose for praising God? Yet simultaneously can overpower an orchestra? Only an Organ can" The powerfulness of the instrument, the emotional experience of the music whether humble church hymn or majestic fugues and toccata its a whole body experience as the operator of such a powerful machine that intrigues him. And the challenge of going from village to village in all weather and conditions to play the best organ music that that particular organ could produce with all its imperfections. You pick the music for the organ you have in front of you.
Every parlor and church here in America had a reed organ and it was the official sound of 19th century America. I have rebuilt several and they come back to life beautifully. Estey built reed organs right up to the late 1950s.
Where’s your shop located?
@@bobbyhendley3084 Hi. I’ve rebuilt the reed organs at my home in Florida, US. I don’t do it commercially. Materials are still available for recovering the exhausters and refacing the pallet valves, etc. Not cheap but worth it!
I have a J. G. Earhuff. Do you know if that was a quality brand worth me taking the time to restore?
@@cattnipp Hi. I don’t have any information listed in any of my literature for that brand. A lot of times an organ will be built and sold under a store or catalog brand name. You can generally judge the quality of a reed organ by the type of wood and finish on the case. Also, the number of banks of reeds are in the organ. There were some poorly made reed organs that should be avoided. Beatty comes to mind.
@@Modeltnick OK thank you very much. This is great info!
This is a great presentation video. This organ would be a great candidate for restoration, and let me tell you, as a Reed Organ restorer, a well restored reed organ is an entirely new animal when the work is completed. Easy to pump (with no pumping noises) and with new bellows cloth, felt, leather, etc. , it retains all of the needed dynamics that can be easily controlled by the organist. Reed organs do need tuning over long periods of time as once in while the metal in the reeds changes a little and must be dealt with, but after a good tuning they will stay in tune for a very long time. I am a member of the Reed Organ Society (in the United States) and I just looked in my membership directory and found that twelve people are listed as members there in the United Kingdom. If you ever have need to contact a Society member, I can provide names and addresses for you. You do a splendid presentation with all the organs you show and it is a joy to watch and enjoy. Thank You for sharing your wonderful talents with the rest of us.
🇬🇧🤗🇺🇸
If you know someone in the Tyler or Dallas area, please send me their contact info.
I like the way you delicately, but directly, appeal to viewers to make a donation to support your work and channel. Nothing in-your-face or strident, but politely reminding us all that it does cost money to do what you do. I’ve contributed a couple of times recently, and I hope all viewers - especially YOU, reading this now! - will donate too.
imagine if everyone who was blessed after watching one of Ben's videos on a Sunday afternoon would make an offering. I don't always do that, but I too have made a donation after watching and listening to Ben express his love of music, and how organs of various types throughout history have been the "instrument" of choice in worship. These old vintage organs are the grandparents of all things MIDI as we know it.
That’s very kind, thank you for your support 😊
@@SalisburyOrganist thank you Ben!
Ben's programmes have become my Sundays' highlights and the verdict today is (another) treasure in more ways than one. Thank you 😊
Agreed! Sunday afternoons I watch for the latest Ben treasures on UA-cam! ❤🎉
It is the same with me. I look forward to quiet enlightenment and calm peace every Sunday. Blessings to you Ben and gratitude.
Indeed! A fter playing services, I relax with a nice cup of coffee and Ben's wonderful videos.
"the only service it needs is a requiem." I shall save that one,
I regret not buying one from an antique centre in 2002. I wanted it to annoy my awful next door neighbour by playing lugubrious hymns on Sunday evenings.
I don't know whether that'd be the right reason in line with the spirit of the beautiful hymns
That's a hoot!
They say that a bad workman blames his tools , which of course is why you always extract the very best from them , whatever their status or condition .
That’s so kind. Thank you ☺️
A bad workman in practice and my experience uses cheap tool's and spends his hard earned on alcohol. That results in excuses.
The only people who never ever use that expression are craftsmen. Because the simple truth is that without good tools they cannot produce good work.
Those who fail to invest wisely in their chosen trade fall by the wayside. Always.
