mrbouffant

Perhaps it was based on Martin How's excellent last verse which is in an RSCM last-verses book with a blue cover. It is in A-flat, but at the Alleulia section we arrive at G flat major in the manuals over an A flat pedal. Sexy.

... tonite's episode: which instrument was featured? (this was probably already mentioned hereon....)

Funny that. The aforementioned lecturer said it was "fit for fireword". I found it hard to find three choruses to balance in a trio sonata but that was probably just my ineptitude!

Yes quite right. A few years ago I found myself playing one of the organs there (PJ hall I think) and in discussion with one of the music lecturers afterwards regarding it, he laid blame squarely at Matthias' door for the way the instrument had been butchered to try and suit the Baroque repertoire...

Anne Marsden Thomas has been tirelessly raising funds for her mammoth organ project at St. Giles, Cripplegate. If you drop her a note she may well be happy to share her experiences and advice with you. Their project seems to have gone from a standing start to the point of bearing real fruit (the commissioning of a new Mander instrument) within about three years... www.stgilesorgan.com

Humphrey Clucas' autobiog reflects on the use of 'head hunters' for the Westminster Abbey post after the demise of Dr. Neary. I loved the comment that Sir David Willcocks refused to have anything to do with them when he was approached by them for his opinion!

I had a bit of a todo with a curate's wife on another forum about this kind of topic. She declared she would rather have someone of faith and little skill playing the organ at their church than someone of no faith and much skill. That kind of set the tone for the whole "debate". Furthermore she declared that it is the DoM's job to provide pastoral care on matters spiritual for the choir and other church musicians, and hence a non-believer is a no-go. I couldn't subscribe to the view that the DoM should provide this, since what is the clergy's job if not to fulfil this role for their flock? A minefield of a discussion, I fear!

Thanks all. I appreciate "these things happen", but he feeling of being "used" is very real. Indeed, I have it in black and white from the "independent assessor" who wrote to me before interview saying that he wasn't interested in the post. I guess it's that kind of two-faced hogwash which gets my goat really...

About six months ago I applied for a DoM job at a church. Naturally this was a job I _really_ wanted.. Anyway, the incumbent appointed an "independent assessor" to oversee the interviews. Turned out I was the only candidate. After a rigorous going over, they decided not to offer me the job. Fair dos. I was disappointed, but that's life. Thing is, six months later, I have just heard that the "independent assessor" has been appointed permanently to the post! Now I feel like I've been taken for a mug. Bah. How would you feel in this situation? Is drink the only option to dull my pain? Your comments welcome...

Splendid! Was this recorded as an Easter Special last November when the Xmas Special was recorded too?!!!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6494831.stm

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Yes, 1 & 8. But which came first: the sym or the son? The second symphony (sonata 8) feels more like an orchestral piece originally - the texture/material the opening of the first movement is a clear indicator - it's not particularly idiomatic to an organ solo. Prof. Tracey's recordings on Chandos are very nice, if a little brisk !

Well, Jo Brand gave it a go! Did you see the programme tonite? Personally, I would have been more nerve-wracked playing the waltz for the ballroom crew in Blackpool than bashing out the Toccata.... Not sure what edition she played the "Bach" from... some of it she seemed to be playing one handed instead of the customary two... Still, as one contributor said, she had balls to do it! Aah, our good friend Stephen Farr is helping out too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/playitagain/learning/organ/ A Hammond did make an appearance! Good to see Jools Holland, one of the truly talented musicians this country has!

What does "stylized" mean in the titles to that extract? Does it equate to "massacred" ?

Good on 'im... and he's turning his own pages!

You're not thinking out of the box enough. Think of the background wallpaper you could choose for each screen, let alone the screensavers!

Personally, I would like to build an experimental console where the traditional stop jambs had been replaced with vertical touch screens. This way you could have any number of virtual stop heads available (obviously mapping to the physical stops) to suit the ergonomic preferences of the player. You could also have virtual pistons as well and all the rest... Add a wireless keyboard and a satellite feed and you could easily surf the internet on one screen whilst keeping track of the latest World Cup cricket game on the other -- all during the sermon! In addition, what struck me as particularly flexible would be a capture system which could "remember" a passage of music in the run up to a piston change and then automatically deploy the change when it detected the correct pattern from the player. Obviously people's playing would change subtly from one performance of the same passage to the next and a nice dose of fuzzy logic would be required in the processing of the input. Could be a nice doctoral project for someone....

I forsee little problem, after all the beast is massive. So what if they are reduced to the resources of a couple of large parish church instruments whilst work is underway - hardly a famine!

