The Planets - Out of Darkness | Salisbury Cathedral Organ [4K]

Music by Gustav Holst
Arranged for the Father Willis Organ of Salisbury Cathedral and performed by ‪@JohnChallenger‬
With the Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral, conducted by David Halls (50:52 Neptune)
===
00:34 Mars - The Bringer of War
09:40 Venus - The Bringer of Peace
20:01 Mercury - The Winged Messenger
25:02 Jupiter - The Bringer of Jollity
34:15 Saturn - The Bringer of Old Age
44:12 Uranus - The Magician
50:52 Neptune - The Mystic
===
This video is available to watch in resolutions up to 4K.
For more information on this project, or to listen to the album at full resolution, click here: bit.ly/3zjadCg
The album booklet notes are available to view here: bit.ly/Planets...
===
A film by Ben Tomlin - ‪@bentomlin‬
Drone footage by Simon Brown
Audio by Andrew Post
Lighting design by Ricardo da Fonseca
Quality assurance by Josh Quinlan
Filmed and recorded at Salisbury Cathedral during May and October 2023 and February 2024.

[@md95065]

This was so good that I forgot that I was listening to an organ transcription.

[@Baserra75]

And the cathedral with those lights is even more beautiful

[@grayjohn6332]

I was at Hereford cathedral last night watching his performance. Brilliant, love it. Genius. Neptune is wonderful...its all wonderful. Thank you.

[@markwebster3105]

Jupiter brought tears 😢 ❤️

[@aditonolli5278]

Me too ❤

[@peterlane9613]

Brilliant and spine tingling ending. Bravo!

[@dempsey01202]

Stunning. What a joyful way to spend an hour this evening.

[@johnwilliams1222]

The power and tempo of i vow to thee my country has had tears flowing. .never heard it so moving.

[@richardharrold9736]

Don't call it that, Holst hated that meretricious jingoistic garbage text.

[@kelvinsmallwood6315]

Great organ version of The Planets. Like the lighting.

[@OldPannonian]

Ever since I was a child, I have been listening to this classic work. As an amateur astronomer, I was very attracted to the subject matter and the tonal spectrum. We used to listen to this work with my mother, who passed away decades ago. As an 81-year-old person, I am looking forward to experiencing the wonder of the heavens from that other side, where there is no pain, sadness and suffering...

[@kerrywilliams3013]

Glorious!

[@danacraft3724]

Saludos desde Guatemala City, Guatemala! Wonderful, ethereal, majestic and inspirational to one's very spirit!

[@francisbaldwin7245]

A truly magnificent and memorable moment in life celebrating Holst's masterpeice and life with this incredible perfectly filmed arrangement.This wonderful organist John Challenger will surely be knighted some day for his devotion and passion to music and the joy he brings to our ears...

[@iwasglad122]

The custom of awarding Knighthoods to cathedral organists died out long ago. Sir Stephen Cleobury only got his AFTER he'd retired and only lived a year to enjoy it. James O'Donnell served at what might be considered the highest post in the land, at Westminster Abbey for 25 years and wasn't knighted. Ian Tracey has spent his entire working life at Liverpool looking after one of the world's greatest instruments and has never been honoured. The wonderful Francis Jackson of York didn't get the 'Sir' he so richly deserved. I think it's a disgrace. Look back at the organist knights before the sixties and the list is richly long - Alcock, Bridge, Bairstow, McKie, Dykes-Bower, Harris, Thalben-Ball, to name but an illustrious few. I'm sorry for ranting, but I feel SO strongly about this failure of our honours system.

[@michaelwinningham6166]

Brilliant!

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

The 32 ft open bass at 41:56.... ooooh

[@MrIanMiles]

Wow, just wow! The whole Solar System in this ethereal form, an iconic work of art brought to life by 'man & machine' in the all-but-timeless surroundings of one of our most magnificent yet serene cathedrals. (His masterly rendition also bears fruitful comparison with David Goode's recent one from St Michael's, Cornhill ~ but Salisbury offers a 4th manual and more generous acoustic, of which JC takes ample but ever tasteful advantage, and his tempi, rubati and phrasings are impeccably judged throughout!) Wonderful complementary visuals, too ...

