Enjoyed this potpourri video. 👍👍👍 As a semi-retired church organist, I can think of nothing finer than the wonderful choral tradition of England, etc. I grew up listening to vinyl recordings of King's College choir, St John's, etc. The gorgeous anthems and settings by Howells, Sumsion, S. S. Wesley, Gibbons, Tallis, and so forth. Stunning! In the American Episcopal churches I've played at, normally every hymn intro is the full hymn, played through entirely. In other denominations (Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.) I prefer to play the, say, first four and last four measures as an intro. The German "recitalizing" hymn-intros - I have second thoughts about... unless they were particularly splendid, and presented the correct tempo to the congregation. Looking forward to next week's organ trip.
We very much have the German tradition in Norway. The hymns in our hymn books mostly only contain the melody (though the occasional hymn will be set out in SATB), and the organist will improvise a prelude to introduce each hymn, just the way you describe - so it's not _only_ in Germany. I'm pretty sure it's like that in Sweden and Denmark as well, though I don't know for sure. The organist does not play from the common hymn book, though - organists always have their own organ scores in those broad books, so they don't have to improvise the harmonisation. And by the way! Didn't Bach, even, receive complaints that his preludes were too long and strange, hmm?
Well, well, well. I thought that after over 30 years of living in Germany I never thought I would find a channel like this. Thank you. I have sung for 20 years in a good Anglican church choir in Frankfurt. This Christmas Eve I had to go to an Evangelische Kirche in Offenbach and I was reminded of 2 inexplicable (to me) things. The strange improvisation before the hymn - often harmonically and rhythmically unrelated to the actual hymn. And then the reversal of the rhythm at the end of phrases, the accentuation being on the first beat of the "bar" and not the last. If I could attach a scan of the sheet music I would add it here. What do I miss about living here? The humour.
Interesting comparison. Here in Belgium, the tradition is somewhere in the middle. The organ introduction is mostly quite simple (like in England), as is the acomponiment in all verses, but before the last verse, there is a "intermezzo" by the organist, wich is basicly some kind of improvisation on the theme of the piece, where the organist can show off all of his skills. PS: I love your vids ;-)
Dear Fraser, thank you so much for the lovely and most beautiful hymn "Alleluya, sing to Jesus". I've experienced Evensong at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's. Although I'm German, I prefer the Anglican Music. My choir sang an Evensong at Remembrance Day 2018 and I've composed the Preces and Responses dedicated to the end of WW1 a hundred years ago. Powerful music for one's heart and soul is better than technically perfect music for one's brain. Cheers and blessings! xx
OMG Fraser you are hilarious, entertaining, educational and charming all wrapped up into one. Your German influenced Scottish accent is captivating. I could listen to you all day. Thanks for these videos. I love the pipe organ and have learned some things from you. Also into cars myself so may have to check out your new channel. Thanks again.
Regarding the Hymn traditions, we have the same in our Afrikaans churches like the Dutch Reformed band of churches which share Dutch-German origins, but what a informative video I dare say! Here in South Africa we also have Cadbury and Beacon as our main brand of chocolates. Yum :D
The intro is to give the people time to find the song in the song-book (Gotteslob). If the intro would sound like the song, they would not knew if the songs has startet or will start and when. With that break, everyone knews when the songs starts and has to start singing.
Hmmmm, I didn't experience it like that. i guess it's also the organist's decision. Introductions like you played, that don't really have something in common with the songs, remind me of the thing you get at the beginning and end of a service.
Another way to introduce a hymn is to play the last line or two: that reminds the congregation of the tune (if they know it, they know it and won't need to be played the start), it gives them the tempo, and it won't make them think it's the start of the singing.
The tradition of improvised intros into hymns is alive and well here in Finland. (It's a Lutheran thing I think.) It's actually such an important thing that the training of church musicians in universities includes improvisation. There are books of pre-written choral intros to hymns, but I've never seen any cantor use them (I think they are aimed at beginners or amateur organists). To me the intros are very important part of the musical setting of the service and I enjoy them perhaps more than the hymns themselves. Once in a while the cantor may get carried away, but usually the tempo is same in both.
I marvel how clear your German is! I have tried to learn it for years without much success. I'm an Episcopalian in the USA of German background, and I found your presentation fascinating.
I was correct!! More surveys please!!💕 I simply adore this video... so educational & so wonderfully entertaining!! Re. foods you miss eating: you are so right.... the best Indian food I ate was in London.... incredibly yummy, though we do have excellent Indian restaurants here in Montreal!! Thank you for these lovely organ videos.... I can’t wait to see what’s in store! You are such a delight to watch!!💕🌺🎶🎹
The bombastic introductions are a very old tradition is Germany. Bach was quite famous for improvised introductions and cadenzas during services that were so complex and unusual, that he is said to have driven church elders and clergy almost insane. It's probably only his monumental musical abilities that prevented his masters from firing him.
Its not only in germany they have the "long" & "symphonic/symphony" "prelude"(can we call it that?) we also have those in Denmark. Or in other words, in Denmark we have a speciel Introduction to EVERY hymn, that the organist himself/herself MAKES
One thing/expression you said that caught me: "keep it simple", SO important and true!, and also "less is more", -- many musicians, (especially beginners) tend to think that "more is better" but NO!! - the more a musician "matures" the more understanding comes in how to play, to express it, i always emphasized that to the few pupils i have had (no more, to ill), not to stumble over your own feet! :D -- thanks for this, and very nice playing! greetings from The Finn Levi! (also in improvisation!)
The tradition of an elaborate introductory variation to a hymn has survived in Lutheran churches here in the US, particularly in Lutheran Churches of the Missouri Synod (the most tradition bound of Lutheran churches in the US). I really enjoy it. Also gives me a chance to get the hymn book open and find the hymn number!
Questions: Is it possible that the German song introduction musical into the Church hymns were written by authors, e.g. J. S. Bach, etc., as to warm the fingers before the critical ears of the congregation of known hymns due to the chill of the Church/Cathedral? Could it also be the needed time for hand bellows to be full strength for the hymn? Do the pipes and reeds of the organs of those times in which they were written, need to warm up?
