[The Greatest Organ-work That Isn't By Bach?]

My desert Island piece would be Percy Whitlocks C Minor Sonata, its been one of my favourites ever since a polish friend played it in a concert at Durham Cathedral a few years ago and I managed to do a recording of it

Peter

[Interesting And Unusual Organs]

Although a bit further up the map, another interesting instrument is the organ at Rock Parish Church in Northumberland. It's an 1881 Gray & Davison recently restored by Harrisons with 3 manuals and 21 stops. It had an unusual feature for controlling the swell box (not sure whether it is still in use). See the NPOR entry:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N04159

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cheers Jeremy, I have heard of Rock, stayed at the youth hostel there a couple of time in the mid 70's, got to know Vesta Beef Curries rather too well tho

 

regards

Peter

[Interesting And Unusual Organs]

Thanks everyone, I have known Richard Hird for quite a few years now, so Had beter give him an e-mail. I know of a great 2 manual Harrison in a church in Fenham, a few years ago, a friend of mine ( Peter Locke) played there quite often and I would go with him and take my recording gear, but sadly the tapes were re recorded over ( slap my wrist) there is always the "wurlitzer at Witton Le Wear what about Hull Paul, I cannot recall whats about there, since moving to York I have lost touch

regards

Peter

[Interesting And Unusual Organs]

I would like to ask if anyone knows of any interesting organs in unusual places in the north/ northwest , durham area. A friend and and I are looking at making a recording of 3 or 4 organs, and if the results are worthy, it can be released on CD. This is a project for summer, just to stop getting under the mrs's feet during the warm weather we are goimg to have.

Regards

Peter

[Organ Recitals And Showmanship]

have any of you come across "the cheerfull austrailian" Thomas Heywood? now there is a guy who could give Carlo a run for his money (and he is married to a lovely "sheila") I heard him at York Minster, and he gave a very good acount of himself, its a shame when playing the Bach 542 he did not take into account the large acoustic as he was playing so fast the echo was catching up on itself. However redemption was at hand in the form of a DVD that I bought, it was Heywood playing the Melbourne town hall at the opening gala concert, phew, what an instrument. He plays the Bach 542 very well, and his own transcription of Beethovens complete 5th symphony, marvelous stuff

Peter

Thomas Heywood

[Music To Avoid Treading In]

I remember a time in the mid 80's, I was unemployed for a few weeks, so to fill time in I used to go to the library in Durham City and get out the organ lp's. All sounded ok until I played one by a french chappy called Messien, I am so sorry, but I could not get by head round it at all, and even now I find it very difficult to "get into". Am I alone??

Peter

[Cesar Franck At Notre Dame, Paris.]

Pierre Pincemaille, there is one great organist, his complete widor played on C.C. organs is outstanding. I bought the boxed set while in Paris a while back, I have not heard better,,,,,,yet

Peter

[Digital Futures....?]

many years ago ( 50's) my father played a small 2 manual H & H in the little church in Witton Gilbert, Durham. and it was a very fine organ. when he moved back to the area in the early 70's, and was back playing now and again, Copeman Hart had installed a 23 stop, 2 manual electronic. This organ was obviously transisterised as digital was still a few years away for the mainstream instuments. It served its purpose well enough, dad even organised a short series of recitals which I recorded. I remember Ian Shaw (sub at Durham Cathedral at the time) coming down and spending a few hours practising Liszt B.A.C.H. it came off quite well. Did anyone go to the Leeds Organ day a few years ago ?. the town hall organ pushed the digitals onto another planet David Wyld had his mirabilis recording gear there, but it was never issued, I wonder why

Peter

[An Organ That Never Was]

I remember buying a Michael Murray recording of this marvelous organ (Telarc) I do not know if it was the recording process or my speakers, but the ChamadeTrumpets nearly bust my poor Heybrook HB1 speakers.(these now reside in James Lancelots front room in Durham, still working ) I did not realise this organ is now silent

Slightly going off a bit, as we all do, what do you think of M. Murrays recording of St.Sulpice ?

[Fernando Germani]

I must profess my thanks to Colin on what are really good recordings, "my mate from Donny" has the original spool and cassete recordings via Martin Monkman, and I would like to think that they may be issued sometime in the near future as part of a historic tribute, to whom Germani was one of the "greats" of the organ world. I think many of us "younger" ones can benefit from hearing these great masters in their prime along with a few others, GTB for example.

Peter

[Fernando Germani]

I thought I might mention that I had the opportunity to listen to some private recordings of the great Germani last night. They were recorded in St. Pauls Cathedral, with the doors locked. The music was all Cesar Frank, 3 chorals etc etc, and all played from memory. The quality was excellent considering it was recorded on a revox spool tape machine, just a little bass shy so I was told, and it was 1954. Its really good to get an incite as to how people played and registrated all those years ago. I also heard Ralph downs and Nicolas Kynyston from a radio broadcast at Armley. Why do the radio presenters not talk like that anymore????

Peter

[Ampleforth Abbey]

Thanks for the information Paul, I have an original copy of this organ on lp format, I will have to go and see "my mate Dave" and see if he can copy and edit it to cd for me ( it will cost me a curry from Donncasters finest I think ). I wonder if mr Monkman will eventually do it, running it through the CEDAR??.

Peter

[Grant, Degens And Bradbeer...]

Twenty One Years of Organ Building was a book that when bought, never put down, even now I still like to open it. When I lived in Hull, there was/is a church that had a GDB organ installed, and according to the book, it came off ok. I do not know if it is still there tho. I love the recording that Priory madeof Keith John (what ever happened to him?) playing at St. Marys, Woodford, and the Bach piece at 18 minutes is stunning

Peter

[Ampleforth Abbey]

I was wondering if there are any recordings of the fine organ of the abbey church, Ampleforth?. I live only 4 miles away from he abbey and have heard it "live"on a few occasions, but apart from the early EMI cathedral organ series, I cannot seem to find any. Those Trumpets in the tower certainly part your hair at 50 paces, or

so I am led to believe, being a bit follically challenged I would not know

Peter

[Least Musical Stop]

Yes, Peter! I have no use for loud 32' flues, but soft ones, mmmm.....!

