Charles Wooler
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Posts posted by Charles Wooler
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Presumably the noose dangling above the crate in the third photo is for dealing with Pierre and his comrades on the spot if they try and purloin anything!!
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Dear all,
The following events are being put on by the NDSO over the coming weeks and months.
On Saturday 26th January there will be a masterclass on the superb new (2000) Nicholson (http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=R00286) in Gosforth Parish Chruch of St Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne.
The tutor will be David Goode who as many will know is Organist and Head of Keyboard at Eton College, where he presides over a unique collection of historic instruments and teaches some of the UK's most talented young organists. He combines this with a concert career that takes him to all parts of the world. The church is easy to get to via the Metro (10 mins from Central Station).
The cost is quite modest (Members £10 (Student Members £5), Non-Members £12 (Students £6)) and there are still spaces for performers and observers are naturally welcome. We will start at 12.30 and finish at 4 with a break in the middle. The day has been structured with the aim of giving all participants as close as possible to 30 minutes on the bench.
Anyone interested in should PM me please.
On Saturday 15th March, Kevin Bowyer will present a lecture demonstartion on the music of Paul Fischer, in tandem with the composer himself. This will be from 2pm-5pm on the Harrison and Harrison (1961) (http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N04095) in St Thomas' Church, Haymarket which is right in the city centre. Please support this event too.
Finally, on Friday 4th April, Robert Quinney will give the society's annual celectrity recital on the organ of St George's Gateshead. This will be a superb evening: Robert as all know is a top notch player and the organ is an incredible gem. As a slight tangent, there is some doubt about which Willis built it. The church insist that it is a Father Willis, however othere "in the know" locally maintain that it was designed by Henry I and built by Henry II, making it doubly rare. Maybe David Wyld would be kind enough to look back through his files and settle the argument once and for all!
Here is its spec, it was built in 1901: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N04202
http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N04202 the recital is at 7.30 pm, with a (very fine) spread of drinks and canapes from 6.45pm.
PM me for extra information for any of these events. If you do come, make yourself know to me. It's always good to meet "cyber friends" in the flesh for the first time!
All the best,
Charles
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I have just had this forwarded to me by the local Organists Association. I thought that this may well of interest to many. The text is by Jamesd Parsons (I suspect) any typos will be by me!
On Sunday 20 January 2008, Oundle for Organists will be featured on BBCTV Songs of Praise- this edition of the popular Sunday tea-time worship programme will focus upon the organ and will be presented by Huw Edwards, who is himself an organist.
Features will include sound-bite contributions from teenage organists attending the Oundle for Organists Get Ahead! Inspiration Day held in London during November filming of their organ tuition classes at St Giles’, Cripplegate, interviews with James Parsons and Anne Marsden Thomas, uplifting hymn singing, accompanied by the organ, drawn from BBCTV archive.
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Talking of Brilliant, they have reissued the Signum 3-CD set of Filsell playing the Vierne symphonies at St Ouen. You can currently pick them up on eBay for the price of a single CD. If you haven't already got them they are just totally glorious. An unmissable bargain.
Don't bother with e bay. I got mine for about two thirds of that price from HMV:
http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/simpleSearch.d...mp;primaryID=-1
An absolute snip at £6.99 and delivered in under a week! Everyone is dead reight about the playing though. I have the Ben van Oosten set too which are excellent, but these really put even his recordings in the shade!
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I was holed-up in a motorway service area the other night, awaiting a tyre-fitter at 3am. I sat drinking a dreadful cup of coffee which cost £2.20, and eating a rock-hard eccles cake which cost another £1.80.
It couldn't get much worse, so I thought; and the heating wasn't even working properly.
Imagine my response, when over the loudspeakers of this deserted nightime oasis, came the song "I'm the happiest Christmas tree!"
In fact, you will have to imagine my response, because one of the two words I used would be quite out of place here!!!!!
MM
To paraphrase Edmund Blackadder, did the "phrase rhyme with "Clucking bell"" per chance?
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This is performed with great brio and sense of fun by Kevin Bowyer on his First Organ Explosion disc! Great fun!
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Thank you. Hmmm - it does look fairly long, after all.
said the actress to the Bishop.............
