Mormon Tabernacle Pipe Organ w/Thomas Murray

The ultimate American Classic organ -- the V/147/206 Aeolian-Skinner, G. Donald Harrison's masterpiece.

Thomas Murray, one of the genuinely Nice Guys of the organ world, recorded this in 1989 -- right after a massive renovation/restoration by the Schoenstein organ folks.

Frederick Delius's "On Hearing the First Cuckoo of Spring" was transcribed for organ by Eric Fenby. The Tabernacle organ & Tom Murray's instrument @ Woolsey Hall/Yale are 2 of only a handful of instruments with a tonal palette (& a luscious string ensemble) capable of doing justice to this piece. In fact, Tom has recorded this on the Woolsey organ for the Gothic label: "The Transcriber's Art."

There are, surprisingly, very few available pictures of the Tabernacle organ, so I've had to resort to adding a few "Spring"-like pictures to the video as filler.

The recording is taken from a CD of a tape recording of an air check of a live concert; it even has the requisite coughing person near the end.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mormon
• Tabernacle
• pipe
• organ
• orgue
• orgel
• Murray
• Delius

[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.

[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).

[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."

[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!!

[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.

[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~!

[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!

[antoine20008]

@slpa1

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

[kibukun]

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