Way Too Much Pipe Organ at Christmas

[MineralMan]

6. Thanks.

I was never an accomplished organist. I could play a little. On a trip to Germany in the 1980s, as an oboist in an orchestra that traveled with a choir, we had a stop in Bavaria. During some free time, I took a walk through a historic area in some city, the name of which I have forgotten.

Passing an old church, I hear organ music, so I ventured quietly in. The organist was practicing and nobody else was in the building. So, I took a seat and listened as the organist rehearsed. At one point, he noticed me there, and beckoned me up to the console. I explained that I was an amateur organist and was enjoying listening to him play. Most of the music was Bach. He told me something of the history of that organ, which was very old. He said that it had been played by Bach, himself, at one time in its history.

Then he asked if I would care to play. I had one Bach piece that I had learned and played many times. A Little Prelude and Fugue in C major that was really a teaching piece. So, I sat at that historical old organ and played the Prelude, after selecting a few classic stops on the organ. I played not well, but passably. I thanked the organist and left. It was a strangely moving experience, to sit at an organ where Bach had played and to play a piece of his music on it.