contrabordun

Thomas Trotter’s playing was far more assured- and, thus, more comfortable listening- than anything I’ve heard up till now: I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next slip/mistake/jolt. Was he able to procure more rehearsal time, to better settle in Dunno, but he is Thomas Trotter, after all. That's what he does.

While we're on the subject though, let's credit Radio 3 for the coverage they've given this. The entire output seems to be coming from their popup studio, and I've heard more organ music on air in the last week or so than in the last 20 years put together (if you don't count Choral Evensong). A big thank you from my corner.

A picture of the pedalboard would be quite interesting - Tony, do you happen to know if it's a reasonably standard compass?

Well yes, but you can also draw a different inference from the absence of a full time chapter: that Llandaff is an establishment that is in other respects more similar to a major Parish Church than to a Cathedral. Plenty of those have found the funds to undertake £1M+ organ rebuilds, but rather fewer maintain a professional back row singing daily offices, notwithstanding which they maintain a high standard of music. Perpetual fund raising to cover revenue expenditure is far harder to do than that for which the objective is a single, identifiable tangible thing, particularly one to which you can affix a brass plate with Granny's name engraved on. I say that with the greatest respect and sympathy to those affected. It is a great shame, both for Cathedral music in general and the musicians in particular, but I think some of the comments, particularly on various Facebook groups, have shown a somewhat tenuous grasp of reality. I realise that many here subscribe to the famous point view that the purpose of a Cathedral is to keep the organ dry, but it can't even do that if the fabric cannot be maintained, and while £45k p.a. may not sound like a great deal of money, it's quite a large sum if you don't have it and can't reasonably forecast a way of getting it.

We'll take your word for it..

Here endeth the pipes-vs-digital debate.

Well, yes. I wasn't implying any criticism, just being curious.

As there are at least 3 different people playing during the course of the service, presumably they have to put the job title to indicate exactly which one it is! BTW, would any of you experts like to explain why they use multiple players for these things? I'm assuming that any one of them would be perfectly well able to do the lot, so why the musical chairs? Is it just to give the more junior members of staff the experience of the grand state occasion?

As "an" interviewer

Leaving no trace whatsoever save for a suspicious pile of ashes behind one of the gravestones?

£135 + £70 postage for... well see for yourselves... http://www.ebay.co.u...=item19d583c633

My attempt at the record for the least-suitable instrument for that particular work was undertaken on this: http://www.npor.org....ec_index=N05825

Fiona Bruce's program about Buckingham Palace http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b014s302/The_Queens_Palaces_Buckingham_Palace/ features (47'20") the Ballroom organ, an interview with Andrew Gant and footage of him playing it a duet - the two of them singing How Lovely Are the Messengers (Lots of pictures of Fiona Bruce )

When you've done it, I'd be interested to have a look at it, (if you'd be amenable to that!) - I've got to add another one to our repertoire sometime this year, and I'm not overwhelmed by the options I've seen so far.

He's too modest to mention it himself on here, but Regent have recorded fellow Board Member Paul Carr in what is, suprisingly, the first solo recording of the 1994 Walker at St Chad's Birmingham. Hakim - Ouverture Libanaise Hendrie - Toccata and Fugue in F sharp minor Dupré - Esquisse No 1 & No 2 (Op 41) Purcell arr. Dupré - Trumpet Tune Prokofiev trans. Guillou - March (Love of 3 Oranges) Ravel trans. David Briggs - Daphnis et Chloé Briggs - Variations on Greensleeves Berlioz arr. W.T. Best - Hungarian March Litaize - Scherzo (Douze Pièces) Reuchsel Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre (Promenades en Provence) full details at http://www.paulcarr.co.uk/CD.htm