You are a genius in producing a short but perfectly formed video and the playing at the end was sublime. The BBC couldn’t have produced it any better, but they would have spent 30k in the attempt.
I love what you are doing in this video series. Honouring a great tradition of faith, music and culture. Great to hear the Gregorian chant in that Norman church.
Ben, you are Brilliant. Thanks for this great video and all the time, work and care that you put into it. I enjoyed your shortened rendition of Bach's Toccata and Fugue. I can learn that! We have to get you to the 1,000 RU-vid subscriber mark. I'll work on that.
Oh, I wish I could visit England one day. I love the British culture, especially the English, Welsh and Scottish people. You are blessed with beautiful landscapes, a history going back thousands of years and many great churches with wonderful organs. Next year I'm planning a tour of the UK. Many kind regards from Deutschland and thanks for the upload of your video!
I hope that you enjoy your trip to the UK. Don't get too bogged down in London, it's huge, smaller cities have much more to offer and if the weather is kind, visit Edinburgh. Take care!
I have only recently discovered the wonderful world of Ben's interpretations of old country organs. What a blessing to know he started his journey this way and to share his knowledge and talent with the world.
Excellent stuff Ben. It's interesting to see and hear all these lovely little organs tucked away around the world. I'm definitely keen to see more of this series. In Australia, James Flores is doing a similar exploration and uncovering many hidden gems. I bet England has a hundredfold more in your historic towns and villages. I hope you can tour many of them on our behalf.
Thank you Ben for sharing in your quiet intimate way the lovely soul of rural England. The grey skies, rain, and pastoral beauty together with the ancient stone of those lovely churches and their organ music brings back priceless memories of my time in England, from my twenties until retirement back to my native Australia. Back here in Oz I feel blessed to have experienced both worlds.
I think small country side church organs are neglected world-wide, but there are so many nice instruments! You don't always need a huge instrument to make music, on contrary it's a nice challenge to make the most out of a small one! I'd love to hear more of smaller English church organs.
Wonderful video again. You seem to be quite talented organist. 👏And the way you do these videos is so genuine and honest, I can imagine to be there walking along and sitting in the church. So welcoming feeling too. It's also heartwarming to see someone else beeing interested in these old pipeorgans and old churches too. When I was younger, I thought I was different because of these topics. Good to see younger people finding these things too. By the way we had in the past before 1960's normally in every school classroom a reedorgan here in Finland, but later pianos replaced them and nowadays you hardly find anymore those instruments. I own two and those are in good shape. That culture/music style is almost dieing out, only folkmusic people and some faithful christians appreciate that instrument and old church music. Anyway pipeorgans are much greater and I wish I would own a small one some day. 😊
Forgive me but this little video has captured my imagination. There's so much in the UK i haven't begun to explore. And this little organ is actually rather beautiful, as demonstrated by this fella, Ben Maton. It has me wishing this church well, and to be filled again in future days, if not for worship then for a concert series (but personally i'd love to see a hearty mass said in this place, or a hymn-sing, full of the faithful, with the incense and hymns and music and singing and chant). Indeed, it is awesome to imagine the thousands of people who've worshipped in this little space over the centuries. (The "Communion of Saints" -- All-the-Saints --is a basic part of our Christian faith that inspires and encourages me lots, as does this open church that's maintained today by the faithful.)
With sheep grazing next door, you should have played "Sheep May Safely Graze!" What a treasury the old pipe organs are! They have seen so many generations of worshipers come and go and have contributed to the milestones of people's lives - christenings, weddings, funerals, all the Holy Days of the church calendar.......
I keep complimenting you but you produce such informative videos and your playing is awesome. I am a huge fan. I am an organist myself based in Hull, Yorkshire. I would love to hear you play a full recital.
So Ben, I have to ask, have you ever played a piece and ran out of air. I know that most systems are designed for this but I'm just asking. Thanks Ben.
I'm not even kidding when I say this is my favorite rendition of Toccata and Fugue I've heard. You love the simplicity of it so much it's just heavenly... God Bless ya, man
This video enchanted my 8-yo boy and me this evening. We loved the architecture, stained glass, English countryside, and music. Afterwards, I told Joel it was time for bed. He then declared, after having contentedly watched for 12 minutes, that he doesn't really like this kind of video! I laughed and reminded him that he'd just enjoyed it thoroughly. He thought for a moment, and declared that he likes funny videos better. Fair enough...we watched a funny video too. Thank you for helping me to civilize the little rascal.
Despite numerous objections, our priest stood by as our 100+ year old organ was replaced with a US $40,000 electric replacement that was then piped through a pair of dance hall speakers. Thanks for showcasing the amazing versatility of these historic instruments!
