Gosh, I can't really say what my favorite instrument is. I do like the clavichord and awful lot (and of course I like the organ, but I think we're talking OTHER than the organ.) I also played the trumpet for 8 years in school.
Is it difficult in Denmark to get to play an organ? When I was a teenager and learning to play, I had a difficult time here finding a church that would allow me to practice on their organ. While there were a number of pipe organs in my home town, the church people had this crazy idea that it would wear it out. The truth is that within reason, the more you play them, the better they work. I guess I thought the people in Denmark might be a little more laid back than here and that more people would be exposed to playing the organ (or allowed to.)
I think it's very helpful for organists to either play another instrument or, even better, to sing. The organ is very much a mechanical instrument, and organists need to study HOW the voice and other instruments make musical sounds and phrases, and try to imitate it. In general, I guess you could say that organists try to play cantabile, yes. But that does not necessarily mean legato. Completely legato organ playing is an invention of the very late 19th century into the 20th century. It makes a sound that doesn't "breathe" like another instrument. In early music, like Bach or Buxtehude, or earlier, organists did not play legato--they articulated between notes, with the idea that in a large room the sounds would meld together and SOUND legato, but with inflexion. I believe even some 19th century composers, like Mendelssohn and Brahms meant a flexible legato of sorts on the organ.
So organists play with illusion. We create the illusion of breathing, of consonants in singing, and even of cresdendo/diminuendo on instruments without swell boxes. And it's very helpful to be familiar with other instruments or the voice so you know what you're trying to imitate.
Not taking a breath in your playing is common to keyboard players, piano, organ, etc. I find one of the best ways for an organist to get over this problem is to play hymns and sing along with your own playing.
The "other" Thomas (Dressler)