FutureStops (The Royal Canadian College of Organists)

Join Blake as he attends the first note change in 7 years in the longest organ performance on Earth -- John Cage's 'Organ²/ASLSP' in Halberstadt, Germany.

In this episode, we discuss the music of the late Iannis Xenakis, a widely performed 20th century composer who’s 100th birthday was just celebrated in Paris with an exhibition and multiple concerts. Xenakis, whose experimental use of mathematics and architecture in composing music anticipated so much of the 21st century and whose musical scores can be baffling to even the most seasoned interpreter wrote a work for pipe organ that still to this day, stretches the capabilities of the performer and the organ itself. We first sit down with organist Suanne Kujala was chosen to perform this work at the recent celebrations in Paris.

This notoriously difficult piece by Xenakis continues to challenge countless performers around the world since its publication in 1974. Our second guest, Eun-Joo Ju is an organist at Presbyterian Home, and Kenilworth Union Church in Illinois; her keen interest in this work, led to her choosing it as the subject for her thesis studies

You can check out our patreon at www.patreon.com/futurestops 

A small town in Nova Scotia, Canada may not be where you'd expect to find the newest centre for 21st century organ music but world-renowned organist Xaver Varnus is well on his way to making that happen, with some help from his many friends in the organ community and a few of his new neighbours.

If you like what you hear in this episode, please consider donating to Varnus's fundraiser for the project here!

When the coronavirus pandemic isolated Alexandra Bartfeld from her colleagues and her practice as an organist, she found a creative way to remain engaged. Alexandra is now the host of #OrganTalk, a series of online interviews with organists from all different backgrounds and experience levels, and from all over the world. Join Blake Hargreaves as he speaks with Alexandra about her practice as an organist, and the experiences she's had through #OrganTalk so far.

Adrian Foster is back at Montreal’s Sacre Coeur de Jésus Church for season two. In this episode we discuss Foster's use of the pipe organ to create both electronic and acoustic music, as well as feature his piece Manifesting Light recorded in November 2021Sacre Coeur de Jésus

Today we speak with documentary filmmaker James Dawson and organ restorer Martin Renshaw about their work on the documentary Organ Stops. You can check out the full doc here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/organstops

Organ Stops Synopsis:  Martin has spent his life playing and building pipe organs; nowadays he dedicates all his time to rescuing them – "It’s a real crisis. There are around fifty churches closing every year and half the organs in them are worth saving." Beautifully made and historically important pipe organs are being scrapped in their hundreds. Once the centre of British culture pipe organs are now largely neglected and unloved. Often just one step ahead of the bulldozers, Martin and a small band of organ "anoraks", travel the country on rescue missions. In one ex-mining village in the north of England he discovers a fine very rare nineteenth century organ who’s salvage and "rebirth" becomes the redemptive story at the heart of the film. It's eventually adopted and given a new lease on life in a vibrant, largely Afro-Caribbean congregation in London.

Ellen Arkbro is a Swedish composer whose search for authenticity in her musical practice led her to the pipe organ. Join us here for an interview with Arkbro about her creative approach to the organ and her abundant musical creativity. Listen to this episode's feature track, 'CHORDS for organ', here: https://ellenarkbro.bandcamp.com/track/chords-for-organ.

Welcome to the second installment of Organ+, a segment of the podcast where we take a look at multiple, unique pipe organ projects and their creators. In this episode, Blake speaks with Canadian composer Adrian Foster, Canadian sound artist George Rahi and Norwegian DJ and producer Hans-Peter Lindstrom about some of their distinctive, individual projects.

Music festivals around the world have had to adapt to new limitations during the COVID pandemic, such as travel restrictions and bans on gatherings. Join us as we survey the organ festival landscape, checking in on 4 different festivals to see how they’re adapting.

Our guests are: Ed McCall, CEO of the Organ Historical Society in the US; Br. Riccardo Ceriani, General Manager & Superintendent of The Custody of the Holy Land in the Middle East; Sir Andrew Parmley, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Organists in the UK; and Angela Hewitt, Honorary Patron of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in Canada.

Join us as we talk to Canadian composer and improviser Kara-Lis Coverdale about her work, and the path that led her from playing the organ in Sunday service to the world of experimental music and modern composition.