Nun, das ist zugegebenermaßen das erste Video von Dir, dass ich in Englisch schaue. Dabei möchte ich anmerken, dass du sehr verständlich und klar sprichst, so dass es für mich als eigentlich -nicht so Fitter- in Englisch doch super interessant und verständlich ist! Vielen Dank!
Do you think you could do a video or just post somewhere in the comments a stop list for this organ? Also, I’ve never played on an organ with any of those knobs above each of the stop tabs. What are those used for?
Very interesting. I love watching all of your intuitive videos. I do hope that you continue this channel as long as you possibly can. Will you be visiting any organs in the UK? I would love to see you playing here. I assume that you do visit now and then?
Great video (from the past) which I only watched now. Being from South Africa, where we have strong British ties, but also other European traditions (I'm from German decent but several generations ago). The Dutch Reformed Church, to which I belong, traditionally all had organs, and it was interesting to hear the differences you pointed out in this video. Our organists also play as you grew up with, with the intro identifying the melody and speed, and we also have the last verse often improvising a bit more!
If you happen to be in South-western parts of Poland, especially in Silesia region, you will find out that sort of speed difference between main melody and the 'introduction' is also present in church music - and it came from.. yes Germany. You may also hear soe German words in the talking language.
Hi Fraser - really enjoying your eclectic channel (& the fact that I can improve my German too if I want) & have to agree about choral evensong, the NEH & Indian curry houses 😄.
Love your take on speed. The introduction and the chorale should be played at the same speed. I hate it when I hear someone playing a wonderful intro and then play the chorale at half the speed or even slower. I’m aware that in some traditions this is the norm , but it sends me for a loop.
Hyfrydol is one of my favourites, and you had me in tears, especially with the improvised last-verse harmonies, reminding me of all the services I sang at in a huge school chapel with a huge organ I also occasionally played. No harmony in the hymnals? Don't any German churches you play at have a choir to sing harmony? In Britain, musical members of congregations like to sing a part as well!
once again thank you for your videos and your talent exceeded greatly!! even the hymns that you did; we also sell Cadbury here in the United States; funny thing is that I work in a supermarket that sells them and they are great!! If you ever get the chance to come over the pond see what's going on all the time!! I myself think that any music being played is going to get the people in the spirit of the season!! loved every bit of it!! thank you Once again!!
Oh yes I would LOVE to see you do a video on the restored Aeolian-Skinner at St John the Divine as well as the one at Riverside and then, when they finish the resto, the Hazel Wright organ at Christ Cathedral (formerly Crystal Cathedral in So. Calif.) St John and Riverside are the 2 most extraordinary examples of the American pipe organ for which E M Skinner is renowned. The Hazel Wright is a blend of Ruffatti and Skinner - a blend of European and American if you will.
Hi Fraser, thanks for this interesting video so I can get to know the different tradition of Church Music in Germany, May I ask, would you mind to talk about the little marks above the hymns like in this video for tune HYFRYDOL , the " 87 87 D" , what is this? could you please elaborate how to read this and how to use it?
He did mention it in passing. It indicates the meter of the poetic text sung to this tune. In this case, 8.7.8.7.D means that there is a pattern of 8 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, then 8 again, and the 7. The D stands for "doubled" and indicates that the tune has another 4 lines following the same pattern 8.7.8.7. Thus there are 8 lines of text alternating 8 and 7 syllables each. This is most useful if you want to sing a given text to a different tune or a different text to this tune. If the meter indications match, the texts and tunes are probably interchangeable.
There are several abbreviations. CM = common meter 8.6.8.6 SM = short meter 6.6.8.6 LM = long meter 8.8.8.8 D = doubled (repeat what is listed before the D)
Das ist das Einzige worauf ich warte, die Improvisation zum Vorspiel. 😍 Das Schönste in der Messe überhaupt! But i loooove your explanations and your humour!
There ought to be proper Midi settings for organ. Like, taking different stops into account. I suppose it’s like playing multiple instruments at once as far as the software is concerned.
I really enjoy you vlog. I do not know how to read music and do not play any instrument. I can pick out a tune on a piano, guitar and harmonica but I’m not proficient on any. I was wondering that when you read music does it transfer immediately from page to keys immediately or do you need to practice first? Lots of Cadbury in Canada.😁👍👍
hello fraser Video idea i would enjoy watchiing and listening to is a short concert style series....i always enjoy listening to a organ just being played......
Would it be possible to photograph your feet ... would love to watch how you utilize the swell and crescendo pedals when playing post Baroque masterworks... Example: Franck . I struggle mastering the use of these pedals to evoke the subtle dynamic shadings that are requisite in that music. I love your posts... I learn so much from your insightful commentary.
The English tradition is more transparent to the congregation, but I do like the improvisational introductions of the German tradition. The organist is there to serve the needs of the congregation, so there's not a lot of creativity he/she can show during the singing of the hymn. It's nice to have a tradition where you can shoot out your reeds and show off a little.
Here in Poland both of the intro types can be heard. It depends on the organist really. But it's rather closer to the "symphonic" improvised introductions. Greetings from Poland!
Fraser: I remember, decades ago, being told that one of the most beautiful sounds which may be uttered is the English couplet "cellar-door"! Imagine that sound to one who is unable to understand our first language. A Christian myself, and theologically-literate (though not of any denomination; owing to my 36-year-long partnership with another man) I, too, miss the musical tradition of the Church of England: but not enough to enable me to see its buildings as my 'second home'; as once I did, in the 1950s and 60s. Fortunately, TH-cam is a veritable 'gift' (Good-given?) to music lovers, like us! So glad to learn you are from Inverness. My dear late mother was from Elgin: and I was so pleased to see that the Southern edge of the Moray Firth did not vote for the SNP!
