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Charles Wooler

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About Charles Wooler

  • Birthday 31/01/1980

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    Newcastle upon Tyne

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  1. The 4/5 at Durham is actually VERY cunning and provides an alternative Cornet on the positive to that provided by the Flute a Cheminee 8, Flute Ouverte 4, Doublette 2 and Sesquialtera. Selecting the Prestant 4, Doublette 2, Larigot 1 1/3, Octivin 1 and Octave Tierce 4/5 and then drawing Positive on Solo transfers the division onto the Solo where the Solo Sub Octave and Unison Off take it down to 8 foot pitch. Drawing Solo to Choir puts it back down on the choir too...... Ingenious if you ask me.
  2. Thanks Peter, Shame about the reel to reel recordings- although the DAT tape could be interesting. Best wishes, Charles
  3. It's not sensible to say too much in a public forum such as this, other than to say that there have been problems with winding and the action for many years now and the time has come to sort them out once and for all, without any change in the organ's tonal character. It will however return this wonderful organ to its rightful place as one of the North East's most exciting mechanical actioned organs. It is far more versatile than people credit it too. I have PMd you about the reel to reels!
  4. Not necessarily the case- the old organ was destroyed by an arsonist on, wait for it, Ash Wednesday 1984. A canister of camping gas was left to explode on the pedalboard which unsurprisingly provided an excellent source of kindling.. I was 4 at the time, and never set foot in the church until an undergraduate BUT what has always struck me was how patchy the fire's impact was. The pillar holding up the chancel arch (right by the organ chamber) had to be rebuilt as it had gone down almost to its rubble core and was no longer safe. However the Bechstein Piano and much woodwork in the chancel are still there today. Some of the carving on the stalls nearest where the organ stood clearly show scorch marks, but the patterning of the original carving is still very much identifiable.
  5. Newcastle and District Society or Organists is promoting an event on 28th October at 7.30pm in St Oswald's, Durham- a silent film accompanied with an improvised organ soundtrack. The 1988 organ in St Oswald's will celebrate its 30th birthday this academic year and the church is launching an appeal to restore this magnificent instrument with a spectacular event this Autumn. At 7.30pm on Saturday 28th October, we will show a large screen showing of the classic American silent horror movie "The Phantom of the Opera", itself based on Gaston Leroux's epic 1910 Novel. In keeping with the silent film tradition, it will be accompanied by an improvised soundtrack provided by the celebrated organist Jonathan Eyre. Widely recognised as a leading liturgical organist and improviser, Jonathan is regularly sought after to perform theatre organ and silent film concerts throughout the UK and his whose film accompaniments have thrilled audiences the length and breadth of the country. Tickets can be reserved by emailing office@oswalds.org.uk They cost £10 and include a complimentary French buffet and wine
  6. The Harrison website says " Reconstruct with new layout and mechanism, revision of tonal scheme.". To me this means Strip out all the working parts and replace them so that the organ can be left alone for the next few decades. Retain the vast majority of the pipework. Adjust one or two stops, probably to reverse the drifts away from the original Arthur Harrison scheme that occurred in the 1960s and at other times. Just a thought- it may even bring the organ back closer towards the Arthur Harrison scheme than it currently is. There are far more 21st century examples of returning organs to their original Victorian/Edwardian roots- especially by the likes of Harrison, Mander and Nicholson- than there are examples where the schemes are lost.
  7. For me, there is one piece that makes more sense than any other- but merely a personal point of view. Elgar's "The Spirit of the Lord" is sublime, not overly difficult (except for the poor organist) and a superb performance is here: The score is available here for free: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/0/02/Elgar-The_Spirit_Of_The_Lord_Is_Upon_Me.pdf And here is the text: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor: He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind – to preach the acceptable year of the Lord; to give unto them that mourn a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden that causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel. Isaiah 61:1-3,11
  8. I believe that as part of an experiment, Harrisons have put the Gt Reeds back on their pre1960s pressure. This has rendered some of the new ranks put in in the 1990s unusable, but I gather that the Minster staff feel that the gain in the speech of the reeds is worth the sacrifice.
