Fantastic sounding organ to my ears. Like I’ve said before, I do not play piano or read music but I really enjoy what you do on this site. Well done again.👍👍
As a piano player, the organ has always intimidated me - those multiple keyboards! those pedals on the floor! the dashing back and forth to the switches, the knobs, the draw-bars...!....😥 As a fan of yours, everything's tripled. quintupled - I'm even more intimidated watching you so effortlessly, masterfully play...😱 BUT - I've *never* enjoyed listening to the organ so much, *ever before* Thanks a gazillion, Maestro G. 🙏👏
Amazing, I just know your channel for about 2 weeks. I do not play any instrument and it is something I regret. I do know a big deal about (classical) music however. And I am hooked on your video's. And Amazing, you do every video in German and English. That is a lot of work and how do you get them the same. Thanks Fraser for telling it also for people like me, who are not as trained in music that we feel the need to comment in capitals. Keep on making them. Regards from Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Fraser - Once again thanks so much for your videos. I wanted to specifically say thanks for not "talking over" my ability to understand. I have loved pipe organs since I was 7 (I am 57 now) and have taught myself a few things. But I have not had the opportunity to study or take lessons from anyone. But I am learning and understanding so much from you about my favorite instrument.
It's really worth listening to both language versions as you play things a little differently as it comes into your mind. Und als Österreicher möchte ich noch sagen auch Ihr Deutsch ist sehr schön.
Good grief! For only 19 stops, the sound of that organ gave me goosebumps!😮😍 What an amazing instrument.. someone was thinking ultimate acoustics when they installed that thing! Just the sound of the flutes alone is amazing! Personally I love the mixture combination.. one word description: Crisp! Hopefully one day, Milan Digital Audio (Hauptwerk) will come around and do a sample set of this organ!😉 Great presentation Fraser... this organ has a personality all it's own.😁👍 🎵🎶🎵
Oh, to have the courage to play around!!💕 It looks like so much fun! Thank you so much Fraser, for such a great video: a little theory, registration, about the organ (this one certainly packs a punch!) musical styles of different composers, some visualizations.... and your improvisations are very insightful. These videos are absolutely perfect!!😊🌺🎶❤️
Excellent Improv!!! Loved it. Any chance of some tuition/guidance/exercises for pedal please? For those of us who are single keybd players, the pedals seem very daunting! Thanks Fraser
Thank you for the insights on using ranks at different pitch levels for additional effects. The fact that one can, for example, transpose a 16-foot based registration an octave higher to provide additional, at-pitch sonorities-particularly on a smaller organ-is often omitted, or even shunned, by some organ teachers/performers.
Greatly appreciate your willingness to keep us non organ nerds in the loop. You speak in simple enough terms we can follow you! I also appreciated the over the head perspective for some of this video so that we could watch your footwork. Thanks for your good work on this channel.
5 років тому+1
Beautiful organ and very clean, and bright sound of them. Perfect improvisation with very nice theme! Love watching your videos, keep doing them!
Im enjoying this channel so much. Its entertaining and inspirational. To those who feel the need to criticise, please don't its really unprofessional and quite rude. If you don't like what you see and hear just go away! Fraser, if ever you are in North Yorkshire, I will fix you up with a play on a some lovely instruments.
The pedal Gemshorn makes a lovely choral bass! Strong enough to provide the cantus firmus in choral preludes! That pedal reed sounds more like a Bombarde as well!
Loved your English Cathedral-style "Pastorale a la Gigue" improv. 👍 This is a really lovely instrument, but those 2 mixtures are a bit "screamy" much. But that was the style in the 1960s-70s Neo-Baroque. I had our new 1981 3-manual Schlicker's *HUMONGOUS* V rank Great Mixture cut-back /revoiced to blend better. A much nicer effect. Thanks for mentioning the actual stop names... for us nerds. 🙂
Thank you for the explanation! Couple of questions.... what are the white and red switches for? and something that has always been on my mind... why are some manuals white on black keys, and others are black on white? I appreciate your explanations done in a "simpler" way for us "non-organists". A real pipe organ always gives me goose bumps when they are played in a grand manner. Wall shaking! and the flute stops are oooo so smooth! Thank You!
Thanks for asking that for me!. As a a former Hammond technician, I always fear exposing my ignorance about "real" organs. But switches should be my forte'. These leave me scratching my head.
The red and white switches are used so that we can preset stops to pistons below the manuals so we dont have to take our hands off the keys. Just a different way of doing it rather than a setter. It's often used when organs have stop tabs not stop knobs. In regards to the black-on-white and the reverse keyboard, again it's just another way of doing it that was more common in the past.
Great video as always and a lovely organ. Just wanted to point out that in music the circle of fifths IS the circle of life.... 😉 /Greetings from Sweden.
Thank you for this great video. I kind of mess around on the guitar so some of the cords are fogren to me so thank you for kind of explaining them to me the way you do. You to lack of a better term dumb it down so the average person can understand what your talking about for the most part. I mostly enjoy your music and how you explain things and the different sounds you can get out of a pipe organ. I love it. So Thank you again and as always I look forward to more of your great videos.
