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Organ Recitals And Showmanship


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In another thread attention was drawn to the very impressive playing by Edwin Lemare on this site: http://www.orgel.com/music/lemare-e.html

 

An elderly friend of mine recalls attending a recital by G. D. Cunningham - at the Albert Hall, I think he said. GDC made his appearance at full tilt, running up the steps, leaping onto the bench and, without a pause, launching straight into BWV 532 with a dazzling pedal scale. This was a chap who gave 13 recitals a week at Ally Pally to audiences of 5,000-6,000. (http://www.stalbans-holborn.com/g_d__cunningham_fram__frco.htm)

 

Then there was George Thalben Ball. I only ever saw him once, when he demostrated the Temple Church organ to a group I was with, but he seemed a different type altogether - quite reserved and very gentlemanly; not at all a showman, though unquestionably a consummate musician. And, above all, like the others he had a superb technique equal to a piano virtuoso's.

 

Cinema organists too weren't exactly noted for po-faced solemnity.

 

These people could play to packed halls and churches. Of course, in those days when recorded and broadcast sound was more primitive and not available to all, their concerts offered entertainment that could not be had at home and people would turn out to hear them. Would today's organ world benefit from having charismatic performers like these? Maybe we already have them? Carlo Curley springs immediately to mind. Anyone else?

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Guest paul@trinitymusic.karoo.co.uk
In another thread attention was drawn to the very impressive playing by Edwin Lemare on this site: http://www.orgel.com/music/lemare-e.html

 

An elderly friend of mine recalls attending a recital by G. D. Cunningham - at the Albert Hall, I think he said. GDC made his appearance at full tilt, running up the steps, leaping onto the bench and, without a pause, launching straight into BWV 532 with a dazzling pedal scale. This was a chap who gave 13 recitals a week at Ally Pally to audiences of 5,000-6,000. (http://www.stalbans-holborn.com/g_d__cunningham_fram__frco.htm)

 

Then there was George Thalben Ball. I only ever saw him once, when he demostrated the Temple Church organ to a group I was with, but he seemed a different type altogether - quite reserved and very gentlemanly; not at all a showman, though unquestionably a consummate musician. And, above all, like the others he had a superb technique equal to a piano virtuoso's.

 

Cinema organists too weren't exactly noted for po-faced solemnity.

 

These people could play to packed halls and churches. Of course, in those days when recorded and broadcast sound was more primitive and not available to all, their concerts offered entertainment that could not be had at home and people would turn out to hear them. Would today's organ world benefit from having charismatic performers like these? Maybe we already have them? Carlo Curley springs immediately to mind. Anyone else?

 

 

Gordon Stewart rarely disappoints. Geoffrey Morgan is another.....

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In another thread attention was drawn to the very impressive playing by Edwin Lemare on this site: http://www.orgel.com/music/lemare-e.html

 

An elderly friend of mine recalls attending a recital by G. D. Cunningham - at the Albert Hall, I think he said. GDC made his appearance at full tilt, running up the steps, leaping onto the bench and, without a pause, launching straight into BWV 532 with a dazzling pedal scale. This was a chap who gave 13 recitals a week at Ally Pally to audiences of 5,000-6,000. (http://www.stalbans-holborn.com/g_d__cunningham_fram__frco.htm)

 

Then there was George Thalben Ball. I only ever saw him once, when he demostrated the Temple Church organ to a group I was with, but he seemed a different type altogether - quite reserved and very gentlemanly; not at all a showman, though unquestionably a consummate musician. And, above all, like the others he had a superb technique equal to a piano virtuoso's.

 

Cinema organists too weren't exactly noted for po-faced solemnity.

 

These people could play to packed halls and churches. Of course, in those days when recorded and broadcast sound was more primitive and not available to all, their concerts offered entertainment that could not be had at home and people would turn out to hear them. Would today's organ world benefit from having charismatic performers like these? Maybe we already have them? Carlo Curley springs immediately to mind. Anyone else?

 

======================================

 

 

Well, running late, I once ran up some spiral-stairs (helical surely?), bounded towards the console, tripped on the end of the pedal-board and sprawled across the organ-bench before majestically sliding off into the dust and cob-webs.

 

Does this count as a great pedal entry?

 

Cinema organist are certainly not noted for being poe-faced, and some are very good stand-up comedians. John Mann likes to say hello to his audiences, and unless they respond, he says, "Dear God! It's like staring across a graveyard. Is anyone alive?"

