As the number of people who love organ classics is gradually falling, it is transcriptions of modern classic like this that will keep up audiences and thus the maintenance of the instrument. I wish there were more organists that played these. Thanks Josh.
I will never understand how a human can play 8 keyboards at once with 2 hands and 2 feet and still read sheet music. 🤪🤯 truly astounding the talent required
You can only play two of the keyboards at one time...each keyboard has its own unique sounds, but all keyboards can be coupled together meaning you can play them all at the same time...organ music only ever has 3 lines....pedal and two keyboard lines.
@@noeljay14 get where you are coming from but a good Organist can actually play 4 Manuals and the pedal board at the same time - Read Harold Gleason’s 1937 publication ‘Method of Organ Playing’ for more information - do not confuse this with Coupling (Where by different manuals [and thus the voicing/timbre] can be connected). Multiple manuals, particularly on Theatre Organs were set up for a wider range of voicing and were played un coupled.
@@lo2740you're right. They can do more. But they will always one thing they cant reproduce. An organic sound. A PC+Keybord produce sounds we recognice as music. But an organ (this organ isnt a church organ by the way, more like a theatre organ the intonation is quite different) sings. An organ has a very special character of its own. No organ sounds ghe same as the other, every instrument has its own quirks and little flaws witch make them an work of art on their own. Every Organ is almost like a new friend. You cant just sit down and play, you need to gdt a feeling for it. Everytime i sit down on an organ bench i greet the instrument. Pull out some stops and work my way up to tutti slowly to learn where each register is placed, which keys start the windflow at which point (even though there shouldn't be a big difference) and how each register is tuned and how it sounds in this specific room and instrument. Its just a very organic feeling to play at a real (almost living) instrument, then on somethin dead like a midi keyboard. Both things have their place in the moder world. But I will allways choose my organ over any keyboard out there. Little note: most of the organs i habe played here in germany are still fully mechanic instruments with wooden tractures/actions that open the pipes for the windflow. There are also electrical and pneumatic organs that work totaly dofferent to mechanical ones and i've never played such an instrument. So i just talked about mechanical organs.
This is absolutely stunning. As others have said, the ability to play with all four limbs on multiple keyboards while simultaneously reading sheet music is just amazing.
reading sheet music when trained is not much different than reading a book, you don't even think about it (i only read treble clef lol). playing two keyboards is not hard either. i think the trick is the foot pedals. wayyyy out of my league !!
@@8546Ken depends on the instrument you are playing, sight reading is reasonably easy on an organ or piano, but I don't know about other instruments. It is more the fear of when you are first starting out - e.g. as an organist - that you will make a mistake, and then you start to make mistakes, even if you have learned a piece and practised it a lot
Or a big enough building. It mustn't be forgotten that you're not actually seeing the instrument. Only the "control centre". The actual pipe system will be gargantuan with at least six subdivisions.
@@blabluppo9044 shut. show me a video of you playing Bohemian Rhapsody on the largest pipe organ in the world as good as this guy does then i will end my disagreement
@@blabluppo9044 It's because of the tone delay. Because of the pressurized air needed to make any tones, there will be a 1-2 beat delay for some pipes. He did exceptional for such a rhythmic song on an instrument which makes it so difficult to do so.
OK this is impossible … I’m an organ/piano player. I was born and live in Stafford, UK and my name is Josh. I came on YT to find an organ performance of Bohemian Rhapsody and I find Josh Stafford playing exactly that on the organ. 😮 Talk about a coincidence.
I have no words to describe how beautiful this sounds. Goosebumps from beginning to end. I would love to have been in the room to hear the full sound of this. I am a massive fan of a pipe organ and it amazes me how easy some people make playing one look.
Wow - this takes me back to the Isle of Man - UK back in the early 1970's - we were backpacking and stopped to take a break and heard an organ similar to this being played - was captivated back then - and still capivated now with the sound of these beautiful instruments - and the skills of the organists that play them. Thank you for sharing - and for bringing back a wonderful memory!!
Gotta be the single hardest instrument to learn ever. All 4 limbs, all 10 fingers, moving all at their own pace to different positions in quick succession. Eyes on the music and the keys, each level a different sound, each sound a different pitch to memorize the sheet music of. This man is a wizard.
I would say keyboards are easier to master. when you press a key you get the desired note. No special technique, pressure, embrasure, or any other manual skills. I have played keyboads for years, but a string, wind, percussion? Never able to manage that. But I can claw away a keyboards and do a passable job.
...How does one even begin to learn how to play an instrument like this? So many keys, so many buttons, peddles, and switches. It's more like you're at the controls of a spaceship rather than a giant musical instrument! Incredible!
Well it's not as hard as it looks. All of the keyboards are set up the same way, meaning the octaves are identical. So, technically, if you've mastered one keyboard, all you're doing is switching keyboards. All those tabs on the left are the 'stops' which you turn on and off to change the sound of the organ. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! 😉
@@catwoman2329 I have the coordination of a low flying brick. Anything requiring simultaneous but different motions in the hands is pretty much impossible. Both hand and both feet? At least FailArmy gets a nice video of me falling of the chair. Major respect to anyone who can even pull it off- it's way harder than it looks.
