Check out this pedal work

[David Doggett]

And notice the multiple necks and many effects.

click here

Even better, and in heels! click here

And one of my favorites: click here

I know we think we play the greatest instrument on earth, but being able to play one of these beasts competently has got to be a thrill.

[Bill Hatcher]

Bach...hard to fathom his genius.

[Glenn Suchan]

David, thanks for the great links. Diane Bish is certainly fantastic. And your links were to my favorite (Charles Widor's Symphony #5) and near favorite organ pieces. When I was a kid, my dad had Widor's #5 on a record, and it's what I think of first when I think of symphonic organ music. Diane does an amazing performance.

Let me do a little bragging for my employer, the University of Texas. UT has the largest tracker pipe organ in Texas. It has some 90 ranks containing 5,000 pipes. The manuals are literally imbedded in the ranks. I've had the opportunity to stand next to Dr. Speller while he played the Visser-Rowland organ in Bates Recital Hall, at UT. It's moving experience physically and emotionally. Here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwXOyRNGMI

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

[Bob Ritter]

whoa, gulp !

[David L. Donald]

Awesome instrument.
Thanks for the link.
I heard several of the best in France including Notre Dame.
One of my ex-wife's life long friends was an organ restorer from Cognac.
So we visited pipe organ heaven a few times.

I also heard Vio's uncle play for the memorial mass of his youngest brother.

Now this is no ordinary uncle.
He was head of Conservatoir de Musique de Rouen.
On a parallel, more traditional course and era with Pierre Boulez.
He had 6 grand pianos, including a extra octave Bosendorfer
and a personal pipe organ in his house on the Normandy cliffs.

He could remember the Schuman Piano Concerto in it's entirety at age 74,
And played Russian's like Prokofiev just to loosen the fingers.

When he played for his brother the WHOLE cathedral was in tears.
A true example of what these organs can do in the right hands.

[Russ Wever]

Ol' Virg' could get it on with Pedals . . .

- - > http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KbGCriVk9UM

Wonder if he had a Seat Belt on that bench !

- - > http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-1epNpXd59Y

No fair peekin', Virg'

Wonder if he started on Non-Pedal then went to Pedals
when they 'came in' . . . Maybe the Organ Forum has a
'Organ Without Pedals' column!
Wonder if they call that thing a "Pedal Organ"!

[Billy Tonnesen]

My uncle "Jimmy" on my father's side. Was an Organist on the Orpheum Circuit in the late twenties and into the thirties. I never did hear him play as he was in a tuberculosis sanitarium when we did see him. He finally died and left a trunk full of the music he played to my Dad. Included was music he played for the Silent Movies which he had to follow the plot. We kept the trunk a few years and finally threw it out as junk from the garage. What a mistake that was, I would give anything to have kept this music over the years.

[Roger Shackelton]

Talk about your "Pedal Dancin". WHEW!


ROGER