Martin Cooke

Just to make a small correction to this post - the original dome diapason chorus was created from second hand pipework and this was situated in the south east quarter dome away from the dome pedal and dome tubas. A new chorus was provided in 1977 by Mander and positioned with all the other dome pipework in the north east quarter gallery. This new dome diapason chorus was supplemented in 1977 with the Contra Posaune and Trumpet from the old Solo organ and these have now been replaced with new pipework along with the dome section Double Tuba, Tuba and Clarion. I am not sure if it is true that the Trompette Militaire was produced by Wurlitzer bt it certainly came from the USA. Martin.

Have you ever come across the name "A.L. Peace"? He was organist of St George's Hall, Liverpool at the turn of the century. I only know his first Sonata (D mnor) but the finale (in the tonic major) is really quite a good romp if taken at a good speed. It's highly Victorian, of course, but obscenely so! If it sounds a possibility, let me know and I'll send you a copy. Martin.

I have a copy - in place of one of the usual airs, there is a cunning arrangement of the overture to the Bell Anthem. I have never heard it performed and have always preferred the other Harvey Grace arrangement that Noel Rasthorne used on his Great Cathedral Organs recording with the G major air (or whatever it's called) between the D major Trumpet Tune and the Cebell.

OK - I'm trying that!

OK, so here's the first piece of interesting news. Is there a way of creating a speadsheet of some sort on this site where we could start a list from, say 1-100 with Llandaff now at no1 with space for web addresses next to it? 1 Llandaff Cathedral (Nicholson) Wales in London news item

I feel rather lost without the wonderful photo commentary that so many of us have enjoyed this last year or so from Adrian Lucas at Worcester. Is there any chance that we might be able to create a list here with accompanying links to new organs that are in various states of commission? Harrison and Harrison are very good at listing their new work whether it be on new instruments or refurbishments, but if from our combined knowledge we could get a list together that covers as much interesting organ building work as possible that would be great, wouldn't it? Despite the websites, I have no idea what Tickells, Nicholsons or Manders are doing just now and it seems a pity. Can we help ourselves a bit more? If we all simply replied with lists of places where we know organ work is going on (in the UK? the world?) others could chip in with details and references of which they are aware. Martin. Start of list: 1. Llandaff Cathedral (Nicholson) News item here 2. Cirencester Parish Church (H&H) H&H news item here 3. St Edmundsbury Cathedral (H&H) H&H news item here 4. St Albans Abbey (H&H) New specification 5. Westminster Abbey (H&H) New specification with new Bombarde & Pedal Violone 16' 6. St Paul's Cathedral, London (Mander Organs) On-going works with new nave console, new pipework for dome tubas and chorus reeds, and refurbishd choir console See new 2008 specification here 7. All SS, Carshalton (Henry Willis) Description and photos of proposed work

The closest I ever got to being successful with something like this was when I telephoned the Lord Lieutenant of the county. She knew the organist in question and was more than happy to lend my proposal her full support but sadly the gentleman died before things got underway. I am sure that if someone could approach the Lord Lieutenant personally it would be a help. Does anyone know Richard Shepard? He would almost certainly the LL and might be willing. Otherwise I suggest that someone gets the form and then gets the most senior person they can to sponsor the nomination - David Willcocks? Philip Ledger? I have posted before about the woeful lack of recognition that organists receive these days. Will Philip Moore get something? AS far as I am aware he hasn't even been given a doctorate by any of the northern universities or by Lambeth which seems to me, at best, clumsy, in view of his long-standing appointment at York Minster. Martin

If the loft on the south side of the choir appeared empty, then the 1972 console has gone away to be refurbished. I am certain that there never was any question of the floor console replacing the one on the south side of the choir except whilst the extant console was being re-done. This was all explained somewhere, I think - don't remember where. Martin.

Would there be any chance, Mr Mander, of a brief update on what's happening at St Paul's and the timeframe for the completion of the current project, please? Out here in the sticks we don't get to see these things for ouselves in the flesh, as it were, and it would be great to hear if, for example, the new console is in, and whether the old one has gone off for refurbishment and what else remians to be done. I have so enjoyed the wonderful commentary and photo updates we've had from Worcester, but I'm more interested in St Paul's! Is there going to be some sort of publication about it other than what might in the programmes at the opening recitals? Martin.

I remember hearing something about Osborn Peasgood, Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey who played Purcell's Trumpet Tune in D at Princess Margaret's Wedding. He began as custom dictates in D major but not with top A on the solo stop, but a G! Aaaaaaaaaaargh! Folk will know that Novello published a collection of Purcell arrangements in which the G is given as a grace note. Not a very effective cover-up! In the late sixties, Bishop Robert Stopford's daughter was married in St Paul's. Christopher Dearnley was playing and for the entrance of the bride or as one of the pre-service voluntaries, he played the Jeremiah Clarke trumpet tune. When it came to the second section that begins with the solo stop on F sharp and then a trill on G sharp and A, he played a G natural instead of the G sharp- yikes! I remember the ripple now that shot round the choir stalls. He did the only thing he could and played the G natural again in the repeat. Years later, when he played for Princess Diana and Basil Ramsay published some of Dearnley's arrangements of pre-service pieces, he included the Clarke, but the G sharp was safely in place. Incidentally, the other most memorable aspect of this wedding was that the choristers were invited to the reception where we had the pleasure of meeting Noel Mander. Martin

I am pretty sure that the "Mawgan" you refer to is really St Mawgan in Meneage as opposed to St Mawgan in Pydar which is up near St Columb Major and Newquay. I should give Lance Foy a call - he's a friendly fellow and he will almost certainly know the answer to your questions. I'll PM you his phone number. Martin.