@@catwoman2329the hands,..working the foot pedals and the hands looks hard to me,...the keyboards maybe too diferent from a keyboard, except you don't have the pedals to free the fingers on the organ
I've been waiting since I'm ten years old to finally hear this instrument brought to a major percentage of repair!! Playing Bohemian Rhapsody? Freddie Mercury would probably be amazed at the sound of his or Queen's work!! 455 Ranks, 150 tons of organ? In Atlantic City New Jersey of course!
@@generalackbar245 It's been in the works for ages. Good to see it is kinda working now, I believe it is still small by working pipes alone. The biggest (operating fully) organ in NJ (at least) is at Ocean Grove. Saw that one live, free concerts Wednesdays and Sundays in the summer.
@@grandson_0623 Right now it's at about 18,800 working pipes out of a total of 33,113. Going by the number of working pipes, it's the fourth largest organ in the world right now.
Nothing sounds more heavenly than the world's largest instrument. The Organ. If you can play it on a electronic keyboard, then you can play it on the organ. The organist playing is awesome. Bravo for playing Queen.
Totally captivating, dramatic, operatic and as camp as row of tents. I only wish Freddy could have seen it. He would have loved every bit of that performance. Bravo, bellissimo
Chills!! Absolutely amazing. I had the pleasure of hearing this beautiful instrument play the National Anthem this past weekend and it vibrated the court of the MAAC tournament. Was such a cool thing to hear/see/feel. Go tour this magnificent beast if you're in AC!
I think it's equipped with a gong, but it's one typical with theatre organs. So not a full-sized gong. But agreed! It would be awesome if it was equipped with one.
Wow! Seven registers plus full foot pedals! I once got the chance to play the five register organ at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. What an instrument!
It‘s practically 9 keyboards since the lowest ones have „second touch“; you can play different registers if you press hard enough once your fingers play a key. The pedal has this also, that makes it 11 „keyboards“ in total. I got the chance to play this organ last week. Amazing!
The lower manuals on this instrument have a much larger compass than the usual 5 octaves, which helps account for how many more pipes the instrument has than the number of stops would suggest.
@@michaelweickenmeier6597 Hold up, it can play from a different register of you just hit it harder? Like this thing wasn't insane enough.. Awesome tidbit of info, thank you!
That pretty melody, along with his Stevie Wonder-like head swinging, totally put me into a trance…. (And this is not a put-down, it’s a sincere compliment!)
Wow!!! What an AWESOME machine, instrument, creation, work of art. The amount of work building this, + the maintenance of cleaning all those pipes keeping them clear of dust... Super cool!
I will never understand how some organists can slap a couple of diapasons on a manual or two and run an entire selection with them. Not so here - he uses FIVE of the seven manuals to get a ton of tonal variations, even using three manuals simultaneously a couple of times. Kudos to Mr. Stafford for his imaginative genius in taking advantage of the tremendous flexibility this organ offers (and of course to the restoration team - without their long hours of work many of the stops he's using wouldn't be operational).
I absolutely love pipe organs when they get all epic-sounding. Beethoven's Toccata and Fugue in D is the most perfect classical piece. Just amazing. Good job on this classic rock song!
If they could of only imagined the music that would be played on this organ... If they could of imagined the music yet to be played on this wonderful instrument.... How lucky we are that this instrument was saved and is being restored.... This piece was played magnificently.... what a charming piece....
The instrument was constructed approximately 1930 in Atlantic City, New Jersey USA. I imagine if they _had_ somehow known that a flamboyantly gay guy's music would be played and listened to by well over 2 million people across the globe, they probably would have burned the damned thing down out of spite.
Thankyou for this beautiful song played on an amazing pipe organ. Qudos to such a young masterful player too. Queen, and Freddie in spirit, would be wrapped to hear this.
I have done gigs with keyboard players who have very nice master controller keyboards onstage with 3-way splits. and all the newest collections of sounds, but those guys weren't dancing on foot controllers at the same time, the way the organist does here. Much respect, my man. Those shoes have to be custom made. They're a trip to look at, but so functional at their intended job.
Exactly. Stan Rusk got it immediately: the Cuban heels aren't fashion accessories. The pedal bars are close together and Mr. Stafford must often use one foot to operate multiple pedal bars. I have noticed some other theatre organists wear similar shoes with tapered Cuban heels; it's obviously in the interest of precision footwork. I'm just speechless with admiration for anyone who has the brain-eye-ear-coordination, musicality and dexterity to play an instrument like a theatre organ, let alone to transcribe a rock 'classic' as brilliantly as this. I wonder how Mr. Stafford's new arrangement will sound on the Boardwalk Midmer Losh, when this instrument is restored to 100% capacity (remember, the it's still playable at only just over 50% of its original capacity)......
@@1966Hillman It's for a fast change between pedals, you play with shoe tips and heels, and the foot position would be crazy, to do this with sneakers. So they all use high heels, most offen more tippy shoes. Nobody has this "brain-eye-ear" coordination. The brain is to slow for this. It's like typewriting blindfolded, fingers know what to do without thinking. You also don't look at it, just on the central keyboard or your notes. And the ear comes to late anyway. The ear can only proof you have done right, after it happened. It's all like you don't have to think on , how to form your mouth to get special sounds, how to speak a word, you just do it, it's not brainwork, it's training.