I come from the pipe organ world… having worked and played on them most of my life. I just took my first reed organ restoration project at the request of a colleague who had one that was not functioning. It is a small, portable Mason & Hamlin Style 110 with a single set of 49 reeds. After working on this “Baby”, I have a brand new appreciation and love of these instruments. I now keep looking for others that I could get for free or very cheap and restore them. There are the books of Franck that he wrote for Harmonium or Pipe Organ - The Practical Organist - reprinted by Dover, or available online IMSPL.
Please keep up the great work!
I own two reed organs which would have gone to waste had I not got them. After restoration, they are still my favourite instruments I own.
Ditto. My playing is questionable, but the sounds are heavenly.
As the owner/inheritor of an 1881 Estey in far worse shape (musically) I'd say this is very worth saving/restoring.
Mine is approximately the same age
Organs are like people: no two are genuinely identical, even twins. It is wonderful that you appreciate the imperfections that create sound. Thank you for sharing these imperfections.
I've never been a great believer in re-incarnation, but I'm beginning to wonder whether somewhere between roughly 1066 and 1900 you have made several appearances on Planet Earth in the form of vicar, organist and /or monk, Ben. I'd swear these buildings recognize you when you walk in and the organs thank you for making them feel relevant again. You got such beautiful sounds out of that organ -- especially the Beethoven. Do you recall the (actually very funny) scene in Under the Greenwood Tree, in which the introduction of the organ in the local church is being discussed by the gallery musicians who are soon to be unemployed? Forgive me for quoting a bit of it here: " I’ve been thinking we must be almost the last left in the county of the old string players? Barrel-organs, and the things next door to ’em that you blow wi’ your foot, have come in terribly of late years.”
I rarely laugh out loud when I'm reading, but the instrument that "you blow wi' your foot" was just too much. Thanks again, Fra Ben, for another wonderful film.
Love reading this, thanks for writing! Super helpful when I plan videos
@@SalisburyOrganist Many thanks in return.
My Sunday is complete... Listening to you play "How Great Thou Art" brought tears to my eyes. It was my late mother's favorite hymn. Thank you Ben for bringing back those wonderful memories.
What treasure you have created. Sight,sound, all wonderful.
Anyone who can make an ancient blower sound like that - truly a labor of love.
🎶 🎹 🫕
Thank you :)
Notice how you say it’s exhausting? Ever wonder what it was like before electronic compressors were created? I was thinking about who was behind the air pumps during Bach’s years. Understanding he was virtuoso, I wonder how he managed to find people to pump the bellows while he worked. Those would be the heroes who shall continue to go unnamed throughout history. 😂😢
It amazes me the number of people who commit on their knowledge of organs.
Everyone enjoys your playing, you have the hands of an angel.
The combination of organ, church and your music made it such a memorable occasion.
I play a pipe organ every week in our local parish church, but once a month I play a reed organ for a communion service in our tiny 12th century church in Binsted, West Sussex, this I feel is a great privilege and joy. It is a strangely, emotional instrument to play, and when the knee swells are used, the congregation is surprised by the volume that can be produced. It can be exhausting, as I found a few years ago when i played it for the 9 Lessons and Carols service one Christmas. Thank you for promoting the life of organs which do not deserve to be forgotten or destroyed. Your music making and understanding of the importance of hymns is an inspiration - thank you.
The beard suits Ben.
A talented organist, worthy cause, great instructor! Thanks for your effort showing us!
Stratford Tony? Sounds like a gangster! 😎
😂
I would never dump mine. It is was made by Bell of Guelph in Canada and I love it. It is quite high spec with only a few muted stops. It has two separate 16’ ranks in the left hand which is so handy. Also a gorgeous Aeolian 2’
The foundation ranks - Melodia etc - are beautiful as there are resonant tube boxes within the case to improve their sound.
My parents have a Bell from the 1880s still works beautifully! I used it as a practice instrument when I was learning to play the pipe organ.
@MrMarcvus
They’re lovely practice instruments aren’t they. You can perfect a good legato technique with them, and learn how to make dynamic colours with a small selection of stops.
They also remain in tune remarkably well, much better than pipe organs in fact.
