DaveHarries

Heard the concert on BBC Radio 3: 'superb' is the only word for it. Dave

Just looked at the photos of St. Mary's, Southampton on their Facebook page. Not my scene either in terms of church and music but each to their own. TBH I wasn't too pleased when it was decided that my local church - St. Mary's, Stoke Bishop (Diocese of Bristol) - was to have the pews removed back in 2011 in favour of moveable chairs as well as other improvements (ie. heated flooring). Until, that was, I attended the wedding of a friend a couple of years ago which involved use of the church (service, wedding breakfast & evening cèilidh) and the adjoining church rooms (in-between those three parts). It is, in fact and despite my scepticism, a good and flexible setup which has changed my opinion somewhat. As for services we here in Stoke Bishop have both types: 9am HC, followed by 10:30 All-Age service. The 9am is accompanied by the organ (IIIP/34: Hele of Plymouth 1909, reb. Daniel of Clevedon 1979) with the 10:30 done in a more modern way so all tastes are catered for. We have a new vicar coming later this year and I hope she will keep things as they are now as far as the church is concerned. The church at Stoke Bishop is smaller than the one at Southampton but the modernisation at SB has, going by the photos I have seen, turned out better than Southampton's: I wonder if any of the congregation at St. Mary's Southampton decided to go elsewhere when the modernisation was done there: I certainly think that stage is in the wrong place. Anyway sorry if I might have gone off-topic here. Dave

In connection with this I see from the September issue of the now monthly (not bi-monthly) Choir & Organ magazine that David Stevens (who will be succeeded at Belfast by Matthew Owens) is going the other way to be ADoM of Wells Cathedral. Dave

Klais and Flentrop are indeed working on this. Details (history and proposals) on the Peterhouse website: https://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/organ Dave

Although the console which was in use for the great organ at the time of the fire is now a write-off I thought this might be of interest. The clip dates from 2016 and shows the arrival of the console at ND when it was new. HTIOI, Dave

Thanks for sharing those links in the Canterbury pipework: very interesting. Going to be a fabulous instrument and I wonder who will do the opening concert. On another note (pun not intended) I am glad not to be working on it: I don't have much of a head for heights! Dave

A couple of updates on this which I don't think have been posted to this forum yet. 1. The "Organs of Paris" page on Facebook has posted that, and I quote, "the church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, located near the Louvre, will temporarily serve as the place where the 'cathedral liturgy' will be held during the restoration of Notre-Dame. From September onwards, the masses of Notre-Dame will be celebrated there, including the broadcasts of KTO. The church has two organs. The great organ is built by Francois-Henri Clicquot. In the 19th century, the diapasons were modified by Dallery, Ducroquet and Merklin, but its classical grand jeu survived. The choir organ is built by Abbey, but underwent several modifications in time. Maintenance works are scheduled on both organs this summer." 2. The recent edition of Choir & Organ magazine for July / August 2019 reports in its news section that the console of Notre-Dame's grand organ is unusable: the electrics and electronic system are entirely out of service so the console must be rebuilt. It could also be that dismantling of the organ is underway or has been completed already: the same article also says that "Bertrand Cattiaux, who visited the instrument in May, commented that it is still unknown what corrosive effect the greasy dust from the fire may have; he felt it crucial therefore for the pipework to be dismantled and cleaned without delay (the case still remains in place)." Dave

I am unsure if it has been posted here already but the website of Worcester Cathedral advertises on the concerts page that this year the anniversary organ recital (the 11th) will be given on 05th October by Thomas Trotter who, IIRC, gave the opening concert. 6:45pm start: no clues as to the music at present on Worcester's website. http://worcestercathedral.co.uk/index.php?pr=Concerts Dave

Congratulations to Sir Stephen. And I agree that Francis Jackson should be given something too. It could be that he has been offered something in the past and turned it down. Dave

