Darius Battiwalla shows how improvising music for the movies differs from improvising during a church service, and suggests ways to develop the skills, and stamina, required.

This week’s Learning during Lockdown focusses on improvisation, a skill all organists are encouraged to acquire, and which is expected, at some level, in most organ examinations.   Here on iRCO you can find films demonstrating improvisation skills for organists at every stage, from total beginner to FRCO. 

Andrew Cantrill-Fenwick and Ronny Krippner present a video on improvising a hymn partita – using the blueprint of a hymn tune to create a set of variations based on the creative manipulation of harmony, rhythm and registration.

The 2019 East of England Organ Day celebrates the world of film in May, with concerts of cinematic repertoire for the organ, and improvisations, featuring the majestic 1933 Grand Organ in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, in Suffolk. School organist David Pickthall will create live, spontaneous soundtracks at the piano to two short Harold Lloyd films – here he explains the techniques that both pianists and organists can use to improvise to live films.

Composer and organist Matthew Martin presents a film on the requirements of improvisation for the FRCO examination, with a discussion of how to approach the four possible options: cantus firmus, romantic prelude, variations and récit en taille.

If you’re finding the requirements to improvise at the organ a bit daunting, or want to take your own skills to the next level, then read about two courses coming up in July which are focussed solely on improvisation for organists of all standards – one with tutor Ansgar Wallenhorst, left. There are also now two improvisation teaching videos to watch here on iRCO, which include exercises and a reading list to download.

In this film Matthew Martin discusses how to approach the improvisation tests in the ARCO examination syllabus. He suggests devices, patterns and techniques for the different tests, and demonstrates them on the Kenneth Tickell organ of Keble College, Oxford.

This video, presented by Andrew Cantrill with contributions from Nigel Allcoat, David Briggs, Ronny Krippner & Martin Baker, has been prepared to help organists of every age and stage to get started with improvisation.

‘To accompany hymns well is our bread and butter’, said Daniel Moult, at the start of our RCO workshop on hymn playing last year, ‘but also quite an art.  So take pride in your hymn playing – have your own hymn book marked up with your pedalling, cues, and notes.’