I enjoy watching you playing with all of the finger substitutions. As a boy when I lived in England, I was brought up as a Methodist and as I grew into my teens I became more and more disillusioned with the singing of the hymns. Every one, even the joyous ones were played and sung as a "dirge"; there was no emotion in any hymn and the congregation more or less mumbled the words, so depressing. Then one day a Gospel church hired the church as they had no building of their own, and on a Saturday, oh boy, the wonderful, joyous and infectious music and singing!!!, no comparison to a Methodist hymn. Best wishes from Ireland :)
Have to agree with you about the Indian food. Living in Bavaria, there are one of two half decent places, but generally speaking - there's no comparison. It still amazes me that people think that British food is under par. That old stereotype really lingers. Really good videos. Thank you!
Hi Fraser I have found it. The hymn you play at the end, I would request that it is considered for the double CD I keep bleeting on about. Yes the one you will release played on the Harpwvork (I know the spelling is wrong). So what is good about this one? Simple but effective. Why does it make me cry? I'm not unhappy with it? There are some things I cannot explain. Regards Vic
As a British expat myself I was intrigued by your use of "home". After 20 years? I used to have a colleague of Jamaican heritage who used the same expression even though he was British-born and only went to Jamaica for holidays. As for British cuisine - Melton Mowbray pies must be on the list.
I’m not sure how widely this is used, but in the states, we play the last line or refrain of the hymn, or if it’s just a solo singer, occasionally there is no intro
as a organist at my church if we are singing a regular hymm i play 1 verse intro then congregation starts to sing hymm(total verses + 1 verse intro) if its a hymm that verses are part of the liturgy then first stanza has a one line intro then any verses after are a opening tone note and then start singing and closing hymm i end playing 1 extra verse on a mellow meditative state......
I play for services here in Canada and is definitely the English style. I am now a member of Lutheran Church-Canada and it has been quite a challenge to have the congregation follow the organist actually an electric piano on organ setting, it takes several years to stop them singing every hymn as a funral derg. The othrt change I make is to stop the rall. at the end f every verse. We are finally at that point after 11 yrs in this parish, and the Amen is always added.
Thanks for the videos, I am a German living in the UK whose brother used to be an organ builder. Big Bach fan and piano player myself. Can I recommend getting a tripod for your camera? It would greatly improve the videos as you can almost get a bit seasick when watching :)
Kurze pause. From my days in Switzerland. Intermission is actually what a break in a movie longs to be called. I learned how to make keema and a few other simple dishes from a friend from Goa. Zürich did have a fabulous Thai restaurant though. For Ethiopian a trip to Genève was needed. Back in NY so all food limitations have been lifted.
Fascinating re difference in hymn introduction traditions. "High fried oil" reminds me of "Most highly flavoured gravy" (from another Christmas carol)...
Hi Fraser, we are now in Easter Tide. Are there any traditional hymns for Easter as for the Christmas Tide you are missing? I appreciate your vids both in English and in German language. Keep going!
I've heard organists here in America do this to introduce a hymn but they usually don't get that carried away and play at the same tempo as the hymn. Thanks be that the Lutheran congregation I play for isn't that German. My improvisation skills are not the greatest. Thanks for Hyfrydol. One of my favorites to play. Welsh tunes are great .
Oh the American organists can get WAAY carried away with intros and interludes before the last verse. This frequently happens with accomplished and/or celebrity organists who are playing in very large cathedral settings on very large organs. Think "high church" in places like Riverside (NYC), St John the Devine (NYC), 1st congregational (LA), National Cathedral (DC), etc. Just go look at the Fanfare and Easter hymn at St John the Divine on YT. The intro was 1 min 5 sec before anyone started singing. And then the interlude before the last verse...Lordy... TWO minutes and 10 seconds.
Spot on for German Church Hymn accompaniement :) It's changing slowly in many Churches, and I play the piano in a Methodist Church (which is a so-called "Free Church" or Freikirche, i. e. not state-sponsored), where it's completely different again. :)
Great video! Interesting to hear the different practices in Germany and the UK. Perhaps it is a product of the centuries of tension in Reformed churches - between those who want music only to support congregational worship and not to get in the way of the words, and those of a more 'high church' persuasion who see beautiful music as a way of glorifying God in itself. So you have the UK with its rich choral tradition but functional hymn playovers, and Germany with a stronger tradition of congregational singing but more elaborate or even symphonic organ introductions.
speaking of British cuisine, well, believe it or not, there are at least a couple of British foods that i do miss a lot: Fish & Chips and Cheese & Onion Pie ... the latter, Cheese & Onion Pie is said to be a Swiss cuisine originally though but well, i haven't been to Switzerland and i have not found the Cheese & Onion Pie anywhere else either, as in America for example, where i've been living for a couple of decades now and no one knows that while you can find Fish & Chips here although not a very common food really ...
Just a comment, not a complaint. The sound level on your voice is just about right with the TH-cam setting at 60% and the computer at 60%. When you played the hymn, I had to turn the sound levels on TH-cam and the computer both down to around 20%. The quality was good with no clipping, just a big difference in levels. Looking forward to your next video. I watch the German videos with the captioning set to English and it is fun listening to the complexities in the German speech and the sometimes hilarious translations in the captioning. Here in the States, our Roman Catholic churches seem to be loosing the pipe organs and replacing them with guitars, drums and fiddles and of course piano. Just isn't the same, I almost wish I could attend a Mormon Church as they seem to keep the traditional Choir and organ music but if I did, the little Nuns that raised (and spanked) me since kindergarten would turn over in their graves. Even our new churches look like office buildings.
Robert Leifeld I attend and play the organ at my local Latter-day Saint (Mormon) meetinghouse. We don’t use authentic pipe organs but digital ones instead. The Church has said that they are taking requests and such for a new international hymn book. I do hope that we keep our classical(ish) style.
Love your videos, Fraser. What is the church you play for? If you have mentioned the name, it went by too fast for me to catch it. As a lifelong Lutheran, I am very familiar with German music and love it.
Thank you for playing that E-flat in the alto voice. The 1982 Hymnal for the Episcopal church does not include it, nor do a number of American hymnals. It totally changes the character of the harmonic language, and in my opinion, is not correct; E-flat must be included to allow proper harmonic progression.
