pcnd5584

Damn - and there I was, about to confess that I had actually studied (albeit briefly) with Ethel Merman and klaus Wunderlich....

Okay, I am going to take a guess at: "Look at me - I can bark in Norwegian." But what does it actually mean?

Tell me about it. I have a number of Hong Kong Chinese pupils, mostly studying the higher grade ABRSM pieces. There is an additional problem: for the most part, they have been taught to play anything which has semiquaver notation very quickly (regardless of whether or not their keyboard technique is sufficiently well-developed - and let alone whether or not this speed is stylistically appropriate for the pieces in question). This causes immense problems in Bach fugues, for example. However, I have also realised that, nine times out of ten, they have not really been taught to play scales and arpeggios correctly - sometimes only scant attention has been paid to these by their former teachers in Hong Kong. I also have to try to persuade them not to listen to the CDs which usually come with the copies of the grade examination books which they purchase. Otherwise, they hear someone like Joanna MacGregor playing through the pieces, generally rather quickly, and are then convinced that they have to play the chosen pieces exactly like this, in order even to pass the examination. We had an examiner at school recently who had undertaken examining tours of the Far East and had expressed concern about both the quality and style of much of the teaching there. As Vox observes, with some pupils, it has been necessary to spend a fair proportion of some lessons playing the pieces myself, in order to attempt to give the students a rather different reference-point for their own performances. Debussy is a particular nightmare. Attempting to instill a sense of rubato and overall elasticity, as it were, is often like trying to teach a dog to speak Norwegian. However, over the last few years, I have had some success in these areas. However, I had to speak quite sternly at least two students at the end of term and try to persuade them not to have lessons in Hong Kong over the summer. Otherwise I can virtually guarantee that everything which I have achieved over the last academic year will be thrown to the winds by some crazy middle-aged spinster who will want her pupils to play everything at express speeds - and usually with a strong forte touch throughout. Gah.

A good point, Vox. I believe that Ralph Downes encouraged his pupils to take lessons from other teaches. He would tell them "I am only one side of the coin, you know."

Speaking personally, I do not - neither do I like it on draw-stop solenoids (although I understand that units without toggle-touch are considerably more expensive). I have not played the new organ - only the former instrument. However, from the appearance of the pedal sweep on the photograph, the G.O. to Pedal reversible piston is where I should expect to find it. For the record, my preference is also for dark-coloured jamb panels, which give a greater contrast when reading the stop-heads, particularly under certain lighting conditions. They do not need to be ebonised - my 'own' church instrument has jamb panels of rosewood (as are also the key-cheeks and key-slips). They look elegant and I find the contrast which they provide to be more practical.

Philip - it appears that you improvise. A couple of years ago, on the Monday of Holy Week, we had a service of music and readings from the Gospels' narratives of the passion. I arranged for two curates to read certain passages (in chronological order) and interspersed these with musical commentaries on the Minster organ, which I improvised. The church was in darkness, except for access lighting near the entrance, the lights on the choir-stalls and the candles on the High Altar. The lighting and the passages from Holy Scripture (which were read beautifully) created a particularly reverent and reflective atmosphere, which I hope was matched by the music - although, since I sought to portray what had been read, it was not always quiet or reflective, but was (I hope) descriptive.

Really? I wonder where they are. I had assumed that the late Trevor Doar had acquired them with the rest of the case, but had never seen them. I am due to play for a wedding at the abbey in August. If the school is open, I might see if I can have a look around. The case would certainly benefit from having the caps installed (or is that re-instated, even if they had never been fitted since the case was placed in the abbey?). I also hope that the 'secret' 32ft. reed will be available. The stop action is (or was) kept locked and, each time I played for the Milton Abbey Festival (as it was), I had to remember to contact Trevor Doar, inform him when I was playing and ask him to leave the stop unlocked.

The following is at least tenuously connected to this thread: I recall reading somewhere that there were two branches of ex-pupils who could trace their teachers back to César Franck. Apparently both sides handed-down rather different accounts of how Franck preferred his music to be played. These included widely- diverging metronome speeds, different observance of notes communes, some questions over the veracity of the registration indications and a number of other features. However, each branch swore that their version of the 'received wisdom' was the correct one.

There was one other single broadcast which I recall. It was probably during Holy Week - and it would have been years ago. It featured Arthur Wills at the organ of Ely Cathedral. (At the time, he was still very much in-post.) He played only one piece: Franck's Troisième Choral. As far as I can recall, it was quite well (and conventionally) played. However, I do recall that, just prior to commencing to play, Arthur Wills (who must have been watching a monitor), nodded clearly. Presumably he had just been given the all-clear to start by a floor manager or producer. Secondly, there was a reed pipe which was slightly out of tune - I think it was either a C or an E. This was somewhat unfortunate, and slightly spoiled my enjoyment of the piece. As far as I know, I still have this on videotape in a box in the loft somewhere.

