SteveBarker77

Thanks for that - I hadn't found that when I searched YouTube; Despite it being recorded on a handheld camera and then compressed to fit on YouTube it has a very pleasant sound... yes it would be nice to have heard some of the quieter stops but he did drop the registration slightly in the fugue!

Any chance a viscount prestigue owner can post an audio clip/video on youtube or similar?

Having played both on my 'organ tour' at the end of July I can confirm that they both have standard RCO radiating/concave pedal boards. No doubt straight ones are also availbale should you want one. Steve

They all said that I would be more than welcome to go back at any time - although from down here in Kent it's a bit of a trek although I might spend a long day doing it again later in the year! I was also impressed at how much it was possible to manipulate the sounds on each of the instruments, changing individual volumes for stops (or even notes), speed of attack (can make for a more realistic pedal section with a bit of speech delay on the bigger flues) etc...

To be fair to all of the showrooms I visited, all of them let me play (for well over an hour) using only the built in speakers (probably because they knew I was buying for home). I was also impressed with the general feeling of there being no pressure; i wasn't subjected to any sales pitch, and haven't been plagued with any follow ups.

A few weeks ago I went round and played three manual instruments from Viscount, Makin and Wyvern - I was really impressed with all 3... and am finding it VERY hard to chose between them. One I did discount very quickly was the Johannus - I'm looking for something very 'English' and for me, that really didn't do it - but that was more on the stop list and not the quality of build, keyboards or samples. I was very taken with the realistic swell sound when under box control of the Viscount, but thought that the key action was rather heavy - how have others found this? of course, they're all going to feel different to my electric action instrument that I play at church week by week!

I face two problems when trying to organise things in my area, and it would be interesting to hear what other people's responses are to these... Firstly, people don't seem prepared to travel very far. I might as well say that I'm in the Canterbury Diocese as my name would be obvious to anyone local anyway, and it is quite a rural area. We find some people (not all) are reluctant to travel say 20 miles to an event... now it wouldn't bother me, but I'm only 30 and don't have any family committments, but how far would people be prepared to travel to an event? Secondly, the cost of getting someone to run an event like you describe is almost cost prohibitive now; if we invite someone who really knows what they're talking about then they need a fee and travel expenses... soon adds up to well over £100, plus a donation to the venue... if only 6 choir directors turn up then we're running at huge losses... I'm not trying to find excuses, I'd really love to find a way of doing all the things you mentioned, especially as I'm fortunate to be in a parish position where I have a full choir of nearly 40 with an average age of well under 50 and would be able to benefit from it too. Dare I ask if there is anyone from the Canterbury area lurking here?!

As someone who is involved with an RSCM area, what events would people like to see organised? we're always open to new ideas!

I noticed the dispatch time just before I completed the order... so changed my mind and looked elsewhere... just put in an order from a site that said it was in stock (and a pound cheaper than Amazon!)

Thank you! With a bit of translation and Googling I found it on Amazon. For anyone else who's interested, the link is http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...uk-21/ref=nosim - just don't all put your orders in until I've ordered my copy! Certainly not bad for £15!

I'm doing a Masters semina comparing performances of an organ work and would be very interested in getting hold of a copy of Widor playing the symphony to include in the presentation. I've been to my local CD shop (an excellent place - not your HMV or similar!) and they couldn't help me - there was nothing in their catalogue, nor have I come up with anything through Google. Can anyone point me in the direction of the recording with a CD number or even, as it is for educational purposes, an mp3 that I will promise to delete afterwards! I'd also be interested to hear other recordings that people recommend and why? I've picked up a copy of Virgil Fox playing it rather fast (whole thing over in 4:23... I know I've been keen to get to coffee after a service but...!) as tempo is going to be one of my key points, along with the overal sounds of French/American/English organs. Thanks in advance! Steve

In most cases, stops that don't actually 'own' a rank of pipes, like couplers and tremulants are engraved in red. I seem to remember seeing reeds in green on one instrument too - but can't remember when or where! Steve

A few years ago, someone was having a childrens party/disco in the church hall on a Sunday evening around the time of Evensong... at the beginning of the Creed, the Rector began "I believe in God..." to which the response through the sound system was "Do you?!"... apparently there are a limited number of frequencies for radio mics! Steve

I've written a few bits and bobs over the years, some of which can be heard here: http://www.stevebarker.seriouslyinternet.c.../recordings.htm including a unison setting of the Common Worship Communion service with all of the Eucharistic Prayer odds and ends. There are some scores on http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/sbarker together with a small number of descants that I've written for my own choir. If you like any of it then feel free to use what you want - always interested in knowing where it's being used though! Steve

Thanks - something I had never come across before! SB

So what's a 'Synthetic solo' SB

I'm not sure if he would count as a true celebrity, but one of the current presenters of BBC's Blue Peter is a very competent musician and I caught part of an episode a while back which had him playing the organ in one of the Royal Palaces - might even have been Buckingham Palace thinking about it.