I was wondering what you thought of the harmonization found in many of GIA's hymnals (the chord in the second full measure is a D-minor chord rather than an F-major chord)? For reference: th-cam.com/video/RKoQ7LGgDPs/w-d-xo.html hymnary.org/hymn/GC1994/853
So - the German intros sound like the ones we might use for fully orchestrated versions don't you think? Also give you plenty of time to find your way around the hymnal!!
Your comment brought to mind Ralph Vaughan Williams' version of Old Hundredth ("All creatures that on earth do dwell" in English) written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was a favourite of my old director of music, who joined the Westminster Abbey choir as a boy chorister a few years after the coronation. Vaughan Williams' arrangement starts with a brass fanfare, but has a British style play over (almost - it's slightly reharmonised) when the organ comes in before the first verse. The same cannot be said of the fanfare entry to the last verse and the postlude before the final sung Amen, which catch out the unwary! th-cam.com/video/i9jwyL4K88A/w-d-xo.html is a performance, with some interesting commentary from Sir David Willcocks before he picks up the conductor's baton.
Those "Kipling" are somthing the Germans make fresh for eg a tea time. You find the raw biscuits (Shortcrust pastry or cake dough) in every better supermarket. You usually put fruits on it and fix them with a jelly.
Thank you very much for your post. I love english choir tradition and hymns and carols. But what you're referring to as the german style of playing an introduction is called over here "Liturgisches Orgelspiel". Of course this is nothing new to you. I just want to point out that Liturgisches Orgelspiel is taught on universities by organist professors. Those who play a toccata using the cantus firmus don't get it right if they don't manage to point out the melody and the right speed at the same time. Cheers :-)
Please don’t replace the German improvisation tradition. It’s were we get composers like Bach. A significant part of his opus is choral preludes. It’s where he developed his composition and improvisation skills. What if some decade another Bach is born and she has no inspiration to improvise?
The Cadbury's chocolate that you had in UK twenty years ago is not like the current version. When Kaft, later Mondelez, took over Cadbury's, they closed down the British factories, and moved all the production to Europe. They also changed the recipes and reduced the cocoa butter and replaced it with palm, shea and rapeseed oils. That spoilt the favour and mouth feel. The Cadbury's Dairy Milk made in New Zealand follows the old recipe is still good. Cadbury's have recently introduced Dark Milk in UK, which does not not have shea or palm oil. It is a much better product. Mondelez have ruined Terry's Chocolate Orange by the use of cheap oils rather than cocoa butter. A delicacy of my childhood rendered inedible.
Love your channel and thanks for all the wonderful videos! If I may ask, and the question somewhat fits the titel of the video: How long have you been living in Germany? I mean no offence, but you seem to have a slight German accent in your English? That, or my hearing is just shit! Keep up the amazing work on your channel!
Can you do a "special" please? I have lived in Wales for over thirty years, there is one tune above all others that is profound. Myfanwy. There must be an organ somewhere that is worthy. DW.
Wie wäre mal ein Treffen mit Franz Lambert um mal zu sehen, wie hochwertig die Orgelsounds der deutschen E-Orgellegende sind. Das wäre doch mal eine Idee ... als Orgelprotagonist ! Oder ?
Hi Fraser, I'm from Canada , and I love the sound of this particular organ you're at here. I'm interested in its specs? IE how many ranks and stops it has? A stop list or any info on it would be appreciated. Love your stuff, keep it up.
I think I prefer the German way of doing things. How is an organist going mad with improv for an intro a bad thing? :) I'm from Denmark, and I've seen a few comments that say we do a similar thing. I, however, have never experienced an intro quite as out there as the one you demonstrated with. So, you were either exaggerating a bit for explanatory reasons, or the organists in the chruches I've been in have just not been as creative and out there with their improv as they do in Germany :)
We (D) have some Indian restaurants. But in GB are much more. That depends to the times as GB rules half of the world and that not always in kindly manner... Nevertheless the Indians like that and they seems to be very thankful for that?
What no.... Kling, Glöckchen, "Ring, Little Bell", or Es ist ein Ros entsprungen "Low How a Rose Ere Blooming" ? Sorry, I grew up with Christmas On The Rhine directed by Werner Müller
Not realising it was a german thing, i attempted a large opening for my recent rendition of la marseillaise. Nowhere near as good as fraser's of course
I will admit that there is not much I can think of that feel better than being in a choir for the verse of come thou long expected Jesus with a nice big big Pipe organ with the swell shutters fully open.
Enjoyed this potpourri video. 👍👍👍
As a semi-retired church organist, I can think of nothing finer than the wonderful choral tradition of England, etc. I grew up listening to vinyl recordings of King's College choir, St John's, etc. The gorgeous anthems and settings by Howells, Sumsion, S. S. Wesley, Gibbons, Tallis, and so forth. Stunning!
In the American Episcopal churches I've played at, normally every hymn intro is the full hymn, played through entirely. In other denominations (Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.) I prefer to play the, say, first four and last four measures as an intro. The German "recitalizing" hymn-intros - I have second thoughts about... unless they were particularly splendid, and presented the correct tempo to the congregation.
Looking forward to next week's organ trip.
We very much have the German tradition in Norway. The hymns in our hymn books mostly only contain the melody (though the occasional hymn will be set out in SATB), and the organist will improvise a prelude to introduce each hymn, just the way you describe - so it's not _only_ in Germany. I'm pretty sure it's like that in Sweden and Denmark as well, though I don't know for sure.
The organist does not play from the common hymn book, though - organists always have their own organ scores in those broad books, so they don't have to improvise the harmonisation.
And by the way! Didn't Bach, even, receive complaints that his preludes were too long and strange, hmm?
Well, well, well. I thought that after over 30 years of living in Germany I never thought I would find a channel like this. Thank you. I have sung for 20 years in a good Anglican church choir in Frankfurt. This Christmas Eve I had to go to an Evangelische Kirche in Offenbach and I was reminded of 2 inexplicable (to me) things. The strange improvisation before the hymn - often harmonically and rhythmically unrelated to the actual hymn. And then the reversal of the rhythm at the end of phrases, the accentuation being on the first beat of the "bar" and not the last. If I could attach a scan of the sheet music I would add it here. What do I miss about living here? The humour.
