Martin Cooke

... posted in error! Ugh! Seem to have made massive blunder in the process of posting what I hoped would be something useful and mildly interesting. My first attempt has now appeared, it seems as a 'reply' to this apology. I'm going back to bed!!

Having just read an extraordinarily depressing account of the new Aubertin pipe organ in St Birinus, Dorchester on Thames on Facebook - ("Musically, this instrument is an abomination") - which I will leave you to find for yourselves on the British Pipe Organs facebook site, I have just found a news article in which we are told that four years after the installation of the large new Dobson organ in St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, they are to 'reconfigure' the console because there are 'manifold' problems with playing and balancing the instrument with the console where it is. What on earth is one to think? Who would commission a new pipe organ having read experiences like these?

Ha - yes, indeed something like that for sure - and thank you so much, SloOrg - but can't I year a second treble part? My ears are getting old!! I have actually been promised a copy in a week or two's time now, so we'll see how they compare. Thank you so much for going to all this trouble.

Ugh! I know!

Hello everyone - sorry, not really an organ query, but can anyone produce a copy of this chant by Walter Parratt, for me, by any chance, please? I can't find it in any of my regular chant books. Many thanks - Martin.

I can't be the only forum member who enjoyed this gentleman's Elegy, as performed at the end of a recent Choral Evensong from the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Does anyone happen to have a copy? And is there more organ music by him out there? It is the first time I have turned to 'Henderson' and found nothing relevant.

... Heathcote Statham's neat little Divertimento on 'Monkland.' I know... it's hardly the piece of the century but I have known this piece for over 50 years. Statham recorded it at Norwich on a little 45rpm EP along with a Handel Organ Concerto and the 'Giant Fugue.' Goodness knows why it made such an impression on me... the EP was an unexpected gift from a sister... she'd actually bought it because of the Organ Concerto which she knew - (this is back in about 1967) - and then of course the Tuba get a good outing... and 'Monkland' itself, is a a great little tune. It's published in the Harvest volume in the old green Novello 'seasonal' album series. The other lovely piece in this is the one by William Lloyd-Webber on a Harvest hymn that is no longer sung.

You may well ask, Roland!

We must all hope that, Peter Holder, whom, I am pretty certain, won't have put a foot or finger wrong throughout the entire ceremony, prefers to read The Guardian: "Too much of the organ music at the start was obscured by TV commentary or vanished altogether as cameras cut away, though Holder's playing of the Bach at the close was magnificently imposing and sombre."

Her Late Majesty's funeral and committal services have come at the end of a ten day period in which our church music has been absolutely of the highest order. We've spoken of St Paul's, but who could not have been struck by all the singing and organ playing we have heard. What a privilege it has been to be transported to so many cathedrals who have honoured Her Majesty's memory with great beauty, none more gloriously than in the case of Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, yesterday. From the very first chord of Croft's Burial Sentences to the exquisite final cadence of Sir William Harris's sublime Bring us, O Lord, God surely we heard some of the best choral singing of the church tradition ever televised. We didn't get a chance to hear very much of the pre-service organ music - a little Howells, Stanford and Elgar at the Abbey, though we did hear the St George's organ scholar (as above) playing O Mensch bewein and, I think, some tiny bits of Luke Bond's Howells. But both organs sounded magnificent during the services themselves, the great and beautifully appropriate hymns soaring to the rafters, especially in James O'Donnell's majestic arrangements, and the great Bach (and later Elgar) voluntaries perfectly matching the mood. Goodness me, how important Music is on occasions such as these, and here's a chance to bring in all those military bands of different species - including pipers and fanfare groups - who brought so much to the pageantry, colour and solemnity of it all. Whatever part they played, every musician aimed to achieve perfection and they did so resoundingly. Let's hope that yesterday's simply stunning display of musicianship from singers, organists, composers, conductors and leaders, and instrumentalists of every type, gives fresh impetus to the latest new initiatives to give Music its rightful place in the school curriculum and timetable.

