Shortage of Organists

The shortage of organists has been in the news recently (I shall not put up a link but an article arrived in my Facebook feed yesterday). I have been playing a long time. Today I picked up a piece of music I bought in 1974 when I was 15: I remember learning it. It is Yon's "Toccatina" but it has a longer title.

Back in the 70s there were several of us learning the organ at Peterborough cathedral, all of us choristers or ex-choristers. We all wanted to be cathedral organists, I expect, but the reality is that church organs are smaller and more difficult to play and cathedral posts are limited! Some organs are real beasts with heavy action and a poor selection of stops. They were installed to accompany hymns not to allow chaps like me to play Widor's "Toccata".

I was lucky in Peterborough as there were quite a few good instruments about but, where I live now, I am surrounded by uninspiring instruments. There is the problem. All organs are different. If you learn the clarinet then you generally have your own clarinet and it is the same everytime you pick it up. Not so with organs. Stops can be in different places, they can be drawstops or tabs, above the keys or on either side. There can be some playing aids (pistons) or none.

Unless one is motivated to play the organ at an early age one is hardly likely to take it up. One will only be motivated if one goes to church and falls in love with the instrument. Church attendance is falling. On top of that musical trends are changing as are modes of worship.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of organists around the world and sales of digital organs for home use are on the up.

So, is there really a shortage of organists?