At the end of January 2023, Vilnius University received a gift - an almost 100-year-old historical English pedal reed organ. It was produced in 1929 by A.J. Spencer's Workshop, model "University Organ", no. 2170. The instrument has 7 voices, 2 manuals and pedals. This is the only reed organ of this type in Lithuania, which is now located at VU St. John's Church at the altar.
Before coming to Lithuania, the instrument delighted a private reed organ enthusiast in the Netherlands with its gentle sounds for more than 30 years, and in December 2022-January 2023 it was carefully restored by M.A.M. Fisharmonie i Organy (organ builders/restorers Marcin Majak and Jakub Wszołek) from Gdańsk, Poland.
The reed organ is related to harmonium which in turn is related to the pipe organ, which was first constructed in France in 1840. Such instruments have long been used not only for home music, but also in chapels and smaller churches. Even today, you can find harmoniums in various churches in Lithuania, but without pedals.
The principle of sound production in harmonium is similar to that in pipe organs - there are also bellows, which are pumped with two pedals by the organist's feet. Instead of pipes, there are only reeds - vibrating metal plates, similar to a harmonica or accordion. Larger instruments have quite a few such reed voices, even bass registers, so harmoniums tend to produce a very rich and warm sound. European type harmoniums use air pressure method, and American and English type instruments use air suction method (reed organ). Our A.J. Spencer's instrument is like this.
In the second half of the 20th century, the harmoniums and reed organs began to be taken out of fashion by the newly appeared electronic organ, which will never replace real instruments with their sounds. Therefore, in recent decades, the number of harmonium/reed organ enthusiasts in the world has been increasing and old instruments are being carefully restored by organ and harmonium restorers who bring them to a new life.
As can be seen from the program of this concert, the music from the 19th to the first half of the 20th centuries sound most beautifully on the reed organ. However, there are enthusiasts who also play Baroque and modern/contemporary works on them. On the program - works by G.A. Mankell, Ch.-M. Widor, L.-J.-A. Lefebure-Wely, J. Rheinberger, R.V. Wiliiams and E. Gigout.
Vidas and I hope you will have an amazing time with the pedal reed organ!
PROGRAM:
00:00 Gustaf Adolf Mankell (1812-1880) | Fantasie in D Major: Allegro moderato-Andante con moto-Fugato. Allegro moderato
07:43 Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) | Andante sostenuto from Symphonie Gothique
Score with fingering and pedaling: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/andante-sostenuto-by-ch-m-widor-with-complete-fingering-and-pedaling?_pos=4&_sid=ae8d005b6&_ss=r
13:45 Louis J.-A. Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869) | Sortie in Eb Major
18:33 Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901) | Arioso, Op.156 No. 2
22:35 Gustaf Adolf Mankell (1812-1880) | Fantasie in C Major: Allegro moderato-Allegretto-Fuga. Allegro moderato
31:50 Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) | Rhosymedre from Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes
38:38 Louis J.-A. Lefébure-Wély | March in F Major, Op. 122 No. 4
40:10 Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger | Duetto, Op.156 No. 6
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/12-characterpieces-op-156-sheet-music/19498701?aff_id=454957
45:32 Eugéne Gigout (1844-1925) | Grand Choeur Dialogué
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