For episode three of our Canadian Organ Builders series, we visit the workshop of Orgues Letourneau. The Orgues Letourneau workshop is a pipe organ factory housed in a former water treatment plant in sleepy Ste.-Hyacunthe, Quebec.

Fernand Letourneau started the company in 1979 by building a six-rank pipe organ in his basement, and from those humble beginnings the company has built an international reputation for their distinctive sound and artistry.

We speak with Andrew Forrest, who is the Vice President and Artistic Director at Letourneau and plays a key role in the balancing act between old world tradition and new world technology. 

In 2011 Canadian artist Tim Hecker recorded 'Ravedeath, 1972', an album heavily featuring the pipe organ. The album went on to win the Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year. Join Blake as he speaks with Hecker about his unique perspective on the pipe organ and its artistic potential.

Raven Chacon, an artist with experience in chamber music & caustic noise performance, releases his first composed work for organ & ensemble "Voiceless Mass". Listen to this Indigenous American's first experience performing with the pipe organ as well as his history as a musician and his work with the organization, The Native Americans Apprenticeship Program.

Amina Claudine Myers is an, Organist, Pianst, Vocalist, Composer, Master Improvisationalist, Actress and Educator. She joins us here for an interview about her incredible life as a musician, and her yet-to-be-released Improvisational Suite, featuring the pipe organ. Amina's music gives us a glimpse into what’s possible when a pipe organ is wielded by someone with a wide range of influences, and an unbridled, wild creativity.

Hermann Nitsch is an Austrian avant-garde artist who works in experimental and multimedia modes. We speak to two experts in his craft, Ludwig Lusser & Leopoldo Siano, about Nitsch's music, process, and successes. 

Welcome to the second season of FutureStops! We’re very excited to be back bringing you more of the sounds and stories of the 21st century organ experience. This season begins with the first in a series of episodes exploring the rich history of organ building in Canada. Our first stop is at the legendary house of Casavant in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, where we spoke to Dany Wiseman, Sébastien Kardos and Simon Couture about their experiences in the complex and fascinating world of organ building.

Rachel Mahon is an internationally touring solo artist, the Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral in the UK, and one half of the comedy duo, Organized Crime. Join us for a conversation with Rachel about the path that lead her to one of the top jobs in the UK, the historic Canadian connections to Coventry Cathedral and how she and Sarah Svendsen turned their antics as students into the Organized Crime duo.

In our first episode, host Blake Hargreaves speaks with renowned organist Olivier Latry and organ builder Bertrand Cattiaux about the restoration, history and future of the great organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the devastating fire in April 2019.

Sandra Boss is a composer and sound artist based in Denmark. She is also the creator of the Automatic Organ, an instrument of her own design with a modern midi keyboard controlling old, hand-picked organ pipes that would have otherwise been thrown out. Join us here for an interview with Sandra about the inspiration behind creating the Automatic Organ, and the creative ideas that drive her compositions and performances.

Welcome to the third installment of Organ+, a segment of the podcast where we profile artists and performers expanding existing contexts for the organ and creating new ones. Our guests in this episode are:

Thomas Mellan, a composer and the newly minted organist at St Cecilia's Church in Boston, MA. His latest project breaks the mold of what we expect from a congregational player and connects back to his love of the electric guitar.

FUJI​|​|​|​|​|​|​|​|​|​|​TA, a performer who accompanies his voice with a keyboardless pipe organ which he built and designed himself.

John Kameel Farah, an artist who blends different keyboard instruments, genres, eras and cultures within live musical experiences, offering challenges and insights into the spaces where they take place.

In this episode, Blake speaks with Stacey Tenenbaum, Director and Producer of 'Pipe Dreams', a hit documentary that follows five young organists competing in the Canadian International Organ Competition.

In the final episode of Season 2 (time flies!), we share clips of 5 artists who will be performing at the 2022 FutureStops Festival in September. 

Don't forget to check out our Patreon @ www.patreon.com/futurestops

Welcome to FutureStops! In this trailer, you can listen to an excerpt of host Blake Hargreave's interview with Olivier Latry, the titular organist of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral.