Thanks Fraser, I listen to a lot of your videos!!! I'm a pianist and organist from North Germany!!! LG Konrad
Interesting comparison. Here in Belgium, the tradition is somewhere in the middle. The organ introduction is mostly quite simple (like in England), as is the acomponiment in all verses, but before the last verse, there is a "intermezzo" by the organist, wich is basicly some kind of improvisation on the theme of the piece, where the organist can show off all of his skills.
PS: I love your vids ;-)
Dear Fraser, thank you so much for the lovely and most beautiful hymn "Alleluya, sing to Jesus". I've experienced Evensong at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's. Although I'm German, I prefer the Anglican Music. My choir sang an Evensong at Remembrance Day 2018 and I've composed the Preces and Responses dedicated to the end of WW1 a hundred years ago. Powerful music for one's heart and soul is better than technically perfect music for one's brain. Cheers and blessings! xx
OMG Fraser you are hilarious, entertaining, educational and charming all wrapped up into one. Your German influenced Scottish accent is captivating. I could listen to you all day. Thanks for these videos. I love the pipe organ and have learned some things from you. Also into cars myself so may have to check out your new channel. Thanks again.
Regarding the Hymn traditions, we have the same in our Afrikaans churches like the Dutch Reformed band of churches which share Dutch-German origins, but what a informative video I dare say! Here in South Africa we also have Cadbury and Beacon as our main brand of chocolates. Yum :D
A fellow South African in the comment section 😄😄💫
The intro is to give the people time to find the song in the song-book (Gotteslob). If the intro would sound like the song, they would not knew if the songs has startet or will start and when. With that break, everyone knews when the songs starts and has to start singing.
Hmmmm, I didn't experience it like that. i guess it's also the organist's decision. Introductions like you played, that don't really have something in common with the songs, remind me of the thing you get at the beginning and end of a service.
Another way to introduce a hymn is to play the last line or two: that reminds the congregation of the tune (if they know it, they know it and won't need to be played the start), it gives them the tempo, and it won't make them think it's the start of the singing.
The tradition of improvised intros into hymns is alive and well here in Finland. (It's a Lutheran thing I think.) It's actually such an important thing that the training of church musicians in universities includes improvisation. There are books of pre-written choral intros to hymns, but I've never seen any cantor use them (I think they are aimed at beginners or amateur organists).
To me the intros are very important part of the musical setting of the service and I enjoy them perhaps more than the hymns themselves. Once in a while the cantor may get carried away, but usually the tempo is same in both.
Best channel I ever found... thanks for the great videos. Es macht so viel Spaß zuzusehen. Vielen Dank! Beste Grüße aus München ☺️
I marvel how clear your German is! I have tried to learn it for years without much success. I'm an Episcopalian in the USA of German background, and I found your presentation fascinating.
I was correct!! More surveys please!!💕 I simply adore this video... so educational & so wonderfully entertaining!! Re. foods you miss eating: you are so right.... the best Indian food I ate was in London.... incredibly yummy, though we do have excellent Indian restaurants here in Montreal!! Thank you for these lovely organ videos.... I can’t wait to see what’s in store! You are such a delight to watch!!💕🌺🎶🎹
The bombastic introductions are a very old tradition is Germany. Bach was quite famous for improvised introductions and cadenzas during services that were so complex and unusual, that he is said to have driven church elders and clergy almost insane. It's probably only his monumental musical abilities that prevented his masters from firing him.
Your improvs are really cool. I'd love to see you teach more on improv and how to do that. :)
Keep going Fraser, this is good stuff nicely seasoned with humour!
Its not only in germany they have the "long" & "symphonic/symphony" "prelude"(can we call it that?) we also have those in Denmark. Or in other words, in Denmark we have a speciel Introduction to EVERY hymn, that the organist himself/herself MAKES
One thing/expression you said that caught me: "keep it simple", SO important and true!, and also "less is more", -- many musicians, (especially beginners) tend to think that "more is better" but NO!! - the more a musician "matures" the more understanding comes in how to play, to express it, i always emphasized that to the few pupils i have had (no more, to ill), not to stumble over your own feet! :D -- thanks for this, and very nice playing! greetings from The Finn Levi! (also in improvisation!)
The tradition of an elaborate introductory variation to a hymn has survived in Lutheran churches here in the US, particularly in Lutheran Churches of the Missouri Synod (the most tradition bound of Lutheran churches in the US). I really enjoy it. Also gives me a chance to get the hymn book open and find the hymn number!
Questions: Is it possible that the German song introduction musical into the Church hymns were written by authors, e.g. J. S. Bach, etc., as to warm the fingers before the critical ears of the congregation of known hymns due to the chill of the Church/Cathedral? Could it also be the needed time for hand bellows to be full strength for the hymn? Do the pipes and reeds of the organs of those times in which they were written, need to warm up?
Nun, das ist zugegebenermaßen das erste Video von Dir, dass ich in Englisch schaue. Dabei möchte ich anmerken, dass du sehr verständlich und klar sprichst, so dass es für mich als eigentlich -nicht so Fitter- in Englisch doch super interessant und verständlich ist! Vielen Dank!
Do you think you could do a video or just post somewhere in the comments a stop list for this organ? Also, I’ve never played on an organ with any of those knobs above each of the stop tabs. What are those used for?
Very interesting. I love watching all of your intuitive videos. I do hope that you continue this channel as long as you possibly can. Will you be visiting any organs in the UK? I would love to see you playing here. I assume that you do visit now and then?
Great video (from the past) which I only watched now. Being from South Africa, where we have strong British ties, but also other European traditions (I'm from German decent but several generations ago). The Dutch Reformed Church, to which I belong, traditionally all had organs, and it was interesting to hear the differences you pointed out in this video. Our organists also play as you grew up with, with the intro identifying the melody and speed, and we also have the last verse often improvising a bit more!
Love the harmonisation of high fried oil!
@Richard Harrold It's pronounced hav'radol. Like Cwm Rhondda is koom rhon' tha. Tricky language.
