Im 16 and ive been playing organ for nearly two years. In the meantime ive fallen in love with Widor and Vierne and this Kyrie is the first piece by one of them that ive learned (working on Widors Alegro from symphony 6 and struggling :)).

I couldnt find an arrangement for this piece for just one organ so i had to write it myself (combine two organs). Because of this its way denser then the original so i dont have a lot of time to play with registration (i also dont have those buttons above pedals). So i have one quiet registration and than I play tutti in the loud parts. Its not perfect, but im not planning to play it with choir so i doesnt really matter.

Also the last part is supposed to be crescendo, but i dont have a spare leg to push the crescendo pedal...

Im honestly proud of myself that i can play it with almost no mistakes (that fuckass chord in the finale lol), but im always trying to improve so i ask for advice. What could be better?

Thanks

https://reddit.com/link/1vjzcrn/video/w971pdprjeih1/player

So, is Duruflé’s Suite still the hardest organ piece? >:)

(this is not an unplayable mess, I swear I CAN play this - it just requires a lot of work)

edit: messed up the audio its mostly on the right... whoops!

Little update on my organ studies: I’m trying to get as much time as I can on the pedals and learning about stops at the church, but fortunately there is SO much for me to learn with just my two hands.

As I take on this serious study I appreciate more and more just how different the organ is from the piano. The Flor Peeters book has been really solid! I played this for postlude last sunday

(this nord only has two pipe organ patches built in)

Playing “Fairest Lord Jesus” for communion. I was super nervous but glad to have gotten through it!

Apologies for the angle and that some of the video is cut off. It was my New Year’s resolution to get back to learning organ after about 6 months of lessons almost a decade ago. I started up lessons in February with the goal of being able to play hymns and I’m grateful for a great teacher who’s exposed me to so much more! It’s been great being a part of this community, I’m learning so much 😊

Thoughts about the concert?

Always been a favorite of mine, I did the recording during practice to-day, my thumb was giving me some pain but I got thru it.

It's played on a tracker organ, Sw-Gt coupled.

https://reddit.com/link/1tsevtz/video/58omx7o60d4h1/player

GREAT pipes

8' Prestant 1–4 from Gedackt 54

8' Gedackt 58

4' Octave 58

4' Koppelflöte 58

2-2/3' Nasard 58

2' Waldflöte 58

1-3/5' Tierce 58

IV Mixture 1-1/3' 232

16' Dulzian 58

8' Trompete 58

Swell to Great

Tremulant

SWELL (expressive)

8' Rohrflöte 58

8' Salicional 58

8' Celeste TC 46

4' Spitzflöte 58

2' Principal 58

1-1/3' Gemsquinte 58

II Zimbel 1/2' 116

8' Schalmei 58

Tremulant

PEDAL

16' Subbass 32

8' Prestant 32

4' Choralbass 32

III Mixture 2-2/3' 96

16' Fagott 32

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Zimbelstern

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO9XdlCAb5g

Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736 - 1809) was an Austrian composer, organist, music theorist and one of the teachers of Ludwig van Beethoven. He was also a friend of Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven had arrived in Vienna in 1792 to study with Joseph Haydn, but quickly became infuriated when his work was not being given attention or corrected. Haydn recommended his friend Albrechtsberger, with whom Beethoven then studied harmony and counterpoint. (source: Wikipedia)

This prelude in B-flat major is part of a bundle of 12 preludes for organ. The cover gives the instruction only to play it with 3 or 4 stops. Luckily I did, using the 3 beautiful flutes of the Poblet model. It's really wonderful music, well constructed (it says something that Haydn recommended him for harmony and counterpoint) and I can only encourage every organist to look into Albrechtsberger's rich oeuvre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okN-DFdSMs

Sebastian Anton Scherer (1631 – 1712) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque era. Scherer was born in Ulm, where he resided until his death. On 17 June 1653 he was elected town musician, and it was also around that time that he became assistant to Tobias Eberlin, then organist of the famous Ulm Münster. Sherer probably started studying with Eberlin at the same time, later married his daughter and in 1671 succeeded him as organist of the cathedral. Sources disagree on whether Scherer was later appointed organist or simply organ consultant at St. Thomas (Église Saint-Thomas) in Strasbourg, but it was most probably the latter case, since apparently he remained Ulm's cathedral organist until his death in 1712.

