AJJ

'Just found it via Allegro Music - hopefully problem solved. AJJ

I am trying to get a copy of Rachel Laurin's 'Quatre Pèlerinages en Lorraine’ for organ. More especially the 'Procession' from this set. Can anyone help please as the original publisher has recently emailed to cancel my order due to unavailability? AJJ

Mine has just arrived too - not got to grips yet though. AJJ

There is a small 2 manual near here where this is the case - you can only get Swell to Pedal via Swell to Great and Great to Pedal. AJJ

You can also do this in a slightly more round about way using 'Audacity'. Connect the tape player to your PC input - play and record onto Audacity then create MP3/WAV and burn disc as normal using your usual set up. AJJ

Last night I received an email from a chap I was at school with - it came via our respected board admin. department. The former school lot were trying to find me (amongst others) to arrange an anniversary meeting later this year and by a process of 'Google' and 'Mander' I was found after nearly 40 years in the wilderness (well Somerset etc.)! 'Quite amazing - has anything similar happened to any of the rest of you? AJJ

Or even one or two 'closer to home' perhaps. AJJ

I had heard this from a former chorister who sang under Colin Walsh (Langlais pupil). AJJ

I have an amazing recording of him at St Giles Edinburgh - has he recorded any more? AJJ

Calais perhaps? AJJ

Wow - I'm envious! I nearly did it myself (Mrs AJJ was fine about letting me out of the country) but chickened out with the thought of what I would have felt like at school on Monday morning with concerts etc. to negotiate before we finally hit France for ten days on Sunday next. 'Would probably have gone Eurostar though - even the coach from down here to London is too much for my constitution. Maybe another day. AJJ

I remember the Jonathan Rennert connection now - my first live experience of the piece - they all came to my local PC with him as organ scholar and did the Langlais as part of a recital - 'must have been early 70s. AJJ

Was this ever released on CD? - it is still almost the best I have heard. The choir sounds incredible and the quick zap of the Trompeta Real at the end of one of the movements by ( I think) Jonathan Rennert is spine tingling. AJJ

I have heard of something similar in the US where a house organ had a Bourdon, String plus Celeste and Flute at 8', a 4' tapered open rank and a soft Oboe together with some sort of 16 facility for the pedals. In combination or alone the ranks worked well for whatever was needed. All was enclosed and over two manuals. AJJ

'Agree totally with MM - I have a CD of a live recording of Marie Claire Alain playing a Couperin Mass from St. Croix in Bordeaux - immaculate playing on an amazing organ with plainsong sung by a better than usual French choir. Then - as a sort of encore she plays a Dandrieu Noel - as rustic as it can be with masses of humour - one can imagine the 'peasants' poking each other with baguettes! As pointed as in any really good stand up comedy act - the contrast between the two types of music and the approach causes an amazing reaction from the audience. Interestingly a similar piece played over here on a CD by an equally respected player is so po faced as to leave me cold. I don't think I am a musical snob but I do not like being treated as if the music is not enough to stand on its own without all the visual etc. and technique (which usually equates to speed) for technique's sake. AJJ

That is why (on the whole) I can listen to (and watch) the likes of (fairly randomly) Thomas Trotter, Thomas Murray, Olivier Latry, Naji Hakim, David Briggs, Daniel Roth, Dame Gillian Weir or Marie Claire Alain more than than anyone with a hyperactive publicity machine, extensive costume amd lighting department and above all technique that after not too long (however amazing) actually starts to detract from the music itself. OK, there have always been showmen/women but from a purely personal POV I find it all too intrusive. Fun maybe but if the playing is superb then what is the point? To put it another way - I very nearly abandoned wife and kids to go to hear David Briggs at ND de P this weekend but would probably not do the same to hear Cameron Carpenter on a 'half and half' or digital somewhere closer - but that's just me! (Similarly if our very own 'Cynic' were playing two villages away on an 1890s 2 manual Vowles I would go to that.) As to the organ - if it is digital then let it be digital and if pipe let it be pipe (and I tend to exclude the bass bits at Blackburn and Southwell from this which seem to add to their respective instruments' flexibility) - with too much money and not much taste and musicianship it is easy to get into the realms of bling! AJJ

I have come across a few combined pipe/electronics - one where a few extra 16' and 32' pedal stops have been included effectively, one where a small pipe instrument was doubled in size with electronic reeds, chorus work, strings etc. - this sounded decidedly unconvincing and one many years ago where everything from 8' C downwards was electronic - this was ghastly. I was also indirectly involved in a situation where a perfectly reasonable 3 manual pipe organ was to be 'augmented' with 32' reeds, Tubas etc. when someone left the music department at the church with some money 'for the organ'. The music staff were all for this but mercifully the diocese put its foot down and nothing became of the scheme. It seems to me that if a pipe organ is possible and desired then get a pipe organ - the same for a digital but I am not sure of the point of instruments like the Collins/Allen in Scandinavia or many in the USA. Sometimes it seems that the 'Christmas wish list' attitiude takes over from what should be consideration of use and of practical limitations of money and space etc. AJJ

Trawling some sites on a wet Saturday afternoon (kids occupied and Mrs AJJ shopping) I came across this. Without hearing it one can not tell its effectiveness but the tonal scheme strikes me as being incredibly logical in a 'multum in parvo' sort of way. What do people think? AJJ PS And this also displays a similar skill in getting two manuals out of one - I could certainly live with this on a Sunday - maybe my one manual could be adapted...........

And the gent. from the RCO who runs Gatwick - organ and aviation - an interesting link! AJJ

You've hit the nail on the head as ever Pierre! AJJ

Easter Greetings! - and it is even snowing here. AJJ PS Prelude 'Missa Orbis Factor' (Langlais) before and Hommage à Langlais (Nicholas Jackson - based on an improvisation by JL on This Joyful...) after 10.00 HC. This Joyful...and Now the Green Blade...(with instant AJJ organ part and 'continuation' à la Langlais) during the Communion.

Not knowing the full situation there I could not comment on the rationale behind scheme etc. but presumably they are doing the best they can with funds available - it seems as if they have been fund raising for a while and the new tower must have cost a bit wherever the money for this came from. Perhaps also however much one might like a new Aubertin or similar it might not always be the answer in all situations. Certainly I could live with what H & H have done at Ely, Lichfield and St Davids in recent years and have no reason to believe that for example Tickell at Worcester will not succeed in a largely 'triforium bound' sitation. AJJ

It all seems to have been 'rationalised' somewhat and as far as one can tell from a list of stops it will have a more common style than before (meaning speaking with one voice rather than with 'neo' Positive joined with Edwardian N&B etc.). The two big Solo reeds seem to be becoming a trade mark of H&H with a number of their recent jobs getting these. The only experience I have had of this is a recorded one - the big organ at Yale on the Thomas Murray demo. CD from JAV - I'd certainly welcome the choice! AJJ

This looks quite interesting. AJJ

Mendelssohn - Allegro Vivace - F Major. AJJ