bombarde32

Good grief! One of the only Easter Bunnies that has not had its head bitten off. All the ones round here have been attacked by the children hours ago!!

I agree, but maybe one or two of you would like to share their thoughts as to what makes a real and beautiful perfomance of what is really one of the most sublime musical moments there is, in my opinion.

It is also possibly worth mentioning that (in spite of much toaster-bashing) a lot of current toasters at least can give us some idea of what the different temprements sound like.

Ha HA! Made my day, that one (especially after breaking down on the M3 this morning in the terrible weather!)

Dare I suggest "Variations on America" - Charles Ives ....No..........please don't shoot.......

I love the expression the Germans have which is (I think) "Du hat ein Fogel in dem Kopf!" Tr. as: You have a bird in your head..... In other words "You're a bit of a Muppet, Mate!" .......Great!

I fully agree with you Charles, with regard to Choir and Organ which has gone from what was orginally quite a good easy-reading magazine to rather a desperate failure. To this end I wrote to the new editor (who specifically requested comments on the way forward for the magazine in the last issue) I have yet to receive a reply. TRANSCRIPT OF LETTER TO CHOIR & ORGAN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dear Ms Hamilton, I have been a long-term subscriber to this magazine, since the very first issue. I have to say that, of late, on the whole, it has become a real disappointment. ORGANS We need more reviews of organs, specifically digital organs. Lately, it has become very obvious that, when the pipe organ world is quiet, with very few instruments being installed, the magazine really struggles to say anything at all of interest. How about some reviews of digital organs? The pages of the magazine are adorned with adverts from the main digital organ builders, but do we know what they sound like?…… er, no, because nobody has actually written anything about them. It is really the minority of churches which have the funds to put into an inadequate or ailing pipe organ, and why should they. There are so many other things which call upon the finances of most churches these days. We need to know what these instruments sound like. Now we could all trawl the length and breadth of the country to hear these instruments in the various manufacturers’ showrooms, but how about an unbiased review from someone who really knows a thing or two. Surely the manufacturers of these instrument would welcome reviews of their products. As an organist, I would like to know what these instruments are like. Not just the big ones, but the type which a small church could afford, say between £4,000-£10,000. How about the organist who would like a practice organ at home? You could really offer some great guidance here, and really boost your circulation, because these are the things which the AVERAGE church really wants to know! LETTERS PAGE Well, actually 1/3 of a page in the last issue, with only one letter from a member of the public. This is pathetic….come on, you can do significantly better than this! CANTUS IN CORO This is a complete waste of time. Who on earth in the average church music scene is going to sing this? Where are you going to get an organist/pianist of sufficient ability who could (would want to) play it? Are you going to go to the “World premiere” in Berlin? I thought not. Will it ever be heard again? Nah! I would rather have my eyes gouged out with a fork. What a waste of three pages. ORGANO PLENO Charting the saving of a 2nd rate Norman and Beard pipe organ and the fact that it has been saved from the scrapheap and transplanted in Australia is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. We hear all the waffle about “a century old 35 stop ‘elegant’ pneumatic action with ‘progressive features’ and a ‘nobility of tone’. In a professional church music career of over thirty years, I have never yet encountered any pneumatic action which could in any way be described as “Elegant!!” What garbage! But it gets worse - how about the statement “With an actual 8ft diapason, the choir certainly has something to say”……. What on earth is an ‘actual’ 8ft diapason…or a non-actual one, for that matter. This is utter drivel! I would venture to suggest that Mr Ambrosino steer clear of the happy pills which are so obviously contributing to his ‘rose tinted’ ideas of organ description. IN GENERAL So come on editor! You have the opportunity to rescue this ailing magazine, kicking and whimpering from the pit in which it has now found itself. Get some articles of real interest to singers and organists alike, and get rid of the stupid articles featuring music which no-one will ever play or want to listen to. Yours, with best wishes,

I must also tell you about a tuner who went far and above the call of duty, who after trying to tune - and cure an awful buzzing noise - the Bottom B on an Open Wood. As it failed to respond to the usual adjustments, he concluded that there must be a split in the pipe. So instead of just ignoring it and hoping that it would go away, he spent an hour removing the pipe, strapping it to the top of his van (it wouldn't fit inside) and driving back to his workshop to reglue the pipe and screw it back together. A couple of days later, he returned with the pipe, repaired, pronouncing it fit and well. The buuzzing noice had apparrently come from a loose knot in the pipe about half way down. This necessitated the complete dismantling of the pipe to get to the knot. The pipe was refitted to the organ (a major job, in itself) and it spoke perfectly, giving a full, round tone. The tuner did not charge any extra, over and above the normal routine tuning fee, for this work, as I had helped him remove the pipe! I can heartily recommend him to anyone who cares to ask. He really does go the extra mile!

