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Guest Lee Blick

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I seem to remember another Titulaire of St. John the Divine (David Pizzaro) who suffered an apparently similar fate. Perhaps it is not a very happy place in which to work....

 

 

What the same man who recorded the only LP ever made of the organ of Bradford cathedral, at least so far as I am aware ?

 

BAC

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What the same man who recorded the only LP ever made of the organ of Bradford cathedral, at least so far as I am aware ?

 

BAC

 

Sorry, Brian - I am not sure. I have a dim recollection of seeing the front of an LP cover (possibly with a photograph of the former nave section), but I cannot recall any other details.

 

Anyone else know anything about this one, please?

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Sorry, Brian - I am not sure. I have a dim recollection of seeing the front of an LP cover (possibly with a photograph of the former nave section), but I cannot recall any other details.

 

Anyone else know anything about this one, please?

 

Wasn't one of the pieces included something of his own for organ and prepared tape?

 

AJJ

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Wasn't one of the pieces included something of his own for organ and prepared tape?

 

AJJ

.

I think you must mean "God of the Expanding Universe" by Richard Felciano. Original , though not as much to my taste as the pieces by one his predecessors, Norman Coke-Jephcott - Bishops' Promenade and Variations, Fugue and Toccata on a National Air - although Bradford's Purcell Trumpet is not really like the State Trumpet in St John , and presumably even less so now since I understand it has been relocated inside the main organ case. The sleeve photo is of the original Nave Organ which looks very fine in the Photo. There is a photo of Mr Pizarro on the back, looking very much like an Old Testament prophet in so far as it is possible to distinguish anything in the black and white photogaph . However, his biographical notes do not mention the fact that he was titulaireat St John's, only that he was a chorister there and was presumably taught by Dr Coke-Jephcott since it was during his time as incumbent that he was a chorister.

 

I should have made it clearer in my original post that I have the LP and my query was directed to the status of Mr Pizarro. Sorry about that.

 

St John's seems to make a habit of appointing Englishmen (no Englishwomen so far to the best of my knowledge). Do any of our American friends know why this should be ?

 

Brian Childs

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St John's seems to make a habit of appointing Englishmen (no Englishwomen so far to the best of my knowledge). Do any of our American friends know why this should be ?

Brian Childs

 

There was also Paul Halley who seems still to be around running choral activities in the depths of the US country. He is a Brit. too I think - I have an interesting CD of him improvising at St J the D - called something like 'Nightwatch'. The improvising style is more 'UK cathedral' than Cochereau et al but a good demo. of the organ all the same.

 

http://www.livingmusic.com/biographies/phalley.html

 

AJJ

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There was also Paul Halley who seems still to be around running choral activities in the depths of the US country. He is a Brit. too I think - I have an interesting CD of him  improvising at St J the D - called something like 'Nightwatch'. The improvising style is more 'UK cathedral' than Cochereau et al but a good demo. of the organ all the same.

 

http://www.livingmusic.com/biographies/phalley.html

 

AJJ

 

Yes, I have that too, though I cannot say it gets much playtime. I am fairly certain he is from my part of the world, by which I mean Essex where I come from, not Ulster where I presently reside.

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.

although Bradford's Purcell Trumpet is not really like the State Trumpet in St John , and presumably even less so now since I understand it has been relocated inside the main organ case. Brian Childs

 

Hi

 

Bradford's Purcell Trumpet is now mounted "en chamade" at the top of the main organ case in the North choir gallery, speaking across the building.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

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Bradford's Purcell Trumpet is not really like the State Trumpet in St John , and presumably even less so now since I understand it has been relocated inside the main organ case.
But with a name like that it should be a poncy little thing, shouldn't it? Or has someone been listening to too many Henry Wood arrangements?

 

(I haven't taken the pills today. You can tell, can't you? :huh: )

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Hi

 

Bradford's Purcell Trumpet is now mounted "en chamade" at the top of the main organ case in the North choir gallery, speaking across the building.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

 

 

Bradford is one of the few English Anglican Cathedrals I have never visited so I can claim no familiarity with the building but my understanding was that it was long and narrow, hence the need for a nave division in the first place. If that is accurate, what is the logic behind having a directional reed like a chamade pointing across the longest axis of the building ? ( I know the Spanish originals do but that is in a quite different liturgical and musical context) Is it just to allow the organist to take pot shots at the Dean in a manner of speaking ?

