In Celebration of Big Organs...

Earth Wind and Fire at the Royal Albert Hall in 1997 was brilliant. But I swear it started my tinnitus. Last night, similar seats, the Grand Organ Celebration almost finished off the job. Oh boy. One of the biggest organs in the world and at times, I felt blown away. Literally. Not metaphorically.

I was happy to hear Toccata and Fugue in D minor which meant,  as a Hammer horror movie fan in my youth, I expected to see Christopher Lee at any moment. But really, apart from a cheerful rendering of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on a piano, I have to say that we did not really engage with the music.

The concert was really for our guest's benefit who is an organ master. Even he had plenty to say about it. His comments were more technical than ours, of course.  When it came to the finale which was an improvised concerto, we were told by Wayne Marshall that improvising was like standing naked in front of an audience. Thankfully, no room for three more organs on stage. That was a relief. And so it was that we experienced one of the most magnificent organs in the world, and wished that we could have escaped at half-time.

I hope you appreciate that I have not resorted to any Mrs Organ-Morgan type of cheap joke in the style of Dylan Thomas.
Occasionally, I can demonstrate refinement and good taste.
God, how dull!

It's a whopper...