Yesterday when we were at the Temple du Lutry, I saw this sign posted on the side of the organ: I guess it’s the same everywhere—people talk while the organist is playing and it is SO distracting! I don’t know why it is the sound of the organ that encourages people to engage in conversation… Read More It’s the same everywhere!
One of the most challenging aspect of teaching organ students is finding a place for them to practice. I wrote about this some time ago (See: “On my soapbox“) when some churches turned out to be very unfriendly places to seek organ practice time. And how do they expect anyone will learn how to play… Read More More is more!
Someone on the Historic Organ Study Tour (HOST) asked me, “Did you think that this was a study tour or a playing tour?” and I replied that the reason I signed up for this tour was for the experience of playing all these historic organs. Out of the thirty organs we played on the tour,… Read More HOST insights and miscellany
Today we visited Mirecourt, a town which is known for its musical instrument making, primarily stringed instruments. The Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité is where we went to play the organ and what is remarkable, is that you have to enter the organ loft by an outside stairway, something I’d never think I’d see in Europe! (There is… Read More To go up, you go OUT!
When I saw that the first two organs we were going to visit today had French pedalboards (“Pedalier à la française), I said aloud, “Uh oh, I’d better play something for manuals only!” and the person next to me said, “You are just going to have to bite the bullet and give it a try. You… Read More Bite the bullet!
Glory be, Hallelujah, hallelujah! After months of searching, I am happy to report that the original dedication program for the Rudolf von Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu has been found! And it was only located 7,209 miles away, in Hamburg, Germany. I just knew someone had to have saved it! Thanks to… Read More Found it —7,209 miles away!
This Sunday, I will be playing selections from François Couperin’s (1668-1733) Mass for the Parishes (Messe des paroisses pour les fêtes solennelles), written when the composer was 21 years old. He had inherited the position of organist at St. Gervais at age 11 when his father died, but did not formally take the position until… Read More Couperin’s Mass for the Parishes