MusingMuso

============================== Like so many of my generation, I have nothing but unbounded admiration for Dr Francis Jackson, both as an organist and a composer. However, when it came to choir-training, I suspect that he did it because he was obliged to do it. I recall JSW telling me that at his best, FJ was one of the finest choir trainers he'd ever encountered, but that the best was very rare. He got around the problem of conducting by means of the single expedient of conducting everything in circles....3/4, 4/4,6/8, 5/8. 11/12....nothing was a problem. Then he would tell the choir to, "Follow the beat." Pure genius! I remember a carol service at York, when the choir assembled to the west of the great screen, and they sang an introit carol. FJ conucted in circles as always, but the whole thing rather fell apart for whatever reason. Amusingly, after it ended (after a fashion), FJ just kept on waving his hands in circles, but more in the manner of a farmer gathering together and driving errant geese. Still waving his hands, the choir quickly went through the screen and out of sight. It's when you've sung in a choir with the likes of the late Martin How at the helm, you realise your own inadequacies. His conducting was as accurate as a Bisley marksman in the height of battle. Some people have it, and some people don't. I don't........... On the subject of scriptural intonation in a flat monotone, I recall a prominent Anglican clergyman from my school-days, who would recite "He that hath ears to ear, let him hear" in such a way that it came out as, "He that hath years to year let him year." MM

There was a time when choristers, in their innocence, would change the odd word of Christmas Carols, but now it's become a matter of political correctness. No longer will we be able to sing "Deck the halls" in the original version, because it is necessary to avoid offence by changing "Don we now our gay apparel" to "Don we now our bright apparel." Ah! How I hanker for the days when we would sing, "Most highly flavoured gravy," during "The angel Gabriel." "While shepherds watched their turnip tops, a boiln' in the pot. The angel of the Lord came down, and scoffed the bloomin' lot!" Changing words can become a dubious art for of course:- The toilet door said Gentlemen So I just walked inside I took two steps and realized I'd been taken for a ride I heard high voices turned and found The place was occupied By two nuns, three old ladies, and a nurse What could be worse? Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse. The toilet door said Gentlemen It must have been a gag As soon as I walked in there I ran into some old hag She sprayed me with a can of mace And snapped me with her bag. I could tell this just wouldn't be my day What can I say? It just wasn't turning out to be my day. The toilet door said Gentlemen And I would like to find The crummy little creep who had the nerve to switch the sign Cause I've got two black eyes And one high heel up my behind Now I can't sit with comfort and joy Boy, oh, boy. 　 It can also produce a Christmas Classic, which first saw the light of day on BBC radio:- 　 The Twelve Days of Christmas December 25 My dearest darling Peter, What a wonderful surprise has just greeted me! That sweet partridge, in that lovely little pear-tree; what an enchanting, romantic, poetic present! Bless you, and thank you. Your deeply loving, Tracey December 26 Beloved Peter, The two turtle-doves arrived this morning, and are cooing away in the pear-tree as I write. I'm so touched and grateful! With undying love, as always, Tracey December 27 My darling Peter, You do think of the most original presents! Who ever thought of sending anybody three French hens? Do they really come all the way from France? It's a pity we have no chicken coops, but I expect we'll find some. Anyway, thank-you so much; they're lovely. Your devoted, Tracey December 28 Dearest Peter, What a surprise! Four calling birds arrived this morning. They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly - they make telephoning almost impossible - but I expect they'll calm down when they get used to their new home. Anyway, I'm very grateful, of course I am. Love from Tracey December 29 Dearest, The mailman has just delivered five most beautiful gold rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly! A really lovely present! Lovelier, in a way, than birds, which do take rather a lot of looking after. The four that arrived yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I'm afraid none of us got much sleep last night. Mother says she wants to use the rings to "wring" their necks. Mother has such a sense of humour. This time she's only joking, I think, but I do know what she means. Still, I love the rings. Bless you, Tracey December 30 Dear Peter , Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door this morning, it certainly wasn't six socking great geese laying eggs all over the porch. Frankly, I rather hoped that you had stopped sending me birds. We have no room for them, and they've already ruined the croquet lawn. I know you meant well, but let's call a halt, shall we? Love, Tracey December 31 Peter, I thought I said NO MORE BIRDS. This morning I woke up to find no more than seven swans, all trying to get into our tiny goldfish pond. I'd rather not think what's happened to the goldfish. The whole house seems to be full of birds, to say nothing of what they leave behind them, so please, please, stop! Your Tracey January 1 Frankly, I prefer the birds. What am I to do with eight milkmaids? And their cows! Is this some kind of a joke? If so, I'm afraid I don't find it very amusing. Tracey January 2 Look here, Peter, This has gone far enough. You say you're sending me nine ladies dancing. All I can say is, judging from the way they dance, they're certainly not ladies. The village just isn't accustomed to seeing a regiment of shameless viragos, with nothing on but their lipstick, cavorting round the green, and it's mother and I who get the blame. If you value our friendship, which I do (less and less), kindly stop this ridiculous behaviour at once! Tracey January 3 As I write this letter, 10 disgusting old men are prancing up and down all over what used to be the garden, before the geese and the swans and the cows got at it. And several of them, I have just noticed, are being a nuisance with the milkmaids. Meanwhile the neighbours are trying to have us evicted. I shall never speak to you again. Tracey January 4 This is the last straw! You know I detest bagpipes! The place has now become something between a menagerie and a madhouse, and a man from the council has just declared it unfit for habitation. At least Mother has been spared this last outrage; they took her away yesterday afternoon in an ambulance to a home for the bewildered. I hope you're satisfied. January 5 Sir, Our client, Miss Tracey Hoyle , instructs me to inform you that with the arrival on her premises at 7:30 this morning of the entire percussion section of the London Symphony Orchestra, and several of their friends, she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction to prevent you importuning her further. I am making arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock. Yours fiathfully, Sue, Grabbit & Run- Solicitor ============================ Still, who needs words, when they're sung like this? 　 Happy Christmas MM