Frustratingly, I cannot get hold of a copy of Volume 1 of this set of CDs and have all the others, either physically or through iTunes. I wonder if, by any chance, any member of the group has a copy of the CD that they would be willing to part with - for a suitable sum, obviously! I just bought volume 8 for about £8 I think it was and would be quite happy to buy volume 1 for a similar amount if that seemed reasonable. Perhaps PM me if you can help. Many thanks Martin.

Gosh - do you mean Alan Wicks did a recording at St Paul's? What else was on it? Martin

It was The Kings of Instruments for me - for those who don't know this LP, it was a sampler taken from a range of organ recordings by EMI. Side 2 was the corker - Karg-Elert from Rawsthorne at Liverpool, Purcell Old 100th from Thalben-Ball at the Temple, Boellmann Toccata from Blenheim with Danby, the Cocker from FJ at YM and then a great perfrmance of the BWV 565 from Allan Wicks at Canterbury. Another early purchase was the Herrick St Paul's recording from 1969 - Wills Fanfare, Mathias Processional (on the Trimpette Militaire), Bridge Adagio, Reger Te Deum, Liszt Adagio in D flat, Litanies and Choral Dorien with Transports de joie and Priere du Christ to finish off. Martin

Anyone come across this? St Peter's, Plmouth Martin

In my view, you should spare youself a visit to Bodmin - not a particularly interesting organ. This little one is worth looking at: St Cubert. It used to be in Lanhydrock House and I played it there about 40 years ago - beautiful swqeet toned Henry Willis. The others to see are at Kilkhampton and St Mary's Launceston. I gather that the organ in Egloshayle church is a good one too and I have always believed it was a Willis, but I'm pretty sure I checked and it isn't! St Columb Major has a fine Bryceson. Why don't you try a few area searches using the NPOR website? You will soon be able to pick out the historical instruments. Martin

Some advice please. A young organist has asked me for some advice on which edition to go for with Widor symphonies. My own organ music is half a mile away at the moment and I can't quite thing what I've got. All editions look the same (not including the OUP version of the Symph 5 Toccata in the Wedding Music album) . He has seen two volumes by Dover which are very reasonably priced. Are these any good for performance? They are large enough to use and, as I say, look just like photo-ed versions of whatever edition it is that I use. What should he do? Martin.

Thanks, Paul for your swift response. Commotio was a favourite of CHD's. He played it in his (only?) Royal Festival Hall recital in about 68/69 and it was also in the programme for the recital he gave at St Paul's a month or two before he died. Not a favourite piece of mine, I have to confess. Martin.

If anyone is interested in starting or adding to a collection,Coventry, Canterbury and York are all for sale on ebay now. Canerbury has T&F in D minor, Mendelssohn Sonata 1 + Williamson Sitwell Epitaphs and Ridout, Seven Last Words played by Alan Wicks - the T&F was reissued by EMI a long time ago with the Sumsion recording of the Elgar that someone else has referred to. York has Nares Intro & Fuge, Wesley Air and Gavotte, Bossi Scherzo, Cocker Tuba Tune, Jackson Diversion on the Mixtures and the Willan IP&F. Can't see what was on the Coventry disc. Martin.

Does anyone happen to know what Christopher Dearnley played on the SALISBURY recording other than the Saint-Saens Rhapsodie in D flat which has been reissued by Amphion? Martin.

Well... there was... Durham - Conrad Eden Exeter - Lionel Dakers St Paul's - Christopher Dearnley Liverpool - Noel Rawsthorne Gloucester - Herbert Sumsion Llandaff - Robert Joyce ? York - Francis Jackson Temple - George Thalben Ball ? Norwich - Heathcote Statham ? Canterbury - Alan Wicks Hereford - Melville Cook Worcester - Christopher Robinson Lincoln - Philip Marshall Coventry - David Lepine St Giles' Edinburgh - Herrick Bunney Westminster Abbey - Douglas Guest - (not Simon Preston) Mmm - now I'm thinking about it, the ones with question marks may not have been in that series - I'm trying to remember who was on The King of Instruments but they may not all have come from that series - actually, perhaps none of them did. You could always have a look for the Amphion-recordings website site - Martin Monckman has reissued selections from this series - I believe there may be four different selections now. It would be quite interesting to try to list what was on each of the original LPs! Martin

Yes, I know... it's absurd, isn't it... but each to his own, you know! Trouble is, I was fascinated by this organ as a small boy and have never quite forgotten the details!

Oooh Look! I've just noticed here are two little buttons, too, on the left and right key checks of the great manual. What are those then? Martin

See this. I'm pretty sure there are some other changes to couplers and transfers - eg Swell Reeds on Solo, Swell Reeds on Pedal, the dividing up of the West srection into reeds and chorus transferrable separately to the Solo and the Great, Great on/to Choir (??) and the Vth combinations coupled to the Great combinations. I don't recall seeing these before but I may be wrong.

There is, indeed, a blank stop knob, but the new tubas (as reported on the St Paul's website) - Double Tuba 16, Tuba 8 and Clarion 4, appear just to be replacing the (?1898?) pipework in the dome by the same names - they aren't extras. I don't think we're any the wiser about the spare stop knob despite it being aired on this board previously. It's clearly one of the organ world's best kept secrets! Martin.