Hello everyone. I play piano and harp and have been asked to play the organ at an Episcopal church. I would love to have help and hear about the experiences of others. Thanks.
. . . Lars plays for the Lutheran church for many years . . .
Welcome to our forum, Harpy. As Bill mentions I am also a professional organist and have worked in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) since 1961. I have seen lots over the years, mostly all good stuff happen to me in every church position I've held, which has been a total of 5 over 52+ years. I have been in my current position since 1982 and play on a II/9 Möller pipe organ that was installed in 1979. The church seats 350, so the organ is quite adequate for the building, although I could always use more flues and a couple solo reed stops, and a digital 32' ... and a stronger 16' in the pedal ... and pistons ... !
I've had some wicked gigs over those years though ... the worst was playing for a military wedding on a Marine base. The chapel had this horrendous Hammond contraption (a semi-concert model with 25 note pedalboard) and the stupid vibrato was stuck in the on position - and no possible way to turn it off. Things didn't get too bad until the recessional - the bridal party requested the Toccata by Widor ... yup, vibrato and all. Almost tempted to add a 6th to the final chord!!
Another was this 5 rank Wicks in a church I was the organist at for 15 years. This was an old style Wicks theater organ complete with horseshoe console, high wind pressure and two ranks that could not be used for hymns or liturgy: 1) vox humana, 2) tibia. The other 3 ranks were Diapason, Melodia and Salicional. This organ required monthly repairs and tunings. After the organ tech died, I took over the service and tunings. I then closed all the caps on the vox, then tuned it slightly sharp of the Salicional making a quasi celeste out of those two - wasn't bad if the trem was also used. We eventually replaced it with an Allen digital in 1972.
I have not regrets in the direction I took very early in life - except that I have not spent a Christmas Eve at home since I was 12 years old (1960) as I have been involved with church services on that evening every year since.
Enough about me ... so how long have you been playing, Harpy? And what kind of organ to you have at the Episcopal church?
Lars A.