Ben,
My Grandmother had a "pump organ" that's what my Mom called it. I never heard my Grandma play it, but my older Brothers and Sisters did. Grandma was a classically trained pianist, she studied in Boston MA as a young woman, before she married Grandpa. I'm told she played it very well, Catholic hymns etc. She left it to one of my older sisters, and it got moved to our house. That sucker was HEAVY. The insides were iron, except the musical parts. It had a tall, carved canopy-like thing with a mirror on it. When Mom sold the house after Dad died nobody wanted it. We certainly couldn't sell it. Someone finally took it for free, I fear for scrap. But it sounded beautiful (according to my older sibs) when Grandma played it
That organ is definitely a treasure! Not perfect, but has a beauty all its own.
The Great Lord speaks to us through your most talented presentations. Thanks and cheers to you and Billy.
That reed organ is a treasure.
I listen to Gregorian chant a great deal and it was interesting to hear it played on an organ. It sounded more abstract and it was rather moving to hear the organ “sigh” as it was played.
Beautiful ❤I love that hymn! Thanks be to God! 🙏🏾
I own 2 Reed organs, a European Harmonium (positive pressure) and a small single manual pipe organ rescued from a church. So much pleasure enjoyed from it. . Keep up the good job.
The plainchant was very soothing.
Got 7 of them in various conditions. Great instruments.
And of course use no power and produce no carbon.
What timing...I was just scanning UA-cam for you video.
Have you subscribed?
For some reason I never received a notification for this one even though I'm definitely subscribed. But then my version of UA-cam seems to be reinventing itself yet again. Which it does about every 4 months. I didn't ask to be a beta testing person, but somehow I ended up on some sort of "list." Please go to sleep, AI.
@@kesmarn Amen! Go away, AI!
I recently started playing the organ at one of my churches, I must say it's one of the funnest things I have done and you were a big inspiration for this ben so I'd like to thank you!
No problem- glad to hear it!!
It must have a Vox Jubilant stop - that was the Estey Celeste stop, and they were quite proud of it. This organ performs very well.
A restored reed organ can sound great. You can create a lot of nuance just by pedaling faster and using the knee swells.
I feel terrible when all of the keyboard instruments made during the 19 and early twentieth century are discarded never to come this way again The problem dear Ben us that we live in a world filled with people who cannot make music but only listen to recordings and truly believe they ate into music.
This is why I like you and Billy so much because you can do something while others look on. His bkess you.
True about people not being able to make music. There's a shortage of church organists and not many young ones. Many churches lack a keyboard player, guitarist or musician of any type, despite the ready availability of cheap instruments to learn on.
Thanks for both your comments. Many people are persuaded to keep music ‘as a hobby’ which stifles musical creativity I think. I could write about that all day, but perhaps I’ll save it for another time…
Your videos are wonderful. Both historically and musically educational. What an incredible gift you give us each week!
I burst out laughing with your comment on the reed organ being exhausting. There was a Farand & Votey American organ where I used to live. If you wanted a good volume, this meant using the couplers and the Sub Bass, but you had to pedal like fury to provide enough puff! Incidentally, my favourite in that organ was Leoni!
Absolutely treasure! There’s nothing like the sound of a read organ.👍🏼♥️
I played a Cornish reed organ in a small Presbyterian church for several years and I appreciate this video.
My home church, Mukilteo Presbyterian in WA state had a pump organ in use until the end of the 1960s. Ben takes me back.
Ben - Thank you so much for your efforts in showing us these marvelous old churches and organs. My wife used to be the organist for our Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Cloverdale, California. One Sunday the power failed in the middle of the service. She went back to the rear of the church and just started using the Estey reed organ that we had back there. Since we had one ourselves, she just sat down and started. Some of the parishioners really enjoyed it. I also noticed the expression you can get while you played it.
Great playing! I grew up with a reed organ in our kitchen. I learned to play it and did well enough to eventually play at church. Last year I played at the church I grew up in and realized that it was 50 years ago that I started playing at churches. I am retired now, but I still do some filling in.
When I went to University, I studied with a fairly famous teacher who produced several fairly fameous students. Our practice instruments were two manual and pedal Estey reed organs. I’ll never forget trying to play Messian’s Dieu parmi Nous on a reed organ.
I attended a performance of this at Bath Cathedral.
Sitting not very far from the organ, it was revelatory.
You weren't so much listening as feeling the music, it was overwhelming.
