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TimEyles

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  1. I'm visiting Paris for a long weekend later in October and would appreciate any advice on how best to get to play, or at least see at close hand, some good organs there. I'm going with a pupil of Ann Elise Smoot's who is hopefully going to have a lesson with Frederic Blanc at Notre Dame d'Auteil. This organ sounds very impressive on the Naxos CD by Henry Fairs (Durufle). I've heard that the general public can gain access to the organ loft at St Sulpice on Sunday mornings for one of the masses. Does anyone know how accessible other major churches are, or how to get in touch with their organists?
  2. I've seen this toccata lurking at the back of the Carter Organ Album (OUP) for years, but always thought it looked too difficult. This year I've taken the plunge and have really enjoyed learning it. It'll get its Christ Church, Swindon premiere this Sunday morning. In fact I think Andrew Carter's organ music is generally extremely good - accessible to the listener, not impossible to play, and yet still inventive.
  3. This day sounds great Adrian, count me in too please. Tim
  4. At Christ Church, Swindon we are having Down Ampney (with the wonderful descant from "Hit the Roof") and Lasst uns erfreuen (arr. RVW) as congregational hymns. The choir anthem is "O how amiable" and the voluntary is RVW's wonderful Prelude in C minor that has proved very challenging to learn, but is worth the effort. I'm not sure the congregaton will like it though as it's very discordant in places. Tim
  5. As part of the Vaughan Williams 50th anniversary celebrations churches are being asked to use as much VW music as possible in their services on 12th October, which was VW's birthday (in 1872). There are obviously lots of anthems to choose from and several hymn tunes, but NOT much organ music. However, in my quest to play something different I discovered, in my extremely untidy music cupboard, a copy of VW's Prelude and Fugue in C minor. Is anybody out there familiar with it? It was written in 1926 and, whilst not finding it immediately wonderful, have persevered with the prelude and I think it's wonderful. It's not like any organ music I've ever played before. I've never seen it on a recital programme or CD, but it definitely deserves more airings, especially in this anniversary year. Best wishes, Tim
  6. The Standing Committee of the church where I am DoM has just decided to ban all organists from playing alone in the church when the church is unlocked (including me). Since the policy is for the church to be unlocked during the daytime every day, this is rather limiting. They have also decided that organists under 18 should not be allowed to practise on their own even when the church is locked. I have two pupils in the latter category and a couple in the former. I should explain that the trigger for this decision was a person in the church last week showing a knife to a young lady who was practising (though not with any malicious intent, I gather). I have said I will resign from my post if this ruling and church opening policy are not amended to allow me and my pupils to practise reasonably freely. Does anyone else have any experience of this sort of restriction? Tim
  7. Hi Alistair, I have to say that putting the details of the voluntary (title and composer) on the weekly news sheet at my church does not work. I've been doing this for years and still get people asking me "What was that voluntary you played today?". However, on Good Friday we had a musical service in the evening with the Sanders Reproaches, Leighton's solus ad victimam and Moore's exquisite "It is a thing most wonderful", and I decided to conclude with Bach's "O Mensch bewein". I told the conductor to instruct the choir to remain seated and silent throughout this chorale prelude and then they processed out in silence. It really worked, and the congregation took their cue from the choir! I like John's tip from Cape Cod - I think this is definitely worth persuing. In my experience the only voluntaries that get a clap (and, by extension, any sort of audience attention) are Lefebure-Wely's sortie in E flat and Widor's toccata. TJE
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