I like it watching, and hearing, you playing. In my mind improvising is for a big part imagination. Play with what you can make up. Beautiful. You’re good in that.
Thanks for another fabulous video, Fraser! As an organ nerd & player who started from scratch aged 57(!) your tuition/exposition can never be too simple...improvisation may be fun, but it's also terrifying :-/
All churches have relics of martyred saints in them in the altar stone. It’s from when in the Early Church they offered Mass on the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs.
That is how I survived thirty years, walking between motifs, registers and styles. It is always fun to do, especially when a "certified" organist is watching.
Another interesting video. It is a sad reflection of some people on You Tube (which is a reflection of the bad things in this world) that people are quick to criticise, to judge and to profess to know better than anyone else. Your wife is very good with the camera, always clear video. One thing that maybe you could explain is what were the red and white switches above the stops and what is the small device to the right which looks like a key-pad with a small screen? Best wishes from Ireland (where it always rains!). Mike.
Hi Mike. Thanks for your comments! The red and white toggles are for registration aids - they are a bit old and knackered, so that's why I didn't feature them. The keypad is the hymn-projector for the church. Like in my place (and most German churches!) the organist gets the control over what the congregation sings, so they punch in the hymn numbers and verses etc. I'll show that in my church in a future video.
@@FraserGartshore Thank you Fraser. Over here the hymn numbers are individual number cards which are slotted into a board on each side of the church - the hymns are pre-determined by the minister.
I have an organ in my church in oxford. The Builders were william drake, but what were they thinking when they installed this organ? it has a nice bright mixture, but it has a realy horrible krumhorn 8' on the swell and even worse a schalmey 16' on the great.
You've got me hooked again so I had to watch it all! Thanks Fraser for this wonderful video again. Sponsoring is on its way ;-) (I think the idea of recording some improvisations and a donation for a download is a good one, as suggested in the comments)
What a delightful instrument with charming flutes, although I think for congregational work I would like a hint more fundamental (stopped diap on upper, or slightly larger open on lower), but each instrument can offer its own rewards (sadly, not always). Was lack of a swell division perhaps a design economy? Fully approve of your statment about trying to accommodate all levels of viewers and not just purists. While possibly wellintentioned, some people can become a bit high-handed (is that too unkind? - don't wish to be).
I do hope you'll one day be able to see the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia. I imagine you'd have a great deal of fun with an organ of that magnitude, and I know we love seeing you enjoy making music c:
Fan of the stop combination at 20:00 also, and cool modulations using the cycle of fifths, must give that a go. I've only used it prior to get pupils through theory exams ;)
Some very pretty "voicings" there. the 8, 1 flute is kind of cake and icing, isn't it. Nice. Why did calling that combination a triad set someone off? Weird. That's pretty standard terminology elsewhere in music...as in the Limeliters "starts with a G major triad, god willing". Those guys were hilarious. I like this organ, nothing "bombastic", just very listenable sounds.
I absolutely loved you going full French on this bright organ. I myself love the Romantic sound as well. My favourite stop on any organ is a bombarde 32' (or at least 16') on the pedal. What's your favourite stop Fraser?
This organ has a much lighter tone but still a very powerful sound. Thank you Fraser as always well worth listening too, Have you any plans to include any of the Choirs you work in any of your video? Oh and finally thank you for making this as easy for everyone to understand for those of us who are Organ Lovers but not Organs Nerds.
Again, a great video from you Fraser! Wow, that organ has quite a lot to give for having only 19 stops! Seems the size of the church has a lot to say when it comes to how many pipes one need. Of course it's nice to have a broad selection to choose from, but seems like 19 stops is perfect for this church. Question is, is 19 on the very limit, or would you been equally happy with even fewer stops? Also, a beautiful improvisation at the end! 😃 PS! I sent you a PM on Patreon (of all things) 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure if you've missed it or what, but I just give you a tiny little reminder anyway ;)
ooh! color me impressed! sounds much larger than i expected. not quite as sharpy-sounding as i expected, which, to me, is good. this german sound is somewhat equivalent to the american schantz and a paranoid version of the frenchy canadian casavant. i guess we're all crazy. again, great acoustics. btw, i wonderwhy they didn't cantilever the organ? any ideas...money, aesthetic, architecture? just pondering, as mary---well, maybe not, but...???
This technique of using a different part of the keyboard to get a different sound out of a “stop” is something I used a lot on my (horrors) electronic keyboard. Of course there, I could use the transpose function to still get the whole keyboard. Transposed by just semi-tones (or by hundredths, using the “tuning” function) can also, more subtly, change the sound.
Bill Martin Not split keyboard, just using “octave up or down “, and “transpose” functions. Changes of just one semitone, can brighten a major key, or darken a minor key. Try it.
