Paul Carr

Some news about the organ of Notre Dame de Paris today from organ builders Pascal Quoirin: “After two hours of examination of the instrument I did not notice any damage that could have been caused by the fire. Simply dust, a clean, light brown dust a bit like sand, non sticky dry dust. There was a thermometer with memory inside the instrument, it indicates a temperature of 17 degrees the day of the fire. So no degradation of the pipes or all the electronic components. In a fortnight we will be able to turn the organ on to be able to make a more detailed diagnosis, in particular on the state of the wind chests, but frankly I am very optimistic. The ideal will be to confine the organ in a well sealed and air-conditioned cage. Then do the dusting, rank by rank and play the organ regularly. And finally, dismantle the cage when the building restoration is complete and tune it.” The fact that the temperature appears to have remained stable while the fire was raging above the vaulting is astonishing.

This is incorrect. The church has not gone ‘happy clappy, it never did. I left, after 13 years as DoM, in August 2016; my position became untenable but this was never to do with style of music or matters relating to music in worship. In fact after I left (followed by the entire choir) the traditional style, with use of the organ continued. Following a very dark period, which could be the subject of a very readable book one day, the church finally had a fresh start with a Priest in Charge appointed about a year ago. He’s rebuilding the congregation (which stood at 3) and the place is slowly healing. The organ is used for the weekly service, played by a RBC Organ Student, and also for concerts such as the run of Carols by Candlelight concerts presented by Ex-Cathedra each Christmas. The organ is in fairly good condition considering its age, there were plans developed for a new organ using the historic pipework alongside new, and extensive surveys and research had been done to ensure that nothing of artistic or historical value was disguarded in the scheme. This had to be put on hold about 6 years ago when it became apparent that the building needed work first and this should have been the priority for any funding. The building has had some emergency repairs after ceiling collapses, etc. but is still in need of about £1m to restore it, so any organ scheme is a long way off.

I have had the amazing experience of being at Saint Eustache today and hearing all of the candidates - 7 hours of pieces, improvisations and accompaniments on that awesome instrument. Once in a lifetime. Two co-titulaires announced: Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard and Thomas Ospital. Huge congratulations to them both! Bravo. Paul.

Gloucester, St Chad's Birmingham, Hereford, Coventry, Truro, Liverpool (both - well, why not!?) But each to its own job - in other words I wouldn't want to play choral evensong on St Chad's, but then registering some repertoire on Hereford can be challenging with the wonderful, but gentle swell division. The glory of Gloucester has to be the building and its position within it. And the understanding that it's not trying to be a H&H or Willis-style cathedral organ. P

Fabulous programme Ian! I'm at Symphony Hall all day Saturday, playing for degree ceremonies, but just might make it if I have the energy left after two recitals and two Widors on the mechanical console! Vierne played at Tenbury in the 1920s, I think - Michael Hart has newspaper cuttings from the time. Symphony 3 sounds amazing on that organ - I did it there in 2009... P

Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue in Chicago is where Dr John W. W. Sherer has been the Organist and Director of Music since 1996 and where 2,000 people worship each Sunday. USA Today recently picked Fourth Presbyterian Church as one of top ten places in America to be “enthralled by heavenly music.” The church has a 126-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ and nine choirs and instrumental groups including The Morning Choir, a twenty-six voice professional ensemble and Tower Brass, a professional octet. Dr. Sherer manages an active concert series at the church with over eighty events each year. The Morning Choir and Dr. Sherer were in the film 'My Best Friend’s Wedding' the wedding being at The Fourth Presbyterian Church. In addition to his work at Fourth Presbyterian Church he is a frequent guest conductor with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, has done numerous lectures and clinics on church music and is a published author and composer. Dr Sherer will be performing an all-American programme at St Chad's Cathedral Birmingham on Tuesday 21st June at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5/£3 Do come along. A chance to hear one of the finest instruments in the Midlands played by a top organist, and for just a fiver! I heard John play at Wombourne last Tuesday - 'stunning' just about sums it all up!! Come and hear for yourself! Very best wishes, Paul http://www.paulcarr.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/paulcarr.organist

Another 12 Organ Recitals have been commissioned by St Paul's Birmingham. Thursday Live Organ Recitals at St Paul's Birmingham First Thursday of every month: 1.15pm – 1.45pm. Admission Free. 2011 - 2012 July 7th 2011 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham August 4th 2011 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham September 1st 2011 Tim Harper Birmingham Cathedral October 6th 2011 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham November 3rd 2011 Henry Fairs Birmingham University December 1st 2011 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham January 5th 2012 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham February 2nd 2012 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham March 1st 2012 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham April 5th 2012 Paul Hayward Nottingham City Parish May 3rd 2012 Paul Carr St Paul’s Birmingham June 7th 2012 Jon Payne St Thomas’ Stourbridge Thursday Live Organ Recitals by Paul Carr & Guests St Paul's in the Jewellery Quarter, St Paul's Square, Birmingham B3 1QZ On the first Thursday of every month 1.15pm - 1.45pm Admission free Recitals last 30 minutes and are followed by light refreshments. St Paul's is blessed with some of the finest acoustics in the city of Birmingham. It is a Grade I listed building, built in 1779 and set in a timeless Georgian square with beautiful rolling lawns and tree-lined walks; An oasis of calm in the heart of the city. More at: Websites: http://www.paulcarr.co.uk/ThursdayLive.htm and http://www.saintpaulbrum.org/thursdaylive.php and http://www.organrecitals.com/1/recitals0.php?venue=spjq Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paulcarr.organist Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ThursdayLive Organ details: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=N07367 If you're in the area, please do come along. All best wishes, Paul

Only a few more needed and then we can print the teatowel!