Did I enjoy it? That's kind of the wrong question, it was beyond enjoyment or dislike.
I hope you have had a chance to play this on a big organ in a big cathedral, makes all that practice worthwhile I would think.
Ben, thank you for sharing. I love seeing the village churches. I am a third-generation American, and I've always wanted to visit England, the land of my ancestors. They are from Lincoln. I am a retired pastor and foreign missionary, and I love your music and the education I am getting from you. God bless you!
What a beautiful sound! Love it!! Thank you for sharing. This ole Texas gal is learning alot about organs and the wonderful ole churches of England.❤
God speed through Texas.
Treasure. This instrument only needs some love and attention. Then some regular playing to keep it going right.
These reed organs have a very etherial sound played very sensitively. Bravo.
Dear Ben-Thank you for another beautiful program. My soul feels enriched and the music has felt like a tonic. Somehow I feel closer to the Lord through your beautiful choice of songs today! Thank you!-Nancy F.
Delighted, thank you :)
I love discovering that between verses when the congregation, well me at least, are refilling their lungs and preparing for the next verse, the organist, pushing and pulling stops, is doing just the same: so that's why there's a pause....
Excellent video I love the mix of music and history.
I love the mix of music, history too. I’d also add ‘scenery’ into the mix. I love the scenic views.
It’s a winning combination.
Thanks!
Very much appreciated. Thank you for supporting my work :)
I live in Vermont and I pastored a Methodist church that had a two manual Estey reed organ. You make the old Estey sound very good!
I have a 2 manuel, pedal Estey reed organ. Not yet set up, but, it IS a gem….TREASURE!!!!
Good video Ben. I bought an old reed organ for £5 from Cornwall a couple of years ago. I spent a little time making a few repairs and it sounds great. It lives in my old cottage with an old spinet and an old piano, all repaired and tuned and sounding great.
Another wonderful episode, Ben! I agree 100% that visiting these village churches is a treasure not to be missed when visiting your fair country. Whenever I am in the UK travelling the countryside the essential stops are these beautiful and holy places. Thank you for bringing them to us in the medium as well!
You’re welcome!
To second Bernard, Ben, you must join the International Reed Organ Society (ROS) & attend our next gathering at the Estey Organ museum Sept. 26-30 in Brattleboro, Vt. We have several mbrs. in the UK & I know one plans to come. The one you played here certainly sounded better than
The one I tried to restore for a rural church anniversary , which also exhausted me pumping it. My Packard reed Organ will not exhaust you! Our planners for this event have a fantastic program from Thurs. night to Monday. I am going to refer our monthly newletter ed. to this video.
Rather nice reed organ. I own also two quite good reed organs and I play often the better and bigger one, mainly hymns. ♥️🇬🇧
Keep the beard!!! It looks great! Love your channel.
Like mankind imperfections are part of life so the other imperfections fit us well as a believer in Jesus Christ I realised mine and handed them to him but I know they are still part of my life thank you again Ben
I love those old reed organs. For about 20 years I played one in a chapel on a small island in Maine (USA). I'm not as good an organist as you are (I love all your finger substitutions) but the Mainers seemed to like it.
The reed organ sounded much better than I expected, personally I liked all the sounds, it was like the organ 'breathing'. It made me think of the difference betwen listening to vinyl and CDs. A chapel near me has recently been sold, I worry that everything including the organ will be ripped out and the lot turned into flats.
Thanks
Thank you!
Another great Sunday Episode. Beethoven on a Pump - who would have thought! Actually worked! Just curious...you play Organ at all these beautiful old English Churches...but being a Pianist here would love to here you on Piano some day. Cheers from Canada!
This is sound of heaven. Love the organ. Absolute treasure. God bless you Bro Ben.
I’m an accordionist by training. I am now playing my 3rd reed organ. It is an Estey philharmonic from 1906. Fully restored, it sounds beautiful. 6 1/2 sets of reeds.
They are treasures. Love that you did a video on this. One of the most overlooked musical treasures. They are magnificent works of craftsmanship.
I'm with you, Ben. I found quite a big one in a church in Norfolk last year, and played it. I think it may have been at St. Michael's, Booton. I had a student with me, and he pumped, so I didn't need to pedal. Needed some TLC, but glorious reeds!
