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DaveHarries

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Posts posted by DaveHarries

  1. Here's an organ I would very much like to spend some time playing if the chance ever arose. St. Elizabeth, Wroclaw (Poland), built by Klais (Bonn, DE) / Thomas (Stavelot, BE) / Zych (Wolomin, PL) 2019-2022 as a replica, in all ways except the blowing mechanism, of the Michael Engler organ (1752-1760) which was worked on and somewhat altered before being entirely destroyed by fire on 09-Jul-1976 leaving absolutely nothing.

    This photo, taken after the fire of 1976, shows just how complete the destruction of the previous organ was:
    https://polska-org.pl/9069037,foto.html?idEntity=546812

    This video is an improvisation (of what piece I don't know) played by Hubert Trojanek.

    Dave

     

  2. 4 hours ago, David Cynan Jones said:

    Confirmation of the appointment at Wells Cathedral.

    https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/archives/46837079

    A good appointment for Wells by the sound of it and hot on the heals of the appointment of a new Dean of Wells too (Rev. Toby Wright who is Team Vicar of Witney, Oxfordshire & Hon. Canon of Christ Church, Oxford) - but I am surprised that TIm Parsons is moving on quite so soon as it sounds like he has done well at St. Edmundsbury. One clue as to what might have lured TP's return to the west country perhaps comes from the website of SEC which quotes the Dean of St. Edmundsbury as saying that "it will be lovely for them to be closer to their families".

    The website of SEC says that TIm Parsons will be there until Sunday 01st September so Wells will have to wait a few months yet.

    Dave

  3. On 30/12/2023 at 11:48, Barry Oakley said:

    It's time this feudal system was scrapped!

    Each to their own: not all of these honours, such as the RVO (which can only be given by the monarch so is non-political: it is given for distinguished personal service to the monarch) have anything to do with politics and wealth whatsoever. The Dean of Westminster had a huge role in the organisation of the events in the Abbey.

    I remember David Hoyle from his time as Dean of Bristol and always reckoned that he would make a good job of handling the coronation. However I agree that some awards should have been dished out to those who composed, and were in charge of, the music for the service and its direction.

    Dave

  4. On 19/12/2023 at 09:37, James Atherton said:

    The Nave division will be approximately where the previous West Great was. 

    As someone who doesn't know the layout of the old organ (as I never saw a cross-section of it) whereabouts was that? In the main case or hidden in the triforium somewhere?

    Dave

  5. 14 hours ago, Paul Walton said:

    Thanks, Dave. Just one correction - the last chance to hear the organ will be the 10:00 Eucharist on Christmas Day, where I’ll be playing her out to the Widor Toccata.

    Paul 

    Thanks Paul. Someone (Andrew Kirk) has also told me that on a FB group where I posted the same information. Although I am well aware that the work is needed it will be a pity to have to endure that electronic: when the blower packed up earlier in the year I heard the Viscount and I didn't think much of it. It takes me back to the time when I was a pupil (1990-1995) of Clifton College: when H&H restored the chapel organ in 1994 we had a 3-manual Allen in use and I thought that was, by comparison to the Viscount, a good electronic. Roll on August 2025.

    Dave

  6. On 12/08/2023 at 14:23, Martin Cooke said:

    I had the pleasure of hearing the Bristol organ this week - gosh, what HUGE 16fts on the pedal! Earlier in this thread there was a link to the proposed new scheme for the organ - we all discussed Quints and Clarion Mixtures etc. The link no longer works and I just wondered if anyone could revitalise it or, in some other way, bring it back to an available state, as it were. I guess I might be looking you, Dave, but glad of anyone's help. I see that the latest lunch hour recital poster announced that the organ will be off to Durham later this year. I am sure the result will be splendid - certainly a bit nearer for me than York, Canterbury or Norwich!

    Some updates on this.

    Firstly It is planned, as I understand it, that the organ will come down in January 2024, probably during the first half thereof. It is not scheduled to be back in use until August 2025. If that is correct then its final service before restoration, all being well, will be Sunday 31st December.

    Secondly, in terms of alterations to the stoplist I have the following information. The info was supplied by somebody in the know (not from H&H, whose website doesn't yet mention the project AFAICT) by email this morning:

    Great:
    Possible work to the Fourniture III-IV - replacement / revoicing.

    Choir:
    Clarinet (8ft?) replaced (as per 1907)
    Sesquialtera II (addded 1970s) to be split into separate ranks. I don't know what they will be and haven't been told.

    Pedal:
    Addition of Dulciana 8' (as per 1907) and Double Trumpet 16' (from Great) (presumably the rank will be on both divisions)
    Quint 5 1/3 to become Quint 10 2/3 (as per 1907)

    Great reeds to be available on other manuals.