Not really, I have diplomas from four different boards so I'm equally disposed to all of them. What I am not disposed towards is any sentiment which says "oh if you have FRCO it must mean you are a well rounded musician". That is logic at its laziest. I would hardly call all of the repertoire on the set list "major works".. St Bride Assisted By Angels? Toccata alla Rumba? Interesting works to add colour and variety to the recital element yes, but "major"? Hardly. The FRCO recital requirement is actually "... three contrasting pieces to be presented as a short, balanced recital." The maximum total length is 30 minutes, but I fail to see how you arrived at the 25 minute figure you mention, indeed, if I chose to play the following programme which I might considered "balanced" : Bach BWV550, Vierne Larghetto from Sym 5, Planyavsky Toccata all Rumba my programme would last about 21 minutes. Would I get failed for coming up short? Doubtful. Indeed, but that's the point of FRSM, specialise if you wish. Indeed, that's a hallmark of postgraduate study in general. I'm sure you've equally looked at the requirements for LRSM and DipABRSM and see that these undergraduate-level diplomas require more generalist programmes with less scope for own choice repertoire. Can you explain why being able to score read in obsolete clefs and transpose three-stave organ music at sight is "seriously useful to the majority of organists" , rather than just being awkward for the sake of the exam? I have no quarrell with their right to posit such questions in their written papers, I just question the relevance.. Indeed, and as we've already said, passing any given diploma just means one was good enough on the day to pass the diploma. Absolutely, I agree 100% with this sentiment!

I would not seek to equate them, simply because the syllabuses are designed from different ideological positions and this is the point I made initially to the instigator of this thread. His choice should be made based on what he wants to achieve. If he wants a cathedral job, yes he will have to jump through the RCO hoops because that is what is largely expected in the cathedral world. I would say that FRCO is not a guarantee of all-round musicianship, it's a guarantee that on the day the successful candidate satisfied the syllabus. You may think I'm splitting hairs but, as mrbouffant, I feel I am allowed to do so. Other boards focus on other things.. for the ABRSM fellowship for example (FRSM) one has to do a 50 minute recital (contrast that with the c20 mins for FRCO), submit a 5000 word dissertation on some aspect which illuminates the recital programme (e.g. historical performance practice in French classical repertoire), suffer a twenty minute viva and withstand their brand of sight reading. Clearly the emphasis here is different, and since that qualification has only been in existence since 2000, I doubt its relative weight and currency has been established. I like recital dips because I get to learn repertoire. Others like the RCO dips more because they enjoy writing fugal expositions and other academic exercises, or because they feel it will get them ahead in the world of cathedral or greater church musicking. Horses for courses!

Of course, the challenge for the RCO is that they could be accused of being rather insular. Those who claim cachet for the diplomas are largely a product of the "system" themselves, and hence have a vested interest (be it consciously or subconsciously expressed) to promote the RCO dips. To dismiss the RCO and their dips would be to dismiss their own achievements in these examinations would it not? I must admit to being wary of "organists judging organists" in a rather closed and esoteric manner. The law of ever decreasing circles can come into play as each new generation, a product of the previous generation goes on to promote the same system to the next generation. Some may argue this is process of refinement which ensures the gold standard, but others may see it as each generation amplifying the earlier's mistakes and ideological defects. The "newer" diplomas from ABRSM, Trinity et al may offer less cachet in the eyes of some but perhaps they offer a broader appeal, founded as they are in organisations who have a much wider remit. For some, this may equate to a more rigorous process of syllabus development and quality control - and not one borne of vested interest.

I think it depends on two things: i. What you want to achieve with your organ playing ii. What you prefer doing for exams by (i) I mean.. do you want to be an organ scholar or do you play for a hobby/fun and your academic career is in a different direction? by (ii) I mean.. do you just prefer playing, or are you happy to undergo all manner of written and aural shennanigans? ARCO is obviously the route for organ scholarship but the actual playing element is woefully small, lost as it is amongst a plethora of technical and aural tests and written papers... the ABRSM dips offer a broad repertoire but you need to write programme notes, suffer a viva and their brand of sight reading (the Quick Study) the Trinity dips are mostly all playing and again the repertoire can be very rewarding.. programme notes and 'stagecraft' are required, but no other elements there's also the choice of the LCM dips, but they are probably much less well known and ALCM requires you to sit a 3hr written paper - might be good practice for ARCO tho as someone who plays as a hobby/for fun (thankfully I have a career elsewhere) I have done most of the dips from all of these boards and I've just found it rewarding from the point of learning new repertoire - when could I ever be bothered to learn Hindemith 1 or Whitlock's second Fantasie Chorale otherwise? Good luck!

Not bad. Where can I get the score?

I prefer a Gravissima of organists - especially the well-fed ones..

So, are Adrian and Andrew related? I don't keep up on these things, so apologies for being dumb.