Very good to hear the reed organs…they bring back fond memories of the instruments my grandmother had at home and one I played as a child at Sunday School in my rural chapel in North Wales.
Incidentally, I thought the Miller organ had a more attractive tone than the Estey!
What a 'pot-pourri' this week, Ben! Reed organ versus your church's fab Hill pipe organ - Beethoven 'Funeral March' versus an evangelical hymn - monk's plainsong versus a repetitive fund-raising chorale - stunning Norman archways and freshly-scythed Spring grass - and what a difference a year makes! Not for me to judge - but please take your hat off when you enter a church?
i look forward to your programme each week. I never had the opportunity to-learn to play the organ although it's one of my favourite instruments.I have sung in many church choirs which gives me great joy and hope to continue to sing for many years as long as my voice holds out. Thank you for playing in so many beautiful places and so beautifully.
Singers have a unique challenge, don't they? (Not a professional here, of course) They walk around with their "instrument" on the inside of their bodies, for starters. And then things like weather, time of day, fatigue, age, hormones, mood, hydration... can all affect their ability to produce sound. Makes you envy triangle players.
When I was little my Mum used to get asked about 4 times a year to go and play for services on a foot pumped organ. It used to tire her right out - she was really a self-taught pianist. I used to call it the pandharmonium :-)
I like the deep, solemn resonance of reed organs, especially in such magnificent historic settings. The acoustics in Gothic churches are unmatched, and underscore how these architectural masterpieces were designed to lift your soul toward heaven.
I think the organ in All Saints Church is a treasure and needs not a requiem but a new owner who appreciates its history and will preserve it as a cultural heritage resource.
Hearing you play How Great Thou Art was uplifting! Thank you for showcasing such an interesting variety of pipe organs and architectural treasures!
The little reed organ responded so well to your touch; obviously it was grateful to be played by such an appreciating and caring master! 😇
Ben, I love your podcasts. I love old pipe organs and churches. I have played a reed organ at my grandparents. Sadly it was sold but I was really remembering back to those pleasant afternoons at their house playing old hymns on the reed organ. Bless you for work!
What an amazing instrument. Thank you Ben for introducing it to us. If anyone can play this old organ, you can. Now that I am hearing you play it, I am in awe of this wonderful sound. I recognized Beethoven immediately and it sounds wonderful. I know every note of this.
A joy to watch in this current mad world where just about anything old is deemed as `rubbish`-I would turn it round and say that most things today are cheap `tat`-made to fail-they`ll never last as long as this beautiful instrument-thanks Ben.
Treasure, no doubt!
What a beautiful way to end Sunday listening to these sounds that transport us to eternity.
Really, what you can get out of these old, worn-out instruments is very precious and beautiful. Thank you very much, with prayers and gratitude from Brazil.
Reed organs have a certain charm but then all instruments & music is subject to mood/ current feelings if it’s the right time & place for the individual then it’s extremely uplifting & poignant! Well done for highlighting all these things Ben
It's a Harmonium in my part of the world, a reed orgen sucks air through the reeds, a harmonium blows air through them. It was a patented term for a few years in the mid 1800's, but then became a general term for pressure organs in europe.
This is really cool though, and thanks for the vid!
I love reed organs. My grandmother had an old Storey and Clark that must be more than 100 years old. I hope we can get in playing again. It’s in beautiful condition, but stops, reeds, and bellows all need to be replaced, and probably a lot more. Thanks for this video.
Both of these instruments have wonderful sound. My grandmother had a reed organ in her humble little house. I inherited her sheet music and learned the basics of playing piano.
Thanks for the respectful way you have taken in sharing this instrument with organ lovers. As a restorer, researcher, performer, and collector of reed organs I I have found what you've done to be quite excellent. I am also a professional organist and love large pipe organs and even small laptop reed organs. In my collection I probably have close to 75 instruments, with about 30 of them in playing condition. Thank you for the effort you make making these regular programs about small beautiful Anglican churches.
Beethoven and plainsong on a reed organ! This is MUSIC, live and living and a treasure! If this was with an audience, would they notice the inconsistencies over their own coughs or shuffling feet?