[@charleslawson6824]

This was gorgeous. Thank you so much for making it available. *Thoroughly* enjoyed the entire performance.

[@Baserra75]

Fantastic. Just fab. Barbara from Italy

[@bobbyhendley3084]

Stunningly magnificent! Truly the epitome of ethereal beauty! Thank you for this gift.

[@bobcochran2890]

I have to think that solidly English composer Holst would love this performance in such a truly English cathedral by a master organist and musician. Bravo!

[@deirdrebenians9102]

Congratulations from all of us John - that was just so fabulous!

[@aditonolli5278]

What wonderful. In heaven. I endorsed all comments above. John, you are, simply the best. ❤ thanks for this emotional performance. ❤

[@nfortin1]

Absolutely astounding. Thank you so much for sharing this with us free of charge.

[@vickypos6]

wonderful, many thanks to all concerned. How wonderful to see the full majesty of the building when it is devoid of the usual clutter !

[@markwebster3105]

Brilliant use of the pistons and swell pedals. ❤

[@jakeallinson]

Gracious, when the choir entered during Neptune - The Mystic...literal goosebumps. Bravo.

[@heinrichjohannklein7776]

Outstanding!!!!

[@sekhmet7440]

Masterful cinematic shots, love the attention to detail, and as always Mr Challenger has demonstrated his skills and filled such a wonderful building with superb music. John, you have such an intimate understanding of this organ and it shows off very well throughout this virtuosic performance. Your registrations were p-e-r-f-e-c-t! The recording sounds brilliant through my headphones, can almost feel those 32 footers! Thank you for providing this to KZbin.

[@edwardhart5466]

Thank John ,absolutely brilliant performance, your gift, talent shines through, as I have said before you are so gifted ,Thank you all

[@judithwhitehouse2149]

Thank you so much for this - I would have been at the performance at my local Cathedral (Truro) but the presence of the 'Gaia' installation triggered a migraine reaction, so I had to miss out on it. Saturn and Uranus particularly effective...

[@johnmilovich2195]

Brilliant!

[@aitchem2137]

What a sublime production. The music, visuals and lighting - perfection. Bravo! 5/5

[@GandalftheLego]

This is my favorite performance of The Planets, it’s amazing!

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

Fantastic interpretation and performance. Well done!

[@Martin-r2k]

A live performance in the cathedral would be fantastic. Something for the end of the year or early 2025?

[@martinperkins6534]

Nicely done John. We must come up to see you soon.

[@ramonestana7338]

Das ist echt absolute Spitze! Grosse Kunst! Perfekt dargeboten, besser als von einem Orchester. Und eine tolle Beleuchtung. Vielen Dank dafür👍👍👍

[@MarginallyAddicted]

Big up John Challenger

[@dianehall5063]

❤❤❤ From South Africa.

[@chrisforrest9482]

Thank you, Mr. Challenger for giving me an hour of absolute enjoyment. Your arrangement is perfection itself and listening to you play in Salisbury Cathedral is an experience I shall never forget. I give my most humble thanks..

[@jeffreywhitehead9386]

Absolute masterpiece in every way. Can't thank everyone enough for the enjoyment I experienced watching and hearing this concert with from its history through to the final presentation. Well done to all involved.

[@alexanderbunt2421]

Absolutely wonderful, John! Brilliant masterpiece, both your playing and the filming. A utter joy to listen and to watch!

[@janeknobel4374]

A World Class performance with such gorgeous lighting. Thrilled to see this from the US. Thank you!

[@argonath1000]

Breathtaking. This organ was always one of my favourites! Bravo and Thank you very much!

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

Great video!

[@MMSteer]

Completely brilliant transcription.

[@absurdengineering]

My birthday is a few months off still, what a wonderful early gift! Masterfully done. Hats off dear sir, hats off. What a treat.

[@maximummovementtheatre]

Just stunning. 😊

[@richardmartin8443]

This is a totally stunning performance; I will watch it again and again. The video adds such a lot too.

