bombarde32
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Posts posted by bombarde32
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To Answer DW's question........
The organ has been amplified for many years so that it can be heard adequately when the ballroom is full. THAT'S why!!
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The Blackpool Tower has a pipe organ.
Alan
Albeit considerably electronically amplified........
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Portsmouth RC Cathedral had a new 32' reed added (not part of the original scheme) when the David Wells rebuild of the old Christ Church Bishopswearmouth Lewis got transplanted. Fat lot of good it is too!
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I'm rather glad that the work to the insturment will not alter it too much tonally. My friend was a lay clerk there, and I often used to go up and hear the organ, although I have never played it. I always thought it rather fine!
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We have the Wesley system in both chapels at the local crem, but in all honesty, I can't say that it has affected me particularly. What it has done, though is to weed out all the two-fingered, crappy and the elderly pianist/organists who used to turn up and take the work away from those of us who actually know what they're doing.
I have also found that the discerning and regular church-going families will always use a good organist (especially for the hymns) and maybe, if they have a particular request for something modern, they use the Wesley system for pre-recorded music as they enter and leave the chapel. More often than not, however, the organist is expected to play something properly, and the congregation are often requested to stay and listen before they leave, if there is time in the creamatorium's schedule for the day.
Incidentally our crematorium has spent a considerable amount SINCE the Wesley system was installed endowing the chapels with two very good Wyvern digital organs, the one in the larger chapel being a custom-built instrument, with a solid oak English-built console having a bespoke multi-channel speaker enclosure on the 'west' wall to really maximise the Phoenix system installed within the organ. This organ is instrumental (!) in really encouraging even the most reluctant congregation to give it a go and join in with the hymns.
In an average week, I would estimate that in both chapels the organs are used for at least 40 funerals.
It should also be remembered that the chapels are (and must be) multi-faith buildings and it is interesting to note that although the organs are not generally used for muslim, seikh and other demoninations, the Wesley system is often not used either!!
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Hi
To deal with the easy question first - I would not want to employ a musician who comes to the church with no faith (i.e. a self-professed athiest, Muslim or whatever)
Tony
I am also rather surprised at this rather sweeping statement, especially as it seems to say that Muslims have no faith.
Pardon me, brother, but I know several Muslims who have more faith in their little fingers than many so-called Christians have in their whole bodies!!
I am greatly offended with your comment, Tony and strongly suggest that you clarify it before you are lambasted further...........
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I got this score from Musicroom today and must say I am disappointed. Not with the music itself, but the presentation. It is basically a reproduction of the composer's own manuscript (first draft I reckon) in a somewhat scrawled hand, and difficult to read in many places. The spacing of the ledger lines in the script is totally inconsistent, accidentals are not always in line with the note they modify, and the verticle alignment of simultaneously sounding chords/notes is not always accurate. I think that these days with so many music origination programmes on the market publishing houses such as these could spend a litle time in getting their products in a readable condition.
This cost me £13.95, and I intend to write to the distributer and the publisher about their not carryimg a health warning. Is this worth doing? Do any other contributers have similar experiences?
Peter
Peter, I agree, especially seeing that most musicians worth their salt have a copy of Sibelius or some other music writing programme. To have to pay that for something that is almost unreadable in this day and age is not really acceptable!
Even my GCSE students are submitting their stuff to the exam boards in Sibelius these days!
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So we have this:
Pierre
This young man gives a truly inspired performance in my opinion. - Excellent playing, and thank you Pierre for bringing this chap to our attention. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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May one ask why Klais for the rebulding of a 1903 Norman & Beard? And Skrabl?
DW
Because, like it or not, we are in Europe now and I suppose the tendering process has to be totally transparent. That means that even Foreign builders have to get a look in.
Would Willis have done as good a job for the same money?
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When I was in the United States (for several periods in the 80's),
I had to care to avoid any belgian joke....A collegue of us actually
landed in jail for some hours for a joke in the airport.
And note this was long before September 2001...
There is a reason for this: humor being very idiosincratic, it is always risky
in a country made of people with very diverse origins.
Pierre
Was it the joke about the bomb in the hand luggage?
Goes down well, that one; Straight to Jail; do not collect $200!!
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Wrong again!
Ah well, I did say 'sounds like..'
Sorry,
P.
........Sounds like you need a new audio system on your computer.
Doesn't sound anything like an electronic to me! -
Sorry, I disagree.
I have yet to meet an organist who never looks at their hands. I find it illogical that feet should be treated differently. In any case, I have a number of friends who are cathedral organists and I have observed them looking at their feet from time to time. If it is a choice between playing an incorrect note or looking, personally I would look every time.
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I completely agree - yesterday I had to look down most carefully as the organ on which I was playing (A BRAND-NEW Viscount prestige 40) had the most stupid toe piston layout imaginable - the midi sustain piston (which operates as a sustain for the piano effect) was placed right next door to the 'tutti' piston. I wonder who was the stupid idiot who designed THAT?
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I hardly ever read these postings, but have just found one about me, so thought I had better reply, even though the topic has long gone cold, and I am two years late...
The story about me and "BR" at Guildford as related by David Coram, was inaccurate, though based on fact.
The "BR" referred to was Bernard Rose (not Barry) and the incident took place at Magdalen College Oxford, not Guildford Cathedral.
