Mormon Tabernacle Pipe Organ w/Thomas Murray

[davlber221]

A wonderful unduplicatable sound! Too bad very few try to match this quality these days!

[TheWhitecloak]

This would have to be the most instantly recognised organ in the world. The mellow sounds contrasted with the sometimes peircing reeds are a tribute to the excellence in organ building. Thanks to the Mormons for keeping it in such good condition.

[minion6500]

i wonder how much an organ like that cost. it must be a cool mill.

[TeakScoop]

I came across Thomas Murray on a couple of albums on iTunes. Liked them so much that I bought both of them. I wondered why they only had two albums, so I decided to see what YouTube had to offer and found this one on the Morman Tabernacle Organ. He does do it justice as both the albums that I bought.

[09WestTexas]

Schreiner would have been proud to hear this playing. If you want to hear this, or Harrison's organ at it best, if you can find it, the 33 1/3 disc of The Great Organ at the Mormon Tabernacle.  Strange, the church has never put it out on CD. Also, Schreniner recorded, 3 thirty min. recitals for Nation Education TV in the early 60s. They're wonderful. I must say that the Mormon Church seems to take little pride in the greatest organist to ever sit on the bench of their great Tabernacle organ!

[virginiaorganbuilder]

Thomas Murray is the master!

[slowdog294]

Beautiful. Love the Celestes. It almost sounds like a giant WurliTzer without the tremulants on. Very nice.

[DSM1G90]

It's tuned to the "American Classic" style that E.M. Skinner created with his company.

[kensingtonpalace]

i never cared much for this organ...it seems to be tuned like a cinema organ, heavy strings and detuned reeds etc...a little too edgy for me. but everyone likes something different.

[DSM1G90]

To add a comment: the past Tabernacle's organist, the late Dr. Alexander Schreiner, along with the Church's approval, worked completely with G. Donald Harrison with the install of the A/S, the rebuild and the adding of ranks to the cases back in 1948 when the Austin Console was retired. I heard that Shoenstein did the recent rebuild of the A/S right before the Tabernacle's required building upgrades..and Schoenstein installed the organ for the Conference Center.

[MANTLEBERG]

Fredrick Delius was a genius, shame he died so horribly, his wife Yelca was marvelous to have stood by him, Erick Fenby...well done, Evryone must see the film.." A SONG OF SUMMER" a true masterpiece...see it please lol.

[akarpowicz]

Fantastic! Thanks for posting!

[tsm611]

Great. Us Thomas Murrays are something else. Check out this Thomas Murray's music!

[Flockton77]

Amazing how so much depth and colour can be got from a single instrument, the pipe organ. I`m used to hearing the orchestral version of this piece. Delius was a Yorkshire man, as am I, and though not religeous in the established sense, I am sure he would have delighted in this arrangement.

[TrompenCham167]

Yes, I strongly agree with you cornwall59! Skinner strings are quite beautiful. There is a very large selection of string stops in the Swell. The list is as follows: Flauto Dolce, Flute Celeste, Viole de Gambe, Viole Celeste, Orchestral Strings 2 rks, Salicional, Voix Celeste! WONDERFUL!! Skinner strings are the real deal! The first two stops in the list are flutes, but they are Celeste stops. Thanks for posting!

[magna55]

This organ won't overwhelm you with sound (like, for instance, Notre Dame or St. Ouen or Cologne). But it has the most exquisite tonal palette of any instrument in the world thanks to the digital system hidden discreatly beneath the woodwork. The only damage we noted on our inspection in 1998 was a rat infestation in chambers at the chancel. The rodents had done a considerable amount of damage. The tonal variations are due to the inconsistant materials use in "a patch job". Well worth a visit.

[magna55]

Yes, for the most part the organ is digital. The organ does however contain just over 7000 pipes. It's about 40/60 Harrison / Skinner depending on who you ask. Both in chambers at the chancel and in chambers at the balcony. As far as the tuning thing goes, it's the sound quality of YouTube. This organ is really something you need to experience in person. As far as the middle part of the song goes it may also sound slightly out of tune because sounds "iffy"... or a little "sharp" in my opinion.

