Mander Organ St Ignatius Loyola, "Mander Organ St Ignatius Loyola, NYC

2021 competition July 16 from St. Albans, UK

Noel (G-49334)

Aeolian-Skinner Opus 948 (1936–1937)

Five manuals? Are you kidding?

Most organs around the world have two manual keyboards and a pedalboard. Three manual organs are common, as are “four-deckers,” especially in big cities, but organs with five manuals are rare. What on earth do you do with five manuals? You only have two hands, and while clever organists can play two keyboards at once by “thumbing down” a melody, the cleverest could not possibly manage more than four at once. Can you even reach the top keyboard?