westminster abbey organ

[jimamia77]

Oh! U did it now! U likely created structural damage 2 the old Abbey! U better answer to the deceased Kings when they approach U at the console after U woke them!! Watch the registration!! Keep it QUIEEEEEEEEET!

[pauldquam1]

Hi! Thank you for posting an excellent recording of this wonderful organ that lets

the cathedral do its part. This audio track has to be from a professional CD,

or pro recording. Unless your previous writer knows the cathedral, why would

he ask where the mics were placed.. And what kind of mic.. Great video.

[cornishmusician]

I'm very curious as to where the microphones were placed - and were you using the Bombarde reeds in the tutti passages? Certainly the pedal reeds only usually sound quite that large in the Quire - if so, did you have the solo Trumpet coupled with the Octave couplers? The organ makes a very fiery, exciting sound - and despite knowing it inside out, I'm very stumped as to how you registered the tutti!!

[barbara5706]

Thanks for posting! Love the sound!! :)

[synthman2000]

Wow! That is some big sound.

[DBGOGIRL]

I give you an A+ Excellent  Charolottesville, VA

[violindave2]

FYI:.........in music notation, B-A-C-H would be Bflat-A-C-Bnatural.

[juaniluco888]

Wooooooow, that's powerful!!!!! The 32' register is great on this recording. Great recording!

;)

[juaniluco888]

Wooooooow, that's powerful!!!!! The 32' register is great on this recording. Great recording!

;)

[organistspectacular]

Very exciting performance--whoever it is...

[captaincook71]

is it the abbey bell at first?

[michompy7]

It's great, i don't have more words, it's wonderfull.

[bodywhomp98]

Long ago I attended an organ recital in California, and the Guest Artist was named Ian Tracy. I don't know whether this video features Simon Preston or not, but at the time of the Recital Tracy's biograph mentioned that he was the Organist at Westminster. St. Leander's Church also in CA used to have an organist who also performed this piece during a two year celebration of Complete Liszt works for both organ and piano. He had trained with a Liszt in Hungary with a Liszt pupil. Cheers! SDG

[ronanmurray]

Ian Tracey is organist in Liverpool Anglican cathedral and was never organist at Westminster.

[ds1868]

Yes indeed Ian Tracey has always been associated with Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, from initial training right up to current 'Organist Titulaire'. And by 'Westminster' you must also be careful to distinguish between: Westminster Abbey (the Anglican property of the Head of the Church of England, Her Majesty The Queen), and the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral, just a couple of hundred yards down the road! Both have phenomenal Organs and musical tradition.

[ronanmurray]

Thanks. I'm well aware of the distinction, but felt that saying Ian was never organist in Westminster covered all eventualities! Go hear my friend David Grealy if you can, he's organ scholar in Westminster Cathedral this year.

[ds1868]

I'm sure you're aware of the Westminster 'distinctions' Ronan, my comment was directed really at bodywhomp98!

[caj58uk]

I do *not* believe Simon Preston is the organist. He has not recorded this piece since the Abbey organ was restored in the 80s, and if he were playing, he would have used a wider variety of soft stops, and he would not have played on the plenum for much of the time. The playing here is commendable, but one or two slips and poorly-timed piston depressions betray that is not the performer mentioned.

[irkibby]

those bells at the beginning are bloody horrible. You sure they are from Westminster Abbey?

[ProfMoose]

Might be service bells preserved - certainly not part of the ten.

[glevantino]

B-A-C-H

[45krojax]

@glevantino

Franz Liszt-Prelude an Fugee on BACH

[somethingjane8]

The one and only Simon Preston.

[Guttaperkakid]

Yes, I agree, this is most likely Preston, the performance and the registrations... He knows exactly what he is doing. If you have heard his interpretations of Reger and Reubke you´ll see what I mean.

[schneckenturm]

it is played brilliant. I have performed this piece twice in a concert.. One time it was a complete mechanic organ - was an adventure to get the right stops at the right time by one friend as a "Registrant". It is a pity that the end of the Liszt is cut off!

greetings from germany!

[1963mathetes]

OK, we know that this the Westminster organ, and piece is the Liszt B.A.C.H....

May we know WHO is playing, and if this recording is available to the public?

Hmmmm? :)

[oakberry61woohalol]

litz predlude uber B-A-C-H.

[xjyskax]

I just love to think how in the old in day when we didn't have keyboards and organs at home, and you had to go to the church to practice, how embaressing it would be to mess up while practicing those runs over and over and over again.

