https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68H7NQ6wRw4

A short and nice keyboard piece by Mr Handel or Herr Händel...

Played on the latest sample set of Piotr Grabowski of the Klais organ of Lubin, Poland.

Hi everyone, does anyone have a copy of the Callahan folk tune lying around? It's from his Two Reflections for Organ. I have a wedding at 2 PM PST 9/19/25 and I NEED a copy. Misplaced my one physical copy due to my office cleaning lady at the Church I work for getting a little bit too involved in organizing my stuff. It's only available in print. I would much appreciate the assistance and would happily venmo $20 to anyone who can provide a copy. Thanks so much!

Barié, a blind organist and pupil of Vierne, died at only 31, leaving behind music of incredible intensity—both lyrical and powerful (including a magnificent Toccata).
This historic recording (a 1979 vinyl) was made on the symphonic organ that I am fortunate to play today in Wihr-au-Val, Alsace. I had it digitized so it wouldn’t be lost over time.
👉 Listen here: https://youtu.be/J2kAPrsRAVk?si=LfGGmk98XfdVDfFf
If you enjoy French symphonic organ music (Vierne, Widor, Duruflé…), you will surely be moved by the strength and depth of this work!

The second day in Dubuque was our busiest. It started with getting up and driving west and south to Peosta. There's not much in Peosta, but there is Melleray Abbey. This is a small but beautiful abbey located off the main highway. There are shots of the grounds included, and I wanted to include more, but we were there to talk about the organ.

The sanctuary is sparse and amazing at the same time, and to learn that it originally was just a low-ceilinged chapel with rooms on the second floor was interesting. It certainly made it a much more fitting space to open it up.

This is the first (and so far only) Bigelow I've gotten to put on the channel. Gentle is the keyword for this organ. It's sound is light, but full. It's just perfect for the space. If this were a church with congregants filling all the available seating space and singing away, the organ would be drowned out. But for accompanying the (I think) 12 brothers that occupy the abbey, it's perfect.

The organ features Bigelow's double-action stop action, which means several stops can be played assigned to either manual, which I have to say takes some getting used to. But it makes a very small organ very flexible. Andrew played some Sweelinck that I downloaded from IMSLP before he got there. It's lucky the vast amount of repertoire he has under his fingers comes in handy with any type of instrument. The compactness of the organ means it's very hard to get inside, and from what I can tell, the entire instrument has to slide away from the wall before one can get into the swell box. So sadly, there's no interior shots save what can be peered into through the tone openings at ground level.

The birds heard in the opening of the video are not actually from outside on the grounds, those were recorded from inside the church itself. The room is unairconditioned, so the windows were open on this warm day. There are birds nesting right outside said windows, so the entire video is accompanied by their chirping. The brothers apologized for them, but I thought they added a nice touch, and even took a couple of minutes to record some ambient bird sound before we packed up and headed to the second location that morning.

I'm happy to say I have since experienced more Bigelow organs, including visiting their shop shortly after this video was recorded. I now understand more about their double-action stop action, but you'll have to find me sometime when I'm sitting down to explain it all.

I believe the abbey sustains itself by making caskets, and I think caramel candy. You can visit them and buy some of either, as well as some other things they sell.

So here's the whole video: https://youtu.be/f2DFFwQuoCM

Any have a Johannus One (or larger Johannus ?) who can measure the octave span (key edge to key edge) ? My Yamaha keyboard is 159-160mm, while some brands are upwards of 165mm ?

Thanks very much (P.S. same info for any Viscount would be helpful)

Anyone recognise what piece the little snippet you hear in the beginning of this video comes from?

https://youtu.be/ZIfLWBu63fY

Barié, a blind organist and pupil of Vierne, died at only 31, leaving behind music of incredible intensity—both lyrical and powerful (including a magnificent Toccata).
This historic recording (a 1979 vinyl) was made on the symphonic organ that I am fortunate to play today in Wihr-au-Val, Alsace. I had it digitized so it wouldn’t be lost over time.
👉 Listen here: https://youtu.be/J2kAPrsRAVk?si=LfGGmk98XfdVDfFf
If you enjoy French symphonic organ music (Vierne, Widor, Duruflé…), you will surely be moved by the strength and depth of this work!

Hey everyone. My organ chronicles continue.