That looks an excellent programme: music by organists of Notre Dame (Antoine Calviere, for anyone not in the know, was at Notre Dame 1730-1755). If by chance I find myself up that way I will go. One point of note, however, is that someone got Vierne's first name slightly wrong..... Dave

Minor correction to the date. I just checked the Proms website to find out what O.L will be playing and the date is given as 04th August. Looks a good selection of music but I am surprised that, or so it seems, the concert is timed to start at 11am. It also seems that the concert will not be broadcast on Radio 3 but, in case it is, I will have to hope that the volunteer work I do on Sundays does not cause me to miss the concert. No doubt it will be another fantastic masterclass (for want of a better word) from M. Latry. Dave

It is. Looks from that photo as if case and pipes will need a good cleaning but no doubt the mighty beast will roar again in the not too distant future. Deo Gratias. Dave

Good to see the proceeds of the Dresden Philharmonc concert going towards the restoration of ND. https://slippedisc.com/2019/04/notre-dame-organist-is-in-germany-raising-funds/ Dave

Do you have a link to that picture please? Meanwhile more things circulated on social media this morning, 16th April through the "Organs of Paris" Facebook group. At around 0715 BST the vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Paris, Mgr Benoist de Sinety, was quoted as saying: "L’orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris est « pratiquement totalement détruit » but that contradicts the more positive words from Monseigneur Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris on BFMTV: "It is possible that the great organ is saved." More encouraging words, however, have since emerged from other sources. BFM TV ran a report which said that the great organ is in a relatively good state. But easily the most important, and best, quotes come from four other sources which have been quoted on the FB group: Michel Picaud (Friends of Notre Dame, a US-based foundation dedicated to fundraising for the Cathedral's reconstruction work), confirmed on NBC that the roof had been destroyed but added: "The fire started up near the roof top, while another fire started in the north bell tower. All damage seems to be up high and did not go into the lower part of church or touch the organ or stained-glass windows." (I have heard on media here in the UK that all 3 of the main rose windows in the cathedral survived the blaze. One of them sits behind the great organ so if the organ had been lost then the west rose window would likely have followed it.) Philippe Lefèbvre, one of the organiste titulaires of Notre-Dame de Paris, has been quoted as saying: "The organ is there but as long as no one gets into it we won't know if the heat, water or vault debrits will have deteriorated the instrumental part." There is indeed a god! Dave

Watching F24 Live @ 2016 BST it looks as if whatever was burning in that tower has been swiftly put out. Dave

Indeed although I think there may now be only one organ left at best. The central spire collapsed and fell to the east which means that the orgue de choeur (Merkin 1865, reb. 1966-1969 with work in 1970, 1987 & 1990s) may not have survived this awful event. Dave

Watching France 24 Live as @ 1929 BST it seems that the rose window where the organ is located is currently intact which gives at least some hope for the survival of the instrument but it is certainly not looking good so we could potentially be talking about the biggest, and perhaps saddest, loss of any organ ever. Certainly smoke and water damage at best. Dave

Seeing as this thread has not had any posts for a good while I thought I would pass on, albeit at rather short notice, that Nathan Laube is giving a recital on the organ at Clifton College Chapel, Bristol (Guthrie Road, Clifton, BS8 3EZ) on Thursday 21st March 2019 beginning at 7:30pm. The concert is being hosted, it seems, by the Bristol and District Organists Association. I used to have lessons on the organ (Harrison & Harrison IV+P/49 from 1911 with further H&H work in 1978, 1994 & 2017) so I will be going to that. I look forward to hearing it. This link to article on the Clifton College website shows the poster with the programme on it: https://www.cliftoncollege.com/news/2019/february/concert-by-us-virtuoso-organist/ Dave

