Colin Richell
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Posts posted by Colin Richell
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After some years I decided to listen again to the CD entitled BACH THE ART OF MARCEL DUPRE, which features the Queen's Hall and Alexandra Palace Organs.
I may be biased but I felt that the QH organ was dull and the acoustics in the Hall were poor whereas the AP organ sounded grand with brilliant acoustics regretfully lost when the Great Hall was rebuilt.
Does anyone feel the same and did they visit the Queen's before Mr Hitler destroyed the building ?
I have never discovered the site of The Queen's or the make of the organ.
Colin Richell
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After some years I decided to listen again to the CD entitled "BACH THE ART OF MARCEL DUPRE, which I used to sell at the Ally pally organ concerts (I still have plenty of copies left) and perhaps I am biased but I found the Queen's Hall organ very dull with poor acoustics. in the venue.
I was listening to the CD in my car so I could not look on the label to see when the QH recordings had finished, but it was so obvious what a fine organ Ally Pally owned, when you heard it again with such wonderful acoustics much of which were lost with the rebuild of the Great Hall and it was tragic to think that this instrument was allowed to remain silent for so many years.
Does anyone hold the same views about the Queen's Hall and did anyone visit the Hall before Mr Hitler destroyed it ?
Which Company built the QH organ ?
Colin Richell.
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STEPHEN DISLEY will be appearing at;
Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue at 4pm this coming Saturday.
nearest tube Tottenham Court Rd.
retiring collection.
020 7240 0544
Colin Richell.
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My local paper informs me that a refurbished church organ will burst into life this weekend after months of hard work to raise money for the homeless.
The organ, which is 100 years old sits at the heart of St Marys Church, in Lansdowne Road, Tottenham N17 and will be delivering light hearted music pieces from film and theatre in a concert from three organists this coming Sunday.
The concert commences at 2-30pm and tickets are £5, all proceeds to Haringey Churches Winter night shelter scheme.
On November 10th Simon Williams Director of The Royal College of Organists will perform.
Colin Richell.
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Oh I am sure you have many many times.
Colin Richell (also my real name)
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I have rarely read such patronising clap trap.
David Wyld
(Real Name - as Geoffrey suggests)
(No particular knowledge of Nathan Laube - just stunned by the above).
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Many thanks for the explanation,I do now understand perfectly what Carlo Curley was saying.
Colin Richell.
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A good question Colin, but the truth of the matter is that a concert organist, who may push the boundaries of technique, is first and foremost an athlete. Let me explain as best I can.
No matter how well a keybpard player knows a work, (which means ANY keyboard instrument), the muscles of the hands can only respond properly of they are in good physical condition and up to the task. I'm not a concert organist, but I am an occasional recitalist who takes it seriously when invited to perform anywhere. I suppose my most beloved organ-work is the Reubke Sonata, on which I have spent a lot of time getting right and commiting to memory. Now if I lay off playing the organ, I don't actually forget how to play this work, but when I try to do so, it is like playing the keys through sponges and the hands soon tire; especially on a mechanical action instruments.
The knock on effect is a lack of co-ordination; not at the brain end of the process, but at the muscle response end of the process. So no matter what I may "think" when I am out of practice, it does not come out that way at the keys.
Now when I have to play a recital, I enter into something of a disciplined daily regime well beforehand, and it probably takes two to three weeks of fairly extended practice to get the hands up to strength, at which point real musical control becomes possible. Believe it or not, it is quite a painful process, and many is the time when I've had to stop and rest my hands; such is the aching sensation at the early stages. When the hands are truly up to strength, I am once more the athlete; able to co-ordinate and able to absolutely control the musical result.
To give you some idea of the difference in hand strength before and after, I can just about squash and fold a Coca-Cola can with one hand normally, but when I am in practice I can not only crush it at the sides, I can fold it downwards on itself into the palm of my hand. That's a staggering increase in muscle strength!
It's really as simple as that, and as any athlete knows, keeping any part of the body in perfect fettle requires a daily routine without lay-offs. In terms of time, I think this would probably be a minimum of two hours practice per day, and possibly a lot more.
When it comes to ankles and feet, I know that in his younger days, Sir George Thalben-Ball used to go dancing of an evening, simply to keep his feet and ankles supple and strong.
A word of warning to anyone......NEVER SHAKE HANDS WITH A CONCERT ORGANIST!
Giant clams are probably a safer and less damaging option.
MM
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I am not an organist but I was rather surprised that Carlo Curley maintained that it was necessary to rehearse each day, as a concert organist.
Isn't it like riding a bike, ie that when you have learnt you never ever forget ?
Colin Richell.
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For some peculiar reason, I found that memorising the Liszt BACH was fairly straightforward: not that I've ever played it in recital without the score or anything.
However, when organists play Messaien from memory, I am impressed; possibly because I have little empathy with the music.
