Lucasorg

I have received a number of enquiries from forum members about the new recording of David Briggs playing his own transcriptions of the two complete Elgar symphonies which we recorded at Worcester last year. This double album is now available online from www.acclaimproductions.co.uk priced £16 plus postage. An excellent purchase for Christmas...!!! Adrian Lucas

Those interested in Carlo's memorial service but who were unable to attend last Friday might be interested in purchasing a CD of the event which I recorded. Inevitably it has had to be slightly abridged as the service lasted just over 2 hours, but the feeling of the event will be carefully retained. CDs cost £15 each plus P&P of £2 regardless of quantity to UK addresses - quotations will be given for overseas postage. Please email me directly for information via adrian@acclaimproductions.co.uk for payment information and ordering instructions. Adrian Lucas Acclaim Productions Worcester

That's precisely why I wrote the tune...I can't stand Gwalchmai! A

Thank you for your supportive comments! Bear me in mind for your recording needs! My new company can offer top quality! Take a look at www.acclaimproductions.co.uk to find out more. Adrian

Andrew Lumsden plays on the Kenneth Tickell organ at Worcester cathedral this coming Saturday 31st July at 6.30pm. Programme includes Walton's Crown Imperial, Bach P&F in B minor, Serenade by Derek Bourgeois and the Prélude et fugue sur le nom d'Alain by Maurice Durufle. Admission £10 on the door.

Not quite as it may seem. We have long been able to connect Quire and Nave organs via MIDI and we are simply able to draw these stops from the Nave organ (having set it up ahead of times) by pulling out MIDI to PEDAL. This is nothing like installing electronic stops within the Tickell instrument. I hope that may clarify the position and dampen such rumours! Adrian

Posted on behalf of Themythes: This topic has proved interesting in more ways than just the organ project. This link opens up the soi-disant historic services. In fact, the most recent historic service was last Sunday (the 5th, with the excellent choir of our own Royal Holloway College); the archive goes back over two years. They seem to be almost exclusively Eucharistic services and the choir is almost invariably girls and men. For the boys, try December 25th, 2006 with an alert performance of the Willcocks “Dancing Day” arrangement, or the Funeral service for President Ford (January 2007). Further perusal of the whole website will, also, introduce the word “docent” to those of you who, such as I, have not hitherto encountered it. If there are any Choral Evensongs, I haven’t found them, but by way of compensation, there are some excellent shots of the organ console during recent Eucharists, which is, I suppose, where we came in. David Harrison

Good morning, John, We've just broken up for the Summer so I'm just enjoying my first Sunday off for ages! Glad you enjoy the sound of the new organ - we are enjoying the instrument enormously in all sorts of repertoire as well as for accompanying. After so many years of major fundraising for the Quire organ, the Cathedral has taken the wise decision to give everyone a chance to take a few deep breaths, allowing other departments within the cathedral to make progress with their own projects. We are still keeping our eyes open in the chance that we might yet stumble across a single donor with the cash needed to continue to part 2 - around another £750k including a vast amount of major logistical moving! If you know of anyone, do let me know! As you might well imagine in the present financial climate, funds are not in great supply for anyone and, with the Olympics already leeching support for the arts, things don't look particularly bright for the next few years. Thank goodness we got the Tickell in when we did. Keep supporting our recital series. George Castle (Sub Assistant here) plays next on August 1st followed by Barry Jordan (Magdeburg and Mander Board member) is here for the first Saturday in September. The year's season closes with David Briggs on Saturday 3rd October. Enjoy! With best wishes, Adrian

Next recital on the new Worcester organ is this coming Saturday. Sadly, John Gearhart has had to cancel but Christopher Allsop and I will be giving a programme of duets on Saturday 27th June at 6.30pm. Admission £10 Programme includes: Wesley - Duet for organ Leighton - Martyrs Mozart - Fantasia in F minor Soler - Sonata in C Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre Wagner - Toccata in B minor....aka The Ride of the Valkyries See you there! A

Members of the Forum may wish to know that the first of our 2009 series of recitals takes place next Saturday - 21st March - at 6.30 pm. I am giving the first of the new series which is timed to slip in after choral evensong. The programme is entitled THE WAY OF THE CROSS and includes music by Bach, Tournemire, Sweelinck and Patrick Gowers. Admission £10 See you there? Adrian

Is it possible to post a photo as part of this discussion....I have the assembled company from last Saturday on a photo! Adrian

I don't suppose there is anyone on the board who has a copy of the Dupre Evocation (op.37) they might wish to sell second-hand??? Adrian

Greetings to one and all. We would like now to finalise all the arrangements for the Mander Board visit to Worcester on January 31st, including numbers of those attending. With this in mind, would all members wishing to join the visit send me an e-mail at the Cathedral (adrianlucas@worcestercathedral.org.uk) with the following information... Name of each person attending Name used on the board The name of the town in which you live List the pieces you would like to try on the organ ...so that we can do name badges for all concerned and arrange a schedule for people to play Please send a cheque to me at The Chapter Office 8, College Yard Worcester WR1 2LA for an amount for the total number of people in your group (@ £10 per head - feel free to donate more if you wish) made payable to "Worcester Cathedral" and we will pass on the proceeds to the Music Appeal. Schedule on the day will be: 10.30 am - Coffee 11.00 am - Introduction and Demonstration 12.15 pm - Tours and opportunities to play 1.15 pm - Lunch break 2.15 pm - Opportunities to play the organ and visit organ/music artefacts in the Cathedral Library 4.30 pm - Choir rehearsal and tea 5.30 pm Evensong Responses: Smith Ps.72, 76 Pärt - Magnificat Plainsong tone II.1 - Nunc dimittis Dove - Seek him that maketh the seven stars

Yes indeed - I make it we may have around 25 juding by the expressions of interest so far. Sadly, we may not be able to do the tour up inside the instrument as the Cathedral has just invested in a whole new scheme of harnesses for work up aloft and noone is allowed up there without the full day's training. However, there will be plenty to see (and hear!) nonetheless. A

Thanks Neil and Whrrr (Do you get called that by your wife....????) I make that 24 names so far...could be a fun day! A