headcase

Some out-of-tuneness might be tolerable - in a large gothic edifice, especially if it's in France. But a massive shortage of wind is really distressing - how could somebody aiming to promote interest in the organ broadcast something like that ? My own personal favourite is Louis Thiry playing Dieu Parmi Nous at St Pierre, Geneva (on Calliope label), where the wind disappears catastrophically with the penultimate pedal F naturals. Even so, the recording gained a commendation from Messiaen - but then I think he commended anyone who would record his stuff. Can anyone cite an example of Messiaen overtly criticising recorded performances ? H

I believe that some of the work at Holy Rude, Stirling was executed by Norman & Beard men, due to a strike at R & D. I wonder if anyone can substantiate this ? H

Sorry, I'll try not use silly acronyms. (I always wanted to start a protest group AAA - Action Against Acronyms). ...oh, just noticed you're from Cheltenham... H

All perfectly normal. You'd be surprised how many major firms buy in pipework. Trade pipemakers are very skilled people, quick to produce the goods because they're tooled up for it and have the manpower to meet orders with reasonable speed. They are anxious to fulfil the customer's requirements down to the last detail and have a keen eye for quality. If the quality of their work was poor, orders would dry up. I recently met the pipemaker who had made the tin front for CLC. (We were standing beside it at the time, during an IBO visit) and he spoke with visible pride as he related the difficulties of soldering in the mouths, keeping it neat and free of blemishes throughout the production process. Do some maths... ...say it takes one pipemaker a week to make a Principal 4ft and Fifteenth 2ft. Look at the number of metal ranks in CLC, for example. That's a lot of work to get through and if the soundboards are already made in the shop, the guys would be standing by their benches forever, waiting for ranks of pipes to 'rack in'. It's all about cost and expediency. Here endeth the lesson. H

I wasn't 'having a go' at famous players - just curious to know what other people felt about choosing repertoire in sympathy with the instrument at hand. H

Last night I watched a DVD of Jos Van Der Kooy playing the fine 1738 Muller organ in St Bavokerk, Haarlem. Repertoire included Mozart K608, Reger T & F in Dmoll Op59 and concluded with Daan Manneke's Pneoo Each of these pieces required two registrants who were occupied almost continually with stop and coupler changes. At one point the RH registrant was sat on the bench in order to operate two coupler hitch-down pedals. In the final piece the LH registrant switches the wind off briefly, whilst large chord clusters struck with the fist and forearm exhausted the wind supply. The wind is switched on again and the piece concludes thunderously. During this vicious attack the tripod-mounted camera vibrates considerably, indicating that the whole gallery structure has moved (! hmmmmm) which I would personally find alarming, given the status of this instrument. HOWEVER my question is : when does a solo organ piece become a duet/trio/team effort ? Should repertoire that cannot be played unassisted be regarded as suitable for that particular instrument. Page-turning excepted, of course... H

I seem to remember hearing of a churchwarden who had been entrusted with the task of announcing that the Incumbent was to depart for another parish. He told the congregation "We prayed to Jesus that he would bring us the right person, and he did. Now it's time for X to leave us."......(brief pause)....amd so we sing our final hymn "What a friend we have in Jesus" H

Is it this one ? http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/a/a301.html H

Mr Bouffant : It's all part of a BBC "reality" show where various "celebs" learn an instrument. It wasn't clear on the press release I saw if it was pipe organ or any other sort e.g. Hammond" Since Jo Brand's tutor is Hilary Davan Wetton, I think we can safely assume that it won't be a Hammond. H

Paul Morley wrote : "Result, lifelong paranoia. Of course, I'm only writing this because the voices tell me to..." You know what they say : Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. H

...being offered mulled wine and mince pies from a silver tray, whilst playing the outgoing voluntary for service of lessons and carols. Yes, the service had ended with rousing singing of Hark the Herald, final blessing from the boss and away I go into Vierne C de W. I have a page-turner on my right. As the theme enters in the pedals for the first time, I become aware of a silver tray proffered toward me from the left, held above the left jamb of the console. Speechless (well, I'm not clever enough to talk and play at the same time) I press on, hoping against hope that the tray will withdraw. After almost a full minute it finally disappeared, the holder presumably assuming that I wish to abstain. I still can't believe anyone could be so -------- daft. Bah humbug. H

