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Martin Cooke

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Posts posted by Martin Cooke

  1. 5 hours ago, Adnosad said:

    Finallly, whilst I still support the aesthetics of the pipe organ I have to admit I have one foot in the 21st cy and would suggest that a large digital machine installed in one of the above would be equally successful ( IMHO that is of course! )

    But this is all about preservation of pipe organs and bringing their plight to wider attention so I don't think the idea of installing a large digital organ in public places like this is likely to happen. And surely, in a major place like a railway station a digital wouldn't have the curiosity value that even a smallish pipe organ would have. 

  2. Sad to read, today, of the death of the legendary Richard Seal who ran the music at Salisbury Cathedral for almost 30 years - 1968 to 1997. What an innings! At a time when much progress is being made in all sorts of places with girls singing in cathedrals and other places 'where they sing' it is good to reflect on the fact that in terms of cathedrals, Salisbury, under Richard, was the first to establish a full girls' choir in 1991. A favourite choral CD of mine was produced in his time at Salisbury,  'Canticum Novum' - a wonderful collection of 20th century choral and organ music, superbly sung by the choirs, and played and accompanied magnificently by David Halls, the present DoM. 

  3. 1 hour ago, Colin Pykett said:

    Adagio from Guilmant's 3rd sonata in C minor op 56.  It is played here about twice the metronome marking in my edition which is marked sostenuto at crotchet = 60.  However that might be an editorial slip - I have no independent knowledge.  (My edition is an old Schott album - no date other than the piece was copyrighted by them in 1915 - but I suspect it was printed somewhat later than that because the cover price was 5/- which seems a bit pricey for the pre-1920s).

    Thank you so much, Colin.

  4. 13 hours ago, DHM said:

    James O’Donnell to leave Westminster Abbey at Christmas after nearly 23 years, to take up a Professorship at Yale.

    A highly successful innings by Dr O'Donnell. With this post and also the permanent Organist job at St Paul's still going since Simon Johnson moved to Westminster Cathedral, there should be some interesting shuffling to follow.

  5. Thanks Dave. That all seems rather sudden and serious. The only mention I have seen online of any possible issues with the organ has been the bit on Paul Hale's website and that's it. Who's supplying the digital organ, I wonder? (Thank goodness for digital organs!)

  6. 13 hours ago, Adnosad said:

    Not quite sure at what stage Liverpool Metropolitan is at with regards to  " concluding "  restoration work.  Just looked at the site and the only ref to the organ is dated Feb last year when they stated " they hope to launch an appeal for 1m in the next few months ".

    Manna from heaven perhaps?

    Think the Anglican is still rumbling on with the Echo division, but not much news from that direction either.

    There is a gallery pleaser recital planned for Easter but that`s about it for the present.

    I don't know if other forumites receive Dr Keith Harrington's weekly email from Church Organ World, but he has picked up from Liverpool Anglican Cathedral that this year's may be the last Easter bank holiday organ recital - a series that has been running since 1926. New 'things' are in the offing in terms of recitals, but Keith also says that we are to await a very exciting announcement about the organ in the near future. Another stop/division in the offing, perhaps??

  7. 49 minutes ago, OmegaConsort said:

    Just seen 30+ photos on Facebook of the Wimborne rebuild.......mainly of the new casework going in, but also a couple featuring the new 32' sub bourdon.

    It looks great! Who has done the woodwork? 

  8. 25 minutes ago, Philip J Wells said:

    St John's College, Cambridge

    Newcastle Anglican Cathedral - are they getting a new organ or a rebuild?

    St Barnabas, Oxford - Willis pipework from Sheffield Anglican Cathedral

    Worcester Cathedral Transept organ

    Yikes! Is Worcester transept organ actually sparking into life?? There is, in the meantime, of course, the main organ which is undergoing repair etc by Nicholsons.

  9. Hello - could we share a bit on what rebuild or new organ schemes we're either waiting to hear full news on or upon which we await a triumphant conclusion? 

    Getting the ball rolling:

     

    New schemes awaited:

    Norwich

    Bristol - ? (or is that out??)

    Wells

    Winchester - (pretty much known, I suppose)

    Magdalen College, Oxford

    Charterhouse School

    Gloucester - ?? Paul Hale's website suggests that this is being thought about

     

    Imminent conclusions of schemes:

    St Mary, Portsea

    Wimborne Minster

    Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

    Bristol Beacon

    Leeds Town Hall

    Manchester Town Hall

     

     

  10. I think you probably mean "Swell Octave to Great", don't you, Nathan? No, you wouldn't expect any couplers to be available on divisional pistons. Swell Octave, Swell Sub-Octave and Unison Off would be available on the swell pistons but things like Swell to Great, Swell Octave to Great, Swell to Pedal etc would not work with divisionals. Generals, of course, would be a different matter.

  11. Just noticed a tweet that says last night was the last time the present (Mander) organ was to be used. I haven't seen any details of the new Eule instrument, nor of a new home for the redundant organ. Is anything published anywhere?

  12. In case you missed it, Anna Lapwood's transcription for organ of Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes is now available as a digital download from the Boosey & Hawkes website here. If you haven't heard them on her new recording from Ely called Images you can catch up with audio files on AL's own website here. [It occurs to me that we still await her volume of organ music by women composers.]

    And, Barry Rose's autobiography. Sitting on a pin is available from Banks at their current 20% discount. It's a good read and a substantial hard-backed volume.

    Is there any news on new volumes of the Orgenbuchlein project?

  13. In an update to the 'projects' section of their website, Harrison and Harrison have made some interesting announcements. The Norwich Cathedral project, which seems to be underway already, is described as a 'new organ'. In other cathedral news, they are to clean and overhaul the Winchester organ and provide a Vox Humana. There are several interesting smaller projects too.

  14. 4 hours ago, timothyguntrip said:

    A Festive Album - containing the famous Jackson Fanfare. 

    It was the Sidney Campbell piece... is it called Gaudeamus?... in this volume that I heard in that Songs of Praise broadcast all those years ago. Also in that album, I have heard the Douglas Guest piece on St Fulbert played as a voluntary somewhere, and I have played the Armstrong Gibbs piece a few times - neither is great music in my estimation. In the Album of Postludes I keep meaning to revisit a very jolly trumpet piece in A major, but content myself with the Mathias Postlude for now. The last page and a half or so of this is quite exciting. No-one has yet mentioned the navy blue Funeral/Memorial album. The CH Trevor arrangement of God's time is best is my 'go to' arrangement of this movement. In the old 'Simple Voluntaries' album mentioned above, which is not in the same series, there is also the Harold Darke Elegy which works well. 

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