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John Furse

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  1. Yes. But I can't imagine they will have any difficulty in attracting applicants for such positions in such a glorious building (not mentioning the organs) and with such a great DoM. 2024 looks like it will be a merry-go-round of organ benches.
  2. Again, exactly. What is 'rubbish' to one, is treasure to another. For instance, in the disparate worlds of reclamation by Archaeology and from car boot sales and refuse disposal.
  3. I agree with S_L: on the one occasion (in the 90s) I visited this fabulous church with the orgues being played, I thought I would have concussion, so head-splittingly loud was the volume. As regards the state of the instrument(s), Hyperion released this month a CD of David Briggs's music (with improvisations) recorded in July 2022. In the over a dozen one-minute clips available to listen to for free, it don't sound too bad at all. That's not to say how difficult it was for the performer (Briggs) to achieve this.
  4. "In the 1971 instrument the soundboards were reconfigured so that the organ spoke clearly to the east and west. This effective idea will be perpetuated with a Nave division speaking west."
  5. Sir James has composed a surprising amount of organ music. This only became apparent to me after I had the privilege of being the page-turner for a couple of recordings on this CD [Freak out | Extraordinary music for organ - Regent Records (regent-records.co.uk)] – including the MacMillan. The ‘Rouault’ is a fascinating, kaleidoscopic work which, to me, seems to require an organist equipped with four arms. sjf1967 will, of course, know this, as he recorded it on his wonderful (Apple-linked above) CD [James MacMillan: Organ Works | RES10266 – Resonus Classics & Inventa Records], which I purchased after my trip to Suffolk. Some of these pieces need to be listened to several times for their qualities to become manifest. Until my visit, I had somehow not managed to hear the fabulous Holbrook Grand Organ [NPOR | N00981], despite having lived some twenty miles away. This vast, gorgeous, basilica-esque Chapel (with a second organ in the Choir area) has a reverberation period which rivals St Paul’s Cathedral. If at all possible, I would urge members to make a pilgrimage.
  6. On NPOR as West Auckland: NPOR | E01563. A curiously low roof.
  7. I failed to acknowledge Colin's contribution. (Yesterday was rather frenetic.) Anything and everything should be done to save this instrument (which I still haven't heard in any way) from the skip.
  8. Thank you, Peter. I skimmed that Facebook page, too, and was surprised that such a worthy collection of knowledgeable folk could not 'make inroads' with the local authority. It does not quite make sense that they seem prepared to allow such a sum of money go to waste, as it were. Nonetheless, a million quid is not necessarily an absurd amount, when one thinks of what would be purchased. OK, another very large amount would be necessary for relocation and restoration. However, I feel sure that possibilities exist - sadly, these may not be in the UK. If this seeming lack of concern, nay disregard, for an historic treasure persists, I wonder whether it merits an approach to The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
  9. Being a Bear of Little Brain, there are several aspects of this sorry state of affairs I find puzzling. (I have not scrolled through any previous threads.) This is an historic and, presumably, fine-sounding (if not much, much better) instrument. I can find no recordings to which to listen online. If I have missed any, please point me in their direction. Attempts to restore the organ in situ (the most desirable solution in many ways), or move it into a nearby location, seem to have failed. Have serious efforts been made, therefore, to sell it to a worthy buyer, who would treasure it ? If they want rid of it, do the local authorities not wish for the funds this would provide for the benefit of their council tax-payers ? If it is not wanted locally, its preservation and restoration is of the utmost importance. Has no other venue (sacred or secular) expressed an interest ? With the sale of (possibly) much less historic organs overseas, this seems incredible.
  10. There is a good obit in The Telegraph.
  11. More than ever before ? Andrew Lloyd Webber piece among new coronation music - BBC News
  12. Salisbury Cathedral pipe organ will breathe new life into Holst’s Planets | Classical music | The Guardian
  13. I found the most interesting thing Maître Latry said was that the cleaning of centuries of dust from the interior would render the acoustic even more reverberant (!). This would revert to as it was before (after some years), with the return of people visiting.
  14. After a recital I gave in a glorious Spanish church, a distinguished-looking chap introduced himself to me. It was the (now) 88-year old Francis Chapelet. I agree with Colin: you never know who might be listening !
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