Many years ago, I turned the pages for the late Eric Chadwick (RNCM) at a recital in Bradford Cathedral, and being quite young at the time, I struggled to follow the score at one point, because it was all rushing around without pedals.
"Yes!" Came the command.
I dived at the copy and promptly turned two pages.
Trying to rectify the problem, Eric Chadwick said, "It doesn't matter. I know it."
From thereon in, (as the Americans say), he played the rest of "L'Ascension" entirely from memory; never once wanting to refer to the copy even as new movements unfolded.
Carlo Curley plays everything from memory of course, as do other notable American organists.....Jacobs, Laube etc.
In fact, I think it is Ted Jacobs who plays the Reger BACH from memory on a YouTube clip, which is quite a feat.
I recall holding a lengthy conversation with Carlo Curley about memorising music, and as he aptly pointed out, the concert organist, (like an athlete), needs to practise each and every day to keep in peak form. They also play many of the same works again and again at different venues. He went on to say that the skills of the professional or semi-professional church musician are very different, with many conflicting demands upon the amount of time available. In this situation, solid technique and good music-reading skills count for a lot more.
With so few out and out concert organists in the world, it is probably not surprising that playing entirely from memory is still quite rare.
MM
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Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church
235 Shaftesbury AVE
London
WC2H
PHONE 020 7240 0544
Nearest tube Tottenham court Rd
Welcome NATHAN LAUBE (USA) on Saturday 31st July at 4pm.
retiring collection, buffet.
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I am a great BBC fan, and most of the tv programmes I watch are on their channels (including freeview) because at least you can get away from the never ending commercials, so I am certainly not anti BBC by any means.
All I am saying is people with minority interests should be entitled to have one 1 hour programme. Is that so much to ask ?
The Archers is supposed to be for country folk, and that gets aired 7 days a week.
I do not know how many listeners listen to The Organist Entertains, but it hardly helps to keep changing the broadcasting night(now Thursday rather than Tuesday)
It is suggested that the programme is looking tired, so perhaps Nigel can make some suggestions, although I enjoy every programme, except the ones on those horrible sounding Hammond organs.
I can certainly make contact as suggested, but I am not hopeful.
Colin Richell
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I always listen to this programme, and last week I was disgusted that having forcibly reduced the length of the programme from 60 minutes to supposedly 30 minutes, 3 minutes of the programme is taken up with the news and to add insult to injury, another minute is spent advertising a forthcoming programme.
So, now we are left with 26 minutes of programme, and no publicity for concerts, other than on the internet.
Obviously Radio 2 regard the organ loving public as minority enthusiasts.
When the length of the programme was reduced I did protest but to no avail.
There may be programmes on Radio 3 for classical music, but I and thousands of people also wish to hear light classical played on a cinema organ, and why not ?
I just think it is disgraceful and is there nothing we can do to change things ?
Colin Richell
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Delighted John that your Company is so busy, long may it continue.
Colin Richell.
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NPOR out-of-date re Bank St Chapel. It's a fairly complete two manual these days - nothing special - on EP action and in a small room with no acoustic. I recall hearing some good recitals on it as a teenager, but there are more worthy instruments in Bolton, currently rotting.
My local paper records yet another historic organ requiring restoration. The organ is installed in the Parish Church of St Andrew in Enfield, Middx and is need of urgent repair.
Any cash received will be used to repair and restore the organ's internal mechanism, which is still housed in its original 1752 case but has been ravaged by time and use and is now faltering. I do not know who the builder is.
The female organist complains that she can pitch up on a Sunday morning and then be faced with a catalogue of faults, mishaps and malfunctions, including jammed stops.
What is of concern is that the organist complains that restoration work completed in 1958 was not of a great standard, with components being installed which were already out of date.
This is appalling and the company perhaps should be named and shamed, but surely the restoration work would have been checked before payment was made ?
The pipes also need restructuring to improve the acoustics and quality of sound as they are so high up into the tower, so why did the rerstorers not point this out at the time of restoration ?
I wish the Church luck in their fundraising, which they will need in these troubled times.
Colin Richell.
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On SATURDAY 26th June, David Aprahamian Liddle, the much missed ex Alexandra Palace Organist will be playing as follows;
Bloomsbury Baptist Church at 4pm 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H,
Details of programme on www.bloomsbury.org.uk
Information 020 7240 0544.
Admission free, retiring collection, buffet tea to follow.
Colin Richell.
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I have never seen or heard Cameron Carpenter live, but I never tire of attending a Carlo concert, because he is an interesting and lively person who loves his job, and does not play just for the money.
Yes, too many recitalists play for themselves, and I do not know why they do not play requests as a DJ in a disco would do.
There are plenty of competent organists and boring ones also, who do not attract large numbers even when their concert is free.
Colin Richell.