[@stefan66]

I immediately ordered the CD after hearing this perfect arrangement. It has to reach my ears in the best possible audio quality. Extremely good.

[@jeffconley819]

Where did you order from. CD or vinyl record

[@stefan66]

@@jeffconley819 I ordered the CD, link to the shop you'll find in the video description

[@jeffconley819]

@@stefan66 thankyou 👍👍

[@OldPannonian]

What marvellous sounds coming from this fabulous organ! Breathtaking.

[@Motormad2510]

Well done John. Great performance. Some lovely tones on the quieter stops.

[@raissadevereux6762]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[@DaviddeSilva]

What mastery of expression and registration! Awesome! (And, of course, these are excellent arrangements of a perennial favorite!)

[@narunaru9312]

素晴らしい！！最高！ありがとう。

[@briansmith-l1q]

i commented way too early. This is the best i've heard. and John, you are so handsome!!!!! wow !

[@milindarolker6922]

thank you for this

[@thevikingwarrior]

[@helderfarinha879]

Amazing!

[@wolfstrela]

Amazing. The choir parts in Neptune, is it really a choir or it's the organ?

[@bentomlin]

That's the Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral, conducted by David Halls

[@phillipjones611]

Fabulous but why didn't he do them in order going away from the Sun, Mercury first, then Venus then Mars and so on?

[@markwebster3105]

Simply because that's NOT the way it was composed by Holst!!!! Wouldn't be the suite Holst composed if it was in a different order!!!!

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

Because it was more about the astrological planets than the astronomical ones.

[@phillipjones611]

@@JakePurches-Base2music Ah right.

[@phillipjones611]

@@markwebster3105 Ok, didn't know that.

[@briansmith-l1q]

when I saw the inside of a Leslie, i understood, lol. I'm sure those made a difference

[@krisbraxton514]

How do we purchase the digital download of the music please ?

[@SalisburyCathedral1]

Good afternoon @krisbraxton514 - the audio is now available to download or stream here: bit.ly/PlanetsStream 😀

[@MegaCirse]

Si vous commencez mal une histoire, comme si vous fuyiez le sujet que vous allez raconter, si vous quittez la route principale et vous dirigez vers les forêts sombres et que vous le niez, vous serez dans une course constante et sans fin. Croire à un mensonge est la vérité. «Holtz» m'oblige à affronter mes propres mensonges chaque fois que je l'écoute

[@patrickvalentino600]

it's an amazing performance but the cinematography was painful at times - almost as if the camera were trying to avoid the impressive pedal and finger work when they happened. We don't need a wide shot of the cathedral when some seemingly impossible acrobatics are happening at the console, it would be nice to see how it was performed. but bravo to the performer!

[@bentomlin]

The editing process was done in close collaboration with John, and as I'm sure you can imagine, over the course of an hour long film there are quite a lot of logistical and creative considerations to juggle. Thanks for watching though! The audio recording is available on Spotify etc if you want to experience just the audio at higher resolution 😊

[@jmshrrsn]

I hate to go against the general praise, but I still believe The Planets is better played by a full orchestra. At times, the arrangement sounded more like a Blackpool seaside organ than the magnificent Willis Organ of Salisbury Cathedral. Maybe it sounded better if you were there in person. Holst originally composed The Planets for a large symphony, relying on the varied timbres, dynamic range, and the interplay between different sections. While a cathedral organ has immense power and range, it lacks the subtle distinctions that individual instruments bring to the piece. In my opinion, the absence of percussion, which is crucial to the work, and the inability of an organ to recreate the spatial effects of a full orchestra, makes it feel incomplete. If Holst had written the suite for organ, it would have sounded very different. Had that been arranged for an orchestra, the contrast would have been obvious! But he didn’t - The Planets was written for a symphony orchestra, and that’s why, to me, these kinds of adaptations just don’t work. However, that’s the beauty of music: it’s so subjective.

[@DonnaLee-g8q]

Wilson Dorothy Brown Linda White George

[@carlocozzula3592]

The partition of this Organ Solo Transcription? Where can i purchase that? In digital version is better, i guess... 🙄🎹🪐🌌👏