COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE ORGANISTS' ASSOCIATION
For the majority of the standard repertoire a minimum requirement is:
A Two Manual 56 Note instrument with a 30 note Pedal board and if possible a 'balanced' Swell Pedal.
'PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT' - as with any instrument, careful and regular practice will develop skills and ability.
SIT UP STRAIGHT
Align yourself and adjust stool position so that you can comfortably touch Pedal TOP F/G with your RIGHT TOE and BOTTOM C with your LEFT TOE
Practice & play new pieces SLOWLY to start with. (Some recommend NO FASTER THAN QUARTER SPEED to get notation secure)
Mark and correct mistakes as you practice.
Adopt a fingering plan which allows LEGATO playing ('TREACLE FINGERS') - unless score marks Staccato or detached.
Study and learn all the STOP and COUPLER positions on the instrument - so that these can be changed quickly & accurately
Useful hints and tips on 'The Reluctant Organist Site' - HERE . Also from R. Godfrey 'Lyme Regis Organ School Site' -HERE
A new EXCELLENT resource with some very good illustrations & three COMPREHENSIVE pages from'Organists Online' H E R E
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Royal College Of Organists (RCO) & The iRCO Virtual Campus:
There is a very good introductory film and reading list which can be accessed FREE if you register for a VIRTUAL CAMPUS 'Guest Account' - H E R E -. Once registered and set up with your recognised Email and Password, you can LOG ON. Go to https://i.rco.org.uk/an-introduction-to-the-pipe-organ-with-andrew-cantrill/ or use the search box on their site for Andrew Cantrill. Many more very good resources are available but as Guest Account holder they are nearly all behind a paywall - typically £3.00 to £9.00 each!! RCO MEMBERSHIP GIVES ALL THESE COMPLETELY FREE, £53 pa Student member [MUST be in FULL TIME EDUCATION] or £102 pa Normal Member.
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A comprehensive well organised web links site for all aspects of Pipe Organ knowledge
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Ideas and lots of information for beginners, especially Pianists and Keyboard players
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American Guild of Organists 30 Video resource LESSONS FOR THE NEW ORGANIST HERE
Another FREE American resource 'Quick Tips for the beginning Organist' :
FREE & low cost- Organ Tutors:
'The Organ' by Walter.G. Alcock - (1913, 134 P), DOWNLOAD LINK HERE (Out of copyright - FREE)
'The Organ' by Sir John Stainer - (1877, 104 P), DOWNLOAD LINK HERE (Out of copyright - FREE)
Other mostly modern in print Organ Tutor Books - SUPPLIER LINKS:
Range of possible ORGAN TUTOR BOOKS from Animus - H E R E
Link Page for range of ORGAN TUTOR BOOKS, progressive pieces and Graded J.S. Bach - RSCM Music Direct - H E R E
(It may be worth looking on Amazon & Ebay they may have good second hand copies at reduced prices.)
LINKS TO Leading Organ Music Publishers & NEW Organ Music Suppliers UK
Church Organ World (Recently taken over ALL organ music supplies from 'Allegro' which closed in Feb 2019)
LINKS TO Second Hand Organ Music Suppliers UK - etc
Used Organ Music. (Dedicated Second Hand site)
Second Hand Organ Music (Animus)
CWOA Have a significant quantity of used Organ & other books, music from the 'Kenneth Heatley Music Bequest'. CWOA have recently elected a Librarian member - Mrs Gillian Potts, who is also on the Steering Committee.
All the music we have is available to FREE to CWOA members, for full listing & details please see the Library Page link below:
Good Informative Videos
Royal Hospital School Suffolk - Demonstration and outline with musical Duet examples
Willis Pipe Organ Stony Stratford - overview and how all the parts work
How an Organ makes music - Duke University, includes a demonstration of action. Reed Pipe and Tuning
How does a Pipe Organ work - A Classic FM film with Anna Lapwood
Action Diagrams (Download Links) from CWOA 'Organs for Pianists' event March 2018
Available Practice Instruments
RUGBY:
St Peter & St John's
Clifton Rd, CV21 3QP
3 Manual Bevington/Forster & Andrews
Detached Console - Tab Stops, Choir unenclosed
Detailed 7pp Leaflet with Photos (pdf) H E R E