AJJ

I agree - but maybe it depends on the 'theme' for the quarter! AJJ

Peter Hurford once wrote or said ('can't remember which) that we need to play with our ears to a large extent and not with pre ordained rules and regulations to the fore. This would seem to be especially necessary on the sort of organ that most of us have to play large chunks of repertoire on and try to enliven psalms and anthems etc. In consequence - if it sounds the way the player wants it to sound, is achievable to a lesser or greater extent then should be valid. I have encountered seemingly weird combination settings on well used liturgical instruments where obviously the resident player knows what he/she wants and is used to the effects set up. Only time spent experimenting can allow familiarity to be achieved. I remember at Bath Abbey before the Klais work - in the Britten Te Deum (whichever one of the two it is) with the quiet start and pedal quavers the RP flues were always coupled down onto the Pedal. This because the Pedal stops all spoke either slowly or at different times (most of them were in different places!) so in order to get any sort of rhythmic accuracy for the Choir to link up with there had to be something close by playing in time - hence the RP. Necessity being the mother of invention etc. AJJ

Thanks for all this so far - some interesting food for thought.............. AJJ

Does anyone know when the pedal divide facility first appeared, where and was it solely for improvisaton? AJJ

Off point - sorry - but the best Messaien I have ever heard on this side of the 'Manche' was Jennifer Bate playing Nativite at Lincoln Cathedral - she really made the Willis sound like a CC - and did a fab. job with 'us down stairs' in the Durufle Requiem after. AJJ

Some years ago I assisted my former teacher when he did a series of recitals in Denmark. One was in the chapel at Fredericksborg Castle - not on the Compenius but on the 3man 1970s tracker by P.G.Andersen in the upper (I think) of two west galleries. The gallery is very low so the older and ellaborate organ case takes up its whole height - rather like a giant 'Chair' case. The console is attached to the rear and the stoplist rather as one would expect except that the Swell and Positive are both enclosed in the same box. The whole thing of course speaks east into the chapel and in consequence the console might as well be in a different building. The only way that any balance etc. could be worked out was via headphones and a microphone suspended in front of the case (which were needed whenever anyone played anything there) and/or by sending someone downstairs to listen - my job. One wonders quite whether this was an inevitable fact that had to be kept in mind during the planning of the instrument, whether they discovered the problem later or what!! AJJ

I have just re discovered a CD of the RAH organ played by Francis Grier and Timothy Bond (BBC Radio Classics 15656 91602 - from the Sound Archives) recorded at proms during the early 80s but issued in the mid 90s. Messaien's Nativite and L'Ascension - incredible sounds but somewhat starved of wind in the 'big' bits!! Anyone else heard this? AJJ

You are correct - the Solo is behind the 'Choir' case in the Nave - Great & Swell speak across the building (which could account for the somewhat 'less than directional' feel to these - away from the console at least) with the Choir speaking into the Choir - as one might guess. AJJ

My memory might be wrong on this - the CD is packed away during building work - but didn't John Scott Whitely record his for Priory on one of those Great European Organ Discs from York? - maybe he can supply. AJJ

In the mid 70s I had a demo of the organ by the then Assistant, Geoffrey Coffin - he was improvising on the screen console at a polite mezzo forte and he suggested I pop round to the south side of the screen for a minute. As soon as I got there the improvisation revved up considerably and I found myself next to the tubes of the Tuba Mirablis - as PCND says - mitred over the edge of the screen in quite a tortuous manner. Close up the sound was pretty tortouos too!! AJJ

'Have just listened to Widor V and VI complete played by Ben Van Oosten at St Ouen Rouen on a CD I had forgotten I had. He makes the Toccata sound like a proper piece of music and the rest is just amazing. I really must try and get there to hear the CC in the flesh!! (And maybe Toulouse too!) AJJ

Philip S Baker does a lot of work in the Frome area - tuning etc. I had always understood he was ex Osmond too. AJJ