@@Elgarman I'm trying to figure out what expletive to use against you, you nasty person. It's not my fault if my fingers and my brain aren't at their optimum best after a few pints. I'm too old to be subjected to such rigid scrutiny. :-) PS. Let me rephrase my original comment. "This world needs more pipe organs and less grammer police". Cheers mate. :-)
@@jabirujoe5206 It's not nasty at all - it's enlightening. I don't even know you, so why would I want to hurt you? I think that good writing is important, and I hope you do too. It's to do with a love of language. (This world needs more pipe organs, and fewer grammar police.)
Now that is something I would've liked to experience firsthand. That was amazing! Well done. I would love to play an organ as big as that, but I think I will stick with the 4-manual I have at my local church
Thank God the organ has a full time maintenance staff. In this dept store ..I shop in this brand store because they take pride in this organ..ty for the video.. the reeds and strings are awesome ..here..wow.......
You're thinking of the Wanamaker Organ at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia, PA. This is the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ.
I concur with the previous writer. The organist's talent is incredible. For every key must be a pipe, fantastic instrument. I enjoyed watching, listening, thank you.
There are more pipes than keys. Different sets of pipes have different sounds. The switches (stops) at the sides determine which sets of pipes are activated by which keys. The more stops you pull the more sets of pipes are played by each key. All stops out uses all the pipe sets.
@@robertfletcher11: Dear Robert F: I enjoy organ music from the deep classics, church, progressive rock, like a la YES, ELP, Genesis, etc: However, I think that organs like this are overkill in the modern era. ----------------- One can take MIDI boxes, and computer software, layer them up, and create similar sounds.
You can certainly mimic the sound with a bunch of MIDI boxes, but there is no set of speakers that can produce the acoustics of a pipe organ of this size.
@@terryclifton1517especially the big boy 64' registers. It's got four registers voiced on 100 inches of wind pressure and another ten on 50 inches of pressure.
Amazing instrument, but Josh Stafford is a Superman and genius to master it so beautifully, thank you so much for this concert, it will be registered in my tablet but also in my mind forever.
An outstanding performance of an incredible arrangement of a timeless classic made all the more impressive by the fact that it's being played on a goddamn spaceship. Bravo!
Just imagine having the ability to play any tune you liked on an amazing music machine, like the massive instrument in this video, a fantastic experience.
I love it so much. I am touched by the way he plays this song that sound very inspiring those who have the talent on clasic music. Great job & well done bro 💯💯💯💯🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
What an amazing machine that was cool a guy could spend a lifetime getting to know a machine like that. Bravo.🙌👏🙌👏🙌👏🙌 Love light and laughter from here to everafter 🤠
Interesting how it is broken down to its simple form as apposed to its grand form on such a apparatus well done !!. FYI---Apparatus was used in the past as Healing device.
🤯🤯🤯 Wow! Love when modern classics are played on “old world” instruments! Have to say though that my favourite pipe organ piece is still Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - that is extremely hard to beat!
I still believe an organist is a master musician. Not just the operation of the organ itself but, the understanding of each instrument the organ can play.
It is a true talent, While I consider myself an organist instead of Pianist, I am not at the level that many others are at. I know the basics and have go to settings, but to know exactly what settings to use at any point in time is still a learning point for me.
Just wow... when two hands just isn't enough. I cant imagine what it must feel like to literally play an entire orchestrate with your hands and feet. Incredible job Mr. Stafford, well done.
Oh wow what a performance. This instrument is truly on the return. Subscribe and watch the updates on this restoration of this fine organ. It's amazing to hear it play and such an iconic piece of music too. I salute the work you are doing to get this famous instrument back to full voice.
Amazing and beautiful. So much talent! Would have loved to see the area below the organ and experience the sound at that spot. Thank you so much for this post.
That was cool. My dad played the organ. Something I never learned. I just wish I could have been there to feel the “might” of the world’s largest pipe organ.
Dear @Garret Lewis , Still it is possible to get pretty close to "feel the 'might' of the world's largest pipe organ" in you own room ! Though I have to tell you: it will be kinda expensive.. You'll need to get a "high end" stereo set with ewal good loudspeakers - and (this really is essential !!) a high grade "active sub base speaker" (note: that is definitely NOT the same as a "sub woofer" aka "boombox", used in cars !) My sub base speaker is a "R.E.L. Q150E" and it is perfectly suited for a not-so-very-large room. (In fact it's in my sleeping room. In the living room I got an even bigger stereo set and a bigger "R.E.L." sub base speaker. Yes, I'm an eclectic music lover e.g. compositions by Mr. J. S. Bach). Mind you: it is extremely important you try to find the right place to put your sub base speaker - in fact the acoustic properties of a room are a big part of the "sound equation". After you found this "sweet spot" take care to adjust your sub base correctly, meaning: not TOO freaking loud ! The sounds of your two stereo speakers and the deep sound of the sub base should "blend in" to be one (formidable) sound reproducing system. I hope you manage getting all this equipment - and get all the wires, adjustments right - and then you may enjoy the awesome might of huge pipe organs, yes: in your own room ! Btw. you may need an experienced friend or else get professional help, if you're no technician. Because it is certainly not easy to assemble a high end stereo set correctly - e.g. using very good (not too long !) cables are also really important. But if it all works the way it's supposed to - you'll have an awesome sound reproduction system, that will give you many years of sheer musical enjoyment ! Blessed Be. ❤😊😊❤
If I piece together every last ounce of any talent I have, or think I have, in anything whatsoever, it pales into insignificance in comparison with this man's talent!
