@@Ken_Weber_organist It is one of the best because of other grand organs such as St John Divine and Washington National Cathedral. But I would say the THEE BEST Unaltered EM Skinner Organs.
I don't know where you're hearing brilliance, but it certainly isn't in this organ. Mud, mud and more mud. Just different colours of mud. St John the Divine NYC is a MUCH better organ than this.
@@richardharrold9736 if by "mud" you refer to a balanced chorus with a sturdy fundamental and an appropriate amount of mutations and properly composed mixtures, then yes its muddy....in your opinion. The great diapason chorus St John the divine could be balanced, but you don't achieve that with 23 ranks of mixtures.....high pitched mixtures at that along with mutations in a chorus with one 16' and 2 8' diapasons. It's way, way too top heavy.
@@michaelbell8834 no. Listen to those 8fts, first. There is no harmonic development to them whatsoever, and they tail off in the treble. Then the 4ft is much the same but quieter. The 2ft and Mixtures might as well not be there for all the impact they have. St John the Divine is a well-balanced organ for the space it's in. Even in the 1920s, Skinner's peers despaired of his inability to produce a decent chorus. Willis III brought him to Westminster Cathedral, where the combination of double languid diapasons, bold trebles and a five-rank Great mixture produce a chorus of searing brilliance, but while Skinner was much impressed and changed his specifications to suit, he still didn't understand how to voice like that, which was why he hired GDH from Willis. The GDH organs have that Willis brightness to them which is so sorely lacking in EMS organs. The Girard organ has a good spec, but it requires complete revoicing to realise its potential. I suggest you also go and listen to the 1887 Willis at Truro Cathedral - it has incredible brilliance even though the whole organ has only six ranks of mixtures. That is because the brightness is voiced into every single pipe of every single rank. Every stop increases in power into the treble. The reeds are every bit the equal of any produced in America too. It's a 45-stop organ with more impact than any American hundred-ranker short of a few GDH jobs.
What's not to love? The organ is warm and enveloping without being dark or muddy. Great clarity and stunning balances. The Great Principal chorus blows me away. Truly one of EMSs mastrpieces if not the best. Up there with St. Luke's Evanston as my favorites
Thank you Brent and Dylan. I was hoping you were going to feature this magnificent E.M. Skinner organ when you mentioned you were in Philadelphia. Great work!
Not that common, for the simple reason that you can barely hear it... the whole chorus has the amount of brightness I'd expect just from an 8ft and 4ft. The rest of the flue choruses are just as dull.
John Compton built his choir manuals around Dulcianas 16, 8, 4, 2 2/3, 2, and Mixture. As has been said on here the dulcianas can be too quiet especially when the building is full of people.
@@tobysherring1369 Mr. Girard only stated in his will that "I enjoin and require that no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of any sect whatever shall ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever in the said college; nor shall any such person ever be admitted for any purpose, or as a visitor, within the premises appropriated to the purpose of the said college. In making this restriction, I do not mean to cast any reflection upon any sect or person whatsoever ; but, as there is such a multitude of sects, and such a diversity of opinion amongst them, I desire to keep the tender minds of the orphans, who are to derive advan- tage from this bequest, free from the excitement which clashing doctrines and sectarian controversy are so apt to produce ; my desire is, that all the instructors and teachers in the college shall take pains to instil into the minds of the scholars, the purest principles of morality, so that, on their entrance into active life, they may from inclination and habit, evince benevolence towards their fellow creatures, and a love of truth, sobriety and industry, adopting at the same time such religious tenets as their matured reason may enable them to prefer." That prohibition has been relaxed in recent years, as with the many other changes to the Will. He didn't prohibit the teaching of religious principles and in fact encouraged it, and it was drilled into us by laymen nearly every day; believe me, I know. As a student from 1963 to 1973, we attended chapel Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the Bible was always read. It was a pleasure to hear the Skinner throughout my years there, and Chuck Girson was my classmate.
Absolutely brilliant! Such a great and important instrument has deserved a chamber tour for a long time. And is there a Pedal division like that anywhere else? Maybe Liverpool Anglican could give it a run for it's money, but I'm not at all sure! 😁
Pretty bog standard Pedal division for any large 4-manual organ. Liverpool is far bigger. Any G Donald Harrison Aeolian-Skinner will have far more in the way of Pedal choruses.
