by
Reiss

I could always take or leave organ music. Oh, I know lots of people love it. Friends have organs in their homes. Others travel far and wide to hear old theater organs that have become symbols of a time gone by. I guess my indifference stems from years of singing in choirs. As a very young child, the good sisters decided I should sing in the Boys Choir in our school and church. I did, forever......until my voice “changed” and I could no longer do so. The organ was our accompaniment. It played occasional solos, processionals, recessionals and music to fill the time between our songs, hymns and responses to the prayers sung in Latin by the priest. It was nice, but, for me, it was for accompaniment, it was not the piano. Now, that’s an instrument! And so, over the years, I’d sit and play a tune or two on Mr. Knight’s console organ, the one he had to have but never really learned to play. This, for him, was the greatest gift and his wife was happy to hear a recognizable tune from that thing that dominated her living room. As soon as I had pleased them enough, I’d get up, walk away and not look back at it. I’ve even, over the years, gone, with friends, to organ concerts. “That was nice. Now, let’s go to dinner,” was my usual reaction.

When I saw the Organ whose pipes look like a box of Mc Donald’s French Fries in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, I was duly impressed with the drama, design and beauty of its placement in the hall. The organ is a perfect centerpiece for the interior of that beautiful building. Very good, I thought and, I suppose, it would be nice to, one day, hear it.

The final selection in last Sunday’s concert at The Disney, was Saint-Saens’ Symphony number 3, The Organ Symphony. The pre-concert speaker warned, those sitting close to the organ were in for a shake-up. Our seats, this season, are in the Terrace View section. My seat is level with and three seats away from the nearest pipes. We can, easily reach out and touch them. We braced for the “shake-up.”

The musically delicious first half of the concert over, we returned, after intermission, ready for the organ! Bring it on lady! Saint-Saens’ familiar music began. The orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit, took us on a beautiful, melodious ride. The organ, used like any other instrument in the orchestra played and fit in just as the cellos or the violas did. Nice!! We were aware that we were hearing the organ a bit more clearly than patrons out there in the “normal” seats of the hall. Indeed, when they heard the pretty notes, we heard some of the wheezing organs are apt to do. Not bad! In fact, fun.

The lady at the keyboard had other plans for us, though. Suddenly her moment was here. She let out the stops! That organ began to sing! It began to roar. It began to say... “you want more, here it is!” I, the guy who took organ music lightly, was lifted from my seat. I felt as well as heard the sounds that soared from that instrument. I was grinning then smiling and, eventually, brushing away the tear that wanted to fall from my eye! Wow! Now, this is organ music as it should be! Wondering if I were alone in my reaction, I glanced around at my friends and others sitting in the section. The reaction was universal.

When, thirty five minutes after the first notes of the symphony were offered, the organist reached deep into the soul of the organ and, with all the might and muster at its command, gave out a final chord that shook us to the core and left us wide-eyed and swept to never before experienced planes of enjoyment and amazement. Never underestimate the power of a big box of French Fries. Bravo!!!