Organ playing longest and slowest piece of music changes chord

Image source, Getty Images

What's the longest song on your playlist? How about the longest song you've ever heard?

Well, get a load of this - it's just been announced a piece of music that is expected to take 639 years to end... has just changed chord.

A specially-created organ is playing a famous piece of music, called As Slow as Possible, which is one of the longest and slowest music compositions in existence.

Usually a piece of music will switch between chords quite quickly, but the last time this organ in Germany changed chord was two years ago in February 2022.

No-one alive today will hear this song finish as it's not due to end until 2640!

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The piece was created by American John Cage who was a famous experimental composer.

The piece is being played by an organ in St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt, Germany and has had just 16 chord changes since it started in 2001 - the first 18 months were just silence with the first notes being played in 2003.

A chord is usually three or more notes that are played at the same time to make a harmony - music we listen to every day is made up of lots of chords

Video caption, Music fans gather in a church to hear a chord change in a composition meant to last 639 years

The mechanical organ that plays the music was designed using an electronic wind machine to push air into the pipes, while sand bags press down the keys to create the drone-like sound.

The next chord change isn't likely to be until 5 August 2026.