A digital organ

As we approach a second year in the current pandemic, it’s tempting to be ungrateful for all the disruption of live music that we’ve experienced. However, on the bright side, we have been seeing a lot of attention being put into virtual musical experiences. Some of these, I have to say, have been quite gratifying to discover.

One such discovery is the Beauty in Sound (BIS) YouTube channel, run by Richard McVeigh, a British organist. It features some rather fantastic digital organs. Wait, did I just say ‘fantastic digital organs’? What?

Although the organ has been a second instrument for me since college, I was lucky enough to learn on some very fine mechanical instruments, and I studied with teachers who believed strongly in the ability of the physical instrument to teach one how to play the repertoire. That’s a nice way of saying, my teachers were all ‘period musicians’, folks who revel in the material qualities of instruments from previous centuries, and who believe that certain physical qualities are needed if an instrument (and its operator) are to achieve an authentic performance. Well, I have to say I agree with this idea—straight up.

In fact, I’ve had a running friendly argument with my father, who is an electrical engineer by training, for some years. He’s always held that digital technology would make such advances that a digital organ would eventually become a viable alternative to mechanical instruments. ‘No way’ has always been my refrain on this idea.

Well, here’s an organ recital on the BIS house organ by Martin Baker. It has changed my thinking just a bit. Martin Baker happens to be one of the finest organists in England, a ferocious improvisor, and the director of the Westminster Cathedral Choir for many years. I must confess that listening to his opening performance of the Bach Passacaglia in C Minor brought me to tears. You can also see Mr. Baker respond joyfully to the organ as he discovers its potential.

Hearing this recital has started to change my attitude towards the technological possibilities of digital organs. While I will always prefer real materials and genuine acoustical environments to virtual ones, it is quite exciting to experience the digital ability to reproduce full instruments and the church's acoustic—especially in the hands of a great performer.

Please do listen to this performance by Martin Baker featuring works by Bach, Sweelinck, Widor, and yes, an improvisation on Christmas tunes!

Martin Baker on the New BIS House Organ (https://youtu.be/OKWgxfIvvUE)

Happy New Year!

—Dr. Justin Appel, Director of Music