If you happen to be in South-western parts of Poland, especially in Silesia region, you will find out that sort of speed difference between main melody and the 'introduction' is also present in church music - and it came from.. yes Germany. You may also hear soe German words in the talking language.
Absolutely love the hymn "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story" to the Hyfrydol tune.
Hi Fraser - really enjoying your eclectic channel (& the fact that I can improve my German too if I want) & have to agree about choral evensong, the NEH & Indian curry houses 😄.
Love your take on speed. The introduction and the chorale should be played at the same speed. I hate it when I hear someone playing a wonderful intro and then play the chorale at half the speed or even slower. I’m aware that in some traditions this is the norm , but it sends me for a loop.
Hyfrydol is one of my favourites, and you had me in tears, especially with the improvised last-verse harmonies, reminding me of all the services I sang at in a huge school chapel with a huge organ I also occasionally played. No harmony in the hymnals? Don't any German churches you play at have a choir to sing harmony? In Britain, musical members of congregations like to sing a part as well!
pronounced Huvrudol yn Cymraeg (Welsh)
Welcome back, Fraser. Loving your work so much,that I’m off to sub to your other channel for support.....even though I’m not that interested in cars.
once again thank you for your videos and your talent exceeded greatly!! even the hymns that you did; we also sell Cadbury here in the United States; funny thing is that I work in a supermarket that sells them and they are great!! If you ever get the chance to come over the pond see what's going on all the time!! I myself think that any music being played is going to get the people in the spirit of the season!! loved every bit of it!! thank you Once again!!
Oh yes I would LOVE to see you do a video on the restored Aeolian-Skinner at St John the Divine as well as the one at Riverside and then, when they finish the resto, the Hazel Wright organ at Christ Cathedral (formerly Crystal Cathedral in So. Calif.) St John and Riverside are the 2 most extraordinary examples of the American pipe organ for which E M Skinner is renowned. The Hazel Wright is a blend of Ruffatti and Skinner - a blend of European and American if you will.
Hi Fraser, thanks for this interesting video so I can get to know the different tradition of Church Music in Germany, May I ask, would you mind to talk about the little marks above the hymns like in this video for tune HYFRYDOL , the " 87 87 D" , what is this? could you please elaborate how to read this and how to use it?
He did mention it in passing. It indicates the meter of the poetic text sung to this tune. In this case, 8.7.8.7.D means that there is a pattern of 8 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, then 8 again, and the 7. The D stands for "doubled" and indicates that the tune has another 4 lines following the same pattern 8.7.8.7. Thus there are 8 lines of text alternating 8 and 7 syllables each. This is most useful if you want to sing a given text to a different tune or a different text to this tune. If the meter indications match, the texts and tunes are probably interchangeable.
There are several abbreviations.
CM = common meter 8.6.8.6
SM = short meter 6.6.8.6
LM = long meter 8.8.8.8
D = doubled (repeat what is listed before the D)
Das ist das Einzige worauf ich warte, die Improvisation zum Vorspiel. 😍 Das Schönste in der Messe überhaupt! But i loooove your explanations and your humour!
There ought to be proper Midi settings for organ. Like, taking different stops into account. I suppose it’s like playing multiple instruments at once as far as the software is concerned.
Suddenly the Regerian choral vorspiel starts to make sense. LOVE IT!
I really enjoy you vlog. I do not know how to read music and do not play any instrument. I can pick out a tune on a piano, guitar and harmonica but I’m not proficient on any. I was wondering that when you read music does it transfer immediately from page to keys immediately or do you need to practice first? Lots of Cadbury in Canada.😁👍👍
hello fraser
Video idea i would enjoy watchiing and listening to is a short concert style series....i always enjoy listening to a organ just being played......
“Good afternoon we’re back” how about good afternoon we’re BACH” 😂 lolol
Would it be possible to photograph your feet ... would love to watch how you utilize the swell and crescendo pedals when playing post Baroque masterworks... Example: Franck . I struggle mastering the use of these pedals to evoke the subtle dynamic shadings that are requisite in that music. I love your posts... I learn so much from your insightful commentary.
Not sure how much you'd get from a photograph...
The English tradition is more transparent to the congregation, but I do like the improvisational introductions of the German tradition. The organist is there to serve the needs of the congregation, so there's not a lot of creativity he/she can show during the singing of the hymn. It's nice to have a tradition where you can shoot out your reeds and show off a little.
Here in Poland both of the intro types can be heard. It depends on the organist really. But it's rather closer to the "symphonic" improvised introductions. Greetings from Poland!
Fraser: I remember, decades ago, being told that one of the most beautiful sounds which may be uttered is the English couplet "cellar-door"! Imagine that sound to one who is unable to understand our first language. A Christian myself, and theologically-literate (though not of any denomination; owing to my 36-year-long partnership with another man) I, too, miss the musical tradition of the Church of England: but not enough to enable me to see its buildings as my 'second home'; as once I did, in the 1950s and 60s. Fortunately, TH-cam is a veritable 'gift' (Good-given?) to music lovers, like us! So glad to learn you are from Inverness. My dear late mother was from Elgin: and I was so pleased to see that the Southern edge of the Moray Firth did not vote for the SNP!
I enjoy watching you playing with all of the finger substitutions. As a boy when I lived in England, I was brought up as a Methodist and as I grew into my teens I became more and more disillusioned with the singing of the hymns. Every one, even the joyous ones were played and sung as a "dirge"; there was no emotion in any hymn and the congregation more or less mumbled the words, so depressing. Then one day a Gospel church hired the church as they had no building of their own, and on a Saturday, oh boy, the wonderful, joyous and infectious music and singing!!!, no comparison to a Methodist hymn.
Best wishes from Ireland :)
thank you Mr. Fraser.
Have to agree with you about the Indian food. Living in Bavaria, there are one of two half decent places, but generally speaking - there's no comparison. It still amazes me that people think that British food is under par. That old stereotype really lingers. Really good videos. Thank you!
Hi Fraser I have found it. The hymn you play at the end, I would request that it is considered for the double CD I keep bleeting on about. Yes the one you will release played on the Harpwvork (I know the spelling is wrong). So what is good about this one?
