AJJ

There currently seems to be an increased enthusiasm for transcribing major orchestral symphonic repertoire for the organ. Recital programmes have started to include these as have recordings along with copious notes explaining the processes involved in 'reducing and reassembling' the material for a totally different medium. Indeed not so long ago I heard a stunning and virtuoso performance of an arrangement of the last movement of Mozart's Jupiter symphony given by its arranger on a well known (and quite controversial) organ in a major Paris church - I also have an amazing recording of Mahler played on the organ at Gloucester Cathedral. From an immediate (and unashamedly organist's) point of view experiences that were (and in the case of the recording continue to be) tremendous yet from a purely musical stand point I have a sneaking feeling that I would have felt more fulfilled listening to a live orchestra or a decent recording of the music in its original form. It would be interesting to know what opinions are on this - respected musicians have been and are obviously spending much time and exercise (albeit for the use of the few who can probably cope with the standard of performance needed to do the music justice) transcribing yet for what end I am tempted to ask. Is it to enable listeners to hear the piece in a new way, is it to provide more 'new' and challenging repertoire, is it to prove a point or is it purely an academic exercise to stretch the skills of the transcriber, his/her laptop and the latest version of Sibelius? OK Lemare et al did similar in times past but I am not really thinking of this - likewise the 'town hall' or 'lollipops' type tradidtions with pieces like the Flight of the Bumblebee or chunks of Nutcracker popping up - this I see as something very different - perhaps more obviously for entertainment. Transcription has always been present but it is these more recent trends that interest me. A .........just off to have an indulgent half hour playing through the arrangement of V W's Tallis Fantasia by a respected commentator on here!

Thanks all - much info to think about and advice to act on. A

According to my GP I have tennis elbow! Despite the fact that I have not played tennis for at least 40 years and as far as I am aware have done nothing to cause this I currently have a left arm that is prone to pain - apparently some sort of repetetive strain caused inflamation of the elbow muscle. The usual ibuprofen medications work to a certain extent as does a rather neat sports band round the elbow. A wise friend and former teacher suggested un relaxed wrists while practicing etc. could be the cause but I do not think that this is the case. I can mostly play without too much pain but my length of playing time before things get 'gummed up' is not that long. I have tried acupunture but this seems not to have had great deal of effect. My GP says it could take a while to go and can not suggest much more than I have tried already. Does anyone here have similar experiences or can anyone offer advice please?

Thanks Vox - lots to think on. M-CA in the meantime - playing at Alkmaar - not the recording I mentioned and not a French instrument of course - but I do like her way with the piece - similar speed to your linked version but with just a hint of Gallic elegance. A

Slightly off topic but - I've just dug out BWV 562, the 5 Part Fantasia in C Minor. There are a number of different and quite polarised interpretations from Simon Preston (middle of the road - not too slow and not full organ) to Ton Koopman (highly ornamented and quite fast with full choruses) via Marie Claire Alain (on a small reed chorus with notes 'inegale' rather in the manner of a French Overture - in her 1980s complete JSB - 'not sure about the others). Some also play the piece horrendously (in my opinion anyway) slowly. I quite like Simon Preston's pace with M-C A's inegales - maybe in the manner of a Grands Jeux movement from Couperin/De Grigny etc.. What does anyone else here do - keeping in mind possible French inluences via JSB's De Grigny interest? A

Thanks. A

Can anyone suggest how I might get hold of a copy of this piece please. Thanks A

Appropriate then! A

Very good!.......actually - 'can't remember, A

..and listening to the clip it sounds to be stunning playing (Pierre Labric was born in 1921!)......and at S. Ouen......'might get it!! A

