andyorgan

That's a shame because the Schoenberg arrangement is very good. What we must remember is that even if we don't like them now, when people like Lemare were around they served a very good purpose and they had the organs to play them on with some orchestral effects. Even if we're not keen on them now, then can I plead that we at least view them for what they were and the importance they used to have?

As the instigator of that rather wicked thread on transcriptions, along with my fellow transcribees (if there is such a word?) I would have to stick up for them. However I do have a gripe of the type of transcriptions some people play (Beethoven symphonies?) and the inappropriate organs they play them on.

My very hypermarket French stopped me from appreciating its finer points, but it did look quite good and I did manage to translate some of the text. What did intrigue me was the accompanying CD, which (translation permitting?) included some sheet music as well as well as some recordings. I've often wondered why OR (as the best of the three) or TO or C and O don't get together with some of the recording companies (or even individuals who have their own label) to put together a sampler CD, perhaps every couple of issues. The sampler bits of music that are in C and O and OR have all been pretty good, but rather conservative, and given the nature of the publication, very short. Wheras, a CD containing some pdfs (they don't have to be complete works if composers are worried about missing out on royalties) would be able to exhibit a more, and a wider variety of works, choral and/or organ and might give potential buyers more of an idea, rather than just a verbal review.

I heard an excellent transcription of the whole symphony for Brass Octet some time ago. The first movement worked particularly well.

I have played for a couple of evensongs, and given the size and stature of the place, it is much easier to accompnay on than you might imagine. Of course there are a few 'do not use for evensong' notices on particularly loud reeds (eg the Dome and West End, naturally).

There are some Wesley movements in that English Organ Music series, the Concerto volume, though I think they are by John or Charles, not S or SS.

I'd be happy with just the one rank if I got to keep the llama.

Its not even an hour, its half an hour!! How do we know this is legit?

The historical topic when I sat the FRCO was modern Dutch and Belgian, and I had to start from almost zero, Peeters and Jongen were my only starting points. However, a day in the RCo library in Birmingham with a LARGE pile of the stuff and I came out much educated and edified. I'm slightly ashamed that I still don't have any in my repertoire, this may make me revisit it.

Sorry, hadn't meant to... And still is after the rebuild, much better in fact. Anyway, back to the original point. Someone must know somebody who has heard the Chilcott. OUP don't publish things if they aren't going to sell. A little more Googling (is that a verb in the Englsih language now?) and it was written for the opening of the Symphony Hall organ, and is due to be performed there again on the 6/7 June. Its also had a perfomance in the Cadogan Hall in London.

Ah yes, that Webern, for a minute I thought you might be talking about the drivel I have to teach my A level kids. Here is the link to the Trio. Which section was your fiend in the BSO? It might be the same person...

I found another one, anyone heard it? Its by Bob Chilcott. MR.MAJEIKA & THE MAGIC ORGAN . . . . . . . . . OCR033 / 9780193558380 . . . . . . . . . . £7.00 For organ and narrator, with children's voices, this is a tale of witchcraft and sorcery in music and words, thrilling, entertaining and occasionally bizarre, and enlivened hugely by an assortment of comical organ effects. The character of Mr Majeika comes from the successful series of children's books by Humphrey Carpenter, who wrote the text for this work. Duration 18 minutes I like the concept of comical organ effects, it happens to us all one Sunday or another. My first Sunday in my last post, hadn't realised how unstable the music desk was, and the hymn book fell forwards towards me, making Cage like cluster noises on the Solo, Swell, Great then Choir before reaching my lap.

Agree almost entirely with your post. Just a little stuck with the first of those four names (Webern). Have you come across the David Rees Williams Trio who do the Loussier thing much better? Stanford in G, Buxtehude Gigue Fugue and Dido's lament among the best. There's a new Stokowski disc coming out sonn on Naxos. A friend of mine was playing in the BSO recording sessions a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, if memory serves me rightly, by Leupold in the US, which Allegro got hold of for me.

There's an excellent one by Thomas Murray which I'm playing this year, and slightly unusual. RH has the melody (of course), but LH has the bass part, and there is slow double pedalling throughout that fills in the harmony. Its rather good. I'd never thought of playing it A minor, a bit like that version of the Brahms Fugue in A flat minor that was published in A minor to make it 'easier to play'!

Edinburgh throws up a couple of good points here. 1. The recitals in the Usher Hall are well supported since the organ came back in, though sadly they have had to decamp to St Cuthberts while the hall is now under repair. 2. I hear on the grapevine that Mr Kwik-Fit has provided a substantial amount of the money for the new Copley instrument in the Ctholic Cathedral. Perhaps our fellow forum member Simon N could confirm how large his involvment was?

Which transcription of the Bach Badinere are you playing?

If we're plugging complete cheap Bach sets, then the Decca/Hurford set is almost the same price on 17 discs. It is an excellent set.

And what a positive review in OR of both your playing and the quality of the music.

What is happenning on that day?

Look at what they achieved in Scotland at the Usher Hall and the Kelvingrove. The good things about these two were because so little was done to them in the 60s and 70s, they were left untouched (eg no horrible mixtures and mutations added and orchestral stops left etc.) and so restorations have been very successful. (Irritating that they wouldn't be remotely accommodating in terms of generals or settable pistons at the Kelvingrove, especially as you only get a couple of hours max for practice). The daily recitals in Glasgow have been a revalation for the gallery attending public up there and has raised the profile enormously. Once work in the Usher Hall has finished on th building, they can get back to the great work they were doing too. The Liverpool instrument is a crying shame, and especially the fact that it is the city of culture makes it worse. They would argue (being one of the loony leftie counclis) that the organ doesn't have enough broad appeal, and that there aren't any votes in it. Am I being too cynical?

Yes, I have the CD and it is very good. It is very Briggs, which of course means its very French, yet not a pastiche in anyway. Well worth a look!

I think you are referring to Cameron Carpenter and the clip is on the Trinity, Wall St, New York site. He takes thumbing down to a new level (often two in fact).

Ooops, Bank Holiday sunshine playing havoc with typing.

I've just taken delivery of the new Chandos Leighton Concerto for Organ, Strings and Percussion. Its ages since I've heard this. It's a super work, but rather dark and bleak. Well recorded (it must be, it manages to make the St David's organ sound good! and I got out my Senn HD650s especially for it, after the other thread) and of course exemplary laying from John Scott. Anyone else purchased it yet?