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My former organisation use "smart water" extensively and it has been extremely successful. You can use it on anything - including people! I understand some BP petrol stations even have the ability to spray intruders. If you are caught with the marker on your clothes or person, there's no escape; it can be proved conclusively that you were there. As to its use on church roofs or metal pipes, the problem is that once the metal is melted down, the marker is lost, so you have to catch the culprits quickly. However, the system is good and provided there is a warning sign, thieves are more likely to try elsewhere than take the risk.
JC
In what way is it smart? Scientifically speaking, I mean. I know it's not within the remit of the board but as an A level Chemistry teacher I'm very interested!
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See this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...nclerics213.xml
This suggests the use of 'smart water' on lead church roofs. Would it be suitable to paint/mist onto metal pipes as well?
It was on PM on Radio 4 this evening that Ecclesiastical Insurance (who insure 95% of Anglican Churches in the UK) are issuing this to every church that they insure. They are feeling the strain of all these claims.
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Alastair
Well, for England:- The organ for Pembroke College (Cambridge) starts after Christmas and three for private homes (Cornwall, Oxford and Surrey, largest is 33 stops) are under construction - arrival 2008.
All the best,
N
What's happening at Pembroke? Is it the main organ that they're replacing? Will the Charles Quarles pipework be retained? I played it frequently a few years ago: a close friend of mine was organ scholar there (till about 2001). It seemed in pretty decent shape then. Why the change?
Charles
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You beat me to it! This sort of thing would not have happened in O.R. a couple of years ago would it. Such an elementary mistake!
I strongly suspect that the people (Paul Hale, Roger Fisher, Kevin Bowyer et al.) who were previously the back bone of OR knew their stuff so well, that proof reading was hardly necessary as they didn't make that kind of mistake in the first place. All you need to do is read the editorial this month where we are let into the revelation that the Editor Sarah Beedle has (until recently) never had an organ lesson. Now she has had one. I don't understand the logic behind this: would a journal such as Brain Surgery and Cranial Phlebotomy Monthly be edited by an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist? OK so I'm being deliberately controversial on that most recent point, but why does it not seem to matter to the IAO that the largest magazine on organs in the UK and the flagship publication of the IAO is largely the responsibility of people that don't play?
I used to look forward to each edition of OR prior to its relaunch: I'm not entirely sure I do now. Previously I found it used to be thoroughly written with interesting photos, detailed stop lists and reviews galore of organs that you didn't know existed (even the CD reviews often had long sections devoted to the instrument that they were played on and they're history). Now I find that this "broad brush" approach where issues are currently themed means that a superficiality has crept in, often because, it seems to me, the chosen theme is somewhat obscure and hence the editors are struggling to fill the requisite number of pages for that issue. Surely it would be far better to have fewer, better researched/written articles of this nature. Does any one else share my views.
I was under the impression (and please correct me if I'm mistaken) that part of the relaunch was to make the magazine less elitist and more approachable. Which leads me to two final points, before I end my rant for the day. Surely a magazine dedicated to the organ is by definition elitest: by that I mean it is only ever going to appeal to current organists and lovers of organ music, it will never inspire people to go and seeking out organ music and listening to it avidly. Only the organ and its music itself can do that. Secondly, when I started reading OR I was about 13, unable to play much beyond Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary (badly, very badly) was pretty much tone deaf, unable to carry a tune in a bucket, had no sense of rhythmn and scant knowledge of any music theory. That fact is that OR as was rivetted me. I was not interested in every article- much of it went over my head, but because of the language which I didn't understand and because of mentions of people and instruments I didn't know about, I felt compelled to read more and to find out more. I suppose that is what I'm driving at: OR is no longer a challenging read. Why therefore should we accept a watered down version?
Charles
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May I be the first to congratulate PCND on the delightful new case on the Wimborne Organ: it hides those chamades which I know some will be thankful for.
What an improvement: and a wise move may I say. I'm not anticipating a prompt response from PCND though: I suspect that Sherborne CID are currently interrogating him! Charles
(PS OR Pg 47 if you haven't seen it yet!)