Its a common technique to explore with small organs, especially those from the revivalist baroque period where some stops aren't where you expect to find them, such as a 2' flute on the great made mostly of principals and the 2' principal on the upper manual made mostly of flutes and a buzzy reed. The law of economy - get the most out of every stop you have even if you have to play it an octave or two above or below.
The sound in this video is really good mixed! The basses a little bit louder, so they are really good for listening on headphones. In the other videos I had sometimes the feeling that my headphones couldn't get the basses right because they were to quiet, but this time well done! One question: Could you maybe play the Widor-Toccata sometime?
I love watching your videos. You play so beautifully. Could you please explain what those micro-switches are above each of those stops? You have them on your organ as well. I can't recall seeing them on organs in the States.
What a nice little organ! I want to visit Germany so badly, but my German still needs some polishing XD. Just out of curiosity, what are the little white and red flip switches above the stops for? I've seen switches like them on a lot of other german organs in your videos and I have no idea what they could be for. Anyway, that just me being ignorant. I hope to give a recital series in Germany one day! Love your videos, keep up the Hauptwerk!
I have a comment/question on your use of Sesquialteras. It seems like you always use them with just an 8' flute. This is a nice sound, but I usually expect a 4' flute also, which binds the open harmonics together. Love what you do!
Good point. I prefer the open sound - 8, 2,2/3 and 1,3/5 gives that clarinetty character. With a 4’ it starts sounding more cornetty. Now there’s a pair of words you don’t hear every day!
There are only two presets - red and white. Each stop can then be selected for red or white or both and the presets are selected using the thumb pistons under the lower manual. It’s not as exciting as it looks!
It's wonderful that she said yes, and you got married! I enjoy how you educate us on organ components and stops in your videos. Spitfire Audio just came out with their Symphonic Organ (ua-cam.com/video/9qjEHuLRp0o/v-deo.html) and I understand your commentary much better now after having watched that video. Although not a real pipe organ experience this Symphonic Organ will still sound good in my living room.
I have been wondering... Is it 'bad' to play chords while (sort of) randomly moving fingers to give it a rhythm, or a sense of motion? A bit like the 'tremolo-thing' at 23:23? I have seen people looking down on that. I think it can sound good, but I am never sure if it is good, as some organists and -fanatics can be really rigorous about that kind of things... EDIT: And a question that's actually much more important for me: How do you remember a melody that you introduce in the beginning of an improvisation, throughout the whole improvisation, so that it gets a structure? You seem to do that very nicely, but I keep forgetting every melody that I come up with, within a minute of improvising!
Thanks for your comments. Regarding a melody for improvising - I try to stick to simple melodies with easy-to-remember passages or rhythms. This will be the subject of a future video! The idea is to keep the listeners’ attention by repeating parts of the melody - they’re always waiting for that moment of recognition!
Excellent, informative video - as they all are. Thank you! Quick question though. I saw when you had the coupler on between the two manuals, the coupler only played one way. So playing the lower manual brought the upper one into play, whereas when you played the upper keyboard, that's all you got. I don't think that is normal? Thanks anyway for the most informative channel.
Sort of a simplified 'preset'. You flip the switches on the stops you want to assign for a particular piston under the 'Hauptwerk' manual. I think there are 2 pistons (Fraser, correct me if I'm wrong), so the white switches coincide with one, and the red switches coincide with the other.😉
@@pepesilvia8365 ok cool . I'm guessing there will be a solenoid to actuate the stop rocker switch? I'm also guessing that the keypad thing to the right is for programmed playback with midi or something?
Most organs are built to be able to cope with tutti registrations - some organs are noticeably out of wind if you play large chords on "the works" - it can sometimes be a rather charming effect!
@@FraserGartshore Gloucester Cathedral - even after the Nicholson rebuild in 2000 and further work more recently, big chords on full organ make it go noticeably flat. You can hear it on the recording of David Briggs' Mass for Nôtre Dame. Schwimmers will never be an adequate substitute for big double-rise reservoirs!
The 200 stop Woolsey Hall organ at Yale University produces its fullest sound using only about 20% of its stops. It's somewhat rare, but a good example of judiciousness in registration! Do you really need the Dulciana in full organ?...
@@virginiaorganbuilder probably not, but with a lot of organs, while the volume comes from relatively few stops, adding in the quieter stuff helps broaden it out.
Mechanical couplers: One of the reasons I do NOT like to play tracker organs. I appreciate the engineering. I appreciate the history. However, I don't like to play them.
@@MrJdsenior Oh sure. They definitely have their place. ...and arguably they give you more control over the way the pipes speak. They just aren't my cup of tea. I just like the consistency of the electronic actions...and the flexibility that gives organ builders. There are a number of fantastic organs that exist today that just wouldn't be possible with a tracker action.
@@MrJdsenior Actually, I just remembered! I met somebody once who was actually like "Ah, trackers! They belong in the past, those freakin dinosaur relics!" Now, I wouldn't go quite THAT far! Ha ha!
