Hi

Here as usual during the lockdown are the hymns/songs I've recorded for church today.

First, a hymn from the 1920's - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus




An anonymous worship song, now at least 50 years old!




And finally, the hymn "Count Your Blessings". Very appropriate in these difficult times!




Enjoy!

Hi Tony. Enjoyed my Sunday afternoon listen. Last one nice and lively and very appropriate. Waiting for Boris tonight as to what will happen. I think very little. Stay safe. John

Thanks John

Hi Tony,

Some nice hymns there. But what has happened to your Viscount Envoy 35FV Digital Organ? Your lovely 'Church Organ' seems to have developed a 'vibrato'! Reminds me of the funeral of an organist friend of mine I went to up North (he lived in Great Mills). During the service the lady organist played a selection of popular 'Songs from the Shows', such as The Sound of Music' .. songs my friend would have played on his AR100 organ. Afterwards I spoke to her and said how much I had enjoyed her playing, and the vibrato she had on all those songs from the shows. Very appropriate, and just how my friend would have played them. And I asked her how she had got that vibrato/tremolo on what was a Church Pipe Organ?

Her reply was that she hadn't done anything to get the vibrato. They had recently had the organ refurbished, at great cost, and the organ had been like that ever since. The people who had done the work on it came back to try and sort it, but to no avail. Everything anyone played on that organ had that vibrato on it. Ok for 'fun music' but not something she relished for playing hymns. In fact, she said, the Resident Church Organist had resigned over it, and she was the only one now playing that organ.

So listen again to your hymns above with the vibrato (both videos), and then the one you did last week, which I am putting again below. I know which sound I prefer! But then I had two uncles who were both vicars, one at Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex and one at Langtree, Nr. Torrington in Devon so the sound of their Church Pipe Organs is ingrained into my memory.

Jesus is Lord



Hugh

Hi Hugh

I decided that using vibrato on these 2 hymns was stylistically appropriate, given the composition dates & musical style. I'd probably have used a theatre organ for "Turn Your Eyes" if I'd got one! I did consider using the Nord C2D (Hammond clone) but thought on balance the richness of sound from the Viscount was probably a better option. It's nice to have the options! There are many who would find it strange that I played a worship song on the organ, and a hymn on piano! When I can, I use whichever instrument I feel best suits the situation & the music.

I've just received this week's list, so hopefully I'll make a start later today & decide how I'm going to play them! I'm not exactly a typical stereotyped church organist! You Tube tell me that I've had over 1,000 views on the channel in the past month which is very encouraging.

Every Blessing

Tony