Amazing! And we know he wanted to show off with that INSANE foot pedal solo in the beginning. He knew he was going to be on national television so he had to do someone crazy and cool! 😎
Honestly, although I respect his immense talent, he absolutely destroyed one of the finest hymns ever composed, IMPO. I've been a classical organist for the past 54 years.
Virgil Fox and my Teacher Clarence Snyder knew each other well. One night after a concert Virgil gave at the University of Delaware I met Virgil when I was having a hell of a time with Bach. Virgil talked with me for about a hour and what a lift. I’m forever grateful and will never forget
What a character, what an organist, what an artist. Would love to have gone to one of his concerts. He’s very fond of the pedal solo from Bach Toccata and fugue in F. And I dig those shoes!!
Yes the Rogers was an analogue electronic and Virgil switched to an early Allen Digital 4 manual which was state of the art in the 70s. I am not sure if the technology was MOS or ADC ? The digitals have come a long way since! Virgil is missed to this day!
@@robmcginn4484 I saw him in 1972, and can't say for sure if he was playing a Rogers...he didn't mention the 144 speakers, so maybe it was an Allen by then.
Most do not know the real Virgil Fox. I had the honor and privilege to turn pages for him during his rehearsals at The Riverside Church in the early 60s.. He was not a "showman", he was not a show off. He was a musician; and a musician to the core. He would work for several minutes on a relatively simple modulation until he thought it was right. And as for hymns: How do you accompany a choir of 90 who must walk a city block from the Narthex to the chancel with a 4-stanza hymn? You improvise; his best ability.
I would never say a word to denigrate his musicianship and talent. But I don't think you can say he wasn't a showman, at least to some degree. (It's possible to be both; they're not mutually exclusive.) The man were a cape! There are photos of it on display in a museum. Sure, he was no Liberace. But if a performer wears a cape, the word "showmanship" in going to be heard.
Wonderful performance! I read somewhere that an animal that was part of a different act on this episode stepped on one of the organ's cables before the performance. That might account for the buzzing sound we hear on the quieter passages. I didn't even notice it until Virgil closed the swell pedal and the buzz went away until he opened it again.
There is a current organist that impresses me mightily, and that is Johnathan Scott. He and his brother travel around to different old churches and cathedrals, playing the organs therein. Tom Scott handles the A/V recording; sometimes he will play a duet with Jonathan on a piano.
@@brucekuehn4031 - They have to begin posting them early so they are ready for the season. That's why you see the Christmas sections opening in stores in October. You can begin a Christmas playlist now and add all of the videos you like, then enjoy the playlist in December. They are doing this exactly as it should be done.
@@shyman99 "Should be done"?? That's ridiculous! I don't know of a single person that doesn't get sick of seeing x-mas being promoted well before Halloween. One season at a time is how it "SHOULD" be done!!
@@flyurway - Reading comprehension apparently isn't your strength. So let me spell it out in a manner to assist your thought process. If stores do not begin stocking shelves until after Thanksgiving then everything would not be out in time for the Christmas season. If Ed Sullivan waited until after Thanksgiving to start posting Christmas videos, the season would be done before all of them would be posted. Ed Sullivan prepares for the season just like a retailer prepares for the season. That leaves it up to the consumer to choose when they will utilize their product. So you can prepare your Ed Sullivan video playlist now, then start watching that playlist after Thanksgiving. That is how it SHOULD BE DONE.
@@shyman99 Boy, you really talk like you must be a smart guy. Then again, reading comprehension obviously isn't YOUR strength either! First of all, where did I mention anything about the timing of this video? I didn't. I guess I can presume that this is an assumption on your part. The other poster complained about it and, frankly, I can't see his point in complaining about what time of year a TH-cam video is posted! But I, like pretty much every other human on the planet, do get sick of seeing
Amazing. And then Ahhh! He forgot to clear the stops, and nicked a pedal note on the dismount. I don’t feel so bad now, having done that more than once myself.