============================ I love the way he beats time for the solo verse of "Once in Royal," and the boy completely ignores it.....quite rightly. I'm sure it was perfect, but all that hooting and lifeless singing rather turns me off. I feel sure that had I been there, I would have been bored until I fell asleep. I'm not sure if the plural "a hill of ruffs" applies, considering the Harrison re-build under Boris Ord, but it amuses me, as do so many trivial things. I think things must have been refreshingly better under Sir David Wilcocks. MM

=========================== That really is quite shocking. I knew it was bad, but not that bad, so long after the quakes 11 months ago. I see that there have been further after-shocks overnight, (UK time), which must be alarming and disheartening on Christmas Eve. I suppose this is the downside of living in a relatively young, very geologically active landscape. If the quakes ever stop, the upside is living in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Meanwhile, near Manilla, our youngest server, 11 year of age, is over there helping members of his family after the floods. MM

============================= I don't know why, but I find this appalling! It's like the overthrow of Druid and Aztec Temples and the mosque at Cordoba in Spain. The only good thing about it, is the fact that every move will be transparent. MM

================================= Unfortunately, Jenny wrote to us too soon, for just after posting her "non-news," two quite severe tremors hit Chistchurch once again, but not to the point of the utterly devastating effects earlier this year, I forget the date. Apart from the human cost in terms of loss of life, misery and general fear, there is the added effect of cultural destruction and disruption to daily routines, which must be a kind of hell to live with. As always, our thoughts go out across the world to Martin, Jenny and others involved in church music and organ playing. At a very basic level, how many organs are going to be in tune at Christmas in the Christchurch area? "Mother nature" often makes people wish to be orphans, but sadly, there's no escape from it. Hopefully, it will not get to the point whereby we have to adopt a New Zealand resident like we do Polar Bears and White Tigers, but we can at least show empathy and goodwill, and let our friends know that we are still with them in spirit. Let's hope things will get better NEXT year. MM