I like how, when building this organ, instead of making it bigger by adding more and more notes, since it already goes beyond our hearing, I suppose, they just added tons of different sounds. It must be a blast to play this thing using so many timbres.
At first I thought the keys behind the score where reflections until I realized there are even more keys. The pipe organ really is a fantastic instrument.
As the number of people who love organ classics is gradually falling, it is transcriptions of modern classic like this that will keep up audiences and thus the maintenance of the instrument. I wish there were more organists that played these. Thanks Josh.
My organ teacher believed organs weren’t just for “marryin’ and buryin’”. I learned many fun songs from her!
@@RockinR07 is
There are plenty. Everything from video game themes yo star wars to this and back. Organ music is in good hands. They're champions don't ya know ;)
0
@@joshschneider9766 Speaking of VGM, you probably mean something like this, don't you? th-cam.com/video/LOBPzFUqQR8/w-d-xo.html
I had the pleasure of meeting Josh in person. He gave me 2 organ lessons for free and is the most talented organist I have ever worked with!
you just got a free pass with my organ
I’m gonna be possessed if you didn’t keep up the organ lessons after tho
I gave one of my organ to him, im now lacking my other kidney
Aye yooo... pause.
Organ selling is illegal
I will never understand how a human can play 8 keyboards at once with 2 hands and 2 feet and still read sheet music. 🤪🤯 truly astounding the talent required
Nor will I ever. It would be like reading 8 lines in a book simultaneously. Super-humans, I suppose.
@@MrKeys57 7 Manuals and 1 Pedalboard.
@@MrKeys57 there’s the four directly on front, then there’s three more you can see through the... music... holder, uh, thing
You can only play two of the keyboards at one time...each keyboard has its own unique sounds, but all keyboards can be coupled together meaning you can play them all at the same time...organ music only ever has 3 lines....pedal and two keyboard lines.
@@noeljay14 get where you are coming from but a good Organist can actually play 4 Manuals and the pedal board at the same time - Read Harold Gleason’s 1937 publication ‘Method of Organ Playing’ for more information - do not confuse this with Coupling (Where by different manuals [and thus the voicing/timbre] can be connected).
Multiple manuals, particularly on Theatre Organs were set up for a wider range of voicing and were played un coupled.
"You can do anything with my music, darling. Just don't make it boring." - Freddie Mercury.
@@st0rmrider you've got zero taste and i declare you dead in my world
@@lo2740 Organs are made for live performance. Try to get the volume and sound with a PC speaker. You need something much, much larger.
I think Freddie would approve of this. I find it incredibly interesting on a historic organ!
@@jenx5870Everyone has their opinion, that's right, so my opinion is thinking that people who find this boring have shit taste.
@@lo2740you're right. They can do more. But they will always one thing they cant reproduce. An organic sound. A PC+Keybord produce sounds we recognice as music. But an organ (this organ isnt a church organ by the way, more like a theatre organ the intonation is quite different) sings. An organ has a very special character of its own. No organ sounds ghe same as the other, every instrument has its own quirks and little flaws witch make them an work of art on their own. Every Organ is almost like a new friend. You cant just sit down and play, you need to gdt a feeling for it. Everytime i sit down on an organ bench i greet the instrument. Pull out some stops and work my way up to tutti slowly to learn where each register is placed, which keys start the windflow at which point (even though there shouldn't be a big difference) and how each register is tuned and how it sounds in this specific room and instrument.
Its just a very organic feeling to play at a real (almost living) instrument, then on somethin dead like a midi keyboard. Both things have their place in the moder world. But I will allways choose my organ over any keyboard out there.
Little note: most of the organs i habe played here in germany are still fully mechanic instruments with wooden tractures/actions that open the pipes for the windflow. There are also electrical and pneumatic organs that work totaly dofferent to mechanical ones and i've never played such an instrument. So i just talked about mechanical organs.
This is absolutely stunning. As others have said, the ability to play with all four limbs on multiple keyboards while simultaneously reading sheet music is just amazing.
reading sheet music when trained is not much different than reading a book, you don't even think about it (i only read treble clef lol). playing two keyboards is not hard either. i think the trick is the foot pedals. wayyyy out of my league !!
Which is more amazing - sight-reading complex music, or playing an entire repertoire from memory?
@@8546Ken depends on the instrument you are playing, sight reading is reasonably easy on an organ or piano, but I don't know about other instruments. It is more the fear of when you are first starting out - e.g. as an organist - that you will make a mistake, and then you start to make mistakes, even if you have learned a piece and practised it a lot
Are you sure it was only 4? 😆
Two keyboards with one hand simultaneously!!! The entire performance was stunning 🥰
@@secretagent86 but where's his page turner?
at a party- “play us a song”
this guy- “i’d play bohemian rhapsody but you don’t have enough keyboards”
Nice comment💬 👍
And Time :D
@@barnabascsenki513 That's the best comment yet lol
"play us a song, you're the organ man,
who gives us our fun for free"
Or a big enough building. It mustn't be forgotten that you're not actually seeing the instrument. Only the "control centre". The actual pipe system will be gargantuan with at least six subdivisions.
Well...
Technically - brilliant.