It's not a color restoration, this was shot in color, the show went to color on Halloween 1965 using Philips/Norelco PC-60 cameras and Ampex VR-2000 Videotape Recorders.
I believe the organ was his Rodgers Touring Organ. It was a 1960s analogue organ and that is why it sounded rather tinny. Later Virgil Fox and Carlo Curley acquired an Allen Digital Computer organ each as digital technology was certainly much better. Allen held the patent on digital organ technology for some time and there were court battles from organ makers like Yamaha which tried to use this technology. Once the patent lapsed it was available to all to use and haven’t we seen tremendous advances in digital and virtual pipe organs! I own a Viscount digital organ but all established digital makes are good and it is down to personal preference, availability and cost.
@@stuartmclaren2402 You understand, the audio portion of then TV recording was not as good as now. No idea of the microphone(s) used, nor the placement. Nor do I know what the acoustics were on the stage.
That was his Rogers analogue electronic traveling organ which he used in his Fillmore "Heavy Organ performances at the Fillmore auditorium. Those performances were legendary... can you imagine a bunch of hippies hearing that music in a venue more used to rock and roll. They loved it and danced in he aisles. His later Allen digital organ was far superior but still a long way from a true pipe organ. The Allen digital orgrans are much better today but this was many years ago. When I was a young teen playing organ in the 60s.... Virgil Fox was my idol. He was quite the showman and some organists didn't like that even through it brought organ music to the masses. I wouldn't be so quick to diss that Rogers organ..... it was OK mostly but the sound of this video is where it falls on its face. Sadly much of the recordings on TH-cam are pretty bad thanks to lousy miking but also the TH-cam compression.
I did Allen Organ service work in that time. This was the Black Beauty organ. The Allen salesman and I would review Rodger's sales literature and be aghast about how twisted it was. Rodgers downplayed the digital Allen but as soon as the patent expired Rodgers switched to digital tone generation. The analog Rodgers only had one, two or three sets of oscillators and used filtering to make the various sounds so it sounded rather sterile. Virgil made it sing, though, on the heavy organs LPs. He bridged the gap between generations and music styles. The Allen digital generated tones by stepping through numbers, could make good reeds, principles and strings but the flutes were a little edgy, not enough numbers to make smooth waveforms. The Allen consoles were rock-solid pieces of furniture. Superb drawknob actions. Digital organs today like the Haupwerk series use samlpes so you are hearing the actual organ in Europe or wherever. The LP recording of Virgil Fox performing Joseph Jongen's Symphonie Concertante is not surpassed by any modern recording.
He’s absolutely shredding that thing. Lmao. This dude is metal.
No organist that I'm aware of has topped Virgil Fox. He was truly a legend.
Virgil Fox was a true organ virtuoso.
Amazing! And we know he wanted to show off with that INSANE foot pedal solo in the beginning. He knew he was going to be on national television so he had to do someone crazy and cool! 😎
He didn’t even let Ed finish his sentence before he started shredding lol
Honestly, although I respect his immense talent, he absolutely destroyed one of the finest hymns ever composed, IMPO. I've been a classical organist for the past 54 years.
The 'Liberace' of the organ.
Virgil Fox and my Teacher Clarence Snyder knew each other well. One night after a concert Virgil gave at the University of Delaware I met Virgil when I was having a hell of a time with Bach. Virgil talked with me for about a hour and what a lift. I’m forever grateful and will never forget
What a character, what an organist, what an artist. Would love to have gone to one of his concerts. He’s very fond of the pedal solo from Bach Toccata and fugue in F. And I dig those shoes!!
Now this is real entertainment!!
He was so great he also played the Fillmore East by himself and Carnegie Hall.
A humbling talent to behold. That pedal work!!!
The Master Organist!! I heard him play at three different venues in the Washington, DC area
I saw a Fox performance at The Fox in Atlanta in 1979
with a five keyboard organ
What a great performance. Thanks for sharing now (viewing in 2022) as I had no TV in 1967.