@@ryano.5149 Yeah, as a hobby I've been fixing up very old manual typewriters and selling them on eBay. Kinda the same thing. There's something sort of "romantic" about seeing the type bars strike the paper, hearing the click, and knowing you've committed something to posterity (so to speak), but if I have to type a bunch of words, I'd pretty much always go to a computer keyboard, much easier, much faster. We bought a "new" (tearout) organ at the small church we attended several years back to replace the horrendous calliope that someone had donated earlier, which my father and I went up into the midwest to pick up and bring back for installation. The guy doing the overseeing that they picked, and who did all the final tuning and voicing said, Yeah, it's not a tracker...but we'll get it in there anyway. ;-) He also said, one day when Dad was trying to finalize the connections on a little driver dad had made to actuate the chimes and was getting a bit frustrated "Does your dad drink?". I said "no". He said "Maybe he should start". I about rolled on the floor....like I said, good sense of humor.
Why on earth wouldn't they just use all the available gallery space instead of shoving the organ right up one end of one half thereof? Seems daft to me when you could centre it and have so much more organ!
@@FraserGartshore fair enough - but then no Schwellwerk or any soft accompanimental stops?! You're not wrong about the Pedal Gemshorn, nicest stop on the whole organ.
@@FraserGartshore I've seen some modern German organ specs that look distinctly English Romantic - three Open Diapasons on the Hauptwerk alone, full 16-8-4 flue and reed choruses in the Schwellwerk, enclosed Solo with strings and orchestral reeds plus unenclosed Tuba, enclosed Choir organs, big Pedals based around a 16ft Open Wood...
15:23 "but please don't forget, there are also ***normal people*** out there watching the channel" Sag bitte so was nicht, da bekomme ich immer komische Assoziationen, wie diese hier: ua-cam.com/video/zBDCq6Q8k2E/v-deo.html
Ich glaube schon, dass der Sound sehr sehr gut ist!!! Aber glaubt doch nicht im entferntesten daran, dass das einer echten Orgel ansatzweise konkurieren könnte! Das bekommt man elektronisch einfach nicht hin! Wenn man richtig hinhört sind ganz schön schräge Töne dabei! Ich empfehle Xaver Varnus im Berliner Dom Toccata! Nichst für ungut!!!
Replay button for that amazing improvisation : 24:00
Who else would gladly pay Fraser 50 bucks for a collection of beautiful improvs like this? Like this comment to get him to think about it.
Fantastic sounding organ to my ears. Like I’ve said before, I do not play piano or read music but I really enjoy what you do on this site. Well done again.👍👍
i would love to hear you play more Bach!!! just that one minute got me very excited
Thank you for posting and congrats to your wife for some great camera work. A thumbs up for both of you. 👍
Great episode as usual uncle Fraser!
I really enjoy the classical, almost jazzy improvisation and sounds @18:50.
As a piano player, the organ has always intimidated me - those multiple keyboards! those pedals on the floor! the dashing back and forth to the switches, the knobs, the draw-bars...!....😥
As a fan of yours, everything's tripled. quintupled - I'm even more intimidated watching you so effortlessly, masterfully play...😱
BUT - I've *never* enjoyed listening to the organ so much, *ever before* Thanks a gazillion, Maestro G. 🙏👏
The music at the end of the video was absolutely amazing! Thanks for that, I'll be listening to it again and again.
Amazing, I just know your channel for about 2 weeks. I do not play any instrument and it is something I regret. I do know a big deal about (classical) music however. And I am hooked on your video's. And Amazing, you do every video in German and English. That is a lot of work and how do you get them the same. Thanks Fraser for telling it also for people like me, who are not as trained in music that we feel the need to comment in capitals. Keep on making them. Regards from Haarlem, The Netherlands.
By the way, your voice is slightly higher in German then in English. I can understand German, but cannot write it. That's why I comment overhere.
Fraser - Once again thanks so much for your videos. I wanted to specifically say thanks for not "talking over" my ability to understand. I have loved pipe organs since I was 7 (I am 57 now) and have taught myself a few things. But I have not had the opportunity to study or take lessons from anyone. But I am learning and understanding so much from you about my favorite instrument.
It's really worth listening to both language versions as you play things a little differently as it comes into your mind.
Und als Österreicher möchte ich noch sagen auch Ihr Deutsch ist sehr schön.
I should be sleeping, I got school tomorrow and lots of piano practice and choir...
Looks like no sleep now 😂
Everyone should watch these videos with headphones on. It’s likes being there. Great job with the new microphones and mixing the sound perfectly.
Favourite sound as a child: The "whoomph" noise of all the organ stops coming out just before a full organ section. :-)
TBH, it's probably still one of my favourite sounds today. :-)
You're juggling thirds on the keyboard like it's nothing... really impressive! Gotta train on that 😮
Style? You got it, Fraser!