Musically - astonishing.
Emotionally - God bless Freddie an his piano...
Well, the timing is also not the best …
@@blabluppo9044 shut.
show me a video of you playing Bohemian Rhapsody on the largest pipe organ in the world as good as this guy does then i will end my disagreement
W TEMP
@@blabluppo9044 It's because of the tone delay. Because of the pressurized air needed to make any tones, there will be a 1-2 beat delay for some pipes. He did exceptional for such a rhythmic song on an instrument which makes it so difficult to do so.
@@blabluppo9044 it’s not supposed to be because the sound goes through the whole building. It’s slowed slightly on purpose.
OK this is impossible … I’m an organ/piano player. I was born and live in Stafford, UK and my name is Josh. I came on YT to find an organ performance of Bohemian Rhapsody and I find Josh Stafford playing exactly that on the organ. 😮
Talk about a coincidence.
Josh, you need to quit drinking.
@@lawrenceking192 You are so right.
That was great. I think Freddie would have liked hearing that.
Well... I think Freddie would've yelled vulgar obscenities and smashed his guitar over the guys head.
I don't think he would have liked someone assuming what he would like or not like. Oh wait....
Is it just me or did the organist at 4:40 have an orgasm? Cause I did.
@@ralphday4842you mean Brian May’s Guitar?
I have no words to describe how beautiful this sounds. Goosebumps from beginning to end. I would love to have been in the room to hear the full sound of this. I am a massive fan of a pipe organ and it amazes me how easy some people make playing one look.
What an overwhelming console to sit at! He looks like he's operating the g.d. Death Star.
I am sure a certain combination of switches will activate the laser beam to destroy a planet.
@@tamas7555 lucky it’s a secret
I recall the Death Star laser controls being simpler than this...
Sure but can you play bohemian rhapsody on a deathstar?
Deathstar has only one ringtone, the imperial march 😂
Freddy would be very proud to hear your great rendition. Thank you from this old, retired organ technician....
Wow - this takes me back to the Isle of Man - UK back in the early 1970's - we were backpacking and stopped to take a break and heard an organ similar to this being played - was captivated back then - and still capivated now with the sound of these beautiful instruments - and the skills of the organists that play them. Thank you for sharing - and for bringing back a wonderful memory!!
Gotta be the single hardest instrument to learn ever. All 4 limbs, all 10 fingers, moving all at their own pace to different positions in quick succession. Eyes on the music and the keys, each level a different sound, each sound a different pitch to memorize the sheet music of. This man is a wizard.
I would say keyboards are easier to master. when you press a key you get the desired note. No special technique, pressure, embrasure, or any other manual skills. I have played keyboads for years, but a string, wind, percussion? Never able to manage that. But I can claw away a keyboards and do a passable job.
Absolutely brilliant performance! Kudos to Joshua for learning such a difficult instrument and a dying artform! Great Job!
La armonía llevada con la diversidad de tonos y perfiles de sonido hacen lograr una elevación por la magistral interpretación del organista
...How does one even begin to learn how to play an instrument like this? So many keys, so many buttons, peddles, and switches. It's more like you're at the controls of a spaceship rather than a giant musical instrument! Incredible!
Well it's not as hard as it looks. All of the keyboards are set up the same way, meaning the octaves are identical. So, technically, if you've mastered one keyboard, all you're doing is switching keyboards.
All those tabs on the left are the 'stops' which you turn on and off to change the sound of the organ.
Easy peasy lemon squeezie! 😉
@@catwoman2329 I have the coordination of a low flying brick. Anything requiring simultaneous but different motions in the hands is pretty much impossible. Both hand and both feet? At least FailArmy gets a nice video of me falling of the chair.
Major respect to anyone who can even pull it off- it's way harder than it looks.
@@phoephoe795 don't be a victim of circumstance
It's really just like one giant piano with extra steps.
@@catwoman2329the hands,..working the foot pedals and the hands looks hard to me,...the keyboards maybe too diferent from a keyboard, except you don't have the pedals to free the fingers on the organ
I've been waiting since I'm ten years old to finally hear this instrument brought to a major percentage of repair!! Playing Bohemian Rhapsody? Freddie Mercury would probably be amazed at the sound of his or Queen's work!! 455 Ranks, 150 tons of organ? In Atlantic City New Jersey of course!
And... how old are you now ? :lol:
i.e : how many years have you been waiting for this organ to (yet partially, but still enough) be reborn ?
@@generalackbar245 It's been in the works for ages. Good to see it is kinda working now, I believe it is still small by working pipes alone. The biggest (operating fully) organ in NJ (at least) is at Ocean Grove. Saw that one live, free concerts Wednesdays and Sundays in the summer.
Impressive as hail yasss!!
@@grandson_0623 Right now it's at about 18,800 working pipes out of a total of 33,113. Going by the number of working pipes, it's the fourth largest organ in the world right now.
@@KingdaToro which is the first?
You had me at Bohemian Rhapsody AND the largest pipe organ in the world. . PROPS to the organist!!! ❤🤘🤘🤘👏👏👏
What a fantastic arrangement. To play this on this unique, historic instrument must be an awesome experience.
What an astonishing instrument - a real feat of engineering and artistry!
👍
Good one, Pete.
Hurrah! What a wonderful performance! Dear organist! I wish you all the best to perform well in more and more pieces like this.
