As an American it’s very hard to wrap my head around the fact that attending services at a church that was built in the 1200’s would even be possible. Just incredible. You do a wonderful job showing these beautiful churches and their organs. Glad to have discovered your work kind man.
One of the many things that I especially love about your videos is that in addition to being a highly proficient musician, you are as well a poet and inspiring historian. I am so thankful to have discovered your wonderful channel !!
Gorgeous little organ and even Widor’s toccata was nice. Your touch is what makes some of these old girls sing so beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing your talent. ❤
I am into mechanical music so of course that tremulant stop is a great sound to my ears! What a wonderful organ this is. A hidden gem in a small village church!
Another excellent road trip to display the small parish churches of England. Unbelievable how ancient this church is. Writing, filming, and demonstrating the pipe sounds are superbly executed by the staff of ONE! Rubber boots most appropriated for walking the marshes. No loafers today!
Hi Ben, I watch one of your beautiful videos every Sunday morning while I drink my coffee before heading off to my Catholic Sunday Mass. They soothe my soul. We have a beautiful old pipe organ at my church and I am going to ask my pastor for its history. You have inspired me! And don't worry about looking too serious, it shows that you take your profession seriously!
You are so serious in this video and without any smiles. Ben, I cannot express how much pleasure your fantastic, sensitively beautiful playing brings to me and many others! Thank you for sharing your exquisite talent along with your sharp attention to enthralling historic details of chuches in England.
I’m on a little journey watching your older videos. This is so wonderful. I miss those English hills so much. I could’ve listened to the whole piece you played at the end. I can’t remember the name of it right now. The internet is such a weird place because your videos make me feel like we’re friends. Thanks Ben 🫶🏼
Thank you again Ben for another excellent village church and organ tour. Your personable, calm, intelligent and insightful video narration and style makes us feel like we are right there with you. Very refreshing.
How much I agree with that as it was such a comprehensive presentation. I just wish he would smile more as it seemed like the whole video was depressing for him. I kept wanting to say "oh cheer up a bit mate"
As a bellringer I immediately noticed that unusually, much like the organist, the bellringers are placed in full view of the congregation, at the crossing, rather than hidden away up the tower. Awkward to sneak out if you want to ring and not stay to the service !
😂 I play keyboards at small church. I know exactly what you mean!! I told minister’s daughter I was jealous of her kids who could fidget, and just lay down on or underneath the pew during the surface.
I love an old ham and a drama queen 😃 Your use of the Purcell Queen Mary funeral music to vamp up the pathos while reading the inscription on the woman's grave was masterful! I have subscribed!👍
Beautiful instrument thoughtfully demonstrated. I like the low reverberation in the church because it makes it easier to hear on a video. You are a talented and thoughtful young man. Long may you prosper.
What a beautiful ancient church. Your playing on this wonderful old instrument is both sensitive and refined. Love the editing as well. Keep up your excellent work. Thanks, and greetings from the Hudson Valley. Cheers!
When you played with the tremulant 'on', I couldn't tell if it was on or not. I guess I'm used to playing theater(cinema) pipe organ where the tremulant is very heavy. The 'vibrato' really stands out in a theater organ 🙂 BTW - I've played silent film accompaniment where all the different sounds to the film are performed by the organist. From sobbing tibias to an auto horn, the range of sounds, and fun, is wonderful 🙂
I agree. I had organist tell me once that one never used the tremulant. He followed it up with … everyone knows that. Interesting. Then why do so many organs have a tremulant stop? I think some folks need something to show snobbery. In this instance… people who like a tremulant effect. Or carnival music.
LOL! Of course you had to dust off that Lefebure-Wely piece of carnival tripe to demonstrate the full-organ tremulant. Perfect. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration.
An interesting video series, especially for an organist like myself, who's grown up with the Silbermann traditions of the German Lutheran church, who settled in Britain a long time ago, and found English village organs in general totally unsuited for Baroque music, with all its flute sounds and no Mixture stop in sight. The ending was a bit too thickly laid on, and then playing the quintessential English composer, Debussy. Ah, English irony!!!
I disagree about the tremulant, it is merely our ears today that relate it to “fairground” music. I’m sure that it gives great uplift in many hymns and played its part back in Victorian society
Bravo - or mebe Bravissimo! A lot of work must have gone into this video - for which many thanks. I leasrnt a lot from your playing and discussion. Now to get some bums on seats and feet on the pedalboard....