Wouldn't it have been better to put the keys in, even if the pipes ran out? At St Paul's Birmingham (1964 HN&B console) the Great runs out at F, but the rest of the keys are there. It has caught me out though! At least it's more obvious, to those who don't know the compass of the soundboard, to find yourself playing on wood infill!! I seem to recall Truro runs out of pipes before it runs out of keys too...

Yes, it does. It' housed in a 'shed' on the top of the tower with the bells. It has a good organ connection - the resident carilloneur is also the organist at the parish church over the road.

I only got my copy in 2007. It says that the HW Gray 1958 copyright was assigned to Cramer & Co in 1978. P

Michael Jones (piano) and I gave it a few airings here in the Midlands back in 2007. It's great fun, effective and not actually difficult. It went down well with the audiences too. Finding churches with both a decent piano, decent organ and a concert budget was quite difficult however! We also included Franck Prelude, Fugue & Variation in its piano organ/harmonium duet form, a couple of jazzy works by Dale Wood, Benjamin Burrows' Variations and Marcel Dupré's Theme and Variations. The Dupré, however, is very difficult in places, especially for the pianist! P

Sorry, I don't play that. It's a LOT easier than Michael Nyman's 'Fourths Mostly' - very minimalist and gave me aches in muscles I didn't know I had! Mind you even TT made a half page cut when he premiered it, that made me feel better about finding it so tricky...

Hi, I play it, not very often as it's an acquired taste, but I do like it. John Scott's recorded it on the Mander at St IL in New York. It's not difficult at all, infact sight-readable because nothing happens quickly, so as long as you know where it's heading so that you can communicate the overall structure, it won't cause you any difficulties. In a decent acoustic, with beautiful flutes and a nice clear principal chorus it sounds excellent and is indeed a unique piece of repertoire. I do seem to remember that the copy was expensive though! All best, P. PS Alt+0228 gives ä (I feel a little embarrased that I even know that though )

Has anyone else seen this article from Sunday's Telegraph? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...ng-couples.html At least the RSCM have responded and put a few things straight... http://www.rscm.com/info_resources/wedding.php ...it's just such a complete distortion of a joint press release issued by the C of E and the RSCM, which is also available at the 2nd link above. I do think that this part of the RSCM response is to the point: "An additional point in the article concerned the question of an organist taking a fee even if a friend of the wedding couple wished to play for the service. Again, it comes down to the organist’s individual contract but one would hardly expect a couple to approach the hotel where the reception is taking place and ask for their friend who happens to be an expert chef to replace the regular salaried member of staff!" It seems sad that of all the things for a wedding which have to be paid for it's organists who get picked on! Collective scream? P

Not me, not been in since last recital, August 1st... Perhaps someone else has my taste in registration!!!!!

Thanks David - just picked up your email - will read it when I've ploughed through the others, have been away from the computer for a week! P.

Thanks for all of your responses, very helpful. Paul.

I had a quick look, but can't see it. If you can put your hand on it on Sunday morning could you leave it for me as I'll be in for the recital later? Thanks. P.

Thanks - PM sent.

I'm currently looking into settings for Common Worship Communion. (Those of you who know where I'm DoM, please don't be alarmed - BCP isn't going anywhere!) Does anyone have experience of Richard Shephard's Addington Service, reference to that seems to pop up all over the place. A scan of a couple of pages to look at would be even better... And, what else is out there? I'm particularly thinking of 'congregation friendly' which at the same time gives the choir something interesting to do. Over to you! P.

Hi, is it the 8/16 bar before the 11/16 bar? if so, my (also original) copy has D#s. Infact there are no D naturals until the tonality shifts in bar 47 as the 2nd inversion c maj chord in the left hand ends on the first quaver of the bar. If you send me an email address I have the whole original scanned and could send it to you 'for educational purposes'... I didn't read your original post until the answers had already come in from, PD but have followed with interest. P.

South African Vuvuzela Philharmonic Angered By Soccer Games Breaking Out During Concerts... http://www.theonion.com/articles/south-afr...d-by-soc,17625/ Well, it made me laugh - a bit like the out breaks of relgion during organ playing sessions?

Wow, what a great way to start a Sunday morning!

I had a very similar thing a couple of years ago. tingling and an annoying ache. At school at that time we had small mice for the children, which resulted in a very closed and uncomfortable hand position for adult users. I started using my left hand to give the right hand a rest and I got a larger/normal mouse, kept it on the left and even now still only use my left hand for the mouse, even at home. The right hand is absolutely fine, and the left hand has never suffered from the complaint. Using the hedge trimmer is another matter for both hands, especially when you attempt Duruflé Veni Creator later the same day... I speak from experience. The hedge does look good though! P.