I found this article interesting. "Developers who are converting a church in Toronto’s west end into condos are desperately seeking a new home for the pipe organ."
I wish I had room for a pipe organ!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Organ in Real Life: Using Chimes at Christmas Time
I received a question from Jennifer, asking:
I have been practicing Christmas music, and am wondering how/when/if it's appropriate to use the chimes stop.
I have fond memories growing up of the beautiful Christmas music played by our excellent ward organist. She often used chimes or bells in the Christmas songs, and I loved it.
However, the chimes stop on the church organ I use seems to be overly sustained. The chimes ring for a good 5 or more seconds after being played and released. To me, it sounds beautiful at first but after a line or so just makes the song sound very muddled. Not to mention the embarrassingly long ringing that follows at the end of a verse or song.
Do you use chimes? Does your organ have this same effect? Can you recommend any techniques for using chimes in Christmas music without having this happen? I appreciate any advice or wisdom you could give me on this topic!
I, too, love using the chimes around Christmas time, and I hope that these ideas can help you!
The first suggestion I have is to use them sparingly! Don't use them on every piece, and don't use them on every verse of a hymn. Figure out where they will be used most effectively, and only use them there.
In Prelude or Postlude Music
Some ideas:
Use them on every-other line, such as in this example:
Introduce your piece with just the melody played on the chimes, as above, but then play your prepared prelude on a more standard registration without chimes.
Perhaps these pieces will also inspire you:
As Congregational Accompaniment
For the introduction, introduce the first phrase of the melody on just the chimes, then switch to a standard registration to finish the introduction.
Similar to above, but play a chime tone, then the introduction on a standard registration. One example is to play La, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do, La, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do or a much shortened version of something like this, which I like to play before the introduction to "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day":
Another option is to play an interlude between the verses on the chimes. Make sure it starts while the congregation is still holding the final note of the previous verse, so that they don't try to sing along, and make sure your music director knows it's coming.
As for playing while the congregation is singing, I tend to save that for the final verse of one of the hymns, or even the final chorus of the final verse, and I turn off the chime stop the second the last note is played, or immediately before playing the final note, so that it doesn't continue to ring for a long time afterwards. You'll have to see what works best with your organ through some trial and error. Yes, the chimes will blend together and muddle, but hopefully the congregational singing will cover some of that. It is a special treat, and for the final verse I think it is still okay to use periodically. The congregation generally loves it!
A few things to check
Many of the newer organs have alternate voicings. Sometimes, these other organs have a different sounding chimes/bells stop. You could check to see if this is the case and see if they would sound better or if they would add a nice variety and contrast to the standard chimes on your organ.
Check your artificial acoustics. Many organs have a switch that can turn on a reverberation that mimics the sound in a large room. These can make your chimes sound longer than they should. Make sure this effect is off.
Check to see if the chimes play all four voice parts, or if they only play the top note. If they play all four, there are a few things you can do.
If the chimes are on the swell instead of the great, you can accompany the congregation on the great, but solo out the melody on the swell with the chimes and a few other stops to provide support for the congregation, or use the melody coupler, which will pull the swell voices only onto the highest note you play.
If the chimes are on the great, consider playing the melody in unison (with both hands) on the final verse with the chimes added and no other parts being played. This will still provide a nice support for the congregation, but will prevent the chimes from muddling together so much.
I hope this helps!
I have been practicing Christmas music, and am wondering how/when/if it's appropriate to use the chimes stop.
I have fond memories growing up of the beautiful Christmas music played by our excellent ward organist. She often used chimes or bells in the Christmas songs, and I loved it.
However, the chimes stop on the church organ I use seems to be overly sustained. The chimes ring for a good 5 or more seconds after being played and released. To me, it sounds beautiful at first but after a line or so just makes the song sound very muddled. Not to mention the embarrassingly long ringing that follows at the end of a verse or song.
