andyorgan

Did anyone see the less than complementary review of his CD in the Christmas BBC Music Magazine?

Yes, I can't understand this, I know lots of people who play either it all, or movements from it. I wonder if they have a reprint arrangement with anyone?

Yes, I agree, although not necessairly for that reason. What would happen if someone did say something libellous behind an anonymous name? Would our hosts have to divulge our identities to a legal 3rd party?

Now that the KM site is up again, I was mildy amused by the fact that music that involves a solo reed, eg Books 1 and 2 of 'Couple the Tuba', is listed under Organ and Other Instruments. Me thinks they are not quite sure of which Tuba?

Can I politely ask if anyone could PM me with the article?

Thanks Philip for this. I did know about the new Rawsthorne collections as I had pointed someone in that direction a few months ago. I had trouble with the KM website earlier today when I was reading this topic, perhaps lots of people were, that's why it broke! In the Fun Collection, I did once use 'Organists Country Garden', which involved the Grainger combined with various wedding themes. I do admit here that I slightly changed one or two small things to what I thought made a little more harmonic sense (please don't shoot...) and would consider using it again. I think they jumped on the bandwagon of HH success and said to the in house men, 'quick, do something similar and let's publish asap', they are not all as good as HH. On furthur inspection at home, I did also find a book of Sousa Marches by one of our contributors here, and two quite good Delius transcriptions. I was introduced to Canticle of the Rose (Ridout), by Barry of the same name, and one or two of the movements were useful fillers. The more I look, the more KM I keep finding! Could someone point me in the direction of the Rawsthorne/Paganini pedals piece, I couldn't find it on the KM site? Can anyone tell me about the reliability of the Bach and Mendelssohn editions published by KM?

What an intriuging topic, and one which has caused many closets to open... I have a volume called 'Encore' edited by Rawsthorne, sadly nla. It has the Hornpipe Humoresque, and has previously been mentioned, a few lunchtime encores (a shorter and easier version than Lemare of March from Aida, a playable Radestsky March, as well the Scott Joplin referred to in a previous post and an OK, if slightly unadventurous Occasional Overture transcription). However, there's a good Sortie on 'Nun danket' by Rawsthorne (needs a decent solo reed)himself and a transcription of the Sinfonia to Cantata No.29 (which is much less fussy than Dupre's and Guilmant's) that I use frequently and one or two other useful numbers. I have a small volume of Stanley Vann music (I think called Six Preludes on Hymn Tunes) which I have found very useful, and an Lenten collection by some of the in house composers, inoffensive sight readable communion musack for emergencies. I did explore the Ultimate Fun Collection, and More Ultimate Fun Collection as they were advertised for those who had got some mileage out of Hornpipe Humoresque. Sadly, I was a little disappointed, a case of over egging and not entirely my idea of fun. I know pianists turned organists have found the collections called something like 'One Foot at a Time' very useful, a series of pieces with minimal, or easy pedal parts to give some confidence. I would add to Peter's post about dross, Hymns Old and New, an inadequate volume on so many different levels. PS: Please invite me to any crem service that involves the Entertainer!

I'm not sure how mobile you are, but Holy Trinity, Guildford still does what you are looking for. They also maintain a boys only top line and do regular cathedral visits as well. Not half bad three manual instrument as well, though not the best place in the church for it to be housed.

There's one on the rather challenging to play Reid Concert Hall instrument in Edinburgh, which rather confused this particular 17 year old many years ago. It made for a good practice instrument; flat pedalboard, Werckmeister III (try playing the last 2 pages of the Bach Toccata in F!), and draw stops for the Postive behind the player.

Many thanks for this, let me know how you get on. I'm afraid I can't agree with your organ builder friend. When I was a student in Edinburgh, we had a fantastic array of organs to play, not to mention the ones that were in the process of being rebuilt. Glasgow has the same as well (though sadly, nothing in the concert hall, but as a regular player at the Kelvingrove, they don't come better supported than there). With the Paisley Abbey rebuild in the pipeline, there's certainly plenty to play north of the border.

Whilst Googling for something else, I found this article relating to this organ. As we're often up in Scotland, I wondered whether anyone had any first hand knowledge of it and whether it was worth a detour?

...or in conjunction with choir members who produce a similar effect without the ability to switch it off...

I went to hear Guillou at Symph Hall Birmingham, mainly prog of his own music and transcriptions (including a brilliant transcription from memory of Pictures at an Exhibition). When he came back on for an encore, I wondered how he would top it. He then pulled out about 3 stops and gave us a tiny set of French Noel Variaitons, so simply and exquisitely played, yet so musical and without a hint of showmanship. The rest of the programme had done that!

