Opportunities to hear the organ uninterrupted on UK network radio are few. But transfer to pure internet radio, and there’s a wealth of sources dedicated to quality organ music.
BBC Sounds allows us to catch up via the internet with the slim pickings from the UK radio networks. The BBC’s weekly live broadcast of Choral Evensong is on BBC Sounds for a limited period afterwards, and usually includes the opportunity to hear ALL of the final organ voluntary, instead of fading out after eight bars.
However, if you move to pure internet radio, there’s plenty of round the clock, wall-to-wall pipe organ music. A listing below: some of the websites are a little more clunky than others, but in general they are fairly intuitive in operation, and work over desktop, mobile and tablet – and some have their own apps via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Pipedreams
Pipedreams is part of US Public Service Radio. A smart operation, founded in 1982 by host Michael Barone – you can listen round the clock to well-constructed recitals of organ music from their comprehensive broadcast archives, and follow live concerts with downloadable programme listings.
Organlive.com
Organlive is a listener-supported internet audio station focussing on classical organ music: as each track is played you get plenty of information and links around the music, the album, the organ and the organist.
Positively Baroque
Positively Baroque is a sister station to Organlive, streaming only organ music of the Baroque period.
The Organ Experience
The Organ Experience plays 30 minute to 2 hour blocks of classical organ music round a theme – such as Organs by Mander, Music from North America or Organs of Quebec. Links to the sheet music, the organ, the organist, and the composer display in the Now Playing window.
It’s a free internet station from the Organ Media Foundation in the States: they aim to make sure that the organ and its music continue to be heard through the musical channels of the modern world.
Organroxx Radio
Organroxx was founded in 2016 by Nico Declerck, who is based in Belgium (website has Netherlands/English language options.) The playlists are organised around a daily theme, such as a particular organist, instrument, or composer.
ATOS Theatre Organ Radio
The American Theatre Organ Society runs an internet radio station dedicated to the theatre organ. ATOS Theatre Organ Radio plays music round the clock from vintage theatre organ archives, as well as selections from today’s recording artists.
CALM RADIO – Organ
Radio.net is based in Hamburg, Germany, and offers free access to thousands of radio stations and podcasts from all over the world – including CALM RADIO-Organ. The playlist info is poorly presented and a bit perfunctory, and you have to subscribe to remove ads and get HD audio, so I don’t find it as pleasing as the others.
Organ Magic
Another round-the-clock radio station with a slightly clunky website, Organ Magic is supported by in-stream ads, but you can subscribe ($10 for 3 months) to remove them.
Spotify
Can’t imagine you haven’t heard of Spotify, but if not: Spotify is an internet music streaming service covering a myriad of genres, both vocal and instrumental. Download the platform from the Spotify website to your device: there’s a free version, which has advertisements between tracks, or you may like to upgrade to Premium for £9.99 a month to remove them. The paid option also allows you to download tracks to listen offline. You’re in control: search for an organist, or a piece of music, and chances are you will get a long playlist of performances. It’s an excellent research tool for comparing performance styles, speeds and registration, or for checking out a piece you are thinking of learning.
The Historic Organ Sound Archive
Not a streaming service as such, but the The Historic Organ Sound Archive (HOSA) has recorded music on 44 of the historic organs of East Anglia, by professional organists, under the leadership of Anne Page, aided by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The music was chosen to be appropriate for the historic instrument in question, familiar to composers and players of the time of construction of the organ (and over 80 different composers are included). Listen via the National Pipe Organ Register HOSA pages.
There’s no such thing as totally free of course – streaming music over the internet uses data, whether via cable, mobile, or over wifi. Unless you’re on a truly unlimited data deal with your internet service provider, you could use up your data allowance pretty quickly if you really listen around the clock. Here’s a good article from androidcentral on data use while streaming, or see How much data does a radio app use? from Best Radios.