Do you use chimes? Does your organ have this same effect? Can you recommend any techniques for using chimes in Christmas music without having this happen? I appreciate any advice or wisdom you could give me on this topic!
I, too, love using the chimes around Christmas time, and I hope that these ideas can help you!
The first suggestion I have is to use them sparingly! Don't use them on every piece, and don't use them on every verse of a hymn. Figure out where they will be used most effectively, and only use them there.
In Prelude or Postlude Music
Some ideas:
Use them on every-other line, such as in this example:
Introduce your piece with just the melody played on the chimes, as above, but then play your prepared prelude on a more standard registration without chimes.
Perhaps these pieces will also inspire you:
As Congregational Accompaniment
For the introduction, introduce the first phrase of the melody on just the chimes, then switch to a standard registration to finish the introduction.
Similar to above, but play a chime tone, then the introduction on a standard registration. One example is to play La, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do, La, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do or a much shortened version of something like this, which I like to play before the introduction to "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day":
Another option is to play an interlude between the verses on the chimes. Make sure it starts while the congregation is still holding the final note of the previous verse, so that they don't try to sing along, and make sure your music director knows it's coming.
As for playing while the congregation is singing, I tend to save that for the final verse of one of the hymns, or even the final chorus of the final verse, and I turn off the chime stop the second the last note is played, or immediately before playing the final note, so that it doesn't continue to ring for a long time afterwards. You'll have to see what works best with your organ through some trial and error. Yes, the chimes will blend together and muddle, but hopefully the congregational singing will cover some of that. It is a special treat, and for the final verse I think it is still okay to use periodically. The congregation generally loves it!
A few things to check
Many of the newer organs have alternate voicings. Sometimes, these other organs have a different sounding chimes/bells stop. You could check to see if this is the case and see if they would sound better or if they would add a nice variety and contrast to the standard chimes on your organ.
Check your artificial acoustics. Many organs have a switch that can turn on a reverberation that mimics the sound in a large room. These can make your chimes sound longer than they should. Make sure this effect is off.
Check to see if the chimes play all four voice parts, or if they only play the top note. If they play all four, there are a few things you can do.
If the chimes are on the swell instead of the great, you can accompany the congregation on the great, but solo out the melody on the swell with the chimes and a few other stops to provide support for the congregation, or use the melody coupler, which will pull the swell voices only onto the highest note you play.
If the chimes are on the great, consider playing the melody in unison (with both hands) on the final verse with the chimes added and no other parts being played. This will still provide a nice support for the congregation, but will prevent the chimes from muddling together so much.
I hope this helps!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Preparing Congregations for Worship
I've had the privilege to play the organ in the temple for 2 1/2 months so far, and it has been a wonderful experience. I have the early morning shift, every-other week, which allows me to be home before my kids leave for school. During this time, I've learned a lot about preparing those in attendance for worship, and I was able to implement these principles as I played prelude for our adult session of stake conference on Saturday evening. I wanted to share my suggestions and experiences with you.
The picture I took before playing for the second time in the temple
Earlier this year, I attended a class where Mike Carson, former dean of the Utah Valley AGO chapter and current Bonneville District Convener, mentioned being careful not to be "intrusive" with our playing. At the time, I didn't really understand what he meant, but filed that thought away for the future.
I began playing in the temple the first week of July, and it seems that each time I'm there I learn a little more about effectively preparing those in attendance for worship. I now know what Mike meant about being careful not to be intrusive. The purpose of prelude music isn't to call attention to ourselves, and we aren't playing to perform beautiful organ music. The purpose of prelude music is to prepare those in attendance for worship. While these following suggestions and applications are specifically intended towards adult congregations, I'm sure they can be adapted or modified for services which include children.
1. Don't compete for volume
While the temple chapel is generally very reverent, there are times when whispers or dialogue become noticeable and distracting. Instead of increasing the volume of the organ slightly to cover the noise, I've learned that it's much more effective to decrease the volume of the organ. If the organ is softer than the dialogue, generally the person talking or whispering will become softer or stop talking altogether as they respond to the decreased organ volume.
