The Organ Forum

quantum:

Can leave you feeling naked if you haven't practiced, or in ecstasy if you know your stuff.

So if you 'know your stuff' but haven't practiced would that lead to a feeling of naked ecstasy? 

I suppose it is just as well the church authorities never learned of that aspect!

I can post a recording, if you like.  I'll let you decide if I'm ecstatic, or (feeling) naked. 

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Soubasse32

My friends over at Piano World should be given credit for the colorful description I stated earlier. 

I'd love to hear a recording.   

"I also had to work very hard to convince the folks who insisted it be a Steinway"

Funny, that those not in the "know" always seem to default to Steinway - not that they are bad instruments, far from it. I suppose its because Steinway has sort of become the byword for pianos. Ask anyone to name a piano maker and probably 99% of the time they'll say Steinway.

But there are some other less well known makers out there that produce instruments that are generally regarded to be far better (Steingraeber, Bluthner, A Forster, Bosendorfer etc.).

Anyone tried out those cheap $3-4k Chinese made pianos that seem to be flooding the market? Some of them have deceptive German sounding names which can lead people who don't know, to think that they are genuine European built instruments. 

 

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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

quantum:

I'd love to hear a recording.

A recording of the piano.  If an ad pops up, just skip it and then click on the link that says 'download now'.

Apologies for bringing us so far off topic. 

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Soubasse32

WOW soubasse32! Is that you playing?

'tis indeed. 

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Soubasse32

...and excellent playing it is.

 
Even on my laptop speakers I can hear the crisp and precise nature of the tone.  Will play on better speakers when I get a moment to do so. 
 

Souby,

I think you were ecstatic! (don't want to know if you were naked)

Yes, a wonderful recording, awesome playing. Thanks for putting it up.

John

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Rodgers 890 at church.
Baldwin D422 at home.
Scads of old organs in the shop! H E L P !!!

Maestro SB32 - My Man......I heard a part of your soul in that g# minor Rachmaninoff prelude - I really like your Rachmaninoff!!!  Rachmaninoff's preludes, moments musicaux, and etudes tableaux are what separates the men from the boys - And you're a red-blooded man.  BRAVO dear sir.

Humbly,

K-Phone  : - ) 

There is a rather sad conclusion to this story.

My relative who was getting married suddenly passed away last week.  She was 27.

Because she is registered with the church in question, the same problems existed in planning the funeral.  I had scrambled together a family choir in the slim hope that we may get to sing.  The family then moved to a decision for a mass without music out of discouragement with the dealings of this church.

One of the people who attended the visitation is a choir member at the church.  They became aware of the family's wishes to be involved in the mass, and offered to talk to the pastor the next day.  The pastor agreed to allow the family to proceed with their music as long as he could "meet the organist" so he could check out if this person knew their stuff.  I had to leave my church in the middle of mass in order to meet the pastor (something I am not fond of doing).  It was more of, meet the organ technician than meet the pastor.  I shook hands with the pastor and all he said to me was "as long as you know how to use the instrument that's fine by me because I don't know to operate these things." 

Had a detailed chat with the tech on how to turn the instrument on.  Apparently it is finicky and in need of replacement parts.  Asked him what model it was.  He didn't even know.  I looked under the keybed and saw the plate that read Rodgers 770.  Turn it on, wait 10 seconds, turn on the amp, press GEN 10, CANCEL, now you are ready to play.  Antiphonal needs to be on in order to play on the Great.

A professional soprano offered to sing for the mass (only contacted me the night before).  As a surprise another fellow vocalist/organist from my church shows up (apparently he knows the family - small world). So we ended up with three music directors plus family heading up the music. Received many compliments on the beauty of the music.  God indeed has his ways in bringing us together.

 

Quantum, that's so sad. She was on her way to getting married, and so young an age. I'm glad that she was able to have music for the mass and that you and the other music directors were able to put it all together. Sounds to me like you did a beautiful job with the music. This is a big part of our music ministry. We are practicing servant ministry like Christ did. Reaching out to people in their most trying of times in ways that other means cannot.

Someone in our B.Ed program passed away before she could receive her degree at graduation. Only 24. It really breaks your heart. Her mom came at convocation (June 19) to receive her daughter's degree from the chancellor. How short and unfair life can be.

Hope you're coping okay under the circumstances.

I'd just have to tell em' to kiss my grits.. go to another church.... take your own organ if the wedding means anything to you... NEVER depend on a church for ANYTHING.

