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Harpy

New member
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.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Welcome to the forums. Glad to hear about your request. I was an Episcopal organist-choirmaster for many years. Lars play for the Lutheran church for many years as well as others. I am sure they/us will happy to answer any questions you may have. what can and can not be done many times lies within the jurisdiction of the Priest and /or music committee ( committee many times real joke- not even musicians either). You can watch services from the National Cathedral on the the web live or on demand anytime and get a good idea of a normal service. Http://www.nationalcathedral.org. Good Luck and enjoy your position. Hope they have a good organ.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
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.
 

Harpy

New member
Thanks Bill and Lars. I'm still learning both the organ and my way around this website. Playing the pedal harp involves split-second pedal changes without noise, so the foot, hand, and eye coordination ability has been helpful on the organ. When asked earlier this year to play, I had three choices: 1) say no 2) say yes but I need to get a teacher and solve the practice problem first and maybe after a year I could do it 3) step in and do it because they would not have anyone else. I chose the last knowing full well my performance wouldn't be the best. I am not familiar with the Episcopal Church which has more structure and rituals, making it more difficult to know when to play and when not. There is no music director-just the organist. I want you to hear about my experience Sunday. I don't know if I should laugh or cry or quit! I'll get back Wednesday. I'm involved with the symphony league today. About ten years ago I had a few lessons with someone who got her doctorate under Warren Hutton at Alabama, so I already had organ shoes. I'm enthralled with the pedals! I found a teacher who has a degree in organ performance and decades of experience playing in church. She is helping me with the registrations and pedals. There is no longer an organ program at the college in the town where this church is. The church pays very well, although I'm not doing it for the money-I just want to help them.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Nice that you will be rewarded for your endeavors. Watch the videos form the National Cathedral I mentioned that will help except for morning prayer service which they do not do as a rule. The Psalm is in Canticle form so that will help you in that area. Another thought: Is there an Episcopal church near you as perhaps he organist would help you with serice playing. Where are you,located?
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Harpy,

You might want to get hold of a "method' book for organ. There are two main ones out there, one by John Stainer and the other by Harold Gleason. I learned from the Gleason book in conjunction with weekly organ lessons. The Stainer method of pedaling is less formal and allows feet to cross in front and behind each other.

The Gleason book is excellent except that any copy whether used or new is quite pricey. The Gleason book I bought for $4.45 in 1960 now sells for $125 or more (USD).

We organists make mistakes at times ... we cry when it happens during a service but laugh afterwards usually. I had been a sub organist in an Episcopal parish for about 6 weeks one summer and when I returned to the Lutheran service I played the Episcopalian three-fold Amen instead of the Lutheran one. OOPS. And one of the past Synodical Bishops was in attendance that particular week. He told me afterwards in an jovial voice ... "if you have to sin, sin loudly, get it over with and then continue on". I went to the parish pastor after the service, knelt down, crossed myself and said "Father forgive me for I have sinned!" We all had a good laugh.

Lars A.
 

Harpy

New member
I was brought up in a charismatic church, so you can imagine what I have to learn. That is not a negative. I can't just walk in and do it as easily.

This church has an Allen with five general pistons that can not be changed, two manuals, and a decent amount of stops. It is probably a good size for the space. There are no external speakers. I am in Mississippi. I did indeed try to get help from the organist who had played there in the past. She is a retired organ professor and wanted to do something else now. I also called another organist/choir director at another Episcopal church, but she said she didn't teach privately. The teacher I have plays a very large Allen which sounds great at a Baptist church. She has also taught me to cross my feet over and under. I haven't been doing classical training, as I need to know now what to do to get through Sunday morning. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to learn to do it right-not just play it like a piano. I don't like the way it sounds without the pedals and their music appears to be written for organ for the most part.

I wanted to know what kind of bad organ days others have had. Things can go wrong that are beyond the organist's control no matter how hard he/she has worked. The problem is I could get a negative reputation. I hope that didn't happen to both of you. I have a little book by Janette Fishell-But What Do I Do With My Feet?-written for the pianist who is asked to move to the organ. She says: "You know that it takes disciplined practice, patience, and a sense of humor when your hands and feet clearly do not wish to cooperate. But persevere! Every minute you spend becoming a better organist is one more minute you give back your talent in service to God. It is important to remember that God demands not perfection but commitment to whatever is our best at any given moment." I hope God has a sense of humor after the experience I had Sunday with an old, very dirty, cranky organ at another church and mistakes in the song sheet. (I was taking the repeats as it was written in the hymnal in the refrain. The congregation went on to the next verse! I just hope there were no visitors that day!)
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I was brought up in a charismatic church, so you can imagine what I have to learn. That is not a negative. I can't just walk in and do it as easily.

I do not care for that worship format myself either ...

. . . The teacher I have plays a very large Allen which sounds great at a Baptist church. She has also taught me to cross my feet over and under. I haven't been doing classical training, as I need to know now what to do to get through Sunday morning. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to learn to do it right-not just play it like a piano. I don't like the way it sounds without the pedals and their music appears to be written for organ for the most part.

Check out the John Stainer Method of Organ Playing. It is great material for the organist who is learning all aspects of playing the organ, including the feet. I learned from the Gleason 'method' book, but those are rather pricey and I believe that the Stainer method is just as good.

I wanted to know what kind of bad organ days others have had. Things can go wrong that are beyond the organist's control no matter how hard he/she has worked.

I had one bad experience with a Hammond concert model in a US Marine Chapel. The horrible vibrato was stuck ON and could not be turned off no matter what I did. You can imagine how the requested Recessional (Widor Toccata from Sym No 5) sounded ... especially the last final chords with Full Vibrato. The entrance processional was Trumpet Voluntary of Jeremiah Clarke, again with Full Vibrato ... wickedly horrible ... but I got my money and everyone was happy. <shrug>

Kh ♫
 

John Watt

Member
Harpy! When I saw your name, I thought of some of the players in the original Riverdance video I just watched,
but reading this forum has got me thinking of some exercises you can try,
that test your co-ordination and show you what kind of co-ordination you really have,
between your feet and your hands.
Try this.

Sit in a chair.
Lift your right leg up and slowly make big, clockwise circles with it, slowly.
Lift your left arm up to shoulder height and use it to draw a big number six.
Did your leg suddenly start moving the opposite way?
Did your arm lose the number shape?
Now try it with your other leg, maybe try drawing a nine.
Do the same things happen to you?

Someone has got to be the Jimi freak rocker.
What's better than roses on a piano?
Tulips on an organ. I had to type that.
I tried to play too many Hammond Port-a-B's.
 
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