Peter Allison
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Posts posted by Peter Allison
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I suspect he may also be unique.
Ah, a man after my own heart. The funny little man, I mean. Personally, the more a celebrity thinks people have a duty to recognise them, the more I am likely to make a point of not doing so. I did it to Leslie Crowther the first time I met him ("Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you"). For a moment he looked mortally offended, but the look passed as quickly as it came. Actually he turned out to be an exceptionally nice chap and not at all "up himself".
In 1989 my father was a steward in Durham Cathedral, and the aforementioned asked him if a "private" tour was possible, my dad said yes, but did not recognize mr. Crowther either until later. To cut a long story short, he told my dad that when he came to the Cotswolds to visit me ( I was working there for 10 months), he should come across to see him. We did and got the full tour of Bath and an american museum and tea at his marvelous house. And as you say, a very nice man
regards
Peter
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I have only ever heard the organ in the recorded form, that being Graham Barbers premier recording of the Whitlock C minor Sonata, very well it came across too, even though tubas are required.
Peter
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Well, as its my birthday on the 28th april I will just have to treat myself to some chips, pint and an organ recital, wonder if J.S W. will have any of his dvd's there to sell??. Its only 45 mins away so I might have to drag the Mrs there as well
(kicking and sceaming as she might well do when she has to sit through an hour of "boring music,,again ", her words not mine)regards
Peter
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I remember seeing Simon Preston playing the full suite at Leeds Town Hall a few years ago, he made it look so effortless, NO page turner either. Marvelous
regards
Peter
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Lee,
Rick wakeman started out at the RCM but gave it up and went on to play with a group called the Stawbs and the rest is, as they say is musical history. He was during the 70's and eighties voted many times by the popular musical press as "the best keyboard player", and during the on and off periods he was with the group "YES" played before many thousands of fans. Give the man his due, he has achieved ( and lost) more in his short musical career, than many organists / keyboard players will gain in a lifetime. Ok, so his music played on a pipe organ may not be good music, at least he gave it a go and some one backed him enough to make a world wide selling CD. His albums number many and have sold millions worldwide, now if that was an organist, well
regards
Peter (a life long rick wakeman fan )
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Just had a thought, did anyone see the tv proggrame of Tangerine Dream playing a concert in a cathedral, I do not know where but it was quite a while ago
Regards
Peter
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Paul.
excellent disc, and I have told david to put me a copy to one side as I had no spare cash on me when I saw him the other night
Regards
Peter
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Yes - I found the following on Wikipedia:
"Rick Wakeman of British progressive rock group Yes also used pipe organ to excellent effect in a number of the group's albums (including "Close To The Edge" and "Going For The One"). Wakeman has also used pipe organ in his solo pieces such as "Jane Seymour" from The Six Wives Of Henry VIII and "Judas Iscariot" from Criminal Record. Even more recently, he has recorded an entire album of organ pieces - "Rick Wakeman at Lincoln Cathedral"."
Graham
I am looking at the Rick Wakeman recording now, have been a big fan of Ricks ever since I was nowt but a lad and nearly saw him record "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" back in the 70's (mum would not let me go to London ). The Lincoln recording is ok, its just a shame the quality is not as good as Priory or another company used to recording organs in a big acoustic. The Jane Seymour piece was done at St. Giles Cripplegate and works really well with the Mini Moog synths
regards.
Peter
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Hi
No but I recently got the Gillian Weir version. However I seem to remember reading somewhere that a video recording was made of her playing the Livre and I wonder if anyone else has any info on this?
Peter
It was played on the tv, I have the video hanging around somewhere, but it was not labeled
probably cause i had just come in and needed to use the VCR
Peter
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I videoed this programme and have still got the copy. If you can't get a DVD, let me know.
Ian Crabbe
thank you Ian, I have been round the local Comet in York, and what a choice, I think i will have to "road test2 a couple to see which is best, with or without a hard drive
regards
Peter
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I have just found out that my dinosaur of a VCR has chewed up my copy of Gillian Weirs South Bank show birthday. I know its not the greatest of TV moments, but I enjoyed it, anyone know where I can get a DVD copy from??
of to get a DVD recorder tomoprrow
Regards
Peter
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No argument with Telarc recordings - I've long been a fan. Jack Renner and Robert Woods are very skilled and produce some excellent orchestral recordings, too. I'd disagree about Michael Murray - careful but bland performances and registration that seems very '1970's' to me. Pick a nice chorus Prinzipal and then find the sharpest ScharffZimbelSpikythingy IXX and stick that on the top. Tasteless.