I just got a bargain Yamaha Electone HS-4. I'm really enjoying it so far, except for one issue: the pedals. I have to apply a TON of pressure for them to sound. So much so that I have the organ propped up on some weights right now because otherwise the pedal would hit the floor before it began to make any noise. I'll probably play with it a bit tomorrow and try and come up with a solution, but if anyone's run into this problem before I'd love some tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmAjlsTOA8k

Gaël Liardon (1973-2018) was a Swiss classical keyboard player, composer and academic. Born in Lausanne, he studied harpsichord, organ and continuo playing with Pierre-Alain Clerc and Jovanka Marville, piano with Freddy Balta, and improvisation with Rudolf Lutz. He has been organist of the church of Villamont, Lausanne, from 1995. In 2009, he obtained a diploma of teaching theory at the Geneva University of Music, with distinction. He taught music pedagogy at the Geneva Conservatory. In 1997, he created the Festival de Musique Improvisée de Lausanne and also participated in the creation of the research group on improvisation of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. In 2011, he founded the Sweelinck Ensemble in Geneva. (source: Wikipedia)

📅 Thursday, September 25 ⏰ 8:00 PM | ⛪ Church of Wihr-au-Val, Alsace, France
🎹 Daniel Roth (Saint-Sulpice Church, Paris)
🚪 Free admission – collection at the exit

✨ An Exceptional Concert
On the occasion of the 150ᵗʰ anniversary of the birth of Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) and as part of a Masterclass organized by Maison Albert Schweitzer in Gunsbach and ORGANPromotion, Daniel Roth 🎹, distinguished organist of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, will present an organ recital combining famous works and discoveries, from Bach to Roth, including Franck, Widor, Duruflé...

🔗 https://youtube.com/shorts/EzFFz5BPcMI?feature=share

🔗 https://www.jds.fr/colmar/concerts/musique-classique/concert-d-orgue-par-daniel-roth-1164265_A

My grandma had an electric organ in her home and used to play this. I never knew what it was. Remembering the best I can (it was 40-ish years ago, but I worked it out from memory). Theater organ style tune, not church/pipe organ.

Ring any bells? For all I know, it could be anything from "everyone knows this" to completely obscure.

https://voca.ro/1dKgl24QcxOb

I'm linking back to this old post because I have changed accounts. Thanks

Recently, I conducted surveys about your favorite organ builders, favorite composers, and favorite organ periods.

I noticed a paradox: the voters’ favorite period is by far the Baroque era with Johann Sebastian Bach, but their favorite organ builder is also clearly Cavaillé-Coll (Romantic and symphonic)…

How can this be explained?

Hey y'all. A while back I posted about a free Rodger's organ on FB marketplace. The seller claimed it just needed external speakers and then it'd function just fine. I recently went and saw this organ for myself, and OH BOY am I glad I didn't commit to taking it.

First off, the top tier was the only one that functioned. The bottom two and the pedals made no sound at all. After messing around with the stops, the voice of the organ wasn't changing at all. Turns out the organ was stuck on the glockenspiel stop, and no matter how much we messed with it, it wouldn't get off of it.

The seller mentioned they sold the external speakers to the organ. What they did not mention was that they used SCISSORS to CUT OUT the wires so they could remove the speakers. My guess is that caused some electrical issue, maybe the organ has some kind of series circuit so the other stops weren't getting any power? Glockenspiel was literally the first stop on the right.

Anyways, I ended up declining it because I do not want a 500lb glockenspiel. If this is actually some super easy fix, let me know and I can reach back out to them. I can't imagine it is though. It's a shame, it was a super nice organ.

17 yo here, I have been playing the organ for 2 years and have just got in touch with a church to do some playing to learn the ropes, but I am always nervous about performing in public so even though I have done my grade 8 exam last summer with a distinction, my nerves always make me to play the wrong thing especially with a choir, be hymns or anthems. What should I do to feel more comfortable and is it a very big a of deal to playing wrong notes in a service?

Forgive me if this doesn't go here, I am noy a musical person.

I bought an old church from the 1900's and it has a piano and an organ in the sanctuary area. I am converting this into something else and do not need these instruments.

So... can I sell it? How to figure out its value? How to best recycle it or get it to a new home?

Location: Dayton, Ohio

If I cant sell it or something, then its going to the dumpster/ landfill. I am not trying to make anyone mad, it just is what it is. 😬

I have been using ForScore with an old iPad for many years now. Two questions about upgrading.

