Martin Cooke
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Posts posted by Martin Cooke
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23 hours ago, sbarber49 said:
I have been looking through this book and there are lots of new hymns and new tunes. The tunes seem pretty good though I've only glanced through them. I wonder how many will catch on.
However I wonder if the book will mainly be of use to cathedrals and the more rarified churches. In my church we have a diet of fairly traditional hymns (I choose them) but even we sing many that the Revised EH doesn't include. It seems to me to be the complete opposite of Hymns Old and New: it included everything regardless of quality but this new book seems to me to have gone to the opposite extreme. Here are a few hymns it doesn't have which I think are sung by most churches; would they want to buy a new set of books that excluded them? I realise that I'm probably in a minority of one and that organists here will applaud the insistence on musical standards, and I'm not saying that I personally like many of the following:
As the deer pants for the water
Beauty for brokenness
Brother, sister, let me serve you
From heaven you came, helpless babe
Give me joy in my heart
I, the Lord of sea and sky
In Christ alone (I know there are theological problems with this)
Make me a channel of your peace
Meekness and majesty
O Lord my God (How great thou art)
Seek ye first the kingdom
Shine, Jesus, shine
When I needed a neighbour
Mmm... like 'em or loathe 'em, those are all pretty mainstream these days, I would have thought. Having just patched up the spine of my 10 year old Common Praise for the second time, I am interested in how the REH feels as much as anything and how well it will sit on the music desk.
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I have nothing very much to add about this other than to say that I think it's a very interesting scheme indeed. Like any organ, it will always sound best at the hands of those who play it daily, but I suspect that many will declare it a masterpiece once complete and settled. Of course there are some who will bemoan the adoption of such a degree of borrowing and extension, but this is a real 'horses for courses' design to suit a very particular situation. And let's face it, borrowing and extension was the name of the game in all those Compton instruments which are often spoken of in hushed and respectful terms. It seems to me to be hugely flexible. I think I would have wished for there to be a soft 32ft reed rather than a loud one - but what do I know? I am thinking of the chancel organ at St Paul's and the gain made by returning the Contra Posaune 32 from the dome to the chancel in the 72/77 rebuild. (There seems these days, at some cathedrals, to be a tendency - (an expectancy, really) - for there to be loud 32ft reed tone on the last note of every hymn.) It would make splendid icing on the cake at Truro.
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On 14/12/2023 at 11:49, John Robinson said:
Am I the only one to have heard about the plan to divide the case and site each half (east and west side, of course) to the sides of the Choir? I understand that this is being done to create an uninterrupted view along the entire length of the cathedral. What I am not sure about, though, is whether or not they intend to remove the screen as well.
Well, it was a pretty good plan at St Paul's in 1872! Whatever next?! Is it April 1st and I'm in a parallel universe?
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To be fair, though, the process of ordering other music through Amazon has been perfectly smooth. Indeed, I have only very rarely had any problem with them over any product.
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Honestly! I have just received an email from Amazon to say that they have now cancelled my order, placed in April for the REH and there was me thinking it would arrive any day! I have placed a new order now with Keith Harrington and Church Organ World.
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Thanks, Philip - good to have that DB recommendation. I meant also to 'get up' his Wells evocation piece which is based on an Advent antiphon, but it's slipped my mind this year. Very atmospheric and well worth playing.
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6 hours ago, Geneva said:
Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers - utter trash. Only three pieces worth playing and they are available separately! Spend your money on a nice meal instead!
Mmm... rather a harsh judgement, in my view. This is the largest volume of music that I can ever remember OUP producing and, as with all albums, in my considerable experience of purchasing such things, there are always a number of items that one will never bother with. From my point of view, that IS the case here, but, as I say, that's not unusual. There are a couple of perversities. The most striking one is that this volume has been published barely a month after OUP's 2nd volume of Christmas music and yet both volumes contain many pages of a piece based on 'God rest you merry, gentlemen' by the same composer. Is there not an editor in chief that might have spotted this? This is a work that covers several pages and these volumes are not inexpensive. Then, I am bound to say that there are in existence some much 'better' compositions by women composers 'out there' in amongst the pages of some of those Mayhew volumes than a few of those here, some of which are just arrangements of piano music, afterall. Many pieces by June Nixon are really worthwhile and valuable in church, and so are a good number by Rosalie Bonighton. Surely, it might have been possible to explore the possibility of republishing one or two of these under the OUP banner? And I would have welcomed a couple more pieces by one of the editors, Ghislaine Reece-Trapp, whose compositions both for organ and choir, I have found most interesting and attractive.
These points aside, I am not at all disappointed with the album and I see it as another important step in acknowledging the music of many women composers (not just for the organ) whose work went so painfully unacknowledged for so many generations, and I hope, too, it will also encourage women musicians to be interested in playing and composing for the organ.