Indeed it is the same place - a village called Turville just off the M40 in Oxfordshire. Dibley's vicarage was also John Thaw's house in Goodnight Mr Tom (externally of course!) The organ is real... I popped in one Christmas when I was passing - but I couldn't find the key hanging under the bench or in a jam jar on the nearest window! I have a photo somewhere if anyone is interested. Canterbury was on earlier in the day too... around morning service time which is very useful for most of us... There's an outside chance that me and my choir could feature on it next week as we sing Christmas eve carols with the Archbishop... look out with us in our green cassocks! (We're not the Cathedral choir but a church choir in Canterbury who sing several times a year in the cathedral) Steve

I didn't expect that when I clicked on the link! My mother was installed as Rector of Aynho in October and I played for her induction and installation... I don't think it has survived because of its sound though! Took me a while to get used to the straight two-octave pedal board. There are 5 parishes in the benefice and none of them have particularly good instruments. Mum wanted the L-W Sortie... it didn't happen, but a Bach fugue didn't sound too bad on it. If you want to pop in next time you're travelling through I'm sure we could fix up getting into it. I'll be travelling up there Christmas Day - they wanted me to go up and play for their services but I'm playing in Canterbury. Steve

I took my choir down to Portsmouth for a week last Summer and really enjoyed playing the instrument (at very short notice - I should have been conducting, but that's another story...) What I found most satisfying was that every stop seemed to be in just the right place - I reached out for something and there it was... and I normally play a 2 manual stop tab instrument. I also left the electric coupling on (although I did experiment without it just to see what it was like!) Steve St Stephen's, Canterbury

Does anyone know what they're doing in Lee-on-Solent? I was a chorister there when they last had the instrument rebuilt in 1986 (I remember the pipes all layed out over the choir stalls...) and learnt on the instrument. I wonder whether they'll go back to a draw stop console because the rocker tabs that they put in their place in '86 never seemed as reliable. Steve, now Canterbury, UK

Ooooo yes! I like the idea of a Sesquialtera on the Great which could be used with the 8' and 4' flutes (and it could be put on the existing 2 rank mixture chest that is aready there) Of course, all we need for all these good ideas is space and money! Steve

Certainly if the organ was moved onto the main axis of the church then it would sing out much more convincingly - but this would mean building a west end balcony! It also wouldn't solve the problem of accompanying the choir who sit up in the Chancel at the east end! Steve

Many of your ideas soud good - although I have to say I quite like my Dulciana - it works well with the Gedackt and is also useful for a soft solo against the soft swell (although like someone else said, this is discussed on another topic!) A trumpet would be a most useful addition - and possibly it could extend down into the pedal as a 16' extension too. The pedal is the weakest area overall, and I think an 8' Violone would help to define it. A softer 16' would be helpful too (an Echo Bourdon?) and then the exisiting 16' Bourdon could be adjusted to be a little stronger. Finally, you did identify the lack of a Fifteenth on the Great, and this is an issue - I'd also like a Twelfth on the Great (especially as the one on the Swell is becoming a Celeste again!) The 2 rank mixture is on it's own seperate chest as a bit of an after-thought so changing this wouldn't effect the main great sound boards. Personnally I like the brightness of a Cymbal Mixtures - but I'm open to alternatives, providing that they are not hard sounding but that they just add a 'sparkle' to the top of the Diapason chorus. Steve

The organ was last rebuilt by Brownes of Canterbury in 1964. It is in need of an overhaul, the electric action in particular, but it seems an ideal time to look into possible improvements. It isn't a weak organ, but it's position is poor for accompanying the choir so I'm looking into the possibility of resiting it. Interesting that someone mentioned swopping the Sw 12th for a Celests - I'd certainly agree, but it would be reversing a change made in 1964 when the Celeste was swopped for the 12th! Steve