Recent content by AllanP

There seems to be a fashion to include a loud, splashy trumpet in almost all organs, classical or theatre. This phenomena is somewhat new as it did noe exist 20 or so years ago. Why has this trend started, What use is made of these stops? These are expensive and limited use stops, so why are...

What are the different styles of playing these pieces. Today my teacher was using the Prelude in C Major as an example in harmony. She played the 16th note figures detached. She studied with Richard Purvis at Grace cathedral which has serious reverbration so that playing detached has become a...

One of the least documented topics in organ playing is the subject of registration. The question is "How to select registration?" Some issues are 1. When to use a diapason chorus? 2. When to use a single diapason as a solo stop? 3. Do you ever use a flute chorus? Are all stopped flutes used...

At a Christmas party today, the question arose that it appears that some of our classical organ friends really appear to intensely dislike theatre organs (without ever having heard one). My first organ teacher is a neo-baroque fan who typifies this attitude. This forum is primarily a classical...

Last week was my son's birthday. He visited me for a party and I played some organ pieces for him. One was "American Patrol". He commented that my playing used to sound like a metronome, now it sounds like music. What does a player do to make the music sound "musical"? In my case, I tend to...

I was lisiening to a CD of organ music. The pipe work has noticeable starting transients when each note is struck. One piece has a reed added part way through in which the reed starts when the note is played. The effect is make it obvious that the starting transient makes the note sound with a...

The playing of transcriptions (music written for another instrument rather than the organ) seems to have gone out of style among organists. Today, my family had lunch at a restaurant where a harp player performed a wide variety of music. The question occured to me "Why can a harpist play...

I am a long time amateur organ enthusiast. I am an engineer by profession and a musican by interest. I have my own (6 rank with two 16', unified to 39 stops) pipe organ in my home and am taking lessons again after a lapse of 20 years. I like to play a wide variety of music and am pleased that...