The other thing that occurs to me is that we need to encourage more women who are already organists to write for their instrument. But, perhaps more male organists also need to be encouraged to write for their instrument too!
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Yes, indeed, looking forward to it - 0630 now here as I start to type. Thank you for sharing all of that Peter, and well done to everyone involved. You certainly looked to be enjoying yourself at the harpsichord! And 'Good morning' S_L!
I love all the Advent hymns, including the four-liners like Come, thou long-expected Jesus, The Lord will come and not be slow, the two that start with Hark, and also Thy kingdom come, on bended knee... But I also love the Advent organ music. This morning, I am playing BWVs 599 & 645 as well as a CP on Bristol by Charlton Palmer and the piece on 'Conditur; by Rebecca Groom te Velde from the OUP Advent album, before the 0930 service. After the Choir have sung the Ord Adam lay y-bounden at Communion, it will be Improvisation on a Herefordshire Carol by Ian Tracey which pays homage to RVW, the David Thorne CP on Merton and a Thiman Pastorale on St Stephen. I'm concluding the service with the big C minor, BWV 546. Tonight before the Advent Carol Service, I'm playing the usual JSB and Buxtehude suspects beforehand along with the new Iain Farrington piece based on The Angel Gabriel, and then the Nun Komm BWV 599 and the Pierné Prélude at the end.
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Of course, Norwich isn't the only cathedral where there's been drama this week. Canterbury's morning Eucharist last Sunday had to be cut short because of a security alert, and then, as many will know, there was Chichester!
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And it had occurred to me that maybe it was all a 'set-up' of some sort and the side of the organ case was fully-protected etc. All done for dramatic effect and I/we have fallen for it. In the spirit of 'handsoff's' afterthought, above, I think enough's been said. If nothing else, it makes for a bit of a yarn.
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I don't suppose the damage is at all significant, if there even is any, though the bishop did comment on it before he gave the blessing and it all may have been tongue in cheek. Perhaps I have got 'over excited' about it, but in principle, surely, it's not the best way to treat a valuable artefact! I was thankful that when an organ near to me was dedicated recently, the bishop laid a gentle hand on the console as he said a prayer. The drama of the Norwich re-dedication was also slightly strange because the organ had been playing before the service and then during a processional hymn, so the bishop banging it on the side and saying 'awake' was a bit 'late in the day! The organ was very clearly already awake and in use!
Anyway - it's here at 21.32. I think it would have been far better if the organ had been blessed from the cathedral floor so that the bishop addressed the west front of the case rather than disappearing on to the screen and speaking to a side of it. If the 'awake' scenario WAS deemed appropriate, perhaps the organ could have sounded a brief fanfare to demonstrate that it was truly awake. Yet more drama could have been added by some sort of dialogue between the bishop and the organ.
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Not sure if anyone is interested but it could be good time to catch up on a few new OUP organ and choral titles, as Presto Music is offering up to 25% discount - https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/promotions/oxford-university-press
Think...
Carols for Choirs 6
OUP Organ Music for Christmas volume 2
Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers - just out!
Not sure if all of these qualify for full 25%, but it must be worth a peek!
And I see from their website that there are two more volumes in the Hymn Settings for Organists coming in Spring. Rebecca Groom te Velde and Alan Bullard are in charge of this project. See here and here. I find the existing volumes more and more useful as each successive season comes around.
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Was anyone from the forum present at Thomas Trotter's recital yesterday? 40% of the pipework, according to H&H, is new, so it must sound quite different. It would be good to hear comment, if possible.
But, I watched the Evensong and Re-dedication on YouTube today. This was the second time in the recent past that I have seen a clergyperson throw water at a brand new instrument! The other occasion was the dedication of the new console at St Thomas, Fifth Avenue. What do I know, but is this really sensible? At Norwich, not only did the Bishop scatter water at the organ case, but he censed it, and then bashed it with his crosier, like a new Bishop does to gain entry to their cathedral at their enthronement. Again, is this appropriate? Can you imagine dedicating the Bishop's new car, during which the Bishop cracks the end of the crozier into the driver's door? 🤨 If one of the choristers had sprayed water from their drink bottle at the new organ or bashed it with their bicycle pump, I'd be surprised if someone hadn't 'had a word in their shell-like.' It seems a bizarre way to treat a new instrument.
There is a delightful video also on YouTube of H&H's Andrew Fiddes talking about the new organ. It's really heartwarming to watch and to hear Andrew speaking so passionately about his work. Here it is.
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5 minutes ago, Martin Cooke said:
I've just been re-reading the latter parts of Francis Jackson's book, Music for a Long While. On page p402, he speaks of a recording of the piece by Stanley Marchant. FJ says that Marchant introduces a suspended D into the last chord of page 3 of the score, which he himself felt inclined to mimic. The last chord of my page 3 in the usual (only?) edition of the piece by Stainer and Bell, doesn't seem a likely place to introduce a suspended D. Can anyone possibly throw any light on this?
