bombarde32
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Posts posted by bombarde32
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I think that the Laudate Dominum from Vesparae Solennes de Confessore KV 339 is always most suitable. The simple works by Fauré, outside the ubiquitous Requiem (eg: Ave Maria op. 69, Ave Verum op. 65) can be most effective also.
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I thought you were doing a leg-pull when I saw the title of this thread!
The only pieces I can think of are by Noel Rawsthorne viz. Hornpipe Humoresque, Chorale Prelude on 'The Londonderry Air', and a harmless little Air in F.
I too thought that the title of the thread was a new year oxymoron!
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It appears that this topic and one posting in particular (not mine) has recently attracted some adverse publicity in the pages of Church Times.
Malcolm
............and?
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Hi all,
Have just found that I can not access my Fotopic site. Further to that it has gone round on a transport enthusiast group here in England that fotopic has gone BUST. So, with much regret, I hereby inform you all that my short-lived site containing photos of Church Organs - previously at http://churchorgans.fotopic.net - is no more. I hope to reconstitute something similar on another site and I will post any info on that in due course.
I am gutted, and quite (........) off.
Dave
I feel for you - there is nothing worse than compiling a complex and time-consuming list of photos/web info only to find this.
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Presumably not - but I am talking of keyboard quality as well as sound.
Don't really see your point - you can have gold bloody plated keys if you pay for them, which would go for any decent organ builder - pipe or electronic!
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Having attended virtually all the large Christmas services at Christ Church, Oxford (due to my son being a probationer-chorister) I was immensely underwhelmed with the organ. Whilst I normally sit in the area next to the choir for evensong, the organ works well here. For the large services (1100 attendees, according to the usher) we were sitting in the side transepts, where the organ was severely attenuated. The only thing which was heard clearly was the pedal basson 16, which is rather unpleasant, for any length of time.
Although the full Great was clear, The 16' pedal flue tone was pathetically small, (Bourdon 16 and a so-called Montre 16) and I can't help but thinking that a good Willis 'Violon 16' or a modern medium scaled Open Wood would (!) have helped things along hugely. The reeds are far too fierce to use for normal accompanimental use, which is such a shame. The boys (and men) sang beautifully though, and were a real credit to Stephen Darlington and all the music staff at Oxford.
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I've encountered crescendo pedals at the Cathedrals of Chester, Derby and Hereford. They're identical to the Swell pedals next to which they sit. (Visiting Recitalists beware - not every Swell pedal has to be left in the "open position" at the end of practice sessions!)
Both the variety and concert consoles at Southampton Guildhall have crescendo pedals.
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I am unaware of any music suitable for the commemoration of the mass murder of young children, especially as I am informed by a local theologian that there is no historical evidence that Herod's instructions were ever actually carried out. I hope they weren't. (Apparently it would have got him into serious trouble with Rome apart from anything else and there are no records of it apart from the Gospels.) However, we are lumbered with it as a feast(!!!) so we have to make the best of it.
Far better those churches that follow the Universal Calendar of the western church and celebrate the Holy Family on Sunday. I suggest you carry on with the festive Christmas theme. You will probably have a very small congregation anyway and they won't want to be thinking about death. We are doing "The infant King" arr. Edgar Pettman and I am playing Festival Voluntary by Flor Peeters so that my seasonal eating and drinking won't be unnecessarily interrputed by a need to practice.
Hope this helps.
Malcolm
However, it's not all bad!
In Spain and Ibero-America, December 28 is a day for pranks, equivalent to April Fool's Day in many countries. Pranks are known as inocentadas and their victims are called inocentes, or alternatively, the pranksters are the "inocentes" and the victims should not be angry at them, since they could not have committed any sin. Various Catholic countries had a tradition (no longer widely observed) of role reversal between children and their adult educators, including boy bishops, perhaps a Christianized version of the Roman annual feast of the Saturnalia (when even slaves played 'masters' for a day). In some cultures it is said to be an unlucky day, when no new project should be started, unlikely in the days of the current 'credit crunch'!
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I have it on very good authority that earlier in the year Copeman hart were in negotiation with Viscount to use their (Viscount's) current system. It really is good, and much better than a 5/6 year old Wyvern nearby that I play from time to time.