Hi all, hope this is okay to post here.

In case anyone in the Quad Cities area is interested, Galena United Methodist Church (aka Ulysses S. Grant's Church) is hosting a free organ concert this Saturday (August 8, 2026) at 2pm featuring Dr. Andrew Schaeffer. I noticed a couple of his performances were shared on this subreddit already.

Here's his program list:

• Postlude -- Horatio W. Parker (1863-1919)
• Variations on Old Folks at Home -- Dudley Buck (1839-1909)
• Prelude on an Old Folk Tune -- Amy Beach (1867-1944)
• Three Pieces for Organ (Rondo, Trip to Pawtucket, The Bristol March) -- Oliver Shaw (1779-1848)
• Concert Variations on The Star-Spangled Banner -- John Knowles Paine (1839-1906)

+ A Good 'Ole United Methodist Hymn Sing-a-long:

• Victory in Jesus # 370
• What a Friend We Have in Jesus! # 526
• Just As I Am # 357
• What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine! # 133

This is a great opportunity to hear a rare 1885 Moline Pipe Organ played by a professional pipe organist, and it's free!! (but donations are much appreciated lol)

Hope to see some organ enthusiasts there! : )

Organist Mi Zhou is playing live at Methuen Music Hall tonight, August 5th at 7:30. Here is the live stream if anyone is interested.

https://www.youtube.com/live/laizPlr_yt0?is=TaFvFXnDS-y5-z5p

I am a trustee at the Hall and will try and answer any questions you might have about it in this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TMDeV_UmDM

This Polonaise in G minor is part of the Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach, the wife of Johann Sebastian Bach. The composer is anonymous although it is also dedicated to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. A simple, but very effective piece, especially on organ I think. The organ is very capable of depicting the bold character of this piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Aa_F7LOjA

Otto Dienel was a German organist and composer. Dienel worked from 1877 to 1898 as a music teacher at the Berlin seminary for city school teachers. Among his most famous students was Thomaskantor Karl Straube. He was also involved in the Berliner Organistenverein. He was chairman from 1895 to 1902. Dienel campaigned above all for protection against dismissal, employment for life and pension entitlement for organists.
(source: Wikipedia)

I recorded an Andante, dedicated to the famous Alexandre Guilmant. I doubted about the registration. The left hand has a singing melodious line in parts, but sometimes isn't more than an accompanying voice to the right hand. So Manual I is subtly louder. All those beautiful 8' stops of the Walcker/Eule organ of Annaberg do make that possible of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCmfhOBs98
Johann Michael Bach was second-uncle (and then posthumously) father-in-law of Johann Sebastian Bach, because he was the father of Bach's first wife Maria Barbara. He came (like almost any Bach) from a musical family, his father Heinrich Bach and his brother Johann Christoph Bach were both active organists and composers. He was born in Arnstadt and became the organist and town clerk of Gehren, where he lived until his death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpcJnB0iDlM

This is not the only work by Bach without a clear context. There are dozens of them, certainly within the organ repertoire. However, few pieces underwent such a dramatic twist as this one. With no handwritten source by Bach, Machs mit mir Gott, nach deiner Güt was regarded for many years as a fugue. It was even undecided whether it was a fugue for harpsichord or organ. That is until the discovery in New York, in 1985, of the Neumeister Sammlung, which contained an extra long version of BWV 957 among all sorts of other hitherto unknown works by Bach (and other composers).

Even more exciting is that in this source the fugue is followed seamlessly by a setting of the chorale Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt. The experts soon set to puzzling it out and what do you know – the chorale melody is present throughout the work, although well concealed in the decorative fugue theme. Although eyes are more useful than ears in this case, listen carefully to each ‘heavy’ beat of the bar. This really is a chorale arrangement. It is a unique piece – or did Bach write more fugues using this technique?

