Seeing the organist

If a church has an organist, it will fall into one of two kinds of church. 1 - where you can see the organist and 2- where the organist is hidden away, possibly in an organ loft. The latter is very often the case in cathedrals (except when they use a detatched console).

Now the job of an organist is to accompany the singing. I also feel the pre-service music is to add atmosphere (although I have known heard players destroy it). The post-service voluntary is not a concert. One goes to organ recitals to hear the organ alone although good manners dictate that one would listen and not chatter near the console.

Even at a recital one does not see the organist although more and more places are using large screens onto which they project what happens at the console.

I was extremely lucky as a young chap to go to Evensong every day and turn pages for my teacher. He controlled the organ well in the days when playing aids were few and far between (and with my help to pull out some stops!). These days instruments have banks of generals and sequencer buttons. I was always in awe of my teacher's playing and I aspired to be like him. However, there are some players today whose powers are superhuman, both in terms of playing from memory and technique.

Once such man is Nathan Laube. I recommend this video you. I am blogging about it because we ought to be glad that our cathedrals are looking after their organs and having them rebuilt if necessary. This recital is one to watch as well as to listen to. In fact watching gives me as much pleasure and as many goosebumps as listening. How does he do what he does?