 

Then there's Robert Wolfe and Phil Kelsall, who play with such energy, they can get a ton of Wurlitzer console ROCKING beckwards and forwards.

 

There is an urban myth, which may be true, that Robert Wolfe once threw an electronic-organ onto its' back during a concert!

 

Frank Fowler may know the details of this one, but the Wurlitzer of the Gaumont State, Kilburn (N.London) used to have motorised wheels, with the organ-console sat on a platform. There was a sort of joystick device for steering it, and it is said that one famous organist operated the thing in error, and promptly started revolving mid-piece.

 

Ena Baga once had the misfortune of a chain breaking on the cinema-organ lift, and like the trouper she was, she played the rest of the piece sitting at a crazy angle and somehow staying on her perch.

 

As for today, who entertains?

 

There are certainly Americans who entertain....I mean....who wouldn't want to see (rather than hear) our friend "Arty?"

 

For sheer showmanship, they don't come any better than Hector Olivera, who can play the "Flight of the fumbling-bee" on the pedals at full tilt.....it's quite a class act, and always brings the house down!

 

http://www.hectorolivera.com/

 

Click on CD/DVD

 

Look for DVD "Live in Japan"

 

Click on sampler (Windows Media or Quicktime format)

 

BE AFRAID....BE VERY AFRAID.

 

Forget that this is an electronic performance, it is utterly astounding and this man entertains like no other.....not even Carlo Curley, and he's just as brilliant on pipe-organs.

 

The "Jig Fugue" and the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" are impressive enough, but wait 'til you see/hear the Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue" and especially "The flight of the bumble bee"

 

Also, listen to the brief excerpts from the Ceasr Franck CD.

 

Then there's Cameron Carpenter....indeed there is........

 

http://www.portlandphoenix.com/music/other...ts/03966961.asp

 

http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/listings/0306/ (First Track)

 

 

MM

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Guest Lee Blick

Sorry, I don't mean to change the complexion of the thread already but I think the classical organ world should take a take leaf out of the book of the popular commerical opera world.

 

Hyperion, or similar recording company should cultivate three organist female blond leggy blondes in their mid-twenties wearing very short skirts. Tour them altogether with a digital organ each and big screens so the audiences can witness their fingering and pedalling technique. Get them to play a mixture of popular classicals and snazzy modern arrangements of chart stuff (use of MIDI!) and sort of make them ever so slightly sexy. Call them Three on a Bench or something.

 

Or get three blond 18 yr old guys and call them 'Three Poofs and their Organs (as in the quartet who plays for Jonathon Ross) :blink:

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Hyperion, or similar recording company should cultivate three organist female  leggy blondes .........

 

Or get three blond 18 yr old guys and call them 'Three Poofs and their Organs

 

 

====================

 

I don't have a problem with this except, I'm not really into blonds!

 

This reminds me of the news article about the pianist Ivo Pogorleich when he first arrived from Poland at about 18 or 19 years of age; dashingly handsome with a shock of wild hair.

 

The arts critic of "The Times" suggested that Ivo Pogorelich had a faithful, devoted and gathering following, but then added:-

 

" .......it's strange to see the same, well groomed, affluent, middle-aged gentlemen occupying the first four rows at every concert."

 

Oh, to be a groupie!!

 

MM

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Sorry, I don't mean to change the complexion of the thread already but I think the classical organ world should take a take leaf out of the book of the popular commerical opera world.

 

Hyperion, or similar recording company should cultivate three organist female blond leggy blondes in their mid-twenties wearing very short skirts. Tour them altogether with a digital organ each and big screens so the audiences can witness their fingering and pedalling technique. Get them to play a mixture of popular classicals and snazzy modern arrangements of chart stuff (use of MIDI!) and sort of make them ever so slightly sexy.  Call them Three on a Bench or something.

 

Or get three blond 18 yr old guys and call them 'Three Poofs and their Organs (as in the quartet who plays for Jonathon Ross) :blink:

How about The Organ Babes? This could get so puerile very quickly. So instead, whilst remaining within the same subject matter, I'll ask a question. Where are the successors to Dame Gillian Weir, Jane Parker Smith and Jennifer Bate to come from?

