The organ in ensemble : the dearth of Australian chamber music and concertos for organ. Part 2

The organ has long been used in accompaniment particularly of choir, but perhaps this has been one of the main issues in the banishing and confining of the organ to the church. Fine music there abounds, but the organ either plays by itself or with voices. Some city churches and cathedrals in Australia are established concert venues, but these are relatively few. This may be because concert halls have more comfortable seating, better sight-lines, and are spaces or acoustics designed for varying performance ensembles as opposed to just organ and/or voice; not to mention the aversion many Australians may have to visiting churches. When using the organ in concert, there might be the perceived notion that the music will be 'high-brow' or 'boring' or 'church-like'. In established venues with audiences attracted to the organ, some purists may be put off by the dilution of solo organ repertoire in the programming. Even with a favourable audience, however, using the organ with other instruments remains difficult owing to the positioning of the console or distance to the pipes, and time delays make ensemble performance difficult. Similarly, the acoustic of many churches, whilst fabulous for choirs and organs, can prove an anathema to other musicians. Moreover, the console itself can make sight lines difficult making chamber music well-nigh impossible.