Colin Richell
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Posts posted by Colin Richell
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I suppose we could compare this to the Kings service and see how it fits the bill...the order is online now on the BBC website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018fv69
I had thought for the past couple of years that the order was getting a bit repetitive, but this year's looks a little better (that Judith Weir seems to be one of SC's 'pet' pieces though which gets a lot of outings). I am a sucker for 20th century stuff, and the Chilcott and Tavener are both favourites (the Tavener is obviously well-known, the Chilcott deserves to be better known in spite of featuring at Kings).
In terms of the top 30, I'd think of it in terms of congregational items and choir items. For the former, there's plenty I don't dislike, but a few I'd rather not have - namely
Away in a manger (done to death)
Silent night (as above)
We three kings (boring)
Angels from the realms (even more boring)
In the bleak (Holst - mostly because I find it inferior to the Darke)
Otherwise, I think a carol service is nothing without 'O come, all ye faithful' and the splendid Willcocks arrangements (we normally have a thread about descants here every year!) and 'Hark the herald', although thats a strain to sing, especially if you play it in G as in CFC - I always take it down to F which is still quite taxing. We are having (as we have done for the past few years) a joint Carol service with the Methodist Church across the road and from their new hymnbook 'Singing the Faith' we're using a different descant to 'Hark the herald' by Paul Leddington-Wright. Some of it is quite good, but there are a couple of rather trite phrases in there - nice for a change though. I'd put 'Of the Father's love begotten' in as an under-used favourite (sadly it doesn't feature in the top 30 listed) - although I don't like the translation in CFC.
As for choir items, I like so much of the standard repertoire but as I said love much of the latter 20th century stuff, e.g. Lauridsen 'O magnum mysterium' (which says just about everything about the mystery of Christmas for me), the Chilcott and Tavener above, the Leighton 'Coventry Carol' (has to be done well though); 'No small wonder' by Paul Edwards is simple but profound. I notice a couple of Rutter items feature in the top 30 - if you scratch past his cheesy bouncy stuff, some of it is really quite lovely (e.g. Dormi Jesu, What Sweeter Music, even the Nativity Carol although that is a little trite). Darke 'In the bleak' is classic, although is done a little too much to be an all-time favourite. The Howells carols are lovely. I personally love 'O holy night' (in the John West arrangement) but can understand that some find it a little too cheesy - but I get a tingle factor hearing it live - we're doing it at Midnight Mass which should go down a treat.
What about Christmas organ music? For anyone who's still reading/interested, mine this year are
Carol Service as mentioned above - BWV 729 during offering, Andrew Gant's Toccata on Mendelssohn to finish
Crib Service - not sure yet, probably Sleigh Ride unless I come up with something else
Midnight Mass - Mushel Toccata (with Zimbelstern!)
Christmas Day - Clifton Hughes Variations on 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer'
And probably BWV 729 again on January 1st unless I think of something else suitable before the notice sheet goes to print next Thursday
In other words, nothing heavy or overly taxing!
I do love this time of year, enjoying the huge repertoire that exists and hearing it at various carol services - I've already been to two this year!
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It would be even more astonishing if it WERE the late Ethil Smith.....she was a white lady!
I have no idea who the black lady organist is, but I expect someone will tell me.
MM
In today's Daily Mail there is an answer to correspondents feature, and one of the questions asked is "Are there any femail jazz organists ?
The reply states "The first great female jazz organist of note was Pittsburgh-born Ethel Smith(1902-1996). A gifted pianist she had no role model for playing the Hammond Organ, so she could only adapt her piano technique.
Due to failing health she retired in the 1960's and a leading critic pronounced that her technical ability on the keyboard for jazz was as great as it is for Bach.She appeared with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
Two worthy UK contenders mentioned are Jean Martyn and Carol Williams.
In the same answer Hazel Scott is mentioned but irrelevant to the story of Ethel Smith.
Colin Richell.
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Why should any point of view be described as negative criticism, when we are provided with free speech ?
Different viewpoints makes the world go round and that is good.
I like Carlo Curly, thousands probably don't but if they expressed that view it would be nonsense to suggest this was negative criticism.
I hope that contributors will continue with this debate, until they decide to cease.
Colin Richell.
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Maybe there should be a new thread on concert hall organs, it might be more uplifting than re-airing our negative criticisms of particular performers and pieces.
I'm off to play piano and celeste in a concert in the Royal Opera House, Muscat in a few weeks. I suspect I won't get a chance to hear
in action.
Whilst the builders have a reputation for neo-classic instruments, the stoplist on paper seems to acknowledge a little of what MM has just suggested, with 3 Open Diapasons on the Great and 5 16' flues on the Pedal.
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I agree that there are far more notable organists and anniversaries to celebrate.