[bastardtubeuser]

xjyskax . in the "old days" people used to practice on a harpsichord that had a peadal board built on.

[THEDon2900]

What song is this.. and who is it by.. and if anywon know a publisher .. that would b great... i would love to play this piece!

[tatroplayspiano]

By far one of the most difficult pieces - if not the hardest. This interpretation is good - anyone know who the organist is? As a matter of preference I still think I like Peter Hurford's performance better.

[jsbach82]

This is the Preludiem and fugue on the name of B. A. C. H. by Franz Liszt

[Principal16]

this piece is Liszt präludium und fuge

[SeattleOrganMan]

I believe that this is the Franz Liszt "Ad nos ad salutarem undam."

[handelfan610]

what is the name of this song and who is the composer?

[pedro060956]

FABULOUS....SUCH TALENT.....thanks dor sharing -yout skills and talent SPEAK...love - joy and musical passion.... PeHugs, BLESSINGS and peace always = Pete BK

[westcath]

Bollocks to joeyboi 87. This is the organ of the Abbey. I have played it and attend recitals there most weeks. It has an extremely english timbre and does not have the tone of a foreign organ.

[davidmiler12]

i agree.

ive played this to

[joeyboi87]

btw this is not the organ of westminster abbey that is playing in this recording...I heard this recording a few months back on windows media player and it was a foreign organ

[EellyMayClampet]

Yes, very nice I'm sure.

.

Does anyone know of any nice organ music, preferably played on this organ, -I live around the corner from the Abbey; music that is not so "every-note-at-once", could they make a recommendation here below.

.

My friend in Sydney made me up a nice tape onetime; so such music does exist.

Cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[bondmatty]

I can recommend two of Simon Preston's CD's:

1. 'The World Of The Organ', DECCA 430091-2. (Widor, Bach, Handel, Walton, Mozart et al)

2. 'Widor (Symphony No.5) & Vierne (Carillon De Westminster)', Deutsche Grammophon 413438-2.

Hope you find what you're looking for.

[ArmiaZbawienia]

Dear bo.,

Thank you very much for your response and for your recommendations.

.

I shall take this list to Virgin Music -at Piccadilly Circus, tomorrow; I'm glad that you gave me the disc identifier.

Cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[Chesterbarnes1]

OrganMASTER100:

What is the builder of thie organ, and how many ranks, and manuals. We never see a picture of the consoles, can you provide one?

[kensingtonpalace]

there's a picture of the console at 1:01

[leeboy1411]

The Westminster abbey organ is a Harrison & Harrison Organ, it has four manuals and 84 speaking stops. This organ was installed in 1937 however replacing the previous five manual William Hill organ, I have always been quite fond of Harrison and Harrison organs they produce brilliant sounds

[westcath]

The organ at the Abbey actually now has five manuals. The Bombarde manual was added in the 80's.

[leeboy1411]

yes sorry about that it was a type error. I 've seen some up to date photographs of the organ and it does have five manuals. Looks quite comfortable to play.

[2468HOTROD]

Beautiful! Thank you for this video. I'm an American, but very proud of my British ancestry. Wish I could live there and be around all this beautiful music and great churches and cathedrals. Maybe someday!

[EellyMayClampet]

Dear 24.,

Just come on vacation; the weather here is poo=poo for four months of the year -just like most places, so you may as well stay were you are and come only part time.

.

Do some Internet research and arrange some accomodation in advance; my friend Maria stays at the university during its vacation time.

.

Bon-voy-age.

cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[2468HOTROD]

Thank you EllieMay for the info. I love England and I've never been there, but I think maybe in a previous life??? Peace

[RyanDoMu]

It's just too bad that most Europeans think of Americans as being uneducated, ill-informed troglodytes and that they treat them as such nine times out of ten. Have fun in Merry Olde England!

[34045]

Believe me this is a hard peice to play perfectly

[gphil82]

The organ is actually from Matthias Church in Budapest

[octave4]

Really? Better check again. I hope you did see the Tower wherein stand Big Ben and the house of parliment in London. Can't get much more English than that.

[HonestJago]

The piece is the "Fugue on the name BACH" by Franz Liszt

[BobfromSalem]

What a great piece---Probably my most favorite Romantic period organ work.

[simeonjevean]

Its a beauty. Lovely piece of instrument. Fell in love with it the day I saw it ...