Martin Cooke

What an extraordinary topic! If there is any space around the console, and if there any gap between the frame of the pedal board and the floor, how about one of those long cobweb brushes and go in from the side?

I have noted from the St Paul's Cathedral website that Tim Harper, (Organ Scholar) has been appointed Assistant to the Director of Music at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham. There is a young chap - ex-Organ Scholar of St John's, Cambridge - also due to take up the Assistant post at Chichester next month to take over from Simon Lawford who has been holding the fort.

Two suitable new discoveries for me in the last few days - Prelude Funebre by Guy Ropartz - (his third Meditation would also be eminently appropriate for a funeral) - and then the 2nd movt of Bach's E minor Trio Sonata. I am appalled that I have only just discovered it - I found a Youtube (or similar) example of this being played by someone called Bernadette at St John the Divine, NY. It's a super movement. I would also add Prelude, Fugue and Variation by Cesar Franck - this could make a good concluding piece.

I suppose I've been playing long enough to know pretty well what I'm doing in Bach Preludes and Fugues - I suspect I picked up habits from my Novello scores - but I am more and more keen to know that what I do is sound scholastically and although I listen carefully to different interpretations by downloading to my ipod, I wonder what there is in print these days that points in the right direction. Is it Peter Williams' book that I want, or is there something else out there?

Come on - we all know - the chant was ghastly. No accounting for taste.

Well... I used to use a Festal or Festival Eucharist by Noel Rawsthorne and also one in D major by Martin How - both were RSCM publications - there was also a Norfolk setting by How which a modern day Merbecke. If I were playing regularly in church now I would return to these happily - all three are good sing alongs but were written for Rite A rather than Common Worship. Most things by Shephard are excellent!

Come on then - spare us having to rush to find our psalters...

No, I'm not in the least bit surprised - how many years was he doing it for? I am sure that most cathedral organists using the same pointing over a number of years would be able to make a similar claim - not that they would wish to play for evensong without the psalter in front of them. I think the first part of the original question on psalm accompaniment bear some relevance to the question I posed a while ago about last verse reharmonisation of hymn tunes. The sorts of things that the masters of both these arts get up to require a thorough knowledge of harmony and a wonderful ear. One tip regarding registration that I picked up from spending a few years in the loft at Chichester in John Birch's time, was to leave a verse or two unaccompanied to gather ones wits (and stops) for the next onslaught.

Well, I have to say that I wouldn't play that piece at the end of a funeral. I can't help feeling that if the family and friends are listening at all to the music, unless they were Howells lovers, I would play something more melodic. I think quite a bit of this depends upon the size of the church and how close the organ is to the congregation. I haven't played for a funeral for a long time but if I were playing for one today, I would take along... Bridge - Adagio in E Whitlock - Folk Tune Bach - Dorian Fugue, Novello vol 18 - Herzlich, Erbarm, Orgelbuchlein - several obvious pieces, Novello vol 2 - Canzona Pachelbel - Ciancona in D minor Rheinberger - Sonata 11 - Cantilena Tchaikovsky - Andante Cantabile Elgar - Nimrod (Harris) Ireland - Sursam Corda Little Organ Book in memory of Parry Franck - Prelude, Fugue and Variation Rawsthorne - Abide with me, Nothing startlingly original here! Martin

Just thought some of you may be interested in a follow up on this. I contacted the AGO (American Guild of Organists) to see what suggestions they had and the answer came back that there are no stores in New York that sell organ sheet music. And there was me feeling irritated, in Bath yesterday, to see how stock has diminished and not been replaced in Milsoms. We can't have our cake and eat it, I suppose - except in York, perhaps. And even if you order from a publisher you don't know what you're going to get. I ordered the Howells piece that was reviewed in OR - sorry forgotten the details - but it was Novello, and when it came it had spiral binding and was just a single print off. I suppose that's progress?!

We will be in New York and Boston in the summer and I shall be wanting to find some shops that sell sheet organ and choral music. Can anyone point me in the right direction in either city, please? Martin

I am sure that board members will come in all shapes and sizes in terms of what I'm about to mention - I want to develop my ability and fluency in the art of traditional improvisation and also in re-harmonization for occasional last verses. I'm a pretty experienced player and can fill in pretty competently and can also work up a last verse through forward planning but can't do much with these "on the spot" as it were. I'm not quite clear what it is I need to work on. I presume I need a much more advanced understanding of harmony - should I be looking to study this on paper or at the keyboard? I must have missed out on doing this in any depth (nothing much post A-level) but it would be good to catch up. I hear people doing things that sound exquisite - what is it that they have studied and what resources do I need? Do I actually need a teacher for this, perhaps? Many thanks in anticipation of some thoughts on this. Martin.

