headcase

Some years ago a lengthy article in the Organist's Review analyzed JSB's Fugue on St Anne and highlighted it's associations with the Holy Trinity. Does anyone still have a copy ? I think John Bertalot may have been the author ? Please PM me privately - thanks. H

MJF might be interested in this, posted on PIPORG today. Sunken Ocean-Liner Britannic’s pipe organ found - high and dry in the Museum für Musikautomaten at Seewen in Switzerland Experts are now certain they have found the pipe organ which belonged to the steamship Britannic – sister ship to the Titanic. It is in the Museum für Musikautomaten (a collection dedicated to mechanical musical instruments and automata) one of the chain of Swiss National Museums, at Seewen, 15 km south of Basel. The organ had apparently disappeared for nearly a century. The discovery was made during recent restoration work. Dr. Christoph Haenggi, Director of the museum, said “organ builders in Zürich cleaned up four normally unseen beams under the windchests and found they each had the same indication, ‘Britanik’ inscribed on them. We had independently come to an opinion that our organ had been built around 1912-1914, but information pre-1920 was missing. Historic Welte-company catalogues in our archives contain a picture of an organ installed in a ‘British steamer’. The photograph has been verified as a picture of the stairwell of Britannic. Until now we had now never imagined that this organ was ours!” Australian organist David Rumsey, consultant to the restoration, holds the same view: “It is a Welte-Philharmonie (“Philharmonic” in USA), a pneumatic organ which can be played normally from its keyboard or by pre-recorded paper rolls. From internal evidence, pipework, construction and specification I had guessed it was built around 1913. It is virtually identical to the destroyed roll-recording organ of M. Welte & Söhne in Germany at Freiburg in Breisgau. If, as now appears certain, it was intended for the Britannic, then it needed to have been finished by spring 1914 when the ship was due for launching. However fate decreed a change of destiny for both vessel and organ: with the outbreak of the First World War, the ship was requisitioned by the British navy and re-fitted as a floating hospital. In the process the organ appears to have been installed, then removed and stored.” H

Carnival of Souls (b/w, 1962) was screened over the weekend. This American horror film tells of a lady church organist and features a sequence filmed in an organ factory...does anyone know whose workshops they are, or the organ which features later in the film ? If you missed it, the DVD is available at Amazon. Mind you, the star of the film clearly knew nothing about playing the organ...when supposedly playing the organ in the workshop erecting hall, the wind isn't even on ! Just curious, really. H

David, You could try Abinger Organs. Speak to Peter Flatau (pronounced Flayt-o) he's a very helpful chap and been in the hire business for years. Knows hhis stuff. www.abingerorgans.co.uk H

I thought that the Poulenc Prete/Duruflé WAS recorded in St Etienne du Mont ? I seem to remember seeing the LP cover that included a photograph of the strings & timps set up in the church. I only have the 1987 remastered EMI cd now. Am I going mad or can someone answer this definitively ? H Ha ! Just noticed in the very small print at the back of the Poulenc booklet... Recorded : 21 & 23 Feb 1961 Église Saint-Étienne du Mont Anyone disagree ? H

This is all going to lead to chamade envy...tch, tch. H This is all going to lead to chamade envy...tch, tch. H

Let's be honest, an organist or organ-builder can call a stop whatever he/she wants. That's part of the fun of designing unusual stops. I'm planning a 2.2/3 Pedal reed on my house organ (part of a plot to get the total number of pedal stops up to 40) - what would you call that? I'm considering Horn Nineteenth. (Cynic) Quintopean ? Naztrompette ? H Forgot to mention - Osmonds very occasionally included an independent 10 2/3 bottom octave of Bourdon pipes, which could then be tuned pure, but best of all, balanced correctly for power. H

Nominations for The four 'Utilities' : Klais Marcussen Rieger Flentrop :-; H

Many high profile church musicians find themselves conducting orchestral forces, choruses, chamber choirs and smaller ensembles. I would suggest this requires them to be well-prepared/researched in terms of instrumental capabilities, historical perspectives on composers and performance style and to be skilled in managing people, cajoling, persuading and motivating. All of which suggests the need for a keen mind. So, perhaps TK has got it right - not universally - but broadly so. H

There's a pretty stunning unison last verse for Helmsley in Organ Uplift by Andrew Fletcher. Was published by Oecumuse. Doesn't come with a descant - write one, maybe? If you want more details, Tim, send me your email address through the message board. oh, and errr....seasons greetings ! H

