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Post by keff on Sept 10, 2023 13:23:22 GMT
Have just been catching up with the vocal parts in the second half of the Last Night concert. Soprano soloist...absolutely superb and choir really first class. The choral performance of the audience took me by surprise as I cannot ever remember it being so good as broadcast last night. I usually choke up when singing along to Jerusalem and what a spectacular coda it received when the organ let rip.
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Post by Zi on Sept 11, 2023 8:16:12 GMT
Have you played an organ at all keff ? Aside from electric I mean - I know you said you had one of those. I always think it is one of the most (the most?) rousing instrument ever! |
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Post by keff on Sept 11, 2023 10:59:55 GMT
Only once, as far as I can remember, and it is about 35 years ago. A friend is a vicar, past retirement age, formally retired, moved out of his last parish but still takes mid week services! I played a shortened version of Bach Jesu Joy of Mans' Desiring but it was a piano version and didn't need pedals.
Just remembered...when I was doing my physics research I was posted to a scientific establishment and lived in their hostel. A chap in the same hostel was building a pipe organ and occasionally I would call into his workshop and play it.
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Post by Zi on Sept 11, 2023 12:08:56 GMT
Is it a very different experience from an electric? It always looks extremely energetic! I was amused by the mention of the Bach as that would have been my next question. I'm glad you anticipated it as I'm not good at asking questions. I agonise over them for ages as I'm always afraid I may ask the wrong thing!
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Post by keff on Sept 11, 2023 15:02:09 GMT
I would have to look up how many keys there are in each manual of a pipe organ but in essence you can play a full spectrum of sound by opening stops to 4,8,16 and 32 feet pipes. There are probably two and one half octaves of notes on the pipe organ's pedal board. In my simplified understanding I would imagine that the manuals are played as a piano apart from the really low notes being put in with the feet. The other difference is that there is no sustain pedal and immediately a finger is removed from a key the notes stops sounding. This requires a different technique of playing compared to the piano.
On our (sons) electronic organ there are two manuals of only three and one half octaves and one octave at the feet. Son was taught to play the melody on the upper manual, the tonic of the bass chord on the pedal and the remaining notes of the bass chord on the lower manual using his left hand.
I look forward to your questions and certainly would not take offence because asking questions or making a point within emails or on forums is far more difficult than communicating face to face when it is possible to see a person's reaction to the conversation. Receiving feedback from posts is, in my mind, a good thing.
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Post by Zi on Sept 11, 2023 20:41:35 GMT
That's very interesting. I'd never really thought about the mechanics of an organ although because traditional pipe organs are so huge, I do think of them as having an architectural presence as well as a musical and a mechanical one. Is it very difficult to swap between piano and organ and pipe organ and electric organ? I would have thought, for example, the sustain pedal issue would take some getting use to. I do like traditional organs. I like the sound they produce and their presence. It's nice to know that you don't mind my questions. I guess that we have to remember that there is no compunction to answer a question - one can just ignore it!  |
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