    And that, I am told, is about it. There certainly one other alteration planned but that is very much TBC so I have been asked not to mention it here at present.

    HTIOI,
    Dave

  7. 38 minutes ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

    Reading this (with apologies to Martin and S_L for an irreverent diversion from Norwich!), I’m afraid I was tempted to quote (courtesy of Wikipedia) from the entry on Bishop Henry Montgomery Campbell who confirmed me and Robert Bowles  - in my case when Bishop of Guildford, and so before his advancement to London and the event described below:

    At his enthronement as Bishop of London he banged ceremonially with his crosier on the great West door of St Paul's, which there was some delay in opening. He turned to his chaplain and said, "We've come to the wrong place". When the door was finally opened revealing the aged canons of the cathedral, he commented, "The See gives up its dead“ (also a reference to the Book of Revelation, 20:13).

    Returning to Norwich, I noticed that the Bishop was following a prepared liturgy, and I believe the Dean was standing alongside him throughout.   

    Thanks for sharing that quote from HMC. Yes it was the Dean (Andrew Braddock) alongside the Bishop of Norwich during that Evensong: before coming to Norwich he served in the DIocese of Gloucester after spending seven years before that as rector of two parishes and also as a rural dean in the Diocese of Norwich. A relative of mine who is a member of the congregation of Gloucester spoke very well of him when I mentioned the appointment in an email.

    Dave

  8. 14 hours ago, S_L said:

    So you believe in the Holy Ghost? Well, that's something I suppose!!!

    Other than those in ordained ministry I think there are quite a few who believe in the Holy Ghost: one Sunday morning I was told by the Head Server of Bristol Cathedral that there was a former server who, if he was the one to unlock the sacristy on a Sunday morning, would knock quietly three times before entering in case he disturbed the Holy Ghost! I am not that superstitious though!

      

    1 hour ago, Colin Pykett said:

    Bishops live in palaces, don't they?  Presumably at least some of these contain antique or otherwise valuable furniture, probably of comparable quality and value to the beautifully hand-crafted casework of an organ.  So I wonder what the occupant of such a dwelling would think if someone came in and hit a treasured piece three times with a crozier with the force suggested by the video (which seemed to echo around the building each time)?  Martin Cooke wondered above whether he had got over-excited about it, but I wouldn't say that he has.  I've never seen anything like it!  Astonishing.

    I once asked on Twitter why a Bishop knocks three times with his crozier on the door of a Cathedral at the start of the enthronement service. The first reply I got simply said: "See Revelation 3:20" which reads: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."

    Dave

  9. On 24/11/2023 at 12:23, David Cynan Jones said:

    Director of Music at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban.

    Advert on the Cathedral website

    As the advert says, the DoM reports to the Dean of St. Albans whom I once had the pleasure of meeting when she was Archdeacon of Canterbury and was in Bristol Cathedral (which she had to be as the ADoC gives the Archbishop's mandate to the Dean) for the enthronement of the Bishop. We talked about Bristol Cathedral and she took interest in what my Dad (who was one of the guides of Bristol Cathedral at the time) was telling her about the history of the building. A good sort IMO.

    Dave

  10. 2 hours ago, Barry Oakley said:

    Heard a rumour that Nicholson’s are developing three new stops for Gloucester. For the pedal division, a Double Glawster 16ft and an 8ft version, Single Glawster. The choir division is to have a mutation, Old Spot at 2.2/3 and described as a real "snorter."

     

    I have heard that Gloucester have acquired a cathedral cat and this will result in the addition of an Open Diapawson.....

    Dave

  11. On 21/10/2023 at 18:46, Martin Cooke said:

    We seem to have missed Sam Bristow being appointed Sub Organist at Chelmsford Cathedral. I think this is in succession to Hilary Punnett who taken on new roles elsewhere. 

    She is given as director of RSCM Voices South which she took up in September 2023 - www.rscm.org.uk%2fa-new-director-for-rscm-voices-south%2f/RK=2/RS=XqerZHO3HvmRapt_d1uGW9u2TTA- - and is also DoM of The Cathedral Singers of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford - https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/people/hilary-punnett

    Dave

  12. Greetings all,

    I started this as a separate thread as it doesn't really come under the recital theme.

    I thought members of this forum might be interested in the forthcoming Bristol Cathedral Festival of Evensong which runs from Monday 09th to Sunday 15th October. It sounds like wit might be quite a good week of music. The Evensong services will each feature music from a different century starting with modern composers on Monday 09th and then from the next few days will see music from previous centuries back to Medieval times.