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trust me to be in a hurry, I miss read the topic header. I know its not musical, but it does lend some gravitas to some quiet endings

Peter.

ps, just listning to "The Art of Peter Hurford" there are quite a few "un musical" sounds emenating from the desk top pc

[Least Musical Stop]

What about the 32ft Double Open Wood at Durham Cathedral? dors'nt make a noise, just makes the air "shimmer" marvelous at the end of Master Tallis's Testament

Peter

[Unavailable Organ Recordings]

one of my favourites is Charles Benbow playing the small 2 manual organ of the German church in Paris. Its on the philips label, BWV 529. is one of the best I have heard. I have the good fortune of having a friend who has what is probably the best collection of organ music I have ever come across, 100's LP's (including 2 or 3 sets of the GCO in mono and stereo, a few thousand CD's including broadcasts from the 50's to today and 100's of"private" recording. He will probably read this so I will not say who they are of. Of the few recordings I have done, I used a crossed pair of AKG414's (figure of eight pattern) straight to DAT. The quality is very good especially 20 feet in the air in the choir at Durham Cathedral, trouble is the bombarde tuba's make a hell of a noise

Peter

[Organ Fireworks (again0]

Well, at the grand old age of 45 (well I do feel older most of the time), I have got back into buying cd's again. I was listning to a couple of Christopher Herricks wonderfull "Firework" series and thought, mmmmmmmmmmm I do'nt have the full set ( 10 discs) , so I persuaded the distaff side to buy the others for xmas. I had a sneak preview of 2 of them, and I must admit they sounded wonderful even tho I could not play them as loud as I would if I was on my own. I must also thank those who responded to my question on the complete Bach sets , and have plumped for the Peter Hurford set, as I have volumes 1 and 5 already. I know it probably is not the "best" around, but to my ears it sounds good and the organs are not to bad.

Peter

[Complete Bach]

well, I did not realise there were that many JSB complete projects out there. Just having done a "search " for any complete boxed sets I was amazed who has done recordings. I did not realise that I had volumes 1 & 5 of Peter Hurford lurking away in my cd collection, so after dusting them off, I listened to a couple. They sound ok to my ears, I have always liked the Ratzeburg organ even though it a bit, "in your face" but a few 80's recordings were done fairly close. I am off to look at E Bay, to see what is on offer.

Peter

[Complete Bach]

Many thanks for the info people, I rang a friend, and he is putting a cd together of bwv529 and bwv 542 played by Herrick, Hurford and a few more and leaving me to decide. He says the Walcha is marvelous for the year

thanks

Peter

[Royal Albert Hall]

Well said.

 

Gillian Weir is a great communicator, and a great musician. More than most players, she transmits the sense of a work being re-created. I wonder if there's just a little snobbery in some of the attitudes expressed? Perhaps some of us rather enjoy the status of esoteric minority, and GW's ability to reach broad audiences is rather a threat? The RAH audience was certainly much more diverse than those usually encountered on the London scene.

 

It's interesting that clinical accuracy seems to have become the primary criterion by which an organist should be judged; not so, I think for other musicians...

 

I took two non-organ relations to the RAH. They were blown away by the whole experience. Unlike many instruments, the Voice of Jupiter has subtlety and splendour in spades, and non-organists love it (unlike many more fashionable installations).

 

It's depressing that within the organ world, so many are so very doctrinaire and seem unable to tolerate any diversity at all...

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Here Here, From a non player who listens to friends play and goes to recitals both at parish church level and cathedral/concert halls, I find that the odd mistake or what I think might be the wrong registration, brings home how I and others listen to the "clinical" world of recordings, with modern digital editing and hours of recording the same piece. How must it have been in the "good old days" when say Thalben Ball had to record a bit o' Bach in one take?

Peter

[Complete Bach]

Hi all I am thinking about getting a complete bach (organ) set. Any ideas and coments as to which one would be grateful, modern or old skool, artists, organ etc

thanks

Peter

[Fugue Chorale And Epilogue]

Hi,

 

Label was Qualiton (a division of Decca) Number is SQUAD 106, released in 1971. I do not know if there was ever a cassette release. My copy is an LP.

Good luck with the search.

 

Brian Childs

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I have had a word with mr Rogers, he said the only available recording is the lp version that you already have, and there are no plans that he knows of a company re- releasing it . The options available are: to record it from a record deck to your pc, and then make a cdr, or, he can do it for you and put it through the cedar proccess and edit all etc, but this will cost about £15 - 20

hope this helps you

Peter

[Board Open Day]

If you can find a way into Doncaster PC (or minster!) then name the day and I'll be there. The last two times I've been in the town (during the day admittedly) its bee all locked up. 

I do remember Magnus Black showing the organ to me and a friend back in the early 70's.  If it sounded good then, it must be better now.

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I was in there the other week, a good friend of mine has the keys it could be aranged if you really really wanted to play a nice rebuilt 5 decker

Peter

p.s. monday evening after choir practice, and providing my friend is free

[An 'anglican' Organ In The Usa]

I have found that a lot of the organs in the states wether in a church situation or concert hall tend to have names, which more often than not have either been donated, or, had lots of $$$$ thrown at them. the only place I can think of over here where that has happened (I will probably be wrong tho) is Blackburn Cathedral, where John Bertalot recieved a large cheque for the then new (19 something) 0rgan.

Peter