How Did You Get To Play The Organ? Options

[Jungfrauenregalbass]

Well how did you get to play it in the church?

[maggiemay]

Do you mean how did I first get the chance to play it, or how did I get to play for services?

Are we talking organ lessons here, or just "having a go on the organ "?
Sorry to ask so many questions !

In my case I changed piano teachers when I was 12 and my new teacher was the parish church organist - it kind of followed on from there.

[Jungfrauenregalbass]

Do you mean how did I first get the chance to play it, or how did I get to play for services?

Are we talking organ lessons here, or just "having a go on the organ "?
Sorry to ask so many questions !

In my case I changed piano teachers when I was 12 and my new teacher was the parish church organist - it kind of followed on from there.

to play for services

[Teknikus]

to play for services

My dad was a Methodist minister. When I was 11 he asked me if I could help him out one Sunday when an organist couldn't make it, and I vamped my way through it. (Playing by ear, mostly.) Country chapel, three members of the congregation and my dad and me. Then I was at (a posh - as Mrb will have it) boarding school in the sixties and I got up v. early and went down to the chapel (illegally) and unfortunately for the DoM was in v. early and gave me a right b********g. Didn't stop me, though, and I did the same again three weeks later. Somehow (dunno how) I got reported and the DoM (to his eternal credit) said "It's obvious I won't stop you playing the thing, so I'd better teach you how to play it'. So he did. The rest is history, and I've been incredibly fortunate ever since.

[maggiemay]

It followed on naturally in my case, after I had been having lessons with my second teacher for a while he suggested I had organ lessons as well as piano, and I would sometimes sit at the side of the organ and watch and listen, and gradually ... a hymn here, a short voluntary there and you get the picture.

[organist_katy]

I kind of fell into it too. After I'd taken my Grdae 7 piano I wanted a change from exams and my piano teacher was also the DoM at the church I sang at. So he suggested I start learning the organ. It was meant to be a gap before Grade 8 piano but that was three years ago and I've never gone back!

As for playing in church, I got made the organ scholar as the only young person learning at the church, and then when my teacher went away on a course for three weekends a few summers ago I got to play for the whole evensong. It took me weeks to learn the hymns. Gradually since then I've played more and more and am now at the stage where I'll learn two or three hymns on Thursday for the Sunday services, and also accompaniments (but learning them further in advance!! Lol).

[jebonick]

Moved across from piano at about Grade 6 or so as a young 'un, but had always had a desire to play - as a chorister I thought playing the organ was just the coolest thing. In fact, now I think of it, I still do! Lucky us!!!

First church job was at the age of 14 - £4 a service!

[mwl1]

My piano teacher was kind of involved with a church nearby that didn't have an organist. I started there, and then word got around, and I think I'll have a job for life! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[waldfute]

I was brought up a High Anglican, and really liked the organ. When I was about 9 I switched to the Catholic church, and was lucky enough to be in a parish that did 'proper' music and had an organ. I have been learning piano since I was four and began to receive organ lessons from the organist when I was about 10 for three years but never really practiced. The high school I went to had a small organ in the chapel and I started receving some lessons again. I began to play the two hymns at the Friday morning Benediction. When I was 16 one of my priests asked me to play at the neighbouring parishes Saturday Vigil Mass on the first and third Saturdays ('but also other Saturdays would be appreciated!'). Now I am the organist there, playing every week (as neighbouring parish is now in my parish, and only has one Sunday Mass). And assistant assistant organist at the main church in my parish, which really means I'm asked to play at short notice, and get the Masses no one else wants, ie, 7:00 am Christmas day and Easter Sunday!

Wow! I just realised I've given you my life story (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif). Sorry. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Keith the 'wannabe organist']

I was a late starter compared to all of you guys. I had always wanted to play the organ when i joined my Church Choir at the grand old age of 7, but I didnt actually enquire about playing it until I was about 15 where I was told I would have to be at least Grade 4 Piano before starting organ lessons. 2 years later I asked our new Choir Master, who started teaching me, and 2 years later I did my Grade 5. As I was at Uni at the time (and in Leeds it is very difficult to find an organ available to practise on) I stopped playing for about 4 years.
I started playing again just over a year ago now and was made the Organ Scholar of our Church (as we already have an Organist/Choir Master and an Assistant Organist) even though I am pretty terrible lol

As for playing in church, I got made the organ scholar as the only young person learning at the church, and then when my teacher went away on a course for three weekends a few summers ago I got to play for the whole evensong. It took me weeks to learn the hymns. Gradually since then I've played more and more and am now at the stage where I'll learn two or three hymns on Thursday for the Sunday services, and also accompaniments (but learning them further in advance!! Lol).

I, like organist_katy can learn a few hymns in a couple of days, and have to practise voluntaries etc. with weeks of notice haha. I have to teach myself now as I live in Leeds and travel to Bury (Lancs) to play and practise. Could really do with a tutor. Never mind, I'm happy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
x

[Teknikus]

Don't worry, waldflute, I did much the same .... !

