I am currently working toward my Grade 8 organ exam. Is anyone on the forum taking this exam in the spring? If so, which pieces are you preparing?

Hey OD.. I did (back in 2000)

- the bach fugue in b minor on a theme of Corelli
- mendelssohn: movement from 4th sonata
- whitlock toccata from plymouth suite

The whitlock was (and still is) a killer! The Bach is lovely and the mendy is OK..

Avoid AT ALL COSTS "Herr Jesu Hat ein Gartchen" by Flor Peeters

It's a MASS murderer - especially the last movement. Having taken Grade 8 (and passed with Dist. in 1969 (at the tender age of 17), I re-took Grades 5 - 8 from 1993 to 1997. Trinity College include it at the moment.

(Having a not-very-inspiring teacher didn't help, coupled with a not-very-inspiring instrument.)

(Hooray - another organist in the camp!)

Hello organ_dummy, and good luck with your forthcoming Grade 8.

I don't play the organ myself (learning it is currently filed under "Retirement Projects", but I seem to have a large following amongst the organist fraternity around here, so it was inevitable that our paths would cross eventually.

Do let us know what pieces you're playing, and how you get on in the exam.

Hello diapason and mrbouffant:

I thought the last variation in the Peeters would be a killer, but it turned out to be OK. I find variations 2 and 4 really difficult because I can't do the cresc. and decresc. no matter how much I practise!

Here is my exam programme (tentative):
List A--Bach/Vivaldi, Concerto in A minor, 1st movement OR Bach, Trio Sonata in G major, 1st movement
List B--Mendelssohn, Sonata in Bb major, 3rd movement
List C--Whitlock, Toccata from Plymouth Suite OR Peeters, "Herr Jesu hat ein Gartchen"

I love the Mendelssohn movement. In fact, the Bb major Sonata if my favourite of the six.

Has anyone played the Bach/Vivaldi Concerto? Do you change the registration for the pedal line? Some changes seem desirable IMHO; however, I am not sure if there is time to do that!

[quote name='organ_dummy' date='Jan 21 2006, 12:46 AM' post='238645']
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Hello diapason and mrbouffant:

I thought the last variation in the Peeters would be a killer, but it turned out to be OK. I find variations 2 and 4 really difficult because I can't do the cresc. and decresc. no matter how much I practise!

Here is my exam programme (tentative):
List A--Bach/Vivaldi, Concerto in A minor, 1st movement OR Bach, Trio Sonata in G major, 1st movement
List B--Mendelssohn, Sonata in Bb major, 3rd movement
List C--Whitlock, Toccata from Plymouth Suite OR Peeters, "Herr Jesu hat ein Gartchen"

[/quote]

Strange, that! I found the last movement of the Peeters REALLY difficult, yet the other movements were ok. I shall dig out my copy (if I haven't BURNED it!!) and see how the dynamics fitted it to the 2nd and 3rd and let you know if I can come up with anything constructive.