How/when did you learn the organ.

[JONESEY]

Hi,

Like most of you, I started as a Pianist. Lessons started for me around 5 or 6 I guess, then I changed teacher to one that encouraged exams. I started on Grade 2 with the London College of Music, and took exams up to and including Grade 8 by the time I was 15.

The first encounter with the Church Organ was when the then Vicar of our local village Church arrived on our doorstep with a bunch of hymn books explaining that he had no organist for Evensong that week - I picked 4 hymns I could play, started learning the Magnificat and Nunc Demitus and the rest as they say is history.

I have also played in a Prison Chapel (not a resident!) and for a community church of around 10 people in my time.

There you have it - my organ life story in a nutshell!!!!!

 

[Corno Dolce]

The organ and I go back aways - Single digit age when I first started playing the organ and had good fortune with excellent private tutelage.

 

[methodistgirl]

I started to play the pipe organ last summer at my church. Now I play
the piano and I still play a little organ called the harmonica.
judy tooley

 

[musicalis]

Is it an harmonica with pipes or an electronic harmonica ? :grin::grin::grin::grin::grin::grin:
Do you also play it with the mouth ?
Sorry, Judy,It's only a joke.


PS : have you seen my latest painting (my avatar) ?

 

[Mush]

My mom was an organ teacher. Her mom was an organ teacher. My dad sold Hammonds. His dad sold the first Hammonds. So before I knew any better, I was playing. Later when I was seven, I went into the music program at Immaculate Heart College. After that I studied with composers whos' works were published by my moms company. I always had access to good instruments. When I was bored with all the ones in the house, down in the basement of my dads store there were twenty or so concert grands I could choose from, as long as no visiting Steinway artist was not down there. When there was someone down there, I would secretly sit at the bottom of the back stairs and spy on them as they prepared for concerts. I was always curious about how the greats practiced. Next door to the store there was a nice fat wooly E.M. Skinner, a Shlicker and later a Hrodetzsky to practice on. When the Shoenstien 'Chour de Orgue' showed up at my home church, I hijacked that as my personal practice machine. Then I went to college for a degree and now I'm an engineer.

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi Mush ... and welcome to MIMF - certainly happy to see another Arizonan join our ranks here :wave:

What a wonderful experience you had while growing up ... a plethora of instruments to play ... a childhood (and adults) dream for sure.

Hopefully you still play piano and/or organ?

 

[Flute'n'Pedal]

I became an organist in a rather remarkable and roundabout way. For many years I had been a part-time piano teacher, and I had also played piano for the local church. The priest had several times said I should learn the organ, but I wasn't interested. Then, 3 years ago, a new organist came to the cathedral, and I got a job singing in his cantory. I was so impressed with his playing that, finally, 16 months ago, I asked him to teach me the organ. He agreed to it, but I don't think he expected much of me. However, I was very persistent and practised quite hard. Just one week ago, I was asked to take a position as organist for two small local churches. And that's how I became an organist.

 

[JONESEY]

Congratulations on the job! - it's good to know that your hard work has paid off.

 

[musicalis]

Congratulations too.
I was sure you'll get such a function. I am very happy and proud for you.
Jean-Paul

 

[Krummhorn]

I became an organist in a rather remarkable and roundabout way . . . . . However, I was very persistent and practised quite hard. Just one week ago, I was asked to take a position as organist for two small local churches . . . . .

Congratulates Flute'n'Pedal :clap:

Persistence is the name of the game ... and justly rewarded, too.
So, what kind of organs do these two parishes have? Anything interesting about those you would like to share?

 

[Flute'n'Pedal]

Thank-you all for your congratulations. I think I was unusually fortunate, and I feel a bit inadequate and overwhelmed. But there were other applicants; so I couldn't have been all that bad. I know I owe a lot to my wonderful teacher.
The two organs are both small, but otherwise they're quite different. The one is an old Troels Krohne, with tracker action and 12 stops, and an enormous sound. The other is a newer Marcussen, with 10 stops and a tiny but fine sound. Right now I find it confusing to change from one organ to the other, and yesterday at the services I made some funny goof-ups with the stops. I probably should write out all the registrations before-hand, taking into consideration the differences between the organs.
Part of my job is organ maintenance. That will be assigned to my better half, who is a physicist and a real whiz at cars and bikes and computers. Already I can see there are some small problems--but on a small organ, any problem is serious. If any one knows of some web-sites or books about organ repair that my husband could look at, please let me know.

