Organ Improv

[Uncle Al]

I hope you enjoy this improv on a 1939 Aeolian-Hammond.
Mark Herman Christmas 2012

Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

Nice touch, but the clip is a bit short and he just uses one voice setting. I wove that tune into JS Bach's 'Sheep may safely graze' for 'my' congregation yesterday morning before the kick-off as people were arriving. Nothing nearly so jazzy of course, but several people remarked on it afterwards. At the end, after we had finished 'Hark the Herald.....' I threw in some 'figgy pudding' & 'we wish-you-a-merry.......' in the same key signature before the place emptied, which drew a few impromptu claps from below!!

At the Communion I gave them Franck's 'Panis Angelicus' (The bread of Angels) and the Wexford Carol (Traditional Irish) in a mix of quiet voices.

We had a visiting Reverend who said he enjoyed my music which he doesn't hear from straight-laced organists. That was nice.

T.

BTW. Our pianola at our holiday house is an Aeolian.

[Uncle Al]

Hi Tom

Actually Mark had about 5 registration changes using the presets
on the left side of the console, and adjusting a few drawbars. The
guy's were just "fool-in around" and the result improvisation is what
was recorded. Still that 1939 Hammond can sound good with any
style played on it. The camera 'person' said he would need a camera
crane if he was going to record this again. As it is, he held the camera
pretty steady. Not much 'shaking' going on. Mark's playing can really
get your "toes-a-tappin"

Get him on a 3 or 4 manual theatre pipe organ and he will blow you away

Is your Aeolian a "player" too Do you have to 'pump' it or
has it been electrified by adding a blower

Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

Alas our Aeolian is a foot pedal job, no electric blower, so to get a sound out of the player you have to drive it with your feet like a harmonium, something my darling wife didn't appreciate when an old friend offered it to us a few years ago. I just collapse the pedal mechanism and play it as s normal piano when I'm down there. Fortunately a good German piano tuner lives not far away.

I suppose one could get an electric drive fitted, but Lord knows who'd do that round our 52nd parallel remote holiday house.

T.