Good grief! For only 19 stops, the sound of that organ gave me goosebumps!😮😍 What an amazing instrument.. someone was thinking ultimate acoustics when they installed that thing! Just the sound of the flutes alone is amazing! Personally I love the mixture combination.. one word description: Crisp! Hopefully one day, Milan Digital Audio (Hauptwerk) will come around and do a sample set of this organ!😉 Great presentation Fraser... this organ has a personality all it's own.😁👍 🎵🎶🎵
Oh, to have the courage to play around!!💕 It looks like so much fun! Thank you so much Fraser, for such a great video: a little theory, registration, about the organ (this one certainly packs a punch!) musical styles of different composers, some visualizations.... and your improvisations are very insightful. These videos are absolutely perfect!!😊🌺🎶❤️
Excellent Improv!!! Loved it. Any chance of some tuition/guidance/exercises for pedal please? For those of us who are single keybd players, the pedals seem very daunting! Thanks Fraser
People complaining?? Ugh! You are a fabulous ambassador for the organ. Keep it up! [We watch you during lunchtime at Taylor and Boody.]
Only during lunch? You should have the videos running continuously all day!😂
@@FraserGartshore LOL - nothing like a good ad. Love your series...
Thank you for the insights on using ranks at different pitch levels for additional effects. The fact that one can, for example, transpose a 16-foot based registration an octave higher to provide additional, at-pitch sonorities-particularly on a smaller organ-is often omitted, or even shunned, by some organ teachers/performers.
Greatly appreciate your willingness to keep us non organ nerds in the loop. You speak in simple enough terms we can follow you! I also appreciated the over the head perspective for some of this video so that we could watch your footwork. Thanks for your good work on this channel.
Beautiful organ and very clean, and bright sound of them. Perfect improvisation with very nice theme! Love watching your videos, keep doing them!
Now I want to hear you play the Wachet Auf. Would you please, Fraser?
Im enjoying this channel so much. Its entertaining and inspirational.
To those who feel the need to criticise, please don't its really unprofessional and quite rude. If you don't like what you see and hear just go away!
Fraser, if ever you are in North Yorkshire, I will fix you up with a play on a some lovely instruments.
Thanks for the offer - that would be right gradely! 😜
The pedal Gemshorn makes a lovely choral bass! Strong enough to provide the cantus firmus in choral preludes! That pedal reed sounds more like a Bombarde as well!
Loved your English Cathedral-style "Pastorale a la Gigue" improv. 👍
This is a really lovely instrument, but those 2 mixtures are a bit "screamy" much. But that was the style in the 1960s-70s Neo-Baroque.
I had our new 1981 3-manual Schlicker's *HUMONGOUS* V rank Great Mixture cut-back /revoiced to blend better. A much nicer effect.
Thanks for mentioning the actual stop names... for us nerds. 🙂
I can't believe I've never seen your videos before! That was a real treat and I've now subscribed to see more.
Welcome on board!
What a wonderful sounds! Great improvisation 👌😉
Thank you for the explanation! Couple of questions.... what are the white and red switches for? and something that has always been on my mind... why are some manuals white on black keys, and others are black on white?
I appreciate your explanations done in a "simpler" way for us "non-organists".
A real pipe organ always gives me goose bumps when they are played in a grand manner. Wall shaking!
and the flute stops are oooo so smooth!
Thank You!
Thanks for asking that for me!. As a a former Hammond technician, I always fear exposing my ignorance about "real" organs. But switches should be my forte'. These leave me scratching my head.
I'll add my voice to both parts of this request too. Please. :)
The red and white switches are used so that we can preset stops to pistons below the manuals so we dont have to take our hands off the keys. Just a different way of doing it rather than a setter. It's often used when organs have stop tabs not stop knobs. In regards to the black-on-white and the reverse keyboard, again it's just another way of doing it that was more common in the past.
You are Great 👍👌😉,
I really like the way you play the Pipe Organ, like I did and still do George Wright.
Keep up the good work!!
Great video as always and a lovely organ. Just wanted to point out that in music the circle of fifths IS the circle of life.... 😉 /Greetings from Sweden.
The pedal Gemshorn is delightful!!!
Beautiful !
Absolutely lovely piece at the end
I was so very pleased when he played Wachet Auf
I had it on a CD of Birmingham cathedral and I've always loved it.
Thank you for this great video. I kind of mess around on the guitar so some of the cords are fogren to me so thank you for kind of explaining them to me the way you do. You to lack of a better term dumb it down so the average person can understand what your talking about for the most part. I mostly enjoy your music and how you explain things and the different sounds you can get out of a pipe organ. I love it. So Thank you again and as always I look forward to more of your great videos.
Loved the sound of this organ. Bright upper tones and fat and full lower tones. Beautifully recorded as well.
I like it watching, and hearing, you playing. In my mind improvising is for a big part imagination. Play with what you can make up. Beautiful. You’re good in that.
Thanks for another fabulous video, Fraser! As an organ nerd & player who started from scratch aged 57(!) your tuition/exposition can never be too simple...improvisation may be fun, but it's also terrifying :-/
All churches have relics of martyred saints in them in the altar stone. It’s from when in the Early Church they offered Mass on the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs.