Nothing sounds more heavenly than the world's largest instrument. The Organ. If you can play it on a electronic keyboard, then you can play it on the organ. The organist playing is awesome. Bravo for playing Queen.
This was so hauntingly beautiful!! Freddie would be absolutely delighted in hearing this I'm certain
absolutely
this is the coolest most beautiful arangement of this song I have ever heard and I HAVE NOTHING BUT COMPLIMENTS TO GIVE THIS MAN...Well Done!!!!!!!
Totally captivating, dramatic, operatic and as camp as row of tents. I only wish Freddy could have seen it. He would have loved every bit of that performance. Bravo, bellissimo
Chills!! Absolutely amazing. I had the pleasure of hearing this beautiful instrument play the National Anthem this past weekend and it vibrated the court of the MAAC tournament. Was such a cool thing to hear/see/feel. Go tour this magnificent beast if you're in AC!
That was probably the most fun that organs ever had. Too bad there wasn't a gong setting for the ending though, lol
I think it's equipped with a gong, but it's one typical with theatre organs. So not a full-sized gong. But agreed! It would be awesome if it was equipped with one.
That was so cool, and well done! Thank you!
Gorgeously, beautifully done. SO respectful to the original and what an instrument!
I have never seen anything like this, I know nothing of it, but this guy is a musical Superhero of some incredible kind! Awesome! Thank you!🌟
Wow! Seven registers plus full foot pedals! I once got the chance to play the five register organ at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. What an instrument!
It has 7 manuals or keyboards and each of them has many registers...
@@ebvpwilfried3570 in fact more than 1300 registers.-
It‘s practically 9 keyboards since the lowest ones have „second touch“; you can play different registers if you press hard enough once your fingers play a key. The pedal has this also, that makes it 11 „keyboards“ in total. I got the chance to play this organ last week. Amazing!
The lower manuals on this instrument have a much larger compass than the usual 5 octaves, which helps account for how many more pipes the instrument has than the number of stops would suggest.
@@michaelweickenmeier6597 Hold up, it can play from a different register of you just hit it harder? Like this thing wasn't insane enough.. Awesome tidbit of info, thank you!
That was truly spectacular. I hope this young lad continues playing through his life.
I actually work with him currently, he is the organist and music director at Chautauqua Institution!
Wow excellent playing! My grandpa was an organ builder I wish he still would live to hear this.
That pretty melody, along with his Stevie Wonder-like head swinging, totally put me into a trance…. (And this is not a put-down, it’s a sincere compliment!)
My only thought is to maybe add a piano on one of the manuals for one or two parts…. But so good and creative! Played with emotion and dynamic.
Bravo, Josh!! An incredible performance of an iconic piece on a stunningly beautiful instrument. Made my day.
Absolutely BRILLIANT! Brilliant playing of a Brilliant arrangement on an incredible instrument! VERY WELL DONE!
Wow!!! What an AWESOME machine, instrument, creation, work of art. The amount of work building this, + the maintenance of cleaning all those pipes keeping them clear of dust... Super cool!
I will never understand how some organists can slap a couple of diapasons on a manual or two and run an entire selection with them. Not so here - he uses FIVE of the seven manuals to get a ton of tonal variations, even using three manuals simultaneously a couple of times. Kudos to Mr. Stafford for his imaginative genius in taking advantage of the tremendous flexibility this organ offers (and of course to the restoration team - without their long hours of work many of the stops he's using wouldn't be operational).
So beautiful and perfect! I wonder if Freddy ever heard this. He’d be so proud!
Organs are truly the King Of Instruments! ❤ This is a beautiful rendition of the song made by a very talented fellow!
I absolutely love pipe organs when they get all epic-sounding. Beethoven's Toccata and Fugue in D is the most perfect classical piece. Just amazing.
Good job on this classic rock song!
Is Bach... Toccata and Fugue...
@@gabrielabagala yes, Bach. I mistyped. I listen to tons of classical...
That is the most amazing song
It's a blessing to hear this master of that enormous machine
Mr. Stanford, you make this arrangement appear as if were originally composed for organ & then later arranged for rock & roll. Impressive sir!
Fantastic, amazing!! Never thought of it played on a pipe organ. Almost better than a Gregorian Chant. Loved it, even the sheet music.
If they could of only imagined the music that would be played on this organ... If they could of imagined the music yet to be played on this wonderful instrument.... How lucky we are that this instrument was saved and is being restored.... This piece was played magnificently.... what a charming piece....
Could've*
@@anti_honey or "could have"
If only they could’ve imagined the space travel that would be possible with this as a control console on all faster than light vessels.
@@kishascape um, i'm just curious, do you listen to twenty one pilots?
The instrument was constructed approximately 1930 in Atlantic City, New Jersey USA. I imagine if they _had_ somehow known that a flamboyantly gay guy's music would be played and listened to by well over 2 million people across the globe, they probably would have burned the damned thing down out of spite.
Freddie would be so proud of how many people are covering his music, in so many styles.
Thankyou for this beautiful song played on an amazing pipe organ. Qudos to such a young masterful player too. Queen, and Freddie in spirit, would be wrapped to hear this.
I have done gigs with keyboard players who have very nice master controller keyboards onstage with 3-way splits. and all the newest collections of sounds, but those guys weren't dancing on foot controllers at the same time, the way the organist does here. Much respect, my man. Those shoes have to be custom made. They're a trip to look at, but so functional at their intended job.
