Christoph Bull has the intriguing habit of playing an organ even
during a conversation. For UCLA’s German-born organist, using
notes rather than words as a form of expression has become routine
since the age of 12, when he switched from playing piano to the
organ.
“I didn’t have much of a choice in the
matter,” Bull said. “The church needed an
organist.”
In spite of the lack of choice, the switch of instruments
resulted in Bull’s impressive first place and semifinal
finishes in national and international organ competitions,
respectively.
Bull’s mastery of the organ brought him in 1988 to the
United States, where organists are at a premium. However, the Royce
Hall organ that Bull now operates is often misconstrued as an
archaic instrument.
“Organs are still being built all the time,” Bull
said. “It used to be considered the king of instruments, and
I think it still is.”
Bull then demonstrated an organ’s range by literally
pulling out all stops. The knobs located above the keyboard are
called stops, and when all of them are activated, the result is a
bombastic, full throttle rumbling that simply floors the
listener.
“(UCLA) was looking for the organ to be able to imitate a
whole orchestra,” Bull said.
An entire quiz show could be formulated from factoids about the
Royce organ. Little is known about the mysterious and seemingly
out-of-date instrument. The Royce organ has been a part of UCLA
since the completion of the hall in 1930. The largest organ in
Southern California at the time, it has since gone through several
seismic renovations and university organists. Large pipes, small
pipes, rack-boards and tie-racks have all been damaged due to
earthquakes in 1933, 1971 and 1994. Alexander Schreiner, George
McManus, Laurence Petran and Thomas Harmon were the university
organists who preceded Bull, who was hired in September 2002, as
university organist.
According to former organist Harmon, the opportunity to perform
on the Royce organ alongside instrumental ensembles like the Los
Angeles Philharmonic and the UCLA Wind Ensemble was something he
cherished.
Also among Harmon’s favorites are annual holiday concerts
with UCLA choral groups and dance teams, as well as official
university ceremonies like inaugurations and graduations. Now Bull,
who moved to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music,
holds these performance responsibilities.
“(Organ playing) is a specialized craft, but we’re
still alive,” Bull said. “There’s an organization
called the American Guild of Organists. We’re going to do a
clinic next month to get some pianists interested in the organ. I
will be doing a couple of concerts for UCLA Live next season in
October and March. I’m really excited about that.”
Bull appreciates the chance to perform in a secular concert
setting like Royce Hall instead of the traditional church
environment. A Beatles admirer who once wanted to follow the path
of singer-songwriter, Bull has also performed at small clubs to
satiate the rock star within. Still a firm believer in religious
establishments as one of the few remaining places where organs can
survive, Bull also performs at his local church gigs, where he was
originally discovered by Harmon.
“There are so many churches, and most of them are still
sticking with the organ as their main instrument,” Bull said.
“However, the materials are expensive, and it’s time
consuming (to build). That’s probably going to prevent it
from ever being a mainstream thing. Most people would not be able
to afford it or have it in their homes, especially if they could
just get an electronic keyboard.”