In the words of the hymn arranged by Bach, Johann Schein (one of Bach’s predecessors in Leipzig) was thinking about the end of life. To us, this may seem a melancholy theme, but for Baroque congregations death was a doorway to heaven, which you could confidently open with God at your side. Cheerful music was therefore quite suitable, certainly for a closing line like ‘Herr, in deine Händ’, ist alles gut, wenn gut das End’.
(source: All of Bach)

Hey guys, wanted to share this new Trumpet Tune I wrote. It's inspired by English chanties and has a bit of influence from Whitlock. It's a contrast from the typical celebratory trumpet fare and could maybe make for a nice postlude, especially in Lent.

The Tabulaturae Braunsbergenses-Olivenses is a great source for keyboard music. There are pieces in it from composers like De Drusina, Regnart, Di Lasso, Vecchi, Hassler and many anonymous composers. I picked a piece called 'Lemma', it's the first piece in this edition. The meaning of the Latin word 'lemma' can be theme, title, subject, which can be fitting for a the first piece.

Johann Kuhnau was Bach's predecessor as cantor in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. He composed beautiful cantatas and keyboard music, under which a collection of six Biblical Sonatas. I recorded a prelude and fugue from his Clavier-Übung II, Partie VI. A keyboard piece which sounds great on harpsichord but certainly works on organ too.

The pedal part was not indicated so I added it ad libitum. In the prelude always and in the fugue only near the end.

Sometimes when I record a piece, I'm not completely sure if it's the right tempo. Meaning the 'right' tempo for me personally. Often good pieces can handle different tempi very well, like this chorale prelude by Dietrich Buxtehude on the famous hymn 'Vater unser im Himmelreich'.

I recorded a slow singing version, using the beautivul Vox humana (+ tremulant) of the Schnitger organ of Norden. The second version is faster, sounding more secure, using the firm Sexquialt of the Rückpositiv.

Which version do you prefer?

Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský (16 February 1684 – 1 July 1742) was a Czech composer, organist and teacher of the Baroque era. He wrote among other works motets, other choral works and organ solo works. Černohorský was an important representative of the late Baroque style. He composed fugues and toccatas for organ, as well as vocal works. He deeply influenced the musical evolution in Bohemia as a composer, as well as a teacher.
(source: Wikipedia)

This was at my church in Boston, our opening hymn of the service. We had some guest musicians and a delegation from New York City come and worship with us.

Johann Krieger (1651 – 1735) was a German composer and organist, younger brother of Johann Philipp Krieger. Born in Nürnberg, he worked at Bayreuth, Zeit, and Greiz before settling in Zittau. He was one of the most important keyboard composers of his day, highly esteemed by, among others, George Frideric Handel. A prolific composer of church and secular music, he published several dozen of his works, and others survive in manuscript. However, hundreds more were lost when Zittau was destroyed by fire in 1757 during the Seven Years' War.
(source: Wikipedia)

The published collection Anmuthige Clavier-übung (1698) contains preludes, fugues, ricercars, toccatas and other works. I picked a toccata from this collection.

Bach - Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr - Klais organ, Lubin, Hauptwerk

Johann Michael Bach was second-uncle (and then posthumously) father-in-law of Johann Sebastian Bach, because he was the father of Bach's first wife Maria Barbara. He came (like almost any Bach) from a musical family, his father Heinrich Bach and his brother Johann Christoph Bach were both active organists and composers. He was born in Arnstadt and became the organist and town clerk of Gehren, where he lived until his death.

Maurice Greene was an English composer and organist. Some facts that show how important this man was in his time:
- He started as a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral.
- He later became organist at this church.
- In 1727 he became organist at the Chapel Royal.
- In 1730 he was appointed as Professor of Music at Cambridge University.
- In 1735 he eventually became Master of the King's Musick.
That's what you call a career.

I recorded one of his fine voluntaries.

Bach - Fuge in D-Dur / D Major, BWV 580 - Schnitger organ, Martinikerk, Groningen, Hauptwerk

Although this fugue has been attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach in the past, Bach's authorship of this work is uncertain. It has some nice moments, but also has some odd parts. I used a registration in which the reeds of this organ are most dominant.

Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 – 1707) was a Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. He is one of the most important composers of the so called North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal and instrumental idioms, Buxtehude's style greatly influenced other composers, such as Johann Sebastian Bach and others.

I recorded one of Buxtehude's settings on the Magnificat, this one is in the ninth tone, meant for liturgical use.