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john carter

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Posts posted by john carter

  1. 1 hour ago, Colin Pykett said:

    There are several Phoenix-related websites, all apparently rather old, which adds to the confusion.   But doesn't this rather confirm the problems of trying to keep an elderly electronic organ going, such as when the firm which made it might no longer exist?  An ailing elderly pipe organ has a better chance of long term survival in that any organ builder can attend to its problems (although those related to hi-tech electronics in its action put pipe organs into the same category as electronic ones when it comes down to questions of rapid obsolescence).

    Surely it is no more difficult than trying to keep a 30 year-old car going when spare parts are no longer available?  A replacement is of comparable cost to  a car, rather than the six figure sums that an elderly pipe organ may require to restore it to health.  Owners of electronic instruments could plan for an expected replacement after, say, twenty years or lease the organ in the same way that many people lease cars.  

  2. 3 hours ago, Colin Pykett said:

    I'm pretty sure that some players use previously recorded MIDI tracks which have been edited to remove the blemishes, both in terms of the notes and their original timings. 

     

    Colin, so you are "pretty sure" that players have edited midi tracks?  I am "pretty sure" some players are interested enough to do whatever they can to improve their performance.  Why be so negative about it?  I would encourage any young player to use whatever skill and technology they can, in order to interpret the music in the way they choose.  If that involves wearing headphones, editing midi tracks, stepping through 200 combinations or playing in socks, I don't care!

  3. Thank you Owen!  That site includes the recording of Franck Choral 1 by Fernando Germani that first introduced me to Franck - and Germani - as a young teenager.  I never thought I would hear it again.

    The channel could become an excellent source of historic recordings.

  4. 52 minutes ago, DRL said:

    Having anticipated the BBC intrusive commentary, I found that the service appeared uninterrupted and without commentary on both Sky News and CNN. I have found these to be excellent alternatives in the past and will certainly look into these options for the funeral.

     

    A version without commentary was also available on the BBC Red Button, so it may not have been necessary to look elsewhere.

  5. 18 hours ago, SomeChap said:

    Hmm I'd understood Cavaille-Coll put them on his (usually unenclosed) Positif organs quite often - to undulate with the Cor de Nuit?   Or did I get that wrong?  I've definitely played one in the past in France but can't for the life of me remember where.  St Etienne in Caen maybe?

    There is one on the organ of St Francois in Lyon on the enclosed Positif.  A delightful stop, and as another unashamed romantic, I applaud the good taste of the other contributors.

  6. 3 hours ago, OwenTurner said:

    In terms of code of conduct, that'd be more one for the custodians and interested groups such as us / BIOS / diocesan organ advisors (though this is probably a private institution), etc? If an organ builder declines a contract then, being a commercial organisation, the same or similar work would more often than not go to another. In this case if H&H declined, wouldn't Nicholson or someone else have got the deal?

    This situation does look like a decision based on fashion or the musical preferences of the players. If a player is frustrated with the style of an instrument that peers rate highly then surely the player should tolerate or move somewhere else with an instrument more suited to their repertoire or musical aspirations? 

    Sounds like this one is all too late but if not has anyone approached the possibility of a formal letter to the governors of the school from BIOS? Even if too late, a realisation that they didn't need to spend so much money as they've been led to believe could cause some interest. So often a case for work is presented as if there is only one viable option.

    Why should anyone interfere with the decision that the school have made?  It is their property, it doesn't meet their present needs and they have chosen a replacement.  They don't have to justify their decision to anyone in BIOS, members of this board or anyone else who thinks they know better.

  7. Martin, I take your point but I think it is unfair to criticise the awards given to other named individuals.  Many factors are considered before an honour is awarded, including activities and qualities that may not be well known to you or me.  If the status of musicians is to be promoted, it is for all of us to lobby those who submit the nominations to ensure they fully reflect the person whose name they have put forward.  

  8. Although to the best of my knowledge he does not subscribe to this board, Chris Lawton is an enthusiast who has in-depth knowledge of, and has played, many of the Compton organs around the UK.  If you search for Compton Miniatura on YouTube, you will find Chris's channel, which has contact details.

  9. On 20/12/2020 at 09:46, David Surtees said:

    I only watched it once, and thought it was a poor comparison to the actual service as broadcast on radio. Some excellent individual items, as would be expected, but the overall experience felt lacking. 
    No longer have a TV license so can’t watch it anyway, but won’t particularly miss it. 

    The programme is deliberately different from the radio broadcast as it is aimed at a different audience.  From a conversation with the producer of this year's TV broadcast a couple of days ago, I understand the overall result this year is quite different, because of the lack of a congregation and the participation of the King's Singers, but is thought to be good.  

  10. 11 hours ago, John Robinson said:

    I cancelled my BBC Tax earlier this year.  I have recorded Nine Lessons and Carols several times over the past years.  I particularly like certain carols which crop up now and again.  To be perfectly honest, I don't really listen to the lessons (or readings!).

    Forum members may not be aware that, without a TV licence, you cannot legally watch any live television online, including Now TV, Amazon Prime or YouTube live streams of broadcasts.  The restriction is not limited to BBC i-player. 

    A licence is not required to listen to BBC Radio or BBC Sounds which are, of course, paid for by those of us who spend less than 50p per day on the cost of the licence.  For comparison, the cost of the Times newspaper is £2 per day (£1.10 for subscribers).

