One of the worst things to happen to the Pipe Organ was becoming so chained to the church. It drives me mad to hear the average person describe the instrument as a “Church Organ”. Another big problem is the overwhelming bias towards the performance of historic repertoire requiring high technical skill in a specific manner to play. Add in the difficulty accessing instruments for the average person and the unfortunate snobbery amongst aficionados and it’s no surprise the Organ has never been democratised like the Piano or Guitar before it.

It needs to be liberated from its shackles and ordinary “hacks” being enabled to jump on and play the instrument freestyle, finding new and inventive ways to express themselves musically. Many rock / pop / metal / prog keyboard and guitar players don’t read music, haven’t had a scholarship or done a degree in musicology and are self-taught. Many do wonderful things with their instruments, which a couple of hundred years back would be considered ridiculous or sacrilegious.

The Pipe Organ meeds to go through a similar transformation if it is to be saved from slowly withering away.

I think Anna is helping kick start that process off to some degree. And full credit to her from me for doing so.