As soon as I began my prelude Saturday evening, the volume of voices in the chapel increased noticeably. Instead of opening the expression pedals a little bit more, as has been my habit, I decided to try what works in the temple, and decrease the volume. The volume of the voices immediately returned to the pre-organ level.
2. Keep it simple, and play the hymns
In the temple, the organists are asked to play the hymns and songs from the Children's Songbook as written, without alternate harmonies or arrangements. The simple four-part harmonies and chord progressions do not draw undue attention to themselves and allow those listening to pursue their own thoughts and ponderings.
Saturday evening, instead of using my normal prelude books and pieces, I felt that I should use my copy of Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ, outlined towards the bottom of the article here, which was published by the Church in 1982 but is now out of print. My registrations were simple and subdued, the arrangements were beautiful in their simplicity, and many portions of the pieces are played in the manuals, using the pedals sparingly as emphasis. This prevents the pedal drone that many prelude pieces utilize, and which I now think might contribute to more congregational noise.
3. Embrace silence
As I play in the temple, I am not afraid to lift all four voices at the end of phrases as the text directs, or where rests are indicated in the staff. I allow some silence between hymns as I turn the pages in my binder of music. Allowing that moment of silence reestablishes a quiet baseline, despite the volume of the music that comes from the organ.
After taking down the volume of the organ Saturday evening and playing a simple yet beautiful piece to begin my prelude, it was during the silence between the first and second piece where I really heard the volume of the congregation decrease. As I continued to play, if the volume started to creep up, I simply allowed for an extra moment of silence at appropriate times in my prelude music, and the congregation readily responded.
4. Do not look around
During my orientation at the temple, I was asked not to look around as I played, but to focus on the organ and my music. Following this direction allows me to focus on the Spirit as I contemplate the needs of those in attendance, instead of becoming distracted by the faces of those sitting in the chapel. I've found that I can sense the needs of those in the room best when I follow the Spirit's direction instead of using my eyes.
My husband did not drive with me Saturday evening, as it was taking longer for the the kids to finish eating dinner, bathe and settle down than we had planned. I didn't allow myself to focus on whether or not he was here yet as I played. I didn't look to see how full the chapel was getting, or to see how many people I knew that were there. These visual distractions are just that--distractions. They get in the way of the Spirit, and prevent the organist from focusing wholly on the prelude. I was actually surprised when the meeting started to see that my husband had not yet arrived. I was grateful that I was unaware of that fact until after my prelude had concluded.
5. Play with the Spirit
The hymns are powerful. There are times when I'm playing in the temple that I feel impressed to play certain hymns, and I know that there is someone there who needs the comfort, strength, or healing power found in that particular hymn. When I focus on the words and do not allow myself to be distracted with other things, I feel that my playing brings with it a special spiritual effectiveness that is not present if I'm just playing the notes with my thoughts elsewhere.
Before beginning my prelude Saturday evening, I took a moment to let go of the frenzied craziness of the day. I took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and allowed peace to enter my heart. As I played the prelude, I felt the Spirit of the hymns. I thought of the words of the hymns, and I sought to allow my playing to be an instrument in bringing the Spirit to the meeting. I had such focus, that there were times I completely forgot the room and the environment as I played the beautiful hymns of Zion.
As the chapel and cultural hall filled during my 15 minutes of prelude, I had the most wonderful experience. I was filled with the Spirit, and was able to play my pieces with that Spirit, and without distraction. A beautiful reverence extended over the entire room, and I felt almost as though I was again playing in the temple as the adults who entered maintained the existing reverence of the room. When the Stake President stood to begin the meeting, you could have heard a pin drop. I was given the distinct assurance that those in attendance were prepared to hear the word of the Lord.
While I know that this experience is unique (I have never experienced anything like it), hopefully these suggestions and applications can help you as you strive to prepare your congregation to worship in your respective meetings. I feel that I was taught these principles as I served in the temple of the Lord, and wanted to share with my readers.