  11. 22 hours ago, SlowOrg said:

    There was a live broadcast from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg yesterday evening with Wayne Marshall giving a splendid performance on the Klais organ. The concert is still available on Elbphilharmonie’s YouTube channel:

     

    Wayne Marshall is certainly a talented performer.  I just wish he wasn't in such a hurry.  I'm out of breath just listening.

  12. Touch screens certainly aren't a practical advance, but they are an effective way to reduce costs.  Custom metalwork, switches and wiring are labour intensive and surprisingly expensive by comparison.  I'm afraid you get what you pay for these days!  The only practical way out is to programme combinations in advance, which doesn't really help when improvising.

  13. Thanks Niccolo for putting this interesting collection together.  I think only the contrabassoon and handpan are likely to catch on.  The venova seems to have all the charm of the vuvuzela!

    I welcome new ideas rather than always being locked in to what went before.  Many of the features in today's organs, that we now take for granted, started out as experiments.  Notable examples are the innovative ideas of Compton and Cavaillé-Coll.  

  14. To Cornet IV and Nic Davidson-Porter:  Even though we have strayed off-topic, it is pleasant to have a little humour occasionally.  I am glad that you appear to like the Swiss Federation as much as I do.  I only wish I could have been there for my annual visit to the Lucerne Festival, sadly not possible in the current situation.

  15. 4 minutes ago, Cornet IV said:

     

    Sadly, if your experience had been any wider, your conclusion would have remained substantially the same.

    I'm old enough to remember when the incumbent was an MA Oxbridge, could quote Euripides in the original and was thoroughly expert in the technicalities of Walschaert's valve gear. He bicycled in a fawn jacket to watch the village cricket and knew everyone. Usually the organ was a modest affair, recently affixed with a plaque from BOB but was valued for what is was and not regarded as an outmoded and unwanted financial expense. Regrettably, the tower bells often are viewed in the same light  I profoundly regret the passing of the vicar of my boyhood and have scant regard for the bulk of that which has replaced him.  I accept that the upkeep of a pipe organ can be a substantial burden for many parishes but while it may be heresy to say so on this forum, electronic substitutes with their minimal running costs, for most people can be indistinguishable from the real thing - the Allen in the Silverstone parish church is an excellent example of such with an intelligently drawn specification. But I fear any appreciation of these things is not encouraged in today's preparation for the Ministry. 

    Oops, I must read more carefully.  When I first looked at your post and saw the reference to Walschaert's valve gear, I took it that the organ had a plaque from the Berner Oberland Bahn!  

  16. On 10/09/2020 at 23:15, East Kent Trombone said:

    It will be an interesting change and good luck to them.

    Generally fellow Organists in East Kent are very surprised that FHB are so readily abandoning the well established and known Browne name for a company thats just gone bust.

    The styles of the two firms, as I understand are also very different adding to the mystery. The real Mander were known for pretty high end tracker organs, doing big jobs internationally and were one of the big boys with their own pipe making and excellent tonal work whereas the new 'Mander' (FHB) seem to almost never make new organs and generally appear to do relatively small overhauls and no international work. Perhaps they think it will propel them into the premier league but all the organ advisors and anyone in the know will understand that its a totally different company just reusing the name.

     

    I think your comments are somewhat discourteous to our new hosts.  Perhaps you should wait and see how the company develops in the coming months.

  17. At a time and in a World where there seems to be much trouble and confusion, it is refreshing to hear some really good news.  I wish Stephen Bayley and his team success, and hope that they can maintain the forum that I have happily followed for fifteen years.

  18. pwhodges wrote:  "Is anyone here happy to pay that indefinitely for such a small active community, when there are free alternatives?"

    Vox Humana wrote:  "I'll be blunt.  I would not be willing to pay an ongoing subscription fee unless it is quite nominal." 

    Gentlemen, I imagine you pay for your internet access and you probably paid for your computers.  How can you expect to get the services of a forum free of charge when it requires both equipment with a finite life and internet bandwidth?  To set up the trial forum, Steve Goodwin is generously paying for both out of his own pocket. The cost may be small, but it is more than zero.

    The only long term alternative to subscription is to find a sponsor, as Manders have been. The inclusion of digital organs could make the forum attractive to a wider range of manufacturers, who might value the opportunity to reach an audience interested in their products.  General advertising could be an alternative, but the narrow forum topic and the potential views are probably too limited.

  19. 39 minutes ago, Martin Cooke said:

    I'm sure that's right, Vox. This could go at any moment whether we like it or not, and Steve has set up an excellent alternative that I am sure we need to decamp to pronto! I do hope that those who are delaying have noted the web address just in case.

    I am grateful to Steve for rapidly setting up a trial alternative that provides an "insurance policy".  However attractive it is, I don't think we should be rushed into "decamping" until we know,  for certain, the status of the existing forum.  Nothing in this life comes free and we cannot expect Steve to bear the sole responsibility for operating a forum for the rest of us to sit back and enjoy.  A time may come when Steve is unwilling or unable to continue as host, so an alternative needs a proper constitution from the start and possibly a sponsor.  However boring legal matters are, we also need to ensure that a public forum complies with Data Protection regulations.   

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