 

I am further perplexed because I had thought that the Purcell Trumpet was on very modest wind pressure anyway and that the principal solo reed was called something like Trumpet - Major (I have the specification in a file upstairs but I dare not leave the computer chair or it will be annexed by the cat for the next three hours with all attempts at eviction stoutly resisted) so what exactly is its function in its new location ? Would anyone familiar with the instrument care to explain, please ? Just out of idle curiosity .

 

Brian Childs

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  • 4 weeks later...

Katherine Dienes no over at St Mary's Warwick formerly Assistant at Liverpool R.C Cathedral. So guys watch out !

 

Katherine is one of several New Zealanders doing wonderful things for classical church music in the UK. Her choral set up at Warwick is very good and she certainly knows how to handle choirboys as evidenced by me in watching her take a rehearsal in October. She has a very good musician in Luke Bond assisting her.

 

Although not female two other Kiwi church musicians of note are Andrew McMillan who is assistant at St Mary's Bourne Street and the superb Thomas Wilson who is doing fantastic work in his position as Assistant Organist at Westminster Cathedral.

He's a name to watch out for.

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Bradford is one of the few English Anglican Cathedrals I have never visited so I can claim no familiarity with the building but my understanding was that it was long and narrow, hence the need for a nave division in the first place. If that is accurate, what is the logic behind having a directional reed like a chamade pointing across the longest axis of the building ? ( I know the Spanish originals do but that is in a quite different liturgical and musical context) Is it just to allow the organist to take pot shots at the Dean in a manner of speaking ?

 

I am further perplexed because I had thought that the Purcell Trumpet was on very modest wind pressure anyway and that the principal solo reed was called something like Trumpet - Major (I have the specification in a file upstairs but I dare not leave the computer chair or it will be annexed by the cat for the next three hours with all attempts at eviction stoutly resisted) so what exactly is its function in its new location ? Would anyone familiar with the instrument care to explain, please ? Just out of idle curiosity .

 

Brian Childs

 

Hi

 

I think the reason is simply that it was the only place it woujld go once the pipe Nave division was removed.

 

The building certainly needs a Nave division for congregational singing - the funeral that I played for there last year, the (digital) Nave section was out of use (I think the faults have now been rectified), and with a congregation about 3/4 filling the centre part of the Nave, I needed Great piston 6 (out of 8) - at least to get the hymns under way (and Swell 7) - and I'm told that the volume was about right (I was advised by the deputy organist, so I didn't expect any problems). The Purcell trumpet worked well as a solo stop on introducing the hymn "Thine be the Glory".

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

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I have come across few lady organists.  Are there any at Cathedral level?  Or is it mainly a male preserve?  Why are there not many females?  Surely all-male choirs could do with a few young ladies to keep them on their toes... well at least to watch the conductors.  I'm not looking for one by the way.  I'm not made that way.  So please tell me.

 

 

In Spain, the organ music has blown from the Cathedral and the Church. I mean, although there are organis in the chapters, both males and females only play concerts (mainly). Even the choral tradition is lost... only guitars and another "modern" instruments... By the way, in my humble opinion, the best Spanish organist is a female, and she is called Monserrat Torrent.

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  • 2 years later...
I have come across few lady organists. Are there any at Cathedral level? Or is it mainly a male preserve? Why are there not many females? Surely all-male choirs could do with a few young ladies to keep them on their toes... well at least to watch the conductors. I'm not looking for one by the way. I'm not made that way. So please tell me.

Sarah Baldock at Chichester has already been mentioned. Some years ago I had to play at St Malo Cathedral in France and wrote to the organist to ask for information about the organ. I had a very helpful replay from a lady, who gave a stoplist and explained that the divisions of Grand, Recit, Positif etc could only be identified by the colour of the borders on the paper labels.

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  • 2 months later...
Guest Voix Mystique
Sarah Baldock at Chichester has already been mentioned. Some years ago I had to play at St Malo Cathedral in France and wrote to the organist to ask for information about the organ. I had a very helpful replay from a lady, who gave a stoplist and explained that the divisions of Grand, Recit, Positif etc could only be identified by the colour of the borders on the paper labels.

 

 

Katherine Dienes-Williams is now No.1 at Guildford, too.

 

Guildford Cathedral - Katherine Dienes-Williams

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