Organ Voluntaries

[Southern Comfort]

Going back to JW Walker, we have a 1 manual unenclosed Walker with a stopped flute rank ranging from 16' to 2', a 4' principal rank and an 8' string from TC (providing 10 'stops' from 3 ranks) - and this is in a large modern church that seats around 1,000. Walkers, in their history volume, said, I think, that they were 'not proud' of many of these instruments - and I can quite see why! The parish priest who had the church built was convinced that he had a bargain!! Since my arrival as a second stint (I originally played in the church as a twelve year old), I have rarely played any organ music - the experience is too frustrating, I just get bad tempered and it rarely adds anything to the liturgy.

We feel your pain.

[Nick Baty]

10 'stops' from 3 ranks....the parish priest who had the church built was convinced that he had a bargain!!

I had a similar experience: The first instrument I played regularly, from the age of 12, was an old valve organ which eventually died. Nowadays it would probably be replaced by an Allen or sim. However, the elderly PP took advice from a local organist who insisted that nothing but pipes would possibly do. Given the budget, the result was a three-stop (8'4'2') Rushworth with no pedals. £4K in 1977.

It was – still is – a beautiful instrument. And I have occasionally popped back for a half-hour play. The 8' alone sings out beautifully. But it's totally unsuitable for a large church which seats 450 people. It now sits, rarely used, in the West Gallery.

The old chap who advised – lovely man, no longer with us – eventually conceded to the next PP that a larger instrument was needed and they bought a digital organ (think it's an Allen). However, once again it's in the West Gallery, making it almost impossible to accompany most cantor-people stuff. So the latest PP added a digital piano to the collection – again, probably badly advised as the digi-organ could have been brought down to the front.

If you know any potential young organists in Liverpool, Keitha, one of our churches is about to restore a three-manual Conacher. Much of the needed £250K will come from grants and one of the conditions is that the instrument is available to the community – young practicing organists would fit this demand perfectly.

Sadly, the instrument will never be used liturgically: it is in a choir gallery, above a public gallery, so high up and so far away that the time lag makes it almost impossible. So for all things liturgical we have an Allen – rather lovely I must say. Although the church is so big that, even with the console at the front, the organist is so far away from the psalmist that it's hard work for both of them – takes quite a bit of practice!!

Sorry. OT.

[keitha]

Thanks, Southern Comfort, for the sympathy. My 'Walker' comment was a bit of a whinge (which I rather regret now) having seen some of the other comments about Walker extension organs. We are looking for a decent 'pre-owned' instrument but it is a difficult task with limited funds, a huge church and some odd acoustics. In the meantime we have bought a good quality refurbished Yamaha grand piano which is used more than the organ.

My main point, however, related to the use of organ voluntaries.

Nick, your comments are interesting. The Rushworth seems wasted - maybe a smaller church could make good use of it? As for the time lag, I was organist for many years in a benedictine priory church and, eventually, after a lot of practice with the cantors, we (I had the luxury of a sub-organist!) managed to compensate for the time-lag reasonably successfully, however, for vespers (where the cantors stand deep in the sanctuary and the time-lag became too much of a headache) we bought a small electric instrument which sits discretely on the side of the sanctuary.

I like the idea of the Conacher being restored and made available to youngsters. I have little contact with Liverpool nowadays (I used to have friends living there), so I am unlikely to hear of anyone, but if I do I will make contact.

[musicus]

Wherever two or three organists are gathered together, they will talk about their organs. I will start a new thread...

[Hare]

10 'stops' from 3 ranks....the parish priest who had the church built was convinced that he had a bargain!!

I had a similar experience: The first instrument I played regularly, from the age of 12, was an old valve organ which eventually died. Nowadays it would probably be replaced by an Allen or sim. However, the elderly PP took advice from a local organist who insisted that nothing but pipes would possibly do. Given the budget, the result was a three-stop (8'4'2') Rushworth with no pedals. £4K in 1977.

I think my auntie lives very near there, if it's the church I think it is..... mock-Tudor hostelry nearby by any chance.......?

[Nick Baty]

Indeed there is – although now chopped up into pub and several shop units.

[musicus]

Wherever two or three organists are gathered together, they will talk about their organs. I will start a new thread...

Done. It's entitled Organs I have known.

[Nick Baty]

Sounds huge fun!!

[musicus]

Quite so, Nick

[Mithras]

We have a final hymn and I will play a final voluntary. I see this as music to go out to - the organ is playing whilst people assemble; it completes the circle for the organ to be playing as people leave. .

I would say that the organist is playing whilst people assemble . (There is a story of George Thalban Ball at the Temple Church in London, who, when the minister conducting the service announced that "the organ will now play" stayed in his seat. When the minister repeated this GTB said "then let it carry on" or words to that effect.)

More seriously, what happens during the last hymn when the priest and servers start to leave the sanctuary? Yep, down go the hymn books and the faithful start to follow. This may be an issue which could be taken up with clergy.

M

[Nick Baty]

during the last hymn when the priest and servers start to leave the sanctuary... down go the hymn books and the faithful start to follow.

I did see this happen once in once church. But surely this is unusual. If not, why not combat it with something like Bill Tamblyn's Envoi round – they don't need books or sheets and are eyeball-to-eyeball with you.

Of course, it could be that the final item is simply too long – and it is rather superfluous to the rite. I use a stopwatch to time everything (although I'd cocked up this morning and the offertory song was around 25% short). So final item will be as long as it takes the ministers to gather, bow, genuflect etc. They're about two thirds down the aisle on the last line and then by the time anyone can get out, they're on either side of the door to shake hands, smile, and ask about the gout.

[Peter]

... what happens during the last hymn when the priest and servers start to leave the sanctuary? Yep, down go the hymn books and the faithful start to follow. This may be an issue which could be taken up with clergy.

My PP leaves as soon as the closing hymn starts, so that he's at the door ready to greet the first departers on their way out! Fortunately, there are not too many of those, but we do now have a policy of having no more than three (or possibly four short) verses for the final hymn so that people don't get restive.