Merci pour ces vidéos pleines d’amour et de poésie. Je découvre une Angleterre riche d’un patrimoine immense servie par un jeune organiste talentueux et enthousiaste. Bravo (en tant qu’étranger j’apprécie particulièrement l’excellente diction )
Great video, church and organ. Looking for an great organ where the organist is not hidden? Come to the St Antonius church in Dordrecht Netherlands 🇳🇱 😊
Lovely church, lovely organ, and lovingly shared. Thanks Ben. If it's not too much to ask, I would love to hear a little more of each stop and of you playing. Perhaps a little longer on the demonstration as you move through it. Otherwise, I've very much enjoying this series.
Now that was awesome on so many levels. The history, the setting, the gorgeous sound, and seeing you playing the pedals with sneakers! (and the Nike socks 😏). How seriously cool is that! I always wonder what attendance is like on a typical Sunday in these ancient churches, and the age mix. Britain's role in the establishment and spread of Christianity cannot be overstressed, and id hate to see it fade out.
Perhaps the biggest problem (other than lack of congregation) is lack of organists to play such machines. Many churches simply don't have an organist or competent pianist in their congregation. And when there's not enough money coming in the collection to sustain the building it's hard to justify repairing an organ that you haven't got anyone to play it.
Many are not open every Sunday. Services alternate around the area. Mostly older people. Ironically it’s often the countries we colonised and converted who are the most church going now it seems to me.
@@nicolad8822 I concur with this. In my area of rural Kent we have 5 parish churches in our group and the main Sunday service alternates round the five so mostly each church only gets a service once a month. The congregations average about 30 to 40 people per service, and they do mostly seem to consist of the older generation; I'm 61 and I'm probably one of the younger members of the congregation.
Unfortunately it's seems to be the C of E that's driving many people away. I attended a service in Salisbury Cathedral a couple of years back and it was political on every level. Nothing for the spiritual uplifting of the people actually attending, just endless lecturing about "the third world" and how somehow it's all our fault. Then Covid, of all the times for the Church to step up and lead, give comfort where it was needed, they were at the forefront of shutting everything down. I mean in a building that can easily seat a couple of thousand people, they couldn't hold any services at all? In an area where the rate of infection was amongst the lowest in the country. Now this Christmas they have an art exhibition celebrating refugees. You know the fit, young men invading the UK in small boats after crossing numerous safe countries and who come from countries where there are no wars. These churches have survived all these years but I seriously doubt they can survive the current leadership. Partly because the current leadership despises the people and the country.
Many thanks Ben for the Video, Love the old country churches and the Pipe organs, You are talented in more ways then one, keep up the good work. All the best....
Lovely all ‘round! I’d love to hear the entire Bach Suite for Unaccompanied ‘Cello on that ‘cello-like Open Diapason!!! Please make an entire video with that stop featured largely as a solo stop!!
This video was such a pleasure in many ways. Thank you. As someone who lives across the Atlantic and who has walked on trails in almost every corner of North America and on 5 other continents, I have to agree that the English countryside has a unique beauty.
Yet another wonderful and excellent video which you always do so well. Another beautiful church and countryside. A wonderful insight into the church itself and the unusual position of the organ. Very enjoyable. Thank you Ben!
Thanks for another brilliant video. The ratchet swell did appear to have a half-open notch. Nice to hear the Widor taken a sensible pace! I would love to hear you play the Toccata by Gigout in a future video 😊
Very charming organ visually and tonally. But there's a few clues that say it's not quite 200 years old. Pneumatic stop action with machine engraved stop tabulature with pitch indications (pitch would have been assumed) C compass manuals instead of manuals that extended down to G or F, overhanging manual keyboards rather than square stepped keyboards and a pedalboard of more than 1 octave. I'd venture to guess this organ was built between 1870 and 1900.
Ben Maton, Than you for sharing this video of these antique organs with us here on TH-cam! I really enjoyed it! Please record and share more of you organ talent! Thanks! Your fan, Dan
The Christmas Album is here! 🎄Download at benmaton-thesalisburyorganist.myshopify.com/products/the-little-christmas-album
As an American it’s very hard to wrap my head around the fact that attending services at a church that was built in the 1200’s would even be possible. Just incredible. You do a wonderful job showing these beautiful churches and their organs. Glad to have discovered your work kind man.