I was organ scholar at Magdalen at the time and was once criticised by Bernard Rose for "playing the psalms too romantically".
I defended myself thus "I was only trying to paint the words, Dr Rose."
"Yes, but not EVERY word!" said the great man.
Geoffrey Morgan
Fantastic - brightened my morning!
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Quite the most ugly and uninspiring thing.
UGH!
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As a substitue Voix Humaine on the organ of St Martin, Sherwood, I have used 16 Gamba plus 4 Lieblich Flute up an octave. It sounded surprisingly good, people said. At Hertford College Oxford, I used 8 Gamba and 4 Flute - also quite effective. No tremulants on either organ, and I don't like to use celestes too much.
I agree, Gamba (salicional, viola da gamba or even a dulciana) with soft 4' flute works well in the absence of a Vox
Alternatively I have even used odd things like 8' Oboe and Nazard 2-2/3' or even a Salicional and Nazard 2-2/3'. Sometimes things that look absolutely ridiculous on paper actually work really well!
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I'm sure that Message Boarders will be really pleased to know that there is, and what is now becoming, a rare opportunity to hear the Collins Organ at Turner Sims. On Tuesday 28th April Thomas Trotter will be playing all the Bach Trio Sonatas. What a fantastic combination of music, player and organ! Not many organs will cope with one sonata, let alone the whole lot! Hear for yourselves...
What a shame I can't come due to an Israel in Egypt r/h that evening - I know know where I'd rather be - having played that organ for various events/concerts over the years since it went in. You wouldn't believe what some choirs/choral societies have got away with with that organ, mainly due to the complete lack of alternative venues around Southampton rather than any particular fondness for the venue, it has to be said! Accompaning Britten and a concert of victorian choral music without a Swell box is not my favourite cup of tea, especially when the conductor wants a shimmery Céleste sound and you have a Wood Gedackt, or an athsmatic Gambe!
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This is about the definition of this forum, isn't it ?
Not only "The organ" is gone: it's the paper that is "going".
Pierre
I take your point, but sometimes it's nice to have a tangible reference for something which is why I still have CD's and not MP3's or 'downloads'. I have reference books going back to a third edition of Thomas Elliston's "Organs & Tuning - a practical handbook for organists", to which I still refer.
By the way, it was printed in 1898.
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I am very glad that you found our church welcoming.
My apologies if I frightened your lads (although in fairness, it was only the last line) - I wanted to make the most of the fact that my chamades were in tune - for the first time since Christmas.
Amazing what a bit of relatively stable humidity/temperature does...the weather up until recently has been so changeable that I'm surprised that anything has been in tune!
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I gave up on 'The Organ' some time ago. I gave up on 'Choir and Organ' for reasons that have been rehearsed by others elsewhere. I gave up on 'Organists Review' when a few years ago it started to preach at me. What I would like to see is an organ magazine (1) with articles about instruments that have been visited, and played, and lstened to in the flesh, by people who do not have a vested interest in their installation or upkeep; (2) whose contributors are prepared to be controversial, challenging sacred cows when necessary; (3) that considers both liturgical and purely organic-musical needs; (4) that has a wide range of contributors, established and (at present) unknown; (5) that treats electronic organs seriously; (6) that is well edited; (7) that is free of articles/reviews about choirs and choral music and other non-organic matters; (8) that is interested in mechanics and construction as much as, but no more than, sound. A journal, in fact, for its makers, players and lovers. I like editing, within reason. Can anything be done?
Now I'd buy that!
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Semi-Pro choir and full brass in this morning so we finished off with 'Hallelujah Chorus' from Messiah. Great applause at end, so didn't need to do a voluntary after that!! Straight to coffee and Sunday lunch
.........Grand!
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I would have ignored them. If they want to do this they can either arrange with me where to do it beforehand, or understand there's a perfectly good pew sheet which notices can be put on
This happend to me ONCE and once only. At the church of the Holy Mother where I was organist for a looooooooong time, (too bloddy long!) the choir Harmonic Tromba at 16,8 + 4 was coupled to the Great, along with the Pedal Ophicleide when the person started talking and that was that - I won; I made my point, and it never happened again.
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έξυπνο a**e
Eh?
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A happy Holy Week and Easter to everyone!
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I own a Bombarde - bought from Ebay for very little money. Never learned to play it, but great fun getting a note out of it, especially as it scared the hell out of the cat. I've heard one live in Brittany, played with a 3M Cavaille Coll, and the Bombarde won!!!!!!!!! It's a bugger to play as my wife found out (she plays the Oboe), as the pitch is controlled by holes in the body and also pressure on the reed (a Bassoon reed). Go-on get one, it's always a talking point especially at parties when we've had a tincture or twain too much - betting which one of us can actually get a scale out of the ihing!
That made me laugh - esp. the bit about the cat!!
We too have a cat that likes to sit upon the bass speaker cabinet on the home organ. As it is well away from the console, she hasn't worked out the correlation betwixt the two. The speaker only comes on at the bottom end of the 16' and the 32', she can be quite settled until the lower notes are used, and then she's off in high dugeon! She soon comes back though!
Loudest Tubas
in Nuts and bolts
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I too took lessons on that organ along with another friend of mine during jeremy blandford's time. To a fourteen year old the 32' reed sounded like the very opening of hell!!