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

[@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...

[@edwarddeevy7347]

It's not meant to be for the organ actually , matey.. It'd scor3d. For orchestra, as it happens. the organ lacks orchestral colour, I think.

[@telwood15]

We all have different views ​@@edwarddeevy7347

[@telwood15]

I wish I had your belief.

[@md95065]

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

[@grayjohn6332]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@Baserra75]

And the cathedral with those lights is even more beautiful

[@johnwilliams1222]

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

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

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

[@jakeallinson]

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

[@karmagally]

Sounds like a real choir!

[@davidmiller8338]

@@karmagally Because it is!

[@davidmiller8338]

It's my favorite moment in this work, no matter what performance ...

[@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 ...

[@RevdDanaCraftGuatemala]

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

[@charleslawson6824]

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

[@jamescorvid]

OMG Mars on the Organ is incredible - so sinister and menacing!

[@Baserra75]

Fantastic. Just fab. Barbara from Italy

[@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...

[@danielcole8575]

Just WOW! Especially Neptune! When the women's voices came in, I literally started crying. How he made that magnificent instrument sound like women's voices...I just dont know.

[@simonedeiana2696]

Because the women's voices are... actual real women's voices from the Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral?

[@aditonolli5278]

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

[@kelvinsmallwood6315]

Great organ version of The Planets. Like the lighting.

[@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.

[@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.

[@markwebster3105]

Brilliant use of the pistons and swell pedals. ❤

[@deirdrebenians9102]

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

[@OldPannonian]

What marvellous sounds coming from this fabulous organ! Breathtaking.

[@mikemcglauflin8985]

I was not prepared for such a marvelous tour of the planets. I have repeatedly made this journey all my life, but this new perspective reveals entirely new worlds. Thank you!

[@bobbyhendley3084]

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

[@aitchem2137]

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

[@kenlawrence3007]

Absolutely wonderful! When one thinks that this score is normally played by a large orchestra but here is one very skilled musician and a wonderful organ - a stunning performance - thank you for a great hour of entertainment. I have now ordered the cd recording of this brilliant performance.

[@mikechristelow944]

This is very, very good - it's difficult to reimagine Holst's magnificent Planets Suite, but That's exactly what this achieves - faithful to the original yet original in its own right. Excellent.

[@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 !

[@janeknobel4374]

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

[@nfortin1]

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

[@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.

[@ramonestana7338]

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

[@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.

[@argonath1000]

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

[@GandalftheLego]

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

[@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..

[@MMSteer]

Completely brilliant transcription.

[@edwardhart5466]

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

[@williamestes5559]

Seeing this title was a "stop everything and listen to this" moment. Absolutely stunning. Honestly, I think this is how Neptune ought to be played.

[@dianehall5063]

❤❤❤ From South Africa.

[@Motormad2510]

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

[@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 👍👍

[@JaguarFeatherStudios]

I toured England and Salisbury in 2019 and visited the cathedral both in the day and again at night for Evensong. I remember making a small donation toward the restoration of this particular organ, as they were doing a lot of refurbishing. I’ve not heard Holst’s suite in any other form than full symphony orchestra. If there were any other instrument that could give it the depth and majesty it demands, it would be the cathedral organ, here in the capable hands (and feet) of John Challenger.

[@martinperkins6534]

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

[@Martin-r2k]

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

[@howardbaitcher5464]

Thanks for sharing John. Now that I had a chance to enjoy this. I don’t care what anyone says, this works very well on this organ.

[@michaelwinningham6166]

Brilliant!

[@mikemcglauflin8985]

My biased opinion to an orchestra for planets and apprehension to pipe organs has been silenced. A genius masterpiece has been demonstrated here from an ancient instrument and musical story clearly still both vibrant with life. A lifetime of listening to renditions of this piece did not prepare for such a surreal experience. Thank you!

[@richardmartin8443]

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

[@kerrywilliams3013]

Glorious!

[@johnmilovich2195]

Brilliant!

[@8MasterX]

Thank you for this wonderful performance! It's reasons like this that I'm an organ enthusiast. :]

[@alexanderbunt2421]

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

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

Fantastic interpretation and performance. Well done!

[@MarginallyAddicted]

Big up John Challenger

[@heinrichjohannklein7776]

Outstanding!!!!

[@DaviddeSilva]

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

[@raissadevereux6762]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

Great video!

[@samissomar]

Great live performance...Masters !...