It's rather good, isn't it! I've popped it on my ipod. Is it available from anywhere does anyone know? - (except from Richard Lea, presumably) Martin

Sorry - not a reply but aren't there some words that go, "Him the holy, Him the strong." What do they come from, then?

This is Douglas Jeyes Lendrum Bean. He was a Minor Canon of St Paul's Cathedral when I was a chorister there - probably around 1967-72/73 and I believe he had been a Minor Canon at St George's, Windsor Castle, at some point prior to his appointment at St Paul's - hence the connection with Wm Harris. Not sure if he is still alive - he would be well over 80 if he were. Martin.

I think there are all sorts of possibilities. Cantilene from Rheinberger 11; Some of the Harvey Grace Bach Cantata movement transcriptions - there's a famous one in F major with a low (LH) solo line - sorry can't remember the title, but I could e-copy it to you if you wish. Have you got the blue OUP Music for Funerals album? - another piece in here transcribed by CH Trevor - E flat major; Some of those lyrical numbers from the Kevin Mayhew range might also work - Malcolm Archer, Noel Rawsthorne, et al - obviously by just giving the tune to the viola. It will all take a bit of jiggling about and writing out for the viola, of course. Have you got the OUP Wedding Music album - ed Robert Gower or is it the Ceremonial Music one he edited - in there another well known piece in E flat 6/8 - tune against lilting chords - easily adaptable. Bach - Erbarm dich mein O Herr Gott - Novello Volume 18 and also Herzlich thut mich verlangen from the same album. You could do a lot worse, if you live near a music shop, of having a thumb through the Associated Board music for Viola grade 4 upwards (it doesn't need to be difficult to be effective) in case there are any good slow movements from, say, Handel, that could be adapted for organ accompaniment. What about a Flor Peeters slow movement from one of the suites - or even the Aria? Hope that's some help - happy to copy you the first mentioned Bach items if you wish but you must let me know today (and send me an email address) as I will be parted from my organ music for a week once half term arrives on Saturday! POSTSCRIPT: Eek!!! Sorry!... I've just re-read your opening post and realise it's a WEDDING you're playing for - I've blundered on here thinking it was a funeral!! Well, several of these suggestions would do - not the Bach transcriptions or chorale preludes, but the piece in 6/8, the Rheinberger, some Archer or Rawsthorne, the Peeters - I'd deffo look in the Associated Board stuff but probably for a couple of quick movements instead of the slow ones. What about the well known Bach transcriptions - Jesi Joy, Subdue us by thy goodness, Sheep may safely graze, Air on a G string - all in OUP Wedding or Ceremonial Music albums. All the best and sorry to have muddled things!

Does anyone play any of Stanley Vann's music? I've got a few things that I had from Barry Brunton - (where DID he get to?) - but although I reappraise them when I'm going through my stuff from time to time, I somehow never fancy them.

I'm pretty sure that William McVicar (sorry if that's the wrong spelling) has published an arrangement of all of them - possibly by Banks? Sorry - can't go and look now, but I'll check when I am next in the right building if no-one else has solved this for you.

Has a new organist/DoM been appointed or announced at Wakefield has anyone heard? I was slightly surprised to see that the assistant has been appointed acting organist when they've know for so long that JB would be leaving.

Mmm... don't ask. However, a few pieces come to mind for after Saturday evensong... Mushel - Toccata Myron Roberts - Hommage to Perotin - does anyone play this these days Vierne - usual suspects (C de L, C de W, Final from No 1) Jacob - Festal Flourish A wheeze that a couple of us pulled on the organists one weekend involved Harry Gabb playing the Toccata and Fugue in D minor after Saturday evensong. So far so good, but we also persuaded Christopher Herrick to play it the following day after the 11.30 Eucharist. Then, poor Christopher Dearnley fell foul of our sense of humour and played it after the 3.15 Evensong that afternoon and got the full wrath of the Dean for his troubles!

One Saturday afternoon, he told me that I sounded like a donkey looking over a whitewashed wall!

Does anyone have any reminiscences of Harry Gabb? Hearing him play? What did he play? Lessons with him? What did you learn with him? Recitals, etc? I'm just getting going at Karg-Elert's Pax Vobiscum which was a "Gabb piece." There must be dozens of people out there who learned with him at Trinity - I'd be very interested to hear what pieces he encouraged people to learn and play. I only knew him as a chorister - he wasn't very inspiring as as choirmaster, but made up for it to some extent with his sense of humour, exciting use of the St Paul's organ, and stimulating final verses.

John Birch?

Thanks Hector - but could only find one set of piece by Haag in the 9 pages of organ music. Can one see more on line somehow? Martin.

Sorry - Have now found the link to Gehrmans Musikforlag but they don't seem to cover Gustav Haag. Whence is his music available? Many thanks Martin