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Like "Betty's" cafe, Bank's music shop, and the "Ghost Trail," it wouldn't be quite York without the Minster Tuba, and it should be listed as a national treasure, just as it is.
MM
Given the declarations on other threads in this forum, a mention of a visit to the National Railway Museum (free (to my surprise and delight)) is also probably part of the "York Experience" to many of us!!
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The Sumsion Elgar recording is also used as a filler on an EMI reissue of Elgar choral music. Will furnish more details when I am back in the same postal distict as my CD collection.
Paul
Go to http://www.amphion-recordings.com and follow the links to "Selections from the EMI Greact Cathedral Organs Series": the Elgar is on Volume 1. Having all the LPs (except 19: anyone prepared to part with one?) the stuff on all 4 discs is very good and I can recommend all four discs.
Charles
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Or could it be a 3rd person, familiar with Stephen's stories, who has assumed the character by way of a nom de plume (or, rather, a nom de clavier)?
I haven't looked for any of these recordings, but would suggest that this - 3rd party adoption - would be in rather poor taste if done after Stephen's recent demise, and with knowledge of the event. I sincerely hope this isn't the case.
Rgds,
MJF
Go to http://www.carlo.com/PDFFiles/CCLN_00019.pdf and read the very mawkish (imho) tribute to Stephen Bicknell by Carlo Curley. It seems that Paulino is a Curley/Bicknell hybrid character!
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Hello all,
our job here is slowly reaching completion, and the flues are almost fully done.
The tuba is going to be a bit of a challenge for German voicers who have never really encountered such a best and have no idea how it should end up sounding. A short excursion to the UK would seem to be the logical way forward.
If anyone has any good tips as to particularly good examples, especially of the heroically ringing (as opposed to the very closed, dark sounding) type, that Matthias Schuke and his crew could hear and see - it is important that they should be able to get their hands on them. please let me know. Contact details would be very helpful, especially of the organ builders caring for the instruments in question.
Thanks
Barry
Durham Cathedral has 4 fabulous examples of Willis/Harrison Tuba ranks: the ones on the Bombarde are particularly heroic and ringing and I'm sure are what you describe. There is an Orchestral Tuba (enclosed) on the Solo which is quieter, but a bit rounder and the 32'/16' Ophicleide unit which defies belief! As another thought, at the same time your builders could also look around Harrisons' works and see what they do/say. PM me if you want me to put you in touch with James Lancelot (Cathedral Organist) and/or Mark Venning (MD of H & H). About 1 hour down the road is Ripon which also has two very fine Tubas (One Enclosed, One unenclosed), and having heard the Glasgow University Chapel Organ for the second time last Saturday I was again very impressed by the Tuba Minor and the Tuba Major on the Choir Organ there too. I apologise to John Mander for mentioning only Harrison jobs here: its simply that I don't think I've played a Mander Tuba yet (except St John's Cambridge which is so long ago I simply can't remember!). Hope this helps,
Charles
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My wife prefers organ building to Christmas Shopping - and steam engines!
Barry Williams
Lucky you- it sounds a lot cheaper than shopping!
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According to the September edition of the Episcopal Cathedral Magazine, Duncan Ferguson (Asst Org) will become acting Master of the Music until August 2008 - this will give ample time to recruit Simon's replacement and serve any period of notice. Nicholas Wearne (New College,Oxford) has been appointed Assistant Organist until 2008.
A
I'd heard that Simon N was only at the Roman Catholic cathedral as a Sabatical for a year was then returning to the Episcopal Cathedral. I now assume i'm wrong, but isn't it a bit of an odd move?
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On Saturday the 24th of November, Mander Organs is having an Open Day. We hope to have things like metal casting demonstrated as well as the usual operations which go on in an organ works. The new mobile console for St Paul's Cathedral will be there to see as well as an almost complete small new organ for Rycote Chapel. It is possible that the new organ for St Giles Cripplegate will also still be in the works. More information can be found in the news section of this web site. Perhaps it could even be a meeting point for contributors to this discussion board.
We look forward to seeing you there on the day.
John Pike Mander
Thanks John,
Will definitely try to be along! Might tempt my wife along with the offer of early(ish) Christmas shopping in Oxford Street!