It all looks very interesting, John. Some very 'different' and thought-provoking organ music before the services at both the Abbey and at St George's. I have just downloaded the Peter Maxwell Davies organ piece and look forward to trying it later. Remarkable, too, to see that the early organ music - (not the pieces listed in the OoS) - at St George's is to be played by Miriam Reveley who, at age 19 has just obtained her FRCO and is organ scholar this year at St George's.

Just thinking about this a bit more, I would like to think we will have a new coronation march. That's not to 'do down' the two Walton pieces, both of which fit the bill admirably, but I just feel they established a tradition and it would be good to keep that going. There is an innumerable number of musicians in this country, many from the military, who could fulfil the brief with distinction - perhaps there could be a competition.

I wonder if we can look forward to a new Coronation March. Who is a modern day William Walton? And I wonder, too, if the time has come for a replacement for the ubiquitous Gordon Jacob fanfare. David Willcocks had a go but I think it's fair to say that it hasn't really caught on. Altogether, there is much scope for new music both to commemorate the life and passing away of Her Late Majesty, and also to mark the accession and eventual coronation of King Charles. It will be all be very interesting.

I will revisit it.

Good to hear - and I think it was David Drinkell who opined this... better than the Vaughan Williams version!

Beautiful singing at Westminster Hall on Wednesday. I loved James O'Donnell's chant for Psalm 139 which I believe was based on what we used to call the Kiev Melody. I must listen to it again. And how apt were the words of the Bairstow. And, dare I say, how lovely to hear BCP and KJV words for the prayers and lesson. [And I do take the point made earlier about keeping up with the words and how Her Majesty embraced change throughout her life. And I accede that different occasions suit different translations of these texts... but for me, much is lost, Sunday by Sunday, at regular worship through the use of so called modern texts... and we all adopted plastic many years ago to keep up with the times, and where did that get us!] Moving on... what organ music have we heard on broadcasts recently? St Paul's has been covered. I heard the Bridge Adagio at the start of the Belfast service and the opening of the JSB E flat Prelude at the end. I don't remember hearing any of the organ music either side of the St Giles' service but it is listed here. Standing by for Llandaff! For the nonce, we are using the CofE's special Communion at a time of mourning on Sunday. I'm playing Solemn Melody, Prelude on an Irish Church Melody (Stanford), the lovely Prelude on David of the White Rock (George Towers), Coming through the Rye (Chris Tambing), Adagio in E (Bridge) and Waft her, angels, through the skies (Handel) before the service. At Communion, after the motet, it will be 'Touch her soft lips' (Walton) and Prelude on 'Strength and Stay' (June Nixon). At the end, after the National Anthem it's to be the Prelude in E minor, BWV 548 (JSB).

That's right, Rowland - such a pity... and so misguided, in my view. As you say, it's not just the loss of the AV and the BCP, but the blinkered adoption of the Eucharist as the main service. I simply don't understand how this came to pass. Surely we all grew up with a Sung Eucharist on the 1st and 5th Sundays and Matins on the others. (And the term 'Holy Communion' seems to have been dropped also. I realise I am speaking very personally, but it is very much my opinion that this uncompromising use of Eucharistic services is hugely off-putting to people. I find this especially on Christmas Day when, having had a Midnight Communion, and then probably an 8.00am services, the 'main' morning service ends up as a Communion. Every year, one-timers pop in in family groups and what they need is to sing some carols and hear the familiar words of some of the readings from the AV. 'And there were in the same country, shepherds...' 'And there shall come forth a rod...' 'The people that walked in darkness...' and all the rest, not some awful re-telling in ghastly pseudo politically-correct language that nobody recognises and has no chance of being remembered or recalled. We had it this morning in the otherwise very lovely service from Westminster Abbey. Fabulous singing... familiar texts to the psalm and the Benedictus, but then an adaptation of the words 'we all know' from I Corinthians 15 - 'Behold, I tell you a mystery.' But, of course, this was changed to 'Listen, I tell you a mystery.' Do the people who initiate changes like this think we are not capable to understanding what the word, 'Behold' might mean? It is all so demeaning and lacking in quality and dignity. It just makes me feel sad, I'm afraid.