..............which would in no way reflect the current Wyvern-phoenix technology then, would it?!
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Also Leroy Anderson (100 years since birth) Giacomo Puccini (150 years) John Blow (300 years dead) and Edward Macdowell (100 years)
Any of these composers' music would be infinitely preferable to listen to (or play) than Messian
for me (personal opinion!!!) -
I have sometimes seen a 4' Gemshorn doing duty, presumably, as a smaller Principal on the Great. Once, even, as the ONLY Principal: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=D04993 Anyone know of any others?
A Gemshorn can be of better blend especially in a small room, due to the conical pipes absorbing some of the higher overtones. I know of at least one smallish church organ where the main 4' Great Principal is actually a Gemshorn, even though it is not actaully described as such on the drawstop.
I have also seen (by many builders, esp. Osmond) the stop 'Gemshorn' which is stringier, and turns out to be a slotted Violin Diapason of sorts, which is, of course, definitely NOT a Gemshorn.
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I very much doubt if there are any weddings where its particularly relevant these days. Still amusing though.
Neil, the funny thing is that in Ireland (where my wife grew up) the Irish Catholic church hierarcy produced a document BANNING certain tunes and songs which could be used at the signing of the register, and amongst the usual suspects (when I'm 64, One Hand, One Heart, Hey Jude etc) was Help me Make it Through the Night!
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What a wonderful and glorious career.
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My take on "I only wanna be with you" (Dusty Springfield) went down well at a wedding of a couple of friends when I played it during the signing of the register. I very much doubt that the Rector would have recognised the tune...
I always thought that variations on "Help me make it through the night" was singularly appropriate for most weddings.............
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........There was an old lady from Ealing,
Oh, err! perhaps not!
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Is that the Porter-Brown of Tuba Tune fame? One of my deputies often plays it in my absence, so I'm told, but I have not come across it - is it still in print please?
It is indeed, but I regret that I haven't seen a copy for very many years.
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I have often done a potted (arranged) version of the Troika (Lieutenant Kijè - {Prokofiev} which brings a smile to the congregation on the coldest Christmas Morning.
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I would agree with Cynic that they are best used as a build-up device. You can't play Reger without one!!
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I am indeed sorry to hear this. His performances on Sundays infuenced me greatly into playing the theatre organ (learning with the late Reginald Porter-Brown) along with my studies in classical organ playing.
...A sad loss.
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I can report that the Royal Festival Hall organ was heard - albeit briefly and with very restrained registration - in the Barry Gray Centenary Concert (Thunderbirds are GO!) which took place at that venue last night. It was used in a performance of the theme music for the 1969 Gerry Anderson series The Secret Service.
Glory be - is there no end to the esteem in which the authorities hold the instrument!
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Has anybody looked at the "German Mass" by Schubert, published by (I think) GIA publications in an English version. Parts of it - Kyrie and Sanctus particularly, work well but the Gloria has some infelicitous word setting. 4 parts throughout but "easy tunes" for the congregation.
Peter
Quite a few Catholic churches use this one. It can also be found in the 'Laudate' hymn book. It is singable by even the most limited choir, and sounds most effective, especially on the more solemn occasions and for the month of November.
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I just caught (before a Rachmaninov 'vespers' rehearsal last night, as I was parking the car) a snippett from St Paul's late evening on R4. It was basically an interview with the organist (with the inevitable 'stupid' questions) and some quickie demonstrations of the 'new' stops and a good blast of full organ. The interesting thing was that the organ was recorded from the console - giving a good perspective as to the difficuly facing the organist in performance. I especially liked his comment that parts of the organ could not be heard at all well at the console!
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One of the churches for whom I play still use (and have done for over 40 years) the Anglican Folk Mass (plainsong) by Martin Shaw!
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Don't forget the electronic 32's...
I thought that we were forbidden to even mention the 'electronic' word..............
for me (personal opinion!!!)
Mp3 Portable Recorders
in Nuts and bolts
Posted
I have to say that, as yet, I am unimpressed with the audio quality of MP3 recorders generally. I have yet to hear one which is as good as a decent Sony Minidisc recorder.