 

Will all due respect, all are now well and truly into their middle ages and there is a limit (is there?) to when it is appropriate to wear shimmering sequinned dresses slit down the side (to aide getting on and off the organ stool, of course). As we have seen from another discussion thread, the ladies are now starting to take up positions in the cathedral and college organ lofts, and not before time. But they are a different breed. Of concert organists, the only person I can think of is Dr Carol Williams?

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Guest Lee Blick
there is a limit (is there?) to when it is appropriate to wear shimmering sequinned dresses slit down the side

 

Oh, there's no limit to wearing shimmering sequins, male or female. :blink:

 

I know this isn't to everyone's taste but I do quite like Virgil Fox. He seems to have a gregarious personality and charisma.

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Will all due respect...............there is a limit (is there?) to when it is appropriate to wear shimmering sequinned dresses slit down the side.

 

=========================

 

I've seen men like that in Manchester!

 

No-one seems to notice, so perhaps it isn't such a good idea these days.

 

:blink:

 

MM

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How about The Organ Babes?

 

 

------------------------------

 

How about "The chiffin' chicks?"

 

I could just imagine the response in Liverpool.

 

"ere our kid, 'ave you heard of those chiffin' chicks?"

 

"No, but if yer've got salt and vinegar we could nip down to the take-away!"

 

:blink:

 

MM

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Can you make that "very", please?

 

(Oops. Hijacking my own thread here!  :blink:  )

 

 

Oh gosh, "sex sells" is certainly being tried in the organ world, sometimes with better product than at others. For example

 

 

http://www.organfocus.com/features/events/iveta_apkalna.php

 

but also

 

http://www.elkevoelker.de/images/pressefot...kevoelker03.jpg

 

Run for cover guys. That thing looks lethal.

 

Cheers

Barry

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Oh gosh, "sex sells" is certainly being tried in the organ world......

 

http://www.elkevoelker.de/images/pressefot...kevoelker03.jpg

 

Run for cover guys. That thing looks lethal.

 

Cheers

Barry

 

=======================

 

Well, I can see why her hair is like it is and that vein looks to be standing out a bit!

 

:blink:

 

MM

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In another thread attention was drawn to the very impressive playing by Edwin Lemare on this site: http://www.orgel.com/music/lemare-e.html

 

Cinema organists too weren't exactly noted for po-faced solemnity.

 

These people could play to packed halls and churches. Of course, in those days when recorded and broadcast sound was more primitive and not available to all, their concerts offered entertainment that could not be had at home and people would turn out to hear them. Would today's organ world benefit from having charismatic performers like these? Maybe we already have them? Carlo Curley springs immediately to mind. Anyone else?

 

Kevin Bowyer surely ought to be a candidate, as did Richard Hills who has recorded several times on cinema organs but not yet, as far as I know, on a classical organ despite being an Oxbridge organ scholar.

 

Obviously the organ world would benefit from having charismatic performers who were as well known as those from a previous generation but I suspect few will emerge, if only because the opportunities to make a living as a concert performer in this country are few and far between . This necessitates even very talented performers (eg Simon Gledhill) having a "day job", and given the relatively small number of church positions which pay a stipend on which it is possible to live (or even avoid starving) that is often likely to mean teaching in some shape or form. Those who are teaching at third level will need to cultivate all the attributes of schizophrenia (as popularly understood, not in actuality) to add to the paranoia they have probably already got if they are to combine being a popular entertainer with what are conceived to be the appropriate attributes of musical scholarship among which such things as accessibility, audience appeal and the ability to communicate in terms capable of being widely understood do NOT figure highly, or indeed at all. For those with jobs of other sorts the demands of working in a country which venerates unpaid overtime and where the cost of housing condemns many to live far from where they work (thus adding to either end of the working day) surely must place substantial (if not insuperable) obstacles in the way of maintaining a flourishing secondary career.

 

BAC

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Kevin Bowyer surely ought to be a candidate, as did Richard Hills who has recorded several times on cinema organs but not yet, as far as I know, on a classical organ despite being an Oxbridge organ scholar.

 

Obviously the organ world would benefit from having charismatic performers  who were as well known as those from a previous generation but I suspect few will emerge, if only because the opportunities to make a living as a concert performer in this country are few and far between . This necessitates even very talented performers (eg Simon Gledhill) having a "day job", and given the relatively small number of  church positions which pay a stipend on which it is possible to live (or even avoid starving) that is often likely to mean teaching in some shape or form. Those who are teaching at third level will need to cultivate all the attributes of schizophrenia (as popularly understood, not in actuality) to add to the paranoia they have probably already got if they are to combine being a popular entertainer with what are conceived to be the appropriate attributes of musical scholarship among which such things as accessibility, audience  appeal and  the ability to communicate in terms capable of being widely understood do NOT figure highly, or indeed at all. For those with jobs of other sorts the demands of working in a country which venerates unpaid overtime and where the cost of housing condemns many to live far from where they work (thus adding to either end of the working day) surely must place substantial (if not insuperable) obstacles in the way of maintaining a flourishing secondary career.

