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A series of recitals to mark the restoration of Winchester Cathedral’s Father Willis/ H&H organ 1854-2024. The inaugural recital is by Olivier Latry, (Notre Dame, Paris) on Saturday 27th April at 6.30 pm. Subsequent recitals, all on Sundays at 3.00 pm: 19th May Claudia Grinnell 16th June Andrew Lumsden 7th July Sarah Baldock 15th September Joshua Stephens 6th October Katherine Dienes-Williams 17th November Ben Cunningham https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/event/organ-festival/

Annoncement of the appointment of Emmas Gibbins as new DOM at Chelmsford Cathedral https://www.chelmsfordcathedral.org.uk/news/chelmsford-cathedral-appoints-new-director-of-music

Following the recent post about the passing of the Finnish organist & composer Kalevi Kiviniemi - https://mander-organs-forum.invisionzone.com/topic/5083-kalevi-kiviniemi-rip/ - here are a couple of videos featuring him. Firstly an arrangement, presumably by Kiviniemi, of "Zug zum Münster" (Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral) from Richard Wagner's opera "Lohengrin". This clip is played on the Grönlund organ (2007, III+P/ 55) of the Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland and I very much like the effect given by the stop changes at 1:34 and again at 1:54. The Xylaphone (specification: http://www.gronlunds-orgelbyggeri.se/instrument/sibelius-talo/) goes well with this piece too at 3:13 which makes me wonder how the chimes or tubular bells of the Royal Albert Hall organ would sound in lieu for that bit. In my imagination the tubular bells would perhaps be better. Next up is Kviniemi's "Toccata" on the main organ (one of three in the building) of Turku Cathedral (Veikko Virtanen Oy, 1979-1980; IV+P / 78). The organ has its own website which is at https://www.turkuorgan.fi/en/; the specification, under the "Organ" tab, shows that the swell and pedal sections both contain 7-rank Mixtures. [b]Note:[/b] The clip does not appear here in the usual way that the one above does: embedding / playbaack on other websites has been disabled at the YouTube end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ki95-UbTeo Another one from Turku but this time a fantasia, by Kiviniemi (I presume) on the well-known tune "When Johnny". The shots of the ship hanging from the cieling of the cathedral seem quite appropriate given that "When Johnny" is a tune with maritime origins. A pity I never got to hear KK play live: may he rest in peace (or should that be "rest in piece"?) Dave

The international Finnish organist Kalevi Kiviniemi died last week after suffering a heart attack. Although he didn't play any concerts in recent years, his exuberate style and improvisation skills won him many admirers. He also had over 200 titles in his discography and was the first to record the complete organ music of Jean Sibelius. He was awarded the Finnish State Prize for music in 2009. Fraser Gartshore, a long time friend of his, dedicated last Friday's organ programme on YouTube to him. Definitely worth a watch for the anecdotes and old photos as well as the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f687aa9X2jw My favourite YouTube clip of his is a spontaneous improvisation after an ambulance siren interrupted a recording session at St Ouen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gVVdj8hocA

The wife and I are going to see Anna Lapwood at Manchester Cathedral in a few weeks. She is an excellent example of young people who are going to resurrect interest in the organ in this country. Jonathan Scott is another very impressive organist who can really make the organ sound as if it's being played by TWO organists!

David Pipe - not Pipes!!! Yes, I just read that too! And I agree with what you say!! It's high time that the organ, and the organists, got out of their 'fusty' archaic selves! Good on David Pipe - and Anna Lapwood - and all of those fine young players working so hard to drag the instrument screaming into the 21st century.

Just read a very illuminating article in " The Guardian " today ( Sat ) re` the organ which I recommend to those forum members who are of an open mindset re` the direction in which the organ should be going if it is going to survive. Essentially It describes David Pipes ( a name known to one or two here?? ) collaboration with a couple of heavy rock bands and a classically trained female vocalist who have gained more than a modicum of success with their performance in Huddersfield Town Hall and a redundant church. Great interest is being shown in these people to perform in other churchs` including that located in my native city of Bristol, namely St. Mary Redcliffe. Well worth perusing , I think this will generate more interest in the organ than the somewhat inane witterings of a Certain Other Person . This could, hopefully, be the progenitor of the long awaited renaissance of the organ in the 21st cy instead of its languishing in the dust of the 19th.

About the City of Paris (Coignet) not choosing a French builder: If I recall correctly, vdH back then were one of very few firms that confidently built and voiced in a style somewhat close to Cavaillé-Coll practice, and had the means to shoulder a project of this scale. They were much in demand in the 80ies and 90ies. Disenchantment came soon after that. I recall a visiting player reporting that the Barker cabinet floor war full of leather scraps. Apparently the Barker was under extremely high pessure. On first thought, the idea to put the Barker between the electric action and the windchests seems quite sound, since the attack then would resemble that of the mechanical action. Interesting, how it all turned out.

