When I was 15, I told my piano teacher that I had started taking organ lessons. She was horrified. ‘It will ruin your technique,’ she admonished. For sure, the two instruments do require distinctive techniques; but that does not mean it is impossible to play both well – as proven by Franz Liszt and Olivier Messiaen, for example – and I found that playing the organ heightened my awareness of technique as well as giving me a clearer insight into harmonic and contrapuntal textures, from all of which my piano playing benefited.
For young pianists who may be intrigued by the organ, and wonder whether they might take to it, there are a number of ways to test the water. The best-known events are organised by the Royal College of Organists and by Creative Oundle.
Pulling Out The Stops, a course for beginners
Based near Peterborough, Creative Oundle for Organists (COfO) has its roots in the installation 40 years ago of a Danish Frobenius organ in Oundle School Chapel. This initiative was prompted by James Parsons, who went on to devise a series of events and courses that have continued to develop to this day. Among the courses on offer is the aptly named Pulling Out The Stops (POTS), an action-packed, three-day residential course specifically for beginner organists and young pianists who would like to try the organ. The age bracket is roughly 10–16 years old, and pianists are expected to be at least Grade 4 standard on the piano.
What is the aim of the three-day course?
Concert organist and COfO director Ann Elise Smoot explains: ‘It’s very much a whistle-stop tour, a kind of a taster to open their eyes to what’s out there and what can be achieved musically on the organ. We try to give them some “wow” factor and – just as important – let them meet and have fun with others their own age with similar interests. That’s a key component. We touch on just about every key aspect of playing the organ, and they get to hear (and see) tutors play recitals, too.’
What is covered?
Participants are asked to bring a selection of whatever pieces they happen to have in their repertoire at the time, and are then tutored in mixed (organists and non-organists) groups of eight, graded according to age and level of experience. Each student has a turn at the organ, and aspects covered include basic technique, starting to use feet on the pedals, registration, playing on more than one manual, and so on.
In addition to the class teaching, students are introduced to the organ as an instrument through a number of ways. Andrew Scott, Harrison & Harrison organ builders’ dynamic director, has done presentations on how the organ works, demonstrating different pipes. And there are also hands-on sessions of WOOFYT (Wooden One-octave Organ For Young Technologists, of which more later) and even some choral conducting.
Most of the course takes place on a variety of organs in Oundle and surrounding villages, but one day comprises a field trip to Cambridge, where organists and pianists have the chance to play organs in some of the college chapels; and during the last couple of courses, participants have enjoyed a private tour of King’s College Chapel, including the organ loft.
Smoot says: ‘We throw as much information as we can at them. We know some of it’s not going to stick, but hopefully they get carried away with it and enjoy being in that environment with other people who are interested in the organ.’
Is there any follow-up when the course is finished?
Smoot explains: ‘Some will get “bitten by the bug” and want to start lessons. We can help them to find a teacher, and all our students get a series of follow-up documents from me.’ Extraordinarily, Smoot says that an important component of all COfO courses is that she is available to provide year-round help and advice to anyone who has been on one. ‘When you come on a COfO course, you join a family of sorts. And for parents, finding that they have an organist in the family often poses a lot of questions that they need help answering. How do I find a place to practise? How do I find a teacher? What if my child wants to be an organ scholar – how do I help them? It can be a funny world to navigate, even for musical parents, and we are here to help.’
RCO International Organ Day and Summer Course for Organists
If a three-day residential course seems a bit much to begin with, the Royal College of Organists (RCO) celebrates an annual International Organ Day each April, encouraging the organ community to share widely its enthusiasm for the instrument and its music. This often includes introductory playing sessions at which those who are curious may dip their toe into the water.
Or if, as a complete beginner to the instrument, you would really like to immerse yourself in the world of organs and organ music, why not try the RCO Summer Course for Organists? Held in London annually, it contains a strand in one of the daily tuition slots called Fundamentals of Technique, which is taught by Anne Marsden Thomas MBE, author and RCO Accredited Teacher. The course is aimed at complete beginners up to ABRSM Grade 3 level, and though it is for all ages, teenager pianists are usually among the participants. In 2024 the course comprised four 90-minute sessions, on Pedalling; Touch, Fingering & Footing; Practice and Performance; and Registration.
Opportunities for whole classes to discover the organ
The RCO has regional directors who, by invitation, will go into schools (both primary and secondary) to run short workshops about the instrument. Simon Williams, Director of RCO East, South and South-West, has worked with whole classes of primary schoolchildren: ‘I tell them about the history and workings of the organ, playing excerpts of music and letting them all have a go, whatever their level of musical experience (often none!).’ Williams also worked as part of a bigger project in Worcester in 2009 and 2011 – ‘Organ-ise’ ran for secondary schoolchildren to celebrate the Cathedral’s new organ. Williams has also combined with professional violinist and teacher Jeremy Sampson on WOOFYT.
WOOFYT combines music, science and technology
In 2003 Jeremy Sampson collaborated with retired businessman and amateur engineer Bill Cleghorn to create a music-and-science project; the Wooden One-octave Organ For Young Technologists was the result. Aimed at anyone aged 9+, including secondary schoolchildren and adults, WOOFYT introduces the principles of the organ in a participatory way. I have watched Sampson steer classes through the process: starting with body percussion to demonstrate pulse, beat divisions and dynamics, he progresses through exploration into air molecules, sound waves, echo, and the relationship between pipe length and pitch, finally leading to the construction and operation of the WOOFYT model of a pipe organ. With the WOOFYT, every pupil plays a role in the production of sound, some taking charge of one pipe each, others pumping the bellows. I confess that as a schoolgirl I was a lost cause in science classes; yet even I understood the physics when explained like this. It is an imaginative way of combining music, science and technology in a single lesson – and furthermore, it is fun.
The WOOFYT explains how an organ works while engaging the whole class
Funding support
All this may sound tempting – but isn’t it very expensive? Help is at hand, Simon Williams explains: ‘The RCO is promoting organ learning through its “Organs in Schools” scheme. In partnership with Viscount Organs, we are providing state schools (nearly all secondary so far) with digital organs on free, long-term loan, so that all students at these schools can experience organ music and playing; and those who wish can take lessons and have somewhere readily available for practice.’
Anne Marsden Thomas adds: ‘In terms of paying for lessons, there are quite a few charities keen to help young organ students who are financially challenged. The RCO website has more details on its “Funding Your Studies” page.’
‘Play the Organ’ in 2025
The RCO has designated 2025 as ‘Play the Organ Year’, in partnership with like-minded organisations. The aim is to encourage as many people as possible to try their hand at the instrument through a wide range of activities, and provide resources to help and guide organisers and players. Given all the diverse opportunities already mentioned, whether for individuals or for whole classes, it’s difficult to think of a reason why anyone wouldn’t take advantage of what’s on offer.
- Pulling Out The Stops 2025 will run during the week 6–12 April (exact dates tbc).
- Creative Oundle for Organists is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a year-long programme of events, running from August 2024 through to early autumn 2025. All of the Fabulous 40! events are free of charge; for details, and for general information about COfO and POTS 2025, visit creativeoundle.co.uk/cofo
- For guidance on finding good teachers (some of whom also teach on Zoom), visit rco.org.uk/education_find_teacher.php
- For details of resources and events during ‘Play the Organ Year’, visit rco.org.uk/play.php
- For information on funding, visit rco.org.uk/education_scholarships.php