One likes your basic idea. Can't help but say however that - organs with 10 000 pipes are very few and far between; - hardly anyone seems to begin Bach's famous Toccata by playing the rhythm that JSB wrote! The beat (pulse) does not fall on the C# but on the following D. Di-ga-daaa digadagadaa DUM. Well played otherwise (with a clever trick for the repeated syncopated A in the LH. It's marvellous to see someone interested in many things around him: nature, history, architecture etc.
These small organs are ideal for a small village church; so much better than an electronic, and there's no shortage of music which can be played on a single manual. It sounds quite beefy when you add the Bourdon. What a pity someone saw fit to screw plastic switches onto it!
Subscribed. Looking forward to more love given to these smaller organs that really need it. When I visited the UK last May I was able to admire the instrument that was rescued and now sits for all to admire and experience in London Bridge station; now I get to enjoy your sampling many instruments like it in their native settings. I really like you keeping the focus on hymns and if you do more Bach (which I hope you do), the real beauty of his meditative and emotional chorale preludes seems to emerge from these understated, humble, and too often passed over and forgotten instruments, much like what your most recent posting accomplished. Keep shining the light in these remote corners, sir.
Way to go, Ben! Preservationist, true, but also these instruments (here in the US as well) are the ONLY pipe organs that people living in these lovely places get to hear, and SING with. The connections you also make with contemporaneous events and people makes it all the richer.
Thank you for making these videos talking about the history of the parish and about the organs. It's a great joy. By the way, what is the name of the sanctus? I shivered when I heard this song at the entrance of the church.
😊❤ Amazing. And so emotional to see how you resurrected modest organ and the proud of people of each small church...❤ this is the way to invite us there back.😊
I am very much enjoying joining with you visiting lovely old churches. My reminiscences take me back to the 1950/60's and being a chorister in what was our village church, St Leonards in Bursledon Hants and on rare occasions hand pumping the organ due to power failure. Still sing today in a Metropolitan Male Voice Choir but a long way from St Leonards in Burseldon, Adelaide South Australia.
Love Ben's practical approach to the Church Organ. Indeed you cannot compare a rural church with its small electronic to the wonderful churches with endess money to spend on the fabulous instruments. Great player is Ben........
One of my favourites was always a tiny manual pump organ in a tiny village church in Norfolk I've forgotten the name. I went there for a wedding in 1970.
Impressive, watching your videos is informative as well as entertaining. Pipe organs have always been something of a mystery, especially since most church organs in the U.S. are much newer and filled with all sorts of electronics; some of which are massively impressive, but still lacking some of the charm and... character of those you have played. First time I heard a smaller, village parish was in Grasmere, up in Cumbria. (By the way, your CD arrived last week, in one piece and sounding great.)
Ben, when it comes to organ visits in your area can I recommend a visit to Winterborne Strickland to visit the only known surviving example of an organ by the early 19th century ob Alexander Buckingham?
I am working my way through the videos I haven’t seen and enjoying the earlier episodes. Lovely encounter with the little owl! Interesting watching these episodes now, during the height of the British Summer, as the films are filled with the atmosphere & beauty of the Autumn/ Winter season. I do so enjoy the peace & remoteness of the rural landscape and churches during this time.
Hello Ben thank you so much for your kindness in your desire to save the organ and hopefully the churches too. Many of us are enjoying your lovely music. Would you mind letting me have your bank details as I do not trust any credit card payments as I have been scammed.
The new pastor had the beautiful 13 rank well maintained pipe organ taken out and thrown into the dumpster like common garbage. Totally destroyed the pipes and console. Now everyone wears earplugs because the heavy metal rock concert "church service" with a song "Jesus is off his cross again" is blasting out too loud 😢
Great presentation Ben! I prefer to practice on smaller organs. I find this particularily important when learning new organ pieces. I'm from Western Canada and we have quite a few older romantic tracker organs. Many of them were relocated in the 50's and 60's through the organ clearing house. They are mostly American builders such as Odell, Farrod and Votey, etc. The oldest functioning church organ in Alberta is an 1870 Odell at Highwood Lutheran Church in Calgary, AB. I was organist at this church for almost two years in the late 90's That instrument really taught me a lot. Look forward to hearing more about these smaller instruments. Thank you!
That organ is a little gem. A bit woofy but your judicious use of stops and tempo made it sound much more than it is. At first when you were demonstrating the individual stops it sounded almost reed-like. But with the full chorus it came into its own. Well done!