The Kenneth James 'interview' on the RAH disc was made after his departure from H&H and the programme of restoration he refers to was some pretty dubious work to the stop actions and console, which was probably unpicked with great satisfaction by our hosts here.
Having seen a variety of work by this now defunct outfit, I am puzzled that James's reputation as one of H&H's best voicer/finishers seems not to be endorsed by anything he left behind done on his own account ?
H
I never had the chance to meet Mr. James. I did know one of "the Harrison " chaps tho, he was Bert Prested who along with quite a few other family members worked there during the 1950's and 60's I believe bert did a lot of work on the Festival hall organ. one of my fondest memories of him was, going to his house which was just round the corner from Hawthorn ave (where Harrisons used to reside) and sitting in his living room surounded by many clocks and watching some home 8mm movies of various "jobs" . I will always wonder what happened to those movies
Peter
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One of our best "cathedral" organist's to hear live in my very humble opinion, is James Lancelot of Durham, I have heard him many times over the years, and to see the amount of dedication he puts into a rehearsal at the given recital venue is amazing, wether its a large beast of an organ or a 2 man chamber organ. Of american organists, what about Michael Murray, his recordings for the Telarc label must be some of the best recorded cds avalble, his Zwolle and Hildsesheim Bach are worth looking out for, as is the Dupre Symphony from the Albert Hall, complete with a Kenneth James (H & H )interview
regards
Peter
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Many years ago I bought a pair of Heybrook HB1's as they were very good at the time and got rave reviews, along with with a Rega 2 turntable and Arcam Alpha amp as my front end, they produced excellent results. I sold them to James Lancelot at Durham Cathedral in 88-89 and they are still giving sterling service, which is not bad for a 22 year old speaker. Now I am after a small Audio Pro sub woofer which gets down to +/- 18 htz which should make the sitting room "shimmer", with the odd 32ft open wood, I will have to remove all the soft furnishing first tho
best wishes
Peter
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I think I should put the record straight, I was not been serious about doing clandestine recordings of some of our more popular recording artists. as for the digital recorder, well, its just that I do not have £1000 for a Tascam portable DAT,and my Sony Dat has gone to the scap heap after failing a medical. Over the years I have used a AKG stereo mic in and around cathedrals and town halls and got excellent results, but by far the best was a pair of AKG 414's (set on a 12ft stand and used as a cross pair of figure of 8's) these were used to record a polish friend in Durham Cathedrals recital series, he played sonatas by whitlock Reubke and a Polish chap, the sound was better than using a borrowed calrec soundfield recording Simon Lindley in the same venue. David Rogers of Doncaster has used nothing but Tandy PZM' for hundreds of his private recordings, and the sound is excellent, these ecellent mics can still be bought from http://www.tandyman.co.uk
best wishes
Peter
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I was wondering if any of you do your own recordings??, I have just come across a great new product from a company by the name of Edirol (Roland) its a hand held digital recorder, using a memory card and has a built in stereo microphone. I have read some excellent revues on it, and it may be of use to those organists who like to record themselves or others, or for those occasions when you would like to record say, carlo curley,gillian weir etc, or venues where you know that getting official permission is out of the question Its very discrete and is the size of an mp3 player. Guess what I am getting for xmas
regards
Peter
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I very strongly disagree with you there. I was recently forced to stand up and talk to an audience (by Geoffrey Morgan) and I found they absolutely love it. On the whole we are not talking to organ (or even music) buffs; we are talking to people coming to be entertained. A few minutes spent giving a bit of context, telling them what to look out for (in musical or organ terms), explaining why you've put two pieces together in a programme etc is time well spent and I am now a 100% convert. It has been said on here before that there are some players (GM included) whose introductions to the music are often just as enjoyable as the music itself.
As for screens, I don't see the point in doing without, where the console is remote. You don't watch F1 racing in plan view from a helicopter; the cameras are right in the thick of the action, where you can almost smell the oil and burning rubber. The feat of playing the organ is one which is scarcely less exciting and amazing to a lot of punters, especially if it's a very physical piece. There are lots of discussions about playing "popular" music & transcriptions to get people interested - why not play "proper" music in a non-stuffy, entertaining and involving way, and see if THAT works for our dwindling audiences?
A case in point was the opening recital at Bridlington Priory this year, Thomas Trotter gave very informed talk with demonstations of the various stops which I thought went down well especially for those "non organist" and visitors
Peter
The reason I don't often go to concerts is that I am sick of a besuited player coming on, bowing solemnly, and then going off upstairs to play Reger for 45 minutes. The most enjoyable concert I have been to in the last two years was Geoffrey Morgan "opening" a small amateur-built 2 manual in a tiny village church (as a favour for a friend); the music and the organ were in a way irrelevant, but the experience of being entertained and involved was one that will stay with me. I have almost never been to a choral or orchestral concert where the conductor didn't say a few words of introduction to the piece. I recently watched spell-bound as Ralph Allwood introduced an Arvo Part mag and nunc to a lunchtime audience of tourists in a way that they knew what to expect and how to enjoy it - which he followed by herding all the audience into the first few rows, re-forming the choir in a big circle around them for Spem in Alium - what an experience. Is that showing off or is it really fantastic showmanship?
