Malcolm Kemp

The Good Shepherd church in Brighton, where I presided over the music for a number of years and until about six months ago, has an untouched, small 2 manual Harrison organ which was begun in the late 1920s and completed in the 1930s. Some of the pipework is said to have been voiced by Arthur Harrison. It says much for Harrison's work that the action has lasted as long as it has with nothing more than cleaning, regulation and a slight lowering of the pitch to A440 when it was often used with other instruments (see David's comments about Portsea). Now it is in urgent need of restoration. The console is incredibly comfortable and I could easily register pieces like Master Tallis's Testament effectively and entirely by hand registration. Everything blends well with everything else and, like the old Harrison in the chapel at Addington Palace, there is a 16' Oboe with an extra octave of pipes on the Swell and a piston "Oboe 8" which operates the Oboe, Octave and Unison Off. For certain types of music it is superb and it works well in the acoustically good building. It is difficult to play Trio Sonatas &c., effectively on it although the Brewer Marche Heroique works well. What it sadly lacks is a soft stop on the Great to balance with the softer stops on the Swell. Over the years I (and others, including a former cathedral organist) have tried every possible stop combination, including putting things up or down an octave, but have never ever found a combination that balances for Stanford in G Magnificat. That church has noticably declining congregations (and thereby also income) and, increasingly, an ethos which is not terribly interested in organs and traditional church music so one can only hope that they will be willing and able to do a sensitive restoration. The quote given by Harrisons about 4 or 5 years ago would certainly be beyond their means at the current time even though this is a very affluent, middle class area. The console is certainly a pleasant change from some consoles I have played where you are afraid that the flimsy drawstops will come away in your hand (and wherre they sometimes have!). Malcolm

Apologies for lowering the tone of this august Board but whilst waiting for QI to start last night (apologies also to those who have taken a dislike to Stephen Fry recently) I caught the end of a programme called Gavin and Stacey. There was a church scene featuring what appeared to be a "real" church with a pipe organ played by an organist whose robes seemed to include what looked like an LRSM hood. Does anyone have any idea of the identities of either the church or the organist? Malcolm

My curate friend at Portsea (who is Chairman of the organ restoration committee) has read these posts and has promised to give me some text to post here, under his name, explaining exactly what is planned/proposed. Malcolm

Absolutely! Malcolm

I wonder whether, so far as Portsea is concerned, we are in the realms of fact or conjecture. I merely advertised the concert on Saturday week which, I think, will involve a certain amount of local talent. At no point have I been told - neither have I suggested on this Board - what they are proposing to have done to the organ or how much they are intending to spend on it. Their November parish magazine (on their website) states that a submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund is imminent; it doesn't say what they want to have done to the organ or how much they hope to spend. What I am certain of is that the clergy team in that parish is well aware of the pastoral needs, and the social problems of, the area. Clearly David Coram has good, up to date knowledge of the area. Perhaps he has more local conenctions and factual knowlege of the proposals for the organ than we do. Malcolm

A good friend of mine who is curate at St Mary's Portsea has sent me details of activities organised to raise funds for the resoration of their fine organ. If any of you are within travelling distance there is a Christmas Spectacular in St Mary's on Saturday 5th December at 7.30pm featuring various choral groups and admission is £5. I don't know any further details of the proposed work on the organ but I do know that an application to Heritage Lottery Fund is imminent. I have only heard it once but I gather it is regarded as a fine instrument of its period. The church has a comprehensive website. Malcolm

I may be wrong but I don't think I saw any mention of Andrew Gant in the on-line Radio Times entry for Choral Evensong from St James's Place last week. If I remember rightly, I think it said Huw Williams was conducting and someone else playing. Perhaps AG is on a sabbatical? They seem to be very fashionable. Malcolm

Nigel - please don't leave again. Many of us enjoy what you have to say and actually learn a lot from what you say. Stay!!! Malcolm

I confess that I rather enjoyed the Dambusters' March and wondered what earlier generations of Lincoln organists would have thought of it! Shades of Robert Wolff at Thursford, just down the road from Walsingham. Actually I thought the Lincoln organ sounded very good in lighter mood! Malcolm

I find these all these DVDs very interesting and helpful and Priory are to be congratulated, not least for their good customer service over the phone. It is also good to have organ DVDs that don't waste time unnecessarily showing the player taking his overcoat off and then putting it on again but, on the other hand, those DVDs (from other firms) do show us some wonderful organs in wonderful churches. Malcolm

The greatly loved and missed Charles MacDonald used to regail visitors to his music shop with wonderful imitations of Francis Jackson. On the other hand, I'm told that FJ does very amusing impressions of himself. Malcolm

In the 1960s there was an organist at St Andrew's Worthing (John Partridge) who each year during Lent voluntarily banned himself from using one of the three manuals on the magnificent Hunter organ there so that one year he would avoid using the Choir, the next year the Great and the next year the Swell. I played there for a service last Tuesday morning and thoroughly enjoyed playing such a wonderful instrument, even though it needs a lot of re-leathering &c., I have known the church since 1962 but had never played for a service until last Tuesday. Malcolm

This is a very valid point to make. I find that if you write in too much fingering &c., (especially with a soft-lead pencil) it can be counter-productive. A sensible compromise is what is needed and this will be slightly different for each individual. Malcolm

I agree - the words of Christmas Carols are totally irrelevant to this Forum as are the theological views/ religious beliefs of its members. Anyway, why is anyone discussing sich matters when it isn't even Advent yet? Malcolm