These are the Promenades en Provence 1. Vieux Noëls Provençaux (Nuit de Noël à Saint-Tropez) 2. Les Grandes Orgues de la Basilique de Saint-Maximin 3. Tambourinaires sur la place des Vieux Salins 4. Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre 5. Le Cloître de Saint-Trophime à Arles 6. Petit Cimetière et Cyprès autour de la vieille église de Bormes-les-Mimosas 7. Voiles multicolores au port de Toulon 8. Les Cloches de Notre-Dame des Doms en Avignon 9. Jour de fête aux Saintes-Maries de la Mer 10. Profil de la Porte d'Orange à Carpentras 11. Le Moulin d'Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille 12. La Chartreuse de Montrieux au crépuscule 13. Visions à l'Abbaye de Sénanque: La Foi en Dieu – La Joie en Dieu and these are the Images 1. Assauts de vagues aux rochers de l'lle de Port-Cros 2. Balancements des barcasses colorées au Vieux Port de Saint-Tropez 3. Hallucinante évocation des Moines aux ruines de la Chartreuse de la Verne 4. L'Etoile Radieuse de Moustiers Sainte-Marie 5. Humble petit oratoire à l'ombre d'oliviers séculaires 6. Coucher de Soleil sur les majestueuses Tours du Château de Lourmann 7. Douceur des Champs de Lavande fleurie 8. Coup de Mistral en Garrigue Provencale These is also a set called Bouquet de France There is an excellent recording of the Promenades and a selection of other pieces from various suites by Simon Nieminski - the nautical ones do sound very nautical! A

I once improvised some variations on the theme from Captain Pugwash after a service with a vaguely nautical theme. One lady said 'That was nice - was it French?' A

Maybe not one of the 'Greats' but BWV 550 P & F in G Major is quite fun and not that difficult. A

Sometime ago I was in contact with the DOM who said that the stoplist would be on the website eventually. A

I have a superb recent recording of the Aubertin organ at Clairvaux where Francis Jacob plays the RH part on a Trumpet stop (actually a Cor de Post!) - a marvellous sound and perfect taste! A ....perhaps the Wimborne Chamade?

The Redcliffe Great Mixture is given as 12.15.19.22.26 on the church website and as the NPOR entry appears to have been made by Andrew Kirk the DOM this would also seem more likely to be correct. I suspect the BDOA need just to update their website entry. A

Superb building, marvellous organ and brilliant playing - what more could one ask for! A

The above posts have hit the nail on the head as far as we are concerned - we do Thorne by the way. A

There's a good recording by Peter Crompton from the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook on Priory PRCD-6002. The large HN&B organ there is rather fine if you like that sort of sound - I do! A

I once heard a very respected player - now DOM at an important northern parish church - put the Battle Hymn of the Republic up a semitone each verse when he was Assistant DOM at my local home counties cathedral many years ago. It was at a youth service and worked really well! A

Thanks for this. A

Choral Evensong once a month with SATB 'scratch' choir (I sing - 'usually have introit, psalm, Mag & Nunc, responses and anthem) at my local 'town' PC. We have Parish Communion only at the (village) church where I play regularly but at one of the other ( again, village) churches where I deputise they do Choral Mattins complete with trimmings except anthem. When I started there I had to re-learn fast how to 'do' anglican psalms again! A

This line is interesting - here is another of the 50s/60s Walker instruments that tends to get overlooked - speaking to friends who where at Ampleforth soon after it was put in it seems that the organ could do some exciting (and even fearsome) things - I have only heard it in recordings though. Interesting also regarding winding - Mark Venning mentioned recently that from the inside the RFH organ was just like a typical Engish cathedal organ from the point of view or mechanism, double rise reservoirs etc. A

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Not quite on topic - but - can anyone who knows the N-D instrument explain the logistic (from the time of C-C presumably) that places a 16' Montre on the Positif with only Flute Harmonique, Salicional and Unda Maris at 8' before the chorus continues upward with 4' Prestant etc. I have played smaller organs in France of a C-C vintage where the GO foundation is 8' Flute Harmonique and Salicional combining nicely under a small chorus up to 2' but here......? A