Simple but effective. Why does it make me cry? I'm not unhappy with it? There are some things I cannot explain. Regards Vic
As a British expat myself I was intrigued by your use of "home". After 20 years? I used to have a colleague of Jamaican heritage who used the same expression even though he was British-born and only went to Jamaica for holidays.
As for British cuisine - Melton Mowbray pies must be on the list.
I’m not sure how widely this is used, but in the states, we play the last line or refrain of the hymn, or if it’s just a solo singer, occasionally there is no intro
as a organist at my church if we are singing a regular hymm i play 1 verse intro then congregation starts to sing hymm(total verses + 1 verse intro) if its a hymm that verses are part of the liturgy then first stanza has a one line intro then any verses after are a opening tone note and then start singing and closing hymm i end playing 1 extra verse on a mellow meditative state......
Paul Wasser then it might be a thing in New York or the northeast
@@patmeaden I'm in Wisconsin
Paul Wasser I meant the thing my churches to as I’m in New York
I play for services here in Canada and is definitely the English style. I am now a member of Lutheran Church-Canada and it has been quite a challenge to have the congregation follow the organist actually an electric piano on organ setting, it takes several years to stop them singing every hymn as a funral derg. The othrt change I make is to stop the rall. at the end f every verse. We are finally at that point after 11 yrs in this parish, and the Amen is always added.
Thanks for the videos, I am a German living in the UK whose brother used to be an organ builder. Big Bach fan and piano player myself.
Can I recommend getting a tripod for your camera? It would greatly improve the videos as you can almost get a bit seasick when watching :)
Kurze pause. From my days in Switzerland. Intermission is actually what a break in a movie longs to be called. I learned how to make keema and a few other simple dishes from a friend from Goa. Zürich did have a fabulous Thai restaurant though. For Ethiopian a trip to Genève was needed. Back in NY so all food limitations have been lifted.
very enjoyable Hyfrydol arrangement - ever think of printing and publishing them? (I'm sadly not that creative.)
Video begins at 6:40 :P
As always enjoying your videos a lot! But please turn up the volume - in general the audio-level of your clips is too low :-(
Fascinating re difference in hymn introduction traditions. "High fried oil" reminds me of "Most highly flavoured gravy" (from another Christmas carol)...
I know an organist who calls it hydrofoil. I made it a point to learn the proper pronunciation of Welsh hymn tunes. Not an easy language.
I about fell out of my chair when he said that. LOL
I've always said "hydrofoil" too 😄
I own that New English Hymnal full music edition. Bought online for less than 30 euro's.
Being from The Netherlands End of the reformed tradition The 2nd wave play is very familiar to me
Hi Fraser,
we are now in Easter Tide. Are there any traditional hymns for Easter as for the Christmas Tide you are missing?
I appreciate your vids both in English and in German language. Keep going!
I've heard organists here in America do this to introduce a hymn but they usually don't get that carried away and play at the same tempo as the hymn. Thanks be that the Lutheran congregation I play for isn't that German. My improvisation skills are not the greatest.
Thanks for Hyfrydol. One of my favorites to play. Welsh tunes are great .
Oh the American organists can get WAAY carried away with intros and interludes before the last verse. This frequently happens with accomplished and/or celebrity organists who are playing in very large cathedral settings on very large organs. Think "high church" in places like Riverside (NYC), St John the Devine (NYC), 1st congregational (LA), National Cathedral (DC), etc. Just go look at the Fanfare and Easter hymn at St John the Divine on YT. The intro was 1 min 5 sec before anyone started singing. And then the interlude before the last verse...Lordy... TWO minutes and 10 seconds.
Spot on for German Church Hymn accompaniement :) It's changing slowly in many Churches, and I play the piano in a Methodist Church (which is a so-called "Free Church" or Freikirche, i. e. not state-sponsored), where it's completely different again. :)
Your videos are fantastic 👏👍
I really enjoyed tis Fraser. Anytime your here in Northern Ireland your more than welcome to come with me for an Indian meal
Great video! Interesting to hear the different practices in Germany and the UK. Perhaps it is a product of the centuries of tension in Reformed churches - between those who want music only to support congregational worship and not to get in the way of the words, and those of a more 'high church' persuasion who see beautiful music as a way of glorifying God in itself. So you have the UK with its rich choral tradition but functional hymn playovers, and Germany with a stronger tradition of congregational singing but more elaborate or even symphonic organ introductions.
speaking of British cuisine, well, believe it or not, there are at least a couple of British foods that i do miss a lot: Fish & Chips and Cheese & Onion Pie ... the latter, Cheese & Onion Pie is said to be a Swiss cuisine originally though but well, i haven't been to Switzerland and i have not found the Cheese & Onion Pie anywhere else either, as in America for example, where i've been living for a couple of decades now and no one knows that while you can find Fish & Chips here although not a very common food really ...
Very informative
Just a comment, not a complaint. The sound level on your voice is just about right with the TH-cam setting at 60% and the computer at 60%. When you played the hymn, I had to turn the sound levels on TH-cam and the computer both down to around 20%. The quality was good with no clipping, just a big difference in levels. Looking forward to your next video. I watch the German videos with the captioning set to English and it is fun listening to the complexities in the German speech and the sometimes hilarious translations in the captioning.
Here in the States, our Roman Catholic churches seem to be loosing the pipe organs and replacing them with guitars, drums and fiddles and of course piano. Just isn't the same, I almost wish I could attend a Mormon Church as they seem to keep the traditional Choir and organ music but if I did, the little Nuns that raised (and spanked) me since kindergarten would turn over in their graves. Even our new churches look like office buildings.
Robert Leifeld I attend and play the organ at my local Latter-day Saint (Mormon) meetinghouse. We don’t use authentic pipe organs but digital ones instead. The Church has said that they are taking requests and such for a new international hymn book. I do hope that we keep our classical(ish) style.
Who is the organist at the other church you referred to?
Love your videos, Fraser. What is the church you play for? If you have mentioned the name, it went by too fast for me to catch it. As a lifelong Lutheran, I am very familiar with German music and love it.