Would that be Seal Chart, by any chance ? H

If naming and shaming organs that you really don't like, please put an asterisk beside those of which you have personal experience. Thank you. H

I met HW4 several times and found him bombastic and uncompromisingly rude in public. In private, he could be charming and helpful. Once, when addressing a meeting of the Federation of Master Organ Builders, he stood up to begin, whereupon Dick Van Heck tactfully drew his attention to the fact that his flies were undone. With a great show of drawing up the zip he declared 'Never mind, a dead bird never falls out of the nest, Dick!' Last time I saw him was quite by accident. I was singing at St Paul's with a visiting choir on a hot August day. Passing through the OBE chapel on the way to our robing area, I was surprised to see a sweaty and dirty HW4 dismantling the organ. Greeting him with a handshake, I asked him how he was... "I'm 70 and I'm ****ing well ****ed off." (not sotto voce, either). Typical. H

I banned 'O Jesus I have promised' when set to the tune 'Hatherop Castle' (made me feel like Fozzy Bear from The Muppets) and can't abide 'How Great Thou Art'. Not enough harmonic interest. H

According to ORGANBUILDING 2006, Sebastian Meakin now owns J W Walker & Sons Ltd., as of March this year. Clearly, there have been some unsettling times at Brandon, which prompted Andrew Dolby of P & S Organ Supply to issue a statement in the latest IBO newsletter (Sept 06), to the effect that difficulties in customers settling accounts led them to enter into administration for a short time (July-Aug). The company is now re-branded P & S Organ Supply (UK) Ltd and Andrew Dolby reports that it's 'business as usual'. Apologies if this is old news. H

I know a little H&H organ, 3/3/1, tracker + pneumatic ped which has a Swell to Great coupler and a Great to Swell coupler. Can anyone figure that out...? I believe I read somewhere recently (maybe on this discussion board) of two stops favoured by our cousins across the pond, PULPIT CANCEL and RECTOR EJECTOR. H

"...The Bach G-minor Fantasia and Fugue was played very accurately, but the Fugue was played in the typical romantic English way; the modest registration at the start, the addition of Mixtures, then the fire of Swell reeds, then Trombas, then Ophicleide and Open Woods, and finally......OMG....the Tuba!" How many of us were brought up with the Novello Bach editions with registration suggestions along these lines. It seems to me that too many organists rely on the variety of stops at their disposal to 'colour' the performance, rather than convey expressiveness through tempi, rubato and articulation. Here's a thing : go back to the piano. Think of it as a one-stop one manual. Now practice that Bach fugue. No manual changes. No registration changes. Where does the shape and expressiveness come from now...? H

David - the free reed doesn't strike the shallot, it vibrates within the opening. I seem to remember that the Welte organ at Salomons in Kent has a free reed, a Bassoon, possibly with paper/card resonators varnished with shellac. It's a very long time ago that I saw this. Perhaps JPM can confirm? The organ is being opened Thurs 21 September after restoration by Mander Organs/AC Pilmers. Nigel Ogden will be at the console and perhaps the roll-playing mechanism will see some action, too? H

The Klais organ at Altenburg has a Ruckpositiv Glockenspiel, used to great effect by Domorganist Paul Wiskirchen in Karg-Elert's Choral Improvisation In Dulci Jubilo (Op75 No2). I have it on an EMI Electrola ASD Prezioso label CD800.011 Incidentally, does anyone play this work at Christmas over here? It's a fabulous piece ! H

It's (sometimes)worth lending half an ear to the sermon. The clergy are fond of dropping in quotes from well known hymns, which can be a good stepping off point for an improvised voluntary, either during the Eucharist or as a Sortie Has anyone changed their minds during a service and played a different voluntary on the strength of something heard/seen/done during the service ? H

QUOTE(Nick Bennett @ Sep 2 2006, 04:02 PM) What would be ideal, of course, would be two screens, one showing the performer, the other showing the score . And there's me thinking he meant the score as awarded by the audience. Now that would be fun... H