I have an Estey Organ myself… a slightly newer one, and a model with an additional octave, which I’m told by an American reed organ expert, is a nice thing to have.
Thank you so Ben as always for your musical passion and inspiration!
Hope to meet you someday in rural England!
I really adore reed organs. I have rebuilt two of them. They are extremely simple to work on. They almost always respond well to minor work. An old tooth brush to clean the reeds, new felt for the pivots, new leather for the bellows. Suddenly the mechanical noise is halved and the tuning is much better. I think many people think there is something wrong with them because they were often tuned to A435.
One of the churches I serve has a reed organ in the basement and they use an electric piano in the sanctuary. They are so proud of their new acquisition that I can’t figure out a way to get them to bring the old one back. Since, I am an intern (student pastor) I will not be there long enough to make a stand but I do hope that by the end of my tenure there it will be restored to its place of supporting hymn singing.
Thank you for doing what you do. I really enjoy your passion for organs, church buildings, and poetry. At this moment of time world seems to value productivity and constant movement over contemplation and peace. We have to keep the tools available for future generations when the pendulum swings back the other way.
Peace and blessings.
How Great Thou Art! Amen! Thank you for your videos!
I’m so envious of you, that you are following your passion with early music…more power to you! Don’t ever give up…I wish I had followed your path..
For me, (and to be honest) they can be both, but I like to lean towards calling them a treasure. Many reed organs are absolutely incredible, with dynamics that no other instrument can match when you control the wind with the treadles. I have always said that it is an instrument where you need to disconnect your feet from your rhythm and connect them to your emotions - the dynamics can be breathtaking with proper use of the foot treadles. Thanks Ben, for sharing these videos promoting these underdog of instruments, and showing that they can be beautiful and not necessarily trash. I would love to hear you play one in restored condition :)
I had no idea about organs standing in for orchestras, fascinating Ben!
What mellow, melodious tones those Esters make. You can almost hear the organ breathe with the Vox Humana stop. I played a large Estes connected to a blower at one time. All that can be said was that it was loud! The foot pedalling makes all the difference. Autocorrect strikes again. Estey’s!
And a 130 years ago they didn't need electricity. My grandmother family had one in their house in a small northern California farming town
Definitely a treasure! I really loved the Beethoven, which is one of my favorites of his.
And a special thanks for “How Great Thou Art”! It has a special meaning for me and I needed it tonight.
A perfect way to spend a gorgeous half hour in sunny southern Minnesota..
I think you're doing an excelent job in sharing the beauty of the churches, their history and put in in a beatiful frame of the music and the instrument that's available. Worth a donation I would say and so I did myself as well. And important to keep the worship going. not only with what's developped now, but to build upon rich past times treasures.
Thank you so much!
Definitely a treasure 💎
I love watching your broadcasts and am proud to sponsor your work via Patreon . I also love visiting ancient churches and listening to organ music.
In many ways you are administering CPR to these old organs, which obviously want to live and continue to give us pleasure.
Your knowledge, dedication and musical skills are outstanding.
UA-cam at its very best.
That Estey Reed Organ sounds great Ben. I have one here - it replaced a Mason and Hamlyn Reed Organ, which I totally rebuilt - then gave it to a friend, when my Estey came along. I love the things and I believe they are greatly under rated. Thanks for sharing this video - very interesting 🙂
I actually have one built in Brattelboro, Vermont and shipped to a shop in Birmingham, England who sold it to a local. The family had it and passed it down thru many generations before it got sold in an estate sale. Some antiques dealer grabbed it up and shipped it to the States.
Some very distantly related couple bought it and had it for 40+ years before deciding to give it away or burn it. So I snatched it up.
The bellows need reworked, but everything else is there, including the original reed tuner tool for resetting them if they get dislodged. Inside the casework, I even found a handwritten letter from a woman in the early 1920’s! I do not currently have a shop in which to undertake the releathering of the bellows, but hope to within the next year or two.
Marvellous, Ben, marvellous. 😊
I have an Aeolian Grand reed organ that was given to me for free.. Saving it from being repurposed into a wine bar... I had it restored and now functions like new. These old instruments have a wonderful rich room filling tone and are absolutely worth saving... Thank you for your videos, music and attention you give to these old instruments!!..