John Robinson

Hear hear. Also those two brothers, you know, the one who plays the organ and the other one who jumps up and down and interrupts the interesting bits! No names of course.

I have just begun watching Paul Fey playing the organ (?one of the organs) at St Peter's Basilica in Rome. It can be found on You Tube. The organ can be heard clearly above the quite loud noise of attendees chatting, and lasts for just over 3 1/2 minutes!

This is very interesting. Reverberation times between 7.5 and 3.5 seconds are, I think, perfectly reasonable for organ music, and I really can't see why (if the interest were to be there) an organ of some appropriate size and sound couldn't be included. As mentioned, a concert (presumably not including an organ) was regarded as successful, and this would suggest that a suitable organ could be installed and made use of in the right circumstances. Of course, I accept that organ recitals seem not to be regarded as essential or perhaps not even wanted! Of course, that is the decision of the authorities there.

Interesting. Thanks. This raises another interesting question. I wonder just how big a building, any building, needs to be before an impressive reverberation of organ music descends into 'reverberant mush'?

No offence. I'm simply attempting to be sarcastic!

Thank you for the advice and criticism. I shall be sure to delete St Peter's in Rome from my organ recital list!

Speaking out of turn, perhaps, but I'd like to think that a (real) organ could be built to fill the space within that church without any need of electronic amplification. If such a single, loud organ in one position, perhaps at the 'west' end (which of course is actually at the 'east' end!) proves insufficient, other installations in appropriate locations about the building - transepts?, chancel?, etc. - could, I am sure, do the job. Cost shouldn't be any problem, as the RC church is swimming in money!

Rowland. Thank you for clarifying the situation. The text I quoted does state that the new (digital) organ "replaced" the previous pipe organ. However, I assume then that the pipe organ is still there and still usable. In any event, I have also read that the pipe organ is not completely adequate for use in such a large building and consequently the electronic organ has been installed, perhaps to add to the available power when the building is full. Whether the two organs can be used together I have no idea, but the impression I get from what I have read (admittedly I have never heard the organ(s) myself) is that neither of the two can 'fill the space' in that building. I suppose that one option is to import one of those enormous beasts from America. After all, they are particularly good (apparently) at creating the biggest and loudest output! Perhaps the best option then is, as you mention, a brass ensemble.

I Googled this: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome currently features a digital organ donated by the Allen Organ Company. This new organ replaced the Basilica's previous pipe organ, which was deemed unsatisfactory, and was first used for Mass on Christmas Eve in 2017. While a monumental pipe organ designed by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was never built, the Allen digital organ was installed to meet the Basilica's acoustic needs and the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. It appears that there was a pipe organ which was regarded as 'unsatisfactory'. Whether or not it still exists II am unsure. I'm sure however that a 'real' organ would sound superior to an electronic substitute if heard 'live'. As for hearing the organ, when listening 'over the air', I cannot be sure whether any organ is electronic or 'real with pipes', as the sounds heard are inevitably from a loudspeaker or earphones!

A dying subject? Not if you watch the many online programmes, in which those by Jonathan Scott are prevalent at the moment. Not quite as good as live performances, of course, but with a reasonably good sound system they are very interesting.

Why?

Of course. You were in a difficult situation and I'm sure most people would have simply gone ahead. All the same, a person like that doesn't deserve your services, though whether you go back again to help him out is your decision alone.

If the same person is in office, I should politely decline your services.

A well known and respected gentleman and his company. He did, at least, have a good innings.

Nil desperandum. There will always be opportunities in time, hopefully.