tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157146342012-05-14T16:26:07.000+02:00If you read this, you have probably already visited <a href="http://www.organamateur.com">The Organ Amateur Page</a>. This blog contains personal opinions on church music and related topicsO. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-90719575574882681892012-04-12T21:49:00.002+02:002012-04-12T21:52:22.617+02:00

Yesterday I got another harmonium for free that I am going to repair. It's a Norwegian make "Jacob Knudsen" and it seems quite salvageable despite a lot faults. It's not missing any parts, and that's a good start. Pictures coming soon...

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-49443852968063018732011-08-21T19:08:00.004+02:002011-09-04T11:33:12.745+02:00

Today I played at the same church as 24nd July. This Sunday was, despite the likelihood, made a remembrance Sunday by the church centrally to remember the victims the terror 22nd July. As it seems, I have become my home town's own terror organist! Luckily, I didn't have to change much of my prepared music, I just had to play a few extra pieces as part of a change in the liturgy. I did do too

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-65956279479475863342011-07-25T18:00:00.002+02:002011-08-17T12:15:57.988+02:00

Tuesday 19th July i was asked to play at the Sunday Service as the organist had been injured. On the Friday (22nd July) I went to church 4 pm to practice for the comming service. Little did I know of what took place in Oslo at the same time, a maniac killing 80+ people. I was of course shocked to learn about the tradegy, but took no further notice organ-wise until the priest phoned me 10 pm (22:

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-33014309947582853272011-06-21T22:32:00.003+02:002011-08-17T12:16:32.381+02:00

After a long break from performances, but still keeping up the harmonium playing at home, I played at a wedding last Saturday. Sadly, there wasn't any organ, only a piano (a small church). The coming Friday I am asked to play at a funeral in a small chapel. There is just a piano there too. I haven't played at a funeral before, so this is going to be an interesting experience I believe. Also a

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-77509449457746343582010-08-12T23:15:00.002+02:002010-08-12T23:38:34.301+02:00

27th of June and 8th of August I played at Lutheran services, in two different churches respectively. I am starting to regain the confidence and playing skills I had 7 years ago. I hope to continue this good trend so stand-in assignments can be done without unnecessary struggle on my part. Then I can actually start producing some real music, which would be nice. I was very close to playing the

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-72213412432266545612010-06-07T11:29:00.004+02:002010-06-07T11:41:28.414+02:00

Normally I wouldn't pay any attention to "gospel music". On youtube I found this video. Just look at their faces. I can never get tired of watching it. It really is an inspiration to all musicians to watch the joy they're expressing.However, I can not imagine having this music in my church....

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-56725341158893549002010-05-24T16:01:00.003+02:002010-05-24T16:12:07.596+02:00

I have now changed the layout on my homepage. In effect I have improved the old section "Music by me", removed everything else, and then made the old "Music by me" as the main page. In fact, the only page.Please don't try to hack it, but I made the changes partly because of security reasons, and partly for my own convenience. The homepage now extracts the contents from my database where I keep

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-18081674518395855122010-05-23T23:13:00.003+02:002010-05-23T23:29:52.983+02:00

I have stood in twice as organist lately; First the Norwegian National Day festive service on 17th May, and then at a wedding on 22nd May. It took me by surprise, as I have never been asked to play during the 7 years I have been living down here. I gave up any hope of being asked many years ago...I made a last verse flourish for one of the hymns called "No livnar det i lundar". It's standard

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-37469100291497400032010-04-02T19:17:00.002+02:002010-04-02T19:24:41.803+02:00

Jeg har justert litt på ordlyden i korbønnen, som opprinnelig var (for) preget av direkte oversettelse fra originalen. Den nye versjonen følger:Herre, velsign oss, som nå vil tjene deg.Til din glede skjeat det vi synger med våre munner   kan bli sannhet i våre hjerter,og at hva sant er i våre hjerter   kan bli virkelig i våre livgjennom Jesus Kristus, vår Herre.Amen.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-61967357352856508852010-03-27T20:46:00.002+01:002010-03-27T20:53:40.112+01:00

Sing along!This is one of my favourites; Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace (Wesley). I prefer the upper tenor or alto part. The youtube user "morphthing1" has published an impressive collection of Anglican choir music in this manner. No reason for ever getting bored again!

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-47082835742351442542009-11-30T18:10:00.003+01:002009-11-30T18:16:31.156+01:00

Christmas is soon here. I made a short intro to "O Come All Ye Faithful" for my harmonium at home.You'll find it at the Organ Amateur Page by clicking "Music" and "Music by me". You can also access the PDF-file here.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-69714764390786785752009-09-09T13:01:00.001+02:002009-09-09T13:03:17.913+02:00

Thalben-Ball plays his own elegy!!!The interpretation is not what I expected...