@@richardharrold9736 I was referring to the EFFECT of the Pedal Div. in the room, not the number of stops. And I'm very familiar with the Willis instruments in Liverpool; I "adopted " two of the largest pedal pipes in the Anglican Cathedral organ.
When I experienced it in person I sat in the back of the chapel. I could barely hear it... later found out you need to be under the chambers to get the same sound as on most recordings of this awesome E.M. Skinner.
Wonderful Skinner organ... Just curious, G.Donald Harrison modified so many Skinners, did he manage to get his hands on this one? Really interesting demo and tour. Can someone please tell me what that wonderful composition playing in the background is that starts with the tour and played so wonderfully by Dylan David Shaw - Please ! Thanks for posting this very great video on such a wonderful organ!
@@DIYerGuy if you want to hear what GDH voicing sounds like, start at Woolsey Hall, Yale (1928 Skinner, a joint EMS-GDH project), then move on to organs like Church of the Advent, Boston (1936 Æolian-Skinner 3-manual, Katelyn Emerson has some fine recordings of it on her channel), then St Mary the Virgin NYC (1932/42 Æolian-Skinner completed by Larry Trupiano), and finally St John the Divine NYC (1954 Æolian-Skinner incorporating most of the old 1906 Skinner, a vast organ in a cavernous acoustic). GDH was trained by Willis around the time that firm was merging with that of T. C. Lewis, and consequently he was much influenced by both firms' instruments, particularly Lewis, although his reeds are a development of the Willis type. Through the late 1920s until his untimely death in the 1950s, GDH consistently sought to bring more brightness into the voicing - not just higher pitches, but more harmonic development in each pipe, returning to the brilliance which characterises Lewis and Willis organs of the late 19th century.
I've heard both the Yale/Woolsey Hall Skinner and St. Mary the Virgin and the St John the Divine NYC instruments and they are quite excellent. Church of the Advent I am not familiar with but will look for some RUclips videos. Thanks for the recommendations Richard.
Very nicely dome! But why no mention of Bruce Shultz, the former Girard Chapel Organist and Wanamaker organist who did much for this instrument? Why no mention of the late great Dr. Harry Wilkinson who performed on this instrument on numerous occasions and created two awesome CDs titled "Girard Organ: The Definitive Recordings."
Compared to practically every other organ I’ve even been it, Girard’s organ chamber is the least cramped. Plenty of room to reach everything comfortably without being a contortionist.
It's a fantastic organ in a stunning installation, so unique. An American Treasure!
One of the worlds great organs! SIMPLY SUBLIME!!!
dude, this may not be 'one of the best', rather it could simply be THEE best
@@Ken_Weber_organist It is one of the best because of other grand organs such as St John Divine and Washington National Cathedral. But I would say the THEE BEST Unaltered EM Skinner Organs.
@@Ken_Weber_organist it's not even the best organ in the Eastern USA, never mind the world.
This is a really gorgeous and sumptuous instrument.
E.M. SKINNER ! HOORAH ! 👍👏💕
Many thanks for this very interesting tour.
What an instrument! Marvelous!
Wonderful!
Beautiful instrument! Thank you for providing this demonstration and tour.
Vary interesting layout ..and history told..a wonderful e.m. skinner..
One of the best videos done yet. I always wanted to see the organ chambers up close. Such an exquisite tonal palette!
Thank you for sharing this video, yet another reason to visit Philadelphia, with the Wanamaker!! Loved the Tubas and soft orchestral reeds.
What a wonderful organ with many enjoyable sounds! I am really impressed with the Great Principal chorus and how perfect the balance is!
The great Diapason chorus is among the most balanced I've heard. Rich, full, and brilliant.....but not overly so.
I don't know where you're hearing brilliance, but it certainly isn't in this organ. Mud, mud and more mud. Just different colours of mud. St John the Divine NYC is a MUCH better organ than this.