St Peter's Brighton had a very small congregation and even less money. Amongst other structural probelms the nave ceiling is falling down and the nave cannot be used. It is said that £3 million is needed to put it right and HBT are good at raising money from wealthy people. As I understand it, St Peter's has been declared redundant (with an Order to that effect signed by the Privvy Council) and its parish reduced literally to the small traffic island on which it is built. The rest of the parish has been carved up between neighbouring parishes such as Chapel Royal and St Bartholomew's. The church buildings (church and attached hall) have been leased by the Diocese to HTB who are using it for their own type of service. They have been asked by local clergy not to "poach" from other churches but Brighton does have a very large student population in which the other churches of central Brighton seem to have taken no interest whatsoever and they, of course, are the type of people who will be drawn to HTB style worship. There is plenty of provision locally for the other end of the liturgical spectrum. I suspect it will work quite well. Malcolm

Rumour has it that HTB is happy to keep the organ at St Peter's Brighton and use it from time to time. I gather that at the licencing of the new P-in-C the Director of Classical Music from HBT played it extremely well and that the HTB "Classical" choir sang a Latin motet. I wasn't there but I'm told that this is what happened. A local organist - a former D-of-M at St Peter's - has been going in there every week (with the blessing of HTB) throughout to practice on the organ and thereby keep it in good working order. So far so good, it seems. On another point, en route to St Stephen's Gloucester Road (west London) last Thursday evening I went past St Jude's Courtfield Gardens and noted that services are now held in St Mary-le-Boltons in Kensington. Does anyone know what's happening to St Jude's building and organ? They used to have a good, low church, musical tradition and Stephen Ridgely-Whitehouse was there for a while. Malcolm

I find an important aspect of learning a new "big" piece is in learning it very thoroughly, with lots practice and attention to every detail and then putting it away and not touching it for 2 or 3 months. When you get it out again to do more work you find you can play it better than when you last put it away and you also quickly notice even more precise detail to hone in on. Malcolm

There are some stops in the south transept at Southwark which are totally inaudible from the console whilst the choir organ nearly blasts you head off, being right next to you. Having played it several times I can't say I particularly like the Dulwich organ - or the building it's in. I'm much more familair with the Southwark instrument and, overall, rather like it. Malcolm

So good to read this last comment. Rather like speaking, I sometimes think I am playing quite slowly and then when I hear a recording of it I am amazed how fast it is. There are, of course, reasons for this such as nerves, insufficient control of breathing, not listening properly &c., &c., but it is good to know I am not the only one who sometimes has this problem. I think/hope I have learned to look out for it now. Some conductors seem to suffer from the same problem, almost certainly for the same reasons. Malcolm

Douglas: Barry Williams suggest you ring him about this piece. If you don't have his number PM me with your contact details because your in-box for PMs here is full. Malcolm

I, too, read this article this morning. I play regularly at one crematorium and occasionally at another. At the one I play for regularly I am told that of all the Funeral Directors who use it regularly (and there are many) only one thought it would be a good idea to have organists replaced by the Wesley system. The rest wanted to keep us - and there are about six us playing regularly. It is true that canned music gets played which would not be to my taste but if I'm paid for playing one hymn (the same as I get if I play three hymns, plus the in and out music) why should I worry? I am a professional musician and if this helps to pay for my bread and cheese then so be it; I am not there - or paid - to judge. I am aware of one deanery in a neighbouring Diocese where they are trying to tighten up on what happens in their local crematorium - including who is authorised to take the services - but that is up to them. The priest mentioned in the Telegraph today is an Anglican and well known in the realms of Anglo Catholic societies and blogs. From what I can tell, he is highly regarded by those who know him and he runs a successful parish in a run-down area. Whilst I cannot speak for Christians who are not in communion with the See of Canterbury, my understanding of the system in the C-of-E is that any fees that clergy get for weddings and funerals go to their diocese to help pay their stipend and they therefore don't make a "profit" out of it. I don't know what the situation is for the ever increasing number of clergy who are non-stipendiary. Perhaps Quentin or Patrick could clarify. I know - and work with - a lot of clergy who take funerals on a regular basis and I never fail to be impressed by the amout of pastoral care and concern they show on every occasion. Malcolm

Thanks, Nigel, it sounds fantastic. I've been amazed recently to find out how many wonderful (and not so wonderful) recordings/videos one can find both on Facebook and YouTube. Having joined Facebook myself only about ten days ago (and being technologically somewhat inept) I've been surprised and slightly disappointed that I haven't been able to find any group which appears to be an offshoot of this Board or anything similar apart from "Organists" which I've just joined. Malcolm

John Henderson's book "A directory of Composers for Organ" gives the date of birth as 1882. Malcolm

A life-time of performing music for Choral Evensong has left me, in my dotage, searching unsuccessfully for a relevance that this service might have to anything. At my stage in life I find modern Roman Vespers or even, if absolutely necessary, Common Worship Evening Prayer, far more relevant and helpful. That said, and spurred on by the postings on this topic, I listened to the repeat of last Wednesday's service from St Alban's yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. I thought the service was superb and the choir was a great credit to those who train it. The choir, in fact, was superb. For me, the greatest highlight was the singing of Stainer's "Hail gladdening light" at the beginning. The psalm and the Magnificat followed close behind. The music was very cohesive and well chosen. Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed the service!!! When we got to the Preston Toccata I did wonder, however, why we were being served up a pastiche of what other composers have done rather better. I used to think the same about "Alleluias" in the days when it was popular. Nobody is going to deny that Preston is an exceptionally fine player (Willcocks has been quoted as saying he has never heard him play a wrong note) and choir trainer but I remain unconvinced about him as a composer. Malcolm

A posting on another, similar, Board confirms that the piece in unpublished. Malcolm