The Organ Podcast
The Organ Podcast is a fortnightly show designed to inform and entertain organists and organ enthusiasts alike, including those who are simply curious and want to know more about this unique instrument and its music.
Episodes will feature interviews with leading UK and international organists, visit historic or little-known organs of interest, catch-up with organ rebuilds and restorations, and encounter a diverse mix of pipe organ related activities, news, discussions and initiatives from around the UK.
Presented by Mark O'Brien
Episodes
21 episodes
Episode 20 - Donald MacKenzie plays the 5 manual Compton at the Odeon Leicester Square - Gordon Stewart looks back on his 50 year career
Donald MacKenzie showcases the historic Compton organ at the Odeon cinema in London's Leicester Square. As one of Europe's leading theatre organists and accompanist of silent films, Donald demonstrates the art of film improvisation and brings t...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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55:22
Episode 19 - Completing Bach's Orgelbüchlein with William Whitehead & Rediscovering Victorian organs with Tom Bell
William Whitehead talks about his major international project aimed at completing Bach's Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book) - The Orgelbüchlein Project. With 118 missing chorale preludes, where only th...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:00:05
Episode 18 - The Organ Reform Movement - what was it all about? Ben Bloor reflects on the pros and cons of using social media to promote the organ and engage with audiences
William McVicker talks about the impact and legacy of one of the most significant revolutions in organ design - the Organ Reform Movement. Explaining the historical context out of which the movement grew (lead by German polymath and organist, A...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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49:03
Episode 17 - Liverpool Cathedral's new Echo division with Ian Tracey - St Paul's Cathedral's Organ Education Lead Jeremiah Stephenson on how to encourage children to engage with the organ
In this episode Ian Tracey, Organist of Liverpool Cathedral, demonstrates the newly installed Echo organ and showcases the extraordinary sounds and power of the UK's largest pipe organ. With a total of ten divisions, located in organ cases arou...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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59:06
Episode 16 - Manchester Cathedral’s Tickell Organ - New discoveries in Cesar Franck’s music
In this episode, Richard Brasier talks about some of the startling discoveries he made whilst researching for his new edition of the organ and harmonium works of Cesar Franck. He also plays an unpublished work by Franck for the first time. Afte...
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56:11
Episode 15 - A tour of Harrison & Harrison's workshop with Head Voicer Andy Scott - Katelyn Emerson talks about her concert career and musical approach to the organ
In this episode, Harrison & Harrison Head Voicer and Managing Director, Andy Scott, takes Mark O'Brien on a tour round the workshop in Durham to highlight the importance of apprenticeships in sustaining the skill and craft of organ building...
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1:00:47
Episode 14 - Music therapy and the pipe organ - The organ at the West London Synagogue
In this episode, Mark O'Brien visits the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, where the recent restoration of a 1938 Robert Spurden Rutt pipe organ has opened the door to the instrument being used for therapeutic purpos...
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45:27
Episode 13 - Pipe Organ Rescue with Martin Renshaw and Pipe-up - Katherine Dienes Williams on pressures facing cathedral organists
In this Episode, Mark O'Brien joins Martin Renshaw, from the organ charity, Pipe-up for Pipe Organs, as he and a team of volunteers remove an organ from a closed-down Baptist chapel in Hertfordshire. Mark also has a look around Martin's warehou...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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47:15
Episode 12 - BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong at King's College Cambridge - Gordon Stewart demonstrates the J J Binns organ at Rochdale Town Hall
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of a live broadcast of BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge. We hear from the programme's Producer and Sound Supervisor, as well as from the Director of Music ...
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52:39
Episode 11 - York Minster's Organ - RCO in State Schools - Wayne Marshall's Musical Life
In this episode, Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster, gives a tour of the sounds and colours of the organ at York Minster. Following the major restoration undertaken by Harrison & Harrison from 2018 - 2021, Robert explains why ...
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1:02:43
Episode 10 - Anna Lapwood - Abandoned Monastery Organ - Crisis in Scotland
In this episode, Mark O'Brien is joined by organ builder David Wood as they engage in some organ archaeology whilst exploring an abandoned organ in an old monastery chapel in Staffordshire.https...
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1:07:08
Episode 9 - The Wurlitzer at Blackpool Tower - Liverpool's St George's Hall Willis Organ - Discovering 17th Century Composer, John Lugge
In this episode Phil Kelsall, organist at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, showcases the world famous Wurlitzer organ - and his own world famous playing technique!https://www.philkelsall.co.uk/
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:08:14
Episode 8 - Richard McVeigh reflects on his YouTube success - William McVicker on the difficulties of organ advising - Anne Marsden Thomas looks back on her teaching career and challenges for women organists
In this episode, Hauptwerk genius and YouTube star, Richard McVeigh talks about the rise of his channel 'Beauty in Sound' as a platform to live-stream hymns to a global audience, as well as recording some of the UK's finest pipe organs and orga...
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1:00:43
Episode 7 - David Briggs on his role at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York, improvising and his transcriptions - Daniel Moult talks about the new organs for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
In this episode, Daniel Moult, Head of Organ at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, demonstrates how a series of new, historically inspired organs that he's commissioned, will transform the musicianship of his students, not just from an authent...
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43:36
Episode 6 - Liverpool Cathedral's new echo organ - Organic Metal and the pipe organ - Sir Andrew Parmley talks about his role as Chief Executive of the RCO
In this episode we visit the largest cathedral organ in the UK to follow the organ builders from David Wells as they begin installing a new echo division to the main organ at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. As one of the largest cathedrals in t...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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42:14
Episode 5 - Voicing the Guards' Chapel with Harrison & Harrison - Exploring the National Pipe Organ Register - Thomas Trotter talks repertoire and 40 years at Birmingham Town Hall
In this episode we get a first look at the new Harrison & Harrison organ at the Guards' Chapel in London. Harrison's Head Voicer, Andy Scott, talks about the Harrison & Harrison sound while he demonstrates voicing the organ.
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53:13
Episode 4 - Improvising at the movies with Darius Battiwalla - The challenge of rebuilding Sheffield Cathedral's Choir - Blind organist David Liddle
In this episode we hear Darius Battiwalla improvising to a 1920 silent horror film called 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Sitting at the console of the 1972 Hradetzky organ at the Royal northern College of Music, Darius demonstrates some of the mu...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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47:31
Episode 3 - Bristol Cathedral says 'Goodbye' to its Walker organ - Some extraordinary attitudes faced by women composers for the organ - Richard Gowers talks about his career
In this episode we join Mark Lee, Director of Music at Bristol Cathedral, as he gives a quick demonstration of some of the distinctive 'Romantic' sounds of the 1907 Walker organ - just before it gets taken away for a major restoration by Harris...
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51:24
Episode 2 - 1688 Smith Organ at Auckland Castle - Lost Bairstow score - Martin Baker talks about life after Westminster Cathedral
In this episode, Professor Magnus Williamson explores the sounds and history of the 1688 Smith organ in the private chapel at Aukland Castle, near Durham. Reflecting on the political and religious landscape of England during the 16th and 17th c...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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53:07
Episode 1 - Manchester Town Hall's Cavaillé-Coll - Tom Bell records Messiaen - Margaret Phillips talks about her life and collections of historic pipe organs
In this episode, we get a behind the scenes look at the start of the historic reconstruction of the 1877 Cavaille-Coll organ at Manchester's Town Hall with Andrew Caskie, Managing Director of Nicholson Organs.
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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48:12