Yet another lovely tune to finish off with. Thank you for another great video.
Lovely. Thank you, Fraser.
This is great advice! I will totally take it to consideration when playing at services
A full length pedal basoon... Sounds like a HolzPosaune.
Awesome. Had to listen to your piece of music, twice.
Love the sound! I’ve played beautiful ones and then some really bad ones!
That is how I survived thirty years, walking between motifs, registers and styles. It is always fun to do, especially when a "certified" organist is watching.
Another interesting video. It is a sad reflection of some people on You Tube (which is a reflection of the bad things in this world) that people are quick to criticise, to judge and to profess to know better than anyone else.
Your wife is very good with the camera, always clear video.
One thing that maybe you could explain is what were the red and white switches above the stops and what is the small device to the right which looks like a key-pad with a small screen?
Best wishes from Ireland (where it always rains!). Mike.
Hi Mike. Thanks for your comments! The red and white toggles are for registration aids - they are a bit old and knackered, so that's why I didn't feature them. The keypad is the hymn-projector for the church. Like in my place (and most German churches!) the organist gets the control over what the congregation sings, so they punch in the hymn numbers and verses etc. I'll show that in my church in a future video.
@@FraserGartshore Thank you Fraser. Over here the hymn numbers are individual number cards which are slotted into a board on each side of the church - the hymns are pre-determined by the minister.
I have an organ in my church in oxford. The Builders were william drake, but what were they thinking when they installed this organ? it has a nice bright mixture, but it has a realy horrible krumhorn 8' on the swell and even worse a schalmey 16' on the great.
Wonderful as always!
You've got me hooked again so I had to watch it all! Thanks Fraser for this wonderful video again. Sponsoring is on its way ;-) (I think the idea of recording some improvisations and a donation for a download is a good one, as suggested in the comments)
What a delightful instrument with charming flutes, although I think for congregational work I would like a hint more fundamental (stopped diap on upper, or slightly larger open on lower), but each instrument can offer its own rewards (sadly, not always). Was lack of a swell division perhaps a design economy? Fully approve of your statment about trying to accommodate all levels of viewers and not just purists. While possibly wellintentioned, some people can become a bit high-handed (is that too unkind? - don't wish to be).
I do hope you'll one day be able to see the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia. I imagine you'd have a great deal of fun with an organ of that magnitude, and I know we love seeing you enjoy making music c:
Fan of the stop combination at 20:00 also, and cool modulations using the cycle of fifths, must give that a go. I've only used it prior to get pupils through theory exams ;)
Some very pretty "voicings" there. the 8, 1 flute is kind of cake and icing, isn't it. Nice.
Why did calling that combination a triad set someone off? Weird. That's pretty standard terminology elsewhere in music...as in the Limeliters "starts with a G major triad, god willing". Those guys were hilarious.
I like this organ, nothing "bombastic", just very listenable sounds.
I absolutely loved you going full French on this bright organ. I myself love the Romantic sound as well. My favourite stop on any organ is a bombarde 32' (or at least 16') on the pedal. What's your favourite stop Fraser?
I love this channel!
Kein Tag ohne Bach...please play more Bach! Such a nice sounding organ for the size!
This organ has a much lighter tone but still a very powerful sound. Thank you Fraser as always well worth listening too, Have you any plans to include any of the Choirs you work in any of your video? Oh and finally thank you for making this as easy for everyone to understand for those of us who are Organ Lovers but not Organs Nerds.
Again, a great video from you Fraser! Wow, that organ has quite a lot to give for having only 19 stops! Seems the size of the church has a lot to say when it comes to how many pipes one need. Of course it's nice to have a broad selection to choose from, but seems like 19 stops is perfect for this church. Question is, is 19 on the very limit, or would you been equally happy with even fewer stops? Also, a beautiful improvisation at the end! 😃
PS! I sent you a PM on Patreon (of all things) 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure if you've missed it or what, but I just give you a tiny little reminder anyway ;)
Great video.
ooh! color me impressed! sounds much larger than i expected. not quite as sharpy-sounding as i expected, which, to me, is good. this german sound is somewhat equivalent to the american schantz and a paranoid version of the frenchy canadian casavant. i guess we're all crazy. again, great acoustics. btw, i wonderwhy they didn't cantilever the organ? any ideas...money, aesthetic, architecture? just pondering, as mary---well, maybe not, but...???
Explore french music a little more will lead one to Lefebure-Wely and "circus music". We owe the french so much for our idiomatic musical notions.
This technique of using a different part of the keyboard to get a different sound out of a “stop” is something I used a lot on my (horrors) electronic keyboard. Of course there, I could use the transpose function to still get the whole keyboard. Transposed by just semi-tones (or by hundredths, using the “tuning” function) can also, more subtly, change the sound.
Yeah, that's called "split keyboard.".. it's a workaround to having only one keyboard. Requires a whole different mindset to play.