Wonderful! Great registration choices. Glad to see that the console appears to be fully functioning since our visit a couple of years ago.
I have heard Bohemian Rhapsody in so many different ways and this is the most beautiful one I have eve heard, hands down. Thanks!
I love the specially designed “ good witch of the west “ shoes and Socks. Nicely done. Thank you.
See 4.44/6.56🗣🕊
Exactly. Stan Rusk got it immediately: the Cuban heels aren't fashion accessories. The pedal bars are close together and Mr. Stafford must often use one foot to operate multiple pedal bars. I have noticed some other theatre organists wear similar shoes with tapered Cuban heels; it's obviously in the interest of precision footwork. I'm just speechless with admiration for anyone who has the brain-eye-ear-coordination, musicality and dexterity to play an instrument like a theatre organ, let alone to transcribe a rock 'classic' as brilliantly as this. I wonder how Mr. Stafford's new arrangement will sound on the Boardwalk Midmer Losh, when this instrument is restored to 100% capacity (remember, the it's still playable at only just over 50% of its original capacity)......
@@1966Hillman It's for a fast change between pedals, you play with shoe tips and heels, and the foot position would be crazy, to do this with sneakers. So they all use high heels, most offen more tippy shoes. Nobody has this "brain-eye-ear" coordination. The brain is to slow for this. It's like typewriting blindfolded, fingers know what to do without thinking. You also don't look at it, just on the central keyboard or your notes. And the ear comes to late anyway. The ear can only proof you have done right, after it happened. It's all like you don't have to think on , how to form your mouth to get special sounds, how to speak a word, you just do it, it's not brainwork, it's training.
These are standard equipment for organists -- they facilitate pedal technique immensely.
I think Freddie would have loved this. Your music lives on forever
This world needs pipe organs not algorithm's.
Nor rogue apostrophes!!!! : - )
@@Elgarman Drats. Nabbed by the grammer police again.
@@jabirujoe5206 Grammar. 😁
@@Elgarman I'm trying to figure out what expletive to use against you, you nasty person. It's not my fault if my fingers and my brain aren't at their optimum best after a few pints. I'm too old to be subjected to such rigid scrutiny. :-) PS. Let me rephrase my original comment. "This world needs more pipe organs and less grammer police". Cheers mate. :-)
@@jabirujoe5206 It's not nasty at all - it's enlightening. I don't even know you, so why would I want to hurt you? I think that good writing is important, and I hope you do too. It's to do with a love of language. (This world needs more pipe organs, and fewer grammar police.)
Been a fan of queen since day 1. His rendition of this absolute rock classic is phenomenal. Thank you, man, for sharing your talent.
Now that is something I would've liked to experience firsthand. That was amazing! Well done. I would love to play an organ as big as that, but I think I will stick with the 4-manual I have at my local church
Amazing, I didn't even know if this organ was still in a playable condition, so so glad to hear it is! And it's fantastic!
Thank God the organ has a full time maintenance staff. In this dept store ..I shop in this brand store because they take pride in this organ..ty for the video.. the reeds and strings are awesome ..here..wow.......
You're thinking of the Wanamaker Organ at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia, PA. This is the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ.
I think it's likely this song will join the ranks of legitimate classics
Why I'm just now seeing this is beyond me as I love this type of content. Phenomenal playing. Just outstanding!
I concur with the previous writer. The organist's talent is incredible.
For every key must be a pipe, fantastic instrument.
I enjoyed watching, listening, thank you.
There are more pipes than keys. Different sets of pipes have different sounds. The switches (stops) at the sides determine which sets of pipes are activated by which keys. The more stops you pull the more sets of pipes are played by each key. All stops out uses all the pipe sets.
@@robertfletcher11: Dear Robert F: I enjoy organ music from the deep classics, church, progressive rock, like a la YES, ELP, Genesis, etc: However, I think that organs like this are overkill in the modern era. ----------------- One can take MIDI boxes, and computer software, layer them up, and create similar sounds.
You can certainly mimic the sound with a bunch of MIDI boxes, but there is no set of speakers that can produce the acoustics of a pipe organ of this size.
@@terryclifton1517especially the big boy 64' registers. It's got four registers voiced on 100 inches of wind pressure and another ten on 50 inches of pressure.
@@eddyvideostarYes also used real pipe organs (Close to The Edge, Going For The One, etc)
Amazing instrument, but Josh Stafford is a Superman and genius to master it so beautifully, thank you so much for this concert, it will be registered in my tablet but also in my mind forever.
Dear F. Lavigne: I hope the bread is good.
WOW, that is simply amazing, you can almost hear the words. So well done.
Wow.... goosebumps all over my body. Beautifull played!!!
An outstanding performance of an incredible arrangement of a timeless classic made all the more impressive by the fact that it's being played on a goddamn spaceship. Bravo!
That sounds amazing! He played it flawlessly too. I can only imagine how much better it sounds in person.
Just imagine having the ability to play any tune you liked on an amazing music machine, like the massive instrument in this video, a fantastic experience.
I love it so much. I am touched by the way he plays this song that sound very inspiring those who have the talent on clasic music. Great job & well done bro 💯💯💯💯🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
OMG......................much love...................
