Organist buys church to practise in

Organist buys church to practise in

main

norman lebrecht

December 08, 2020

The Hungarian-Canadian virtuoso ogranist Xaver Varnus has bought a country church in Nova Scotia so that he can practise in peace.

The Pilgrim United Church in Brooklyn, N.S., built in 1847, was down to its last congregants. ‘I found it on the internet,’ he said.

He’s now inviting fellow-organists to come out and play.

Comments

  • Micaelo Cassetti says:

    Great musician, and a wonderful person.
    I have been reduced to practising on my Hauptwerk copy of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Auditorium instrument, in my studio flat. Neighbours are getting a little unhappy.

    • Phil D says:

      Amusing, Micaelo. The neighbours are only a little unhappy? 🙂

      • Peter San Diego says:

        They might especially resent Ligeti’s “Volumina”. Especially if it blows the building’s circuit breakers.

    • Sisko24 says:

      If you want to make your neighbors more than ‘…a little unhappy…’, why not play some Messiaen? That’ll show ’em!

    • Emil says:

      Wake up in the middle of the night and just play something soft and spooky on the voix céleste or the vox humana… (or alternatively a fanfare on the bombarde).

  • Hamilton McClymont says:

    Brookly Nova Scotia was Hank Snow’s home town. Music is music, eh!

  • MacroV says:

    That’s an ingenious solution, though Nova Scotia is pretty far from a lot of things. I assume he got a good deal? And I guess he could turn it into a disco or such when he’s not practicing.

  • MOST READ TODAY: