Canada's Largest

[Gamba]

Hello All ... I will be recording this week on a large Casavant in Toronto this week which also happens to be the largest in Canada. It is located in the beautiful Metropolitan United Church. At 5/131 this 1930organ packs quite a wallop but .... the colour is amazing. What a gem I must say. Has anyone else has the pleasure of sampling this fine example of Casavant workmanship? Any thoughts about it?

Gamba

[arie v]

Re: Canada's Largest



Gamba,

I am somewhat familiar with this instrument. I am from Toronto.

I am sure it is a fine instrument, but....... it is poorly installed. This organ is just too buried in the chambers in the chancel, that it sounds sort of vaguely muffled in the body of the church. That is the reason why about 10 years ago, Casavant added an echo division at the back of the church.

With careful microphone placement, the recorded sound may actually be much better than it sounds in reality.

Personally, I would take the instruments in St. Paul's Anglican, Bloor Street or St. James Cathedral over the one at the "Met".

av

[Gamba]

Re: Canada's Largest



Hi AV ... I did happen to notice NO chamber openings to the front of the nave but alas I could not hear the organ from that part of the church as I was playing. With any luck and some strategic mic placements we can get a good finished product.

Its neat to have someone else on the forum here familiar with this organ. Thanks for your input!

Gamba

[sesquialtera16]

Re: Canada's Largest

A long time ago a certain Dr Mellville Cook-a British chap-permited me to explore the mighty Casavant in all its glory. At the conclusion of my own investigation Dr Cook graciously accomodated a request
for an encore and so he cranked out quite by memory the karg-Alert ''Now Thank We" piece. He played magnificently.

In later times Dr Wright demoed some stops for me while she was at the console. My renewed interest in the genius of Hope-Jones
prompted me to request the Tuba Sonora 8 from the orchestral section. What a sublime hope-jones inspired voice that stop was.
The power of the full Bombarde Manual V division is awe-inspiring with the only quint mixture in the entire organ at VII ranks in that section.

The pedal 32' Bombarde is a beautiful sonority. Also the various diapasons on the great and other manuals plus variety of flutes and strings make this organ a sure winner. As to the Echo it was contemplated in the 1930 console and some well-off business persons have underwritten that additional expense. Please let us know where to obtain the new recording you are making.

[adevds]

Re: Canada's Largest

What music are you recording?

[Gamba]

Re: Canada's Largest



I will certainly let you know about getting a copy to anyone who is interested once the mastering is done. When I sampled the organ I realized that I would have to change a little bit of what I had selected. The organ lent itself to so many beautiful pieces and transcriptions from Debussy, Bond, Rubenstein so I decided to include these and take out some of the standard Tocatta and Fugue sort of thing. I think we have all heard enough of that over the years in my opinion anyways. I thought about adding some of the Handel Water Music, the Hornpipe in particular since this organ has so many different trumpets! Another would be the Bach "Now Thank We All Our God" ... wonderful Tuba in the Bombarde division. Another one that lends itself well to the organ is the Fox arrangement of the "Come Sweet Death". The string ranks are endless with a wonderful solo flute I couldn't resist.

Hopefully all will go well and we shall turn out a good sampling of different music.

Gamba

[sesquialtera16]

Re: Canada's Largest



I've played it and heard it played. The 8ft Diapasons combined from all manuals make for a ''sumptuous'' effect when used all at once for a ''sweet'' yet solid dignified tone.

The Tuba on manual V and the Tuba in the orchestral are very different. Try them alternatingly in any piece you use them and you will be delighted at the contrast in color of the one over the other--in dialogue so to speak.

The ''killer'' is the ''Orchestral trumpet''-- a fiery bright Harmonic Trumpet that penetrates. Haven't heard the new one in the gallery.

The pedal Bombarde 32 is not over-done so that it can't be used. It is a dignified and weighty sound like a Bombardon-- the one over at Healy Willan's old church-St. Paul's Anglican at the top of Bloor St.

Have fun.