Buxtehude

My expertise here lies more in Choral than Organ, but I would expect the dissemination process to be similar. In the case of choral music it would seem that usually a score was sent (on request to either the composer or an institution), copied into part books (not always copied in score) and returned. Of course, it wasn't always the original MS that was sent - it might be a copy by the composer for the purpose, or some other copy, possibly scored up from a set of part books! There are some - notably examples of scores being copied, notably Hawkins' scores at Ely and Tudway's collection for Lord Harley. Others may advise better for organ music, but I would imagine that either the original or a copy made for the purpose of being sent around to various petitioners would be sent and returned. It is easy to imagine Organists, Composers and Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal facilitating this process, mostly being in waiting on alternate months and otherwise returning to their home institution(s). Edit: Should have made clear that this reply is particularly aimed at English music...

I have always understood that hoods may be worn for the office but may not be worn for sacraments (Eucharistic services and, even in this day and age, weddings). I'm not sure where I learnt this though. Wear a hoodie...make sure one or two talkative members of the congregation know why...

I've heard plenty of poor performances of the Karg-Elert which audiences/congregations still seem to enjoy. I think (hope!) examiners will be discerning and not be fobbed off by splashy chords and runs. Plenty of examiners are organists (I believe) and will instinctively weight their expectations in a work such as this.

I am an elected member of PCC, though were I not I would be co-opted anyway (in the contract...) at least to DCC level (complex structures here).

Obituary in today's Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries...anley-Vann.html

I've been struggling to avoid reacting to this and find I can't stop myself. I cannot possibly begin to agree with this statement, especially in the context of a discussion of HIP. If you want to start at the extremes why not compare recordings of Menuhin and Wallfisch? On a more general note, any performance is about a series of decisions and the way these come together will produce an end result. In the concert hall the first decision may reside with the promoter - who will they book? Then (if we stick with the organ), there is a decision about what to play (though these first two decisions might be made hand in hand). If one is booked to play Buxtehude in (say) Truro Cathedral, then (assuming one accepts the booking) one has to choose where one stands on the continuum of "making the organ sound at it's best" and "getting as close as possible to the composers intentions". Possibly that is an extreme example, but if one has no grasp of the composer's intentions (no matter how sketchy that grasp might be due to the imperfect nature of research into the subject), how can one start to make such decisions? I could go on (in fact I have done elsewhere with 10,000 words on approaching a performance of Schutz's choral music in a modern context), but I would urge you to remember that many of the decisions are set in stone way before the player touches the instrument.

I'm 2 down, 40 to go....

My church does this (and has done for at least the last 5 years). We make it very clear to couples that they have our permission to video and there is no need to be surreptitious about it (as if they would...)

I never play 'O Jesus, I have promised' to Thornbury. I was playing for a hymn sandwich type service once and was less-prepared than I should have been ...'Thy hand, O God has guided' appeared in the same service. Disaster was averted only because I dropped my service sheet on the pedal board just before the first of these and it fell open at the second, and I realised what I was about to get into!

My church is seriously considering redundant instruments as a first choice for various reasons, some cited above. The costs (we have discovered) are enormously variable and some of the following variables have arisen: 1) Most obviously, the condition of the instrument; is full restoration required, or can it be simply moved? 2) The shape of the instrument; we have a particular space - how does the instrument physically fit that. This can have an effect on casework and action. 3) Casework: If a new case is needed, either because the previous doesn't fit or because it can't be moved for whatever reason, or because there isn't any. The other question where cost is concerned is about affordability. If a church raises say £150,000, that could translate into £300,000 if matched funding can be found. But only if you have the right instrument to do this with and can play your cards right. And of course all this comes into play only when one can find a tonal match! I can see why it might be easier to start from scratch...

.......maybe I have.....

Over the past few weeks as the winter weather has set in I have endured the following: 1. Open Diapason 2 on Great giving up entirely 2. Open Diapason 1 (aka QE2's foghorn) being "slow" coming on 3. Great Trumpet sticking on (an interesting playover for Silent Night was how this announced itself 4. Top C# on the Tromba (being used as a replacement Gt Trumpet(!)) ciphering during midnight mass (cured only by shut down and restart) 5. Finally on Christmas morning I got to the end of Vierne 2 Final, forgot about the ciphering C#, so added the Tromba, and more or less simultaneously the pedal contact on G jammed. Perplexed looks form people as the final (mostly D major) chord died away leaving a vast pedal G and a piercing top C#. Ah well, taking next Sunday off. Merry Christmas

What time of year will you be doing the concert? It could be nice to coordinate the cantata with the liturgical season, e.g. Wachet auf in advent.

