wolsey

I have taught using The Organists' Manual by Roger E. Davis (Norton 1985), while Anne Marsden Thomas's A Graded Anthology for Organ (Cramer 1997) has provided excellent repertoire for my pupils. I myself was brought up on Peeters' Ars Organi back in the early 70s and it has placed me in good stead. I feel compelled to defend my teacher's [Hurford's] book from the opinion that it is "academic". At least he lays his cards on the table, as it were, in the book's introduction and explains its purpose. If nothing else, the beginning of his first sentence says it all, "This book is about making music..." (my italics).

It was the first film, not the sequel.

To pick up on an old item above in this thread:- Indeed, it is that big. And I have heard it said that the 32' Double Ophicleide was even more devastating in the 50s, and what we hear today is a tamed version of its original incarnation...

Is this right? I thought that Father Willis didn't get it right at the RAH, and part of the rationale of the first Harrison & Harrison rebuild was to make it louder.

I'd be interested to know which of Duruflé's changes "tighten up the structure of the piece". Having compared his transcription to Tournemire's own recorded performance of the Victimae Paschali improvisation - remastered on CD, there's much detail which Duruflé has missed as opposed to structural changes.

I know of two organists - neither of whom is easy to please in such matters - who both settled for an Eminent DCS organ from Cathedral Organs Ltd. Jeremy Filsell, on the other hand, has a 3-manual Viscount Prestige.

The two organ cases were still covered in July when I heard the St Thomas Choir from New York there, and I imagine that the presence of the protective sheeting has led to uninformed speculation. As has been said by another poster, work is being done to the the nave floor; no work is taking place on the organ.

It's been a week now but I, for one, would be grateful for news of the well-being - or otherwise - of organists Roy Massey, Christopher Regan, Carleton Etherington and Ben Nicholas who all live in the town...

Having just listened to at least four different orchestral samples - courtesy of iTunes, there appears to be a misprint in the Martin transcription published by Novello: bar 27 (two bars before the modulation from B flat to E flat) - the pedal minim (beats 1 and 2) should be bottom C - not E flat as printed.

It's always enlightening to hear the music of composers known only for their organ music. Howells string music is worth listening to - especially the Elegy for Viola, Quartet and String Orchestra. Stanford's orchestral music is good; try the Irish Symphony. I also have a CD of excellent chamber music by Vierne. All organists should take every opportunity to listen outside the 'organ box'!!

Why not investigate the music he wrote for the instrument as well? Jane Watts' CD from Salisbury Cathedral (Priory PRCD 616) should help. Incidentally, the Chandos recording Invocation which you mention is still available for purchase as a CD (for just over a fiver on Amazon), or you can pick and choose tracks for downloading as MP3 files (www.theclassicalshop.net)

He was only playing the RH melody while Len played the accompaniment, and after some initial confusion because Len was playing the LH page simultaneously with DD playing the RH page, the tonality settled down and we heard and saw a passable duet. DD's fingers knew where they were going. There is a musical streak in the family: his daughter was a fine oboist (post grade 8) and singer at school, and she is now carving a career for herself as a jazz singer.

Having watched a recording of How We Built Britain on BBC 1 last night, David Dimbleby needs to be added to the list of celebrities as organists after playing Cole Porter's I Love Paris as a duet with Len Rawle on the Wurlitzer at the Granada, Tooting.

The New Oxford Easy Anthem Book (No. 57), or New English Praise No 700

Yes. Superbly restored 8 years ago by H&H, and situated in a glorious Pearson church, it's on my shortlist of the best of South London's organs; it can be heard on at least two CDs. Monthly Saturday organ recitals have been a feature since the restoration, and the next is on Saturday 8 September at 1830 hours. There's a Lewis at St Luke's, Kingston-upon-Thames - with key-touches - though in need of sympathetic restoration, and for which an appeal has been launched. Forgive the digression (pace John Sayer), but vying for a place on my South London shortlist are the organs in two Croydon churches (St John Baptist aka Croydon Parish Church and St Michael & All Angels), and All Saints, Tooting Graveney.

William McVicker's article on T C Lewis in the current issue of Choir and Organ specifically mentions that surviving key-touch settings from the Kelvingrove Art Gallery organ - as well as Southwark - show that the mixturework was intended to be added with or after the Great reed. On the Southwark Swell, the mixture was orginally set on the piston after that bringing on the 8' reed.

Err... Don't, whatever you do, call Stephen 'Steven'.....

The ISM's information sheet on music for weddings says, "If you are getting married in a church, it is usual to ask the resident organist to play for you. Alternatively you may ask another organist to play. If you decide to engage another organist, you might also have to pay the resident organist (depending on your church’s contract with the organist)." It all depends then on what it says in your contract with your church...

Having just speed-read Peter Williams's commentary on BWV 542, it seems arguable that the fugue originally existed in F minor. That copies of it in F minor do exist is beyond doubt though, and as there is no copy of the Fantasia in that key as well, one could well conclude that the two were not conceived by JSB as an entity. To answer the original poster then, on the evidence available, you cannot be accused of committing a musical faux pas by playing some of the preludes (or fantasias; or toccatas) and fugues separately.

Some Priory material can be purchased and then downloaded at www.theclassicalshop.net. I have on my iPod Graham Barber playing Fleury's Prelude, Andante and Toccata...

Into this category would also come Sir George Dyson (RCM). Oh, and a missing knight: 1921 Sir Ivor Atkins (Worcester)

If you're talking about being honoured for services to music as an organist, then the last knight may well have been Sir George Thalben-Ball. Philip Ledger's knighthood was, I suspect, for services to music in his capacity as Principal of the RSAM&D. It should be noted, however, that a Dame is the female equivalent of a Knight of an Order of Chivalry, so Dame Gillian Weir may well be the last organist to be honoured as such.

It's when you're playing for BCP evensong on Easter Day that verse 12 of psalm 118 rings true...

I'm with mgp and AMT on this. The purpose of the playover is to establish the melody for the congregation and its tempo. A rallentando is a sure recipe for a confused start to the hymn - precisely at the moment when momentum and character have to be established. It's also regrettable that you view your congregation as "the opposition"... Oh dear!

From Dr McVicker's Summary of Proposed Alterations in the 2004/5 RFH recital programme: "When the RFH's acoustic character has been remodelled and the organ reinstalled, the pipework will be rebalanced to take into account the changes in the building's profile." There are seriously sensible and musical heads on the shoulders of William McV and Mark Venning and the Durham team. I'm inclined to leave it to their considerable expertise to get the organ sorted so that (transformed) hall and instrument complement each other. Harrison & Harrison are listed on the SBC's website as a member (organ consultant) of the RFH Refurbishment Project Team, so perhaps you know something that we don't.