 

BAC

 

======================

 

 

This is indeed something which is very close to my heart, and I have wrestled with the problem many times, because there is the very real danger that the organ, as an instrument, will not only disappear in a majority of churches, but may well end up being neglected (as it increasingly is) by professional conductors, concert secretaries, committees, local authority personnel, broadcasting networks and even academia at all levels.

 

In the past 40-odd years since I first fell in love with the organ, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that I was almost the last of a generation which readily accepted the organ as an instrument of worship, an instrument of concert and as an instrument of entertainment.

 

It was still possible to hear international players of extraordinary calibre, and even at a relatively humble Parish Church such as Leeds, large numbers attened the organ-recitals which included, among others, Melville Cook, Francis Jackson, Jiri Ropeck (with suitable bits and bobs on the Jiri), Jane Parker-Smith, Fernando Germani, Jean Langlais (it may have been Andre Marchal?), Roy Massey and other renowned organists of the day. Not far away, at various places, I have heard such as Michel Leclerc, Flor Peeters, Jennifer Bate, David Briggs and Wayne Marshall, whilst lesser mortals such as myself, were often to be heard at the various B-venues where half-decent audiences assembled.

 

At a more grass-roots level, the theatre organs were often still in-situ when I was young, and although abandonded and lonely, there were occasional concerts by former cinema organists; comprising the good, the poor and the brilliant. Indeed, the late Bryan Rodwell (a superb jazz organist/cinema organist) went out with my mother as a young-man, but I don't "think" I am a blood relative. :blink:

 

Those who had grown up with the theatre organ turned to electronics; then all the rage in homes, with organ showrooms springing up like fields of daises in every town-centre. Local electronic-organ societies put on shows, held meetings and had fun, and of course, there was a certain amount of interaction between all genres, with some competent (like the excellent Richard Hills) on a variety of instruments.

 

Well, look around now, and what we actually see is a now very elderly audience at organ-recitals, theatre-organ concerts and at electronic-organ concerts (if one can be found). Churches are now badly attended, and those which are not ,have probably adopted the happy-clappy approach, or at least worship with instruments which amount to various forms of musical torture with a 13 amp plug at the end of them.

 

Unfortunately, it goes far, far deeper than this, for music (especially religious music) was once rooted in the community; in the school, at church, often in the concert-hall and even sometimes in the home. I've mentioned my late uncle once before, but doesn't it say something that a humble (but wealthy gentleman) farmer could have developed the skill to sing alongside soloists like Kathleen Ferrier?

 

It is extraordinary, even by the standards of to-day, and says much about the sort of quality training which went on with local choirs in churches, and among the ranks of the great choral societies which once graced most major towns and cities.

 

The driving force behind much of this were, of course, organists and choirmasters at all levels, and the standard was generally quite high. The depth and breadth of the organist's repertoire extended to the specialised world of the brass-band, and when I sometimes refer to the "Black Dyke Band," it is with the full knowledge that some of their greatest achievements were performed under the directorship of the late Roy Newsholme FRCO, when John Clough (Euphonium) the organ-builder, was thrilling audiences across the world in live concerts and recordings of "Dyke" which enjoyed substantial sales.

 

It also says something about organists, that "when aye were nobbut a lad," the Annual Dinner of the local organ-grinders association was a dress affair at some swish venue or other. At the age of 14, my picture was splashed across the front page of the Liverpool Echo simply because I was the youngest attendee at the Liverpool Congress, which meant that I got to chat to the....gosh :huh: ....Lord Mayor of Liverpool.

 

It's all totally evaporated, with just a few remnants and pockets of resistance left, and about the ONLY places where one finds it nowadays, are in cathedrals, some of the bigger churches (Leeds still survives OK), a very few Town Halls (again Leeds) and, should anyone recall that there is an organ, in one of the big halls when an orchestra decides to do a big choral work or the Saint-Saens "Organ Symphony."

