Virgil Fox - Hour of Power (1979) - Garden Grove Church

The truly greatest organist in our time, Virgil Fox playing the Garden Grove Church installation on the "Hour of Power" with Robert Schuller. Just another fine example of the awesome emotion and interpretation that came forth from Virgil.

He's playing "Tu Est Petra" or "Thou Art The Rock" by Henry Mulet.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Virgil
• Fox
• Pipe
• Organ
• Robert
• Schuller
• Hour
• of
• Power
• Garden
• Grove
• Church
• Crystal
• Cathedral

[19shea85]

It's remarkable how well he still played for his age and considering how sick he was.

What a terrible cacophony of an organ though. Sounds like 20 ranks of screaming mixtures, ten 32' stops and nothing in the middle. Not to mention just about the ugliest console ever built!

[RonRizzy]

You must remember though, this is 1979, a mono audio feed piped through a TV signal, and then onto VHS. As not only a professional organist but someone who does audio work as well, I will tell you that multiple microphones (ESPECIALLY in bad placement) over a single mono feed will make ANY organ sound bad. This organ was actually VERY phenomenal in this church. Don't judge this organ by the audio on this video. As awesome as his playing is, even I admit the audio isn't the best.

[AllenOrganCrazy]

Its almost sad to watch him! He died less than a year later..look at how much pain he is in :(

[lipsbach]

I suppose we will be seeing your staccato version, from memory, and "hanging on some notes" uploaded soon....? What ridiculous comments you make.

[marchesano]

Of course, this was a signature piece of Virgil. Even at this age and health condition, he was amazing. The closeups of his face let you know he is working, though! I'm told he was never without pain while playing in the last years. He did more for the pipe organ than any of his imitators will ever do. He was a musician, and committed to the music firstly.

[marchesano]

@AllTheStopsJB The garden Grove Community Church organ installation was a Ruffatti. The A-S from Lincoln Center was combined with it for the [then soon to be new] new Crystal Cathedral. The video & sound quality is poor, artifacts of VHS recording of TV broadcast, so the upper harmonics are distorted by wow and flutter. Unfortunately, though, if you look at the stop tabs, he had almost every stop and coupler on the organ on, a cacophony indeed. The Ruffatti had many high pitched mixtures.

[polgarfan]

what is he playing?

[Shenandoah58]

@AllTheStopsJB I gotta tell you, that IS one ugly console. A-S would have never made one like that.

Of this new organ he commented, "I like my organs upright." Funny.

[Shenandoah58]

@AllTheStopsJB I gotta tell you, that IS one ugly console. A-S would have never made one like that.

[AllTheStopsJB]

@Shenandoah58 Depends what stops he's using. The organ is everywhere. Both Skinner and Ruffatti. The Ruffatti is mainly at the alter. Skinner mainly at the gallery. But, if I remember correctly, the Skinners Swell is at the alter.

[Shenandoah58]

@AllTheStopsJB Ruffatti?  Isn't that the Aeolian-Skinner from the Lincoll Center turned up on end?

[MezzoDiva]

@polsterj Nobody answered this because they don't read German or perhaps they just didn't want to even acknowledge such mean nonsense...

[acoustics101]

@NagarianT

Connecting with the audience is what it's all about. Virgil had a talent for doing this and helped bring the organ out of the realm of only the purists and more into the mainstream for everyone to enjoy.