About 10 years ago there was a funeral in Edinburgh of a local organist, and he was played out by an improvised French-ish toccata on 'Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye'.

Can anyone tell me roughly where in Devon this is? I'm often working that end of the country and looking for B & B or hotels. The thought of one with an organ, or at least a sympathetically organist owner quite attracts. Perhaps a PM would be more appropriate if the information is sensitive in any way.

Even worse is the 'happy clappy' version that puts the tune in 4/4. Rhythm is dotted crotchet/dotted crotchet/two quavers in first bar etc. DOne because most drummers in those sorty of bands find 3/4 hard to accompany (let alone whether it is appropriate or not).

...to connect this with another current thread, hard to play this without thinking of 'Some enchanted evening'...

I thought I heard it once on a Radio 2 broadcast in a programme done by Richard Stilgoe years ago. There were loads more examples of LW 'cribbing' allegedly (I think the use of that word gets you round needing a lawyer, or at least that's what they say on Have I got news for you). In answer to (d) neil, the answer is no as well.

Shurrly not, my dear Watson. Does that mean Mr Ravel also stole from the Kinght of the Realm (cf Bolero/Memory) and Mr Mendelssohn (cf slow mov't vln conc/I don't know how to love him)? Perhaps mr Lloyd Webber isn't as talented as we've all been led to believe..... On the original matter, I actually quite like the stutter in the rhythm of the tune, though with two contrasting results. Yes, the church congregation never quite got it and did smooth over it a bit, but both my current and last school actually took to the rhythm very easily.

Not in the comical vein, but I frequently use Andrew Carter's Toccata on Veni Emmanuel. Its in the OUP Christmas book (quite a useful book, if for no other reason that you only need to have one book in your hand in the pub before, though carrying organ shoes as well always raises an eyebrow or two!), or there's an OUP Carter album, which I have, but other than a very nice Aria, have yet to find another use for. The Carter is pretty straightforward, though a decent reed will come in useful. The book also has 'Walking in the Air' in it, which I dare not play during a service, but did use in a Christmas recital once.

This one at the RGS Colchester is still a state school. Long time since I have been there (poss 20 years), so not sure if it is still playable.

Although these places are no longer state schools, they were originally the state grammar schools in the town (up to the early 80s in the case of the boys school). In fact, as the boys school have now taken over the girls school next door, they are in fact the same school. I played the RGS organ a number of times, though I would have loved to have seen the original Conacher in action! The one next door at what was formerly The Alice Ottley School is in their dining hall, and the ever pervading smell of school meals seriously compromises listening to or playing the organ for any length of time. The RGS organ gets pretty good use and is kept quite well, not so the one next door.

Well, I was young and a little naive at the start and it was some years ago. To be absolutely honest, I didn't even know the dull, boppy tune. We didn't sing it in school, and even in the pentecostal church I used to go to as a child we sang Thornbury! I don't have a problem with the piper calling the tune with the cash, I've stooped as low as 'Stairway to Heaven', some film music by Morricone, and some thrash rock number by a man from a popular beat combo called Bryan Adams.

Last post: £130 for weddings (it used to be £85 and then the add on for videos, but no one ever owned up, so we charged everybody the flat one and a half times and they could snap away to their hearts content) £70 funerals We didn't distinguish between musical and non musical weddings, they always took up roughly the same amount of time and anything the choir was expected to sing either came out of regualr repertoire, or we would wangle it into a service around the time of the wedding. I would select adults who I knew were reliable for weddings, usually two to a part and we paid them £15. If its was a big church wedding (eg from the church rather than the usual rent-a-tourist, never-been-in-church-before crowd), the adults would do it for free and we put the choir part of the fee into the music fund. The children were selected depending on committment and ability, aiming for 12 from about 30, they saw it as a privilege to sing at a wedding. Payment ranged from £10 for the head chorister down to £3 for light blue collars. Weddings not open to probationers. I always dealt with the couple direct and made them physically fill in a form detailing all their requirements, I found this very useful to avoid any potential misunderstandings. I learnt this the hard way when one couple complained about my choice of tune for a hymn. COnversation went along the following lines: "Yes, O Jesus I have promised would be a good choice of hymn. Which tune would you like?" "Oh, the usual one that everyone sings" Well, the one we sang was always Thornbury, and occasionally Wolvercote if I thought we could carry the congregation. Of course, they wanted the boppy tune and said that no one had sung and that was the tune they had sung in school, blah, blah, blah...

No need to worry!! Sadly not able to make it to the day in January (and also to the recent TT recital, we live quite some distance away), especially having seen the old beast decline in recent years.