Actually, for me, there was one aspect of the service which did disappoint, and that was the version of the Bible used for the readings. But that, sadly, seems to be the same everywhere - familiar words that many of us have known all our lives have been cast aside for ugly new texts that just grate and have no ring of beauty to them whatsoever. It's the same with the texts for the Eucharist. At a service recently, an officiant ended the prayers with this introduction to the Lord's Prayer... 'And we draw all our prayers together in the great familiar words of the Lord's Prayer... Our Father in Heaven...! And of course, they are not familiar in the version that begins thus! And I would defy any church go-er to be able to recite the Lord's Prayer in this modern version by memory. Anyway, rant over! I really do believe that the CofE has been mistaken in just about throwing out the BCP and the King James' Bible.

I thought the service was 'spot on'. And surely Herbert Howells would have been thrilled to have no fewer than FOUR of his compositions included - Saraband, Psalm Prelude Set 1 No 2, All my hope and Behold, O God. It's hard not to be awestruck in St Paul's by the magnificence of the singing, the organ and by the beauty and sheer scale of the building. The quiet, attentive and, I am sure, appreciative atmosphere amongst the congregation at large was in marked contrast to one London official who talked to his senior politician neighbour throughout the organ music before the service in their seats in the quire - picked up by the commentary in The Times today... 'a chatty corner.' Another senior politician was, meanwhile, engaged on her mobile phone during this time, but at least she was silent! William Harris's Bring us was appropriate not just because of the words (by John Donne, sometime Dean of St Paul's), but through the St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle connection with Harris, and the fact that he had been personal music tutor to both the Queen and Princess Margaret. All in all, I thought the whole music team at St Paul's, led by Andrew Carwood, was outstanding. Anna Lapwood tweeted last night 'to TV people' to remember to acknowledge the organist, who, of course, was Will Fox, Acting Organist, for whom this was the second special televised service for Her Majesty in a few weeks. Let's not forget, too, that the choir term hadn't really begun. The choristers were not due to sing their first service of the term until tomorrow! This has subsequently changed and it looks as though they are having the weekend off - well-deserved! She also complained about the BBC commentary over the Thalben-Ball.

One good deed, etc, Colin... That is a Study by Gustav Merkel - Op 182 No 29. The tune you hear is in the pedals. I came across it in one of those OUP volumes edited by CH Trevor - Organ Book No 1. [Just discovered it in this volume of pedal studies]

Not sure if an organ or organist is involved, but I have just ordered Richard Coles' new novel - Murder before Evensong. I'll let you know!

Great - thanks very much!

It's possible that not all forumites are aware that Church Organ World published a volume of music, Martin How at 90 last year - a range of recent compositions by Martin. I can't say that I have played every piece, but those that I have used have been excellent - mostly pre-Evensong material. See here for details. And if anyone hasn't yet come across his Gospel Colours - (three volumes of short pieces) - these, again, are very worthwhile, and are RSCM publications.

I'm pretty sure the repair work on the grand organ started in 1960. By the time I arrived at St Paul's in 1965, the W-o-W had moved semi-permanently to the North Transept where it could be seen if one looked across diagonally from Decani. The player facing West. One afternoon, I remember looking across that way during Evensong and saw that a warning light was on indicating that the blower was running. Immediately behind me in the stalls at the time was Andrew Pearmain an alto Vicar Choral who was an FRCO, and after the service I noticed that he made his way over there to investigate. I never heard it played whilst I was a chorister.

I think it's a genuinely brilliant idea which may do a lot in increase interest in the organ not just in terms of players but in general terms. I am sure Robert and Martin and the others involved have thought of this, but I wonder if there is any scope for installation in state schools. Viscount organs are doing wonderful work in association with folk like Tom Daggett and Anna Lapwood and others to get digital organs into schools, but, actually, if we're talking about housing just small pipe organs of one or two manuals and a handful or two of stops which might be being placed in schools chiefly for interest-raising and practice purposes, they could be very valuable in raising the organ's game. And it doesn't take a genius to imagine that a young person might then say to themselves, "Hang on a moment, I wonder where there are other instruments like this?"... and, thus, a new generation becomes inspired. But all the instruments need, to my mind, to look as smart, colourful and attractive as this little one at Euston. It's not hard to imagine people like Tom D, Anna L and some of the other leading lights in choir and organ fields championing this.