Without getting further involved in the religious aspects, I have to agree. These sentiments remind me of a professional musician friend, though not an organist, who disparages the organ as 'the lackey of the church', in addition to his dislike of it as a 'horrifyingly inexpressive instrument'. Although these are only his opinions they appear to be quite widely held among musicians more generally. Even a very well known pipe organ builder once referred to the products of his firm merely as inexpressive instruments played via 'an ivory-covered switchboard'. For what it's worth, my opinion is different and it can be reduced to something along the lines of 'if it was good enough for Bach then it's good enough for me', and a lot of his output was either transcendentally absolute or secular and disassociated with religion. But the point surely has to be this - FACT: the organ is closely wedded to and identified with the church; FACT: the church seems to be of little (and decreasing) interest to the majority of the population; DEDUCTION: therefore the organ is also of little (and decreasing) interest to them as a musical instrument. I wish things were otherwise. From time to time, others here have said that the salvation for the organ increasingly lies in relatively cheap electronic organs in the home. For instance, you can currently get a new 2 M/P one with lots of stops and several different voicing options using the very latest sound-engine technology for under £9k. Second hand prices of decent instruments can be as little as £2k (not long ago on the same manufacturer's website). You just plug it in and off you go (quite different to VPOs, which either require an educated DIY-er or a plug-and-play one which is significantly more expensive). However, whether this will ever be enough of a compensatory 'salvation' in the long term remains to be seen. I've had a succession of electronic instruments in my home for over half a century, but most visitors (save the tiny minority who play themselves) merely express polite curiosity, at best, in my presence. When out of earshot my spies tell me they are significantly less restrained, such as the one who apparently raised loud titters at a dinner party at which I was not present by saying 'most people satisfy themselves with body building, but Colin prefers organ building'. You can pretty much guess at the pornographic channels the well-lubricated conversation degenerated into after that, apparently! (He was my boss at the time, by the way). I expect most of us have experienced something similar. In the big wide world out there, organists and their instrument are regarded as little more than weird nowadays. So is there really any hope for the organ in the long term? There could be, seeing that we have a King who is a convert to the cause who has an impressive track record of badgering powerful vested interests into action over things like architecture and the environment. At least, it might help.

I note, however, the typical conflation of the organ with "the church organ". Admittedly, for most learners, that is still the most accessible to learn on (though it's now considerably easier to get a similar instrument at home, if there's room - and money - for a simple console), but focussing on one use of the instrument is sad, and could reduce interest from non-religious people. Paul

As Rowland writes, H&H state it will have 67 stops: 24 more than in its Brighton incarnation. This is an increase of more than half the existing number of stops. Currently, Swell and Solo are enclosed. I’ll leave it to others to suggest what this enlargement might include.

Hello Rowland, I was indeed referring to the former St John's organ heading to Kennington. Does anyone know?

Doubtless he will correct me if I am mistaken, but I thought A G Preston was referring to the Mander from St John’s, Cambridge being rebuilt at Kennington. However, these are the brief details of the ‘new organ’ for St John’s, Cambridge on the H&H website: New organ; 4 manuals, 67 stops. The organ will incorporate 43 stops from the organ built by Henry Willis in 1889 for Hampstead Conservatoire and moved to St Peter’s Church Brighton in 1910. This valuable pipework survived subsequent alterations and will be restored to authentic musical speech; the pitch, changed in 1956, will be meticulously stabilised at A=440.

Excellent news, and I hope that this support by HM may encourage more people to take an interest in the organ, both playing and construction. Sadly, compared to such places as Holland and Germany, this country seems to have little interest in the instrument in many quarters. I have tried to inculcate an interest in the instrument when teaching at primary school, though I have no idea now how successful that may have been. Perhaps the King will meet with more success.

St John's Cambridge. See the Harrisons website under Projects & Plans. No spec yet.

I might be behind the curve on this one, but have only recently become aware that the King has concerns for the future of the organ and related matters such as the shortage of organists. For instance, the following appeared in The New Yorker concerning advice he sought from Andrew Lloyd Webber (having written this, I hope the latter will forgive my informality - I think his correct title is actually The Lord Lloyd-Webber): A few years ago, he [the King] urgently summoned the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to his office to present an idea. "He was worried about . . . the fact that there wasn’t enough access for young people to go and learn how to play the church organ,” Lloyd Webber told the Washington Post. In April, 2021, Charles marked International Organ Day with a message to the Royal College of Organists, urging its members to secure the future viability of what, as he reminded them, Mozart had described as the “King of Instruments. (The link to the Washington Post article is best followed from within the above extract itself - it doesn't seem to have imported properly here).

Which builder will be responsible for this? I am curious to know how it would be rebuilt, as the design of the organ at St John's was shaped to a great extent by the existing casework built between two arches.

And I'm pleased to see 'It is not essential to be an organist'

Just seen this in a Church Times advert for a Director of Music at St John the Divine, Kennington, London: “We will be installing a four-manual organ, currently in use at St John’s College, Cambridge, in 2025.” Presumably with a new, more streamlined action, but possibly lots of other new parts too. The Kennington church doesn’t seem to be short of money.

She was indeed

Claudia Grinnell has been appointed the first female Director of Music at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/news/claudia-grinnell/?fbclid=IwAR1erEhotowBubQeNgf7aLGqepn3XZTiennku6fkHH9OAKHPn4dhFc3vS54

This is a tremendous recital beautifully captured with multi-camera video. The Rieger organ sounds beautiful and entirely appropriate for all the repertoire from Bach to Reubke under the musical hands, feet and ears of Richard Moore who registers everything with imagination and authority.

Barry, was she the lady who performed for Richard McVeigh on BIS?

Here's a pleasing example of an organist taking a chance and populating the programme with several heavy hitters of the organ repertoire all at once. I rather enjoyed this recital for that respect of the audience's capacity in itself (and noted with interest, and a grin, the view of the very capacious and heavy-looking leather sofa in the loft towards the end). I've never heard the instrument in person, mind, so I've no sense of how this would sound in the building but it's good through headphones!

I'm most impressed by the young Ukrainian lady organist, Dariia Lytvishko who has been giving some lovely recitals here in the UK and elsewhere in the world for the people in her war-torn country.