[@narunaru9312]

素晴らしい！！最高！ありがとう。

[@maximummovementtheatre]

Just stunning. 😊

[@andreaswalther5237]

Genius. I love this idea and how it is rearranged for the 'king of instruments'. Fantastic in every sense of the word. Not that the original is bad in any way, as it is a masterpiece. I like that it has been made an organ piece after it was already rearranged by Isao Tomita for his synthesizers. Good music never dies. ;o)...

[@kwviewer]

John, this is superb. Full of emotion. Just extraordinary. A stunning arrangement. You revealed a whole new world inside the music I love so much. Your musicality, skill and dedication are as moving and as inspiring as the music. Thank you John. Bravo to all concerned in creating this extraordinary experience.

[@Jayme_Roy]

This on my home theatre - up mixed to 5.1 dolby surround - sounds epic. And on my sony oled 65 inch - semi calibrated and at about ~6 feet away - looks epic. The breadth provided by extra channels allowed the high dynamic range of the varying frequencies of sound to travel through with less interference. The result is more clarity.. more fullness. The peripheral vision reaching, electro-magnetic, 5D window to increasingly more of the world (plus a portal for the senses & mind) - aaand - that is my tv.. really shows the scale of the organ. The richness of color from some of the lighting, and striking contrast from it’s ample (non coloured / temperate based luminescence) stand offs and clashes with it’s lack of.

[@thephantomeagle2]

I’ve been there numerous times. Stunning

[@milindarolker6922]

thank you for this

[@fabiosergioforesi3917]

Perfect. Perfect. Thanks You .

[@DestinyGodden]

Holy moly 😮 Epic! I played Mars and Jupiter in high school band. I’ve always loved The Planets but never heard them on an organ. Maybe my new favorite thing.

[@markfortuin7111]

Oh Wow! This was stupendous. John Challenger is a phenomenal Organist.

[@graziacavasino8884]

Both music, transcription, and performance are truly enchanting.

[@joannetoon2376]

Awesome video, fantastic arrangement, just wish it wasn't ruined by the loud and intrusive KZbin ads (no-one needs something coming in top-blast just before the start of Neptune! Tone deaf approach by KZbin 😞) I shall have to look out for the recording instead.

[@helderfarinha879]

Amazing!

[@SirianaEvera]

Very impressive rendition. I love this work but haven't listened to it for some decades. It is still wonderful and with this instrument intriguing in its own way. Makes me wish to just sit in the midst of the cathedral, listening to every note, soaking in the music. Already ordered the CD, looking forward to its arrival. Until then YT has to suffice.

[@briansmith-l1q]

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

[@Nebu-lag]

One of my favourite suites masterfully performed on one of my favourite instruments. Amazing work.

[@bgclo]

An inspired transcription, excellently performed. Thank you!

[@edwarddeevy7347]

RIBBIS

[@danielaleng1790]

What an ending!! Marvelous!

[@domsau2]

Selon ChatGPT : La musique des planètes, intitulée The Planets, est une suite orchestrale composée par le compositeur anglais Gustav Holst entre 1914 et 1917. Chaque mouvement de l'œuvre est dédié à une planète du système solaire (à l'exception de la Terre) et incarne son caractère astrologique. Les sept mouvements sont nommés : "Mars, le porteur de guerre", "Vénus, la porteuse de paix", "Mercure, le messager ailé", "Jupiter, le porteur de gaieté", "Saturne, le porteur de vieillesse", "Uranus, le magicien" et "Neptune, le mystique". Holst s'est inspiré de l'astrologie plutôt que de l'astronomie pour cette œuvre, cherchant à exprimer les influences et les symbolismes associés à chaque planète.

[@tricycle7274]

Keeping Mars on a loop so I can face Monday. I know, day of the moon, but I’m sure everyone realises that Monday is where the battle lines are drawn!

[@bitarespect]

Incredible!

[@thevikingwarrior]

[@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

[@necrogressive466]

I haven't enough superlatives to express what I feel right now.

[@umultme]

Just to think, there’s ppl on our doorstep who can’t wait to destroy this beauty, the essence of who we are..

[@alpacafursona3128]

Henchmen 21 and 24 liked this video

[@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 😀

[@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.

[@Julian-Neptune]

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters - Genesis 1:2

[@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

[@marckg6950]

But there's no beer eother.

[@VelmaTheID]

I dream of escaping the USA and living in the UK full time.

[@edwarddeevy7347]

it lacks tonal colour , when played on the organ , in my estimation.

[@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 😊

[@DonnaLee-g8q]

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