Anyone who can recall the Sunday morning programmes on TV, entitled "The hour of power," will have memories of a very professional set-up, with music and preaching often as outstanding as it was unconventional. Of course, for us organists, the main interest centred around the vast Rufatti re-build of two very large Aeolian-Skinner organs, which were combined into one gigantic instrument scattered around the spectacular space of the enormous and impressive glass and steel cathedral. I don't want to get into the politics of the situation, for I gather that they are quite messy, but after the retirement of Pastor Schuller who founded the cathedral, various lineage and family rivalries started to unsettle the cathedral, with various resignation from key people, including some very able musicians. Now it seems, the cathedral has been declared bankrupt and sold on behalf of the creditors, which leaves an interesting if regrettable state of affairs, with the creditors now holding the reigns of the cathedral, and joint owners of one of the largest organs in the world. I don't think any of this has hit the headlines in the UK, or found much of a mention on any known forum, but this seems to be the state of affairs currently. MM

Is it me or have organists gone mad? Throughout my youth, I was taught that Edwardian organ-building was largely regrettable tonally: not that I entirely agree with this. However, I did (and do) agree with the premise that by the turn of the 19th century, organ builders were being forced down the path of ever increasing orchestralisation; largely due to the influence of Hope-Jones and those who regarded him as a serious builder of classical organs. Surely, the natural development of this, (excellent in its way), was the theatre organ rather than the classical organ, and with it, the first attempt at synthesising orchestral sounds on a keyboard? Why are organists now wandering blindfold into all the same mistakes? Do the romantic repertoires of France and Germany call for orchestral organs? Is the English repertoire important enough to justify a special type of instrument? How many choirs are there outside the cathedral environment, which could benefit from a quasi-Edwardian accompaniment machine? Are we actually going anywhere with all this? MM

========================================= Clever little critters those Higgs-boson particles. Not only will they, did they and do they celebrate mass; they are not inhibited by what is, was and will be. No wonder they're called the God particle. MM

================================== I actually have an old EP (7" extended play) record of John Sanders playing the Chester organ in the 1960's, and it was a fine instrument in the Hill with magnificent flutes and reeds. Although changed at the R & D re-build, it emerged as a spectacularly good recital instrument, with great clarity and brightness, but still those awesome reeds. I suspect that iof people mess around with an already fine instrument, this is how it should be done, but I suppose that will upset some people. I know that some people would claim that Norman & Beard were the dominant force after the merger with Hill in 1916, but even before this, Hill seemed to be quite capable of making instruments with quite powerful chorus reeds, as at Sydney TH. I'm a bit in the dark about that critical pre-H,N & B period, after the death of Thos.Hill, when Arthur Hill must have held the reigns. I don't think that they ever went down the orchestral path, which possibly explains why they were considered "old fashioned" by 1915 or so. Was Mr Lamb involved at this stage, and when did the senoir Rundle become their reed voicer? Chester was unusual, for it was originally by Gray & Davison, but in addition, included work by Whiteley. The first time I heard the organ at Chester pre-rebuild, I don't recall that it exactly lacked power, and I wonder why people assume that the really big sound was solely the influence of Norman & Beard after the merger with Hill? Could it be that they had made the reeds bigger, but retained the more classical chorus-work of the older Hill style; brought to a high quality with Thomas Hill? I shall have to dig out the old recording and listen to what it tells me, because the organ was tonally untouched from 1908 prior to the R & D re-build, and still retained the original electro-pneumatic action with accumalators. With regard to Aeolian-Skinner, it's very difficult to be specific, because there was always plenty of cash available to change this or that almost at will in America. I think I would be referring to Skinner organs after the influence of G Donald Harrison started to have an impact. I shall have to check the dates, but at a guess, I would have thought about post-1950 or so, after G Donald Harrison got involved with the re-build of the Walcker instrument at Methuen. Actually finding an original Skinner organ is quite difficult, but would you judge the Yale monster as typically Hope-Jones, in spite of the orchestral qualities? There were a number of very exciting developments in American organ-building around this time; not least from the likes of Walter Holtkamp and Charles Fisk, and of course, one of the parties involved in that development was none other than Ralph Downes. I'm inclinced to agree about the tonal deficiences and imbalances in Arthur Harrison's chorus-work and the total absence of harmonic interest in his pedal organs, and Hill certainly did it better, but using quite dull voicing but plenty of upperwork in the larger instruments. Only Lewis ever came close to a more classical type of chorus-work, but that was wasted on the Edwardians, was it not? MM