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Noah Benzing

Noah, 

 

"NEVER depend on a church for ANYTHING" is a well said statement. 

 

James

Okay:  Here is an incident that just happened at our church.  I am outraged by it.  But it is really outrageous, or is it just me?

We are generally a "high church" RC parish.  There is a gentleman in the neighborhood, who, together with his wife, has achieved some local popularity as a liturgical lounge act which appeals to parishioners who prefer easy-listening background-type music to the more traditional styles.  This man's music borders on the unacceptable if one interprets liturgical guidelines according to the book.

Often when an elderly parishioner dies, and even if said parishioner was known to prefer traditional music; the younger folks in the family with get the aforementioned music man for the funeral because, "We don't like organ music, and besides, the regular guy plays too loud (sic--should be loudly)."  I am not the "regular guy" - they are referring to our very talented music director and organist.  They don't even talk with him nor give him a chance to provide music that may actually be acceptable to them.  This is an ongoing battle with the local mortuaries involving bench fees and other political hot potatoes.  It remains unresolved mostly because our pastor is very weak in his leadership skills and never wants to be the bad guy.  Sorry, but a successful and effective leader must be the bad guy sometimes.

Now that you have the background.  Here is the outrageous part:  Said music man normally brings his own synthesizer.  This past Saturday, the family of the deceased must have had at least enough taste to ask for the piano rather than the synthesizer.  The piano was just tuned a few months ago.  Mr. music man took it upon himself, without permission, to "tune" the piano before the funeral.  Mr. music man has a reputation for being a bull in a china shop and for taking over as though he owns the place, etc.  Whether is is qualified to tune a piano or not and whether he put the piano in better tune or worse tune, etc., is irrelevant.

My opinion is that his behavior in this regard is a breach of every protocol and rule of etiquette and a demonstration of his huge ego.  I am tempted to go to the local police department and file a complaint of petty vandalism against him.  In the past he as damaged this same piano by moving it in a careless manner and also damaged the finish of our temporary Allen organ by banging the piano into it.  He also pushed the Allen organ out of his way one time and simply allowed the audio cables to pull out by themselves in the process.

Bottom line:  He has a disrespectful attitude.  The whole world revolves around him and his doing his thing.  God help anything or anyone that gets in his way.  Everybody knows that he is like this, yet he continues to get away with these behaviors partly because enough people like his music and partly because nobody with enough authority to declare him persona non grata will do so.

So, am I having paranoid delusions, or was his attempt to tune a piano that does not belong to him without permission indeed outrageous behavior?

Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!  --Hamlet

Well, you might be having paranoid delusions (Are they out to get you?), however to quote the late comedian (and social comentator) George Carlin, THIS GUY'S AN ***hole!!!! Good, now that I've cleared the air, I'll explain why.

1). It is one thing to go into a church and sit down (or stand up, if you prefer) and play the piano, and by and large, no one really cares. It is, however quite another ti go into a church and "tune" the piano. Tuning a piano is something that is best left to the proffessionals. To tune a piano is a task which requires a certain level of expertise.

It is quite alright to go in and play a piano, but to tune, that is a no-no, you just don't do that. Not only is is rude, it could be destructive, kind of like trying to force open a locked console lid.

2). He handles these instruments just like large furniture (which at a certain level, they are), iinstead of as musical instruments, I bet he wouldn't throw or manhandle his synthesizer the way he moves the instruments at your church. He apparently has no respect for the instruments (then again he may just have no respect for music).

3). He could have caused serious damage to the piano, or even to the Allen (though I'm not big on the electronic organs, they have a place and deserve some respect and care). I don;t know if he would do this to his own instruments, to the instruments in his home or what, but I know that when I go visiting churches, I always try to treat the instruments as well, or better than I treat or would treat my own instruments (particularly my piano and my viola, on which I spent $1318.00, thank you very much).

4). There is NO number 4

I understand the priest doesn't want to stand up, put his foot down and be the hard man, but, I think you may need to convince him to be the hard man. At the very least, from now on, you may need to lock things up when Mr. Lounge Act comes 'round. A charge of vandalism would certainly not be out of line, and would, in my opinion be entirely fitting and proper. Have you told the Mus.Dir. about what mr Lounge Act did?
 

P.S. Anyone wishing to help fill my checking account by sending me money may contact me by PM Oh, and Mench, you may want to see someone about those delusions, I personally wouldn't recommend Dr. Freud, though, not very churchy.

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Once you can tie your arms into a pretzel and your legs into a knot, you've got it under control