[acemaster1268]

Um the organ is not digital

the 209 something ranks do play and

its an aeolian skinner

I have been in the case and all the pipes are there

also that organ had a cipher

All this info i got from the 2 full time organ techs there

[slpa1]

Wrong. There are 206 ranks, 11,623 pipes. I was personally responsible for the preservation of this magnificent organ during the Tabernacle's recent seismic upgrade. I handled and cleaned each and every one of the pipes. Those of you interested in accurate information about this historical instrument should read Barbara Owen's book "The Mormon Tabernacle Organ - An American Classic."

[kibukun]

@slpa1 yeah, that must of been fun. A marvelous work and wonder right? well done. It looks beautiful

[antoine20008]

@slpa1

Should you have some links to give, it should be nice ( videos, etc.) regarding The Tabernacle Organ

[warmlandlass1]

@slpa1 magnificent~! the Mighty Pipe Organ is indeed, "The King of Instruments" (and I cut my teeth on pipe organ music as a small child). My love of this extraordinary instrument has only increased through the years~! And we are steadily losing artists who can truly do justice to the playing of them. I appreciate knowing the love and care that you oversaw to the restoration, preservation and seismic upgrade. Thank you~!

[SuperElBorba]

The Tabernacle is 0% Skinner . .

Skinner had been gone from the company for 17 years when this organ was rebuilt by Harrison.

Newberry is Skinner and Harrison from 20 years before this organ was built. It's about 40/60 Harrison / Skinner depending on who you ask . .

Ialso have to say that I think it's sad that Dr. Murray doesn't allow himself to be videotaped . . I understand it, but think that his talent should be video archived for younger organists . .

Thanks for posting this . .

[ronanmurray]

You're correct in stating that the organ is 0% Skinner. I can't understand why you've had some thumbs downs for saying it! In 1948, Aeolian-Skinner under the tonal directorship of G. D. Harrison built essentially a new instrument replacing an Austin organ. Ernest Skinner was long gone from the company by that stage. I recommend people read the wonderful biography of E.M. Skinner by Dorothy Holden (available from the Organ Historical Society). This will clear up any uncertainty!!

[SuperElBorba]

Thanks - I attribute it to the pervasive musical ignorance on here . . Particularly when it comes to the organ and it's music . . I've played the Tabernacle organ 4 times over the last 31 years, including 2 Nooner's .. Love your improvisations BTW . . I've never been a strong improvisor myself . .

[ronanmurray]

You're welcome. I haven't played it, but have many recordings. It's a treasure of an instrument. Glad you enjoy my improvs. R

[steeeevve]

Excellent.

I like this very much but not the version for strings.

Hope you like my Delius videos on steeeevve.

[cornwall59]

I just love the sound of this beautiful instrument,the celeste & strings, WOW!

[a55b47]

This organ won't overwhelm you with sound (like, for instance, Notre Dame or St. Ouen or Cologne). But it has the most exquisite tonal palette of any instrument in the world.

[Igor372]

. I'm not sure..... first time I've heard the organ version.... it's clearly sensitively and very well played......what's missing is the way you hear the orchestral strings breathe and surge together........ this sounds is too prescribed and contained..... it's hard to explain... I'll stick with the original...

[jdcrash7]

Tom Murray plays the perfect Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ in a perfect room. I attended the American Classic organ syposium at SLC about this time last year and I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Thanks again to John Longhurst and all for a glorious time.

[fluteceleste]

I also love the "Procession of the Nobles" by Rimsky-Korsakov on the Yale CD, there is lots of Tubas&Trombas ;o)

[fluteceleste]

thanks for yet another beautiful video! I have the same piece, recorded at Yale!The strings are surprisingly similar, even though Yale is more Skinner...

[a55b47]

I've got the Woolsey CD, too. Can't get enough of those Skinner strings ;-)(& remember, the SLC organ is more Harrison than Skinner). Tom Murray played a couple of other pieces at the SLC concert that are on the CD, including a Rachmaninov transcription that I just uploaded (but which seems to have temporarily disappeared into cyberspace).