 

I shall respond further to this, but for now, perhaps we should all consider the implications of the above.

 

 

MM

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I would love to have heard some of these people live - but I am just too young....

 

[shut-up, Coram.]

 

I did meet Dr. Sir George once, in the Temple Church. He was incredibly nice and seemed happy to spend a few minutes chatting to an impoverished music student.

 

MM - you are right, but do you think that there is a solution? In my own church, we can barely get 30-50 people for an organ recital. A few years ago, Dame Gillian Weir came down and there were only about 180 for her. Perhaps we should hire a stripper - or a lap-dancer....

 

Oh, and I am not particularly into blondes, either - can we have a couple of sheep as well, please?

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Guest Lee Blick

My apologies, I do know that Virgil is no longer with us!

 

I think I have asked this question before, so how do we revive organ playing in this country? how do we nurture the young talent today so they become the 'showman' organists of tomorrow? I think it is going to take a lot more than for all of us to say 'we are doing our bit by taking on new pupils', if we want to see a revival.

 

Personally, I think the future is very bleak, at least in this country. Perhaps there is something we can learn from our cousins over the pond?

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I would love to have heard some of these people live - but I am just too young....

 

I did meet Dr. Sir George once, in the Temple Church. He was incredibly nice and seemed happy to spend a few minutes chatting to an impoverished music student.

 

MM - you are right, but do you think that there is a solution?

 

Oh, and I am not particularly into blondes, either - can we have a couple of sheep as well, please?

 

=====================

 

You want SHEEP? :)

 

Tups or ewes? I'll sling the wellies in the trailer....very important! :)

 

You are, of course, never too young to hear Virgil Fox....there is a whole web-site devoted to his music with mp3's.

 

Frivolity apart, is there a solution to our "problem?"

 

Lee asks if we can learn anything from across the pond, and certainly, Carlo Curley is the one regular in the UK who draws people. It isn't just showmanship of course, he is also very personable, shakes every "paw" and is happy to share a joke, a serious comment or anything else. (He can also "play a bit.") In this respect, he is the natural successor to Virgil Fox, on whom a great many young American organists model their ambitions; not always successfully.

 

Closer to home, there are quite substantial numbers at the bigger evening concerts in the Netherlands. I've seen hundreds at Haarlem, and crowds during the international improvisation competition rounds and finals. I don't know what the situation is elsewhere, but I come across references to large numbers in the former Eastern Bloc, but that is too far away to judge easily.

 

I suppose history teaches us that it was the Oxford Movement which re-introduced a sense of musical mission in the church, and there was certainly a concerted effort to encourage parish music at all levels, but I don't think there is much to learn from that these days......certainly not as a religious phenomenon which happened to support music. Nevertheless, everyone jumped on the band-wagon, and church/choral/organ music was incredibly strong in the Victorian era and well into the last one.

 

I think the important word is "mission," which further implies "communication" and "passion."

 

I suppose we have to love what we do and feel the need to share it with others.

 

I honestly don't think I would ever have gone to church, sung in a choir (spectacular voice as a boy....rubbish now) and play the organ, were it not for the fact that I was interested in architecture and architectural photography as a boy. I just wandered into a church to admire it, and there was an Anglican Curate playing the organ. A little while later, I was sat at the organ and trying things out, even though, at the age of eleven, I had never had lessons of any kind; not even on the piano. It kindled an interest which has stuck with me and taken me places and into situations no-one could ever have anticipated.

 

So my first golden-rule is to make ANYONE welcome at whatever age; old or young. Even if they cannot play, they can turn pages, pull out stops and explore the various sounds.....it's a way of communicating.

 

I recall Peter Goodman at Hull City Hall, holding "open days" for school-children, and he rather dangerously took them on internal "organ tours" and let them play the organ, play with the stops (all 184 of them!) and generally drive everyone mad. I wonder how many of those kids remember the floor shaking or their ear-drums almost popping when he drew (pushed) the "Orchestral Trumpet" stop and flaked a little more paint off the ceiling?

 

We will never know of course,, but it would be nice to think that at least one of them is now and organist, an avid organ-enthusiast or maybe an organ-builder. In any event, his son did reasonably well for himself !! (Roy Goodman)

 

At a more adult-level, there is the importance of choral accompaniment and choral-training, which is now sadly restricted to "up market" churches and cathedrals by and large. Even school choirs are now a rarity, so it is something of an uphill struggle I have to admit, but perhaps not entirely impossible.

