1893 William Johnson & Son Organ - UU Meeting of South Berkshire

1893 William Johnson & Son Organ - UU Meeting of South Berkshire - Housatonic, Massachusetts

Рет қаралды 5,580

11 ай бұрын

Brent Johnson, Ryan Bartosiewicz, and Peter Sykes explore the 1893 organ of the Universalist Unitarian Meeting of South Berkshire in Housatonic, Massachusetts. This church was formerly Housatonic Congregational Church.
Specification of the Organ: pipeorgandatabase.org/organ/7257
Episode 197 of At the Organ featuring congregation members of the church: www.attheorgan.com/?p=1078
Universalist Unitarian Meeting of South Berkshire: www.uumsb.org/
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Пікірлер: 37

@ceciljb 9 ай бұрын

This was my father's church from 1959 to 1964. I loved that organ then and am so glad to learn it is still cherished. One early spring Sunday morning melting ice from the roof took out the electric power. My father asked if the manual pump still worked. A deacon put his weight to the handle and the organ played just fine.

@Pipe-organ-recordings 10 ай бұрын

A beautiful instrument i have visited many times. Great job guys!!!

@johnball3487 11 ай бұрын

Peter Sykes is certainly a great organist.

@unitarianuniversalistmeeti9564 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words and care for our organ! What a pleasure to hear Peter play and to learn more about it!

@earthlightsmusic2743 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for mentioning Steere: I grew up with one of those, similar stoplist to this instrument. This is a brighter Johnson than one I helped tune in 1969 which I am told was a transplant whose wind pressure was lowered so as not to overwhelm its new space, at a cost to its brilliance.

@organrick 11 ай бұрын

I heard that organ when I went to that church for a family member’s wedding in the 1980’s. I don’t think I had ever seen an organ up until that point where the keys would still go down even though you aren’t playing them on that particular manual.

@HenrikBergpianorganist 10 ай бұрын

Gorgeous Oboe stop!

@marianrose84 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much. I play the piano at this church. I don't play organ, but I love it, and I'm grateful we have it. I hope we can provide it with what it needs for perpetuity.

@paulh5293 11 ай бұрын

What an absolute gem of an instrument! That Great Open is fantastic, so full of character. It's always wonderful to hear an organ in exactly the same condition as it was built. To hear it as it was originally heard by the people who worked so hard to raise the money to build it is quite something. Especially when it's over 130 years old. As always, an impeccable demonstration. Thanks for posting.

@markaustin4370 10 ай бұрын

You would be shocked if you looked at a WAJ Diapason. Fairly low cut ups but HUGE truangular nicks What a great sound!

@marcvcivsnoveboracensis 11 ай бұрын

WHAT an expressive sound. Mendelssohn sounds brilliant.

@christopherjhoh 11 ай бұрын

Outstanding; thanks, Peter, Ryan, Brent, and UU Meeting!

@Yaledmot 11 ай бұрын

Magnificent instrument superbly demonstrated!

@markaustin4370 11 ай бұрын

Cool organ!!!! I restored a William A Johnson organ in Sacramento that's a fotal gem Lovely!!!

@erishi114 11 ай бұрын

The sister to that organ is located at Holyoke community college in Holyoke Massachusetts!

@natepultorakmusic928 11 ай бұрын

Love it! I hope to be able to play on a Johnson organ like that some day!

@richardouellette8785 11 ай бұрын

One of my favorite Johnson organs. Been there several times over the many years. Every stop counts and blends or augments with all the others. Thank you for recording this organ which should be better known. It is a wonderful instrument and very versatile. I have explored many of the Johnson organs around the country. This one is way up there in my estimate as far as the smaller instruments.

@ericalbany 11 ай бұрын

Have you visited the one in the Albany Masonic Temple? We wish it was in better condition but it makes quite a sound.

@richardouellette8785 11 ай бұрын

@ericalbany I have not seen or heard that one. I have probably been to over 50 percent of the extant Johnsons. None lately. The Berkshires and Connecticut are full of gems. I even went to National City California to see and hear one.

@ericalbany 11 ай бұрын

@@richardouellette8785 it is from , as I recall, 1873. Moved in 1898 and slightly altered. The building also has a nice 1898 Steere. Let me know if you ever wish to see them.

@richardouellette8785 11 ай бұрын

@@ericalbany thank you. I will keep that in mind when I visit that area again.

@ericalbany 11 ай бұрын

@@richardouellette8785 Eric Stott here.

@jmbarone4653 5 ай бұрын

Beautiful playing by Peter, excellent demo...but the big Bach excerpted near the end is in C-minor, BWV 546.

@gsten2116 11 ай бұрын

Wow this is an amazing instrument. Perfect.

@thomaswalters4365 11 ай бұрын

The Subbass being versatile such that it can be not overbearing in quiet passages, but also be strong under full organ. I'm reminded of the Knauff organ in St. Malachai's RCC in Philadelphia, where the Pedal 16' Open Diapason, the only pedal stop, has this same quality. I reckon it's not just in the voicing, but also where in the instrument it sits and in what direction the mouths are situated.

@Velostigmat 7 ай бұрын

The Victorian builders excelled at that. I think the "recipe" was to scale the Subbass/Bourdon big, arch the cutups, and wind it moderately.

@PastorShawn100 11 ай бұрын

The smallest existing Johnson is just up the road in West Stockbridge, but I am not sure if that organ is operating at this time as the blower went out recently. Wonderful little instrument of maybe 7 ranks?

@ryanbartosiewicz4587 10 ай бұрын

The blower died within the last year. After some primary discussions with the church no action has been taken to resolve this as the church has been dealing with some more pressing issues. We hope (Andover Organ Co) to be able to replace it in the near future. We restored the organ in the 60s and have been taking care of it since.

@BubaLabinski223 11 ай бұрын

No offense to the organist I can’t believe he plays a whole song for each stop he plays in The Organ is beautiful don’t get me wrong and the man is talented He also looks a little like Burl Ives I wonder if he’s going to play silver and gold for us.😂

@PointyTailofSatan 2 ай бұрын

Santa has gone bald!

@TheJakeman789 11 ай бұрын

Wow that thing is sad and pathetic! It has hardly anything on it, and the keys are falling apart! What a complete piece of crap!

@willjohnson534 11 ай бұрын

Well, I'm not sure if you understand how it can happen, but when things are 130 years old, they tend to show a little wear and tear. It's easy not to realize that, so I understand the ignorance. No worries. :) I'm sure it will be perfectly nice once they money is raised to restore it. You should contribute to make it look great!

@ianbrowne8871 11 ай бұрын

Perhaps sight is a disadvantage! What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve over - it is the sound that counts not the cosmetics. You have skilled restorers and they can return it to a pristine condition.

@Organdude 11 ай бұрын

This organ has more character than some organs two or three times it's size. A few missing ivories don't affect the sound!!

@ericalbany 11 ай бұрын

Only organs where you live fit in the pocket and are mouth blown

@ianbrowne8871 11 ай бұрын

Good to see that there are untouched treasures in the other Berkshire! This instrument is remarkably musical and economical in its specification - a tribute to its builder. It reminds me of a couple of instruments by the English maker T C Lewis in small village churches locally - down to the stop names and tones! I attach a link to the 1870 Lewis organ at Titchmarsh - it was restored in 2016. The two prepared for stops planned in 1870 were added in 2016!! www.harrisonorgans.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Titchmarsh-St-Marys-full-2021.pdf