AJJ

Now this is interesting (& possibly another line of discussion)........my wife is a string player too! AJJ

Oops - formatting madness - though you can probably work it out - 'may try again later - sorry! AJJ

Here's something nice from Von Beckerath to get us thinking about new 4 mans.: Marlborough College Great Swell (enclosed) Großprincipal 16’ Flûte allemande 16’ Principal 8’ Bourdon 8’ Principal Célèste 8’ Flûte ouvrit 8’ Rohrgedeckt 8’ Viole d’Orchestre 8’ Viola da Gamba 8’ Voix Célèste 8’ Octave 4’ Aeoline 8’ Waldflöte 4’ Fugara 4’ Quinte 2 2/3’ Flûte octaviante 4’ Superoctave 2’ Nazard 2 2/3’ Cornet V 8’ Octavin 2’ Mixtur V 1 1/3’ Tierce 1 3/5’ Cymbel III 2/3’ Sifflet 1’ Bombarde 16’ Harmonia Aethera III 2 2/3’ Trompete 8’ Plen Jeu V 2’ Clarine 4’ Basson 16’ Trompette harmonique 8’ Hautbois 8’ Clairon 4’ Positif Solo (enclosed) Prestant 8’ Harmonic Flute 8’ Holzgedeckt8’ Dulciana 8’ Prestant 4’ Concert Flute 4’ Spielflöte 4’ Vox Humana 8’ Nasat 2 2/3’ Clarinet 8’ Terz 1 3/5’ Trumpet 8’ Gemshorn 2’ Tuba 8’ Larigot 1 1/3’ Scharf IV 1’ Cromorne 8’ Pedal Untersatz 32’ Principalbass 16’ Offenflöte 16’ Bordun !6’ Octavbass 8’ Flötenbass 8’ Choralbass 4’ Mixtur V 4’ Kontrabombarde 32’ Bombarde 16’ Fagott 16’ Posaune 8’ It's just up the road from here - and ready now I think. AJJ

'Not sure about this but I think Priory also has a set coming out soon. It probably will not be the same price though. AJJ

I agree about Klais at Bath (although know of others on here who do not) and would also point out that with David Flood in charge Canterbury has a first rate practitioner who is not going to let just anything happen. One must remember that he was at Lincoln with it's Willis before Canterbury and..... was part of the group instrumental in getting the new Aubertin for St John's College Oxford! AJJ

Hasn't he had a bit to do with these? http://www.letourneauorgans.com/ AJJ

While on the 'second instrument' theme - Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden (almost like their Westminster Abbey) has a fantastic 19th Century 3 man ('Swedish Cavaille Coll' style) in the west gallery and is now getting this on a transept gallery to be near the choir:- http://www.ruffatti.com/html/uppsala.html The organist there was/is British and they have a tradition of English choral music - I sang there as a treble and the acoustic is incredible. AJJ

Perhaps the nave organ will have its own console downstairs too. Re the armchair bit - tempting but 'no time at present. Maybe you could kick off!! AJJ

.............I nearly managed to get back to ND to hear Latry doing the 4.30 'Audition' but it was pouring with rain and my 6 & 7 year olds were playing up so didn't actually manage to. By the way I now have 2 copies of 'Orgues de Paris' (an opulent coffee table sized book with articles in French, photos and stoplists of ALL the organs) if anyone would like to make an offer via PM for the non up to date (1992) version then first come first served - the new version cost 40 Euro but please do not pass this info. on to my wife! AJJ

Back to Canterbury................the latest Choir and Organ has more about what they are intending to do. A new 4 man. nave instrument plus rebuild of the Willis/Mander including a new 4th man. and casework. There will also be a new 'east end' chorus with all of this playable from a 4 man. console on the screen. David Titterington is to be consultant and the current appeal also includes refurbishment of the Choir boarding house. It sounds interesting - apparently the contract has not yet gone out to tender and they are looking for one builder to do the work ('organ wise' that is - not including the boarding house!). AJJ

St Sulpice was amazing last Sunday - everything from Clerambault & Marchand to Cesar Franck via an improvisation. Impressions - with all the early pipework still around the 18th Century repertoire sounded superb as did the rest with the CC choruses. At the hands of Daniel Roth - a real Rolls Royce of an organ. The overall effect was very mellow, controlled and in the best possible taste. Certainly - full throttle was quite enough for me but again all very tasteful. However - star of the visit was St Louis en L'Ile - that is one really classy instrument! AJJ

Some interesting ideas here - Henry Groves of Nottingham (with Paul hale as consultant) built a small 2 man & ped. extension organ at Epperstone PC some years ago - some ideas from the old Walker 'Positif' organs were incorporated - Mixtures/2's taken from Salicionals/Dulcianas carefully voiced - 'normal' scale and quite melodic in the trebles etc. - not like the old Walker Dulciana Mixtures. The whole effect is said to be quite effective. Likewise the unusual 3 man. in Roger Fisher's Music Room: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N18266 This: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=H00153 also works nicely and is worth a visit. 'Medium sized medieval church with the organ unenclosed on the rood screen. It is not 'Romantic' in concept but a combination of good older pipework and a nice acoustic makes for an effective little instrument. AJJ

There is quite a nice setting by David Halls from Salisbury Cathedral that we use on occasions - it's in one of the Salisbury Diocesan Festival books. AJJ

Any chance of details of the Lade recording please? AJJ

Last week's from Westminster Abbey was the best I'd heard for ages. AJJ PS Truro tonight wasn't bad either.

Hmmm!! - ok if you have space at home etc. and our two girls crashing about the place would cause severe nerve problems for me if there was a pristine pipe organ parked in the corner of the front room. There is also the cost of course - if digital were the only practical way then I for one would go for that - but with the proviso that any megalomanic tendencies would be put to one side. One also needs to think carefully about it's purpose and purchase accordingly. And this from an otherwise committed pipe organ person! AJJ

The amazingly versatile couplers on the Auberin at Aberdeen University where everything can couple everywhere and on mechanical action. AJJ

There's an instrument up north somewhere with a drinks cabinet activated by a stop knob - 'can't remember where though. AJJ

The current 'Sonata' model now has both. AJJ

...........as a north Londoner I agree with this and why not also include the 1984 Nigel Church at All Saints Friern Barnet as a 'modern' - a bit further out but worth a visit. AJJ

Has anyone had experience of the newer small Allens? - I have not played one for years and then they were a bit 'American Classic' in sound etc. How do they compare to Phoenix, Copeman Hart, Wyvern etc.? AJJ

I saw something very similar to this in France over the Summer where the organ and console were in a sort of abulatory at the East end of a church behind the high altar - the congregation were free to wander very close. AJJ

Last year when we visited they were playing music which I assumed to be the organ itself (I think there might have been a CD) - it sounded like a harmonium! - maybe the CD playing equipment was not up to it though. AJJ

I have just taken posession of this new 2 CD set of music played on historic and important organs South of the Thames in London - some well played music and interesting instruments. There should be more projects like this and Paul Derrett's 'Benchmark' sets. (Likewise the new 'soundbites' on the NPOR.) http://www.ram.ac.uk/SSLSO/ AJJ PS Check out the Bairstow Scherzo at Southwark and the Stanford Fantasia and Toccata at the RFH!

I think he comes from Australia! AJJ