I believe this is his Rogers Touring organ... 144 speakers at his Milwaukee appearance a few years later.
I think you are correct. This sounds like his Rogers.
Yes the Rogers was an analogue electronic and Virgil switched to an early Allen Digital 4 manual which was state of the art in the 70s. I am not sure if the technology was MOS or ADC ?
The digitals have come a long way since!
Virgil is missed to this day!
Yep. Same as at The Filmore East. "There are 144 speakers...and if you're not prepared to have a 'happening,' MOVE BACK!"-Virgil Fox
@@robmcginn4484 I saw him in 1972, and can't say for sure if he was playing a Rogers...he didn't mention the 144 speakers, so maybe it was an Allen by then.
Most do not know the real Virgil Fox. I had the honor and privilege to turn pages for him during his rehearsals at The Riverside Church in the early 60s.. He was not a "showman", he was not a show off. He was a musician; and a musician to the core. He would work for several minutes on a relatively simple modulation until he thought it was right. And as for hymns: How do you accompany a choir of 90 who must walk a city block from the Narthex to the chancel with a 4-stanza hymn? You improvise; his best ability.
I would never say a word to denigrate his musicianship and talent. But I don't think you can say he wasn't a showman, at least to some degree. (It's possible to be both; they're not mutually exclusive.) The man were a cape! There are photos of it on display in a museum. Sure, he was no Liberace. But if a performer wears a cape, the word "showmanship" in going to be heard.
Oh, great Virgil Fox!!! 👊🏿
Wonderful performance! I read somewhere that an animal that was part of a different act on this episode stepped on one of the organ's cables before the performance. That might account for the buzzing sound we hear on the quieter passages. I didn't even notice it until Virgil closed the swell pedal and the buzz went away until he opened it again.
a Legend!
There is a current organist that impresses me mightily, and that is Johnathan Scott. He and his brother travel around to different old churches and cathedrals, playing the organs therein. Tom Scott handles the A/V recording; sometimes he will play a duet with Jonathan on a piano.
That’s talent
I enjoyed that
All of these vintage Christmas videos are precious. I can't thank this channel enough for making this Christmas season extra special.
Seriously? It’s not even Halloween!
@@brucekuehn4031 - They have to begin posting them early so they are ready for the season. That's why you see the Christmas sections opening in stores in October. You can begin a Christmas playlist now and add all of the videos you like, then enjoy the playlist in December. They are doing this exactly as it should be done.
@@shyman99 "Should be done"?? That's ridiculous! I don't know of a single person that doesn't get sick of seeing x-mas being promoted well before Halloween. One season at a time is how it "SHOULD" be done!!
@@flyurway - Reading comprehension apparently isn't your strength. So let me spell it out in a manner to assist your thought process. If stores do not begin stocking shelves until after Thanksgiving then everything would not be out in time for the Christmas season. If Ed Sullivan waited until after Thanksgiving to start posting Christmas videos, the season would be done before all of them would be posted. Ed Sullivan prepares for the season just like a retailer prepares for the season. That leaves it up to the consumer to choose when they will utilize their product. So you can prepare your Ed Sullivan video playlist now, then start watching that playlist after Thanksgiving. That is how it SHOULD BE DONE.
@@shyman99 Boy, you really talk like you must be a smart guy. Then again, reading comprehension obviously isn't YOUR strength either! First of all, where did I mention anything about the timing of this video? I didn't. I guess I can presume that this is an assumption on your part. The other poster complained about it and, frankly, I can't see his point in complaining about what time of year a TH-cam video is posted! But I, like pretty much every other human on the planet, do get sick of seeing
Organ GOAT!!!! 🙌
Beautiful... that's how you make Magic! Thank you for sharing! 💖
☺️
🤗Nice. Love the black shiny shoes 👍
I much remember him; he was fantastic!