Serious news from Paris is that firefighters were called to Saint Sulpice this afternoon, 17th March, at around 1:20pm after a fire broke out. Some damage to a door and probably some smoke damage to the church interior. An update on the "Organs of Paris" group on Facebook says that " the fire was super fast put out - the fire deparmtent came immediately. It was very limited to what you see. It was likely NOT arson NOT - it might have been an electrical fire. People were in the church when it happened. The organ is likely FINE!" One person has posted on another Facebook group - the "Warrington Cavaillé-Coll Organ" one - that "It seems only the Transept door has been severely damaged......but the smoke inside will certainly affect the Organ.....especially the reeds." Either way we can be glad that it was the transept door, not the main entrance doors, that burnt out or we could possibly be talking rather more damage to the organ. Article from the "Le Parisien" website which includes some YouTube footage: http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/paris-l-eglise-saint-sulpice-evacuee-apres-un-incendie-17-03-2019-8033700.php Dave

Hi, I have Sony MDR-ZX770BN headphones and find them great for organ music and one or two other genres of music too. Dave

Nice job by David Rhodes: very jazzy piece by the sound of it albeit not one I have ever come across before. When I was younger my Dad said of organ music that you can "always expect fireworks from the French" and a fine example thereof can be heard in this 2011 clip from Notre Dame, Paris. The music was composed by one of the Cathedral's organists, Yves Castagnet (rather an appropriate name for a musician?) who was appointed to Notre Dame in 1988 at the age of 23. Setting: "Messe Salve Regina" (Castagnet) // Grand Orgue: Olivier Latry // Orgue de Choeur: Yves Castagnet Well worth a listen: quite dramatic! Dave

Merci rogbi. Glad that things are not as bad as they sounded or could have been. Dave

Unfortunately the newspaper "Le Parisien" reported on 05th March that, overnight 02nd / 03rd March, someone broke into the basilica of Saint-Denis. By the sound of things the intruder is thought to have gained access by using scaffolding (the Google Translate effort on the article says the intruder "would have benefited from the works and would have climbed by a terrace of the basilica") and, having done this, he broke two panels of the stained glass windows that are part of the South Rose window which is currently being restored. Said intruder landed at the level of the triforium but he landed in the organ. Having done that he damaged "the engine" (bellows?) and broke two panels on the organ case to escape. The damage was found by the organist after he arrived before mass on the Sunday morning (03rd March). The conservator of the basilica, Saadia Tamelikecht, is quoted as saying that the "Degradations (damage?) are major." Hopefully the person responsible (who will be found, by the sound of it, in the near future - blood stains were found among the broken glass) has not done any other damage to the organ which was, I believe, Cavaillé-Coll's first and was built between 1834 and 1841 according to the article. Original article (in French): http://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/saint-denis-l-orgue-de-la-basilique-degrade-apres-une-intrusion-05-03-2019-8025483.php - some of you may be able to run the article past an online translation site. Dave

Sad news. I was given a copy of "Making Music On The Organ" as a present once. Not too long afterwards I got wind that he was giving a concert in bristol so I took the book along and he was kind enough to sign it. I still have the book. May he rest in peace. Dave

No worries Robert: I trust you had a good break. One of my nephews is a cathedral chorister (probationer, final year) so I frequently go to Choral Evensong when he is singing and the hard work that they put in always shows so I don't doubt that the holidays are welcomed by the choristers and those who train them. The service on 27th February was the first time I had ever been to a consecration service: great music but I had no idea they went on for so long. As for the (Suffragan) Bishop whose consecration I was there for she will be a very good appointment for the part of NW England she will be working in. Sorry to go off-topic but, as for the service yesterday and while I think of it, I did notice one thing which made me curious. The music for the responsorial psalm (Psalm 119, v. 165-174) was credited to the Archbishop of York (except for the descant which was credited to Andrew Lucas): I did wonder if that was a misprint although it does say "Music: John Sentamu 1949- " as the credit. There is nothing on his Wikipedia entry to suggest that the Archbishop had ever composed music (although it does say that he played African drums at his enthronement service) but it was very good. Dave