Of course!! AJJ

My regular 'playing machine' is a one man. village organ dating from the end of the 19th Century - it is enclosed with the exception of the 8' Open and Pedal 16'. None of the stops are divided as such although a stopped bass is provided for the TC 8' stops, there is a nice chorus up to 2' and a little 8' Oboe. Surprisingly quite a lot can be played on it despite its limitations. A 12 year old instrument built in the 'Brit.' style by a Swedish organbuilder set me thinking - the stoplist is below but what would other contributors do in a typical village situation (small choir but nothing complex - repertoire wise) with a maximum of say 12 stops on one manual and pedal? Any style, all, no or partial enclosure is allowed as are divided stops, 'suboctave' derivations to pedal or other such things could be ued but on mechanical action. St Peter & St Sigfrid, Stockholm (Fondell) Manual: Dble Diap Bass 16 (TC), Dble Diap Treble 16, OD 8, StD 8, Salic.8, Princ. 4, Ch Fl 4, 15th 2, Mixt III, Cornet Treble III, Trumpet Bass 8, Trumpet Treble 8, Pedal: Subbass 16, Trombone 16. Manual-Pedal coupler Divided stops B/Mid C No enclosed stops I've not heard this but looking at what is there it seems to be quite flexible. I think the 16' based chorus and Trombone will no doubt pack quite a punch but there are seemingly endless permutations with the quieter flues and string along with the Treble Cornet and divided reed. (If I could do anything else I would probably enclose at least part and add a Celeste to pair with the Salicional.) AJJ

The Saetas by Torres are also available in this rather good anthology (sorry - a bit off topic for this strand - not the greatest music but some very good stuff for services etc.): A Treasury of Organ Music for Manuals Only: 46 Works by Bach, Mozart, Franck, Saint-Saëns and Others Ed. Rollin Smith ISBN: 0486435822 Dover Publications I got it via Allegro Music in Birmingham but you can buy direct from the Dover website. AJJ

Try some of the music published by these two: http://www.animus.org.uk/ http://www.fagus-music.com/ AJJ

'Tried the NPOR but with no success! AJJ

The whole Great chorus of the 1875 Hook & Hastings at The Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston is an amazing sound. Right from 16 Double, Quint 5-1/3 and the rest up to Mixture IV (with tierce I think), Cymbale VII (best used to top a 'contrapuntal' effect) and Acuta VII (with flat 21st and tierce - maybe best with the reeds) AND 16, 8 and 4 reeds (the latter two made by Zimmerman in Paris). The reeds are big but just as described by TP above. The whole lot together is quite splendid!! This organ was not in good shape when the recordings I have were made (by Thomas Murray) - the earlier (1863) and smaller E & GG Hook at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Boston is in better shape - the overall effect is similar though. Funnily enough the Great reeds on the latter sound to me (on CD at any rate) just like the Hill (?) trio on the Great at Bath Abbey before the Klais rebuild. AJJ

Likewise David Heath (Frome & Somerton) AJJ

Listening to 'The Archers' on the console sound system (somewhat duff then I think perhaps) of a well known home counties Cathedral. More recently attempting to stop my elder daughter (then aged 6) from escaping from the console area over the back of the choirstalls. AJJ

And the organ & orchestra version of the Durufle Requiem similarly as far as I am concerned! AJJ

Langlais - Vingt-Quatre Pieces pour Orgue ou Harmonium (2 Vols) - Editions Combre (24 Boulevarde Poissonniere, 75009, Paris) - I got them via Allegro Music. There is also a set by Andre Fleury which are good too - I try all these sorts of things for a bit of variety on my little one manual Vowles. Too much C H Trevor can go a long way! AJJ

The two books of 'Orgue de Choeur' type pieces on two staves have some nice miniatures - Priere and Prelude Modale especially. AJJ

Mine! http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N12535 AJJ

That's it - hours of fun! AJJ