 

I've certainly gone to enormous trouble to organise events which include and/or feature the organ, and over the years, I've organised not only an international recital series, but several orchestral and choral events. The orchestral concerts have been a resounding success, and I have always made sure that I've included a Handel Organ Concerto, which always enjoys a certain popularity and nice comments afterwards. The Albinoni is always a crowd-pleaser too, and it is usually possible to slide in a couple of solo organ works. This is good communication, but the publicity machine has to really swing into action, and full use made of the media in order to cover costs. Nowadays, I reckon it would cost in excess of £1,000 to get an orchestra up and running for a concert in church.

 

Another possibility is "organ and brass," and I would love to play with a band like "Black Dyke," but this would be terrifying; such is their ability and machine-gun precision. Still, there are good, but lesser bands scattered around, who would be happy to collaborate if a free venue were available. Also, a shared publicity effort is always valuable in building bridges and mutual respect.

 

Even lesser numbers can be a delight, and I recall a particuarly lovely concert I organised and performed in, which used solo voices, a couple of violinists, one trumpeter and a set of kettle-drums....it was fantastic and very stirring. We did things like Corelli and Purcell and I played a few baroque ditties in between.

 

Helping to organise an international organ-festival was something of a major headache, largely due to lack of grass-roots support. Almost the whole of the administration falling onto myself and my partner at the time, and my God, we struggled to pull it off, with hotel bookings, transport, finance, correspondence, logistics and a thousand things we never thought of originally. We did pull it off, got little thanks for it, and saved the organisation from a possibly huge debt burden....never again with people like that!

 

Communication, good intention, enthusiasm and willingness are not necessarily interchangeable commodities!

 

There are so many ways of getting out there and communicating with others, at all sorts of levels. It's all about sowing seeds, but unless organists do, the harvest is going to turn out to be a famine.

 

We can't rely on religion, local authorities, education departments, broadcasters or anyone else......it's OUR problem, and to quote a phrase from that excellent film, "Torch song trilogy"...."A problem is never as permanent as a solution."

 

MM

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=====================

Another possibility is "organ and brass," and I would love to play with a band like "Black Dyke," but this would be terrifying; such is their ability and machine-gun precision. Still, there are good, but lesser bands scattered around, who would be happy to collaborate if a free venue were available. Also, a shared publicity effort is always valuable in building bridges and mutual respect.

 

You will also have difficulty finding an organ that can be heard above them! They certainly drowned out the organ in their various concerts at Halifax PC, and the organ there isn't exactly quiet.

 

Isn't there some repertoire for organ and small brass ensemble by the Gabrielli's? Or are they arrangements? I've never been able to find any in the catalogues. Not, of course, that a moderm trombone was what Gabrielli would would have had in mind.

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=====================

 

You want SHEEP?      :)

 

Tups or ewes?  I'll sling the wellies in the trailer....very important!    :)

 

Did you do your national service in that well known highland regiment then ?

 

I recall Peter Goodman at Hull City Hall, holding "open days" for school-children, and he rather dangerously took them on internal "organ tours" and let them play the organ, play with the stops (all 184 of them!) and generally drive everyone mad. I wonder how many of those kids remember the floor shaking or their ear-drums almost popping when he drew (pushed) the "Orchestral Trumpet" stop and flaked a little more paint off the ceiling?

 

We will never know of course,, but it would be nice to think that at least one of them is now and organist, an avid organ-enthusiast or maybe an organ-builder. In any event, his son did reasonably well for himself !!  (Roy Goodman)Could play the organ quite well too. Gave a very creditable performance of the Widor Toccata in the City Hall as a gap filler while we awaited the arrival of the soloist (Moura Lympany) for the Piano Concerto whose train had been delayed by snow.

 

We can't rely on religion, local authorities, education departments, broadcasters or anyone else......it's OUR problem, and to quote a phrase from that excellent film, "Torch song trilogy"...."A problem is never as permanent as a solution."

 

I agree we cannot rely on religion but we would need church co-operation since they own so many of the instruments!MM

[/color]

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You will also have difficulty finding an organ that can be heard above them!  They certainly drowned out the organ in their various concerts at Halifax PC, and the organ there isn't exactly quiet.

 

 

I have had similar experiences - and my instrument is also not exactly feeble. I hate playing with brass! All the local brass players, whist being technically superb, seem incapable of ever playing below fff!

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