Pipe Organs

[johnnykins]

Some years back I read in MUSIC (the magazine of the American Guild of Organists) that most trained organists just hated to play in Catholic churches for three reasons:

1. Hymnw and other music selections were terrible.
2. Instruments were inadequate or in poor repair or both.
3. Not properly compensated for the work expected of them.

That’s why so many parishes have left-footed organists who play with mittens on their hands (as Thomas Day said in WHY CATHOLICS CAN’T SING).

American Guild of Organists??!!
Well, they’re just professional musicians who know what they’re up to - and, as a group, have taste and talent. What do they have in common with Catholic music ministers?

 

[Sarabande]

American Guild of Organists??!!
Well, they’re just professional musicians who know what they’re up to - and, as a group, have taste and talent. What do they have in common with Catholic music ministers?

I’ve met a few people in the AGO who pay dues to be able to say they’re in the AGO, but in reality can’t play the organ well at all, or worse, aren’t even musicians.

Here’s the sad thing… there are organists who are good musicians and are also Catholics and would love to work for their Church. Unfortunately, many were pushed out of their positions either because they couldn’t make a living as a Catholic music minister or because either the pastor or the congregation didn’t want the music that a real musician could give to them.

That said, I have worked with excellent musicians in Catholic parishes who stayed on. Some actually have parishes who value quality musicianship and quality music and then others who have a spouse or some other means of income so that they can work for peanuts at these other parishes.

 

[Stromboli]

Personally, I wish more churches had these beautiful instruments. There are only four churches in the Diocese of St.Augustine in NE Florida that have Pipe Organs. Many have electric or digital organs now, but IMO it is not the same.

Thoughts?

Electronic organs can most certainly match the sonic qualities of a pipe organ but they aren’t going to be cheap. They won’t look as nice either.

On the plus side they take less room (even though they will still take a considerable amount) and they require less maintenance.

 

[Stromboli]

We did have that at one point. A Yamaha SynClavier with amps and speakers. Thanks but no thanks. I could tell the difference. It may have something to do with the fact I have been a big fan of synthezied music since Walter/Wendy Carlos issued “Switched on Bach” back in the Dark Ages when I was in high school. DW’s term for synthesized music is “whop-whop” music.

BTW Thierry Mechler from Lyons, France was the organist for our organ’s inaugural concert. I’ll never forget that concert the longest day I live. The organ was played at unbelieveably loud volumes and there was no distortion and it was not painful on one’s ears. I can’t say the same for amps and speakers. Sorry, I am an old fogey.

My parish has a Yamaha SynClavier. It’s no where near the state of the art in electronic organs. It’s more of less a good department store level electronic organ as electronic organs go.

My alma mater has both a pipe organ and a remarkable electronic organ. To give you an idea of what’s involved, it had 6 racks of power amplifiers with each rack as big as a home refrigerator.

 

[Famule]

I wish I had known of a few parishes looking for a pipe organ. I just sold one for $600. Nice little organ. Would have been good for a small church. I am up to my ears in organ parts right now. Trying to sell our house and have a bunch of pipes and parts in the basement. Nothing too nice left though. Anyone wanting organ pipes for curio items that live near Wichita, KS let me know. I need to clear some things out. Email: DeoDuce3@gmail.com

 

[CarrieH]

Another challenge is the fact that pipe organ maintenance is expensive. Our local organ tech charges $200 to walk in the door, and the cost goes up from there depending on how much work he does. Our parish has little money, so we don’t usually call the tech until we have an entire list of things to fix. I never know how the organ might act up on any given day, and if the weather changes abruptly, I can bet that *something *will give me trouble. I have learned to expect the unexpected, but despite its faults, I would much rather play this decrepit old pipe organ than an electronic, even a good one such as a Rodgers or Allen. A pipe organ is a wind instrument, and that is something that cannot be duplicated by even the best electronic substitute.

:twocents: from an AGO member and Catholic music minister.