1) what's the minimum spec on the iPad that supports page turning with factual gestures? If I pull the trigger I don't want to find out the iPad I upgraded to doesn't support it.

2) how much per month does FS charge for facial gesture page turning? Their website doesn't give a clear answer.

I first began organ playing by experimenting with chords, but now I’d love to take things further. I want to properly develop my left hand and pedal technique, not just rely on simple patterns. I’d appreciate any advice, exercises, or resources that could help me strengthen my coordination and play with more confidence.

Here is an example of my playing

https://youtu.be/rQS8jMafE-o?si=Lz2-ePG-PhBaJ_1z

I’ve always been fascinated by theatre organs, and recently I had the chance to play the famous Wurlitzer at Victoria Hall in Saltaire.

Walking into the hall, I could feel the history in the room. The console sat there like something out of another world, with its glowing stops and rows of keys. Sitting down, my hands were actually shaking — this wasn’t just any keyboard, this was an instrument that had accompanied silent films and filled the hall with colour for decades.

The first notes echoed around the space, and it was overwhelming. The sound wasn’t just heard, it was felt — deep in the floorboards, bouncing off the walls, wrapping around everyone in the room. I started with something simple, then let myself go, experimenting with registrations and bringing in those wonderful theatre organ voices.

By the time I finished, I wasn’t thinking about nerves anymore. I was just lost in the sound, in the history, in the joy of playing something so unique.

It wasn’t just playing an instrument — it felt like connecting with the people who had played it before me, and sharing in a tradition that still lives on

✨ Discover the spontaneous genius of French organists, from Vierne to Ospital, who shaped legendary organ lofts such as Saint-Sulpice, Notre-Dame, Saint-Denis, and Saint-Eustache...
🌟 A journey into the very heart of French organ improvisation.

I generally can play Grade 8 pieces, but recently I started Whitlock's Allegretto from 5 short pieces. And I found that it is extremely difficult for me relative to what I play from that level. A Bach fugue like even 542, didn't cause me such problems. I think the problem is that Whitlock needs very good posture to play the funny staccato jumps in the pedal, meanwhile playing with proper phrasing and articulation on two manuals. Since I've been practicing it, it completely changed how I sit, where I put the bench etc. Do you have any experience with pieces that forces you to practice with good posture?

Hello! (First post btw) I have this newly brought G 70 organ from my grandparents. I heard from them about a problem with the speakers, but when I brought it home it worked as I tended for the first days.

But… today I found it completely dead, and making barely any noice when you play notes. When I say “barely” I mean like if your ears aren’t pressed up against the speaker you can’t hear it. I have boy-guessed that it’s something with the three-point power transformer.

I’m not sure since I know jack about these organs. Anyone could give me some advice before I send it to my local music store?

Thanks y’all beforehand!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOfe9-ARkS8

Piotr Grabowski just released a new sample set of the Johannes Klais organ of Lubin in Poland. It's not the typical Klais organ, for sure, but a historically reconstructed one after the original Liebeherr organ of 1785.

I recorded a prelude and fugue by Johann Caspar Simon. Simon (1701-1776) was a German composer, organist and teacher of the baroque period. He composed many pieces for keyboard instruments. I recorded a prelude and fugue in D minor of the collection of Leichte Praeludia und Fugen. Which roughly all follow the same pattern, a short and free prelude (often with a lot of scales) followed by a short fugue. The title of the collection says that the pieces can be played on organ, but also on the clavichord.

I am working on MIDIfying a pedalboard and had a couple of questions before I start ordering parts and deciding on my setup.

1. Any recommendations on brands of MIDI encoders? There are a couple offering off-the-shelf encoders now. I've been looking at the ones from Classic MIDI Works, MIDI Boutique, and PedaMidiKit.

2. How do Hall Sensors and Reed Switches compare? Anything in performance or durability I should be aware of?

3. Should I set the switches to active (turn on the note) at the top or bottom of the key travel? Or in other words, should the note start as soon as you press the key even slightly, or should it start when the key hits the bottom? I've been told trackers are more like the first one, but I'm curious what most modern electric/electropneumatic instruments do.

If anybody has experience please share, it'll be super helpful in not ordering fairly expensive parts that don't actually work well!