timothyguntrip

Just seen this new release from the Festivo label from La Trinite, which includes the Diptyque Liturgique: http://www.festivo.nl/catalogue/6962422 (Sorry for the absence of a 'live' link - for some reason it freezes up when I try to add one, not sure why) VA

Thanks for the link. That seems like an excellent site - shame they don't have an English version! Many thanks VA

Avoiding starting another topic on a similar subject, if anyone has a copy of any of the following which they wish to sell, I'd be most appreciative. If you are able to help, contact me via PM. I'm always scouting the usual second-hand places, but these are the ones which never seem to show up - and most, if not all, of them are long out of print. VA - W. Albright - Sweet Sixteenths - Y. Bowen - Melody in G minor - H. Mulet - Offertoire Funebre / Priere / Offertoire pour la Fete du Tres Saint Rosaire - E. Hovland - Toccata 'Now Thank We All Our God' - E. Mignan - Toccata Medievale - E. Bullock - Improvisation on a Tune of Orlando Gibbons

1. Perhaps the Toccata by Henri Nibelle? Manuals only until about 3 (?) pages before the end. Quite an engaging piece. 2. There was a thread regarding the Oxford Lent and Easter book this time last year. I purchased it having read favourable reviews on here, and there is a good amount of material in there. My congregation particularly enjoyed the Toccata on 'Aberystwyth' by David Bednall, and there's a wealth of quieter items in there, some of which I used as pre-service voluntaries. Nibelle mentioned above also wrote a collection of 50 Pieces, which is a useful tome to have at the console - though I'm unsure of its availability. 3. Until fairly recently I lived abroad, where an organist friend of mine and I used to frequently do this. And it inevitably always ended up at the pub. VA

A few that you might find useful: Dyson: Variations on Old Psalm Tunes: there's three sets of them. Tuneful and approachable. virtually anything by Denis Bedard Dupre: Entrée, Canzona et Sortie: not nearly as difficult as his other stuff, very useful Franck: Pieces Posthumes (sp?) - on IMSLP Johnson: Trumpet Tunes Karg-Elert: 20 Preludes and Postludes Op.78 Peeters: Chorale Preludes Op.68 - 70 Willan: Six Chorale Preludes Dupre: Tombeau de Titelouze Nibelle: 50 Pieces All material which I've used, and found rather invaluable! VA

Many thanks for the information, mgp. The limited printing of this work would thus explain its lack of availability! Would you be able to point me in the right direction via PM or otherwise for gaining permission? VA

I've recently been delving more into the rather neglected and underplayed organ works of this gentleman, since hearing his Hymne aux Memoires Heroiques at a recital earlier this year. Much of his oeuvre appears to still be in print, except the particular piece I'm looking for - Diptyque Liturgique, originally published by H.W.Gray. Even the RCO library doesn't have a copy of it, and after much searching via Google, I've hit point blank. Would anyone know where this work might be available from? Best regards to all for the New Year. VA

This is my second Christmas in my current position, and can't say we are doing anything particularly different. Lessons and Carols next Sunday evening which remains fairly traditional and always attracts a fairly large crowd. Christmas Eve: Crib Service at 3pm, and of course our Midnight Service, with another service sandwiched in between at a hospital chapel in Kent. Thankfully Christmas Day is only comprised of a short family service so I can take it a bit easier. I think I'm using fairly similar voluntary material this year as last year - Widor V, Vierne I, Mulet Carillon-Sortie for afters, and Langlais La Nativite, Oxley 'Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance', Peeters Op.39 Preludes and the suchlike for before. And of course that fabulous little Dupre setting of In Dulci Jubilo. I haven't had much time to learn anything new this year! Festive best wishes to all VA

Apart from the above piece and the famous Toccatina, is there anything else by Yon out there worth playing? Quite a lot of it seems to be in the rather saccharine Bossi-esque style - perhaps there exist a few exceptions? VA

Many thanks for all your responses. I'll be using the Processional as an opener to a forthcoming recital. I think I'll have a crack at the Invocations as and when time allows. We'll be doing the loved / loathed Sir Christemas this year too. VA

With a forthcoming house move, I recently set about the task of boxing up all my scores - among which I found many which had sat forgotten on the shelves for quite some time. In particular I found quite a few by Mathias, namely: - Fantasy - Fenestra - Three Pieces (Invocations, Carillon, Antiphonies) Having only ever played a few out of the Organ Album, I had a listen to them on Spotify and think, overall, they're quite good stuff. A few questions for those who are more familiar with this music than myself: - Is Mathias' music out of fashion? I certainly can't remember the last time I heard any of his organ output in recital. They certainly seem to demand a resourceful instrument and a fairly generous acoustic to bring off well. - How approachable are these pieces? I'd like to choose just one of them for now to work on. - I've heard some rather dismissive comments before about his music before - are they justified or not? Best regards to all VA

