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Does Our Church Really Need a Three Manual Organ?
Many church organists prefer organs with three keyboards instead of two. To the non-organist it may seem like an extravagance, after all, no one has more than two hands, so how could you ever play any more than 2 keyboards at a time? There are many churches with 2 manual organs, and they seem to do the job adequately. Why do so many churches choose to purchase a three manual organ?
Names and Purposes of Each Keyboard
On a two manual organ, the lower manual is called the Great and the upper manual is the Swell. The Great is characterized by its full and pure sound due to the fact that, on a pipe organ, the Great pipes are usually placed in front of the other pipes to give the best sound in the church. The Great is very well suited to accompanying hymn singing.
The Swell pipes are enclosed in a large wooden box with shutters somewhat like venetian blinds, which, when opened and closed by the organist, change the volume of sound gradually. Hence the name "Swell" - the sound can start softly and swell up to full volume. The stops of a good Swell will usually have the widest range of volume and tone colour. It can be used to play music from the quietest accompaniment to a loud, brash roar.
On a three manual organ, the Choir manual is added on at the bottom, and it normally plays a variety of delicate stops that are most suitable for accompaniment - hence the name "Choir". As well as the quiet, delicate stops, the Choir usually has one or more solo stops such as Clarinet or Krummhorn, as well as the loudest stop of the organ, the Tuba, or Solo Trumpet. A three manual organ can be thought of as a complete two manual organ with the addition of the Choir division.
Advantages of a Three Manual Organ
1. Ease of Playing. It often proves to be easier for an organist to play with three manuals as opposed to two. It may take a short time to get used to having an extra keyboard to play on, but, even for the inexperienced, the advantages are quickly realized, especially when playing for worship services. Each manual can be set for its own tone and volume before starting to play the notes, and then, by simply changing keyboards, more variety of expression can be given to the different verses of hymns, or to each section of an organ piece. That means that the organist can concentrate more on playing the right notes, instead of trying to change stops in the middle of a piece.
2. Organ Music. Much of the organ music available was written with a three manual organ in mind. If an organist plays proper organ repertoire Sunday by Sunday, compromises will have to be made continuously in order to play on a two manual organ. For many it is no great chore to make do with 2 manuals, but it can be a source of frustration. For example, the famous Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke, often played at weddings, normally begins with the left hand accompaniment on the Swell and the right hand playing the Trumpet solo on the Choir. But the Trumpet solo parts alternate with sections requiring a full, louder sound without Trumpet that should be played on the Great. With a three manual organ, you only need to set the stops for each section at the beginning and simply change keyboards. No stop changes are required once you start playing. On a two manual organ, you need to frequently change stops back and forth throughout the piece to get close to the desired effect. You can, of course, play it without any stop changes, but that makes the piece far less exciting.
3. More Dimension to the Sound. Traditionally, each keyboard on a pipe organ represents a whole different section of pipes. On a digital organ these divisions can be represented by sets of loudspeakers. Each division can be positioned apart either horizontally or vertically to vary the points of the sound sources. Having Great, Swell and Choir can create very interesting aural effects in both hymns and organ pieces. This is also enhanced by the variety of character of the stops of each. Couple all the divisions together and you broaden the sound of the organ ensemble so that it can fill the church with sound in a full and natural way.
4. MIDI. Most church organs built today have MIDI connections that can expand the musical resources, allowing, among other features, orchestral sounds to be played from the organ keyboards. If Violins, for example, are selected to play on one keyboard of a 2 manual organ, the organist is left with just one other manual to play on, while on a three manual organ, you have the resources of two other keyboards to draw from. For example, if a Midi instrument is assigned to the Choir manual, a complete two manual organ can be played on the Swell and Great. An alternative is to select different orchestral instruments for all of the manuals. These instruments can be coupled together (the same as with regular organ stops) to form an orchestral ensemble or they can provide a wider variety of instrumental sounds for the organist to play by simply choosing a different keyboard to play on. This can make it easier than having to worry about adjusting complicated MIDI equipment while playing. That is not what most organists want to have to deal with during a church service.
5. Attractive to Organists. If your church is ever in the position of having to find a new organist, the attraction of a three manual organ could be a great advantage. As mentioned earlier, most organists, especially the accomplished ones, prefer a 3 manual organ over a 2 manual any day.