Alexandre Guilmant - Variations for Organ on "O Filii et Filiae"

[smb12321]

I no longer attend church but the one thing I miss (far more than anything else) was the magnificent organ. Sadly, I also remember the noise of the congregation who by and large paid zero attention to the pieces. \

In some Presbyterian churches (Lutheran and Episcopal also) the choir enters as the organ plays and many times this segues into one of those magnificent Introits.

[GoldenTaskin]

Again I may say, that is a FANTASTIC organ, and the playing is fantastic too.

[sfbonedoc]

Thank you so much for visiting the site and for your kind and generous comment! Greetings from San Francisco

[sfbonedoc]

Actually, at Old First, the choir, by tradition, comes in during the prelude, so some commotion is inevitable. This particular prelude was on Easter Sunday, 2006. The choir is usually quiet during the prelude music. Thank you for the positive comments about the playing, and thank you for visiting my YouTube channel.

[MrBrysonD]

What a very disrespectful choir!! How rude to be moving all over the play and talking! That is just terrible! With such a fine organist playing too! Teach your choir some manners and how to respect the musician!

[organman52]

Don't you know? Sheople don't have the capacity to listen to anything - let alone music. How pathetic.

[praisethelord333]

why did they all talk along his playing?

[voxceleste8]

BRAVO! I love Guilmant and you played this piece with strength and determination!  How fortunate that congregation is to have your gift og music. The organ handled it very well indeed! God bless you!

Father Joseph

[convaircrazy]

Fine job! I did this piece in college

[sfbonedoc]

Thank you flying man, for stopping by, for listening and for your kind comment. Greetings from San Francisco, George

[fluteceleste]

great job, enjoyed it!

[sandyhackney]

Wonderful! Thank you.

[sfbonedoc]

Sandy, Thank you for listening and commenting.

[sfbonedoc]

Bill Visscher built new slider chests for the organ. He and I were sorry that it could not have had a suspended tracker action, but the layout of the old Hutchings instrument (good for its time) did not permit a successful tracker action, so we have electric pulldowns. Part of the rebuilding included making larger openings from the organ chambers and lining them with reflective sheetrock. Some carpeting in the church was removed to provide a better acoustic. The tuning is: Kellner.

[julorg]

I play that piece too ! Yes the Great reeds sound very french.

[sfbonedoc]

Thank you for listening and for your comment. I have checked your channel and thank you for the photo tour of the Grand Orgue de Sainte-Croix. Those large wedge bellows must provide a resilient wind supply. Please play for us on this marvelous instrument, and tell something about it. It looks to be a great treasure! Greetings from San Francisco.

[jeanseborg]

This organ is fabulous! This piece makes with the variations a good demonstration of the different sounds of it. I really like the Choir foundation stops but the grand chorus is outstanding! I don't understand why the 32' reed is called "Sackbut" because it sounds really like a french Contre-Bombarde! Bravo for this playing!

[sfbonedoc]

Thank you. I've played this organ frequently since its installation in 1995. Bill Visscher and I wanted an organ with a French accent. The Great reeds and the Choir Cromorne are French,. The Sackbut is an extension of the Hutchings Trombone, an English reed. We decided to call the 32 reed Sackbut, since that is an 18th century Trombone-like brass instrument (described in Praetorius "De Oreganographia", 1619). With full length wood resonators, the stop does sound like a Bombarde. You are correct!

[jeanseborg]

If I come to SF someday, I will shurely start an organ tour with this church! There is nothing better than full lenght resonators, it makes every harmonics sound great! I heard also the Choir reed chorus on SFChristo's website and it is wonderfull. I also saw the arrangement of the Great pipeword so I suppose the chests are new: are they sliderchest or electro-pneumatic? Regards, Jeanseborg