I've used the Adagio, Andantino, and Suite Liturgique as voluntary material before. I'll be playing the Variations on the Old Hundredth in a recital next month too. Great music in an approachable modern idiom, which is not too taxing to learn. I'll probably end up buying those two volumes myself at some stage, as I'm sure there's much more to explore.

Noticed these bargains on my last visit a couple of weeks ago. Considering Tournemire is now out of copyright in most lands, I'm surprised Dover Publications haven't yet published the whole cycle in one volume! As a hesitant Tournemire player, I'd certainly be more willing to part with my money if this came about.

I've played a few of them before, Attende Domine being my favourite of the lot. Other useful collections of a similar nature are the set of 24 Pieces by Andre Fleury, and the 50 Pieces by Henri Nibelle (the latter all based on Gregorian themes). Both are probably a little more pricey than the norm, but I find them invaluable. Others which spring to mind are the Langlais 24 Pieces, the Dupre 12 Gregorian Chorale Preludes / 24 Inventions, and some of the sets by Flor Peeters. Once again, prices may vary!

I've got some Reuchsel amongst my collection - one set of the Promenades en Provence and also the Bouquet de France - I've played a few of the pieces from the latter, but quite some time ago! It's very impressionistic stuff, but certainly quite tricky in places. There is another piece from one of the Bonnet collections called Ariel - I'm not sure if the piece has as much to do with the sea as the title would suggest, but I've played it once or twice before and it's not as difficult as it might first seem.

The piece that immediately comes to my mind is Bonnet's 'In Memoriam Titanic'. Probably not 'nautical' in the sense of the pieces previously mentioned, but nonetheless there's a connection.

Just heard the sad news that Marie Claire Alain passed away last night aged 86. May she rest in peace.

This would seem to confirm what I was thinking, but didn't state... There seems absolutely no musical point to it at all, to my humble ears - which is why I was rather surprised at the enthusiasm of the individual who uploaded it. My two year old nephew seems to have a greater improvisatory ability when I let him loose on my toaster at home... Now is more like it. VA

appeared on Youtube a few days ago - not really sure what to make of it...

Here's a few interesting pieces that I've found available online: Gottfried Federlein: Scherzo-Pastorale - a jolly little piece which is not too tricky and would make a lighter filler item in recitals. You can hear it . Edouard Silas: Blenheim Fantasia Alexandre Boely: Lots of fairly straightforward tuneful pieces in here. M.E.Bossi: There's two volumes of some of his organ pieces. Some of them can be slightly cheesy, but I've a slight fondness for the Resignation... Hopefully the above may fit the description of the kind of items you are looking for. VA

Would you be able to tell me where I could get hold of these? I've only come across his Six Pieces before. VA

Barie's untimely death at the age of 31 meant his music went into the public domain some time earlier. I really enjoy his music - one can only imagine what else he might have produced had he lived longer. The Intermezzo from the Symphony is also great as a lighter piece between more weighty recital items. If you are interested, there is a thesis on Barie and his organ works, viewable here. VA

Happy New Year to all.

I'm not sure if it is the same work - but there is one on IMSLP here for anyone else who may be looking - in the fifth volume. VA

I've certainly got my work cut out this year, filling in for Christmas services at two other churches besides where I am resident - so I've been thinking about my Christmas voluntary offerings for quite some time now. The Oxford volume has a great range of pieces in it; aside from the traditional offerings, there's some interesting pieces with a more contemporary flavour, including the Rutter Veni Emmanuel Toccata. Banks Music publish a transcription of Anderson's Sleigh Ride - probably not to everyone's taste, but great fun - slightly tricky in places. Another piece which will bring the roof down is Richard Elliott's arrangement of I Saw Three Ships - you can buy this one online to print, so no issue of waiting for the score to arrive. I usually play Vierne's Carillon de Westminster after the Midnight service - it seems to fit the bill. Or you might like to try Carillon Orleanais by Henri Nibelle - always sounds rather 'christmassy' to mine ear. Of course, there are plenty of quieter voluntaries which can be just as effective - but since you specified 'loud and impressive', I'll stick to the above! VA