[guilmant]

I always harboured ambitions to play the organ since joining chapel choir at school aged 8. But Director of Music not keen, kept putting piano exam obstacles in the way (grade 5 piano was what he finally settled at). Then, when I was 13 was involved in a serious car crash which left me with virtually no bottom lip, so had to give up the trumpet temporarily and thought the organ would be a good fill in till got better, and we got a new organ teacher at school who was excellent. Never looked back after that.

As for services, I used to play in chapel for morning assemblies (had been doing it on the piano since 11 as they were short of people) and then bit by bit, elements of a Sunday service were introduced. Culminated in having to play for a weekend of services at a cathedral aged 16 when our choir sang there. Scary and very steep learning curve!

My advice would be do as much playing as you can when you're young and say yes to almost everything. It might not look much and it might not pay much (£2 in 1984!) but you have no idea where it might lead and the experience is priceless.

PS My first two teachers were in Leeds, but I know how difficult it was to find somewhere to practice during school hols.

[fsharpminor]

I began lessons at about age 11 (you cant recah the pedals until about then) with the deputy organist at our own Methodist church in Keighley through which I was brought up. Subsequently another very small Methodist church near to our and who had the same Minister required an organist. I would be 13 then , about 1960.
I had to play two services every Sunday for .............. £6 a year ! A couple of years later, at 15, I became organist at our own church, after the organist died and the deputy , who was my teacher, moved away from the area. I found a better teacher at a large Methodist Church in our town centre, and did Grades 5, 6 then 8, in the space of two years (1962-1964), then failed ATCL organ (having got ALCM piano) trying to rush it through before I went to Uni to do Chemistry in September 1965.
Surprisingly, I hardly touched an organ at all between 1965 and 1976, then I played an occasional service in Selsdon (where we lived) and Coulsdon in Surrey. Moved back north to Wirral in 1988, and play about twice a month now at Hoylake Presbyterian Church. (Had as spell at Heswaal United reformed as well)

[Dulciana]

I was a late starter compared to all of you guys. I had always wanted to play the organ when i joined my Church Choir at the grand old age of 7, but I didnt actually enquire about playing it until I was about 15 where I was told I would have to be at least Grade 4 Piano before starting organ lessons. 2 years later I asked our new Choir Master, who started teaching me, and 2 years later I did my Grade 5. As I was at Uni at the time (and in Leeds it is very difficult to find an organ available to practise on) I stopped playing for about 4 years.
I started playing again just over a year ago now and was made the Organ Scholar of our Church (as we already have an Organist/Choir Master and an Assistant Organist) even though I am pretty terrible lol

As for playing in church, I got made the organ scholar as the only young person learning at the church, and then when my teacher went away on a course for three weekends a few summers ago I got to play for the whole evensong. It took me weeks to learn the hymns. Gradually since then I've played more and more and am now at the stage where I'll learn two or three hymns on Thursday for the Sunday services, and also accompaniments (but learning them further in advance!! Lol).

I, like organist_katy can learn a few hymns in a couple of days, and have to practise voluntaries etc. with weeks of notice haha. I have to teach myself now as I live in Leeds and travel to Bury (Lancs) to play and practise. Could really do with a tutor. Never mind, I'm happy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
x

I'm an even later starter! Having not done any piano exams as a child I went as an adult to a teacher to do Grade 8, and then a diploma, and then before I knew what was happening I found myself sitting at the organ console. (He was an organist.) I had hardly been to church for about 30 years, was totally unfamiliar with the Anglican service, and shook like a leaf when I played for my first full service a short time afterwards. But it went pretty well, and I got onto a scholarship course after that. (Two years down and one to go.) I'm an assistant organist at the minute, and hope to have a church of my own some day, but I'm waiting till I can get away with less practice, as it's not fair to my kids for mummy to use up every Saturday. I'm pretty well okay with the hymns, psalms and canticles, but the voluntaries still need a fair bit of practice to sound reasonable.

[maggiemay]

I began lessons at about age 11 (you cant recah the pedals until about then) with the deputy organist at our own Methodist church in Keighley through which I was brought up. Subsequently another very small Methodist church near to our and who had the same Minister required an organist. I would be 13 then , about 1960.I had to play two services every Sunday for .............. £6 a year!

Surprisingly, I hardly touched an organ at all between 1965 and 1976, then I played an occasional service in Selsdon (where we lived) and Coulsdon in Surrey. Moved back north to Wirral in 1988, and play about twice a month now at Hoylake Presbyterian Church. (Had as spell at Heswaal United reformed as well)

I did slightly better in my first job - evensongs only for £5 a year! I guess I was probably 14

I might have heard you play then - Selsdon is just up the road from us.