Just wondered what organs everyone has played anywhere. I'm only 14, so i havent played many big ones, but i've played at St.Mary Redcliffe church, in Bristol, and the organ is a big 4 manual, and sounds great.



but i usually play a 2 manual + pedal organ that was built in the late 60's.

i'm going to go and play bristol cathedral organ soon, but my vicar is still aranging a time for me to go and play. i would love to play liverpool cathedral organ, ummm, the one at the royal albert hall, the one in atlantic city in america, and the one at westminster abbey.

I like mrbouffant's.

Is that Liverpool Anglican or the Catholic Cathedral? I have fond memories of the Catholic one, as played by Terry Duffy (many years ago!).

I've played Liverpool Cathedral.

Atlantic City is pretty much out of order, so good luck with that one !

I too would love to play the RAH organ. My favourite organ is Exeter Cathedral, a beautiful instrument.

Gloucester Cathedral was fun...!

David

I liked Truro

i haven't played in many big churches, but manchester cathedral and peterborough cathedral are my favourite at the moment.

the anglican cathedral. the one with 5 manuals, and the massive 64 foot resultant bass.

Salisbury Cathedral / Exeter Cathedral / Buckfast Abbey

The last is situated in a particularly wonderful acoustic.

The acoustics at Buckfast are lovely...as is the setting.

I registered for a friend when he played York Minster, now that was fun.

I like the Father Willis in Emmanuel URC Cambridge. Only two manuals and pedals but fits the church like a glove. Lovely reeds. Size isn't everything its what you can do with it that counts.

ooh, also those at selwyn, st. catherine's and trinity hall...

Durham Cathedral, Bridlington Priory, Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and of course NOT forgetting the fantastical four manual Harrison at Halifax Parish Church!!!!!!!!!!

Ive never played any big cathedral organs !
But theres a big 4 decker at St Marks in Ilkley, West Yorks. My sister taught at a school there, and I played for the carol service.
Incidentally this is the church where the former Archbishop of York, David Hope is now Rector, though I undertsand he is in bad health thesed days.

I had a lesson on the organ in York Minster today!

really, that's great....

St Giles' Edinburgh, Ripon Cathedral (prejudice I know, but hey, it worked, though apparently had a cipher the day after!) Selwyn Cambridge was good I agree- oh dear, split loyalties towards universities!

Hi there.

I'm 15 - and have racked up three cathedral organs so far: Southwell, Lincoln and Ely. Ely was just terrifyingly loud, but oh how wonderful the Tuba and Orchestral Trumpet are! Lincoln has the really nice impression that you are being enveloped in this beautiful mellow sound, I did 2 weeks work experience there earlier this year, got lots of practice time and some organ lessons on the cathedral organ! Southwell was a really interesting organ to play, it being very modern, but it sounds the building marvellously and the sound it packs in the choir is just incredible. Also the way it works in combination with the Nave (triforium) organ is very clever.

The organ I play normally is at St.Wulfram's Grantham, where I am the Organ Scholar and a choir member. Large 4-manual instrument, there's a bit of a rubbish picture here 'Me at Grantham', and spec here: 'Grantham spec'. The church is absolutely massive (easily cathedral sized) and is well worth a visit.

You managed to rack up any more cathedrals since the thread was started? I think Ripon will be my next target... not going for Westminster Abbey just yet!

Welcome Joe! Your instrument in Grantham looks such a great one for someone you age to be learning on. Take every opportunity going, that was the advice I was given at your age, and I've never regretted it.

For the record, St Pauls the ultimate in instrument and acoustic (especially in Dyson in D), but favourite that I've played a number of times would have to be Salisbury Cathedral. Unmatched.

St Bavo, Haarlem, Amiens Cathedral (the only large French organ I've played), Abbaye de Valloires (likewise the only reasonably authentic French classical organ I've played).

In this country: St Paul's, Coventry, Truro, Gloucester, St Alban's (yes, really), Salisbury, Downpatrick, Dundalk.

Durham, Ripon (although I prefer to play these two to listening to them).

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral was very daunting

York Minster - very "distant"

Voss Cathedral (?) in Norway - that was loooooooong time ago

St. Something or Other in Eindhoven

Agde Cathedral, Languedoc region of France. It was completely renovated about 10 years ago with money from the French Government. Amidst the ugly grey volcanic stone (like breeze blocks) from which this tiny Cathedral is built, the two manual organ shines out in green and gold.
It has a manual coupler which involves pulling the lower manual out like a drawer.

............and Stockport Town Hall, a glorious 4 manual 21 rank Wurlitzer theatre organ. Concert there next year!

Wish I'd had the opportunity of having an instrument like Joe's at Grantham during my early learning years, instead of the mouldy old instruments in Brentwood Cathedral and Ingatestone Parish Church!

AND........welcome, Joe. Enjoy the forums!

I always had a particular soft spot for St George's Chapel, Windsor because it was so adaptable. You could play anything on it with an artistically suitable sound (i.e. not forcing Bach into nineteenth-century Romanticism, or making Howells all spiky and broken glass). However, I think that organ has probably now been pipped at the post for me by the new Tickell at Worcester Cathedral. That organ is as eclectic as Windsor, but with a good deal more integrity. How I would love to be able to play that organ daily for a few weeks to explore its possibilities!

Also, I was recently very impressed with this one which I played last month (scroll down for the specification). Sadly, I only managed to scratch its surface; I reckon it would take years to exhaust all the possibilities for tone colour!

Newcastle City Hall has (or had) a very nice Harrison, which is still a joy to play. This was the last of the great Town Hall organs built by Harrisons around 1925.

Sadly it is in a poor state of repair at present, having suffered years of neglect, under use and too much central heating, but once the ciphering stops are identified it has some sublime voicing.

I believe there are plans to get it overhauled at some stage, but that is likely cost well in excess of £500,000. The recently built Sage concert hall in Gateshead (which doesn't have an organ) means that the old City Hall is not used very often nowadays for classical music events.

SB

I'm not normally one for name dropping, but a weekend playing there was my only brush with (minor) royalty as I ended up taking communion at the altar rail next (the late) Princess Madge, who despite her reputation, didn't finish off the communion wine.

I think St G's has to be the largest organ loft I've played in. When the (yet to be Sir) Francis Jackson did a recital there a few years ago, you could have seats up there during the concert.

Hubby has played the organs at the Vatican and the RAH so far this year... I was excited just to be turning for the latter!

Can you tell us for what occasion he played the RAH?

He does a lot of work for a company called Sing Live, and they had a concert there thee other week
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