  9. A clear and measured discussion of this sad situation. If what Prof Ashley says is true- I have no reason to doubt it, but equally no way of confirming- then this decision has been made by Chapter in the absence of a Dean. What I did not realise until reading this is that the Dean of Llandaff is the only full time member of Chapter and that the others are Rectors of other parishes whose role at the cathedral is part time. This looks as if the decision to disband the SATB choir was taken by people whose number 1 priority is not Llandaff Cathedral, whose loyalties are at best divided and who will not have to live with the consequences of this choice on a daily basis in the way that Chapter members of an English Cathedral would. As a choir master I realise that once the men have gone, attempts to resurrect the four part choir will be placed well and truely in the "genie-back-in-bottle" territory. Not just in terms of logistics, but in terms of making good the damage to the collective goodwill. http://www.martin-ashley.com/phoney-crisis-at-llandaff
  10. I have problem- the choir of the church where I am Director of Music has grown rather a lot in the last year (getting towards doubling in size) and we need music for new members.Does anyone know of a church who no longer has a choir that wishes to dispose of robes and music. We wear crimson cassocks and knee length surplices (either old English or standard would be fine). If so please get in touch (sjohnsmusic at gmail.com). In terms of music it's hard to list everything that we would need, and we'd be interested in most things but any leads on the following collections would be especially valuable- Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems, European Sacred Music, Anthems for Choirs 1, 100 Carols for Choirs and Advent for Choirs. This is naturally a (probably unrealistic) shot in the dark, but it may just bear fruit, and as they say in the North East, shy bairns get nowt........ Charles
  11. Apologies if I have unwittingly broken forum regulations, but: The Choir of St John the Baptist Newcastle is expanding its Choral Scholarship scheme and as such has four vacancies. Please e-mail sjohnsmusic(at)gmail.com to hear more about joining this vibrant choir, whose engagements this year include services at Westminster Abbey, Durham Cathedral and St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh. We sing an ambitious programme of music which this term alone will include Haydn's Little Organ Mass, Mozart Coronation Mass, Victoria Missa O Quam Gloriosum and Byrd's Four Part Mass. Enquiries from singers and organists wishing to join us are always welcome, especially yong choristers and players who we try and accommodate in anyway that we can.
  12. Amongst the accessories "One retard".......... Oh dear
  13. As a teenager I was organist of this church here: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=D06050 A truly lovely, light unforced sound, although the new mixture (whilst a necessity when all four of the congregation were singing well) added in the 1980s is uncouth and not inkeeping with the rest. On the name plate over the console the place namewas splet Leighton Bussard not Buzzard (I don't know if it helps- the church is only 30mins from Leighton Buzzrd so I presume they are the same). However, regardless of the organ this is a gem of a church. Set back in the midst of fields of sheep which graze right up to the boundaries of graveyard, with the Georgian former vicarage close by, this is Richard Hooker's first parish untouched, with virtually no mod cons, the original pre-reformation stained glass and lots more besides. A real find.......
  14. This month the BBC Music Magazine's free Front Cover Disc is titles "J. S. Bach- Great Organ Works" and is performed by David Goode on the magnificent Silbermann organ of Frieberg Cathedral. It is priced at £4.60. This is the second time in just over three years that the BBC Music Magazine cover disc has been given over to mainstream organ repertoire on instruments ideal for the music (David Brigg's 2008 disc of Vierne III and Widor V at Rouen may well be still available as back issues) A sneak preview is available here: http://www.youtube.com/user/OllyCondy The programme is: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C- BWV 564 Concerto in a minor (after Vivaldi)- BWV 593 Schmucke dich, o liebe seele- BWV 654 Prelude and Fugue in G- BWV 541 Vater unser im himmelreich- BWV 582 Preluden and Fugue in b minor- BWV 544 O mensch, bewein' dein Sunde gross'- BWV 622 Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor- BWV 582
  15. There's this at 21 stops: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=C00805 This organ has an interesting history. Those who know the excellent Hertfordshire based Organ Builder Saxon Aldred (is he still tuning/building organs?) may be aware of the fact that he was inspired to learn to play by this instrument. It was also the organ that Christopher Bowers-Broadbent first learnt on. Currently the school claims it has a Hope Jones organ, which is very much incorrect as after the 1949 rebuild by Willis, it sounds exactly you would expect of a Willis 3, although it is believed to be the last functioning HJ console as shown at http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/PSearch.cgi...N12852&no=2
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