Formulaic composition doesn't hit the spot every time. Mathias perhaps over-used the parallel 4ths & 5ths and driving rhythms. To my mind the best of his works are: Processional Fanfare (as aforementioned by others) Jubilate Wassail Carol (I had an LP of Kings College performing this, nla I think) Does anyone perform it now ? Sir Christémas (Carols for Choir 2) Lift up your heads Final thought...just one T in Mathias. H

David, a few things I would disagree with you about : 1 20p a mile motoring costs - what century would that have been in ? 2 If the staff of a small firm are all out tuning, are the workshop running costs suspended? I think not. The tuner's work brings in revenue needed to keep the resources of the business alive. Those resources are needed (tools, machinery, materials) in order to facilitate proper repairs. What good to a client is a tuner without the proper resources to repair, overhaul, rebuild etc.? 3 In the case you cited of a plumber turning up - they usually make a minimum standard charge for the 1st hour and then hourly rate thereafter. You pay that first hour charge, even if it only takes 5 mins to solve the problem. 4 On the frequency of tuning visits - it IS important that organs are regularly inspected. A common cause of big disasters is water penetration through a leaky roof. Spot the tell-tale signs early and major damage can be avoided. Collapsing pipework, attack by vermin and suchlike can often be detected only by inside inspection. H

A setting of the Coventry Carol, published by Animus. Two sets of Preces & Responses which the church choir use for Evensong. One Mass setting written in panic at the introduction of Common Worship and still in use. One short anthem, Lord, be thy word my rule written for a competition - never heard of again but we choir did sing it once. A few chants, one in F minor that has become popular with my choir (they're very loyal, bless 'em). A few last verse improvs/descants. Like David Coram, I have moments of inspiration that vanish the moment the music software boots up! H

I spoke with the tuner about it a few days ago. Apparently the note actions are working OK but ALL the stops are permanently on ! So maybe not irretrievable ? H

I was a tuner's assistant at Gloucester 79-81 in the HN&B days. The Swell was particularly tricky to tune. The 4ft Principal is planted on the two outermost soundboards in C and C# sides, with a central soundboard with more Swell ranks between. Opening the case doors on the North & South sides caused the tuning to alter. Changing the position of the East front shutters caused the tuning to alter. The blinds behind the East Swell front were put in (if memory serves) to prevent the Open Flute 4ft going violently out of tune with the shutters closed. Then factor in the pressure drop from the schwimmer regulators... what chance ? There is no doubt in my mind that the organ speaks with a unique voice - character, if you like. Something which I find appeals to me more and more (character, that is) in preference to anything bland, be it large or small. It still fascinates me that the Gloucester organ so polarizes opinion, 36 years after installation. Proof in itself of character ? H

You missed off "The world is full of smelly feet", surely?

Well, those clever chaps from Laukhuff have nearly got the keyboard design right, then....! see page 22 of this doc. http://www.laukhuff.de/kapitel/9.pdf H

I, too, wish to add my voice of thanks to Tim and Ian for their kindness in hosting this meeting and I would urge anyone to hear and see the organ at the earliest opportunity. Bland it is not! There was friendly and lively discussion and some very accomplished performances from forum members. Where next ? H

Did it open the floodgates ?

Sacre-Coeur recording is on Motette CD40081. The singing is not of a high standard but the atmosphere is terrific and the solo organ items very pleasing. H

Anyone out there wishing to add Vierne's Messe Solennelle in C# Minor to their Choir Library ? I have a set of ex-choral society copies, consisting of two full scores and 39 choral scores. All in good condition - a few pencil markings here and there. Would cost approx £ 330 new. If interested, please contact me off list, via the message board. Reasonable offers considered. Headcase

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

St Martin's Chelsfield (Gary & Davison) has a drawknob marked BLOW. It is heavily sprung to the off position, so a sharp tug results in a loud thump as it returns, somewhere near the hand - blowing gear, thus startling the poor old organ blower into life ! H

Best 'live' performance - Preston recording the Dorian Fugue for DG. I was priviledged to be turning pages and could barely speak when he finished. Best recorded American organist - Todd Wilson playing the complete Durufle on Delos. Just so 'right'. Best recorded UK organist - David Sanger playing Jongen's Sonata Eroica (Bath Abbey - SAGA label) - a towering performance. As a youngster, I listened a lot to my parents' LP of Germani playing Bach at Alkmaar. The Fantasia & Fugue in G minor was especially thrilling. H