Pipe organs in the movies! (updated)

[Krummhorn]

Hi Royboy,
Yes, those are the two ... you then would also know of Beverly Howerton from his time at Fountain Street? I have a LP recording of the Fountain Street Choir performing at St. Francis de Sales in Muskegon, and at St. Francis Xavier in Grand Rapids ... both have Howerton as director and Don Westfield, organist.

St. Francis de Sales reportedly had 7.5 seconds of natural reverberation - wonder if that Allen still exists there today.

[NEB]

Not exactly the movies, but check out this week's Doctor Who (from the BBC) They've filmed part of it in Wells Cathedral and the Doctor gets to play the organ there (well sort of).

It's 'supposedly' Southwark Cathedral, but they've used the inside of Wells according to the extra program of BBC3...

[Soubasse]

What??? Is that the latest season which still hasn't been aired in Australia yet? Dr. Who and the organ? - sounds like my life is nearly complete!

[NEB]

Dr. Who and the organ? - sounds like my life is nearly complete!

That's more or less what I was thinking.

Yep - here in blighty we're about 4 or 5 episodes into the latest series with the new assistant/companion, Martha Jones. She's working out pretty well too.

[Soubasse]

The above episode aired just this last weekend - brilliant! A reasonably sound (sorry) theory too because, have I not heard or read somewhere that there are a few buildings in the UK where certains notes from the organ make the bells in the bell tower start to resonate? Someone may like to verify that, but I know I heard about something along those lines many, many years ago.

[NEB]

Well yes - we know that using the harmonic series we can set up different types of sound through blending, and I've many a time experienced the ground shaking effect of 32'/64' stops under huge chords. Put the sonic vibrations effect together with the sheer seizmic effect the big stops have and............


You had the 'Family' yet?

[Soubasse]

Nope - 42 was last Saturday so it's a couple of eps away according to the online guides ... yes, I've been reading all the spoliers, I just can't wait. It's getting too intense waiting and I'm hugely intrigued by the direction this series is heading.

Back on topic - many moons ago, there was a little known film produced in South Australia starring a young(er) Sam Neill titled "Robbery Under Arms" There was apparently a wedding scene in which my father's harmonium playing could be heard! Still haven't procured a copy of that one yet and I think it's out of print now. There were two different releases though.

[methodistgirl]

I noticed in a lot of horror movies where Taccata & Fugue is in some of
them which I don't like that idea. Back when Bach was composing this
piece it was really ment to be a religious piece for the Catholic Church.
Just like in some of our traditional hymns for example Doxology ends with
"Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A-men." There are places in Toccata
& Fugue that have the A-men music to the end of each movement if you
will listen the next time you play it. It is almost composed like a hymn
in some of it.
Judy tooley

[Pipequeen]

For all you Theatre organ People! I just rewatched the Herbie films, and noticed that in Herbie Rides again, the old lady has a band organ (which technically has pipes).

[AeroScore]

HA!

Remember that wacky theatre organ console in the parade near the end of "Tommy?" With the organist sitting on top and banging on the manuals with his feet?

That's a classic...

Dean

[methodistgirl]

none of you ever thought of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie.
There was a pipe organ made out of wood in that cartoon movie. I just
remembered. Each pipe was carved out to look different and it was
also a pump styled organ. I don't know about some of the other Disney
movies but I do remember the Snow white movie. Check it out.
judy tooley

[Violinschlüssel]

If memory serves me correctly, there is some pipe organ music played in Sunset Boulevard.

[Soubasse]

Was trawling through some of my old tapes that I made years back where I would copy the audio track from hired VHS movies that I liked and found the music to:
Candyman - Philip Glass. This score has a noticeable organ part in it (sounds digital in some places though) and is not unlike parts of Koyaanisqatsi. I believe Glass also did the score for the second Candyman film, but I haven't seen or heard that one yet.

[smilingvox]

Two films come to mind right now:

Mafia (1999) - toward the end there is a wedding which is filmed in First Congregational Church in LA. Case of the E.M. Skinner briefly shown.

The Wanderers (1979) - the Ducky Boys gang actually had their own church in which, I'm guessing, a small 2-manual (or maybe 1-manual) Roosevelt or Jardine, was played. Part of the Adagio, in Bach's Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C, is heard. This was supposedly in a Catholic Church in the Bronx.

[smilingvox]

Another film is Second Sight (1989) - one scene was done in Holy Cross RC Cathedral, Boston. At times, you can make out the big Hook and Hastings in the background.

In the beginning of Jesus of Montreal, a close-up shot of someone playing a large, early Casavant. A Catholic church, but don't know which one.