After a series of 200 organs follows a series of 50 videos on famous and a little less famous organists, past and present, and the organs they played. ORGANIST 1 Healey Willan (1880-1968) Healey Willan is considered Canada’s greatest composer, but to be fair, he was born in England in 1880 and immigrated to Canada in 1913 where he became organist of the massive new Casavant organ in the St. Paul’s Church in Toronto. A year later he went to work for the University of Toronto. In 1920 he became head of the Theory Department at the Toronto Conservatory. A year later he left St. Paul’s and became the organist of St. Mary Magdalene where he remained till his death. Willan later became vice-president of the conservatory as well as professor of music. In total Willan wrote about 800 works for opera, organ, piano, orchestra, bands and church use. He was commissioned to write an anthem for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. His most popular organ work is his famous Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue. Fortunately some amateur recordings were made of Healey Willan during a number of church services in the last years of his life. By this time Willan was way in his eighties. VIDEO Healey Willan plays a Postlude on an Easter Hymn (April 10, 1966), his own Fugue in g minor (December 6, 1965) and accompanies the hymn “Rejoice! The year upon its way” including a postlude (May 26, 1966). ORGAN 1906 Breckles & Matthews – Church of Mary Magdalene, Toronto, Canada The organ at Mary Magdalene was built by the Toronto firm of Breckles & Matthews and originally had about 27 stops. Willan had the console moved to under the gallery in 1931 so he could play and conduct at the same time. He also had a Tuba stop added. After Willan’s death, the organ was rebuilt with new and old stops over and over again. Little is left of the original concept and the church is hoping to undo the damage done in the 1970s sometime in the future. Current specification: * denotes 1970 Casavant ranks ** older ranks added, mostly from Warren (19th century) Great Organ: Diapason 16' (bass from Pedal), Diapason no.1 8’**, Diapason no.2 8', Stop Diapason 8'*, Gamba 8', Octave 4', Nasonflute 4'*, Twelfth 2 2/3', Fifteenth 2', Cornet 5 ranks*, Mixture 4 ranks*, Trumpet 8'*, Clarion 4'*. Choir Organ: Gedackt 8', Dulciana 8', Unda Maris 8', Chimneyflute 4', Principal 2'*, Larigot 1 1/3'*, Cymbel 3 ranks*, Clarinet 8', Tuba 8' (1931). Swell Organ: LieblichBourdon 16', Stop Diapason 8', Salicional 8', Viola da Gamba 8', Vox Angelica 8', Principal 4', Suabe Flute 4', Nazard 2 2/3'**, Octave 2', Tierce 1 3/5'**, Sharp Mixture 4 ranks*, Bassoon 16'*, Trumpet 8', Hautboy 8', Shawm 4'**. Pedal Organ: Bourdon 32’ (Resultant), Open Wood 16', Open Metal 16', Subbass 16', Liebl.Bourdon 16' (SW), Octave 8', Flute 8', Fifteenth 4', Recorder 4', Mixture 4 ranks*, Ophicleide 16'**, Bassoon 16' (SW), Trumpet 8' (GT), Clarion 4' (GT).
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