h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: E Power Biggs versus Virgil Fox: Despatches from the Organ Wars - A87918286
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - U1590784

I enjoyed the book 'All the Stops' so much I just had to get something in the Guide about these two colourful characters of the organ-playing world.

Lots of Youtube links for those who want to listen.

By the way, I want somebody who's an expert on woodwinds to do us one on the heckelphone. Everybody on the Core Team wants a heckelphone, ever since I told them Robert Hope-Jones made an organ stop that imitated it. It's our new favourite instrument.

Sorry for the delay in reading this - got waylaid by the h2g2 problems, but I have read it now, and enjoyed it very much!

Footnote 1 is excellent - answered my question indeed!

Interesting Wirral connection, there Perhaps better to say something like "the Wirral in the UK" as Wirral and Cheshire are two separate counties. Reminds me of this http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=H00149 that I looked at when writing about Poulton Hall A87913876 on the Wirral

Ooo - an Isle of Wight connection, too - Bluebottle will be pleased

I like the sound of Virgil Fox - the Liberace of the pipe organ!

The Variations on My Country Tis of Thee are a bit challenging in places , but I like the flute-like tones in the middle and it is a good showcase of what the organ can do Bach's Toccata and Fugue is much more to my taste

Wow, the Lost Chord is a beautiful piece... Superb tones on the organ...

Ah - a duet between Virgil Fox and Liberace - perfect

The Heavy Organ is spectacular indeed

Wow - superb

Thanks for reading, Sasha. And for sorting me out about the Wirral. I wanted to include the information since we have so many related entries. The Isle of Wight, well, we couldn't let that pass.

We have to get FWR in on this - he's the one who started the joke about the 'Heavy Leslie' movement. When I read 'Heavy Organ', I almost fell off my chair.

These people were too rare to leave out of the Guide.

"When I read 'Heavy Organ', I almost fell off my chair."

I can imagine! I thought you knew about that already, hence Heavy Leslie! FWR will love this Entry indeed, what with the Wirral connection too

"These people were too rare to leave out of the Guide. "

I enjoyed reading about this organ-players'feud.

Unfortunately most of the You Tube clips won't work on our (antiquated by computer standards) desktop, with Firefox as a browser. I get the message 'Your browser does not currently recognise any of the video formats available.' The only one that works is Virgin Fox's Heavy Organ. I'll try them on our more recent laptop.

Ah, thanks for reading, and I hope the laptop gives you better luck!

OK, the YouTube clips work fine on my laptop and 'the Lost Chord' would be my favourite.

Do I dare ask what an Aeolian-Skinner organ is?

Mr Ernest M Skinner made organs. Strangely, he was born close to where I sit typing this, in 1866 - it was an accident. His parents happened to be giving a concert here. Which means there was a concert venue here once, but we're not sure where. There's a dearth of suitable venues here now, which is why I end up playing on slanted lawns, see next week's Post.

Skinner was a deeply weird man. I figured telling about him would take up way too much space. The pipe organ division of the Aeolian company merged with the Skinner company in 1932, to become Aeolian-Skinner. They made very good organs. This is boring information unless you're an organ aficionado, but I needed to say what kind of organ was being played, and it wasn't, for instance, a Flentrop. Aeolian-Skinner built a lot of famous organs in huge places - such as the Mormon Tabernacle.

I had heard of aeolian harps but couldn't imagine what an aeolian organ might be!

Maybe one in a wind tunnel?

Interesting how you can quarrel over organ music. Who would have thought? We all learned something new in this Entry I think.

Maybe I should write one about accordeons some day.

Oh, PLEASE do.

I'm afraid I got some other projects before I get to that, but it's certainly on my list.

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