@@richardharrold9736 if by "mud" you refer to a balanced chorus with a sturdy fundamental and an appropriate amount of mutations and properly composed mixtures, then yes its muddy....in your opinion. The great diapason chorus St John the divine could be balanced, but you don't achieve that with 23 ranks of mixtures.....high pitched mixtures at that along with mutations in a chorus with one 16' and 2 8' diapasons. It's way, way too top heavy.
@@michaelbell8834 no. Listen to those 8fts, first. There is no harmonic development to them whatsoever, and they tail off in the treble. Then the 4ft is much the same but quieter. The 2ft and Mixtures might as well not be there for all the impact they have. St John the Divine is a well-balanced organ for the space it's in. Even in the 1920s, Skinner's peers despaired of his inability to produce a decent chorus. Willis III brought him to Westminster Cathedral, where the combination of double languid diapasons, bold trebles and a five-rank Great mixture produce a chorus of searing brilliance, but while Skinner was much impressed and changed his specifications to suit, he still didn't understand how to voice like that, which was why he hired GDH from Willis. The GDH organs have that Willis brightness to them which is so sorely lacking in EMS organs. The Girard organ has a good spec, but it requires complete revoicing to realise its potential. I suggest you also go and listen to the 1887 Willis at Truro Cathedral - it has incredible brilliance even though the whole organ has only six ranks of mixtures. That is because the brightness is voiced into every single pipe of every single rank. Every stop increases in power into the treble. The reeds are every bit the equal of any produced in America too. It's a 45-stop organ with more impact than any American hundred-ranker short of a few GDH jobs.
@@richardharrold9736 Opinions sir!!!!
What's not to love? The organ is warm and enveloping without being dark or muddy. Great clarity and stunning balances. The Great Principal chorus blows me away.
Truly one of EMSs mastrpieces if not the best. Up there with St. Luke's Evanston as my favorites
Dark and muddy is exactly how I would describe those Diapasons. No harmonic development whatever. Thank God for G Donald Harrison!
Really love this organ. Beautiful tone in a great acoustic! Caught the Mark Husey fanfare on the Tuba lol. Sounds great!!
Now that’s an organ.
Thank you Brent and Dylan. I was hoping you were going to feature this magnificent E.M. Skinner organ when you mentioned you were in Philadelphia. Great work!
The choir has an entire chorus built on the Dulciana. Impressive - how common is something like that?
Not that common, for the simple reason that you can barely hear it... the whole chorus has the amount of brightness I'd expect just from an 8ft and 4ft. The rest of the flue choruses are just as dull.
John Compton built his choir manuals around Dulcianas 16, 8, 4, 2 2/3, 2, and Mixture. As has been said on here the dulcianas can be too quiet especially when the building is full of people.
I have a cd of Carlo Curley playing this organ, and it's just phenomenal!
He was just that!
@BVale interesting that a Bible quotation is on the 'Chapel' wall. Did he allow this?
@@tobysherring1369 Mr. Girard only stated in his will that "I enjoin and require that no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of any sect whatever shall ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever in the said college; nor shall any such person ever be admitted for any purpose, or as a visitor, within the premises appropriated to the purpose of the said college. In making this restriction, I do not mean to cast any reflection upon any sect or person whatsoever ; but, as there is such a multitude of sects, and such a diversity of opinion amongst them, I desire to keep the tender minds of the orphans, who are to derive advan- tage from this bequest, free from the excitement which clashing doctrines and sectarian controversy are so apt to produce ; my desire is, that all the instructors and teachers in the college shall take pains to instil into the minds of the scholars, the purest principles of morality, so that, on their entrance into active life, they may from inclination and habit, evince benevolence towards their fellow creatures, and a love of truth, sobriety and industry, adopting at the same time such religious tenets as their matured reason may enable them to prefer."
That prohibition has been relaxed in recent years, as with the many other changes to the Will.
He didn't prohibit the teaching of religious principles and in fact encouraged it, and it was drilled into us by laymen nearly every day; believe me, I know. As a student from 1963 to 1973, we attended chapel Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the Bible was always read.
It was a pleasure to hear the Skinner throughout my years there, and Chuck Girson was my classmate.
That’s a really big sound!
32' Faggoto, 16' Faggoto and the 16' Trombone, 32' Bombarde in the pedal, I'd love to hear those played at the same time 😁☺️
it's quite a sound in person!
