Squirrels Go Like This

Spreckels on my Ice Cream

Spreckels Organ Pavilion

Yesterday, CraftyAngie finally took me to hear a concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It’s a reasonably unique thing; I can think of only two other permanent outdoor pipe organs in the world (one in Germany and the other, a small one in Salzburg, Austria). Concerts are held weekly at 2pm on Sundays, free of charge, sponsored by the Spreckels Organ Society.

Facade Pipes

I had a few observations on it. First off, boy is it loud! It really surprised me. Being outdoors, with no building walls to enclose the sound and provide reverberation, it kind of has to be. Even so, this instrument creates what I can only call a “wall of sound”. The bass from the 32′ stops is almost punishing. (Which is all to say I liked it!) Still, it can be subtle. The “string” divisions had a wonderful shimmering sound to them, quiet, yet loud enough to be heard outside. Wonderful for Romantic repertoire.

Ornamentation

My second observation is how strange a pipe organ sounds without a big building to provide lots of echoes and reverberation. I have to say, it’s not flattering to the sound, overall. I’d say it requires extra Legato playing technique, since even the slightest of pauses felt really quiet, an effect exacerbated by the great volume of the instrument. I’m sure it presents an extra challenge to guest organists who have never played on the instrument, or one like it, before.

Our organist, Jackson Borges, played an interesting and varied concert program. He rounded it out with the first two movements from the Symphony No. 6 for Organ by the great French organist and composer Charles-Marie Widor. Hearing it played on such a great, brassy, powerful instrument re-affirmed my love for French Romantic organ music. He impressed the heck out of me by playing the first movement Allegro without sheet music. Wow!

I’m looking forward to attending concerts there in future visits to San Diego. And now, some photos of the organ’s interior, shown to the public after each performance: