Martin Cooke

I would find that maddening. These so called 'eclectic' instruments are all very well, but it is, surely, utterly bonkers that they have to be supported by a digital instrument for the very use for which they are primarily intended - the accompaniment of worship. I can fully understand the situation at, for example, Chichester, where concerts are held at the west end and the good old Allen is kept at that end for that sort of usage. (Though, of course, the pipe organ scarcely carries down the cathedral for 'normal use.')

Mmm...

But is it?

Yes, lovely. It's a pity that Stephen didn't do more actual composing. I love his Be Merry but it only featured one year.

Actually, I have just found a Mayhew album entitled Fanfares and Finales which I bought in 1992 but haven't used, and there are some very atmospheric items in there - ideal pre-Evensong music in a darkened church in the winter months, creeping about on Swell 8fts with the occasional solo passage. These are written on two staves but with clear pedal indications - judicious use of odd bits of 32ft tone would add to the atmosphere too.

Thank you so much to those who have contributed to this thread. I have enough material now for my purposes, so please don't feel you need to keep going on my behalf. What an amazing variety there is.

Everyone has probably heard that Colin Mawby has also, very sadly, died in the last few days. I know very little about him apart, rather obviously, from his tenure of the Westminster Cathedral post. In 1968, in my St Paul's chorister days, there was a big City of London Festival, and the Abbey, W Cathedral and St Paul's all sang in a concert at St Paul's. The major item was a new, commissioned Magnificat by Lennox Berkeley (conducted by the composer) which has never really made it into the mainstream, repertoire. The only recording available is a live one of this occasion. But, each of the choirs sang a sequence of their own and I remember being very struck by the different tone of the Westminster Cathedral choir and the conducting style of Colin Mawby. I can't remember what we sang, but I suspect it included one or two of the Mendelssohn psalms which Christopher Dearnley newly introduced at around that time. What I am getting around to is asking is if anyone has favourite organ music (out of a huge selection) of Colin Mawby's that they could point us in the direction of. I know his Ave Verum (choral) is widely known and liked, but I have never settled to learning any of the organ music. I have, though, found a nice little manuals only piece based on the Coventry Carol which I look forward to squeezing into my Christmas organ repertoire. We're singing Torches in memory of John Joubert and I am playing a little Noel Rawsthorne piece based on the Ord Adam lay y-bounden before the Advent Carol Service on Sunday. I don't think we can manage any of the Stephen Cleobury arrangements, and in any case, haven't copies, but I might play an organ only arrangement of his Suo Gan at some stage and, as above, I have Colin MAwby covered, too. A friend said, don't forget Jessye Norman... Heck!

Perfect, everyone - many thanks - keep them coming!

I could do with some help! Can anyone help with photos or drawings of non-pipe organ screens/cases? I just need some help to get the juices flowing for a small project I am engaged on. I remember in my boyhood, when I collected specifications, I seem to recall instruments by Rushworth and Dreaper (?) where there seemed to be organ screens made up of laths and strips of wood of different sizes. Perhaps it wasn't R&D. Any help with illustrations of this sort would be much appreciated. Again, as a boy, I visited Spalding church and played the organ. The console was in a rather lovely loft on the south side (with the drawstops curiously arranged in an unorthodox manner) - but I am sure that the pipework, on the north side was hidden behind a screen such as I have rather glibly described.

Thank you, Dave, for reproducing that link. What very sad and upsetting news this is, and how keenly the people of King's and the thousands of others with whom Sir Stephen worked will be feeling his loss. Strangely, only this week I had re-watched some of Sir Stephen's Priory Records DVD - I was especially listening to the Reger Weihnachten. In the course of wondering what I might play, this morning as a mark of respect, I have decided to keep it simple and play another of the pieces from that DVD, the Thalben-Ball Elegy.

Hello Tim - you can get the Paul Edwards Contemplation from Geoffrey Atkinson at Fagus Music.

All of this might be of interest... https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/music/concerts-and-events/vierne-150-festival

George Oldroyd is a composer whose organ works might repay a re-visit an re-evaluation. We probably all know Three Liturgical Preludes and Three Liturgical Improvisations - if you don't know No 2 of the latter, do have a look. It involves use of the Advent plainsong, Conditur alme siderum, so is very topical just now! Very lush in places and the best of the bunch. BUT... you can find other Oldroyd pieces on IMSLP including the rather stunning Hymn Tune Meditation on Abide with me, which definitely qualifies (along with LitImp 2) as a luxuriant adagio. Check it out!

Oh! I'm so pleased you like them! Rowley always seems so ignored - a bit like Thiman, who also composed some corkers and had - to my mind - such a wonderful grasp of harmony as well. Other Rowley favourites/discoveries include: Plainsong Preludes No 1 - Resurgam - not as rich as my last two suggestions but well worth a look - IMSLP A Fantasy of Happiness - yes, I know, ghastly title - but really very good - a bit Elgarian - slightly dull main theme, but a jolly good romp - (and therefore, not, in any sense, a luxuriant adagio!) I'm afraid that it doesn't appear to be on IMSLP. Irritatingly, the previous owner of my copy seemed to find it necessary to write in fingering for almost every note - aaaaarrrrrrgh! Heroic Suite - you will probably already have discovered this on IMSLP. Great stuff (almost) all of this. IMSLP. The Contemplation on 'Hawkhurst' is very beautiful. It's on IMSLP but I have it on one of those green seasonal albums published by Novello in the 60s. It's in Trinity, Ascension and Whitsun. And then... there is his sumptuous Chorale Prelude on 'Crimond.' Not on IMSLP but it's in one of those Ashdown cream coloured volumes of Rowley's chorale preludes. I shall play it today at a funeral, but it will be fighting off the new CP on Crimond by Rebecca Groom te Velde in OUP's Funeral and Memorial Music for Organ, published last year - and, eek... one of the only reasons to buy this particular volume, unfortunately. Two others, I am sure you have, Paul - in the IAO Millennium Organ Book - the Paul Edwards Contemplation - (a fabulous luxuriant adagio) - and also the Andrew Fletcher Dithyramb.

I thought it might be worth 'revving' this post up again. I followed up on almost all the suggestions (of pieces I didn't know) and found them invaluable. It's interesting how 'what goes around, comes around' because I had forgotten Colin's suggestion of Vision from Rheinberger's Twelve Characteristic pieces, but I think it came up in another thread recently - well worth downloading, and I am wondering if a nice Christmas present from my eldest sister would be a reprint of the four Novello volumes of these. Does anyone have any new offerings to suggest? I have come across a couple of Rowley items that, to my mind at least, seem at least as worthy as the Benedictus 1 - Solemn Adagio and Contemplation - both on IMSLP. There are a couple of good new transcriptions in the new OUP album of Ceremonial music, and I think I would include the two pieces by Darke and Harris referenced elsewhere in the Novello album Retrospection... especially the Harris. The B flat minor piece in the Bridge Six Pieces, and a couple of others of the six would also qualify as luxuriant adagios in my book. And the Canzona from the Whitlock Sonata is very beautiful - not luxuriant perhaps, except in one very special place. I always enjoy the Liszt Consolation in D flat. Oh, and then there is the Bush Carillon that I also raised in another thread - especially if anyone needs a luxuriant adagio at Christmastime.

Can someone put me right about this? Is music based on this chorale best suited to Advent or to Christmas? I have frequently used and have seen the Brahms listed as pre-service music for Advent services, but is that appropriate or not?

The front pipes were being tuned/voiced/ yesterday when I went to evensong.

AN interesting point this! The chap in charge at our war memorial used his phone to time everything. And that's what I do in church when I am playing a programme of music before a service, but you live and learn. I assumed I could use my iphone clock but that doesn't have all important seconds. I downloaded an exact time app which has seconds and then it is just a matter of making sure the clock doesn't lock and fade in settings. I have tried to find a small dignified looking digital clock with seconds on to no avail.

See here!

So, Chris. did you play this 'straight' as it were... just the tune? Or did you harmonise it? (I think I have seen Last Post in harmony in a volume of The Village Organist, though not Reveille.)

It would be interesting to know what was played yesterday. At my church we have two morning services on Remembrance Sunday - a 9.00am Said Eucharist with hymns, and then the main Town Remembrance Service at 10.15am. The first of these isn't 'themed' towards Remembrance Sunday, using the readings for Third Sunday before Advent, but I slipped in David Blackwell's beautiful piece based on Thaxted at the Communion (OUP - Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists - Autumn Festivals). I played Harold Darke's Retrospection at the end, but if I am honest, it didn't hit the spot. I felt the moment required something quiet and meditative, but that just wasn't the right piece at that time, worthy of attention though the piece is. It's in that Novello album (1983) called Retrospection which I have only recently re-discovered. It also contains a super piece by William Harris - Fantasy Prelude - but that's not ready yet. There is no voluntary at the end of the 10.15am service as well all depart to go to the war memorial in silence - (but with a half muffled peal). Before, I played March from Scipio, RAF March Past, Elegiac Prelude on 'Jerusalem' - Charles Callahan - (well worth getting**), Royal British Legion March, Elegy (April 7th, 1913) - Parry, and Nimrod - arranged William Harris. My aim with all of this is to make it interesting yet utterly suitable for the occasion, bearing in mind that there are people of all ages and all faiths present. I came home and watched a recording of the Cenotaph events and it was good to hear David DImbleby mention each piece that the band played, including the Skye Boat Song, The Minstrel Boy, David of the White Rock and Isle of Beauty, all of which were delightful. I have organ versions of the SBS, DotWR, and have just downloaded from IMSLP the basic music for the other two. If you don't know the George Towers arrangement of DotWR, it's really lovely and, and our friend David Drinkell said on this channel once words to the effect... preferable to RVW's version, perhaps. I must say, too, that the new OUP album, Ceremonial Music for Organ II has some very suitable pieces in it for this occasion, though, one of them, the Elegy from the Downland Suite by John Ireland and arranged by Alex Rowley is available through IMSLP. This is a beautiful arrangement and the lush key of Db major helps atmospherically, too. Whilst thinking of Remembrance, we also had an All Souls service recently, and I found the Dr Butz album of Elgar transcriptions arranged by Edward Tambling and splendid source for an arrangement of Sospiri. This also has Chanson de Matin, Chanson de Nuit, Salut d'Amour and the Imperial March in it, but I play these from other arrangements - Salut d'Amour from the old Schott Red Album! ANd I found this an ideal occasion to play John Rutter's newly published Elegy. ** This comes in a volume called O God beyond all praising published by Morning Star. This is seven pieces all by Charles Callahan who is very prolific. I use three of these - the Jerusalem piece, and also those based on Thaxted and Repton. Recommended!

Though inspired by this topic, I am starting a new one on the theme of Remembrance.

And at Truro in 1963. The St Paul's work you refer to was undertaken in 1960, I think. The latest from Salisbury, gleaned from a tweet by John Challenger, ADoM, is that all the pipes have now been re-inserted. The front pipes are to be tuned and voiced shortly and then the scaffolding will be taken down. Because of the busyness of the cathedral between now and Christmas, the rest of the voicing and tuning will take place inJanuary, which was always the plan.

Sorry, we're way off-topic now! But, thank you both for those enjoyable memories. So, Rowland, did you sing with the adults at the 6.30 service? I remember it well from a chorister's point of view. Yes, we'd done 10.30, 11.30 and 3.15pm though, mercifully, with only two sermons, and then the Decani and Cantoris boys took it in turns to sing the 6.30pm. If I recall, it was often the Assistant Sub-Organist, so Richard Popplewell, Timothy Farrell and then Christopher Herrick in my time. Minor Canon Cochrane often conducted the anthem - he was MA, MusB, ARCO and had been Director of Music at Christ's Hospital. He had a bit of a reputation for drink - whether it was true or not, goodness knows! The worst aspect of the 6.30pm service was that the duty choristers had to remain in their horrid Eton suits with their nasty stiff collars until afterwards, but the non-duty crowd could change back into their everyday suits - yes, suits! We had no home clothes (or other comforts at all, actually - no curtains in the dormitories even in the new school when I left in 1970. By the way, lest we should have too much free time on a Sunday, between 3.15 evensong and the 6.30 service, we had 45 minutes of the headmaster reading aloud to us whilst we were issued with two Quality Street. And, Philip, as probationers, we waited outside the Organista door to 'go in' for services. You will know that as well as accessing the organ loft, you could go through an 'invisible door' to the choir stalls. Amongst many memories, I remember that in the cupboard at the bottom of the loft stairs where the organists kept their robes (DB - Oxford DMus, Harry Gabb - FRCO* - RIchard Popplewell FRCO - later, Christopher Dearnley wore Oxford MA or Oxford BMus - (never FRCO) - Christopher Herrick wore his Oxford BA then MA hood, (never FRCO) - there was a metal box with a number of pitch pipes, sitting on the floor. The organists didn't trust the 'dial' on the pitch pipes, and so used to tune them to the organ before playing before the service. On a Friday, when different pitches might be need for psalms, canticles and anthem, they had to have several pitch pipes, all pre-tuned in their pockets! Choristers used to volunteer to go to the loft after evensong to turn pages and generally observe. DB realising that, (a) I was from the county of his beloved Truro organ and (b) being unable to miss the fact that I was already mad keen on organs, suggested that I be allowed to visit the loft in my first term. This was unheard of, but he selected a senior chorister to accompany me - none other than James Lancelot! He allowed me to press the Cancel piston when he finished. The old organ loft was truly special. Not only was the 5-manual console very special in its own right, but I had never seen an organ bench with a back rest before. There was a telephone, two large signal lights, gauges for the infinite speed and gradation swell pedals, a general crescendo swell pedal, and... a Full Organ piston, complete with special red light. But what I loved the most were all the peep holes that enables the organist to see what was going on at the altar, the west doors and down in the choir. I have many memories of visiting the organ loft with all those mentioned except RP who only played at times when we couldn't really go up. I am not surprised that DB granted you a visit, Philip - he was a real gentleman. Turning the pages could be quite as challenge - (a) following the music, but (b) reaching all the way up and then getting a page of the large Novello Bach books to turn fully over was quite hard for a small boy. Christopher Dearnley once asked two of us to pop up after the 1130 Eucharist - I was amazed to find him playing BWV 541 from a miniature score! * Harry Gabb generally kept his chocolate and blue FRCO hood at St Paul's, but around this time, the new rose damask and grey hood (current) was introduced. He wore this at St James' Palace but would bring it to St Paul's if he needed it for special services. And the norm would be for him to conduct while DB played. Eventually, he inherited a second 'new' FRCO hoos and wore that full time at St Paul's.

Good to see mention of the Willis on Wheels, Rowland, and I fully agree that it has, or had, exactly the reputation you ascribe to it which I have always found fascinating though haven't had a chance to assess it for myself. I have heard it played - it was during the John Scott/Andrew Lucas years, and the main organ was having its piston apparatus updated, so the W-o-W had to be pressed into action for the Saturday evensong I attended. It was a chorister reunion. The organ was parked just below the chancel step on the Cantoris side and I was sitting the same side but the other side of the choir so I wasn't optimally located! I think I have read comments especially about the Cornopean. At my church in Bradford on Avon we have a Willis III with a Cornopean on the Swell and it is extraordinarily versatile... I suppose that by that, I mean it is huge and we're lucky to have a newly serviced and very effective set of swell shutters. Anyway, I have often wondered if the dimensions of our Cornopean at BoA were on a similar scale to those on the Willis on Wheels. And it would be great to hear more of your experiences of St Paul's, Harry Gabb or Richard Popplewell.