As always, thank you so much for visiting!
The picture I took before playing for the second time in the temple
Earlier this year, I attended a class where Mike Carson, former dean of the Utah Valley AGO chapter and current Bonneville District Convener, mentioned being careful not to be "intrusive" with our playing. At the time, I didn't really understand what he meant, but filed that thought away for the future.
I began playing in the temple the first week of July, and it seems that each time I'm there I learn a little more about effectively preparing those in attendance for worship. I now know what Mike meant about being careful not to be intrusive. The purpose of prelude music isn't to call attention to ourselves, and we aren't playing to perform beautiful organ music. The purpose of prelude music is to prepare those in attendance for worship. While these following suggestions and applications are specifically intended towards adult congregations, I'm sure they can be adapted or modified for services which include children.
1. Don't compete for volume
While the temple chapel is generally very reverent, there are times when whispers or dialogue become noticeable and distracting. Instead of increasing the volume of the organ slightly to cover the noise, I've learned that it's much more effective to decrease the volume of the organ. If the organ is softer than the dialogue, generally the person talking or whispering will become softer or stop talking altogether as they respond to the decreased organ volume.
As soon as I began my prelude Saturday evening, the volume of voices in the chapel increased noticeably. Instead of opening the expression pedals a little bit more, as has been my habit, I decided to try what works in the temple, and decrease the volume. The volume of the voices immediately returned to the pre-organ level.
2. Keep it simple, and play the hymns
In the temple, the organists are asked to play the hymns and songs from the Children's Songbook as written, without alternate harmonies or arrangements. The simple four-part harmonies and chord progressions do not draw undue attention to themselves and allow those listening to pursue their own thoughts and ponderings.
Saturday evening, instead of using my normal prelude books and pieces, I felt that I should use my copy of Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ, outlined towards the bottom of the article here, which was published by the Church in 1982 but is now out of print. My registrations were simple and subdued, the arrangements were beautiful in their simplicity, and many portions of the pieces are played in the manuals, using the pedals sparingly as emphasis. This prevents the pedal drone that many prelude pieces utilize, and which I now think might contribute to more congregational noise.
3. Embrace silence
As I play in the temple, I am not afraid to lift all four voices at the end of phrases as the text directs, or where rests are indicated in the staff. I allow some silence between hymns as I turn the pages in my binder of music. Allowing that moment of silence reestablishes a quiet baseline, despite the volume of the music that comes from the organ.
After taking down the volume of the organ Saturday evening and playing a simple yet beautiful piece to begin my prelude, it was during the silence between the first and second piece where I really heard the volume of the congregation decrease. As I continued to play, if the volume started to creep up, I simply allowed for an extra moment of silence at appropriate times in my prelude music, and the congregation readily responded.
4. Do not look around
During my orientation at the temple, I was asked not to look around as I played, but to focus on the organ and my music. Following this direction allows me to focus on the Spirit as I contemplate the needs of those in attendance, instead of becoming distracted by the faces of those sitting in the chapel. I've found that I can sense the needs of those in the room best when I follow the Spirit's direction instead of using my eyes.
My husband did not drive with me Saturday evening, as it was taking longer for the the kids to finish eating dinner, bathe and settle down than we had planned. I didn't allow myself to focus on whether or not he was here yet as I played. I didn't look to see how full the chapel was getting, or to see how many people I knew that were there. These visual distractions are just that--distractions. They get in the way of the Spirit, and prevent the organist from focusing wholly on the prelude. I was actually surprised when the meeting started to see that my husband had not yet arrived. I was grateful that I was unaware of that fact until after my prelude had concluded.
5. Play with the Spirit
The hymns are powerful. There are times when I'm playing in the temple that I feel impressed to play certain hymns, and I know that there is someone there who needs the comfort, strength, or healing power found in that particular hymn. When I focus on the words and do not allow myself to be distracted with other things, I feel that my playing brings with it a special spiritual effectiveness that is not present if I'm just playing the notes with my thoughts elsewhere.
