Is organ building dead where you live?

[Argoth]

Do you know who the active English builders are?

Hi Arvin B,

If you look at the post I made here http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/4261-organ-builders.html about English organ builders, you might be able to get some info, although I've only listed the builders I know once built instruments for my country (a former British colony), and most of them appear to still be in existence since the 19th century. Those are the old firms (though obviously not all the old firms). There must be several other smaller ones that are operating in England, although I know of a few organists at Cathedrals in Britain and they are none too happy about the declining interest in the instrument, given the high costs of building new ones. Convenience over quality seems the order of the day, even though these new electrics will probably sound dated after a decade or two.

 

[Arvin B]

Hi Arvin B,

If you look at the post I made here http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/4261-organ-builders.html about English organ builders, you might be able to get some info, although I've only listed the builders I know once built instruments for my country (a former British colony), and most of them appear to still be in existence since the 19th century. Those are the old firms (though obviously not all the old firms). There must be several other smaller ones that are operating in England, although I know of a few organists at Cathedrals in Britain and they are none too happy about the declining interest in the instrument, given the high costs of building new ones. Convenience over quality seems the order of the day, even though these new electrics will probably sound dated after a decade or two.

Thanks! I think the English organ builders were at least for a time very influencial in American organ building.

 

[Arvin B]

Church Organists in the US are starting to become extinct - at least in the region where I live. Years ago there was a plethora of organists competing for church positions - in one such Southern California church I was competing against 10 other organists ... btw, I was awarded that position and served as Sr. Organist for 15 years. I've been the sole organist at my church since 1982 - there are no others waiting in the wings if and when I decide to have my organ shoes bronzed and hang them on the wall. I'm hoping the scenario will change here.

Being of Danish ancestry (I have a cousin that lives in Copenhagen) I would move there in a heartbeat if it were economically feasable. I'll have to settle for a visit instead, which I hope to do in the next couple years.

The way it can change is for the position of "church organist" to become a viable profession. That's pretty much all it takes. Then it would be worth someone's time and money to get the training. As it is now, the only reason young organists such as myself got the training is for the artistic satisfaction. Most churches do not even pay enough to make it worth your time to set your foot outside your front door, let alone start the engine on your car.

 

[jvhldb]

If you want to see a trade going extinct have a look at South Africa. I know of only three organ builders still operating, most of them are small companies with a staff of less than ten.

As for organists, in our town the organs outnumber the organists, some congregations resorted to using piano players as organists (they don't activate the pedals and use them as footrests while playing only on the great manuals, talk about sacrilege). In the central province, only two new organists signed up for classes this year.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Hi jvhldb,

Tis sad news of the organbuilding scene in South Africa, especially since South Africa it is attracting lots of investment.

Corno Dolce

 

[Krummhorn]

The way it can change is for the position of "church organist" to become a viable profession. That's pretty much all it takes. Then it would be worth someone's time and money to get the training. As it is now, the only reason young organists such as myself got the training is for the artistic satisfaction. Most churches do not even pay enough to make it worth your time to set your foot outside your front door, let alone start the engine on your car.

I quite agree, Arvin ...
We are trying to do just that ... the American Guild of Organists has published a standard salary scaleon their site. Sad to say, most parishes, including the one I work for, cannot afford to pay those wages. Income for operating expenses comes directly from the offering plates ... literally!! My parish (the one I work in and hodl membership in) has gone from 1800 members to 600 in the past 20 years. Average Sunday attendance hovers around 235, yet we hold our own and can meet our budgetary obligations.

I blame some of the lack of organists on society - back when I started playing in church, at age 12, we didn't have the internet, mobile phones, texting, CD's, iPods, Palm Pilots, Nintendo ... we did have TV, but there were only a handful of shows and 7 channels, not the 100's we have today.

If we can't raise the pay standards to interest young people, then we have to try something else ... what that is, I haven't yet figured out.

 

[falcon1]

I'm happy to say that in Iceland organ building is thriving... just in past week there were inauguration of new organ (icelandic builder). 2 other church organs are on the drawing board and the new concert hall here in Iceland will have a concert organ.

