AJJ

Loïc Mallié became Organiste Titulaire earlier this year. A

Thomas LACÔTE - Titulaire at Bourges Cathedral in France to be Organiste Titulaire-Adjoint du Grand-Orgue de l'église de la Trinité in Paris. I spent a hugely enjoyable Mass in the organ tribune at Bourges on Palm Sunday along with an hour on the organ afterwards - TL is a vastly talented player! A

Lincoln, Southwark....& Coventry. A PS NOT Wells!

I find SLANE the most miserable of tunes! A

These DVDs are a fantastic idea etc. - but - with the cost of things I am not over inclined to get duplicates of repertoire or 'mixed recitals' some of which I can't really justify. I got the Lincoln one because I worked there off and on for a while - and the St Pauls one for the instrument - so far I have not touched the others. Liverpool could be a choice for 'instrument' interest but Exeter maybe not. And that is no relfection on Andrew Millington I hasten to add who I recently saw fill a church for a concert with a nicely played and balanced programme. A

This is a good recording of the set too. A

The 32' Napoleon on the Aubertin at S. Louis in Vichy has the desired 'all conquering' effect from its position outside the case along the gallery wall. A

There is a memorable description somewhere back in 'The Organ' where aspects of the (then new) Positive Organ fluework at Guildford Cathedral are described as being like 'green seaweed floating in alabaster' or something equally poetic. Possibly there is somewhere that '8 foot plus fractions' does resemble this but I find it hard to think of in the context of the above cathedral! I also vaguely remember someone writing about the 'halitosis from big Open on the Great at Leicester Cathedral wafting down the north aisle'! A

There's a good recording of the piece here - in fact the rest of the CD is good too. In nice acoustic even an instrument constructed of seemingly disparate parts (albeit well voiced) can sound good! The playing is fine too. It's also available on iTunes. A

Wow - many thanks! A

The above was written before HW emigrated to Canada for an event in St Albans Abbey and helped to establish his reputation - really quite a fine piece! Now alas out of print but if anyone can help please contact. Many Thanks A

You're getting very avant garde these days - maybe try it sometime with those chamades!! A

I know of someone doing this - albeit in another area of 'construction' - only the casual labour is from Essex! A

Try here. A

I also do as suggested above - imagine I am singing the hymns as a member of the choir or congregation and play accordingly. I often get told off for playing hymns too fast but I really feel that at times things can really drag and meaning, natural flow etc. is therefore lost. As an example - on Sunday - Great is thy faithfullness came out nicely one in a bar - not too fast but distinctly lighter than usual and in a sense it had far more meaning than at a slow and solid three in a bar - to my ears anyway. I do also spend time checking through all the hymns I have to play - I think that this is very important and as much part of my role as the 'fancy bits'! A

I found this - 'not seen it before but it's worth a look - 'good photos too. A

But with all due respect - it does depend on taste - Britain's Got Talent is my personal idea of hell! A

I think that possibly I was there too - didn't the same OC trip include Nigel Allcoat at St Augustine's just across the road? An interestingly different pair of venues! A

Thanks for this - I had a hunch someone might know more. Also interesting that places are thinking about such firms to do what in the past would possibly have been done by those closer to home. A

'Agree with much above....... but it's more the nature of job that they've gone abroad for - 'not sure I can see the point - apart from cost. Maybe it is usual in these global times for this sort of situation - I wonder if many UK builders are doing similar things away from the UK - as opposed to major new instruments or or because their specific 'ethos' is desired. etc. A

I came across this local organ history recently and would be interested to know what people thought about the latest developments. - 1890s large three manual rebuild by major national firm of organ dating from 1750s, previously on west gallery now in chancel. - 1965 rebuilt as two manual and returned to west end with detached electopneumatic console. 'Fractions' added along with mixturework and extended pedal etc. - very typical of the time. Work done by now defunct local firm. - 1970s and 1980s saw more small scale work done in a similar vein by the same company. - 2010/11 - complete reconstruction/restortation by a company from Eastern Europe usually know in the UK for its recent tracker instruments. New action, wind system and soundboards repaired, case pipes sorted and largely new console appointments. Pipework reinstalled with repairs and voicing tidied where necessary. The organ by all accounts works well and sounds good but I am somewhat mystified as to why go all the way to the other side of Europe for a job that could have been done as well (and possibly better) by any of the big UK firms and at least three local one/two man companies who do this sort of work really well with excellent craftsmanship and whose work is all around this area to see and hear. If I were wanting restorative or modernising work done on my house I would not go to a company in another part of the country let alone in another part of Europe. This case is not the same as a new organ or major remodelling/rebuilding where the style/ethos/reputation of a non UK company may be desired and I for one can not fathom the logic behind the decisions. A

They can do these things well - the afternoon Radio 4 slot this week on W S Gilbert has been fascinating for example. What worries me is that if someone with a bit of media clout pops up and wants to do a documentary on 'whoever' then they are often able to to do so. There used to be a couple of 'well knowns' who 'did' musical topics because of an interest rather than an in depth knowlege (ie did we get the above programme for the HRH or the Parry?) and as far as I am concerned they fell a bit flat. A

Same composer at Liverpool Met. played by Richard Lea A

The 64' reed (I think it is real and not electronic - maybe someone can be more specific) at Washington National Cathedral can make an impression - try this CD in Gerre Hancock's incredible improvised Symphony. A

Not Gloucester but my favourite recording (I think I've written about this on here before) of the Elgar Sonata is on the organ of the Immaculate Conception Church, Boston, USA (E. & G. G. Hook, 1863) - AFKA label by Thomas Murray. Fantastic playing on an amazing instrument. 'Not sure if available any more but if anyone is interested send PM. A