Boing Boing: If you've never heard the massive pipe organ at London's Royal Albert Hall at full power, now's your chance—and boy oh boy, are you in for a treat! And when it's played by organist Anna Lapwood, Director of Music at Pembroke College (Cambridge) and Associate of the Royal Albert Hall, accompanying Norwegian art pop/Nordic folk/synth pop singer/songwriter AURORA, it's truly a magical experience.
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The first time I heard an organ play was before Christmas in 2023. There was a ribbon and ornament store in the suburban shopping center near my home, and they had an enormous collection that spanned an entire warehouse sized building. At one of the ends of the building there was a room full of antique pianos, and a large pipe organ. An employee explained to me that the organ was scavenged from a church that had been closed and abandoned years ago, and the owners of this store then automated the organ because parts of it were damaged from neglect. I was shown the back room, and the organ was turned on for a few minutes. The sound resonated throughout the room and was an unforgettable experience. To experience a pipe organ that has been restored and not automated would be so cool, especially one with such historical significance!
I have always been astounded by an organ player's ability to actually play their instrument. Looking at the immense power and stature that the instrument holds it looks as if only an octopus with all its limbs could successfully play it. The fact that when playing with a full orchestra in the best circumstances an organ player can really only use 80-85% of its power is remarkable. Having one instrument be powerful enough to fully drown out a full orchestra is a testament to how loud of a presents an organ is. The music feels as if it takes up every inch of space within the venue and you have been encapsulated by the sound making it incredibly immersive. Not to mention the beautiful voice of AURORA’S voice goes along perfectly with the organ making the performance just that much more mind blowing. Overall I’m moved by the idea that we can make sounds as incredible as this concert and hope one day I can experience this live and in person.
I found this woman on TikTok a little while ago, and I immediately started following her. The power of an organ is truly crazy, and she never fails to amaze me with her skill. She would often talk about how she could rarely get the chance to play the organ at full power because it's just not always what fits in with the music, but the times when she does get to do it are very rewarding and showcase exactly what she loves about music. She had also mentioned that the artist AURORA was one of the only cases in which she had been able to show the artist's full potential, and that is really special to her and everyone in the audience. I heard an organ once in a museum in Glasgow, and it was just absolutely beautiful. Everyone stopped to watch, and it was truly a beautiful thing to listen to.
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