    Details: https://bristol-cathedral.co.uk/whats-on/festival-of-evensong.html

    HTIOI,
    Dave

     

  13. Between September and November this year the regular lunchtime recital series at Bristol Cathedral continues to take place. This will be the final season of recitals before the organ is dismantled and departs for more than a year of restoration work. The remaining lunchtime organ recitals for this term are:

    10th October: Christian Gautsci (Reformed Church, Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland)
    17th October: Alison Howell (Organ) & Tilly Chester (Violin)
    7th November: Farewell recital by the organists of the cathedral (Mark Lee (Organist & Master of Choristers) and Paul Walton (Assistant Organist) will feature in this along with, I would imagine, William Forrest who is the cathedral's Music Assistant and has organ playing duties as part of that role).

    All concerts start at 1:15pm. A full list of recitals, including ones not featuring the organ, can be found at https://bristol-cathedral.co.uk/whats-on/lunchtime-recital-series.html

    Dave

  14. An appointment from Bristol: I have just come across this on Facebook:

    - - - - - - - - - -

    We’re delighted to announce that from September, William Forrest will take up the new post of Music Assistant in the Cathedral Music Department.

    William will be playing the organ, assisting with chorister rehearsals, and helping with choral outreach. William joins us from Cardiff, where he was Assisting Organist at the St Martin in Roath Church, Cardiff while studying for an MA in Arts Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

    [Facebook, Bristol Cathedral]
    Source: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbristolcathedral%2Fposts%2Fpfbid025g3MwSMjjMy3CYZKfznEVf5agUV1beacRtiEWq9zJV5XEUdRnxJbVa5DA4mbbUrXl

    - - - - - - - - - -

    Not a name I know of but welcome to Bristol William.
    Dave

  15. 1 hour ago, Martin Cooke said:

    Welcome, Nick. There are some genuine experts who visit this site from time to time and it will be interesting to see what they say. My own view is that the sudden demise of a pipe organ depends entirely upon what has actually gone wrong and how costly, feasible and appropriate it would be to put that single matter right without attending to other issues. I guess that apart from the blower, the main issue is to do with electric action failing. How frequently an instrument needs cleaning and major attention must depend greatly on the amount of use, the quality of the original work and any subsequent rebuilding, and the local environment. If you're not 'in amongst it', as it were, at a major cathedral, church, chapel etc, it is all too easy to underestimate just how much an instrument might be used. At the moment Gloucester is awaiting a new organ and it is not the first to be out of action for a considerable period. Chichester had to be mothballed between 1973-1986 when it became too unreliable for daily use. Bristol have made provision for this eventuality by having a Viscount instrument installed a year or so ago, 'just in case'. Something similar is going on at the Former Royal Chapel, Greenwich where the pipe organ appears to be silent at the moment and a Viscount is in operation. There must be some major instruments coming up for work - Chichester might be on that list, Truro, too, perhaps. Organ builders are very good at 'keeping things going' and doing piecemeal work - Westminster Abbey is one such example - Liverpool Anglican is another... and I suppose those are large enough instruments to allow for whole sections to be out of action from time to time - it's hard to imagine a digital organ 'doing time' in Westminster Abbey or St Paul's. In fact, I know that it was a stipulation at St Paul's during the 1972-1977 Mander rebuild, that enough of the organ always had to be available at any one time for daily use. I believe that there were just three days' silence, as it were, when the new console was connected. Sometimes, of course, it isn't the organ that fails but something else that causes the organ grief. I saw pictures not all that long ago of Lance Foy and his family working on parts of the Truro cathedral organ where a leaking roof had caused trouble. And there was storm damage at Worcester a couple of years ago. 

    The electronic was in use at Bristol a few weeks ago following a problem with the pipe organ's air supply which was rectified a day or two later.

    As for other cathedrals planning work on their organs we can add Wells to that list.
    https://www.wellsgrandorganappeal.org.uk/

    Dave

  16. 8 hours ago, petergunstone said:

    Sorry, I should have been more specific. My question was about your comment: "The connection with church music is that Dr. Plyming is, as he himself said at his announcing, also a former chorister of Durham Cathedral." The formal announcement, nor the Q&A included any reference to this, as far as I can see. Could you give a reference for this?

    Ah I see where you are coming from. If you watch the video of the announcement in the cathedral Dr. Plyming says at one point: "I know Durham Cathedral as a place of worship and as a former chorister whose faith came alive in services of Choral Evensong I look forward to seeing its worshipping tradition flourish." I may have made a slight error in assuming that he meant Choral Evensong at Durham: I have just found a bit in which he says that he "went to church as a child but came to a personal faith in Christ while at university." His entry on Wikipedia says that he studied Russian and German at Robinson College, Cambridge where he gained a BA in 1996. ANyway if he was a chorister, regardless of wherever, then there is the church music connection.

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