Washington National Cathedral Organ

Perry plays the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral

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[markpianoman]

totally amateur!

[samc726]

@railfanatic844 - the trompette en chamade located in the high altar in the triforiums, they are on 27" of wind pressure.

[railfanatic844]

wow, i didn't think the chamades were at such a high wind pressure

[Salmagundiii]

yes, I've read of that one too...you really have to experience those stops in person. And big organs in general for that matter. When the National Cathedral organ is being played at full blast, with those 64 & 32 ft. Bombardes, if you are sitting in the choir you literally feel like you innards are being "sonicated" (google it!) It's "gut wrenching"!

[trompettechamade1]

@Salmagundiii I would like to hear the combination of the Tuba Magna & the Trompette Militaire playing together in Liverpool Cathedral - they are both on 50" of pressure, and they are both touted as among "the loudest organ voices in the world!"

[trompettechamade1]

@Salmagundiii I meant to say that when the en Chamade is used as a solo voice above the full organ, it gets lost in the rest of the organ by the time you reach the crossing becaus it has to cut through the entire rest of the organ, including the trompette harmonique and the tuba mirabilis (25"ressure). After all, it only has 27" pressure. When used as here, and one is in the great choir (or it is properly miked), it does sound very impressive.

[Salmagundiii]

@trompettechamade1

I'm not sure it needs to be louder. Somewhere on the video tape I had of Katherine Graham's funeral - which I've probably lost now nor do I have the means to digitize anymore - there's a moment where Henry Kissinger is visibly startled by it! To make it breathtaking at the West End of the nave would probably require it to deafen people in the choir! That being said I really want to get up and hear the one at St. John the Divine. It's legendary.

[trompettechamade1]

@tman8077 Call the Washington Cathdral at 202-537-6200 and ask for the Music Department. You will probably have to submit an audition tape.

[trompettechamade1]

@organist99x I believe that this organ as constituted now sounds like the Willis organ in Liverpool Cathedral. I remarked that to a visiting English organist 2 summers ago and he greed. He said that Father Willis and Mr. Skinner had many similar ideas o what a great organ should sound like.

[trompettechamade1]

@AeolianSkinner1983 The reason I said on 50" of pressure is that from the crossing on and continuing toward the West entrance they get lost in the organ when the full organ is playing. They sound like another reed voice, not THE solo reed voice. They need more pressure to be heard as a trompette fanfare (I could not add a French accent acute over the "e"!) in the nave. Maybe a the set of 8' and 16' chamades planned for the Cassavant in the West end will solve that problem.