Absolutely brilliant! Such a great and important instrument has deserved a chamber tour for a long time.
And is there a Pedal division like that anywhere else? Maybe Liverpool Anglican could give it a run for it's money, but I'm not at all sure! 😁
Pretty bog standard Pedal division for any large 4-manual organ. Liverpool is far bigger. Any G Donald Harrison Aeolian-Skinner will have far more in the way of Pedal choruses.
@@richardharrold9736 I was referring to the EFFECT of the Pedal Div. in the room, not the number of stops. And I'm very familiar with the Willis instruments in Liverpool; I "adopted " two of the largest pedal pipes in the Anglican Cathedral organ.
That pedal mixture has a septieme in it.
That's some amazing building design to house that incredible instrument way up high. Must be quite elevating to experience in person. Magical even.
When I experienced it in person I sat in the back of the chapel. I could barely hear it... later found out you need to be under the chambers to get the same sound as on most recordings of this awesome E.M. Skinner.
Wonderful Skinner organ... Just curious, G.Donald Harrison modified so many Skinners, did he manage to get his hands on this one? Really interesting demo and tour. Can someone please tell me what that wonderful composition playing in the background is that starts with the tour and played so wonderfully by Dylan David Shaw - Please ! Thanks for posting this very great video on such a wonderful organ!
Thank you Dylan for your reply, much appreciated!
He did not, unfortunately. Had he done so, this organ would deliver much more colour and brilliance than it does...
Thanks for the info!
@@DIYerGuy if you want to hear what GDH voicing sounds like, start at Woolsey Hall, Yale (1928 Skinner, a joint EMS-GDH project), then move on to organs like Church of the Advent, Boston (1936 Æolian-Skinner 3-manual, Katelyn Emerson has some fine recordings of it on her channel), then St Mary the Virgin NYC (1932/42 Æolian-Skinner completed by Larry Trupiano), and finally St John the Divine NYC (1954 Æolian-Skinner incorporating most of the old 1906 Skinner, a vast organ in a cavernous acoustic). GDH was trained by Willis around the time that firm was merging with that of T. C. Lewis, and consequently he was much influenced by both firms' instruments, particularly Lewis, although his reeds are a development of the Willis type. Through the late 1920s until his untimely death in the 1950s, GDH consistently sought to bring more brightness into the voicing - not just higher pitches, but more harmonic development in each pipe, returning to the brilliance which characterises Lewis and Willis organs of the late 19th century.
I've heard both the Yale/Woolsey Hall Skinner and St. Mary the Virgin and the St John the Divine NYC instruments and they are quite excellent. Church of the Advent I am not familiar with but will look for some RUclips videos. Thanks for the recommendations Richard.
Very nicely dome! But why no mention of Bruce Shultz, the former Girard Chapel Organist and Wanamaker organist who did much for this instrument? Why no mention of the late great Dr. Harry Wilkinson who performed on this instrument on numerous occasions and created two awesome CDs titled "Girard Organ: The Definitive Recordings."
Yes 💪
Interesting 32" bombarde. Are they mitered? If they are, it's not often you see mitered wooden resonators.
My brother was sent to Girard after our dad was killed when a Corsair from the Wasp collided with our dad's Catalina.
Warm and masculine, the acoustic environment is doing huge favors here as well
Don't forget the chorus mutations. They are important when building the plenum as well.
Is their a map on paper of this organ
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
What was the piece at the beginning of the chamber tour?
"To A Wild Rose" -- Edward MacDowell
I hear on the Last part from the great the beginning from the german tune hoch tut euch auf ihr Tore der Welt!
Pleas more Big organs
Good lord, why are the bottom few notes of the 16’ trombone so much louder than the rest of the rank? Voicing issues?
The pedal ranks are being played too softly to be audible
The organist can't control their speech, they are what they are!
A wonderful organ, but I detest the tremolo.
You should hear what it thinks of YOU.
What a gorgeous organ and the placement is really different! Looks pretty tight in those chambers…working/tuning wouldn’t be fun.
Compared to practically every other organ I’ve even been it, Girard’s organ chamber is the least cramped. Plenty of room to reach everything comfortably without being a contortionist.