These videos are vastly better in terms of documenting England's history than anything on TV, with fabulous organs and music and Ben's quiet but insistent narrative thrown in!!! But, Ben, you need a cameraman so you can wave your arms around instead of holding the camera!!
Dear Ben Thank you so much for a wonderful collection of videos whch contain two subjects I love one music the other architecture. You have foubd the write combination to keep me glued. In some ways you remind me of Sir John Betjemen, he did a series on churches - ther is something very special about country village churches. I am a Sussex man and there are many churches here I can recomend to you , Sompting a saxon church, and church in Sullington. I am always recommending your tubes to friends . Any way Happy New Year I hope you have the time energy and inclination to continue your tubes. I wish you all the best David stokes X
I am so enjoying your channel. I am curious as to how long it took you to become so accomplished. I wish you would share some of your journey and inspiration to becoming such a world class performer. Were you a child prodigy with loads of natural talent or were you inspired to study for many years or perhaps some of both? I am so delighted that you are sharing the churches and the music! I am just amazed at the sound that you get out of those old organs. Truly magnificent.
Looks like you're wearing Adidas Stan Smith tennis shoes. Love 'em. Not so useful on the pedalboard, though quite adequate for the short excerpt heard here.
Lovely demonstration on a small and beautiful Organ! It was really cool seeing those little tips to increase the flexibility of an instrument like that!
It freaks me out watching ur vids cause u people drive on the wrong side of the road love these little organs u find I have a pump organ that I love and it can put out a good sound
You have a wonderful voice, and you speak at a comfortable and soothing cadence...very nice! My only issue is your camera...please use a stabilizing mount so it doesn't "jiggle" so much. Thanks!
Organ sounds great and the history and imagery around the building is great too, wish you had played some big hymns instead of that to me- tiresomely common-everyone-plays-it- horror-movies-all-use-it... Bach :(
Very interesting, I play an organ built by the same maker a few miles down the road from me. To be honest I don't look forward to playing it. The pedalboard is one octave, offset in the middle.
It's really good to see these kind of instruments in use at all. I always feel that more skill is needed to make these small organs sounds really good. Almost anyone can make a cathedral organ sound exciting, but then it's the organ that sounds exciting rather than the playing. It would be good to see more of this kind of thing. I think the choice of the Toccata in D minor was good, as it's a showy piece and I think Ben's idea was to illustrate how, with some care and thought, this piece can be made to sound awesome on an organ of a modest specification.
Thanks for explaining how to use the stops. I play electric keyboard in my usual church, but occasionally get asked to stand in in a church with a pipe organ. I'd never really worked out what diapazons, gemshorns, nazards etc do and the annoying thing is you can come to a different organ and it has a completely different set of names.
Yes it certainly can be confusing. A search for "organ stop names" on Google will bring up several good pages which list the different sounds and the names they have (often two or more). They all fit into 4 types: Diapasons (or principals) which Ben showed - the thick basic sound; flutes, with a soft sound light on upper harmonics; strings, with tone full of upper harmonics and reeds, which are of a different design and produce loud throaty sounds, often named after woodwind or brass orchestral instruments. The latter two are not so often found on small organs. Any of these sounds can be found at various octave pitches, 8' meaning at written pitch, 4' up one octave, 16' down one and so on. Once you have a little bit of understanding, your ear is the best judge - don't draw that soft 8' flute if you're already using 8', 4', 2' principals as you won't hear it and it wastes wind pressure which can make the organ sound unsteady.
Greetings from Toronto, Canada - Ben! Our 115 year old inner-city church has a two manual pipe organ sorely in need of a LOT of work. However, I play it on occasion - usually for a 'first hymn' to accompany the congregation. This is a 1923 Franklin-Legge two manual, full pedal-board organ - built by a company that was based in Toronto. I was unfortunately left for dead in the early 60's after some vandalism, but was rebuilt (to a basic functional degree only) in the 70's. I am hoping that at some point we'll be able to give it a little 'love' and get the broken contacts and couplers repaired. The organ has a British-built rotary 220 volt blower - that is also 100 years old and at least THAT works flawlessly! The 12 volts for the key-switches is supplied by a vintage hand-wired bridge rectifier in a housing beside the blower. This is a link to what it sounded like in 2018 as I played the chorus 'Your Strength is Perfect' carefully adding some couplers to mask the 'missing notes' on some of the stops and broken wire contacts beneath the keys!. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tJiSfAn1tXQ.html I do very much enjoy your organ videos! Cheers James
Next time, play some Tomkins, Byrd, or Redford! These are the kinds of churches and one manual organs (albeit much older ones than this) that the great composers of Tudor England would have been playing their own beautiful counterpoint on. Nice Bach though.