=========================== Sorry about the slow response.....I've been so busy, but I can now finally kick my feet up and rest for a fortnight. Yes, a 2ft Claribel Flute is in the specification, and quite why, I have no idea; especially since it is a conical stop. I know that it never had a Claribel Flute in the original specification, so it hasn't been re-pitched from an older incarnation presumably. On the NPOR site, there is a black & white photograph of the 4-manual console at St Margaret's, Ilkley, which shows the dark wood jambs. Fine organ, quite high church Anglican and a resonant space....a good combination. Sir John Betjamin loved the church and choral tradition, but I'm not sure how much of the latter remains these days. They certainly have valued music over the years, and I know that musical events are quite regular. I shall have to find out the current situation there. MM

===================== I'm with Ian on this, but I'm not sure the Blackburn instrument was hugely improved rather than usefully improved, to permit greater felxibility as a cathedral accompaniment instrument. I don't know if Ian knows of the great care which David Wood took in retaining the original sound of the Walker organ, as voiced by Walter Goody and Denis Thurlow. He was in regular touch with Denis Thurlow throughout. Bearing in mind that new windchests were installed at the re-build, it must have been quite an exacting task to get everything absolutely right, but I was mightily relieved at the re-opening recital, when the organ I knew and loved was still very apparent, but with the benefit of the additional ranks/digital basses. It's interesting, but this organ seems to bring out the very best in organists, and certainly, both David Briggs and Jane Parker-Smith produced recordings of exceptional vitality and depth. Indeed, vitality and depth could easily sum up this stupendous instrument, and if it sounds a little distant down the nave, it is because it is......stuck on the walls beyond the central "lantern" area, which fairly scatters the sound. Were it sitiuated at the West End, it would be more immediately impressive in the nave. Stand between the two sections of the organ while someone is playing, and THEN it is possible to appreciate the sheer quality of the instrument. I personally regard this as the finest new British instrument of the latter half of 20th century, but that doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate the quality of Coventry, or that of the Harrison "re-buiild" (effectively a new instrument), at St George's Chapel, Windsor. MM

============================== Although I've been to Cambridge dozens of times, I think I've only ever heard King's the once, and in quite restrained mode, so I don't feel qualified to offer any personal observations beyone the fact that it sounds right for that building and that choir. I don't know the Irish churches, I've never been inside Bristol Cathedral; so we're not covering much common ground here are we? However, I do know Chester quite well, and played an organ of similar concept at Ilkley, St Margaret's, for about a year. What always strikes me about Hill organs re-built by Hill, Norman & Beard, is the sheer power (and quality) of the reeds, and nowhere is this more apparent than at Chester. The downside is always a lack of mezzo-forte subtelty; there being not a lot between quiet and charming, and loud and alarming. I know that Chester is a very difficult instrument with which to accompany, and some of that same criticism could be levelled at the organ at Ilkley, but they both make some glorious sounds. As a recital instrument, Chester is top-drawer as a sonic experience; possibly becauise the cathedral is not over-large or over-resonant. But there others worthy of consideration which are not by Willis. Ripon is a superb sound, as too is Southwark, and when it comes to an organ which seems to stun everyone who hears it, Blackburn is probably the best of all, but again, not the perfect accompaniment instrument by any means, even allowing for the additions and electronic basses designed to beef things up and make the organ more "romantic." In fact, as originally conceived, Blackburn is probably the nearest thing we have to the best of Rieger-Kloss in the Czech Republic, and it never fails to impress me. I guess I'm just a Lewis freak at heart, and prefer good chorus work to lots of colour anyday. MM

========================= No disrespect to the ever delightful works of John Rutter, but doesn't it say something about our national music, or at least about the public perception of British music? MM

This is delightful news. Richard Hills is a fine organist who crosses boundaries, but what intrigues me by the music played on this CD, is the fact that it is all British, from the best years of the repertoire. American music is, of course, quite marvellous, but everyone covers it all around the globe, and it would be difficult to find a truly original new performance. The Guildhall organ is magnificent....Compton at his very best, and now splendidly restored to top condition. So with a superb choice of music and organ, this should be a real treat. Going off track a little, we made mention of 'Lady Gaga' recently, when she appeared sat at the organ console of Sydney Town Hall. In the event that we have members who like some of the great songs of "The great American song-book,' check out her version of "The lady is a tramp" in duet with Tony Bennett, now 85 or so years of age. It deserves to go down as an absolute classic performance. The lady impresses me with this. MM