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-61694310933613545932009-07-21T18:31:00.003+02:002009-07-21T18:44:12.406+02:00

I sang "O perfect Love, all human thought transcending" to the tune "Highwood" at my sister-in-law's wedding (with organ accompaniment). I had to sing it D major (rather than the given B-flat major as given in Ancient and Modern New Standard). I found the words in Songs of Praise.I got many kind comments on my singing, so it couldn't have been quite so awful.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-22144985737278388552009-04-10T23:09:00.003+02:002009-04-10T23:13:01.121+02:00

Today I sang a descant voice in a male chorus for the Good Friday Passion Service at the local Evangelical Church.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-67264200019105376712009-03-14T12:40:00.002+01:002009-03-14T12:52:46.455+01:00

Not exactly church music... nevertheless I sang yesterday. I don't know how to describe it other than it was fun. We were 8 men singing a two voice song. It was a part of a live stage show with a Christian undertone, but with a lot of irony. There is nothing much more to say, really.Other than that, I have picked up the harmonium practice again. Perhaps I will start practising the pipe organ

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-60598254502491188492009-03-11T19:26:00.002+01:002009-03-11T19:30:35.721+01:00

Last Thursday I sang in a male quartet. We did not sing very well, but it was good fun.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-75680864202299300202008-07-26T12:44:00.003+02:002008-07-26T13:11:09.419+02:00

... this is a must-have. Father Willis, Simon Nieminski and the lot at Palmerston Place have given us a taste of their daily life with English church music at it's best. The label is named "Pro Organo" and the CD is numbered CD 7208. So hear my words, ye people, the online store is just a click away!Father Willis? Click here to find out....

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-23118091319327445102008-07-14T20:13:00.003+02:002008-07-25T12:50:37.769+02:00

Very Important!!Many of my previous posts are linking to the now inactive site "homefree.freewave.no/~s302202". These links will not work anymore. However, if you replace the part of the URL containing what I just mentioned with "www.organamateur.com", the links will work beautifully...!!

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-52084925738707008072008-04-20T15:39:00.002+02:002008-04-20T15:43:28.845+02:00

I am still catching up with trends on the internet. This time it is YouTube. Go to my channel here. There is a video there too!!!

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-47155599750844272902008-04-05T18:57:00.003+02:002008-04-05T19:25:13.276+02:00

I was let into temptation of buying a Messiah DVD, and I did it. I fell for the trademark of the Choir of King's College Cambridge. This a live recording from 1994 in the Pieterskerk, Leiden, The Netherlands, on the Brilliant Classics label. Brilliant is of course not a quality label, I knew that. I did buy a big Bach CD box from Brilliant many years ago, and I have not yet listened to all of it.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-1271220577910005852007-11-09T19:26:00.000+01:002007-11-09T19:34:51.536+01:00

I can't believe I have not written this earlier. It must have been a couple of moths now. Jo, our English organist, left us. Now there is no liturgical choir anymore. Now there is nothing positive left. I think I have given up the whole church business here where I live. That's why I have not bothered to write about it. It is just so uninspiring. Blah!

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-79622639937894494202007-11-04T13:06:00.001+01:002009-12-03T21:43:51.647+01:00

This wonderful Christmas hymn, exalted with with the even more wonderful tune Highwood (by R.R.Terry), is now translated into Norwegian. The tune will become public domain 01.01.2009, but for all Anglicans who has the Hymns Ancient & Modern New Standard it's number 462. But, how many of you Anglicans have missed a Norwegian translation? I find great pleasure in singing Anglican hymns to myself in

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-16694793233929363222007-10-27T10:15:00.000+02:002007-10-27T10:17:50.324+02:00

Only very busy with other things than this.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-4708506560163011272007-05-18T17:33:00.001+02:002009-12-03T21:39:56.491+01:00

This is a mix between the Norwegian style prelude and the Anglican introductory music as the choir processes at the beginning of a service. The intention is the latter, and it is also the intention that the hymn shall be sung immediately after the prelude. This piece can only be used on Whitsun (because of the Pentecost theme), and the church must be packed with people.You'll find my new music at

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714634.post-812377733732274222007-04-28T12:40:00.000+02:002007-04-28T13:03:08.786+02:00

I am working on a new organ piece at the moment. I shall not give out any details before I am finished composing, but I think it is going to be good (if you're an Anglican...). Can't promise anything, but I hope to publish it within a couple of months. Very busy nowadays!I have also joined a newly started church choir, but we seem to be struggling a bit. So far we are only one person per voice.

O. H. Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776440953514234270noreply@blogger.com0