We just get right into it. The last two bars of the hymn get played as an intro and we’re off to the races.
Go to the laurenskerk in the netherlands
Thank you for playing that E-flat in the alto voice. The 1982 Hymnal for the Episcopal church does not include it, nor do a number of American hymnals. It totally changes the character of the harmonic language, and in my opinion, is not correct; E-flat must be included to allow proper harmonic progression.
I was wondering what you thought of the harmonization found in many of GIA's hymnals (the chord in the second full measure is a D-minor chord rather than an F-major chord)?
For reference:
th-cam.com/video/RKoQ7LGgDPs/w-d-xo.html
hymnary.org/hymn/GC1994/853
So - the German intros sound like the ones we might use for fully orchestrated versions don't you think? Also give you plenty of time to find your way around the hymnal!!
Your comment brought to mind Ralph Vaughan Williams' version of Old Hundredth ("All creatures that on earth do dwell" in English) written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was a favourite of my old director of music, who joined the Westminster Abbey choir as a boy chorister a few years after the coronation.
Vaughan Williams' arrangement starts with a brass fanfare, but has a British style play over (almost - it's slightly reharmonised) when the organ comes in before the first verse. The same cannot be said of the fanfare entry to the last verse and the postlude before the final sung Amen, which catch out the unwary!
th-cam.com/video/i9jwyL4K88A/w-d-xo.html is a performance, with some interesting commentary from Sir David Willcocks before he picks up the conductor's baton.
Those "Kipling" are somthing the Germans make fresh for eg a tea time. You find the raw biscuits (Shortcrust pastry or cake dough) in every better supermarket. You usually put fruits on it and fix them with a jelly.
Hey! You're in the Westerwald. It is like Scotland.
Thank you very much for your post. I love english choir tradition and hymns and carols. But what you're referring to as the german style of playing an introduction is called over here "Liturgisches Orgelspiel". Of course this is nothing new to you. I just want to point out that Liturgisches Orgelspiel is taught on universities by organist professors. Those who play a toccata using the cantus firmus don't get it right if they don't manage to point out the melody and the right speed at the same time. Cheers :-)
The big Dutch organists are like the German tradition. They are going wild in the prelude and than the Hymn/Psalter is slow.
In the USA i grew up with the German tradition with the introduction
Please don’t replace the German improvisation tradition. It’s were we get composers like Bach. A significant part of his opus is choral preludes. It’s where he developed his composition and improvisation skills. What if some decade another Bach is born and she has no inspiration to improvise?
Good point!
Do you work out your last verse in advance, or improvise on the spot?
Fraser - such wonderful videos! But, "speed"? Don't you mean "tempo"?
Speed is literally just stuff/time. Come on.
"That could go on for days!"
Spit take.
"I've been sitting here for DAYS! Start the damn joust before I piss meself!"
The Cadbury's chocolate that you had in UK twenty years ago is not like the current version.
When Kaft, later Mondelez, took over Cadbury's, they closed down the British factories, and moved all the production to Europe. They also changed the recipes and reduced the cocoa butter and replaced it with palm, shea and rapeseed oils. That spoilt the favour and mouth feel.
The Cadbury's Dairy Milk made in New Zealand follows the old recipe is still good.
Cadbury's have recently introduced Dark Milk in UK, which does not not have shea or palm oil.
It is a much better product.
Mondelez have ruined Terry's Chocolate Orange by the use of cheap oils rather than cocoa butter. A delicacy of my childhood rendered inedible.
Love your channel and thanks for all the wonderful videos! If I may ask, and the question somewhat fits the titel of the video: How long have you been living in Germany? I mean no offence, but you seem to have a slight German accent in your English? That, or my hearing is just shit! Keep up the amazing work on your channel!
Both Traditions have there Merits
Can you play widors toccata
Yes, I can!
The closest you will get is Mr Kipling's Viennese Whirls" hahaha.
Can you do a "special" please?
I have lived in Wales for over thirty years, there is one tune above all others that is profound.
Myfanwy.
There must be an organ somewhere that is worthy.
DW.
Wie wäre mal ein Treffen mit Franz Lambert um mal zu sehen, wie hochwertig die Orgelsounds der deutschen E-Orgellegende sind.
Das wäre doch mal eine Idee ... als Orgelprotagonist ! Oder ?
❤️ Für mich als Südhessin aus dem Kreis Bergstraße super Idee mit Franz Lambert und dem klassen Schotten!
Hi Fraser, I'm from Canada , and I love the sound of this particular organ you're at here. I'm interested in its specs? IE how many ranks and stops it has? A stop list or any info on it would be appreciated. Love your stuff, keep it up.
I think I prefer the German way of doing things. How is an organist going mad with improv for an intro a bad thing? :)
I'm from Denmark, and I've seen a few comments that say we do a similar thing. I, however, have never experienced an intro quite as out there as the one you demonstrated with. So, you were either exaggerating a bit for explanatory reasons, or the organists in the chruches I've been in have just not been as creative and out there with their improv as they do in Germany :)
We (D) have some Indian restaurants. But in GB are much more. That depends to the times as GB rules half of the world and that not always in kindly manner... Nevertheless the Indians like that and they seems to be very thankful for that?
What no.... Kling, Glöckchen, "Ring, Little Bell", or Es ist ein Ros entsprungen "Low How a Rose Ere Blooming" ? Sorry, I grew up with Christmas On The Rhine directed by Werner Müller
...I like the blue up stop felts.
does this mean that being an organist is more difficult in germany than britain if you have to improvising so much of what you play?
I expect you pick it up quite quickly, I learnt how to do Chorale preludes quite quickly.
Not realising it was a german thing, i attempted a large opening for my recent rendition of la marseillaise. Nowhere near as good as fraser's of course
Yummy Jam tarts!
Why don't you take the last few bars? That's another common thing here in Germany...
Good old Adeste Fideles
Nice. 12:31
I will admit that there is not much I can think of that feel better than being in a choir for the verse of come thou long expected Jesus with a nice big big Pipe organ with the swell shutters fully open.