I like the new look, and I'm sure we'll all get used to it. That said, I shall have to reduce the amount of material contained in my profile, which didn't matter previously. My only concern is that people have vanished into the ether; hopefully to return. It could be that people are gearing up for Christmas, and have too many things going on at the same time. My personal target is to complete my story, "A Lancashire organ crawl" in time for Christmas, so I'd better shut up and get on with it. MM

================================= I never did finish my last reply properly, for I should have addressed the competitive element in church music, which saw the Anglican church as a late entry but the surprise winner in the high-art stakes, but then, it wasn't something which occured in isolation, was it? At a philosophical level, the period 1850 to 1950 was one which witnessed a great outpouring of visual, aural and written art; not all of it top-quality by any means, but generally quite worthy. Interestingly, the quality of light-music probably exceeded the quality of even the best church music written during this period....Gershiwn, Billy Mayerl, Bernstein, Coates and Farnham et al. It was also international, as we know, with the great centres of civilisation acting as focal points.....Paris, New York, Berlin, Vienna etc etc. The outpouring was not restricted to art of course, and there were similar achievements in engineering, technology, science, industry etc etc. In one single century, humanity went from the horse & trap, to the jet aircraft....a quite staggering leap, which was similarly reflected in other areas of endeavour. What always strikes me very forcibly, (having been educated at the tail-end of all this), is the fact that society required and expected high-standards, because a new generation had to eventually fill the boots of technocrats, scientists and other high achievers. It's what you still find in Japan, China, India and South Korea to-day. Art is and was the expression of that. and of course, the great educationalists had modelled their ideas on classical Greek lines; learning, good counsel and wisdom the product of careful study and observation. That, of course, is the very source of elitism, and one which is absolutely essential when social mobility and societal progress are in top-gear. Unfortunately, so enormously complex is the world, I can do no more than paint clumsily with a very broad brush, but what we see to-day is a certain duality of expectation. For the past seventy years, everyone has believed that economic growth could continue forever, but as economic growth could be seen to exist year on year, there has been a simultaneous decline in output: the paradox of reflation leading to stagnation, and contrary to Keynesian economic theory. What we have lived through since the end of WWII, is an economic sleight-of-hand, where demand has fuelled the selling off of the family silver, and when that (and the oil) ran out, we gave ourselves an unsustainable pay rise in the form of cheap imports. The next stage of the economic growth game, was to borrow our way out of stagnation and decline, which leads to where we are to-day; facing the stark reality of enormous sovereign debts in a global economic system founded on monetarist principles, in which money is a mere commodity, to be bought, sold and traded freely around the world. The duality of expectation derives from the (false) belief in automatic economic growth on the one hand, and the exact opposite in the form of industrial and commercial decline. In a nutshell, everyone expects to be better off, but no-one can be expected to provide the means thereof in the form of skilled-jobs. In practical terms, society no longer requires, and therefore does not expect high standards of education, except in certain key areas of expertise. Ordinary working people and the once mobile middle-classes are being left behind, yet they have never been better informed or exchanged information more quickly and completely. I hope that I've said enough to paint a clumsy picture within a makeshift frame. Now, what hymn sheet do we use to celebrate all this? What religion provides the answers or even the questions? What political system is based on a duality of expectation? The answer must be none on all three counts! Religion promises heaven and politicians promise the earth. Meanwhile the Bank of England, (and other central lending banks), promise to pay. I would suggest that the very real explosion of interest in church music, such as was seen, heard and witnessed in Victorian times, was also based on a similar duality: the march of faith and reason, ("God is working his purpose out") and the growth of social conscience. (The Christian call to tend the poor, needy, lonely and destitute). This is precisely why singing "Messiah" became a national institution. It embodies the high drama and duality of what was actually happening around those who sang it.......art as a reflection and expression of real life. I would suggest that a sense of foreboding and insecurity now dominates the minds of people to-day in the once prosperous western world. A few will respond by embracing blind faith, while others will search for practical answers, but almost no-one can predict the future or even anticipate what is required to alter things. No wonder the "art" of to-day is angry, emotive, anti-establishment and even dangerous to a point, because it is inclined to be mawkish, cynical and destructive in equal measure. On the Sunday after 11/11/11, our Parish Priest said something which struck a chord with me, and I quickly grabbed the music for the final voluntary to show him something. I must have been on a bit of charge, because I suddenly found myself surrounded by a small but rapt audience. The music was "Litanies" by Jehan Alain, and I explained why the "Alleluya" motif repeated constantly......the soul in pain and distress.....no easy answers....no resolution.....no comfort.....no apparent way forward. We all know the background of a world in conflict, and of Alain's premature end on the battlefield. It struck me then, and still does, that those apparently crass "Alleluya" songs are the low-brow equivalent to the very same things Alain was expressing in his "Litanies." Should we be surprised that churches to-day no longer find true expression in traditional church music? MM