I only wish that our association had such a diverse and active membership!

But there are those (naming no names) who do absolutely the bare minimum and then proclaim that the organ has "received our best attention today". I cite an example of an organist freind of mine who, when suspecting that the organ in his care was not receiving the best attention at all times, hid in the church at around the time when the tuner was due to call. This tuner opened the organ, switched on the blower and removed the access door to the instrument. He then proceed to enter the organ, and lit up a cigarette After 10 minutes he emerged from the instrument, closed it up, packed up his bag and was about to leave when my friend popped out of the shadows, and asked him whether he was actually going to do any work to the organ that day! Although both the organ company and the (so called) tuner are no more, in this example, there are still some tuners which I have come across which are content with the barest minimum standard of work, and really have to be encouraged to do anything even moderately difficult or challenging.

I too heard the broadcast, my wife having alerted me from the deepest, darkest depths of the school playground, where, apparently using a mobile phone is a Capital offence! The broadcast was both informative and objective, often in stark contrast with many of the debates held on radio 4 recently! My thanks to those who gave up their time to promote our cause!

I don't give a tinker's cuss about how many "eminent recitalists" there may be in any particular association, or how many events and blah, blah, blah. What I do know is that if a member of any organisation feels the need to resign over something, then there has been a breakdown in communication somewhere, and the association and its officers have a responsibility to put things right, if at all possible. As far as I can fathom, most organist associations aren't exactly flush with members either, and, frankly I'm not surprised! BTW, It was certainly not my intention to be either ridiculous or offensive, Neil.

I'm sorry to hear that David's local association has treated him in this way. If they are that defensive about their failings, then David is well out of it! Sounds like David was the only person in the Association who actually cared about anything!

Just for interest....... This organ http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=D06587 unusually has a full length (Open to CC) 8' Hohl Flute on the Great soundboard. It is also unusual also in that it was at one time rebuilt by Ingram/Hope Jones as a 4 manual. http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N18681. Later on, it was rebuilt by Willis, and was most successful, given the appalling acoustic in the church. It can reasonably be deduced that the Hohl Flute is an original Ingram Hope Jones stop; it also takes up a huge amount of room!

No gasps of horror here, my friend. I just hope that your rehabilitation goes smoothly. With great sympathy, from someone who had his knee ligaments snapped by an errant female skier last February, and still not right! Good luck!

I've seen them referred to in tuners' books as stop "Roundels"

Oh yes! I have a portable Rogers instrument which I use for funerals etc where there is no instrument at all, which is perfectly adequate for most stuff, coupled with a small 3 piece speaker system. However, the the stop indicators are small orange LEDs built into the rocker tabs, and even under bright light they are all but invisible. ........bit of a schoolboy error, really!

Phew - that is a real tour de force!

In the words of Francis Urquart "You might very well think that - I couldn't possibly comment!"

You are quite right, and some also generate a certain amount of radomised unsteadiness in the note to simulate a less than rock steady sound. Most also inject a certain amount of wind 'slump' to stop the sound being to clinically 'perfect'. These parameters are completely random, even to the extent of varying each time the instrument is switched on.

I play an unaltered 1891 Forster and Andrews most weeks, complete with Dulciana! You are most welcome to come and play it anytime, to see (hear) what you are missing!

.........We shall wait and see whether it repercusses as far as the Catholic church. Don't hold your breath!

Most of the small Walker 'Positve' type of insturments which I have played, and the small Osmond extension organs (quite prevelant 'round here) have entirely metal pipework (except for the bottom 12 of the Bourdon) and the cork lined stoppers inevitably decend southwards, after a few years. They are nearly always badly out of tune, especially after a few cycles of the heating system!

Me too - especially with the Hindemith. Such exciting sounds. A major influence on me at the time! Winchester Cathedral Westminster Cathedral Clifton Cathedral Farnborough Abbey Christ Church Cathedral Oxford Astra Theatre Llandudno (sadly gone) Guildhall, Southampton (Variety and Classical Consoles!)