Personally I would not cross the road to hear Wayne Marshall, and most certainly I will not be there even if I had a free ticket
Colin Richell.
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Although organ music is always welcome for its rarity on R3 this seems a strange event to celebrate. Other far more notable organists and anniversaries have gone unmarked. Thomas Trotter's 25th year as Birmingham City Organist was, as far as I aware, ignored by the BBC and he is clearly a far better ambassador for the instrument than Wayne Marshall. Was Francis Jackson's 90th birthday marked?
I shall never, try as I may, forget WM's rendition (rend: to tear apart) of Messiaen at the Proms a couple of years ago...
I shall record it and listen to selected items simply because I have never heard this organ.
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With respect did you mean Finsbury Park ?
Colin Richell
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With respect you have forgotten to mention CARLO CURLEY who always speaks to his audience where his enthusiasm and vast knowledge is very apparent.
Carlo always manages to relax his audience, and I would miss his witty asides if he decided to not speak between musical items.
Colin Richell.
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I like to speak to my audiences if at all possible, giving them potted history of composer and work, with at least one interesting bit of trivia or anecdote concerning composer and/or music in question. Sometimes, if I've put together a programme with a thread running through it - a common style, geographical links or other relationships between the composers, for example - I'll use my speeches to highlight that.
If the audience has printed programme notes, I speak less - perhaps just to add some anecdote or other for which there wasn't room in the programme. In any case, I find it can help to save time and keep the music flowing more easily if I introduce some items but not others, or use a speech between two works to refer to both the preceding and following items. (E.g. "A lovely and sunny piece, I'm sure you'll agree, and it's unique amongst JSB's organ works, being his only Prelude and Fugue in A major. The next piece is from an earlier generation, and shows something of the influence on JSB....")
Audiences almost certainly appreciate the odd relevant joke now and then: not only does it enhance their enjoyment of the performance but it "humanises" the organist, making him (or her) seem less like the stereotype of stuffy, dour and even strict person operating a dusty machine in dark stony churches. When introducing Lefebure-Wely's Sortie No. 2 to an audience recently, I told them that "he is very well-known in England for his Sortie No. 3 in E flat, which is extremely popular and sounds like a fairground piece. His Sortie No. 1 in B flat is also very popular and sounds like a fairground piece. This Sortie No. 2 in B flat is not at all popular ... and sounds like a fairground piece." That tickled them somewhat!
Some of the best recital speeches I've heard have come from, in no particular order: Peter King, Ian Tracey, Roger Fisher, Francis Jackson, Simon Lindley, Timothy Byram-Wigfield, Martin Neary, Peter Dyke and Gordon Stewart. Each knows how to educate and amuse within the same breath!
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With a completely full Albert Hall plus choir, and orchestra, including singers in various parks throughout the country, I have always assumed that full organ is utilised surely ?
If this is the case you cannot hear the organ because it is drowned out by choir and orchestra.
Perhaps next year we can allow the orchestra to have a rest and enable just the organ to accompany, for example Jerusalem, which would sound great.
Does anyone agree ?
Colin Richell
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In any case, you can rest secure in the knowledge that, if the organist who was playing for the Last Night did get a little bored and use the full organ at some point, it would overwhelm the orchestra and the singers with little trouble....
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Year after year I find that during Rule Britannia. Land of Hope And Glory, and Jerusalem the organ is drowned out by the orchestra, choir and 6000? singers and I just cannot hear it.
Might as well not have it playing.
Colin Richell.
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I seem to remember someone saying to me once that the BBC don't mic up the organ. I've never been to a 'real' last night, but take a school trip to the Schools Proms each November which includes the Elgar P & C and the organ always sounds (and feels) very impressive; there was one year where, on the encore, the organist played pretty much on full organ - the poor orchestra looked like they were playing but I couldn't hear a thing over the organ!
Steve - procrastinating from lesson planning... ofsted cometh before the week's out!
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Because I was working I tried to record Last night of the Proms, because I particuarly enjoy Rule Britannia. Land Of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem in the hope that I can hear the organ (not always easy).
Because the BBC mess about between BBC 1 and 2 and because I also wanted to record Match of the Day, I managed to only catch the the end of Jerusalem.
Very disappointed but I hope the Last night was up to its normal standard. I will now have to wait until next year.
Colin Richell.
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Too much twiddling with the running order, the soprano's battery-operated outfit didn't live up to expectations (I'm sure a bit more pop + streamers from her lance could have been managed without endangering life, limb and eardrums) and the sound engineering was a disaster during the conductor's speech.
Didn't mind missing the Sea Songs, though, and Lang Lang was wonderful.
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Thats a fair point and something I did not consider
Colin Richell
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While entirely agreeing that the resident organist is entitled to the fee, may I suggest that a family asking if their own organist can play for what is, to them, an important family service, does not necessarily imply that they consider the in-house organist to be incompetent.