Ah, yes... I get it now, having listened to FJ's recording of it. Never noticed that before! (But I don't think it's that big a deal, tbh!!
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I've just been re-reading the latter parts of Francis Jackson's book, Music for a Long While. On page p402, he speaks of a recording of the piece by Stanley Marchant. FJ says that Marchant introduces a suspended D into the last chord of page 3 of the score, which he himself felt inclined to mimic. The last chord of my page 3 in the usual (only?) edition of the piece by Stainer and Bell, doesn't seem a likely place to introduce a suspended D. Can anyone possibly throw any light on this?
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Thank you, Colin, and well said. I can't remember a time when Tony wasn't a dependable (for a response) part of this forum and his contributions will be greatly missed. A sad day for us regulars.
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Many thanks for all this info, Richard. (I can't the Durham uni link work, though.)
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4 minutes ago, Martin Cooke said:
Thanks, Richard - our postings crossed in the, um... post! Is there any means of seeing this tune apart from via the New Catholic Hymnal?
Gosh! I'm struggling to find much reference to The New Catholic Hymnal online - just the occasional melody edition. From Richard's post, it sounds as though one needs one urgently for the Langlais tune and the Howells... at the very least. Something on the Hyperion site says that HH wrote two tunes for the NCH in 1968. Richard - any chance you could just clarify what tunes these are and if they are published/included elsewhere?
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4 minutes ago, Richard Fairhurst said:
The original contents list, still on the REH website, had "God, your glory we have seen" which is sung to a rather striking tune by Langlais - it's in the 70s New Catholic Hymnal which is full of neglected wonders (including "In manas tuas", probably my favourite Howells hymn tune; and Michael Dawney's "Felinfoel", for "See, Christ was wounded for our sake").
But unfortunately it doesn't seem to have made it into the final REH selection.
Thanks, Richard - our postings crossed in the, um... post! Is there any means of seeing this tune apart from via the New Catholic Hymnal?
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11 hours ago, Richard Fairhurst said:
The Langlais appears to have gone, sadly.
🤔 Sorry... what's 'The Langlais'? I can't find reference to any Langlais in my present edition of NEH - at least, I don't think so.
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Am I alone at feeling just a little desperate that in the RBL's major feast of Remembrance not a single piece of classical music or performer from that world featured even for s moment? I fully appreciate that the military musicians who performed are of the highest order, and the military music was enjoyable and splendidly done. But have we really just come down to there being contributions just from celeb-style performers? Is it really seen that nothing from Purcell, Elgar, Vaughan-Williams, Finzi, Ireland, just to mention the obvious ones, might touch the spot at such an occasion?
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37 minutes ago, Hebridean said:
I suppose the most obvious ones, which perhaps you skipped over as being too obvious, are the many arrangements of the Wedding March from Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream.
But, of course! How silly to have forgotten that!
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Very much enjoying Radio 3's marking of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the 'First Folio' today.
It's made we wonder what organ music there is that is inspired by him.
I have had the Walton "Richard III" pieces for years - they cost 4/6d - and these are reproduced along with several other excellent arrangements in Robert Gower's excellent OUP "A Walton Organ Album." I have also recently obtained a lovely arrangement of RVW's "Dirge for Fidele."
What else is there? I am aware, just, of Simon Nieminski's CD, "Organic Shakespeare" but I imagine most of these arrangements are his and are unavailable.
Any thoughts or ideas?
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Thanks very much for all these thoughts - most helpful. I've been swatting up the Bach B minor and F minor P&Fs but I am also tempted to use the Pierné Prélude - (which I have played for years) - as the concluding voluntary for the Advent carol service. I chanced upon a recording of it the other day and the opening strikes me as having just the right feeling of warmth and solemnity for the start of Advent. By the way, I am very vexed, looking forward, that the 'new' feast, 'Baptism of Christ' nudges Epiphany out of the top spot, as it were for the first Sunday in January. I have always loved Epiphany and it seems quite wrong that it has to jostle with other things that, to my mind, seem to be less significant, in worship terms. There we are! Hey ho! Back to Advent... I'm just going to look into sjf's suggesting regarding the McDowell.
In Dulci Jubilo BWV 608
in Organ Music
Posted
50 + years ago, I would have loved that 1 ft. There were three of theses that I came across in my youth and couldn't tire of. Maurice Eglinton built a small (but quite exciting at the time) extension organ in the church at Trevone, near Padstow in Cornwall, in about 1970. This had one, and actually, now I remember, so did the Nicholson at St Michael's, Newquay, along with its None, 8/9. And when Daniels rebuilt and reduced the three manual HW III at my school they popped one on to the Swell. I find this one rather shrill.
But, goodness, innate, where's this 2ft pedal reed? Not many of those to the pound - well, not around rural Wiltshire!