I so love that you show the roads leading to these churches, surroundings and INSIDE all of these churches. your videos are such a treat!
And with our thanks to the ladies of the parish for the lovely floral arrangements.
Praise Almighty God for the skills and talents He has given you. Enjoy them as we enjoy listening to you.
One of the many things that I especially love about your videos is that in addition to being a highly proficient musician, you are as well a poet and inspiring historian. I am so thankful to have discovered your wonderful channel !!
Love your enthousiasm...and love following you and discovering real gems hidden in your gorgeous English countryside!
Thoroughly delightful how you present the background and history of these churches and organs. You might smile once in a while and not be so deadpan.
Gorgeous little organ and even Widor’s toccata was nice. Your touch is what makes some of these old girls sing so beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing your talent. ❤
You are a true artist in every sense. Thank you.
I loved the Tremulant and the ‘fairground’ improv 🤭
Thanks! You are so talented beyond your mastery of music! Your videos are such rich compositions.
"It can" (Widor). True, but the organist can also.
"As beautiful as the hills and valleys of England", so true, indeed.
I am into mechanical music so of course that tremulant stop is a great sound to my ears! What a wonderful organ this is. A hidden gem in a small village church!
Another excellent road trip to display the small parish churches of England. Unbelievable how ancient this church is. Writing, filming, and demonstrating the pipe sounds are superbly executed by the staff of ONE! Rubber boots most appropriated for walking the marshes. No loafers today!
Hi Ben, I watch one of your beautiful videos every Sunday morning while I drink my coffee before heading off to my Catholic Sunday Mass. They soothe my soul. We have a beautiful old pipe organ at my church and I am going to ask my pastor for its history. You have inspired me! And don't worry about looking too serious, it shows that you take your profession seriously!
You are so serious in this video and without any smiles. Ben, I cannot express how much pleasure your fantastic, sensitively beautiful playing brings to me and many others! Thank you for sharing your exquisite talent along with your sharp attention to enthralling historic details of chuches in England.
I’m on a little journey watching your older videos. This is so wonderful. I miss those English hills so much. I could’ve listened to the whole piece you played at the end. I can’t remember the name of it right now. The internet is such a weird place because your videos make me feel like we’re friends. Thanks Ben 🫶🏼
Thank you again Ben for another excellent village church and organ tour.
Your personable, calm, intelligent and insightful video narration and style
makes us feel like we are right there with you. Very refreshing.
How much I agree with that as it was such a comprehensive presentation. I just wish he would smile more as it seemed like the whole video was depressing for him. I kept wanting to say "oh cheer up a bit mate"
On England's green and pleasant land seeing the visionary landscape and believing the church music a wonder to all.
As a bellringer I immediately noticed that unusually, much like the organist, the bellringers are placed in full view of the congregation, at the crossing, rather than hidden away up the tower. Awkward to sneak out if you want to ring and not stay to the service !
😂 I play keyboards at small church. I know exactly what you mean!! I told minister’s daughter I was jealous of her kids who could fidget, and just lay down on or underneath the pew during the surface.
I agree, but I do quite like chancel rings though!
Have you played the De Montfort Hall organ in Leicester? It's a fine example of a Taylor organ.
Thank you for showing us this significant church and its thankfully preserved organ.
I love an old ham and a drama queen 😃 Your use of the Purcell Queen Mary funeral music to vamp up the pathos while reading the inscription on the woman's grave was masterful! I have subscribed!👍
Thanks for clarifying whether the tongue was fully in cheek. I was a little unsure myself.
I hope I can visit England one day and see some wonderful old churches.
Beautiful instrument thoughtfully demonstrated. I like the low reverberation in the church because it makes it easier to hear on a video. You are a talented and thoughtful young man. Long may you prosper.
What a beautiful ancient church. Your playing on this wonderful old instrument is both sensitive and refined. Love the editing as well. Keep up your excellent work. Thanks, and greetings from the Hudson Valley. Cheers!