For episode two of our Canadian Organ Builders series, we visit the workshop of Juget-Sinclair. They run the organbuilders workshop in an unassuming factory on historic Mill Street in Montreal, Canada. In this episode, they talk about how the factory is laid out, how 21st century technology is changing their job, and what they have planned for the future. 

Razen is a Belgian improvisational group that creates music informed by early music, the unique acoustics of sacred spaces and a deep sense of ritual and connection. The group's core members, Brecht Ameel and Kim Delcour, have been involved in this project for more than ten years and they join us here for an interview about their creative process, the importance of acoustics and how they incorporate the pipe organ's complex historical context into their sound. Listen to the full album Ayîk Adhîsta, Adhîsta Ayîk here!

From alternate tunings to the human element, there are many ways to experiment with sound. In this episode, electroacoustic composer and performer Sarah Davachi speaks to Blake about her musical interests and practice, including her thoughts on pipe organs and synthesizers.

In the decades following its invention, the Hammond B-3 organ changed the sound of music. Join host Blake Hargreaves as he uncovers the history of this versatile instrument and the impact it's had on both the world of music and on one of our favourite organists — Alcée Chriss III.

Claire M Singer is a composer, founder of the music festival Organ Reframed and Music Director of the organ at Union Chapel in London, England. Join in our conversation with Claire as she speaks about her experiences playing Union Chapel's hydraulic organ, developing an organ music program from the ground up and starting the innovative Organ Reframed festival.

In our penultimate episode of Season 2, Blake sits down with Kit Downes, a phenomenal composer, pianist and organ player, as well as ECM records recording artist, and winner of a BBC Jazz award.

His website: https://www.kitdownes.com/

Also, don't forget to check out our Patreon @ www.patreon.com/futurestops

In this episode, Blake sits down with Hampus Lindwall, the organist at Église-du-Saint Esprit in Paris. Known as an improviser, performer, and emerging techno artist, Lindwall is well versed on the Pipe Organ of new and old. Hear about his journey through music and religion! 

His website is http://www.hampuslindwall.com/

Also, don't forget to check out our Patreon @ www.patreon.com/futurestops

Welcome to our first instalment of Organ+, where we give a quick tour of multiple, unique organ music projects from around the world and the innovative artists behind them. In this Organ+ episode, we speak with Canadian composer Kim Farris-Manning about her visual approach to writing music, UK musician Giles Perring about his World Organ project and Canadian multi-instrumentalist Afraaz Mulji about his Infinite Sonic Possibility Interface.

Kali Malone is an American composer and organist based out of Stockholm, Sweden. Join us as Kali speaks with host Blake Hargreaves about her practice as a composer and musician interested in minimalist structure and different tuning systems.

Plus, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO0Sbp8igjY to watch a video of Kali performing some of her latest compositions live at Festival Variations with Macadam Ensemble and Stephen O'Malley.

For this episode, Blake sat down with the inimitable Cameron Carpenter in his Berlin studio to talk about one of his latest projects — performing organ concerts from the back of a flatbed truck.

In Episode 33, we speak with 3 different guests. First, we speak with Robert Curgenven about his project Beyond Enclosures. Then Tea Kulas comes on to discuss the Zadar Sea Organ and her organ festival. Finally we wrap up with Tauba Auerbach and Cameron Mesirow on their project: the Auerglass.

Beyond Enclosures: https://robertcurgenven.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-enclosures-3-album-set

the Zadar Sea Organ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n86pF-wQKrw

Don't forget to check out our patreon at www.patreon.com/futurestops 

Roger Sayer never anticipated that his organ playing would be heard by millions as part of the soundtrack to a blockbuster sci-fi film, but that's exactly what happened after composer Hans Zimmer decided to record the epic score to 2014's Interstellar on the organ at London's Temple Church.

Sayer is the organist and Director of Music at Temple Church, and he joins us here for an interview about how he became an organist, what it was like to record for a blockbuster film score and why the organ is the perfect instrument for a film about time, love and outer space.

Born in Brooklyn in 1947, Charlemagne Palestine is a multidisciplinary artist who has been exploring the sonic potential of the pipe organ since the 1970s. Join us as host Blake Hargreaves speaks with Charlemagne about his fascinating life and career. Special thanks to Nathan Cook at Close-Far Records for providing music from a very rare early recording of Charlemagne for this episode!