Today @laputis had her organ demonstration "Meet the King of Instruments" organized by the National Association of Organists. She said to me she was stunned by virtuosity of Balys Vaitkus who played music of Frescobaldi, Sweelink, Kerll and others. After his performance she talked about organ history and construction, organ stops, differences between Catholic and Protestant organ cultures, Italian organ at the Church Heritage Museum, pipe organ's role in contemporary world, organ as a mirror of its time and expressed hope that the youth will preserve a living history for future generations. Later she listened to 5 kids from Pagiriai music school play Baroque keyboard works on this elegant yet capricious instrument. During the history part of her talk, @laputis mentioned the organ of Winchester Cathedral back in the 19th century. It was a legendary instrument and I found the account about it by Stanley Webb in The Musical Times from 1988, which I accessed through JSOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/964769?fbclid=IwAR2n4lOpgneUvd1xaO4f-mSFiiz0B8_jhKKH3Ai42xv6hIM45lDoOezKfuI&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents He writes: Nearly 1000 years separate the restored and rebuilt organ inaugurated in Winchester Cathedral last month from the primitive instrument set up by Bishop (later Saint) Alphege in the Saxon minster north of the present building at the end of the 10th century. A picturesque account of it by the monk Wulfstan says (in part): I don't know about you but I would be delighted to see 70 strong men covered in sweat when pumping bellows of the pipe organ...
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Don't have an organ at home? Download paper manuals and pedals, print them out, cut the white spaces, tape the sheets together and you'll be ready to practice anywhere where is a desk and floor. Make sure you have a higher chair. |