When you played with the tremulant 'on', I couldn't tell if it was on or not. I guess I'm used to playing theater(cinema) pipe organ where the tremulant is very heavy. The 'vibrato' really stands out in a theater organ 🙂 BTW - I've played silent film accompaniment where all the different sounds to the film are performed by the organist. From sobbing tibias to an auto horn, the range of sounds, and fun, is wonderful 🙂
I agree. I had organist tell me once that one never used the tremulant. He followed it up with … everyone knows that. Interesting. Then why do so many organs have a tremulant stop? I think some folks need something to show snobbery. In this instance… people who like a tremulant effect. Or carnival music.
"Not only can they hear the wrong notes, they can see them as well." Funny because it's true.
When the beauty of the English countryside was mentioned I was waiting for Elgar.
My goodness, that was more like a poem than a documentary ...
What a great video, Ben. Bach, Debussy and Widor all from one incredibly versatile instrument...love you setting in context of the landscape too.
What a lovely interlude Ben. A beautiful intro to the superb little organ and the stunning scenery. Loved the Claire d’lune. Thank you
LOL! Of course you had to dust off that Lefebure-Wely piece of carnival tripe to demonstrate the full-organ tremulant. Perfect. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration.
An interesting video series, especially for an organist like myself, who's grown up with the Silbermann traditions of the German Lutheran church, who settled in Britain a long time ago, and found English village organs in general totally unsuited for Baroque music, with all its flute sounds and no Mixture stop in sight. The ending was a bit too thickly laid on, and then playing the quintessential English composer, Debussy. Ah, English irony!!!
Your videos make me proud to be a young organist!
Wer würde glauben, solch eine herrliche Orgel stünde in diesem Kirchleins normannischen Stils!
Nicht ich!
I disagree about the tremulant, it is merely our ears today that relate it to “fairground” music. I’m sure that it gives great uplift in many hymns and played its part back in Victorian society
Bravo - or mebe Bravissimo!
A lot of work must have gone into this video - for which many thanks. I leasrnt a lot from your playing and discussion.
Now to get some bums on seats and feet on the pedalboard....
Enthusiasm. Love. and just beautiful....... What more can anyone ask for?
Merci pour ces vidéos pleines d’amour et de poésie.
Je découvre une Angleterre riche d’un patrimoine immense servie par un jeune organiste talentueux et enthousiaste.
Bravo (en tant qu’étranger j’apprécie particulièrement l’excellente diction )
Thank you for this loving visit to this beautiful church and its fine organ
Your CD has arrived in North Carolina USA THANKS!
Wow……what a magnificent organ. Excellent for such a small instrument.
A great presentation of this organ, which we remodelled some years ago.
You play so beautifully with so much expression!!
Great video, church and organ. Looking for an great organ where the organist is not hidden? Come to the St Antonius church in Dordrecht Netherlands 🇳🇱 😊
as organ videos come, yours are among the most versatile and informative...do you do the outside filming and the cutting yourself?
Yes 😄 Everything- filming, photos, outdoor walks, background music and editing are all done and performed by me! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Ben, you make some very nice videos, and this is one of them. But I would like to see you smile more.
I actually sat and watched this - amazing thanks
Loved the "warm, rich cello sound"! Bach Cello Suite No. 1. Especially enjoyed your slower tempo!
Such a lovely warm sound!
Lovely church, lovely organ, and lovingly shared. Thanks Ben.
If it's not too much to ask, I would love to hear a little more of each stop and of you playing. Perhaps a little longer on the demonstration as you move through it.
Otherwise, I've very much enjoying this series.
Now that was awesome on so many levels. The history, the setting, the gorgeous sound, and seeing you playing the pedals with sneakers! (and the Nike socks 😏). How seriously cool is that!
I always wonder what attendance is like on a typical Sunday in these ancient churches, and the age mix. Britain's role in the establishment and spread of Christianity cannot be overstressed, and id hate to see it fade out.
Perhaps the biggest problem (other than lack of congregation) is lack of organists to play such machines. Many churches simply don't have an organist or competent pianist in their congregation. And when there's not enough money coming in the collection to sustain the building it's hard to justify repairing an organ that you haven't got anyone to play it.
Many are not open every Sunday. Services alternate around the area. Mostly older people. Ironically it’s often the countries we colonised and converted who are the most church going now it seems to me.
@@nicolad8822 I concur with this. In my area of rural Kent we have 5 parish churches in our group and the main Sunday service alternates round the five so mostly each church only gets a service once a month. The congregations average about 30 to 40 people per service, and they do mostly seem to consist of the older generation; I'm 61 and I'm probably one of the younger members of the congregation.