There are still some families for whom weddings and funerals have deep meaning and significance. There are still some who may find great pleasure in playing for the wedding of a close family member, maybe a son or daughter, or possibly comfort in paying their respects by playing for the funeral of a relative or close friend. Remember this is a fellow organist.
Likewise, it may also have meaning for the family, or at least the central members of it. Would you deprive them of the additional 'icing on the cake' on their happy day, or the possible comfort at a difficult time?
A little harsh, perhaps? If you said "......would have reminded the family that the resident organist may still entitled to a fee" I would agree with you.
I also accept that there may be an issue regarding the (probably unknown) abilities of the visiting organist, but surely the form of service chosen, the manner in which the affair is approached, and a few well chosen questions and enquiries, would do much to enlighten in that respect?
Colin, have you never been asked to play for a service like this? If you were, do you not think that, depending on the circumstances, you may derive some pride, pleasure or comfort in being able to do so? What would be your thoughts, if the priest and resident organist at a small village church were to say to you, without any further discussion or enquiry, "Oh, we don't know you or anything about you, so we are assuming that you are not competent to play for this service?"
If the motive were simply to save money, or disrespect for the resident organist, then I would agree with you, but dare I suggest that, even in these 'modern' times, there are still many occasions when that is not the case?
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I have 2 instances recently where I have received no fee for a wedding and funeral even though my contract states that I should have, I even quoted the relevent pages from Barry Williams book to the incumbent. The whole area is a nightmare and wish in some way matters were clearer, his argument over the funeral was the family had not entered into a contract with me to play but had engaged the services of another organist who the family wanted. I am rather aggireved over the whole matter.
Firstly it seems very petty to me for the family to have their own organist to play suggesting that the in house organist was incompetent, and secondly I have very little respect for the replacement who if he had one ounce of decency and respect would have suggested to the family that it was not right to not employ the resident organist.
Colin Richell.
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There are times when Nigel Ogden excels himself, and I thoroughly enjoyed this week's programme with Carlo Curley.
I particuarly enjoyed listening to Carlo and some great music, and it made me realise that I am correct in suggesting that he is one of our greatest recitalists, although I accept that everyone who subscribes to this discussion Board will not agree.
I was delighted that Carlo mentioned his Ally Pally concerts when he played the Allen organ and persuaded thousands of people to attend the Sunday afternoon concerts.(I was there) In the 1970's. He also mentioned the great acoustics. Unfortunately Carlo did not mention his recent concert in the Ally Pally Theatre, but I know how happy he was to return to the Palace even if it was not in The Great Hall.
Well done Nigel and Carlo.
Colin Richell
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There are times when Nigel Ogden excels himself, and I thoroughly enjoyed this week's programme with Carlo Curley.
I particuarly enjoyed listening to Carlo and some great music, and it made me realise that I am correct in suggesting that he is one of our greatest recitalists, although I accept that everyone who subscribes to this discussion Board will not agree.
I was delighted that Carlo mentioned his Ally Pally concerts when he played the Allen organ and persuaded thousands of people to attend the Sunday afternoon concerts.(I was there) In the 1970's. He also mentioned the great acoustics. Unfortunately Carlo did not mention his recent concert in the Ally Pally Theatre, but I know how happy he was to return to the Palace even if it was not in The Great Hall.
Well done Nigel and Curley.
Colin Richell
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As the title of this thread is "The Organist entertains" I mention that on BBC I player today I listened to last night's programme, which featured Jean Martyn who apparently was on BGT which I have never seen.
I have to say that Jean's playing did nothing for me at all, and I guess she is no better or worse than any other organist around these days.
Jean did mention that she loved the Tower organ, and we heard her play a small piece on this instrument, but she is no Reginald Dixon !
She seemed to be a very nice person.
The great news is that next week the programme will feature Carlo Curly, and that will not be missed for anything !
Colin Richell.
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I missed the programme last night but I am listening to BBC radio I player whilst reading this message and I agree that it was a very entertaining programme. The Hull City organ sounded absoulutely great.
This thread has gone very quiet recently !!
Colin Richell.
Sorry to bring up the same subject, but today in The Daily Mail Ephrain Hardcastle !! wrote that in BGT there was a spectular magic act called The David and Karen illusionist duo, who the producers loved and the four judges were impressed with their performance in the semi-finals, and I quote the remainder of the article " But Simon Cowell chose to put through the bizarre, old-hat organist Jean Martyn instead".
It was felt that the duo had a good chance of winning !
C'est La Vie !
Colin Richell.
The Nation's Top Christmas Carols
in General discussion
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can we have some shorter messages please, some are far too long and time consuming, and you lose the gist of the message.
Colin Richell.