Bill Martin Not split keyboard, just using “octave up or down “, and “transpose” functions. Changes of just one semitone, can brighten a major key, or darken a minor key. Try it.
Its a common technique to explore with small organs, especially those from the revivalist baroque period where some stops aren't where you expect to find them, such as a 2' flute on the great made mostly of principals and the 2' principal on the upper manual made mostly of flutes and a buzzy reed. The law of economy - get the most out of every stop you have even if you have to play it an octave or two above or below.
The "clickey keys" would drive me nuts.
The sound in this video is really good mixed! The basses a little bit louder, so they are really good for listening on headphones. In the other videos I had sometimes the feeling that my headphones couldn't get the basses right because they were to quiet, but this time well done!
One question: Could you maybe play the Widor-Toccata sometime?
That's a big bassoon. ;)
8 foot floot
I love watching your videos. You play so beautifully. Could you please explain what those micro-switches are above each of those stops? You have them on your organ as well. I can't recall seeing them on organs in the States.
What a nice little organ! I want to visit Germany so badly, but my German still needs some polishing XD. Just out of curiosity, what are the little white and red flip switches above the stops for? I've seen switches like them on a lot of other german organs in your videos and I have no idea what they could be for. Anyway, that just me being ignorant. I hope to give a recital series in Germany one day! Love your videos, keep up the Hauptwerk!
Timothy Salomon Oh! I see! Thank you for such a prompt reply.
Herr Gartshore! I will be in Hamburg from September 12 to 16 attending the Schnitger Symposium! Any chance you will be there?
I have a comment/question on your use of Sesquialteras. It seems like you always use them with just an 8' flute. This is a nice sound, but I usually expect a 4' flute also, which binds the open harmonics together. Love what you do!
Good point. I prefer the open sound - 8, 2,2/3 and 1,3/5 gives that clarinetty character. With a 4’ it starts sounding more cornetty. Now there’s a pair of words you don’t hear every day!
I was wondering about the red and white switches above the stops, then it hit me - I bet those are preset selectors. Am I right?
Yep!
@@FraserGartshore Wow, that's more presets than you have stops!
There are only two presets - red and white. Each stop can then be selected for red or white or both and the presets are selected using the thumb pistons under the lower manual. It’s not as exciting as it looks!
What are the little red and white switches above the stops?
@Bradford Dale, organist thank you
Hey fraser you should go to the Frankfurt cathedral they have 2 organs inside
It's wonderful that she said yes, and you got married! I enjoy how you educate us on organ components and stops in your videos. Spitfire Audio just came out with their Symphonic Organ (ua-cam.com/video/9qjEHuLRp0o/v-deo.html) and I understand your commentary much better now after having watched that video. Although not a real pipe organ experience this Symphonic Organ will still sound good in my living room.
I have been wondering... Is it 'bad' to play chords while (sort of) randomly moving fingers to give it a rhythm, or a sense of motion? A bit like the 'tremolo-thing' at 23:23? I have seen people looking down on that. I think it can sound good, but I am never sure if it is good, as some organists and -fanatics can be really rigorous about that kind of things...
EDIT: And a question that's actually much more important for me: How do you remember a melody that you introduce in the beginning of an improvisation, throughout the whole improvisation, so that it gets a structure? You seem to do that very nicely, but I keep forgetting every melody that I come up with, within a minute of improvising!
Thanks for your comments. Regarding a melody for improvising - I try to stick to simple melodies with easy-to-remember passages or rhythms. This will be the subject of a future video! The idea is to keep the listeners’ attention by repeating parts of the melody - they’re always waiting for that moment of recognition!
Excellent, informative video - as they all are. Thank you!
Quick question though. I saw when you had the coupler on between the two manuals, the coupler only played one way. So playing the lower manual brought the upper one into play, whereas when you played the upper keyboard, that's all you got. I don't think that is normal? Thanks anyway for the most informative channel.
Yep - that’s normal - you couple Manual II to Manual I, so both are playable on I but not the other way around.
Thank you, and keep up the great videos. Still waiting for the Toccata and Fuge in D minor by Bach. Or did I miss it?
It’s coming soon!
A question, what does that black digital box do on the Organ Console with a key pad?
It’s for the hymn numbers in services - it’s connected to a projector. The organist controls what the congregation gets to sing!
I like the 22:02 part :-)
Most important question is: what does the console _smell_ like?
Hi there just wondered when you're going to play That's toccata and Fugue that you said you would play if you reached 10000 subscribers
Soon!
What was the idea? Did I miss the bit where you explained the idea?
Did I miss it? I was wondering what the red and white toggle switches are for....
You can flip those to create sort of a "preset" so that you can quickly change a lot of stops with the buttons under the manual.
Sort of a simplified 'preset'. You flip the switches on the stops you want to assign for a particular piston under the 'Hauptwerk' manual. I think there are 2 pistons (Fraser, correct me if I'm wrong), so the white switches coincide with one, and the red switches coincide with the other.😉
@@pepesilvia8365 ok cool . I'm guessing there will be a solenoid to actuate the stop rocker switch? I'm also guessing that the keypad thing to the right is for programmed playback with midi or something?
