pcnd5584

David, you make several excellent points - with which I would agree. I also wish that Allan Wicks had decided to retain the Solo Organ at Canterbury. Whist I take your point, I do know a few colleagues who have had to play choral services on the instrument and who state that it is really only a large two-clavier organ for this purpose - the Choir Organ is not quite so useful for accompaniment as it may be for playing some repertoire. I can appreciate Colin's point regarding simply drawing up a desired stop-list for an organ in a building which may not be intimately known to the person drawing up the scheme. On the other hand, I can think of a number of cases where a consultant drew-up a scheme (which was, ironically, nothing more detailed than a list of desirable stops, couplers and accessories) and which was built to the letter, as it were. In one case, the instrument was clearly inadequate from several standpoints, right from the day of its inauguration. It was necessary to spend many tens of thousands of pounds within a year or two, in order to attempt to make good some of the deficiencies. For the record, these shortcomings were apparent to all who played the instrument as first rebuilt; this was not merely some whim of a power-mad organist. For the record, I think that the 32ft. flue at Canterbury was of wood. I believe that it was added around 1905 - again, if my memory serves me correctly, by Norman and Beard. As far as I know, the reason for removing it in 1978, was that the pipes leaked and were thus ineffective. Presumably they were past economic repair. Metal pipes would be extremely unlikely to leak - at least not in a way which could not be repaired successfully. Whilst holding the post of Sub Organist at one of England's greater churches (not the one at which I am currently employed), my boss became objectionable and, as I felt, rather unreasonable for a few weeks. Out of spite, I did re-design the pipe organ on paper with nothing above a Piccolo on the G.O. and with a plethora of dull 8ft. flues on most claviers. It then occurred to me that it would be I who should have to play the wretched machine several times each week. Needless to say, the scheme was quickly discarded in the nearest waste-paper-bin.

David, with regard to unaccompanied masses, how about the settings by Tye or Taverner of the Western Wind Mass? Or there is also Howells' Mass in the Dorian Mode?

No - but I still wonder why no-one even batted a proverbial eyelid when our national cathedral lost its (admittedly leaking) 32ft. flue - yet at Gloucester, organ lovers were virtually threatening to chain themselves to the pipes to prevent the cathedral workmen sawing them up.

So were there originally two Odeon cinemas in Leicester Square?

Surely no more so than having an instrument blown by persons of doubtful intelligence* - or in varying states of inebriation, truculence or fatigue ? * c.f. the description of the organ 'blowers' of Nôtre-Dame de Paris in Rollin Smith's book on Vierne.

Not from me. I was able only to listen to the second part of this broadcast, and I have no idea in which key each piece had been written, having never heard the works before. (Even the Buxtehude, I must confess.) However, I did think the Magnificat was a little odd. It seemed to mix plainsong with existing arrangements (or fairly close) of carols. It did not really work for me. I though that the choir sounded good and that the organ came over well in the voluntary. Had I not known from where it was brodacast, I should not have guessed that the venue was Peterborough Cathedral.

Thank you innate, Stephen and Vox for the above. Whilst I do not use it, our choir librarian does. I shall check that he is aware of this. However, since he has been extremely careful not to infringe copyright laws, I doubt that he would have downloaded anything from the IMSLP site which was still in copyright in the UK. My understanding that the site only contained works which had already entered the public domain was based on two points. 1) As stated, I do not use this resource, so I have no idea what is available. 2) Clearly I have been given erroneous information from what I regarded as a trustworthy source. Hmmm.

Are you sure? I understood that it contained scores which had entered the Public Domain, and were thus out of copyright.

This is fairly standard H&H practice. Exeter Cathedral had the same set-up (although the Pedal and G.O> piston coupler was normally engraved 'Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled' - or some abbreviation of this. With regard to Lincoln cathedral: as far as I can recall, the last time I played there, the G.O. and Pedal Pistons coupler worked both ways (i.e.: affecting both departments with either the Pedal foot pistons or the G.O. thumb pistons).

....And with its mis-engraved 32ft. reed: ('CONTRA POSANNE 32')

FHW also adopted this device. I believe that Lincoln (1898) was one instance.

Thank you for this, Vox. It was more a general overview I was looking for. In which case, I might see if I can track down the first one from a dealer at a better price than that which Amazon offers.

Vox - could you let me know the title and author of the book on Howells, please?

Some good points, Vox. Sadly, you may well be correct in what you say.

The same thought had also occurred to me.

This is extremely sad - and particularly at this time. (Although for those who have lost their jobs, the time of year is probably irrelevant.) I wonder if the cathedral authorities will live to regret the day they took this decision.

Thank God Microsoft do not make cars: Aside from that fact that they would probably crash every two hours or so, at inconveniently crucial moments one would see a dialogue box which read something like: 'Are you sure you want the air-bag to deploy?'

Yes - it was in the time of HN&B - Peterborough Cathedral is an example. A beautiful console, with convex-headed pistons - which were retained by H&H. Yes, the HN&B square pistons were straight - but it does not take long to turn the heads of circular pistons around. What else is one supposed to do during the sermon*, if the coffee-machine is broken....? H&H and Walker also did quite well-designed pistons. Harrisons' more recent consoles have shown a gratifying return to their previous style - with elegant piston- and stop-heads. I wonder where they are getting all this spare ivory from.... (I suppose it could be Ivorine or Ivothene.) I was not so keen on the Compton ones. I believe that some of them (Bangor Cathedral?) had a small semi-circular ridge to the faces, which I found unpleasant and fussy. * When someone says something from the pulpit which I could not have worked out for myself by looking at the readings set for the day and by applying a little common sense, I shall pay attention. But until then....

Although presumably with rather less hair than Rick Parfitt and Co. ....

Has your computer (or, more correctly, Windows automatic updates) recently rolled-out I.E.11 (without you asking)....? It may be connected with that. The fact that it works for some of us here and not others, suggests that it is not the board's software. However, others here who are more computer-literate than I will know whether I am on the right track or not. On my computer, this 'improvement' has made several unwished-for visual changes to the way it displays my school portal - much to my annoyance. I am still trying to persuade it to undo these.

I was never particularly keen on the 'sugar-cube' pistons, either. Catch the part just under thumbnail on the pointy corner and the cathedral has to be re-consecrated.

I did this at Gloucester every time I went for a lesson. There was some extra support or something below the key-bench. Somewhat gratifyingly, DJB often did the same thing.

is there any (legal) way of seeing this - without taking out a subscription - please, David?

Oh - does anyone know to where Anthony Gowing (the present holder of the post at Gloucester) has been appointed, please?

In addition (and appropriately enough for the season), there is always Brahms' Chorale Prelude on Deck thyself, my soul, which I usually play on all the strings, but with 4ft. and 2ft. flutes on the Pedals for the melody. I also arrived at church for a rehearsal prior to a service the other night, only to discover that our dear choir librarian had produced new copies of The Lord is King (Boyce) - and deliberately supplied only a figured-bass for the organ part. Needless to say, my colleague conducted it as if he had a bus to catch.... Fortunately, I did not disgrace myself. But I have not had to read figured-bass for a while. Unfortunately, until we get a rebuild, I am unable to perform the trick with the 32ft. reed. As it is, I can only fake the effect of this stop, supplying harmonics with the Positive Gedeckt uncoupled.