I am always suspicious of these 'alterable voice' devices. For several years, I played for a colleague's school carol service, for which an electronic substitute was hired. (For the record, it was often not an Allen.) One year, I had time to discover that, if I pulled the Choir 1ft. flute extra hard, drew a pentagram on the ground with chalk and recited the stop-list of any Harrison organ from the 1920s backwards, the 1ft. magically became a powerful and majestic Tuba. Actually it did nothing of the kind. The introduction to Hark the Herald (unintentionally played on the stupid 1ft. flute, which refused point-blank to transform into a Tuba), whilst inaudible to anyone over the age of eighteen, did cause my colleague to stop conducting, look over and mouth frantically 'What the hell are you doing?' Since I was as surprised as he was, I simply shrugged and moved up to the next clavier - and played the introduction again. However, we did encounter several inquisitive dogs outside the Great Hall after the service was over.

Probably better not to start some of us on this one again....

We used it at the Minster for several weeks last summer - the auxiliary choir sings for the Mass when the Minster Choir is on holiday. I had to play for one or two of them. Whilst it is true that it is appropriate for a congregational type of Mass, I found it a little repetitive - although not to the extent of anything by Karl Jenkins....

I can add little to the post written by Vox. However, is it perhaps as simple as the contributors' perception of the sound of the piece - and how they approached hearing it? (i.e., from a standpoint of being used to so-called equal temperament tuning, and with a fixed idea - or 'remembrance' - of the present-day pitch of a particular note or key.) (Since my ability to speak and read German is roughly commensurate with my competence in the field of quantum physics, I am unable to ascertain whether my suggestion is in fact based on a false premise.) [Did that make any sense at all....?]

Or perhaps slept on by Queen Elizabeth I....

Probably some of the pipe-work. The last time I played it, I was rather disappointed with the sound. Since then, it has been rebuilt. Whilst I can find a number of photographs of parts of the new instrument, I have so far been unable to locate a stop-list for the present organ. However, I think that there have been some substantial changes, including a new West End division and the re-siting of the Choir Organ, together with a new console. Does anyone have any further information on this instrument, please?

Thank you for this, GrossGeigen. However, whilst this does at least provides some re-assurance, surely there is plenty of material within the G.O. and Swell organs also worthy of retention.

Possibly so - but is the Harrison organ really that irreparable? Or is this another Worcester? From what I have heard, it sounds as if the intention is to dispose entirely of the existing instrument and start afresh. Whilst the present organ does have a somewhat unusual scheme (I thought that the stop-list immediately prior to its rebuilding at the hands of the Luftwaffe was better and more cohesive), it includes a vast quantity of almost certainly superbly made and voiced pipe-work. (There are, for one thing, two full-length 32ft. ranks - I wonder if these at least will be kept?) I cannot help but wonder if a rather cheaper solution would have been to restore and alter the existing instrument, replacing unused ranks - and those judged to be unsuitable for some reason. Surely it would have been possible to create a fine instrument from the re-use of much of the existing material. In any case, a fair proportion of the present instrument probably dates from 1952-57, since the previous instrument was grievously damaged.

However, there are also disadvantages: firstly, one has to draw at least two stops for the desired effect. Secondly, it is still possible to overlook the state of a transfer drawstop and get an unwanted effect - or temporarily to 'lose' a stop. Secondly, if the effect is to be achieved using general pistons, then depending on how the action is wired, there might be an undesired sound - albeit for only a fraction of a second. For example, unless it has been changed, the organ of Saint Peter's Church, Bournemouth had this problem. If the Great Posaune, Great Reeds on Choir and suitable accompanimental stops on the Pedal, G.O. and Swell were set on a general piston, one had to remember to lift one's hands from the G.O. keys immediately prior to pressing the general piston, otherwise, the reed would sound for an instant (but nevertheless, clearly audibly), before it was transferred to the lowest clavier. I would choose separate drawstops every time, both for convenience and safety.

Ah - I wonder what you will make of our 2ft. Pedal Schalmei - complete with one flue pipe at the top.... (I also wonder if this was yet another pipe which Phil Burbeck 'borrowed' from the Minster organ. Shortly after I arrived, we had to have to entire top octave of the Swell Mixture replaced with new pipes since, as far as we could ascertain, the originals had disappeared into his bungalow near Cranborne, at some point.)

Interesting - I took mine on the Concert Hall Harrison. I do not recall seeing the instrument in Room 90.

Not at all. My 'own' church instrument has an independent 2ft. Nachthorn on the Pedal Organ and I find it quite useful - and not just for trios.

Would I be correct in assuming that the teacher had no idea about this one....?

As would I - and a Quint Mixture at that. The only other change I would make (on paper) is to substitute a Cymbale (29-33-36) for the Choir Mixture (19-22-26). This is my least favourite arrangement. Firstly, I regard it as too low in pitch, particularly with the wealth of (albeit flute) mutations available. Secondly, it has too many quint ranks. Thirdly, it culminates in an uncovered quint rank - which I find to be unsatisfactory. Otherwise, on paper, it looks to be very well-designed with a good balance and spread of voices throughout the instrument. It is also good to see a choice of 32ft. flues (and reeds) available.

GAK....BLEAH.... Great - and I was having such a nice evening off. Probably not worth ordering these, then.... (*Goes off to burn another tambourine*) It is a bit like mentioning the Scottish play.

Ha! PM coming your way - I need some advice, regarding performance issues, please.