I don't think either of your points have as much to do with performer's ego, showing off or even just simple organ anorakking as you suggest. I think that, on the whole, anything that can be done to encourage and invite the audience be a part of the action is to be widely applauded, and is quite possibly where the Carlo Curleys and Wayne Marshalls of this world are so successful - I think their choice of music is in many ways entirely a sideline issue.
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I did not use a screen name, I forgot to make one up at the time , sorry As my description says on my profile, I live in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, and have a butchers and delli in the port town of Goole, and for my sins, listen to a fair bit of organ music either on cd or live at various venues in yorkshire. I also have a good friend in mr David Rogers of doncaster who shows me the music I have not heard, in veues that have long since been changed or gone, and by organists who have gone on to play the celestial organ. thank goodness for the old spool tapes and cassetes. I seem to the only non organist here
oh well never mindPeter
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I shall be attending the 06 series at York minster, but I have not been able to find any information on the proggrames, I have e-mailed through their website but to no availe. Has anyone "inside" info please, Its just so I can decide if the "distaff" side might enjoy it
Peter
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I too had heard that the Newcastle City Hall organ had been played a while ago, I also heard that Carlo Curley had been investigating it, wether that is true or not, I do not know. has any one read the "Harrison Story" by Laurence Elvin?? that makes fasinating reading when they talk about some of the TH instuments.
I did have a CD by J. Bielby playing works by Ireland on the Rochdale organ, also Priory re released one of his Huddersfield recordings that some of you may have on LP
Peter
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I am going to the next bank holiday concert at Liverpool Cathedral after dropping the mrs off at the Isle of Man ferry (going for a weeks hols
). Does anyone know off any record shops where I could purchase a couple or four new organ cd's???Peter
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Mmmmmm, Sulivans fish and chips, used to go every 2 weeks, they are all rubbish round here near York
Does anyone know what Jimmy Lancelot is playing at halifax on Sat nite?? As the Mrs has asked me if I am going ( thats just so she can have total control over the tv remote ) I know he is doing my favourite Mendelssohn (the sixth sonata) at Armley in july -
It has been quite a few years since I was last at brid, I will have to listen to a couple of cd's to remind myself what the old organ sounded like. Talking to Mike Smith, Paule Hale and Alan Spedding afterwards, it was a unamamous success, but they would say that I suppose. Reading the booklet, it seems that after all the succesive rebuilds / additional work, the sound was altered in some way, I personally think that when it has bedded in and the more it is heard it will improve.
I did not realise that the Bach / Vivaldi Concerto had so many ornamentations inPeter
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I would like to know if any of the forum members have a "good" copy of Gillian Weirs tv programe entitled "The King of Instuments" It was transmitted in 1989/90 on BBC 2 and was made by BBC Wales. The copy I have is very grainy and I would dearly love a newer dvd/ vhs version. Also I require a copy of the "South Bank Show" which charted her life up until a couple of years ago. If anyone can be of assistence I would be very grateful and of course re emburse any costs arising. The reason for asking is I have just recently been looking in my "Organs on TV " box, and I seem to have mislaid one or two including Carlo Curley and Richard Baker (Mullholand organ in Belfast) and Jenifer Bates playing Messian at Westminster Cathedral
Regards
Peter
(kicking and sceaming as she might well do when she has to sit through an hour of "boring music,,again ", her words not mine)
oh well never mind
). Does anyone know off any record shops where I could purchase a couple or four new organ cd's???
Does anyone know what Jimmy Lancelot is playing at halifax on Sat nite?? As the Mrs has asked me if I am going ( thats just so she can have total control over the tv remote ) I know he is doing my favourite Mendelssohn (the sixth sonata) at Armley in july
I did not realise that the Bach / Vivaldi Concerto had so many ornamentations in
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in General discussion
Posted
I have now moved to the sunny port of Goole, East yorkshire, as my other half and I have decided to seperate after 4 years. As yet I have no internet access at my flat, so am using the excellent facilities at the local library. The up side of all this means that I will be able to get to any recitals I choose with exception to the Hull City Hall series, as these are on when I am working. So if anyone knows of any good sunday ones, please let me know.
Regards
Peter