Famous Organists: Ethel Smith
For over 100 years, Viscount Organs has been producing organs of unparalleled quality. In that time, countless musicians have sat behind the pedals and keys of our organs and played everything from timid first notes to entire concertos. We’re glad that we’ve been a part of the music community for so long, and we’re always […]
Viscount to install their largest organ in North America
After an expansive search, and consultation with multiple pipe and digital organ firms, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church (OLMC) in Altoona, PA has contracted with Viscount to produce a custom 4 manual organ powered by their Physis® (Physical Modeling) Technology. The project will include the reworking of their existing Estey Pipe Organ […]
Famous Organists: Marcel Dupré
Viscount Organs has been around for a while, over a century in fact. During that time, we’ve seen countless players perform masterpieces on our fine organs. We believe that even a novice player is an accomplished musician, as playing the organ is an impressive feat in-and-of-itself. But throughout the long and storied history of the […]
The Longest Organ Piece Ever Performed
Without a doubt, Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” is probably the most famous organ piece ever written. It’s used in TV, movies, and more. But many people have only heard the iconic opening lines of the song. Few realize that the piece is nearly nine minutes long. Organ pieces and organ concertos can […]
The 4 Most Impressive Organs in the World
When it comes to organs, most people think about the giant instruments installed in grand cathedrals. With that being said, we do want to discuss a few of those! However, not all fantastic and interesting organs were installed in a church. Organs are renowned for their large size and their demanding requirements when it comes […]
Top Tips to Sight Reading Music
When it comes to sight reading music, some musicians love the challenge and could work on it all day. For others, they dread hearing those words. Those of you who are terrified by sight reading music, we are here to help! Here are some of the top tips from Viscount Organs to keep in mind […]
Why Should Pianists Learn the Organ?
If you are a musician, specifically a pianist, it’s likely that you have already developed a lifelong love of music and performance. Many musicians, especially those who are looking to expand their musical talents to another instrument, look to challenge themselves and grow. In fact, we have found that versatility in instruments can make stronger […]
Interesting Facts About the Organ
Thank you for joining us on the Viscount organ blog! If you’re you’re just joining us on our blog, lately we’ve been discussing a variety of topics including Headphones Do’s and Don’t’s of Digital Organ Playing, as well as the history of hymns and their structure and the many types of organs and more. We […]
Headphones Do’s and Don’ts for Digital Organ Playing
Every digital organ that I have listened to over headphones (of any brand/quality) has sounded drastically different through headphones than through speakers into the room. This has been my experience with Viscount, Allen, Rodgers, and Walker. The difference is always significant and surprising. Organ pipes were never meant to be inserted into the ear and […]
Hymn History & Structure
History The word hymn originates from the Greek word for “a song of praise” and those who write hymns are know as hymnodists. Though there are many hymns from other cultures that have been written, such as those from ancient Egypt and the Jewish tradition, the hymns we will focus on today are those of […]