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    Frederik Magle
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Modern Christian Music on Pipe organ

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I've done some Lani Smith arrangements on the organ lately - they are pretty good. Lorenz did some years back, but they tended to butcher the arrangements and/or 'abridged' them (shortened to 4 pages from 6 perhaps) which for my rendered them useless.

We used to have a "Gospel" service once a month where I currently play. The organ there is a great one to romp this stuff on - I would do preludes (my own arrangements) on stuff like It Is No Secret, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, and such. It was lots of fun ... but over the years, through clergy changes, some service formats get tossed by the wayside. We have a contemporary service now, but the organ is silent for that one and I play the piano in a 4 member 'praise band'.

Harold deCou had some great recordings 30 years ago of these great old hymns on the organ.

Today's Christian music is better suited for the piano ... but that could be because the church acoustics are deader than a doornail and it sounds too choppy. All those wierd syncopated rhythms and tempos good me up all the time. :rolleyes:
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
I don't feel that music built on an insipid melody and accompanied by I, IV, and V-chords sound very effective on a pipe organ. On a synthesizer-yes.

I remember hearing praise-band music once being played on a pipe organ by an accomplished organist - I ran out as fast as my feet could carry me since my ears were hurting.

Yes, somebody might feel offended by what I have written - its nothing personal mind you. :angel:

Cheers,

Corno Dolce
 

methodistgirl

New member
I prefer the gospel songs like Give Thanks, My live is in you, All Hail King
Jesus, and I can only imagine on the pipe organ. These are actually
beautiful on the organ especially Give thanks from Intregety Hosana.
Keep up on the opinions!
judy tooley:)
 

NEB

New member
Well Judy - Frankly I can't stand the stuff. I think it is mostly Banal, creatively bankrupt, and so sickly I wan't to run away as fast as possible.

I do however have the intense misfortune to have to play some of it from time to time, and IMO it will Never sound good on an organ. Lets face it, much of it doesn't even sound good on the instrumnets it was written for i.e. poppy-folky-hippy worshipy bands.

I've developed a scale by which I can judge how awful soemthing is likely to be even before I've seen the tune. The more often it says Jesus or Love/adore etc. the more awful/banal it is likely to be, and this scale isn't often wrong! (SADLY)

No offence intended to those who love this stuff. I respect your opinion and am entitled to mine at the same time... ;)
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Hi NEB,

I respect your opinions ... some of it goes rather trashy on most pipe organs, sans the theatre types.

Judy,

Those you mention would sound rather 'clunky' on my pipe at church - about the most "gospelish" I can do on are the likes of It Is No Secret, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, and What A Fellowship. Now, this organ loves to do those and romps well with this kind of 'oom-pah' in the pedals.

We have a contemporary service - the organ remains silent - I play the piano instead as it lends itself better for those more jazzy hymns.
 

NEB

New member
Yeah - one of the churches I used to play at was heavily into that sort of praise song, and had a grand piano downstairs, so I used to wizz down from the organ loft to the piano and back again. It got very tedious constantly running up and down stairs. Some services just got silly going back and forth...
 

methodistgirl

New member
I've done some Lani Smith arrangements on the organ lately - they are pretty good. Lorenz did some years back, but they tended to butcher the arrangements and/or 'abridged' them (shortened to 4 pages from 6 perhaps) which for my rendered them useless.

We used to have a "Gospel" service once a month where I currently play. The organ there is a great one to romp this stuff on - I would do preludes (my own arrangements) on stuff like It Is No Secret, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, and such. It was lots of fun ... but over the years, through clergy changes, some service formats get tossed by the wayside. We have a contemporary service now, but the organ is silent for that one and I play the piano in a 4 member 'praise band'.

Harold deCou had some great recordings 30 years ago of these great old hymns on the organ.

Today's Christian music is better suited for the piano ... but that could be because the church acoustics are deader than a doornail and it sounds too choppy. All those wierd syncopated rhythms and tempos good me up all the time. :rolleyes:

I don't have that problem. My church sounds great when the pipe organ
plays anything I even played Sleigh Bells on the organ yesturday and
it sounded perfect with the bells jangling when I pulled the stop for it.
You have seen my avatar picture.
judy tooley
 

Emilymoore

New member
My church sounds pretty darned good too! bad acoustics can ruin even the best piece of music...the old community church used to be pretty bad..and then i guess, was divine intervention!
 
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