While you might think there is a "realistic" ambiance playing the St. George's dry, the organ is actually in, and voiced for, a large cathedral-like stone church with a quite reverberant acoustic. I've had the pleasure of playing the actual organ and I would say it is much more realistic with added reverb. Having said that, it will never sound exactly like it does in real life, but it will be closer. Mind you, if you like the sound as it is found then who's to argue.
Your post didn't surprise me; I had thought as much. I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't expect, or even want, my home organ to sound as if it is in a cathedral. Just a little ambience is enough to satisfy me.The ambience of the St. Georges samples is about the same as I experience at the console of the pipe organ I play on Sunday mornings (only the ambience, of course; not the pipe sounds themselves!).
I have occasionally played in churches which had quite a bit of reverberation, and have been able to compare the sound at the console with that heard out in the auditorium. While appreciating the fact that the organ may sound more glorious farther out in the listening space, to me it does not seem appropriate to have that sound at home, but rather to hear the sound more "close-up", as you would hear it at the console. I have heard the Washingtom National Cathedral organ both well out into the nave and in the choir area, and, if that organ was ever sampled, I would prefer the sound as heard in the choir, whereas in recordings I expect to hear the sound as if I was listening out in the nave.
On the other hand, as I pointed out, the Silver Octopus samples beg for a little reverb to be added to them. I love the Trio organ samples, and would like to add some of them to the St. Georges samples for a custom organ, but it is a lot of effort to add that little bit of reverb necessary to make them work with the St. Georges samples. I did do it with the Celestes, and I am preparing to do it with the Mixture from the Willis set. but it is not fun doing this sort of thing.