Last night I received a phone call from the organist of Kilohana United Methodist Church, where I will be the guest organist in a couple weeks. I asked her if the organ had multiple memory levels so that I could set up my own combinations. I was glad when she said I could have any level except 1A and 1B.
In case you non-organists don’t know, changing another organist’s pistons are a cardinal sin and the epitome of bad manners!
You see, I try to set up the same combinations for the general pistons no matter what organ I play. When I played for St. Andrew’s Priory Chapel a couple of weeks ago, I was happy to punch in Level 63 on the Aeolian-Skinner organ, which I had set up last Christmas when I played with the Iolani School Chorus. It means that on general 1, I have soft foundations at 8′ and 4′; general 2 has foundations at 8′ 4′ and 2′, general 3 has principal chorus; general 4 has a trumpet solo, etc. I don’t want to be like Forrest Gump and not know what I’m going to get when I push a button! Oh wait, that was a box of chocolates, not an organ console!
Last Sunday when I played at Kawaiaha’o Church, I was relieved to find my combinations intact from last October when I played for the Big Sing (see my post “The Big Sing“). And of course, I set up the same combinations at Iolani School and at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.
John Renke, the cathedral musician at St. Andrew’s whom I had over for dinner last night, overheard my conversation, and confessed that he too, tries to set up the same combinations no matter what the organ. Pedal 8 is always the loudest, for example.
Contrast that philosophy, though, with my strategy in planning company meals! I’ve had about half a dozen dinner parties lately, and I’ve challenged myself to cook something new for every single one. Come to think of it, everything I cook is something new, since I did no cooking nor did I even do grocery shopping since 1992 when I announced to my family that I was never cooking again! (The Queen Doesn’t Cook!) Well, life has a way of changing you!
In case you’re interested, last night I made a roasted maple-glazed pork tenderloin, salt-crusted potatoes with fresh rosemary, fresh green beans with mushrooms, and easy apple crisp for dessert. (Click the links to find the recipe).
John cleaned his plate so I guess everything turned out okay!
Sorry, I had already taken a bite of this before I remembered to take the picture!
You’ve got me laughing and drooling simultaneously! That’s actually a new experience for me. Thanks for your entertaining, educational and inspirational posts!!
[…] myself with the organ and to set my pistons. (See my earlier post on my piston strategy: “Old tricks vs. something new“). But after all, I’ve been a church organist for almost fifty years! […]