 

[John30507]

I started out playing keyboard for uhhh... two weeks? Then my instructor showed me his organ. I was in awe! He started teaching me organ instead. I was in 4th grade when I started taking lessons (about 11 years old). I am 13 now. I have not had lessons in about a year, so I am going to start back ASAP.

 

[Udyret]

My story as an organ-player is a mix of traditional and odd. I, like most others, started at the piano having my first lesson as a 7-year old, and kept on playing. Then, as a 20-year old, I graduated from the danish equivalent to high-school, and didn't know what education I should take. By a maddening coincidence my dad works at a labour union, and had to make a plan to get a job for an unemployed musician. The musician's plan involved studying the organ, and my dad said; "hey Peter, you should give that a go!" I just thought: "ok," and at my first lesson I fell in love with the instrument right away, and started getting serious and working as a "stand-in" organist. Then, 2004, I was appointed organist at the church where I still work, and this year I was admitted into what in Denmark is known as a conservatory of music (highest musical education) with the organ as my main instrument.
Five years with the organ as the focus, I can hardly wait...

 

[methodistgirl]

The first organ I played was a chord organ and at the church I went to
back then had a hammond. I kinda grew up with this organ at church
until I left and claimed Madisonville as my home. I have been on about
four different organs and keyboards until I began playing the pipe organ
at this methodist church. Right now, I'm taking a break learning the
guitar. This little instrument is taking up my time now.
judy tooley

 

[Krummhorn]

. . . Five years with the organ as the focus, I can hardly wait...

Hi Udyret,

The wait is worth it ... I also started out young - age 6 with piano lessons, then on to organ lessons at age 12. I'm still just as excited with this whole aspect 48 years later - still playing every week in church and loving every minute of it.

I sincerely hope you do keep up with the lessons - We need more young people like yourself to eventually take over the positions that us 'older' musicians have been playing at for lots of years.

 

[Udyret]

Hi Krummhorn:wave:

Glad to hear that you still love the queen of instruments. I always will, and since i'm gonna study it full time at the highest level in Denmark now, there's no way to ruin my relationship to the queen.
Start of the study is August however, and that's a bit hard to wait for,
but evererything comes to he who is patient. You have my word that only the two d's Deafness and Dementia can make me stop playing the organ, hope you feel the same way.
I'm just curious; what kind of organ and what size do you usually play? I'm lucky again, the church I work at was recently given a brand new 13-stop P.G. Andersen og Bruhn organ, and to say the least they did well. You can play anything on that organ.

 

[John30507]

Hi Krummhorn:wave:

Glad to hear that you still love the queen of instruments.

Correction: King of instruments :grin:

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi Krummhorn:wave: . . . I'm just curious; what kind of organ and what size do you usually play?

Hi Udyret,

I play on a 9 rank M.P. Möller pipe:

The organ is situated in a side gallery above the sanctuary floor - my view to the left looks down on the Altar, which is centrally located. The choir sings from this gallery.

The organ is capable of a plethora of literature ... despite its relatively small size, my annual concerts have featured the likes of Sonata I of Mendelssohn, Chorale No. 3 in A Minor of Franck, as well as Prelude, Fuge et Variation of the same composer.

The blue tables in front of the pipes are for our handbell choir. The church acoustics are deader than a doornail ... passed pews, carpet in the aisles, etc. The pew pads cannot be removed - they are one piece integrated into the pew's construction. So we have to look at other alternatives to improve the acoustical properties - one idea we are researching is sealing the block walls and/or adding glass baffles at certain locations.

 

[methodistgirl]

Krummhorn, the organ in your picture looks like it's the same size as the
one at my church. The only difference is the name of the companies
who constructed them. The organ in my church has 24
ranks.
judy tooley

 

[Udyret]

Hi Krummhorn.

Thanks for the info, good to hear that you play a versatile instrument. Sad thing about the acoustics though, but I don't know what do about that.
You play an almost danish organ per chance, since M.P. Möller was actually an imigrated danish coach builder. It's a small world for sure... Keep up the good work KH.

With the kindest regards Peter