andyorgan

Arrived safely this morning!

This is a good idea. I'm just over 6'2" and in some places I've played, even with the bench at its lowest setting, my legs don't fit comfortably under the console. Does anyone know if such a gadget appears on other organs?

Hang on a minute, in the excellent booklet notes to the latest Latry CD from there, they already have: Skinner (1938) with -Great Division -Swell Division -Swell String Division -Choir Division -Solo Division -Pedal Division Musician's Gallery Divisions, Skinner (1963) -Brustwerk -Positiv -Pedal What will 'another' organ add? BTW, if anyone knows this organ, what does the 'Pedal Keyboard Elevator (Raise/Lower)' dp?

Some very good advice above, here's my contribution. I did ARCO 20 years ago and passed first time, couldn't understand what the fuss was about, lept straight into FRCO and failed dismally on all fronts. Took me a further 16 years to pluck up the courage to do it, by which time I had far more experience in playing in front of strangers. 1. Practice the tests, then practice the tests, and then again and again, every single time you play the organ, do them. 2. The RCO Cambridge course was very useful (its around April time), particularly for the historical part of the FR paperwork, but the variety of teachers on offer meant there was something for everyone. Two of the teachers had the three pieces I was doing in their regular repertoire, so that was very useful. 3. I did a mock exam at St Giles, which was also very useful from AMT who had recent experience as an examiner. I then had a short lesson, all good for the confidence. (When I did the ARCO, none of these organisations ran any sort of help, they relied on the money from resitting exams to survive). 4. Plan the playing meticulously and play the pieces in public as often as possible. I made all of my recital programmes include all three pieces, so they had many outings. 5. Paperwork was tough and I didn't get any lessons on it, so feel a bit of a fraud offering any advice, but it was remarkable how much degree information worked its way back into the memory, including fugal expositions. I passed, rather better than I thought I might have done and as a reward, had to do the speech at the prizegiving, which was far more terrifying than the exam itself! Good luck!

Ars organi by Flor himself. Did fine for me, all that tenor clef in the first few weeks, like a very cold bath on a hot day! As for studies, I have found the little Briekopf book on pedal only pieces very useful for practising technique. Not sure I'm brave enough to use any of the pieces in a recital, particularly the pedal duet on the Blue Danube, as I don't know anyone small/friendly enough who could fit on the stool at the same time, and be competent on the pedals!

And right on cue, here it is. And a jolly good player as well.

Well spotted!

Yep, that's the one. I think she lives/lived somewhere in the Midlands.

I wasn't alive at the time of the broadcast, but I recently purchased a more modern recording of it at the same time I bought the Leighton concerto. I seem to remember its quite a dark piece.

If you have to give one of your list a go, Russell is the one. There is some really good music in here and such variety. It is the link between Stanley and Medelssohn and he is much underrated. There is a complete double CD on its way into the market on Delphian, recorded in one of the East London churches, I think. I don't have much recorded from this period in my collection, but this will certainly be joining it. Much of Russells music came to more prominent attention when a relative by marriage of his (whose name currently escapes me) did some research on him. I believe she is still alive and I corresponded very briefly with her as a student over some of Russells vocal compositions, which sadly, are not in the same league.

Wonder if there is much organ building going on in Iceland over the next couple of years...

I think the articles are a reworking of his books .

Google tells me that's 110 miles east of here, and we are currently bathed in winter sunshine. So much for worsening conditions. I'm hoping this is making the ones who stayed at him a little more guilty, but I doubt it!

I'm not stuck at home in the snow, but I'm amazed at how many colleagues here at school looked out of the window this morning and didn't fancy it, despite the fact that it has virtually all gone now!

Can anyone jog my memory about the last pound/foreign currency movement in the opposite direction. I seem to remember a high profile rebuild/new instrument where the tender came in a foreign currency and when the final bill needed paying it was considerably higher in pounds.

That's true, I played it within months. I was trying to be kind about 5 years. The action is the least of the problems when put next to the electrics.

I could give you one in Glasgow, now only 11 years old, but trouble after less than 5!

Absolutely, glad someone else feels the same way about it. I like the whole set, Helmslsey and Jesus bids us shine also stand out. If anyone is looking for something slightly off the beaten track with Leighton, can I recommend the Dublin Organ Mass, and in particular the Gloria and Its Missa Est.

When he retired he moved to Tewkesbury and helped out at the Abbey, including if memory serves me right, doing some of the recitals in their complete Bach project a few years ago. I met him a few times in and around the Glos/Worcs area (he even came to hear me play once!) and as far as I know, still lives there.

The Buxtehude Prelude Fugue and Chaconne in C covers both those. Other impressive ones, the Buxtehude Gminor that starts with the little ground bass in the pedals, splendid fugue at the end. Other current favs of mine, the first movement of Hindemith II, not too tricky at all; the Recessional at the end of the Francaix Messe de Marriage (I think its on the grade 7 list); last movement of Guilmant I, easier than end of Vierne I, sounds as impressive (though I was slightly reprimanded for playing at after evensong during Lent at a cathedral last year!).

I got this as a present a couple of years ago, when only on the Signum label, one of my favourite discs. Does the Brilliant recording say where it is from? I can't imagine Jeremy doing two complete cycles. The Signum regularly appears on ebay as well, I recomended a friend buy it only a couple of weeks ago from there.

Sorry to go off topic, but when I looked up the link above and had a good look around your site, I couldn't believe the size of the 4 manual console for a private residence you have recently completed. Without giving any information away obviously, would this be the largest house organ in this country?

Fingers crossed, I've given it another go. I look forward to the gods of Thor and his friends accompanying the music to me in the next few days.

Can anyone offer any help with a Norwegian company? Unlike a number of sites abroad, there is no English translation. I'm having considerable difficulty with Cantando.com over an album by Takle, which I would like a couple of pieces from. I know there are a number of British organists who play the man's music (Herrick's done a couple on various installments of Organ Fireworks), but a number of British distributors have had difficulties with them, and therefore won't deal with them.

Judging by how shimmery the dresses are, I'd guess your assumption about which generation is correct! Is she still going?