Did it hurt?
If you wanted could most organs have all the stops open or will the wind run out? Thank you
Most organs are built to be able to cope with tutti registrations - some organs are noticeably out of wind if you play large chords on "the works" - it can sometimes be a rather charming effect!
@@FraserGartshore Gloucester Cathedral - even after the Nicholson rebuild in 2000 and further work more recently, big chords on full organ make it go noticeably flat. You can hear it on the recording of David Briggs' Mass for Nôtre Dame. Schwimmers will never be an adequate substitute for big double-rise reservoirs!
The 200 stop Woolsey Hall organ at Yale University produces its fullest sound using only about 20% of its stops. It's somewhat rare, but a good example of judiciousness in registration! Do you really need the Dulciana in full organ?...
@@virginiaorganbuilder probably not, but with a lot of organs, while the volume comes from relatively few stops, adding in the quieter stuff helps broaden it out.
@@richardharrold9736 True indeed.
Mechanical couplers: One of the reasons I do NOT like to play tracker organs. I appreciate the engineering. I appreciate the history. However, I don't like to play them.
I've known organists that LOVE them, on the other hand, and organ builders that don't like working on anything else.
@@MrJdsenior Oh sure. They definitely have their place. ...and arguably they give you more control over the way the pipes speak. They just aren't my cup of tea. I just like the consistency of the electronic actions...and the flexibility that gives organ builders. There are a number of fantastic organs that exist today that just wouldn't be possible with a tracker action.
@@MrJdsenior Actually, I just remembered! I met somebody once who was actually like "Ah, trackers! They belong in the past, those freakin dinosaur relics!" Now, I wouldn't go quite THAT far! Ha ha!
@@ryano.5149 Yeah, as a hobby I've been fixing up very old manual typewriters and selling them on eBay. Kinda the same thing. There's something sort of "romantic" about seeing the type bars strike the paper, hearing the click, and knowing you've committed something to posterity (so to speak), but if I have to type a bunch of words, I'd pretty much always go to a computer keyboard, much easier, much faster.
We bought a "new" (tearout) organ at the small church we attended several years back to replace the horrendous calliope that someone had donated earlier, which my father and I went up into the midwest to pick up and bring back for installation. The guy doing the overseeing that they picked, and who did all the final tuning and voicing said, Yeah, it's not a tracker...but we'll get it in there anyway. ;-)
He also said, one day when Dad was trying to finalize the connections on a little driver dad had made to actuate the chimes and was getting a bit frustrated "Does your dad drink?". I said "no". He said "Maybe he should start". I about rolled on the floor....like I said, good sense of humor.
Why on earth wouldn't they just use all the available gallery space instead of shoving the organ right up one end of one half thereof? Seems daft to me when you could centre it and have so much more organ!
I suppose it’s a question of budget. Back in the 70s the church boasted a large choir, that was the choir loft - they need space for choir and organ.
@@FraserGartshore fair enough - but then no Schwellwerk or any soft accompanimental stops?! You're not wrong about the Pedal Gemshorn, nicest stop on the whole organ.
That was the fashion back then. Nowadays it’s all French Romantic - who knows what it’ll be in 30 years’ time...
@@FraserGartshore I've seen some modern German organ specs that look distinctly English Romantic - three Open Diapasons on the Hauptwerk alone, full 16-8-4 flue and reed choruses in the Schwellwerk, enclosed Solo with strings and orchestral reeds plus unenclosed Tuba, enclosed Choir organs, big Pedals based around a 16ft Open Wood...
I’m guessing they would be imported instruments from defunct churches in the UK. It happens more regularly than your imagine...
Who wrote that piece of music your payed at the end?
I did! It was an improvisation!
@@FraserGartshore It was really good. It's no surprise though coming from you.
Thanks Andrew!
15:23 "but please don't forget, there are also ***normal people*** out there watching the channel"
Sag bitte so was nicht, da bekomme ich immer komische Assoziationen, wie diese hier:
ua-cam.com/video/zBDCq6Q8k2E/v-deo.html
😂😂😂
Ich glaube schon, dass der Sound sehr sehr gut ist!!! Aber glaubt doch nicht im entferntesten daran, dass das einer echten Orgel ansatzweise konkurieren könnte! Das bekommt man elektronisch einfach nicht hin! Wenn man richtig hinhört sind ganz schön schräge Töne dabei! Ich empfehle Xaver Varnus im Berliner Dom Toccata! Nichst für ungut!!!
Ähm... die ist eine echte Orgel in Weidenhahn... klein, aber fein...
Good Lord, sounds like a cat in heat.........................................
Can you speake french please 😄
Désolé, je ne parle pas beaucoup Français !
@@FraserGartshore Ah mais c'est pas grave c'est aussi bien 😄