EDITED BLANK (TOO MANY ERRORS IN POST)

=========================== Yes, but with certain reservations. The antlers are perfect for hanging folly-bells on strings, but if the animal lunges forward at the console, there is the danger of them becoming a general cancel at best or demolition implements at worst. The problem will be getting the animal to shake its head at the right moment, because they tend to stand in water or submerge themselves from time to time, and a glass of water would have no effect. However, if you have a Vox Humana, this could be used to simulate the sound of mosquitoes, which usually guarantees that the animal will start to shake its head. You may consider the need to widen doors and spiral stairways. MM (Mooseing Mooseo)

===================== Absolutely right! Virgil Fox, often playing in very dead acoustics in America, (such as the Riverside Church used to be like), used a more sophisticated method. He would roll-off the last chord from the top down, with the pedal note coming off last. The effect was surprisingly good, and not as weird as one might imagine it to be when it was done right. I'll have a dig around for an example, but I'm not sure I will find one. Edit:- Found one! MM

======================= Cymbelsterns are such a luxury, but there is a cheaper alternative. You need the following:- One small Christmas Elf hat with folly bells attached One small Christmas Santa dog-jacket with fur lining 2 metres of ribbon 12 assorted small bells Needle & thread One large glass of water One small leather strap 1 meter of velcro ribbon A large, padded dog basket A clear plastic mac Method:- Thread the Christmas Bells onto the ribbons, and secure firmly with appropriate lock-stitches to the dog-jacket; evenly spaced out along the bottom adge of the material. Attach the leather strap to the small elf hat, leaving plenty of available strap adjustment. Call your dog and have it sit at your feet. Attach the elf hat to the head of the dog, and secure it with the leather strap. Now wrap the attractive Santa dog-jacket around the animal and secure it with velcro strips cut from the velcro ribbon. Arrive at church very early and sneak the dog, (complete with Santa jacket and elf hat), into the organ loft, having first fed it. At this point, the dog should go to sleep instantly. When the cymbelstern effect is required, take the glass of water and hurl the contents at the dog, making sure that you have first put on the plastic mac. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH CATS! MM

================================ Mark Thallander certainly didn't let the car accident end his organ-playing. Wasn't he at the Crystal Cathedral then? I remember hearing about it at the time with horror. A courageous man who has overcome much. MM

====================== I haven't looked at last year's list deliberately, but I will when I've suggested my winning favourite, which I think might be the Darke "In the bleak mid-winter." There's something just perfect about it, and I know of many organists and others, who would say that it is only Christmas when they have heard it on the radio from King's. Of course, my favourite is the Latin version of "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." http://stpatricksmithtown.org/downloads/multimedia.php MM

============================ Yes John, I made a bit of a mess in my haste, relying on memory from about eight years ago. I've always thought it was Book Wood, but Beechwood sounds a lot more plausible. Perhaps the most famous surviving instrument is that at the "Black Church".....Negrous something or other.....in Brasov, Romania. Stephen Bicknell used to say that this organ pre-empts the style of Cavaille-Coll, in having an enclosed reed section which can be coupled up, against a separate enclosed division, but with fairly limited dynamic change due to the swell doors rather than shutters. There are a few examples of the organ on You Tube. MM

============================= I've no idea, but thanks for showing me how to spell obseqious. I'd never have done it without help. MM