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On a high note |
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By: Balaji Narasimhan |
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Date:
2009-01-06 |
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Place: Bangalore |
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Priceless treasure: Dr Richard Marlow practices on the pipe organ at the St Andrew's Church | Dr Richard Marlow from the Trinity College, Cambridge, was in town to commemorate the dedication of the restored pipe organ at the St Andrew's Church on Cubbon Road
Impressions are strengthened when two historic items are considered within a short time span. I was awe-struck on discovering that the church organ at the St Andrew's Church was installed way back in 1881. This is historic indeed, but when I spoke to Dr Richard Marlow, emeritus organist and former director of music and Fellow, Trinity College, Cambridge, this sense of awe deepened.
"There are many old pipe organs in England and I have played one in Cambridge that dates back to 1694," he said, matter-of-factly.
What is so special about an old pipe organ? Dr Marlow explained that an old pipe organ generates special sounds. "The touch and feel is excellent in an old pipe organ, and the contact between the fingertips and the sound generated is fantastic."
Even then, Dr Marlow, who was practicing on the ancient church organ when we met him, said that one has to practice for around seven to eight hours on a church organ to get the special feel that is unique to each organ.
"I wish that I could spend more time with this one," he said, wistfully.
Though Dr Marlow retired two years ago, he still travels a lot. He will soon be going to Chennai to visit the St Andrew's Church there. "I travel a lot on work and on holiday. My wife and I will be visiting South Africa and Swaziland next month on holiday and after that I will go to Australia on work," he said.
Dr Marlow has been associated with India for a long time and first visited Calcutta in the 70s.
Charming antique
The pipe organ at the St Andrew's Church on Cubbon Road was installed on May 3, 1881, by the builders Messrs Peter Conacher & Company, Huddersfield, England. It was restored recently by Christopher Gray, the managing director of the Midland Organ, Hele & Company, which was founded in 1860 and has restored organs at major churches like the Winchester and Chichester cathedrals.
Commenting on the restoration and the attention to detail and the perfectionism displayed, Rev Prem Mitra, the Presbyter-in-charge of the St Andrew's Church explained that some parts that came from England were slightly damaged. "We thought that they would be repaired and used, but they were sent back and fresh items were procured," he says.
King of instruments
According to Wikipedia, the introduction of church organs is traditionally attributed to Pope Vitalian in the seventh century. The word organ is derived from the Latin organum, an instrument similar to a portative organ used in ancient Roman circus games. Organum is derived in turn from the Greek organon, a generic term for an instrument or a tool. The Greek engineer Ctesibius of Alexandria is credited with inventing the organ in the third century BC.
The smallest portable pipe organs may have only one or two dozen pipes and one keyboard, while the largest may have over 33,000 pipes and seven keyboards. A large organ of note is the one installed in 1361 in Halberstadt, Germany. It was the first instrument to use a chromatic key layout across its three manuals and pedal board, although the keys were wider than on modern instruments. It had 20 bellows operated by 10 men, and the wind pressure was so high that the player had to use the full power of his arm to hold down a key. |
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