Before beginning my prelude Saturday evening, I took a moment to let go of the frenzied craziness of the day. I took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and allowed peace to enter my heart. As I played the prelude, I felt the Spirit of the hymns. I thought of the words of the hymns, and I sought to allow my playing to be an instrument in bringing the Spirit to the meeting. I had such focus, that there were times I completely forgot the room and the environment as I played the beautiful hymns of Zion.
As the chapel and cultural hall filled during my 15 minutes of prelude, I had the most wonderful experience. I was filled with the Spirit, and was able to play my pieces with that Spirit, and without distraction. A beautiful reverence extended over the entire room, and I felt almost as though I was again playing in the temple as the adults who entered maintained the existing reverence of the room. When the Stake President stood to begin the meeting, you could have heard a pin drop. I was given the distinct assurance that those in attendance were prepared to hear the word of the Lord.
While I know that this experience is unique (I have never experienced anything like it), hopefully these suggestions and applications can help you as you strive to prepare your congregation to worship in your respective meetings. I feel that I was taught these principles as I served in the temple of the Lord, and wanted to share with my readers.
As always, thank you so much for visiting!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Sunday Song: Rhosymedre
Today's Sunday Song is Ralph Vaughn Williams' arrangement of Rhosymedre, played by Leslie Ryan on the organ of All Saints Church Oystermouth Swansea. In the LDS hymnal, this hymn tune is set to the text of "Our Father, by Whose Name."
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sunday Song: Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals
Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals (Festliche Musik alla Händel) by Sigfrid Karg-Elert performed on the 62 rank A. E. Schlueter pipe organ of Briarlake Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia by staff organist, Jason Payne.
Oops! There were three verses?
Today in our worship service, the congregation was singing along, ready to begin the final verse of the hymn, but the organist was done, and not looking at the music director. After what seemed like a long time, but was only a few seconds, the music director realized that the organist wasn't planning on another verse, so she sat down.
Has this ever happened to you? I know as a beginning organist, when I was so worried about playing the right notes that I couldn't follow the verses very well (especially on hymns with a chorus, or with a music director who followed the organ's entrances), I was terrified that I would stop playing the hymn a verse early, or begin playing an extra verse that wasn't there. Fortunately, changing registration after every verse, and writing those changes in at the end of the hymn can help a beginning organist feel more secure that this won't happen to them. Also, it's important to watch the music director until you are sure the hymn is over!
While this experience has never happened to me, thank goodness, there have been times in my playing when I was watching the music director very nervously, wondering if the chorus I was playing was the final verse, or if I needed to play one more.
Today's experience made me curious: Has this ever happened to you? What's the most embarrassing playing experience you've had?
Has this ever happened to you? I know as a beginning organist, when I was so worried about playing the right notes that I couldn't follow the verses very well (especially on hymns with a chorus, or with a music director who followed the organ's entrances), I was terrified that I would stop playing the hymn a verse early, or begin playing an extra verse that wasn't there. Fortunately, changing registration after every verse, and writing those changes in at the end of the hymn can help a beginning organist feel more secure that this won't happen to them. Also, it's important to watch the music director until you are sure the hymn is over!
While this experience has never happened to me, thank goodness, there have been times in my playing when I was watching the music director very nervously, wondering if the chorus I was playing was the final verse, or if I needed to play one more.
Today's experience made me curious: Has this ever happened to you? What's the most embarrassing playing experience you've had?
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sunday Song: Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Organist Sean Jackson of http://www.seanjacksonmusic.com plays a slightly abridged version of John Williams' Olympic Fanfare and Theme in celebration of the 30th Olympic Summer Games, London 2012. The audio includes some percussion from the score which Dr. Jackson added using Logic Pro and EWQL Symphonic Orchestral samples.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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