 

[Udyret]

It's sad to hear that the organist problem is worldwide. But Krummhorn you're right that it is partly to blame on society. Today the attractive music for people is the music that has a high media profile, and there the classical music is hard to find and the organ is invisible. The payment is of course the big issue, but there are other things I would like got realised; make the organists job attractive to the rhytmical musicians and other instrumentalists, in Denmark where you actually get waged really well, the places of education do not do a thing to attract fresh blood, though I bet everybody would love the organists' position if they were told the advantages: freedom, good income and challenge. I myself studied with 2 jazz-musicians who completed the education and loved being organists in the end, so it is possible. To attract more like them tell aloud it's ok to play rhytmical music in church, it actually enriches the service when done properly. Because I don't want the opposite; a rock band going mad and a preacher shouting along. But in small doses and done well, I think there is a chance attract the position to rhymical musicians as well and make the service better.
However the problem goes along and there are no easy solutions.
Cheers Udyret

 

[Contratrombone64]

falcon1 - can you share some photos of Icelandic pipe organs with us? I'd also be interested to hear what the brutally cold winters' affect is on church organs.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Hello CT64,

Here is a fascinating Organ from Iceland:

http://nightskypictures.com/Iceland/Hallgrimskirkja_2.htm

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[NEB]

Looks nice. If it sounds as good as it look then it'll be a wonderful instrument.

 

[methodistgirl]

Hello CT64,

Here is a fascinating Organ from Iceland:

http://nightskypictures.com/Iceland/Hallgrimskirkja_2.htm

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

That's a beautiful organ! Nice picture!
judy tooley

 

[Contratrombone64]

I agree - what a stunning looking instrument.

 

[NEB]

I do so think that there is an art to designing what they look like, perhaps even moreso than the skill and art involved in creating what they sound like.

Each organ of even medium size must be a colossal undertaking requiring so much vision from the builder to match up the way it looks and sounds, and make them perfect for the building as if they'd always been together.

I'm so much in awe of proponents of this noble art.

 

[Corno Dolce]

The firm of Klais who built the instrument in Iceland is probably best known for how they architectonically integrate an instrument into an existing space.

 

[NEB]

The more modern spaces that are around in the more recent church building would IMO necessitate a different kind of aesthetic from those dating back many centuries. I would say that being sympathetic to the building in question must require a great deal of flexibility in the creative process in order not to make a complete pigs ear of the whole thing.

 

[dombedos]

HI!
I live in Italy and we are "lucky" about Organ builders art..
I'm waiting for this really interesting organ.. please, take a look..

http://www.organosandomenicorieti.it

I'm sorry about the english version.. I'm working to translate all the site pages and many of them are already in Italian..

Have a good visit !
I'ts a pleasure talking with Pipe Organ enthusiast from any part of the world !

 

[dombedos]

I'm sorry.. I see now the Iceland organ photo. Very impressive and intersting organ, builded accordling to "werkprinzip.."

 

[Corno Dolce]

This is way cool - MIMF has now a member in the organbuilding business - where's Frederik Magle at? He should be very interested in this latest development. What a privilege and an honor for us.

Tante Grazie,

Corno Dolce

 

[falcon1]

Corno, you posted a link to a picture of our biggest pipe organ which is located in our only cathedral sized building.

Here's the spec of this organ http://hallgrimskirkja.is/?listir/orgel/raddskipan

It's very popular amongst concert organists to come here and play on this big organ. I have played on it many times and get sometimes to practice there.

Here's another of our "main" organs http://www.noackorgan.com/instruments/opus/opus_135.html - it's located in much smaller church but still quite large for Iceland. This is a baroque type instrument, the organ in Hallgrimskirkja is more romantic as you see.

Another one from Noack - http://www.noackorgan.com/instruments/opus/opus_133.html

Here's a brand new instrument located in Grindavíkur church - it's about 30 stops and build by Icelandic organ builder

Here's another one by that same organ builder, located in Ísafjarðar church http://www.kirkjan.net/mynd/kirkjur/isafprof/isafjardar/isafjardar/isafj5.jpg - I don't have a spec but it replaced a danish organ which destroyed in a church fire about 2 decades ago.

I will try to find more for you, unfortunatly there are not many pictures of icelandic organs out there. But I'm planning to do something about it next year.