I firmly believe that only an absolute madman could even comprehend such an instrument, let alone master it.
What an amazing machine that was cool a guy could spend a lifetime getting to know a machine like that. Bravo.🙌👏🙌👏🙌👏🙌 Love light and laughter from here to everafter 🤠
14 stories of pipes..... Phenomenal!!!
Interesting how it is broken down to its simple form as apposed to its grand form on such a apparatus well done !!.
FYI---Apparatus was used in the past as
Healing device.
🤯🤯🤯 Wow! Love when modern classics are played on “old world” instruments! Have to say though that my favourite pipe organ piece is still Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - that is extremely hard to beat!
I Lived in AC most of my life, and I heard this organ played many times. It is amazing to hear.
Especially when Bohemian Rhapsody is coming out of the pipes
I listened twice! And I’ll watch it again tomorrow. Crazy beautiful!
Such smooth transitions between instruments
I’ve watched this several times and love it more and more each time. I love the auto-sheet music!
Absolutely amazing! Freddie is smiling!
This is one of the most amazing things ive ever seen in my life!!!
I still believe an organist is a master musician. Not just the operation of the organ itself but, the understanding of each instrument the organ can play.
It is a true talent, While I consider myself an organist instead of Pianist, I am not at the level that many others are at. I know the basics and have go to settings, but to know exactly what settings to use at any point in time is still a learning point for me.
Just wow... when two hands just isn't enough. I cant imagine what it must feel like to literally play an entire orchestrate with your hands and feet. Incredible job Mr. Stafford, well done.
Oh wow what a performance. This instrument is truly on the return. Subscribe and watch the updates on this restoration of this fine organ. It's amazing to hear it play and such an iconic piece of music too. I salute the work you are doing to get this famous instrument back to full voice.
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing skill. That was the most incredible rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody I have ever heard. Wow! Fred
Amazing and beautiful. So much talent! Would have loved to see the area below the organ and experience the sound at that spot. Thank you so much for this post.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful performance 🤗 Greatings from Sweden 🇸🇪
I can’t be the only one who was singing along with him! Where are all my fellow die hard Queen fans??
Beautiful …Beautiful so talented.
😱😱😱🌹🌹🌹🌹😱😱😱
I'm only 28, but that was the most incredible bit of musical talent I've ever seen! Love an organ!
Wow. Fantastic. Congratulations. Best regards from Poland 🙂
This video makes me feel that at a human level we are all able to accomplish great feats of expression and mastery
To EEe Man: I hope that we can master making good bread from this.
EXTRAORDINARY, sonic splendor! The registrations chosen create a most wonderful, tonal variety; played with virtuoso artistry. KUDOS!
That was cool. My dad played the organ. Something I never learned. I just wish I could have been there to feel the “might” of the world’s largest pipe organ.
Dear @Garret Lewis ,
Still it is possible to get pretty close to "feel the 'might' of the world's largest pipe organ" in you own room !
Though I have to tell you: it will be kinda expensive.. You'll need to get a "high end" stereo set with ewal good loudspeakers - and (this really is essential !!) a high grade "active sub base speaker" (note: that is definitely NOT the same as a "sub woofer" aka "boombox", used in cars !) My sub base speaker is a "R.E.L. Q150E" and it is perfectly suited for a not-so-very-large room. (In fact it's in my sleeping room. In the living room I got an even bigger stereo set and a bigger "R.E.L." sub base speaker. Yes, I'm an eclectic music lover e.g. compositions by Mr. J. S. Bach).
Mind you: it is extremely important you try to find the right place to put your sub base speaker - in fact the acoustic properties of a room are a big part of the "sound equation".
After you found this "sweet spot" take care to adjust your sub base correctly, meaning: not TOO freaking loud ! The sounds of your two stereo speakers and the deep sound of the sub base should "blend in" to be one (formidable) sound reproducing system.
I hope you manage getting all this equipment - and get all the wires, adjustments right - and then you may enjoy the awesome might of huge pipe organs, yes: in your own room !
Btw. you may need an experienced friend or else get professional help, if you're no technician.
Because it is certainly not easy to assemble a high end stereo set correctly - e.g. using very good (not too long !) cables are also really important. But if it all works the way it's supposed to - you'll have an awesome sound reproduction system, that will give you many years of sheer musical enjoyment !
Blessed Be.
❤😊😊❤
If I piece together every last ounce of any talent I have, or think I have, in anything whatsoever, it pales into insignificance in comparison with this man's talent!
I like how, when building this organ, instead of making it bigger by adding more and more notes, since it already goes beyond our hearing, I suppose, they just added tons of different sounds. It must be a blast to play this thing using so many timbres.
The "notes" are actually the air feeding though the pipes via the keyboards.
How stunning it would be to hear that in person as this mighty instrument rattles your ribs with the sheer impact of this performance!
Wow. That took so much coordination and skill. Bravo
That was mind blowing! What a wonderful interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie would be impressed.
At first I thought the keys behind the score where reflections until I realized there are even more keys. The pipe organ really is a fantastic instrument.
You play that work of art so beautifully and that’s what I call pipe organs a work of art because the magic melodic line that waves so beautiful
Would be awsome played along with the band. I would pay to hear that.
I was hanging out for the hard rock but and was not disappointed. Loved the pedal trill!