There are lots of Telemann Cantatas for voice, melody instument and continuo.

Oops - yes, I meant the last mvt of Widor 6.

At this stage I would be asking myself what I already play that might be suitable - (what do you have in the repertoire?) given the other commitments you outline. You mention that you are a trumpeter - would you be comfortable switching instruments and is there someone else who could accompany you if you were to play a trumpet piece at the end? I'm sure this would go down well. On various instruments I have been known to play: Bach: In dulci jubilo (various) Bach: G major P+F (BWV 541) Buxtehude: C major P+F+C Mulet: Carillon-Sortie Widor: 1st mvt, Sym 6 Widor: y'know, t'Toccata Vierne: t'Final Lefebure-Wely: Sortie in E flat Hope this helps to spark some ideas.

How many pistons/playing aids did Stanford have? I have seen at least one Cathedral Organist play a Stanford setting (I forget which) without recourse to pistons - to prove the point. I also rather suspect that whilst there are plenty who would prefer to have a lovely H&H or Mander console, there are also plenty who would accept the Parr Hall instrument (and others) without. Perhaps a proper study into Cathedral organists' (and assistants') attitude to conservation versus modernisation would be interesting - they are the ones at the sharp end after all. And one cannot help but notice that a lot of what seems to be played after Anglican services is music originally destined for the German Lutheran or French Catholic churches IME... I don't have a problem with that (I do it myself), but I would suggest that if we are prepared to do that, then perhaps we should be prepared to do the reverse. I have accompanied Howells Hymn to St Cecilia on the Orgue de Choeur in la Trinité, Paris. It seemed to work OK.

I heard sung (when recording): Enough for him whom cherubim worship day and night; A breast full of milk and a manger full of [look of horror from choirmaster as he realises where this might be going] ...er do you mind if we do that again?

OK, I do something like this - I've tried to talk in general terms rather than relate ot any specific instrument, page numbers refer to this: http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/buxtehude/BuxWV137/Buxtehude_Praeludium_137.pdf ://http://icking-music-archive.org/sco...udium_137.pdf (though I don't play from this usually): Opening: Something quite big, including a pedal reed (taken off after the solo if too cataclysmic, though left on if at all possible) From last three bars of first page: something lighter - ideally based around a principal stop an octave higher than the opening Page 2, 2nd system, third bar, last beat: As opening Fugue: Something lighter again, with pedal to balance - I also do cadential trills starting on the note Page 6 2nd line: I sometimes go to a bigger registration here Chaconne: Usually the same as the opening; perhaps something in reserve for last 5 bars Awaits reasons why this is rubbish and should be ignored...

What sort of organ? And do you mean BuxWV 137? (With the pedal solo to start) - Apologies if you don't 136 just doesn't ring bells for me.

I had a lesson with Frederic Blanc on this organ a couple of years ago and learnt a lot. I seem to remember he said it was of very few unaltered Cavaille-Cols still around Paris, though I expect to be corrected on this. He made a real difference to my playing in a very short space of time. I really should return for another...

I'd recommend St Botolph's, Aldgate to all (esp. if in London). Very friendly and accommodating as well. http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=R01331 I'd love to see a place with really good choir having this sort of instrument.

Oh yes, so you did and so we are! Will read more carefully in future... Does anyone know what similarly contrasting instruments those at the RCM/RAM etc have access to. Being in London not necessarily being the same thing as having access... Obviously the RCM has Room 90 (which I privately refer to as Room 101, having not enjoyed an FRCO experience there!) and the RAM has Marylebone (and for the moment Duke's Hall)... what else is used?

Different Oxbridge Colleges (which NB are not music colleges) have diferrent requirements. Some will require a very talented player. Some will require a good player who also has the skills (including people skills) to run a choir (over and above an occasional rehearsal). Some will require someone to play hymns at a weekly service and very little more. Which part of this spectrum is allegedly struggling for recruitment? As for "a few Oxbridge colleges were virtually appointing organ scholars on the strength of successful candidates being able to locate the power switch for the instrument"... my own experience of this sort of situation would suggest that blowers are normally switched on for the candidate before the audition, rendering this skill rather useless as a means of differentiation. Nigel, what you write about the inherent musicality of an instrument being most important I agree with, though I might suggest that even at a fairly low level of attainment acquaintance with a variety of different style instruments is useful. Possibly best if the instruments were VERY different; say, for example, exposure to Queen's and Exeter colleges in Oxford.

Thanks for the interesting replies. Rereading my initial posting it looks a bit aggresive - it wasn't meant to be, just genuine intrigue!