The Organ Forum

Hi nullogik,

I played the Theme from Star Trek The Next Generation, and the Theme from Star Trek Deep Space Nine. I have the themes to all the Star Trek TV shows and movies in one book which I found in a music store while visiting in Maryland. I thought the children and youth would love it, which they did...and so did the adults! It sounds really good on the organ I play on, especially when you really crank it up! But I've never used them for a wedding.

I personally think the line of sacred/liturgical and secular/pop has been so blurred that it's tough to exclude on that criteria alone.  To me, if a tune brings up words that are anything but sacred ("Here comes the Bride, big, fat and wide" to the Mendelssohn march for instance- no offense ladies- or the Wagner opera tune that was used as the "Dating Game" opening sequence), then I'd rather not use it. 

That being said, the venue has a lot to do with what I suggest.  If it's in a church or a hall used for worship, then  we stick to classical/sacred.  If it's at some rental facility, like a ball room, then the couple usually has little or no church affiliation, and so I'm not so concerned to 'educate' them. 

In my congregation, I have absolute final say on musical offerings and make that known in the wedding guidelines.  We also emphasize that this is first and foremost a worship service, with the ceremony included.  I then offer a choice of 3 pieces for procession, 3 for the bride's entrance and 3 for recessional.  I tell them I'll tailor the prelude based on hymn tunes that reflect a God's love/wedding theme and include bright, cheerful classial pieces.  Learned this trick when I was at a big Methodist church w/ 3 weddings a Saturday.  Never had a problem, since the brides always find something they like.

The 'contemporary' music scene makes its inroads now and then, mostly in the solos.  If it doesn't work on organ, then I'll use piano.  Fortunately, that doesn't happen too often.

 

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Holtkamp/Parkey pipe organ
Galanti Praeludium home instrument

ReedGuy:

Hi nullogik,

I played the Theme from Star Trek The Next Generation, and the Theme from Star Trek Deep Space Nine. I have the themes to all the Star Trek TV shows and movies in one book which I found in a music store while visiting in Maryland. I thought the children and youth would love it, which they did...and so did the adults! It sounds really good on the organ I play on, especially when you really crank it up! But I've never used them for a wedding.

Might that book be this?

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?item=2911608&cart=3425363622902170&cm_re=289.1.4-_-Results+Item-_-Title

Glad to hear you did'nt use them for a wedding - as much as I like Star Trek I wouldn't want it at mine! You'd have to be a 150% Trekkie to want Trek music on your "big day"

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Currently own:
ALLEN TC-3S (#42904 - 3rd Feb 1971) with Sequential Capture System

Speakers:
x1 Model 100 Gyro Cabinet
x1 Model 105 Cabinet
x3 Model 108 Cabinet

Ludwig tone:

I then offer a choice of 3 pieces for procession, 3 for the bride's entrance and 3 for recessional.

Do you ever have one of those brides that just doesn't like anything?    I had one of those recently - it was exasperating.  We had to meet, email, and phone each other numerous times.  Luckily she was one of the rare ones that had good taste and was very specific.  We finally arrived at a program we both liked.

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Soubasse32

So far not many.  I occasionally ask them to describe the feeling they want, which then let's me understand more what they're looking for.  I can only think of 1 or two over the last 25+ years that actually made me WORK to do my job!

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Holtkamp/Parkey pipe organ
Galanti Praeludium home instrument

Hi nullogik,

 Yes, that is indeed the Star Trek book I have. It is for piano, but I adapt it so that I have the feet involved as well. A good Festive Trumpet or chamade is great for this sort of thing, such as the first 8 bars of the Con moto part part of Deep Space Nine, or the beginning of The Next Generation, where the narrator says, "These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. It's continuing mission....." right up until the march section. You can have lots of fun with registrations, crank it up a lot at the end with a 32 reed and other stuff, etc.

I usually give the couple a bunch of pieces to pick from, depending on what they want. For example, if we're discussing the processional, and they want something very traditional I start with Wagner's piece and we start looking at selections from there. If they want traditional but not too traditional, then we start looking at Clarke's Prince of Denmark's March and go from there. If they want something completely unrelated to weddings, but of good taste, then we look at Festive Trumpet Tune, Herald March, exerpts from Royal Fireworks, etc.

I've never had a couple ask for anything off the wall so to speak.

That Star Trek book is a gem. I went into the store looking for just the music to TNG, but came out with this book instead. I haven't tried them on classical organ yet, but you've given me some ideas.

I came down the aisle to Young's Prelude in Classic Style, 'lovingly' played at half speed by an organist who completely ignored my written in tempo direction!

Andy

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It's not what you play, it's not how you play. It's the fact that you're playing that counts.

andyg:

That Star Trek book is a gem. I went into the store looking for just the music to TNG, but came out with this book instead. I haven't tried them on classical organ yet, but you've given me some ideas.

I came down the aisle to Young's Prelude in Classic Style, 'lovingly' played at half speed by an organist who completely ignored my written in tempo direction!

Andy

After hearing Cameron Carpenter do a fantastic rendition of Indiana Jones...and being a bit of a Trekie...it struck me that some of the Star Trek themes might lend themselves well to the organ, in particular "The Next Generation" which I though would sound fantastic with some of the organ reeds in particular.

Then Reedguy mentioned Star Trek and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I'm not the only one who has thought about trying out Star Trek music on the organ.

Reedguy or Andy, if you have any suggestions on how to arrange it then it will be interesting to hear...perhaps this might warrant a new dedicated thread.

As for Prelude in Classic Style, it must have sounded like a dirge played at half speed, still at that kind of speed there is no excuses for making any mistakes (even if it is an easy piece).

---

Currently own:
ALLEN TC-3S (#42904 - 3rd Feb 1971) with Sequential Capture System

Speakers:
x1 Model 100 Gyro Cabinet
x1 Model 105 Cabinet
x3 Model 108 Cabinet

"Then Reedguy mentioned Star Trek and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I'm not the only one who has thought about trying out Star Trek music on the organ. "

No worries, nullogik, you're not the only one! One of the many, many reasons why the organ is the King of Instruments is that this instrument can take on almost (not everything) anything, as long as one makes the effort and one has the right organ to do it. In order to break stereotypes and make the organ accessible we have to educate and show people about the serious stuff as well as the not so serious stuff.

For the Next Generation Theme, my basic answer is below. For a more detailed explanation, feel free to PM me or we can make another thread.

I try to copy how it is played on television with my own bits thrown in. So starting on page 29, I use lush celestes in the left hand and keep my foot on b flat for the first 5 bars. While this is going on, I use chimes together with another stop such as a 4 flute and play the treble clef part all the way to the end of bar 6. Bar 6, is when I start to use a strong Trumpet at the bass clef, follow that with more robust Trumpets at bar 7, going Tumpets back and forth up until the first quarter note of bar 10. Then at the last note of bar 10, just before the march begins, I use diapasons, flues, and fourniture with the usual pedal selections, a bassoon 16 or trombone 16 in the pedal, and the necessary couplers. At bar 27 I hold back and take some stops off including the fourniture, add some other stops, change stops again at bar 35, and again at bar 42. At bar 50 (last page) I crank it up again with fourniture, etc. Then, at bar 58 (we're getting near the end) I start a crescendo culminating with full organ near the end and put on a 32 reed or whatever I have that has serious muscle and power to it, starting at the last line with those dotted quarter notes and keeping it right to the end with the accented eighth notes.

I plan on flourishing it, making it more flamboyant, etc. but for now that's basically what I do with it, without going into more detail.

The pedal work takes more explanation!

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM me.

Cheerio!