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I suspect MM's video gives us part of the answer. Unfortunately, there will be some of our number who will be as sniffy about that performance as they are about Carlo Curley or Cameron Carpenter. Who could captivate an audience better than George Thalben-Ball or hold people's attention more than Pierre Cochereau? It was people like that who inspired me as a boy.
The trouble is that so many organ recitals now are principally for the pleasure of the performer and his/her friends, not the audience. At one I went to last summer, I sat in the choir stalls as the best position to see and hear, only to be approached by the (well known) organist who told me curtly that he hoped I wasn't going to rustle any papers or shuffle about, because he was recording his recital and the microphone was nearby. What a welcome!
If we are going to bring an appreciation of the organ to the general public, we also have to give them something in "bite-size chunks". How many I-player tracks last more than three minutes? Fifteen minutes of Bach on a unchanging registration can be difficult to appreciate, even for afficionados. Every public recital needs to be like an art gallery, where you can find little gems that trigger your imagination among familiar and comfortable works. And it needs a bit of star quality from the performers. Britain's Got Talent... but you would be hard pushed to spot it in our corner of the musical scene.
JC
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Thanks, Paul, for an excellent recital. It was good to put a face to the name. I'm glad that the Bower parade didn't intrude!
On Saturday the 5th June, the long awaited repairs to a cherished Hill organ will be unveiled .
The venue is ;St Mary the Virgin Church in Lansdowne Road Tottenham N17.
There will be a blessing and organ recital followed by tours from 2pm.
On the Sunday there will be a choral evensong from 4pm to give the public thhe chance to see the 1889 organ.
Colin Richell.
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Saturday 29th May concert at Bloomsbury Baptist Church at 4pm with Stephen Farr performing.
235 Shaftesbury Ave WC1H.
PHONE 020 7240 0544.
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Worcester Sounds - Saturday May 29th, 7.30pm
Worcester Cathedral’s past and present musicians come together to present a thrilling musical extravaganza of works specially arranged for the occasion:
Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor
Elgar – Pomp and Circumstance No.1
Handel – Zadok the Priest
Karg-Elert – Nun Danket
Lambert – The Rio Grande
Wagner – The Ride of the Valkyries
Parry – Jerusalem (with audience participation)
Saint-Saëns – Finale of Symphony 3
S. Wesley – Andante from the Duet for Organ
Tomkins – When David Heard
Daquin – Noël X
Directed by Adrian Lucas and presented by Nicholas Cleobury, this unique and exciting concert features three choirs, multiple organs and keyboard instruments, percussion and the combined talents of Christopher Allsop, George Castle, Daniel Cook, Andrew Millington, David Newsholme, Daniel Phillips, Christopher Robinson, Paul Trepte, Geoffrey Webber and Tom Winpenny.
There will be multi-camera CCTV coverage of the event, so tickets will all have good sight of the performance.
Tickets priced from £6.50 to £20 from Malvern Theatres website (www.malvern-theatres.co.uk) or on the door.
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Yes, the electronic one there is rather uninspiring, having played it.
The pipe organ that was originally there stood in the left hand corner, with the detached console opposite, where the present electronic instrument is. I can only guess that they got fed up with maintaining and decided to scrap it. I'd be interested to know where it ended up, though.
As I said recently regrettably the funerals I attend do not have the organ playing, just recorded music which obviously saves the cost of an organist. as hymns are rarely sung.
Should crematoriums insist on the organ being used and ban the cd's ?
Colin Richell.
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Presumably the maority of Church weddings ask for the organ to be used, although in a Church some years ago in Swansea I wish the female organist had taken early retirement..
Last week I attended a funeral in Eltham crematorium and although the organist was in attendance (I could see him on the balcony) he played for just one minute in between the ramblings of the vicar.
No hymns were sung, and there was pre-recorded music so I wonder how much the organist would have been paid for 1 minutes work ?
Colin Richell.
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When I started doing freelance funerals seriously I sent a flyer round to all FDs in the area other than those under the umbrella of "Destiny". If they have a service at either a crematorium or church that cannot provide an organist of their own there are a few FDs who regularly contact me and I get on well with them. One who gives me regulalr work even gave a me a large bottle of sparkling wine at Christmas. They will also sometimes recommend me to other FDs in a wider area. I find that churches in the more rural areas, especially those in the commuter belt/London-Brighton railway line area tend to pay beter fees than town centre churches and one even offered to pay quite expensive taxi fares for me (which I gladly accepted). On the other hand, someone else I know in another part of south east England has tried all avenues to get funeral work but with little, if any, success.
I have said before on this Board, quite recently, that the crematorium owned and run by our City Council has two chapels and generally, especially in winter, they can keep a regular team of 5 or 6 organists quite happy with the level of work offered although the pay there is rather less than elsewhere.
Malcolm
Queen's Hall v Alexandra Palace
in The Organ
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sorry about the two entries I understood that the first one wss rejected, my mistake.
Thank you for the information.
Colin Richell