The $100K Synthesizer

[DWPC]

Our parish recently spent $100,000 (yup…100K!) to refurb our old church organ. Its now been turned into a glorified synthesizer and the “organist” can set it to play various (though quite realistic) instrument sounds from tinkly chimes to flutes to strings. The problem is that now its rarely played as an organ during Mass; the organist almost always set to sound like something else. Its doubly peeving because, since its overhaul, it sounds absolutely magnificent when played as an organ.

The trumpet accompaniment that I used to grumble about is now the more dignified and reverential part of our music as the Mass becomes more and more like a Sesame Street production.

I’m going to contact out parish Music Director and request that the organ be played *as an organ *for at least one piece during each mass, but I know that the answer will be that we spent the $100K so it could do the tinkly sounds better.

 

[Rolltide]

Our parish recently spent $100,000 (yup…100K!) to refurb our old church organ. Its now been turned into a glorified synthesizer and the “organist” can set it to play various (though quite realistic) instrument sounds from tinkly chimes to flutes to strings. The problem is that now its rarely played as an organ during Mass; the organist almost always set to sound like something else. Its doubly peeving because, since its overhaul, it sounds absolutely magnificent when played as an organ.

The trumpet accompaniment that I used to grumble about is now the more dignified and reverential part of our music as the Mass becomes more and more like a Sesame Street production.

I’m going to contact out parish Music Director and request that the organ be played *as an organ *for at least one piece during each mass, but I know that the answer will be that we spent the $100K so it could do the tinkly sounds better.

As a keyboardist myself, there are some definite pros and cons to having a synthesizer of this level in the church. The big con, as you’re figuring out, is that although modern synthesizers are truly impressive instruments that really do sound like the instruments they mimic (unlike those $100 Casio keyboards), there’s generally not a NEED for the huge range of sounds in a church environment, and they can be abused. The pro, however, is it might allow you to do some things, with a little effort, that you in no way could do otherwise. You can reproduce a complete orchestra on a keyboard like that, and not have it sound fake. (Many movie scores are done without real orchestras nowadays). You could, for example, play an entire Beethoven Mass on it! Even if you can’t play all of the parts, the other pro to consider is that these keyboards usually have sequencers, that allow you to store and replay different parts. You can likely buy the whole Mass, programmed and ready to go, and let it play itself (or just play like the string parts). You could then train your choir or orchestra to sing beautiful and reverent classical Masses without the expense or the problems of trying to co-ordinate an entire orchestra. There’s a lot of flexibility to the instrument that you could exploit with a little effort.

 

[Unfinished]

Our parish recently spent $100,000 (yup…100K!) to refurb our old church organ.

Only 100,000 dollars?

My church is 8 million dollars in debt. But I suppose I go to a “mega” church. The weekly offering is something like 46,000 dollars.

On topic: We don’t even have an organ. Consider it a blessing. Just get in good with the music director and explain your sentiments to him. He might be understanding.

 

[Jim]

Every time I go to Guitar Center, I’m amazed by all the great new technology by way of Guitar synthesizers. They have some reasonably priced ones that can make an electric guitar sound EXACTLY (in my ears, at least) like a church organ.

If a Parish invested in some money in guitar synthesizers, I believe this would be the perfect solution to all those who hate guitar masses. Get a couple of guitarists together with synthesizers and learn some Bach polyphonies. Not only would that be a lot of fun, but I think it would sound great also.

 

[Jim]

Every time I go to Guitar Center, I’m amazed by all the great new technology by way of Guitar synthesizers. They have some reasonably priced ones that can make an electric guitar sound EXACTLY (in my ears, at least) like a church organ.

If a Parish invested in some money in guitar synthesizers, I believe this would be the perfect solution to all those who hate guitar masses. Get a couple of guitarists together with synthesizers and learn some Bach polyphonies. Not only would that be a lot of fun, but I think it would sound great also.

 

[jbuck919]

I am a church organist in semi-retirement, and I would not touch a synthesized organ sound with a ten foot pole. The true pipe organ is a glorious instrument and is especially blessed even in official church documents. Yes, they cost at least half a million dollars for a decent one. Money well spent, if churches were not devoted to nauseatingly eclectic and mediocre music these days. Hoping too much, I guess.

 

[DWPC]

…You could, for example, play an entire Beethoven Mass on it! …

Now a Haydn or Beethoven Mass *would *be something, but its not going to happen in this parish in my lifetime. Our Music Director is firmly in the “St. Louis” camp, which IMO, is suitable only as a penance. Rarely, we’ll get one verse of “Tantum Ergo” or “Panis Angelicus” as the recessional hymn while the crowd is running for the parking lot; everything else is of the touchy-feely “us/we/I” flavor, so the tinkle effect will be well used.

 

[MusicMan]

I am one of the lucky few who has sufficient training, but the parish I belong to lacks an organ. My skills have atrophied in recent years. The situation is so perplexing that to prepare for my sister’s wedding, I needed to ask the local Lutheran church if I could practice there.

I have discussed the organ situation in my parish with our priest. As I’ve said many times, church support is so pathetic in our parish that Father spends much of the winter months agonizing over how to pay the heating bills (and I don’t think this is a matter of show your displeasure for SOMETHING with your pocketbooks either). He is also concerned that I am the only member of the parish with the training and the desire to play the instrument. If we were to have a fund-drive to get a new organ and I were to leave the area (which, given my age and station in life is a distinct possibility), he would be stuck with a phenomenal instrument, no one to play it, and he still wouldn’t be able to pay the heating bills.

If I came to play at the OP’s parish, I would show your parish how that instrument is meant to be played in all its glory, and I would use the full range of its capabilities (including those nasty double reeds in the pedals )