Organs (cinema, theatre, church, etc)

Hi all, Just a little word on the subject of cinema interests. The cinema organ, from the Coventry Gaumont, is in the process of being rebuilt & assembled by members of Cannock Organ Society. Coventry Gaumont cinema organ being played in 1960.

Hi all, This is the beast that I have been looking at for nearly a year. Don't panic Mr. Mainwaring, I might be looking at it for sometime yet. This kind of toy can't be rushed into. It will of course be coupled to my Hauptwerk software of sampled organ technology, just as my current Yamaha EL900 is at present. Relax & Enjoy

Morning Philip. I have zero musical ability but I can appreciate an exciting machine when I see one. That one looks very cool. Half the fun of a new 'toy' is ogling the thing before choosing what you want. It's important stuff, choosing things that bring you joy. I can get quite giddy hunting down and buying a new laptop. There is software that can orchestrate a melody in a myriad of styles and you can add instruments including organs as you need. I toy with the idea of using the Coventry Carol as the base tune for such a project. Alas I suspect that it will always be an idea and not a reality.

Helen, Famous last words from my music teacher Mr. Kell - "Josie, you will live to regret it", and so true when I loved and left and lost interest at the time. I did eventually treat myself to a Yamaha Digital Keyboard with all the rhythm/accompaniment patterns, and there it is staring at me in the spare room waiting for one of my urges to have another go. I will never reach Philip's standard but once I take the dust cover off I do find enjoyment in having a little session now and again, but I can't keep playing chords forever. It's all there at my fingertips

My sister could play the piano and had a yen to get a modern keyboard but her hands are too stiff to want to take it up now she has the time. But I'm a different case. By moving schools twice I managed to miss music lessons and spent the next 5 years pretending I could read music and play the recorder. None of the teachers thought to ask me if I'd been shown the basics.

Oh Dreamtime, never say never, please. The performance is the square of the practice. It's what delight, delights you. I can barely read a stitch of sheet music now! Look at me struggling to read music during a church service. My eyes are nearly through my specs. It's just as well that I don't need to look at my hands or feet. I usually look at Sam if he's playing the piano at the same time.

Morning all, I would love to say to you Dreamtime that this is me, but something would not be quite right. This is not me.

Talent like that leaves one speechless. She was born for that reason only. Thank you for sharing that Philip.

Hi all, I've mentioned a bit about our chapel organ today on our Sunday school topic. It was so exhilarating for me to get my hands & feet back into the saddle. I need a new organ at home, my very aged Yamaha is needing major maintenance, which is zero cost effective. Its design is over quarter of a century ago. If they were available, I wouldn't hesitate buying our chapel organ model, but they are not available new or second-hand. They are snapped up as soon as appearing for more than their new price in 2014. I'm not rushing into buying, but I've indicated on another post that I'm looking at instruments by the same Ringway manufacturers. I don't necessarily want a chapel organ, as I have my Hauptwerk software that all instruments will couple up to, I want a fun machine. Who knows what might eventually turn up.

A post script to the above. I was cordially invited to a concert, featuring various organists demonstrating these Ringway instruments just before the start of lockdown, but nothing was further from my mind. Pam, in spite of her cancer, wanted me to go, she wasn't suffering like she has for the last five months, she wanted to buy me the top of the range costing more than the number of notes on the instruments. "I will buy it she said! I want you to have it". I've not bought as much as a truck for our railway, leave alone twelve grand for an organ. I'm not rushing into anything now. A trip to a dealer in Banbury might be on the cards, eventually I'm sure something will arrive, but some things cannot be rushed. This is one of those things. My Yamaha EL90, cost me £690, which has given me nearly seven years of delight. I would have to live to the age of 139, to get the same service from a £12k instrument today!

Philip, at a rough guess that's twice the amount in dollars. Good luck with whatever choice you make and, whenever, 'do enjoy'.

Hi all, Just imagine going to work in a warehouse, store or factory, or shopping in a big supermarket & hearing this. I have shared this instrument before, but well, you know how it is these cold summer nights, hey! A bit of light entertainment. Music whilst you work.

Isn't she and the organ outstanding! Hard enough to play the keyboard but the entire orchestra

Hi Helen, hi all. Ringway have introduced a European version of that instrument, but with the correct memory stick, the China organ can be converted into a Euro orchestral instrument. Western music is based on semi tone divisions in sound, whereas Far Eastern music is in quarter tones. Euro music has far greater diversity of instruments than Far Eastern, but needs less memory because of the semi tone, being half of the divisions required with that instrument that is being played. Yes, what a performance! Sadly, she doesn't come with the package. If you are listening to the links, please put your headphones on. The depths of sound are far greater than most speakers can handle. You will think that you are there. Also I'm not the only musician on our forum, Helen. Someone very close to us all, along with his son, delights fans with their music on YouTube. I will say no more, but I'm more than foot tapping listening to them.

The idea of plugging in instruments is similar to the software I was looking at. You can add individual items or popular groups of them, or even the lot. Choirs, church organs, exotic instruments. The plug in instruments are from a company called Garritan but I can't remember the software that had the symphonising ability. Once it had the basic tune it could turn it into various music styles from rock to string quartet to jig. By adjusting settings it was possible to get something truly unique. Like a film score I fancy using the same melody to create different moods. I was planning to use music that isn't just out of copyright but waaaaay out of copyright. Some may say that's cheating but I say it's recycling. It's a hobby for another decade and probably never. I'm aware of our talented host. I only wish that I had an ounce of your musical skill.