Have to commend them for goin deep in the vaults for lot of these and many that have probably not been seen for years
Amazing. And then Ahhh! He forgot to clear the stops, and nicked a pedal note on the dismount. I don’t feel so bad now, having done that more than once myself.
what a lovely marimba.
The original Dance Dance Revolution
Wonderful to listen to, but this is an instrument you need to _see_ being played to really appreciate. Incredible!
It's the Rodgers Black Beauty. Made by Rodgers Organ Company for Fox's Heavy Organ concert tours.
BEAUTIFUL COLOR RESTORATION. I WATCHED THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE ON BLACK & WHITE T.V. SUNDAY DECEMBER 24th, 1967.
It's not a color restoration, this was shot in color, the show went to color on Halloween 1965 using Philips/Norelco PC-60 cameras and Ampex VR-2000 Videotape Recorders.
CBS finally gave in😅
The kids in my highschool class would have called that "virtuoso personified"
dude! (or whatever) What do you mean "would have called that...?" Did those kids in your highschool class not make it out?
@@rick_dba_rickThese 30+ years later, I don't imagine any of them are saying it anymore.
Excellent!
the jimi hendrix of pipe organ
Bach reincarnated he was my support when I was down
The beginning sounds like a bit of "Perpetuum Mobile." And no music score!
An excerpt from Toccata in F Major, BWV 540.
Ed Sullivan Show -
Stop recommending Christmas music in October!
Wait until after Thanksgiving
That organ it’s self sounds horrible!
I believe the organ was his Rodgers Touring Organ. It was a 1960s analogue organ and that is why it sounded rather tinny. Later Virgil Fox and Carlo Curley acquired an Allen Digital Computer organ each as digital technology was certainly much better. Allen held the patent on digital organ technology for some time and there were court battles from organ makers like Yamaha which tried to use this technology. Once the patent lapsed it was available to all to use and haven’t we seen tremendous advances in digital and virtual pipe organs! I own a Viscount digital organ but all established digital makes are good and it is down to personal preference, availability and cost.
@@stuartmclaren2402 You understand, the audio portion of then TV recording was not as good as now. No idea of the microphone(s) used, nor the placement. Nor do I know what the acoustics were on the stage.
That was his Rogers analogue electronic traveling organ which he used in his Fillmore "Heavy Organ performances at the Fillmore auditorium. Those performances were legendary... can you imagine a bunch of hippies hearing that music in a venue more used to rock and roll. They loved it and danced in he aisles. His later Allen digital organ was far superior but still a long way from a true pipe organ. The Allen digital orgrans are much better today but this was many years ago. When I was a young teen playing organ in the 60s.... Virgil Fox was my idol. He was quite the showman and some organists didn't like that even through it brought organ music to the masses. I wouldn't be so quick to diss that Rogers organ..... it was OK mostly but the sound of this video is where it falls on its face. Sadly much of the recordings on TH-cam are pretty bad thanks to lousy miking but also the TH-cam compression.
I did Allen Organ service work in that time. This was the Black Beauty organ. The Allen salesman and I would review Rodger's sales literature and be aghast about how twisted it was. Rodgers downplayed the digital Allen but as soon as the patent expired Rodgers switched to digital tone generation. The analog Rodgers only had one, two or three sets of oscillators and used filtering to make the various sounds so it sounded rather sterile. Virgil made it sing, though, on the heavy organs LPs. He bridged the gap between generations and music styles. The Allen digital generated tones by stepping through numbers, could make good reeds, principles and strings but the flutes were a little edgy, not enough numbers to make smooth waveforms. The Allen consoles were rock-solid pieces of furniture. Superb drawknob actions. Digital organs today like the Haupwerk series use samlpes so you are hearing the actual organ in Europe or wherever. The LP recording of Virgil Fox performing Joseph Jongen's Symphonie Concertante is not surpassed by any modern recording.