Charles
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As far as I know, both gentlemen give consultation lessons.
You could try S. Eustache - I have played here at the kind invitation of M. Jean Guillou. You could also try Nôtre-Dame d'Auteuil* - Frédéric Blanc is (full-time) titulaire here. He was formerly titulaire at S. Sernin, Toulouse. Personally, I cannot imagine why he moved to Paris; if I were to be fortunate enough to be titulaire at S. Sernin, I doubt that anything would induce me to move!
You could also try Naji Hakim at La Trinité.
The problem with places such as Nôtre-Dame de Paris is that the Grand Orgue is not used during the week-days; as far as I know, it is only heard at the Saturday evening Messe, the three Sunday morning Messes, at Vépres and at the Sunday evening recital.
* Place d'Auteuil, 16e Arrt.
4, Rue Corot, 75016 Paris, France
00.33.01.53.92.26.26
Yet again- you're a mine of useful information. Thanks Sean!
Charles
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At Nôtre-Dame de Paris it is not simply the stepper that is run by a computer.
All the claviers (including that for the Pédale Orgue) are fitted with Hall-type switches to every key. The keys are scanned many times each second to see which is currently active. This information is then sent back to a central processor which, in turn, sends messages to the appropriate parts of the organ action.
The problem is that, initially, the system was neither fast enough nor was it reliable. It was also unable to cope with the volume of information with which it was supplied at times. (It is worth remembering that this system was installed in 1990-92; there have been certain advances in the available technology since this time.) When David Briggs gave the anniversary recital to commemmorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Pierre Cochereau (as mentioned above), the organ malfunctioned twice - simply because it was unable to handle the volume of information effectively: or possibly also due to discrepancies or inadequacies in the software, which was initially supplied by Synaptel.
Actually, it now works well. As far as I know, it has not suffered any further breakdowns. The computer mainframes were replaced with two new machines some years ago. (There is a duplicate, back-up system running in parallel to the main operating system.)
The system at Nôtre-Dame is quite sophisticated, as far as organ actions are concerned. Once the wind is switched on (in the ante-chamber in the south-west tower), the organist then makes his way to the tribune and the console platform. He then inserts his unique control card (about the size of a credit card), on which is contained information which will identify the player to the instrument's computers. The organ will then load the preferences of that particular titulaire - such as the response of the keys and the settings of the combination memories. This information is displayed on two small cathode-ray screens, one on each stop-jamb. The display also shows which memory level is currently in play - and which general piston (or sequencer) was last pressed - there are no longer any divisional pistons. There is also a synthesized voice facility for the use of Jean-Pierre Leguay, since he is blind.
I hope that this helps.
Thank you Sean. It does- you're a star. I'm hoping to go to Paris again this year to see my sister who is on her year out from her PhD fromn Harvard there. The "wish list" of organ to try is obvious but I suspect that it would not prove possible to get a go on Notre Dame, St Sulpice, Sacre Coeur, La Trinite etc but wonder where it would be possible to play and experience Frech organs first hand. Something that I sadly have yet to experience. Who could I take tuition from do Latry or Roth give consultation lessons?!
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Absolutely right! He restarted the piece after the first computer crash, and it happened again at exactly the same place on the stepper. Having listened to the tape many times, I now always wince when I get to the relevant bar in performance...just in case
Thankfully, it didn't happen during rehearsal, which was also recorded, so I got the chance to hear the work in its entirety. Final pedal entry is like WWIII 
I've never really understood the technology at Notre Dame nor the problems associated with it. Could someone please explain
a) The IBM bit of Notre Dame
Why its a problem c) Why (by the accounts that I have heard (they may be out of date of course) no one never seems to have made it work!
I'd be facinated to know! Perhaps I'm being naive but surely a dodgy stepper can be replaced reasonably strightforwardly. Why has it never been replaced?
Charles
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And this http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N09193 which replaced this: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=D00491 when an arsonist set fire to the pedalboard on Ash Wednesday (no joke) 1984.
What an improvement: and a wise move may I say. I'm not anticipating a prompt response from PCND though: I suspect that Sherborne CID are currently interrogating him! 
- Remember not Lord our Offences, also by Purcell.
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