Unfortunately it's seems to be the C of E that's driving many people away.
I attended a service in Salisbury Cathedral a couple of years back and it was political on every level. Nothing for the spiritual uplifting of the people actually attending, just endless lecturing about "the third world" and how somehow it's all our fault.
Then Covid, of all the times for the Church to step up and lead, give comfort where it was needed, they were at the forefront of shutting everything down.
I mean in a building that can easily seat a couple of thousand people, they couldn't hold any services at all? In an area where the rate of infection was amongst the lowest in the country.
Now this Christmas they have an art exhibition celebrating refugees. You know the fit, young men invading the UK in small boats after crossing numerous safe countries and who come from countries where there are no wars.
These churches have survived all these years but I seriously doubt they can survive the current leadership. Partly because the current leadership despises the people and the country.
I really enjoyed your very serious face whilst playing fairground music. It made me chuckle after a not-so-good day. Wonderful episode. Thank you.
The ratchet swell actually has a mid-point step that you bypassed.
Oh dear !
What a nice thing to wake up to.
The organ sounds wonderfull, but the organist is really Tallented and a real pleasure to listen to !!!!!!
Many thanks Ben for the Video, Love the old country churches and the Pipe organs, You are talented in more ways then one, keep up the good work. All the best....
Lovely all ‘round! I’d love to hear the entire Bach Suite for Unaccompanied ‘Cello on that ‘cello-like Open Diapason!!! Please make an entire video with that stop featured largely as a solo stop!!
That 8' Diapason just rings in that gorgeous room!
This video was such a pleasure in many ways. Thank you. As someone who lives across the Atlantic and who has walked on trails in almost every corner of North America and on 5 other continents, I have to agree that the English countryside has a unique beauty.
It might be nice to know more about the organ, the builder and the date it was installed.
He did say it was a 200-year-old Bishop and Sons, so there you go 🙃
A little smile. Lad. Doesn’t take much.
Yet another wonderful and excellent video which you always do so well. Another beautiful church and countryside. A wonderful insight into the church itself and the unusual position of the organ. Very enjoyable. Thank you Ben!
Just come across this video, fabulous!
Edgar's Chanson de Matin would be a treat on that organ
Thanks for another brilliant video. The ratchet swell did appear to have a half-open notch. Nice to hear the Widor taken a sensible pace! I would love to hear you play the Toccata by Gigout in a future video 😊
Very charming organ visually and tonally. But there's a few clues that say it's not quite 200 years old. Pneumatic stop action with machine engraved stop tabulature with pitch indications (pitch would have been assumed) C compass manuals instead of manuals that extended down to G or F, overhanging manual keyboards rather than square stepped keyboards and a pedalboard of more than 1 octave. I'd venture to guess this organ was built between 1870 and 1900.
Very interesting video that is nicely shot and edited.
Andrew Sheard
(Coronation Street Camera Operator)
Simply beautiful. Well done Ben for bringing it into life.
God bless you for the uplifting moments.
A wonderful video of Ben excellent description of the church and organ playing I'm a organist myself it's really nice to hear a fellow organist
Ben Maton,
Than you for sharing this video of these antique organs with us here on TH-cam! I really enjoyed it! Please record and share more of you organ talent! Thanks!
Your fan,
Dan
Beautiful natural looking flowers too
Brilliant. All encouragement!
BLESSED!
I just love this!
Brilliant, thank you Ben, once again!
Another nice organ! Thanks!
Gorgeous sounding instrument in fine condition!
Weidors finale…. My favorite piece ever!
Very nice. Thank you.
thank you Ben. that was fascinating.
Thanks Ben, that was great as ever
Cool organ Ben. Great video. Nice playing.
Oh my so lovely playing
Thanks!
You love those Stan Smiths. So do I.
Just awesome and beautiful 😊.
I could listen for hours ! Thank you so much
Great video, subscribed.
Thanks again Ben
Loved listening to you on this thankfully maintained organ
What a beautiful video 📹 thanks so much 🙏
Beautiful sound for a small organ & a lovely interior of a village church.
Thank you for these videos.
Classically voiced organs do tend to sound like fair organs when they are on trem - more often than not, the tremulants are woeful.
Love hearing/enjoying such Talent 👌
Love you Ben. Thank you for such joy!
Ben - thank you. Amazing video. You're also very amazing!