wolsey

This is indeed confirmed in a round-robin from him.

You may be right. It certainly had that effect me as a chorister singing at an RSCM Cathedral Course there decades ago under Gerald Knight, with Roy Massey upstairs. I had heard Pedal Trombones, but this (to a twelve-year-old) was something else entirely...

Please: no tampering with the Truro Ophicleide.

It ought to be recorded here that the Very Revd Michael Till, sometime Dean of Chapel, King's College, Cambridge, and formerly Dean of Winchester, gave a moving address at the funeral of his friend and colleague Sir Philip Ledger on 4 December, and having driven home to Sussex, he himself died.

The two ranks of the old Great Quartane have now been separated to form the two stops Quint and Super Octave; the Choir is still devoid of a Fifteenth.

By coincidence, I was watching DVD1 from this set only last night. I found it thoroughly engaging and fascinating, and am pleased to have acquired a good understanding of the development of 19th century French organ building and its place in the social and cultural milieu. The disc also proved to be a visual and aural delight. Unless I have missed it though, my only regret is that there isn't a list of the pieces heard on DVD1. Gerard Brook's commentary scenes with the organ behind the High Altar immediately made me think, "Farnborough Abbey, surely!" I am glad that Douglas has confirmed my suspicion.

Peter Wright recorded the pieces on the Lewis/Harrison at Southwark for Priory - Great European Organs No.35 - PRCD406. Although it's deleted, it's still available - for a price - through their archive service. If you're quick though, you'll find better deals on Amazon.

Yes, they were: the photo was taken in October at Lambeth at the conferment of their degrees. Indeed, but both the present Archbishop - and indeed his successor - graduated from Cambridge, and neither of the robes worn by Doctors Jackson and Neary appear to feature the distinguishing dark-cherry satin of a Cambridge MusD seen on this distinguished recipient in Cambridge this summer. With these gowns reportedly costing something approaching £1,000, it's perhaps no wonder suitable substitutes have to be used, and the matter of academic dress is observed in spirit, rather than in letter.

Geoffrey Winter BEM

Apologies for prolonging this digression on this thread, but the photo of Doctors Jackson and Neary in Lambeth degree robes ( http://asfchoir.word...mbeth/img_4522/ ) is misleading, as they are not identical. I imagine that the expense of these garments means that some discreet substitution has taken place.

Incorporation still occurs at both universities, and also Dublin; it's really a formality regarding their status within the university in which they happen to be working. Musicians who hold an MA of one of these three universities and have held a university or college post in another of the three - thus obtaining a 'second' MA by incorporation, include John Harper, Edward Higginbottom, Daniel Hyde, Bill Ives, David Lumsden, Simon Preston, Christopher Robinson and Bernard Rose. Hardly anybody progresses to the Cambridge MusD (or MusB) nowadays; the examinations for these higher degrees are not a walk-over by any means. The composer Derek Bourgeois is one of the very select people I know who holds a Cambridge MusD by examination.

'Unsuitable' is a debatable term. There is anecdotal evidence of Jeanne Demessieux playing effortlessly in high-heeled shoes, and I remember Jeremy Filsell not putting a foot wrong in trainers.

The score costs £20.99 from Allegro Music. If the end of Messiaen's Dieu Parmi Nous or Mulet's Tu es petra are within your scope, then this Toccata will be approachable. It's arguably slightly easier than the two works mentioned, as the figuration remains consistent throughout the piece.

A Director of Music can be either employed or self-employed, and the Incorporated Society of Musicians has separate standard contracts available for employed or self-employed status.

I beg to disagree. Kenneth Tickell; Bruce Fowkes; Christopher Batchelor; Andrew Scott; Geoffrey Coffin; Trevor Crowe spring to mind. Two of these are FRCOs; another an ARCO.

You mean Gordon Reynolds.

News has been received that in the same week as Sir Philip Ledger's death was announced, his assistant and successor at Chelmsford Cathedral, John Jordan, died suddenly on Friday night.

Sir Philip Ledger, sometime organist of Chelmsford Cathedral, Director of Music at King's College, Cambridge 1974-1982, and Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 74.

Generations of student church musicians must also remember the Great to Swell coupler on the Harrison organ which was situated in the RSCM's St Nicholas Chapel at Addington Palace. After a brief sojourn in Cleveland Lodge, Dorking, the instrument is now in St Alkmund's, Shrewsbury (NPOR: R01719). A Great Sub Octave coupler can now be found on the 1963 Walker organ at St John's RC Church, Islington, and also exists on the Downes-designed Walker at the London Oratory. The Downes/Harrison at Croydon's Fairfield Concert Hall has a Great Flues Sub Octave coupler.

Those on Facebook should request to join the 'Carlo Curley Memoriam Group' for a scan of the order of the service and other contributions. By all accounts, Carlo was given a splendid send-off in a packed abbey. Music details are below. The service was led by the Vicar of Pershore, the Rev Kenneth Crawford, who also gave the address. Tributes were given by Nelson Barden and Paul Vaughan. Lessons were read by Selwyn Jones and the Rev Paul Andrew. Prayers were led by Rev Canon Timothy Lipscomb, Vicar of Preston. The interment of ashes took place in the Abbey's Memorial Garden immediately after the service in the church. Played before the service by Keith Hearnshaw Prelude & Fugue in A minor BWV 543 (J S Bach) Chorale Prelude on ‘Eventide’ (Parry) Nimrod (Elgar) Hymn: O praise ye the Lord (Organist, Colin Walsh) I hear the welcome voice Cannock Chase Orpheus Male Voice Choir Alan Jones, director; Colin Walsh, organist How lovely are thy dwellings (Brahms) Choir: Voces Assumptionis Alex Crawford, director; Colin Walsh, organist Hymn: Abide with me (Organist, Keith Hearnshaw) Interlude: Sarabande from Partita in A minor BWV 1013 (J S Bach) Nicholas Daniel - oboe In Paradisum from Requiem (Duruflé) Choir: Voces Assumptionis Alex Crawford, director; Colin Walsh, organist Hymn: The day thou gavest (Organist, Michael Pegg) Hymn: Mine eyes have seen (Organist, Colin Walsh) Prelude & Fugue in G BWV 541 (J S Bsch) INTERMENT Ar Hyd y Nos (Boulton) Cannock Chase Orpheus Male Voice Choir The Lord’s Prayer (Duruflé) Choir: Voces Assumptionis

... or Leeds Minster as it became six weeks ago.

The track comes from a CD (Signum Classics) released in 2006 which I have. I also recall hearing Simon Preston perform this (and other pieces on the CD) in a recital at the Royal Albert Hall. Its appearance on YouTube is therefore questionable. The CD notes state that work was originally conceived for organ and orchestra, and first performed by Simon Preston and the Calgary Philharmonic in 1998, so there's a possibility that the solo organ version has not been published.

Three pictures appeared on the Facebook page for Organists' Review magazine ( http://www.facebook....sreview?fref=ts ) - 19 and 20 July.

I have heard and played it, and think it is a resounding success. It sounds beautiful, and the touch is responsive and comfortable, for want of a better adjective. I look forward to attending the inaugural recital next Thursday evening. Apart from attending a service, another chance to hear it is provided by the RCO's London Organ Forum on Saturday 3 November http://www.rco.org.u...php?eventid=260

Sadly, the person who was well placed to provide the answers has left this forum.